Barracuda Networks, Inc., a prominent name in cybersecurity solutions for businesses of all sizes, has released its latest Ransomware Insights Report 2025, unveiling that 31% of ransomware victims suffered multiple attacks over the past year. The research underscores how cybercriminals continue to take advantage of fragmented and inadequate security defenses across organizations.

The comprehensive study, conducted in collaboration with research firm Vanson Bourne, surveyed 2,000 IT and cybersecurity professionals across North America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. The findings reflect a troubling trend: ransomware remains a persistent and profitable weapon for threat actors, particularly in environments where security systems are disjointed or poorly integrated.

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Key Insights from the Report:

Ransomware Still Rampant: 57% of participating organizations reported experiencing a ransomware attack. The numbers were even more alarming in sectors like healthcare (67%) and local government (65%).

Repeat Victims at Higher Risk: Among those attacked more than once, 74% reported managing an overwhelming number of security tools, while 61% said their systems lacked integration. This disconnection creates blind spots that threat actors can easily exploit.

Payouts Still Common — and Risky: Roughly one in three (32%) ransomware victims paid the ransom to recover data. That figure jumps to 37% for organizations targeted multiple times. However, the payoff doesn’t guarantee success — 41% of those who paid did not fully recover their data. Reasons range from faulty decryption keys and corrupted files to outright scams where no tools are provided at all.

Email: A Critical Vulnerability: Fewer than half (47%) of the organizations hit by ransomware had robust email security in place, compared to 59% among those who remained unaffected. Since email remains a primary entry point for ransomware, this lack of coverage is a critical gap. In fact, 71% of email breach victims also fell prey to ransomware.

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Multifaceted Attack Strategies: Ransomware incidents are becoming increasingly complex. Only 24% of reported attacks focused solely on data encryption. A substantial portion involved data theft (27%), public exposure of stolen data (27%), planting of additional malware (29%), and establishing persistent access through backdoors (21%).

Growing Fallout Beyond Data Loss: The consequences of ransomware attacks are expanding beyond technical damage. 41% of victims reported reputational harm. Business impacts include losing new sales opportunities (25%), as well as pressure tactics like threats directed at partners, customers, shareholders (22%), and even internal staff (16%).

Neal Bradbury, Chief Product Officer at Barracuda, emphasized the urgency of resolving fragmented defenses. “Ransomware is evolving rapidly, and when organizations are relying on disconnected security tools, attackers are able to slip through undetected,” he noted. “What starts as a well-intentioned effort to bolster security often leads to complexity and gaps. A cohesive, integrated security framework is essential to close those vulnerabilities.”

The Ransomware Insights Report 2025 serves as a wake-up call for organizations to simplify and unify their cybersecurity strategies. As ransomware actors grow more cunning, only coordinated and comprehensive defense systems will be able to stand in their way.

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Source: prnewswire