Ransomware In Q2 2025: AI Joins The Crew, Cartels Rise, And Payment Rates Collapse
Check Point, Thursday, July 31st, 2025
In Check Point Research's latest Ransomware Threat Intelligence Report, we break down how the ransomware ecosystem is rapidly transforming. This quarter's shift includes AI-generated malware, collapsing trust in decryption, affiliate-powered cartels, and a fragmented threat landscape that's harder than ever to track.
Here's what every security leader should know now and why ransomware is still one of the most profitable and fastest-moving corners of the cyber crime world.
AI-Powered Ransomware Is No Longer Theoretical
In 2025, ransomware groups aren't experimenting with AI, they're operationalizing it.
Earlier this year, Check Point Research observed real-world campaigns using generative AI for phishing content, code obfuscation, and victim impersonation. AI is acting as a force multiplier for cyber criminals, removing barriers to entry and reducing reliance on high-skill developers.