AI features in 84% of surveyed ransomware incidents

Artificial intelligence was present in 84% of ransomware attacks that were reported by the organisations surveyed, according to the 2026 Ransomware Risk Report published recently. This report was released by Semperis, a cybersecurity company, and was based on a study of 1,200 IT and security professionals from nine countries and eight industry sectors.

The study revealed significant weaknesses in corporate identity protection and recovery capabilities. Cybercriminals are increasingly using AI to enhance their ransomware operations while also targeting the systems that manage employee identities, authentication, and access to critical business resources. Notably, 44% of the respondents reported that attackers had exploited their organisations' own AI systems or agents.

This finding highlights a new vulnerability as businesses adopt automated technologies with access to sensitive information and internal applications.