Cybercrime

Ransomware: Who's Affected & Why

Ransomware can make you want to cry. A malicious program called "WannaCry" has affected 200.000 people or organisations in 150 countries since Friday.

Data by Symantec shows that almost every industrial sector has been affected by ransomware in recent years. However, some types of companies are more vulnerable or more often targeted by cybercriminals trying to extort money for data than others. The analysis shows that the services sector was by far most affected by ransomware in 2016.

Data by Datto shows that, according to managed service providers, most often it's human carelessness that makes these attacks possible. Opening the wrong email can get you or your company infected.

Description

This chart shows the distribution of global ransomware infections by industry and leading causes of infections

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Annual share of organizations affected by ransomware attacks worldwide from 2018 to 2026
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Sectors worldwide frequently affected by industrial ransomware incidents in 2025, by number of attacks
Industries most frequently impacted by ransomware in the United States in the 2nd quarter 2026
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Share of organizations in selected industries worldwide targeted by ransomware attacks in 2025
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Root causes of ransomware attacks in worldwide organizations as of February 2024, by industry
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Share of organizations worldwide hit by ransomware attacks from 2020 to 2024

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