KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Ransomware was present in 44% of all confirmed breaches in 2025—up 37% year over year—and featured in 88% of SMB breaches (Verizon 2025 DBIR)
• Average ransomware recovery costs (excluding the ransom payment) reached $2.73 million in 2024, a 50% increase from the prior year (Sophos State of Ransomware 2024)
• The FBI identified 67 new ransomware variants in 2024; Akira, LockBit, RansomHub, FOG, and PLAY were the most active (FBI IC3 2024)
• Ransomware victims who involved law enforcement saved an average of nearly $1 million in breach costs and 63% avoided paying a ransom (IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024)
• MSPs are disproportionately targeted because their privileged access to client environments allows ransomware operators to reach multiple victims from a single intrusion
• Immutable backups, a tested ransomware incident response plan, and behavioral endpoint detection are the most effective defenses MSPs can deploy for clients
Ransomware attacks continue to rise in volume and
severity. According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, ransomware
complaints increased 9% year over year, with Akira, LockBit, RansomHub, FOG,
and PLAY identified as the five most active variants—and 67 new variants
identified during 2024 alone. For MSPs managing cybersecurity on behalf of
business clients, understanding how ransomware works and how to respond when it
strikes is foundational to delivering secure, resilient managed services.
What is ransomware and how does it work?
Ransomware is malicious software designed to deny access
to systems or data until a monetary demand is met. Once ransomware operators
penetrate a network—typically through phishing, stolen credentials, or
exploited software vulnerabilities—they move laterally across connected
systems, encrypt critical files, and present victims with a ransom note
demanding payment in cryptocurrency.
According to the Verizon 2025 Data Breach Investigations
Report (DBIR), ransomware was present in 44% of all confirmed breaches—a 37%
increase from the prior year. The impact on smaller organizations is
particularly severe: ransomware featured in 88% of breaches at small and
medium-sized businesses (SMBs), compared to 39% at large enterprises. MSPs are
high-value targets specifically because their privileged access to multiple
client environments allows ransomware operators to reach many victims from a single
point of entry.
The financial stakes reflect this reality. According to
the Sophos State of Ransomware 2024 report, the average cost of recovering from
a ransomware attack—excluding the ransom payment—reached $2.73 million, a 50%
increase from 2023. Average ransom payments increased fivefold year over year
to $2 million, with 63% of all ransom demands exceeding $1 million.
What are the most common types of ransomware attacks on MSPs?
MSP ransomware attacks generally fall into a few distinct
categories, each with its own delivery mechanism and behavior.
Crypto-ransomware
Crypto-ransomware (also called cryptomalware) is the most
prevalent form of ransomware targeting MSPs and their clients. Ransomware
operators deliver crypto-ransomware through malicious email links, account
hijacking, or exploited software flaws. Beyond encrypting files, many modern
crypto-ransomware strains also exfiltrate sensitive data before encryption
begins—enabling a secondary extortion threat even if the victim restores from
backup.
Locker ransomware
Locker ransomware denies victims access to their systems
entirely—locking the screen or operating environment rather than individual
files. Ransomware operators use time pressure and fear in their ransom demands,
threatening to permanently destroy data if payment is not made within a stated
deadline. Locker ransomware commonly reaches victims through phishing emails,
malicious downloads, or operating system vulnerabilities.
Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)
RaaS platforms allow ransomware operators to license
malware to affiliates, dramatically lowering the technical barrier to launching
attacks at scale. Groups such as LockBit, RansomHub, and Akira operate under
this model and have actively targeted MSPs as a launchpad for multi-client
attacks. CISA and the FBI recommend that MSPs monitor for indicators of
compromise (IOCs) associated with active RaaS groups.
How do ransomware actors gain initial access?
Understanding the entry points ransomware actors use
helps MSPs prioritize their defenses across client environments.
Phishing and social engineering
Phishing remains one of the primary initial access
vectors for ransomware. According to the Verizon 2024 DBIR, phishing accounted
for 15% of all data breaches, with the median time for a user to fall for a
phishing email measured in under 60 seconds. Social engineering—which includes
pretexting, impersonation, and business email compromise (BEC)—expands this
attack surface by exploiting human behavior rather than technical flaws.
Exploited vulnerabilities
Vulnerability exploitation is a rapidly growing initial
access vector. The Verizon 2024 DBIR found that exploitation of software
vulnerabilities accounted for 14% of all breaches, a 180% increase from the
prior year, driven primarily by ransomware actors targeting unpatched systems
and zero-day vulnerabilities. Prompt patch management is one of the most
effective mitigations MSPs can implement across client environments.
Cloud compromise
As MSPs migrate client workloads to cloud environments,
ransomware operators follow. Cloud compromise occurs when threat actors gain
unauthorized access to cloud-based storage or services—encrypting data and
blocking authorized access. A single compromised MSP credential with cloud
management rights can expose multiple client environments simultaneously.
How should MSPs respond to a ransomware attack?
The FBI, CISA, and the IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024
report all advise against paying the ransom. According to IBM’s research,
ransomware victims who involved law enforcement saved an average of nearly $1
million in breach costs compared to those who did not—and 63% of those who
worked with law enforcement avoided paying a ransom entirely. When a ransomware
attack is detected, MSPs should act on the following steps immediately.
