Ransomware Readiness in 2026
Ransomware remains one of the most damaging threats a business can face, and the groups behind it have professionalised. They steal data before they encrypt it, pressure victims publicly, and target backups first. Readiness is no longer about hoping it will not happen. It is about being able to recover quickly when it does.
Backups you can actually trust
The single most important control is a backup that an attacker cannot reach or alter. That means copies kept offline or immutable, stored separately from production, and tested by restoring them. A backup you have never restored is a hope, not a plan.
Limit the blast radius
- Enforce multi-factor authentication on remote access and administrative accounts.
- Remove standing local administrator rights where they are not needed.
- Segment the network so one compromised machine cannot reach everything.
- Patch internet-facing systems quickly, as these are a common entry point.
Rehearse the bad day
When an attack lands, improvisation costs time and money. A tested incident plan answers the hard questions in advance: who decides, who to call, how to communicate when systems are down, and in what order to bring services back. Walk through it with the real people involved, not just the security team.
The payment question
Paying a ransom is never a clean fix. It funds the next attack, offers no guarantee of recovery, and may carry legal consequences. The organisations with real leverage are those that can restore from clean backups and say no. That capability is built before an incident, not during one.