Fortify your defences against ransomware
Ransomware isn’t what it used to be – if it were a game, it’s evolved from an informal backyard sport into a gladiator-type contest. And with Australia now being the fourth most targeted nation for cyber threats on critical infrastructure, cybersecurity professionals have their work cut out for them.
An additional concern is the gap between perceived readiness and actual resilience. Many organisations feel prepared because they react quickly after an incident, but true cyber resilience means getting ahead of threats before they materialise.
According to the Veeam Ransomware Trends Report 2025, ransomware attacks are becoming faster, more sophisticated, and more painful for victims.
One interesting trend the report highlights is that the percentage of organisations impacted by ransomware attacks resulting in data encryption or exfiltration has dipped from 75% to 69%.
At first glance, this might feel like we’re winning a battle. However, the real takeaway is that organisations are stepping up their defence, understanding that the burden is squarely on their teams to adapt and fortify themselves with a cyber resilience strategy that delivers.
Paying ransom is a gamble – and often a losing one
One of the main shifts in the ransomware landscape is the growing hesitance among victims to pay ransom demands.
The data backs this up. Of organisations that paid ransoms, 17% still couldn’t recover their data, and 69% of paying victims found themselves targeted again.
Regulatory changes add to the pressure not to settle ransom demands. For example, mandatory reporting laws force organisations to disclose ransom payments, inviting both scrutiny and reputational risk.
Governments are sharing the same message – several countries, including the United States, now strongly discourage or even prohibit certain organisations from paying ransoms..
Brand damage and PR nightmares
Beyond the astronomical financial burden, being hit by ransomware has damaging ripple effects on a company’s reputation. A successful attack signals a failure to protect critical assets, undermining customer trust and confidence.
For IT decision-makers, this isn’t just a technical problem – it’s a brand problem. Operational downtime, lost productivity, and fines or lawsuits add insult to injury.
Building true cyber resilience
Organisations that recover successfully from ransomware attacks have one key factor in common: preparation. It’s not just about backups; it’s about building resilience into IT and security practices.
The Veeam report outlines a few key strategies that are proven to boost recovery success rates:
- Develop an incident response plan: Define roles to eliminate delays during an attack.
- Use the 3-2-1-1-0 backup strategy: Three copies of data, two media types, one offsite, one immutable, and zero errors.
- Train teams: Human error is a major entry point – security awareness is essential.
- Harden security: Adopt zero-trust, enforce access controls, and keep systems updated.
- Invest in detection and recovery tools: Combine security tools with resilience features for stronger defence.
Prevention, not payment, must be the priority
For organisations ready to fortify against ransomware—and emerge victims no more—the Global Storage team is here to help. From tailored cyber resilience strategies to advanced disaster recovery plans, we specialise in keeping your data (and sanity) intact.
Ransomware may have changed the rules, but with the right preparation, you can still win the game.
Written in partnership with
