Ransomware Trends in 2025: What Mid-Market Leaders Should Watch

Key trends Double extortion is standard. Many groups now exfiltrate data before encrypting, then threaten to publish or sell it. Backup and recovery alone are not enough—you need detection and response. Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) continues to lower the bar for attackers, so more affiliates target mid-market and SMBs where security maturity is often lower. Initial access often comes from phishing, exposed RDP, or exploited vulnerabilities in internet-facing systems. Patching and access controls remain critical. What to prioritize Focus on: (1) 24/7 detection and response so you catch activity early, (2) segmented networks and least-privilege access to limit spread, (3) tested backups and incident playbooks so you can recover without paying, and (4) user awareness and MFA to reduce phishing success.