Greedy ransomware crews return for seconds after victims cough up first extortion payments

Authoritative advice against paying ransom demands is everywhere in UK PLC, and one warning keeps proving true in 2026: paying doesn't mean the crooks leave you alone. Fresh Proofpoint data shows that 58 percent of extorted organizations in Britain pay their ransom. Worse, 22 percent of those who pay get extorted again anyway. The UK’s data tracks the global picture: 54 percent, of victims pay, though the rate swings sharply by region, from just 19 percent in Japan to 93 percent in the US.