Zscaler ThreatLabz sees ransomware data theft up 275% year over year to 896 TB
ZS•Zscaler ThreatLabz reported a 275% year-over-year increase in ransomware-related data theft to 896 terabytes from April 2025 through March 2026. Ransom payments totaled $328 million, and the average payment rose 5.3% to $431,995.
1. Ransomware theft increased
Zscaler ThreatLabz said ransomware-related data theft rose 275% year over year to 896 terabytes from April 2025 through March 2026, reflecting a shift toward theft-driven extortion. Blockchain transactions tied to ransomware payments totaled $328 million, while the average ransom payment increased 5.3% to $431,995.
2. Victims and tactics
People in manager-level roles or higher accounted for 62% of victims. Threat actors increasingly abused trusted workplace tools, including Microsoft Teams, for social engineering, lateral movement, data theft and file encryption.
