"According to a Q4 2025 report published by Coveware, a cybersecurity firm that tracks the trends and movements of ransomware groups, ransomware payments made were at their highest -- in around 85% of attacks -- back in 2019. With the exception of a handful of quarterly spikes, the success rate of ransomware blackmail and extortion attempts has continued to drop."
"Data exfiltration, which was involved in 76% of ransomware incidents recorded by Coveware in Q3 2025, has pivoted from being part of an attack chain to being the main goal. As the ransomware industry has grown more sophisticated, ransomware operators realized that locking systems can apply only so much pressure, whereas the theft of sensitive corporate and customer data could be used as more effective leverage."
Ransomware payment success rates have declined sharply, reaching 23% in Q3 2025. Payment rates peaked at about 85% in 2019 and have trended downward with only occasional quarterly spikes. Reported payment rates were approximately 27% in Q1 2025 and 26% in Q2 2025. Data exfiltration was involved in 76% of recorded ransomware incidents in Q3 2025 and has shifted from a supporting tactic to the primary objective. Attackers increasingly steal sensitive corporate and customer data to maximize leverage, often publicizing thefts and using temporary websites or paste sites to pressure victims. Declining ransom compliance may encourage more targeted attacks seeking larger payouts and increased risk for large enterprises.
Read at ZDNET
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]