Cyber Resilience as a Competitive Edge Against Ransomware

Why proactive defense is now a business imperative

Ransomware attacks have evolved into more than just technical disruptions—they now pose existential threats to businesses of all sizes. According to cybersecurity experts at ESET, resilience against such threats is no longer merely an IT concern but a core business survival strategy. The 2024 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report found that one-third of data breaches involved ransomware or extortion tactics. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are particularly vulnerable, with 88% of their data breaches linked to ransomware, compared to 39% among large corporations.

SMEs in the Crosshairs

Despite relying heavily on digital infrastructure, SMEs often lack the robust security frameworks that larger organizations deploy. Their limited resources and lower cybersecurity maturity make them attractive targets for attackers seeking quick returns. IBM’s latest report estimates that recovery from a single ransomware incident can cost nearly $5 million. Supply chain vulnerabilities further compound the risk, as seen in the 2021 Kaseya breach and the 2025 Jaguar Land Rover attack, which led to a six-week shutdown and £1.9 billion in losses.

Repeat attacks are also common, with 55% of organizations that paid ransom doing so more than once. Nearly a third of these victims paid three or more times, indicating that payment does not guarantee safety. Attackers are increasingly leveraging advanced technologies, including AI-driven malware like PromptLock, which uses OpenAI models to generate malicious scripts. In Hungary, experts have observed a rise in ransomware and deepfake attacks targeting executives and businesses, underscoring the global nature of the threat.

The Human and Operational Toll

Public attention often focuses on ransom demands and legal dilemmas, but the deeper impact lies in organizational trauma. When systems go offline, companies lose revenue, miss opportunities, and suffer reputational damage. Employees may face sudden job loss, adding a human cost to the technical crisis. Full recovery can take months, especially when data leaks accompany the attack and attackers threaten public exposure.

Organizations typically consider three options: restoring from backups, using decryptor tools, or paying the ransom. However, attackers often compromise backup systems, rendering them ineffective. Decryptor tools, such as those from the No More Ransom initiative, are limited in scope and slow to develop. Paying the ransom remains risky and unreliable, as demonstrated by the Colonial Pipeline case, where the decryptor was too slow to be useful and recovery ultimately relied on backups.

Building Resilience Before the Attack

ESET recommends several proactive measures to strengthen cyber resilience. Strong, unique passwords and multi-factor authentication should be standard across all access points. Modern endpoint protection solutions can detect and block ransomware before activation. Offline backups, physically separated from core systems, offer a safeguard against compromised data.

ESET’s Ransomware Remediation feature creates protected backups of critical files at the first sign of suspicious activity, helping prevent reliance on infected backups. Employee training is essential, as phishing remains a common entry point for ransomware. A clear incident response plan outlining technical, legal, and communication protocols can significantly reduce recovery time and impact. As ESET’s SMB Digital Security Sentiment 2022 revealed, many SMEs recognize the risks but lack confidence in their internal cybersecurity capabilities.