Check Point research: AI lowers the barrier to ransomware as threats evolve

Check Point research: AI lowers the barrier to ransomware as threats evolve

Ransomware activity remained stubbornly high in the second quarter of 2026, with 2,139 victims reported on data leak sites—largely unchanged from Q1 but 33% higher year over year. However, new research suggests the bigger shift is happening beneath the headline numbers, with ransomware becoming more fragmented and increasingly reliant on data theft and AI-assisted tooling. According to research from Check Point Research, the number of active ran…