Over Half of US and UK CISOs Would Pay Ransomware, Survey Finds

Published on 13 May 2026, the Infosecurity Magazine report notes that in the event of a ransomware attack, over half of CISOs would consider paying the ransom to end the incident and restore systems faster. According to Absolute Security, 58% of CISOs would realistically think about paying the ransom, with US respondents at 63% and UK respondents at 47%. The findings come from a survey of 750 CISOs in organisations across the United States and United Kingdom, conducted by Censuswide.

The report attributes the willingness to pay to factors including perceived downtime, data protection concerns, and doubts that payment would guarantee data recovery. Absolute Security cautions organisations to invest in resilience and rapid recovery capabilities to avoid being drawn into a cycle of disruption as cybercriminals increasingly deploy AI-powered attacks.