NCC Group Logs 894 July Ransomware Claims, Up 22% as AI and New Gangs Drive Surge
Updated
Updated · ZDNet · Aug 26
NCC Group Logs 894 July Ransomware Claims, Up 22% as AI and New Gangs Drive Surge
3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Aug 26
Summary
July recorded 894 ransomware victim listings—the highest monthly total of 2026 so far—after a 22% jump from June, according to NCC Group.
The surge was driven by newer groups including The Gentlemen, which led with 138 claimed victims, and by the first recorded fully agentic AI ransomware attack chain.
Industrial targets took nearly a third of attacks, while 41% of incidents were in the US; consumer services, technology, critical services, finance and healthcare were also heavily hit.
CRPxO's 36 claims helped inflate July's tally, but NCC Group rated the new group's credibility only low to moderate because victim confirmations and released data were lacking.
The report says headline counts may overstate real-world compromises, even as ransomware remains profitable and AI-enabled attacks are likely to expand.
If new ransomware cartels are faking victim counts to attract affiliates, could this desperate marketing tactic become their ultimate vulnerability?
With AI autonomously executing full ransomware attacks, are traditional human-led cybersecurity defenses already obsolete against this new agentic threat?
How will authorities intercept extortion demands when advanced groups hide their negotiations entirely behind decentralized blockchain smart contracts?