Public sector ransomware attacks relentlessly continue

In 2025, 36 years after the first ransomware attack was recorded, actors continue to zero in on the public sector, and there is no evidence they will slow down any time soon. In fact, our numbers suggest that ransomware attacks against government organizations are ramping up, causing crippling service outages, massive data loss, reputational damage, public distrust and financial harm.

According to Trustwave, A LevelBlue Company, data from almost 200 public sector entities have been struck with ransomware so far in 2025, with Babuk and Qilin being the most active threat groups. Comparitech noted that ransomware attacks launched against government entities between 2018 and 2024 cost $1.09 billion in operational downtime alone.

In addition to the monetary and time-related problems, ransomware attacks cause widespread disruptions to critical services and infrastructure, leading to the erosion of public trust as well as economic losses to government organizations and the public.

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