Ransomware attacks hit SMBs harder than ever as cybercrime gang rivalry heats up
- NordStellar reports 2,581 ransomware attacks in Q2 2026, with Qilin (299) and The Gentlemen (284) leading activity, far ahead of DragonForce (147)
- US SMBs were hit hardest, suffering 769 incidents; Canada (97), Germany (83), and the UK (74) followed, while attacks on billion‑dollar enterprises surged 74%
- Experts say rivalry between Qilin and The Gentlemen is driving the spike, with major corporate hits seen as reputation‑boosting trophies in the cybercriminal underground
Two ransomware gangs are battling for dominance, and US-based SMBs are the ones suffering most for it, experts have claimed.
Fresh data about the state of ransomware in 2026, compiled by security experts from NordStellar, shows two groups - Qilin and The Gentlemen - being by far the most active ones.
After analyzing more than 200 threat actor blogs, NordStellar concluded that there were 2,581 ransomwareattacks in the second quarter of the year - and of that number, 299...
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