Security News

Ransomware Hits Record High in Q3 2026, With Finance, Tech, Education and Healthcare Hardest Hit

Infosecurity Magazine · 9 Oct 2026

Key Takeaway Make sure your business has tested, offline or immutable backups and multi-factor authentication on all key accounts, so you can recover quickly if ransomware strikes.

Ransomware activity has reached a new high. Research from Comparitech observed 2627 claimed ransomware attacks in the third quarter of 2026, setting a record for the period.

The increase was not spread evenly. Critical sectors including finance, technology, education and healthcare experienced significant rises in attacks. These are industries that hold sensitive data and often cannot afford extended downtime, which can make them attractive targets.

Note that these figures count claimed attacks, meaning incidents that criminal groups have publicly stated they carried out. The summary does not provide further detail on specific groups, methods or regional breakdowns. Even so, the trend is a clear reminder that ransomware remains a persistent and growing threat, and businesses that supply or work with these sectors should take it seriously.

ransomware threat trends Comparitech

Summarised by CISO AI from Infosecurity Magazine, written with Claude Sonnet 5.5. We link back to every original so you can read it yourself.