Ransomware operators are expected to lean harder on bundled DDoS attacks, insider recruitment, and contractor or gig-worker compromise in 2026 after a contradictory 2025: attacks rose 47%, but criminal revenue fell, according to Recorded Future. The gap suggests more victims were hit, but fewer paid or paid less, pushing groups to find cheaper access and stronger pressure tactics.
Recorded Future says one likely change is the wider use of DDoS-for-hire services alongside data theft or encryption. That gives attackers another way to disrupt operations and raise pressure during ransom negotiations, especially against companies that depend on public portals, online services, or remote access. Insider recruitment is also becoming more attractive because it can bypass technical controls outright. Rather than breaking in through malware alone, crews may bribe employees, contractors, or help-desk workers for credentials, password resets, or direct access.
The report also points to gig workers and third-party contractors as a growing weak point. These users often have legitimate access to internal systems but may work from personal devices, unmanaged networks, or loosely monitored accounts. That makes them a practical target for phishing, credential theft, and social engineering. In many cases, a stolen contractor login can be more useful than a new exploit.
For defenders, the takeaway is that ransomware is becoming more identity-driven and operationally flexible. Security teams should watch for unusual help-desk activity, suspicious contractor logins, mass password resets, and extortion attempts paired with service disruption. DDoS readiness, tighter vendor access controls, and phishing-resistant MFA matter as much as endpoint protection. Organizations with exposed remote access, outsourced IT support, or heavy use of freelancers should also review segmentation and access review policies for VPN and admin tools.
The trend fits broader public reporting on extortion-first attacks, where data theft, reputational pressure, and identity abuse increasingly matter more than encryption alone. If 2025 was the year ransomware profits tightened, 2026 may be the year attackers compensate by targeting trust relationships instead of just vulnerable systems.
