Ransomware Involvement in Nearly Half of All Breaches: Key Trends and Defenses

Ransomware continues to dominate the cybersecurity threat landscape, with Verizon’s 2025 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) revealing its involvement in 44% of all breaches—a significant increase from 32% in 2024¹. Notably, 64% of victims refused to pay ransoms, up from 50% in 2023, signaling a shift in organizational resilience strategies¹. This article examines the latest trends, attack vectors, and mitigation strategies based on data from Verizon, Microsoft, and global incident reports.

TL;DR: Key Findings

44% of breaches involved ransomware (Verizon DBIR 2025)
64% of victims declined ransom payments, with median payments dropping to $115,000
88% of SMB breaches included ransomware vs. 39% for enterprises
Top initial access methods: credential abuse (22%) and vulnerability exploitation (20%)

Ransomware Trends and Financial Impact

The 2025 DBIR highlights a 12% year-over-year increase in ransomware-related breaches, with small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) disproportionately affected¹. While the median ransom payment fell to $115,000, Sophos reported a 500% surge in average payments to $2 million for enterprises, indicating targeted high-value attacks³. Microsoft’s 2024 Digital Defense Report adds context: human-operated ransomware attacks tripled (275% YoY), though encryption success rates declined due to automated defense mechanisms².

Attack Vectors and Industry-Specific Risks

Credential abuse (22%) and vulnerability exploitation (20%) remain dominant entry points, with third-party breaches doubling to 30% of incidents¹. Healthcare led with 1,542 confirmed breaches (90% financially motivated), while manufacturing saw espionage-motivated attacks jump from 3% to 20%¹. The Asia-Pacific region faced unique threats, with 97% of breaches tied to system intrusions or web app attacks¹.

Industry	Breach Count	Primary Motive
Healthcare	1,542	Financial (90%)
Manufacturing	Not specified	Espionage (20%)

Defensive Recommendations

Verizon and Microsoft emphasize multi-layered defenses:

Credential hygiene: Enforce MFA and monitor for anomalous logins
Patch management: Prioritize vulnerabilities in public-facing apps
Third-party audits: Assess vendor security postures quarterly

“Effective deterrence can be achieved in two ways: by denial of intrusions or by imposing consequences for malicious behavior.”
— Tom Burt, Microsoft VP of Customer Security & Trust²

Conclusion

The rise in ransomware incidents underscores the need for proactive defense strategies, particularly for SMBs and supply chain partners. While payment refusals are increasing, organizations must balance resilience with rapid incident response capabilities. Emerging threats like AI-generated phishing content and cloud vulnerabilities require continuous adaptation of security postures.