According to one cybersecurity firm’s data, hacktivism and state-sponsored threats peaked in that month

Based on its own ecosystem data and other unspecified data sources, a cybersecurity firm has released some findings about ransomware trends for January 2025.

First, based on the data analyzed, ransomware attacks in that month (590 attacks) had increased both month-on-month and year-on-year (276 in Jan 2024), an all-time monthly high and also an increase of 3% from December 2024 metrics. Threat group Akira was the most active (74 attacks), followed by Babuk2 (63 attacks), CL0P (59 attacks), and Lynx (42 attacks).

Second, in the January data, industrial firms bore the brunt of attacks just as in previous months: 149 attacks accounting for 25% of all sectors analyzed. Following that was the Consumer Discretionary* sector (122 attacks), and Information Technology (81 attacks).

Other findings
Third, in terms of regional reach, North America remained the most targeted (50% of total global attacks), followed by Europe (22%), Asia (12.6%) and South America (7.8%).

Fourth, qualitative comments on the data analyzed pointed to “a range of factors contributing to this high volume of attacks, including a turbulent global geopolitical landscape; the introduction of new threat groups and changes in their methods of attack; the rise of new ransomware groups such as Funksec and cybercriminal tools such as info stealer malware easing cyberattackers’ campaign efforts.

According to Matt Hull, Head of Threat Intelligence, NCC Group, the firm that shared its monthly data analysis with media: “It’s critical that businesses and governments take note of these record ransomware levels. Taking action to mitigate these risks is more crucial than ever, with continuous monitoring, comprehensive training, and robust cybersecurity measures proving essential. Organizations must remain vigilant and proactive in their defence strategies to protect against this growing threat.”

*defined goods and services considered non-essential but desirable by consumers whose available income is sufficient to facilitate purchase