Contain and quarantine affected systems
Disconnect infected devices and systems from the network
at once to prevent ransomware from spreading to additional client endpoints.
Ransomware is designed to propagate quickly, and speed of containment directly
limits the scope of the incident.
Assess the scope of impact
Compile a list of all affected systems, accounts, and
client environments. Build a timeline of events: which systems were infected
first, how the infection spread, and what accounts were compromised. This
information is essential for incident response coordination and for forensic
analysis after the incident is contained.
Protect backup infrastructure
Ransomware operators routinely target backup systems to
eliminate the victim’s ability to restore without paying. MSPs should isolate
backup environments from infected infrastructure immediately and verify backup
integrity before attempting any restoration.
Disrupt and minimize spread
Enable real-time behavioral protection across unaffected
endpoints. Apply relevant patches to close the entry point used by the
attacker. Block known ransomware command-and-control communications and isolate
systems not critical to the containment effort.
Engage law enforcement and trusted resources
Report the ransomware incident to the FBI via IC3.gov and
consult CISA’s ransomware advisories and guidance library. The MITRE ATT&CK
framework provides detailed mappings of ransomware tactics, techniques, and
procedures (TTPs) that can accelerate investigation and response. Law
enforcement agencies have developed decryption tools that have helped victims
recover without paying a ransom.
How do MSPs recover from a ransomware attack?
Effective ransomware recovery depends on decisions made
before an attack occurs, not after.
Ransomware incident response plan
A documented ransomware incident response plan assigns
clear responsibilities to technicians, outlines step-by-step containment and
recovery procedures, and defines escalation paths. MSPs should test this plan
through regular tabletop exercises so that response is procedural, not
improvised, when an actual ransomware attack occurs.
Reliable backup and disaster recovery
Immutable, air-gapped, or offsite backups are the most
reliable recovery mechanism in a ransomware scenario. MSPs should maintain
regular backup schedules for client data, test restoration procedures
routinely, and establish clear recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery
point objectives (RPOs) with each client before an incident occurs—not during
one.
Forensic analysis and post-incident review
Gather event logs, network traffic records, and endpoint
artifacts to reconstruct the full attack chain. A post-incident evaluation
identifies gaps in the response and informs updates to security controls,
incident response procedures, and client security awareness training.
Report new ransomware threats
CISA and the FBI’s IC3 accept reports on new and emerging
ransomware variants. Reporting helps the broader cybersecurity community track
active threats and develop countermeasures. MSPs that encounter unfamiliar
ransomware behavior should document indicators of compromise (IOCs) and submit
them to appropriate agencies.
How does Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud help MSPs defend against ransomware?
Preventing a ransomware attack is always preferable to
remediating one—but effective prevention requires layered, integrated defenses.
Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud delivers integrated cybersecurity, backup, disaster
recovery, and endpoint management in a single platform purpose-built for MSPs.
The solution combines AI-based anti-malware and anti-ransomware with behavioral
detection, immutable backups, and automated recovery—enabling MSPs to detect,
contain, and recover from ransomware attacks without managing multiple point
products or switching between consoles.
For MSPs seeking advanced threat visibility, Acronis Advanced Security + EDR provides continuous endpoint monitoring, AI-guided
attack chain analysis mapped to MITRE ATT&CK, and single-click incident
response that includes integrated data recovery. MSPs can investigate and
remediate sophisticated ransomware attacks in minutes rather than hours, even
with lean security teams.
Frequently asked questions about ransomware for MSPs
Should you pay a
ransomware ransom?
The FBI, CISA, and most cybersecurity practitioners
advise against paying. According to the IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2024 report,
ransomware victims who worked with law enforcement saved nearly $1 million in
breach costs on average, and 63% avoided paying a ransom altogether. Paying
does not guarantee full data recovery and may signal to ransomware operators
that the victim is willing to pay again.
How do MSPs recover from
a ransomware attack?
Effective recovery requires preparation before an attack
occurs: immutable or offsite backups, a documented ransomware incident response
plan, and pre-agreed RTOs and RPOs with each client. During an active incident,
MSPs should contain affected systems, restore from clean backups, and conduct
forensic analysis to identify and close the entry point used by the attacker.
What ransomware variants
are currently most active against MSPs?
According to the FBI’s 2024 Internet Crime Report, the
five most reported ransomware variants in 2024 were Akira, LockBit, RansomHub,
FOG, and PLAY. RaaS groups operating under the LockBit and RansomHub models
specifically target MSPs because their centralized access makes them an
efficient launchpad for multi-client attacks.
Why do ransomware
operators target MSPs?
MSPs provide centralized IT services—often with elevated
privileges across client systems—to many organizations simultaneously. A single
successful intrusion into an MSP can give ransomware operators access to dozens
or hundreds of downstream client environments, maximizing impact from a single
point of entry.
How can MSPs prevent
ransomware attacks on client environments?
Key prevention measures include: prompt patching of
software and operating systems; behavioral-based endpoint detection and
response (EDR) across all client endpoints; multi-factor authentication (MFA)
on all accounts with administrative access; regular security awareness training
to reduce phishing exposure; immutable backups tested routinely for
restoration; and continuous monitoring of IOCs published by CISA and the FBI.
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