• Cyber extortion shifted toward data theft in Q3 2026, reducing attackers' reliance on encryption and increasing victims' regulatory and reputational exposure.
• Median ransom payments rose 167% from the previous quarter to $400,000, reflecting higher baseline demands on mid-market organizations.
• Average ransom payments fell 45% to $1.03 million as larger enterprises resisted multimillion-dollar demands when system availability remained intact.
• Nearly 80% of data-exfiltration-only incidents ended without payment, with ransom settlements offering no verifiable guarantee against disclosure or repeat extortion.
• Median victim company size increased 49% to 1,121 employees, indicating attackers sought larger payouts without targeting global enterprises' stronger defenses.

Disclaimer: This news brief was created by Public Technologies (PUBT) using generative artificial intelligence. While PUBT strives to provide accurate and timely information, this AI-generated content is for informational purposes only and should not be interpreted as financial, investment, or legal advice. Veeam Software Holding Inc. published the original content used to generate this news brief on October 28, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained therein.