Over 18 months, targeted ransomware has evolved into a major enterprise threat, driven by ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) and high ransom payouts. Attackers increasingly steal data before encryption to pressure victims into paying. Common infection vectors include phishing, malvertising, exploiting vulnerabilities, and poorly secured services. Prominent ransomware families—Maze, Sodinokibi, BitPaymer, WastedLocker, and Ryuk—use credential theft and lateral movement tactics. Defense requires EDR, threat hunting, AI-based detection, and strong backup and access control strategies.

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