For years, ransomware has been treated as a security issue inside the enterprise. But the data tells a different story: ransomware is now a supply chain problem with real operational consequences. Modern organizations don’t operate in isolation. Suppliers, partners, and service providers are tightly interconnected - and when one is hit, the impact spreads quickly. A single ransomware event can halt payments, disrupt services, and cascade across entire ecosystems.
This shift changes the question from, "Are we secure?", to "Are the organizations we depend on secure?".
The risk may seem small, until you scale it
At first glance, ransomware might seem like a low-probability event. On average about 1 in 200 organizations (0.51%) experiences a ransomware attack each year. But that changes dramatically when you consider your supplier base. Companies with hundreds or thousands of vendors may face multiple ransomware disruptions annually through their supply chain. Even if your organization is secure, your operations are only as resilient as the weakest supplier.
There are no exceptions
Ransomware is no longer concentrated in specific sectors or regions. There's no "safe" sector nor geography, every industry and every geography is concerned. This means that if your business relies on suppliers, which most do, you are exposed. Here is what the data shows us:
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Attacks were observed across 81 industries, from healthcare to retail to logistics
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Healthcare alone accounts for 17.1% of all ransomware events
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Incidents were recorded in 137 countries globally
The biggest insight: ransomware risk is predictable
On a more positive note, one of the most important findings from the research is that ransomware outcomes are not random. Organizations with poor cybersecurity hygiene consistently experience higher rates of ransomware incidents. This turns ransomware from an unpredictable threat into a measurable risk - one that can be identified before disruption occurs.
Why traditional vendor risk management falls short
Many organizations still rely on outdated annual questionnaires, self-reported assessments, and static risk scoring. But ransomware doesn’t operate on an annual cycle. Threats evolve continuously, and so does risk. Without ongoing visibility into supplier cybersecurity posture, blind spots are inevitable.
What leading organizations are doing differently
Forward-looking security and risk teams are leading the way and shifting toward:
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Continuous monitoring of supplier security posture
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Prioritization based on operational dependency
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Data-driven indicators (not surveys)
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Early detection of vulnerabilities before exploitation
Instead of reacting to ransomware, they’re reducing exposure across the ecosystem.
The bottom line
Ransomware is a business resilience challenge driven by your supply chain; it's no longer just an IT issue. The organizations that will manage it best are those that identify risk early, focus on the suppliers that matter most, and use measurable external signals to guide decisions.
Read the full report to learn more about the seven data-backed lessons from eleven years of ransomware activity, the specific cybersecurity signals that predict risk, and practical actions to strengthen supply chain resilience.
