Cowbell Report Shows Rising Attacks Yet Falling Ransom Payments Due to Preparedness

Story Summary

A May 2026 report from cyber insurer Cowbell indicates ransomware attacks rose 45% last year while average ransom payments dropped 44% between 2022 and 2025. Director Stephanie Hewerdine attributes the decline to improved insured preparedness, including incident response plans and backups that reduce reliance on decryption keys. The report notes a shift toward data-only extortion and double-extortion tactics by smaller threat groups, emphasizing the need for robust cybersecurity measures across high-risk industries like healthcare and manufacturing.