Global Ransomware Attacks Hit 2026 Peak in August, India Most Targeted in APAC
Ransomware attacks reached their highest monthly level of 2026 in August, with 1,034 organizations worldwide publicly named as victims an average of 33 per day according to a report by Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL). The surge marks a 25% increase from July and reverses a three-month decline earlier in the year.
India emerged as the most targeted country in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with 24 claimed victims, ranking seventh globally. The U.S. remained the hardest-hit nation, accounting for 48% of global attacks (484 victims), followed by Italy with 50.
Key sectors under siege included:
- Manufacturing (151 victims) – the most affected, due to costly operational disruptions.
- Professional services (147 victims) – vulnerable due to sensitive client data.
- IT & IT-enabled services (126 victims) – targeted for both downtime risks and data exposure.
- Healthcare (98 victims) – facing pressure to pay ransoms to restore critical services.
APAC accounted for 13% of global victims (143), with India, Thailand, Taiwan, and Japan collectively making up nearly half the region’s cases. While the Qilin ransomware gang dominated globally, APAC saw a different trend: the Gentlemen gang led with 20 victims, surpassing Qilin’s 16. Regional groups Krybit (13 victims) and Orova (12 victims) also played significant roles, despite not ranking among the top five globally.
The report highlights the dual threat facing India’s IT and manufacturing sectors operational downtime and data exposure as key drivers of targeting.
Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/cyble-global
"id": "cyb1790591471",
"linkid": "cyble-global",
"type": "Cyber Attack",
"date": "8/2026",
"severity": "",
"impact": "1",
"explanation": "Attack without any consequences"{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Manufacturing',
'location': 'Global',
'type': 'Organization'},
{'industry': 'Professional services',
'location': 'Global',
'type': 'Organization'},
{'industry': 'IT & IT-enabled services',
'location': 'Global',
'type': 'Organization'},
{'industry': 'Healthcare',
'location': 'Global',
'type': 'Organization'}],
'data_breach': {'data_encryption': True,
'sensitivity_of_data': 'High',
'type_of_data_compromised': 'Sensitive client data, critical '
'service data'},
'date_detected': '2026-08-01',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-08-31',
'description': 'Ransomware attacks reached their highest monthly level of '
'2026 in August, with 1,034 organizations worldwide publicly '
'named as victims, averaging 33 per day. India emerged as the '
'most targeted country in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, with '
'24 claimed victims, ranking seventh globally. Key sectors '
'under siege included manufacturing, professional services, IT '
'& IT-enabled services, and healthcare.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': True,
'downtime': True,
'operational_impact': 'Costly operational disruptions'},
'motivation': ['Financial gain', 'Data exposure', 'Operational disruption'],
'ransomware': {'data_encryption': True,
'ransomware_strain': ['Qilin', 'Gentlemen', 'Krybit', 'Orova']},
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2026-08-31',
'source': 'Cyble Research and Intelligence Labs (CRIL)'}],
'threat_actor': ['Qilin ransomware gang', 'Gentlemen gang', 'Krybit', 'Orova'],
'title': 'Global Ransomware Attacks Hit 2026 Peak in August, India Most '
'Targeted in APAC',
'type': 'Ransomware'}