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. The number of ransomware attacks saw a slight 4% decrease in the second quarter compared to the first three months of the year, but cybersecurity officials…