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.