Ransom payments surge as AI-driven cyberattacks force more companies to pay hackers

A growing number of businesses are paying cybercriminals after ransomware attacks, as hackers deploy artificial intelligence to make their tactics more targeted, sophisticated and damaging.

New research from cybersecurity consultancy S-RM and advisory firm FGS Global shows that 24.3 per cent of companies targeted by ransomware attacks paid the demanded ransom in 2025, marking a sharp increase from 14.4 per cent in 2024.

The figures represent the first significant rise in ransom payments after two years of decline. In 2023, about 16.4 per cent of affected organisations paid, while the peak came in 2022 when 27.6 per cent of victims settled with attackers.

Although the latest numbers remain below that high point, the jump suggests cybercriminals are becoming increasingly successful at pressuring companies into handing over money.

Cybersecurity experts say artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping how ransomware attacks are planned and executed.