- Proofpoint 2026 AI‑Era Ransomware Report found 54% of victims paid attackers despite warnings
- 37% faced repeat extortion after paying; 2% paid but never regained access to files
- Experts urge prevention: phishing awareness, offline backups, and AI‑powered endpoint protection
Security researchers Proofpoint have seemingly proved once again that paying ransomware actors does not guarantee they’ll walk away for good - in fact, they’ve proven that in many cases, they’ll simply come back for more because they know they can get paid.
