Today, Comparitech researchers released a study looking at the state of global ransomware attacks in August 2025.
Ransomware attacks continued to climb again in August, rising from 473 in July to 506 last month. August also saw a first-of-a-kind attack on the State of Nevada. While hundreds of US government organizations have suffered ransomware attacks, this is the first-ever statewide attack.
Rebecca Moody, Head of Data Research at Comparitech, commented:
“If we needed a reminder of how dominant a threat ransomware is, August’s statistics provide it. Not only did we see a steady increase in attacks but we also witnessed a first-of-its-kind attack on the State of Nevada. The latter in particular highlights how no one, not even a multi-billion-dollar government organization, is immune to these types of attacks. And, even though numerous countries and governments are looking to ban public entities from making ransom payments, this is doing little to deter hackers.”
“Why? It’s likely due to a number of reasons. Firstly, these attacks are often random, e.g. because the hackers start exploiting a known vulnerability or a staff member happens to click on or download something they shouldn’t. Second, even if the hackers don’t receive the ransom, they’re most certainly going to gain notoriety when they make their claim on the State of Nevada. So, when another entity finds itself facing an attack from the same organization, they’ll instantly recognize the group’s name and may be more inclined to pay up before the attack escalates any further. Finally, it’s more than likely that the hackers will have stolen data in this attack on Nevada, so they’ll always have this to sell on the dark web if needed.”
“While banning public entities from making ransom payments may be a step toward reducing ransomware attacks, it isn’t the silver bullet. Rather, it should be part of a multi-pronged approach and one that makes sure the basics are covered. This includes patching any vulnerabilities as soon as they are flagged, making sure systems are regularly updated, carrying out frequent backups, investing in employee training, and having a step-by-step plan in place should an attack occur.”
For full details, the August ransomware roundup can be found here: https://www.comparitech.com/news/ransomware-roundup-august-2025/
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August Saw Ransomware Attacks Increasing AND First-of-a-Kind Statewide Attack Says Comparitech
Today, Comparitech researchers released a study looking at the state of global ransomware attacks in August 2025.
Ransomware attacks continued to climb again in August, rising from 473 in July to 506 last month. August also saw a first-of-a-kind attack on the State of Nevada. While hundreds of US government organizations have suffered ransomware attacks, this is the first-ever statewide attack.
Rebecca Moody, Head of Data Research at Comparitech, commented:
“If we needed a reminder of how dominant a threat ransomware is, August’s statistics provide it. Not only did we see a steady increase in attacks but we also witnessed a first-of-its-kind attack on the State of Nevada. The latter in particular highlights how no one, not even a multi-billion-dollar government organization, is immune to these types of attacks. And, even though numerous countries and governments are looking to ban public entities from making ransom payments, this is doing little to deter hackers.”
“Why? It’s likely due to a number of reasons. Firstly, these attacks are often random, e.g. because the hackers start exploiting a known vulnerability or a staff member happens to click on or download something they shouldn’t. Second, even if the hackers don’t receive the ransom, they’re most certainly going to gain notoriety when they make their claim on the State of Nevada. So, when another entity finds itself facing an attack from the same organization, they’ll instantly recognize the group’s name and may be more inclined to pay up before the attack escalates any further. Finally, it’s more than likely that the hackers will have stolen data in this attack on Nevada, so they’ll always have this to sell on the dark web if needed.”
“While banning public entities from making ransom payments may be a step toward reducing ransomware attacks, it isn’t the silver bullet. Rather, it should be part of a multi-pronged approach and one that makes sure the basics are covered. This includes patching any vulnerabilities as soon as they are flagged, making sure systems are regularly updated, carrying out frequent backups, investing in employee training, and having a step-by-step plan in place should an attack occur.”
For full details, the August ransomware roundup can be found here: https://www.comparitech.com/news/ransomware-roundup-august-2025/
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This entry was posted on September 2, 2025 at 12:50 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Comparitech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.