Veeam’s Ransomware Report Highlights Evolving Threat Landscape and Urgent Need for Enhanced Cyber Resilience
Veeam Software has recently published the findings from its comprehensive study titled From Risk to Resilience: Veeam 2025 Ransomware Trends and Proactive Strategies Report. The report unveils critical insights regarding the continuously evolving landscape of ransomware threats which have become a pressing concern for organizations globally.
As cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated and frequent, the report emphasizes a crucial call to action for businesses. Organizations are urged to prioritize their defense structures, risk mitigation processes, and enhance their recovery capabilities. This call for action is backed by data collected from 1,300 organizations, providing a detailed perspective on how Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), security professionals, and IT leaders manage and recover from ongoing cyber threats.
The findings reveal that although the number of organizations affected by ransomware attacks has seen a slight decline, dropping from 75% to 69%, the threat continues to loom large. This decrease can be attributed to enhanced preparations, resilient strategies, and improved collaboration between IT and security teams. Nevertheless, the report warns that organizations still face substantial exposure to ransomware, as attacks proliferate from both established gangs and independent “lone wolf” actors. Veeam’s CEO, Anand Eswaran, articulated the stark reality, stating, “While organizations are improving their defenses against cyber-attacks, 7 out of 10 still experienced an incident in the past year. Of those that faced attacks, only 10% managed to recover more than 90% of their data, while a staggering 57% recovered less than half.”
Eswaran’s comments underscore a shifting paradigm in the operational strategies that organizations must adopt. He emphasized the importance of transitioning from reactive security measures to proactive data resilience strategies, advocating for strong recovery solutions and cross-departmental collaboration as essential measures to reduce ransomware attack impacts.
Key Findings and Trends for the Future
The report outlines several alarming trends that businesses need to monitor in the coming years:
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Adaptation Among Threat Actors: The year 2024 witnessed law enforcement efforts successfully disrupting major ransomware groups like LockBit and BlackCat. However, this disruption has led to the emergence of smaller groups and independent attackers, necessitating ongoing vigilance and adaptability from organizations.
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Rise in Data Exfiltration Attacks: A concerning trend is the increase in exfiltration-only attacks where cybercriminals steal sensitive information without encrypting it. Organizations with inadequate cybersecurity defenses are particularly vulnerable, as attackers are able to exploit security weaknesses quickly.
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Decreasing Ransom Payments: The total value of ransomware payments has decreased, with 36% of affected organizations choosing not to pay. Among those who did pay, 82% paid less than the initial demand, and 60% paid less than half.
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Emergence of Legal Consequences: Developments in new regulations are now discouraging ransom payments. Initiatives such as the International Counter Ransomware Initiative advocate for stronger defensive strategies in place of succumbing to demands.
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Importance of Collaboration: Enhanced communication between IT operations, security teams, law enforcement, and industry stakeholders is proving effective in bolstering defenses against ransomware threats.
- Increasing Budgets with Persistent Gaps: Despite organizations allocating more resources towards cybersecurity and recovery initiatives, significant gaps continue to exist relative to the growing threat landscape.
Organizations that implement robust strategies for data resilience experience quicker recovery times—up to seven times faster—and notably lower data loss rates. The report highlights that successful organizations typically share common traits, including a comprehensive approach to backup and recovery strategies, proactive security measures, and well-defined incident response plans.
One pivotal takeaway from the report is the recommendation of the 3-2-1-1-0 data resilience rule. This methodology ensures that backups remain immutable and free from malware before any restoration efforts commence.
Despite these recommendations, a paradox emerges regarding the level of preparedness among ransomware victims. A staggering 69% of organizations felt adequately prepared prior to an attack; however, this confidence dropped by over 20% following the incident. Notably, while 98% of organizations had a ransomware playbook in place, fewer than half incorporated essential technical components such as backup verification (44%) and pre-defined “chain of command” processes (30%).
Interestingly, comparisons of preparedness ratings post-attack revealed a 30% decline among Chief Information Officers (CIOs) compared to a 15% decline among CISOs, suggesting that CISOs possess a more accurate understanding of their organizations’ security postures.
These findings underline the urgent requirement for stronger organizational alignment, consistent training, and coordinated cyber resilience planning across all teams. Such measures are crucial for effectively countering threats during and after attacks, emphasizing the necessity for organizations to revisit and refine their cybersecurity strategies continuously.
In a world where ransomware threats persist and evolve, organizations must prioritize developing a comprehensive stance on cyber resilience to safeguard not only their data but also their operational integrity in the face of increasing adversities.