Ransomware attacks rose 20% in the first half of 2026

Hackers leaned further into ransomware in the second quarter of 2026, with a surge of new attacks led by two competing ransomware-as-a-service groups. A new report from NordStellar finds that ransomware incidents were up 20% year over year in the first half of 2026, with 5,275 recorded attacks. The second quarter alone saw 2,581 incidents.