Fortinet Report Warns of 389% Surge in AI‑Driven Ransomware

Fortinet has released its 2026 Global Threat Landscape Report, revealing a dramatic 389% year‑over‑year increase in ransomware victims driven by AI‑enabled cybercrime. Based on FortiGuard Labs telemetry, the report highlights how cybercrime now operates as a system, with malicious actors leveraging agentic AI and shadow agents to compress attack life cycles. Derek Manky, Chief Security Strategist at Fortinet, warned that cybercriminals are using AI to execute more sophisticated campaigns, urging defenders to adopt AI‑enabled tools capable of responding at equal velocity.

Ransomware

The report underscores that modern cybercrime transcends borders and sectors, targeting critical infrastructure and industries with interconnected tactics. Fortinet stressed that evolving cybersecurity operations into industrialized defense is essential to counter the growing threat. The findings serve as a wake‑up call for governments and enterprises to strengthen digital resilience and transform awareness into actionable insights against increasingly complex attacks.

#businessnews