US businesses are the top target for ransomware in 2025 so far

Date:
Thu, 10 Apr 2025 15:00:00 +0000

Description:
SMBs in manufacturing are particularly hit, although IT and services aren't faring much better.

FULL STORY

So far in 2025, US businesses were prime targets for ransomware attackers, taking up almost half of all incidents of that nature this year, according to
a new report from threat exposure management platform NordStellar, whose researchers analyzed dark web data to compile the Q1 2025 statistics.

As per the report, there were 2,440 new ransomware cases made public on the dark web, up 84% compared to the same period in 2024 (1,325). Of that number, 990 (41%) were US businesses.

That makes the United States the most affected country globally by far, since second-placed Canada had only 105 cases. The UK is third with 74, followed by Germany (56), France (42), and India (42).

Manufacturing, IT, professional services

According to NordStellars cybersecurity expert Vakaris Noreika, this is
because the US has plenty of rich business targets: A high concentration of wealthy businesses with cyber insurance that includes ransom coverage make
the US a desirable target for hackers, Noreika explained.

The economy of the US is highly digitalized and most businesses depend on interconnected systems, cloud technologies, and remote work environments all factors that create more opportunities for ransomware attacks to infiltrate.

Ransomware criminals seem to be particularly interested in businesses in manufacturing, since this industry recorded 273 cases. IT was second with 172 cases, and professional services was third with 116. Surprisingly enough,
these are mostly SMBs, not enterprises. Companies with a revenue of $10M-50M, employing 51-200 people, were most-hit in Q1.

Ransomware continues being one of the most destructive and disruptive cybercriminal operations out there. Every day the threat grows, as cybercriminals find new ways to deploy encryptors and abuse AI in their attacks.

The soaring number of ransomware attacks is more than just a trend it's an ever-growing threat for businesses worldwide, Noreika said. Ransomware groups are getting more sophisticated, exploiting zero-day vulnerabilities faster,
and leveraging ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) to expand their reach. Many organizations still struggle with unpatched systems and weak credential security, thus, becoming easy targets. No business, regardless of size, is immune.

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/us-businesses-are-the-top-target-for-ra nsomware-in-2025-so-far

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