July was the worst month for ransomware victim claims in 2026 - or was it? - ZDNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. We shouldn't ignore agentic AI ransomware threats, but the claims of a new ransomware group might be skewing the numbers. Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. New NCC Group research says that July 2026 saw a spike in ransomware activity, with a year-to-date record of 894 victim listings recorded in the month alone. But what’s actually behind it? Also: Why this fully agentic ransomware attack is giving researchers nightmares According to NCC Group’s July threat advisory report, published on Wednesday, global ransomware attacks increased by 22% in July 2026, compared to June 2026. This was also when the first incident of a fully agentic AI ransomware attack chain was also recorded. Almost a third of attacks were launched against the industrial sector. Other popular targets were consumer services and technology, critical services, finance, and healthcare. In total, 41% of recorded incidents occurred in the US; 29% in Europe, 14% in Asia, and 9% in South America. NCC Group data reveals that 10 cybercriminal groups were attributed to most of these ran