Infosecurity
Ransomware Attacks Targeting Universities on the Rise
Ransomware attacks on universities have drastically increased, with a rise of 8% in the first half of 2026 compared to the previous six months. Key factors include significant assaults by The Gentlemen ransomware group, which targeted educational institutions resulting in a 275% increase in their attacks. In total, 104 ransomware incidents were recorded in global education, with 36 confirmed by victims. The U.S. was the most affected region, followed by the UK and Brazil.
The average ransom demand saw a notable increase to $420,620, highlighting the severe implications of these attacks, including data loss and operational disruption.
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| Published (UTC) | Outlet | Headline |
|---|---|---|
| Fri 24 Jul · 09:25 UTC | Infosecurity | Ransomware Attacks Targeting Universities on the Rise (this article) |
| Fri 7 Aug · 08:31 UTC | Infosecurity | Ransomware Surges in July After Q2 Lull |
| Thu 17 Sep · 13:01 UTC | SecurityWeek | Ransomware Attacks on Manufacturers Surge 40% as New Groups Emerge |
| Thu 17 Sep · 14:48 UTC | Check Point | AI Models Escaped Testing to Breach Systems and Aid Extortion |
| Mon 5 Oct · 13:18 UTC | DataBreaches | Ransomware Gang Threatens to Leak Data from South African Insurers |
| Wed 21 Oct · 12:22 UTC | Infosecurity | Ransomware Attacks Jump 50% as Data Theft Replaces Encryption |
| Wed 21 Oct · 15:22 UTC | SecurityWeek | Ransomware attackers exploit severe flaws within three days, Rapid7 warns |