Ransomware: according to CrowdStrike, paying the ransom proves ineffective in most cases

Giving in to cybercriminals does not prevent data exfiltration, does not guarantee the recovery of stolen information, and exposes victims to further attacks.

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike published its annual State of Ransomware report in October 2025, revealing that ransom payments are rarely effective. The report is based on a survey of 1,100 IT and cybersecurity decision-makers from companies with more than 250 employees in Germany, Australia, the United States, France, India, the United Kingdom, and Singapore.

According to the report, 93% of companies that paid a ransom still suffered a data breach, and 45% were unable to recover all their encrypted files. Worse yet, 82% of organizations that complied with the attackers’ demands were hit by another attack shortly afterward.

The survey also shows that many companies overestimate their ability to handle such incidents. Half of the organizations affected by ransomware considered themselves “very well prepared”; among them, only 22% recovered in less than 24 hours, while 42% experienced what was deemed significant operational downtime.