Ransomware is increasingly becoming a democratised tool for cybercriminals, with off-the-shelf kits available for as little as £29 ($40) per month. As a result, the number of attackers has increased, and many are looking further afield for smaller, but attractive, paydays.
This was the reality for mid-sized businesses in the UK and globally throughout 2025. Two-thirds (67%) reported a cyber attack in the past 12 months, according to the Department of Science, Information and Technology’s UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 – a rate significantly higher than that of smaller firms.
There has been a surge in ransomware protection, including mitigation, governance and security tools, but it remains difficult for mid-market businesses to integrate all of these into their workflows within the next 12 months, if at all.
The question then becomes, how does a business without the resources of large enterprises, but with far more exposure to cyberattacks than a small operation, manage ransomware attacks in 2026?
The industrialisation of ransomware
Ransomware differs from a cyber attacks due because its impact is immediate and operational. While many attacks focus primarily on stealing data to resell to third parties, ransomware is designed to halt systems and hold operations hostage until a payment is made. Even then, attackers may continue to demand further payments.
There are simply too many potential vulnerabilities for any business to maintain complete control
That does not mean defence ends once attackers gain access. Intrusion is usually only the first stage, and controls such as network segmentation, privileged access management and tested offline backups can still limit the damage. Prevention lowers the odds of compromise, but resilience and recovery planning ultimately determine whether a ransomware incident becomes a crisis or a contained disruption.
Given the proliferation of ransomware, organisations of any size cannot eliminate the risk entirely. There are simply too many potential vulnerabilities for any business to maintain complete control. For mid-sized firms, continuous monitoring, zero-trust architectures and full endpoint visibility are often out of reach. Even where budgets allow, hiring skilled staff to build and manage these systems remains difficult, even for organisations with significant security spending.
How mid-sized businesses can mitigate ransomware
That said, there are several practical steps mid-sized businesses can take today to mitigate ransomware risk. Multi-factor authentication is still not fully embedded in many mid-sized organisations’ security frameworks, particularly in non-technical sectors such as hospitality and transportation. Restricting remote desktop access and further segmenting critical systems can significantly reduce the damage an attacker can cause.
Maintaining regularly updated backups is sensible practice regardless of ransomware risk and one of the key actions provided by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre. This is a critical step if an executive team decides not to negotiate with attackers, which could become law soon in the UK.
A well-defined risk framework, regular reporting and structured response exercises can materially improve an organisation’s readiness
Even with these quick wins, leadership focus needs to shift. Ransomware should not be treated solely as a technical issue to be solved with security tools, but as a broader economic and governance risk. A well-defined risk framework, regular reporting and structured response exercises can materially improve an organisation’s readiness.
Organisations also need clear board-level ownership of cyber risk, rather than delegating it entirely to the IT team. Regular communication with board members on security posture, emerging threats and testing results can reduce confusion during an incident and ensure lessons translate into organisational change.
Evaluating the economics of a ransomware attack, including operational downtime and potential ransom payments, can also help measure the return on investment of cyber security budgets.
Ultimately, mid-sized businesses face a difficult landscape. Ransomware is becoming more accessible, and the number of threat actors continues to rise. Without the resources of a fully-fledged security operation, businesses must be targeted and pragmatic in their mitigation efforts, ensuring both technical and non-technical leaders understand the risks and their role in managing them.
Further resources
Strategic resilience and board governance
NCSC Annual Review 2025
This cornerstone report from the UK’s primary cyber authority highlights a 50% year-on-year increase in highly significant incidents. It specifically addresses the “democratisation” of hacking through off-the-shelf malware and urges mid-sized leaders to move beyond viewing cyber as an IT issue, advocating for the Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) 4.0 to align security with legal and regulatory obligations.
C-suite risk shifts and AI-enabled threats
WEF Global Cybersecurity Outlook 2026
Developed in collaboration with Accenture, this report identifies that 94% of leaders view AI as the primary driver of cybersecurity change in 2026. It provides a blueprint for CTOs to manage the transition from ransomware-only focus to broader “cyber-enabled fraud”. Key takeaways for mid-market leaders include integrating security into procurement and conducting continuous, rather than one-time, AI security assessments.
Benchmarking mid-market breach impact
UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025
This official DSIT study provides the definitive statistical baseline for UK business exposure. It reveals that while breaches in micro-businesses have dipped, 67% of medium-sized firms still identified attacks in 2025. For IT leaders, it offers critical benchmarking on “intangible” costs, noting that 43% of breached businesses lost customers, and provides data to justify board-level investment in cyber hygiene and insurance.
Ransomware is increasingly becoming a democratised tool for cybercriminals, with off-the-shelf kits available for as little as £29 ($40) per month. As a result, the number of attackers has increased, and many are looking further afield for smaller, but attractive, paydays.
This was the reality for mid-sized businesses in the UK and globally throughout 2025. Two-thirds (67%) reported a cyber attack in the past 12 months, according to the Department of Science, Information and Technology’s UK Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 – a rate significantly higher than that of smaller firms.
There has been a surge in ransomware protection, including mitigation, governance and security tools, but it remains difficult for mid-market businesses to integrate all of these into their workflows within the next 12 months, if at all.
