The State of Ransomware - Q1 2026 - Check Point Research CATEGORIES AI Research Android Malware Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT Check Point Research Publications Cloud Security CPRadio Crypto Data & Threat Intelligence Data Analysis Demos Global Cyber Attack Reports How To Guides Ransomware Russo-Ukrainian War Security Report Threat and data analysis Threat Research Web 3.0 Security Wipers The State of Ransomware – Q1 2026 May 11, 2026 https://research.checkpoint.com/2026/the-state-of-ransomware-q1-2026/ Key Findings Consolidation after peak fragmentation:  The top 10 ransomware groups accounted for 71% of all Q1 2026 victims, a sharp reversal from the fragmentation seen in Q3 2025. The ransomware ecosystem is once again consolidating around fewer, more dominant operators. Volume stabilization at historically high levels:  There were 2,122 victims posted on data leak sites (DLS), making this period the second-highest Q1 on record.

VECT: Ransomware by design, Wiper by accident - Check Point Research CATEGORIES AI Research Android Malware Artificial Intelligence ChatGPT Check Point Research Publications Cloud Security CPRadio Crypto Data & Threat Intelligence Data Analysis Demos Global Cyber Attack Reports How To Guides Ransomware Russo-Ukrainian War Security Report Threat and data analysis Threat Research Web 3.0 Security Wipers VECT: Ransomware by design, Wiper by accident April 28, 2026 https://research.checkpoint.com/2026/vect-ransomware-by-design-wiper-by-accident/ Key Takeaways Check Point Research discovers that the VECT 2.0 ransomware permanently destroys “large files” rather than encrypting them . A critical flaw in the encryption implementation, identical across all three platform variants ( Windows , Linux , ESXi ), discards three of four decryption nonces for every file above 131,072 bytes ( 128 KB ). Full recovery is impossible for anyone , including the attacker .