Ransomware Isn't Slowing Down. It's Getting Quieter and More Expensive.

Zscaler's new ransomware report puts hard numbers behind something many security teams have felt all year. Attacks are up 275% year over year, increasingly assisted by AI, and victims paid $328 million in extortion. The average payment is now $431,995.

Here is the part worth your attention. Attackers are shifting away from loud, disruptive file encryption toward quieter data theft. With encryption, screens lock and everyone knows immediately. With theft, data can leave your network over days or weeks, and the first sign may be a message from the attacker.

That changes what preparation needs to look like. Most ransomware plans are built around one scenario: files get locked, and you restore them from backup. Backups remain essential, but they do nothing for a theft. Restoring your systems does not un-leak your customer records. The conversation moves from how fast you can recover to what you owe, who you must notify, and what happens when it becomes public.

Two things worth doing this week:

Review your ransomware plan for a data theft scenario, not only an encryption one.

Make sure your backups are isolated and have actually been test restored.

Do this today. Ask your IT provider one question: if a large amount of our data left the network unexpectedly, how would we find out, and how quickly?

Stay inside the line.