Number of ransomware victims increases 102 percent

Ransomware attacks reached a historic high in the first quarter of this year, with 2,063 victims reported, a 102 percent increase compared to the previous year.

The report from GuidePoint Security also records a record high number of active threat groups, with 70 identified in Q1, reflecting a 55.5 percent year-on-year rise.

"This record-breaking quarter was no coincidence," says Grayson North, principal security consultant of the GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT). "We're tracking more active ransomware and extortion groups than ever before, with a noticeable rise in high-volume attacks from emerging players formed out of disrupted gangs, like LockBit and AlphV. The pressing question now is whether this surge represents a residual short-term spike or the beginning of a dark year for ransomware victims."

There has been a 75 percent increase in actively exploited flaws toocompared to the same period in 2024, with 12,333 vulnerabilities reported in Q1 alone.

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The manufacturing, retail, and technology industries have been most heavily impacted by ransomware in the first quarter of 2025. Notably, the non-profit sector has seen a dramatic surge in ransomware attacks, with incidents doubling quarter-on-quarter.

The United States has been the hardest hit region, with 59 percent of observed ransomware victims in Q1 2025 based there, the highest proportion seen to date.

"While historical trends suggest we could see a seasonal slowdown as we approach the summer, the threat landscape remains volatile," North adds. "A single large-scale exploit -- like those we've seen from Clop -- could once again shift the ecosystem's trajectory. The conditions for another record-breaking year are firmly in place. It’s now up to the defenders to change that narrative."

The full report is available on the GuidePoint site.

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