Threat actors ditch ‘spray and pray’ attacks in shift to targeted exploitation
A dip in ransomware volumes points to a more targeted approach focused on vulnerability exploitation
Cyber criminals are shifting away from high-volume “spray and pray” threat campaigns toward more targeted attacks to “maximize impact against fewer victims”.
That’s according to new research from SonicWall, which recorded a 20% increase in the number of compromised organizations across the UK last year, even as broader ransomware volumes fell by 87%.
SonicWall noted that smaller businesses are among those most likely to be targeted in “big game hunting” ransomware campaigns. Figures published by the firm show ransomware was used in 88% of SMB breaches, for example.
That marks a stark contrast to larger enterprises, in which just 39% of cases involved ransomware.
“The UK data for 2025 highlights ransomware is evolving into Big Game Hunting,” said Spencer Starkey, executive VP for EMEA at SonicWall.
“On the surface, the 87% drop in overall attack volume might look like progress, but the reality is more alarming. More organisations are being successfully hit, and attackers are doing it with far greater precision."
Targeting “zombie tech”
SonicWall noted that threat actors are prioritizing attacks on organizations with less mature security environments, but also those operating on outdated infrastructure, or “zombie tech”.
Researchers highlighted a single decade-old vulnerability in Hikvision IP cameras accounted for 67 million attempted cyber attacks in the UK alone last year, representing 20% of all intrusion activities observed by the firm.
This single case underlines the risks posed to enterprises by vulnerabilities flying under the radar, according to SonicWall – and it comes at a time when flaws are being exploited at an even quicker pace.
Around 80% of IT leaders said they believe their organisation can detect a breach within eight hours, yet SonicWall findings show attackers can remain undetected for an average of around 181 days.
Automated threats are also growing, posing even bigger challenges for security teams. AI-enabled attacks increased by 89% in 2025, researchers noted, and bots are now generating 36,000 scans per second, scouring the web for potential vulnerabilities.
“Zombie Tech continues to haunt UK networks. We’re seeing millions of attacks tied to a single long-known vulnerability, alongside continued exploitation of issues first disclosed more than a decade ago,” Starkey said.
“Threats are becoming more sophisticated at the top end, while remaining highly exploitable at the base and organizations must address both.”
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Follow ITPro on Google News and add us as a preferred source to keep tabs on all our latest news, analysis, views, and reviews.
You can also follow ITPro on LinkedIn, X, Facebook, and BlueSky.
-
Barracuda expands partner program with new enablement toolsNews The cybersecurity vendor has launched new training, demand generation, and partner engagement resources to fuel channel partner growth
-
Microsoft and Databricks target AI business context gains in partnership expansionNews Deeper integration of Databricks Genie within Azure aims to build more context-aware AI
-
Companies are still paying ransoms to cyber criminals despite official adviceNews A Proofpoint survey found evolving ransomware techniques and the use of AI is exacerbating the situation for victims
-
This one cyber crime group accounted for nearly a fifth of all ransomware attacks in JuneNews The Gentlemen, a ransomware a service operator, now accounts for 17% of published attacks
-
Working with the enemy: Ransomware negotiator-turned cyber criminal jailed after working with hackers to extort clientsNews Angelo Martino was supposed to be negotiating on behalf of victims, but was secretly working for ransomware operators
-
Hackers are posing as Interpol to target small businesses – here's what you need to knowNews Small businesses are warned to think twice before clicking on links
-
‘Every hour ransomware goes undetected drastically increases its potential blast radius’: Hackers are breaching networks and laying low for longer – and nearly half of firms don’t realize until data is stolenNews An ExtraHop survey found more intrusions are going undetected, leading to longer dwell times
-
Ransomware cartels are fragmenting into volatile splinter groups, warns Met Police cyber chiefNews Commoditized "cyber crime bazaars" and AI data mining are forcing law enforcement to rewrite its playbook
-
New ransomware threat group, The Gentlemen, has become one of the most active ransomware operators, accounting for 10% of all attacksNews NTT researchers warn that the RaaS group is leveraging SystemBC malware to establish covert tunnelling, evade detection, and support rapid lateral movement across enterprise environments
-
Instructure chose to a pay ransom following the Canvas cyber attack – research shows more than half of security leaders would follow suitAnalysis Opting to pay ransoms creates huge risks for enterprises – you’re relying on the word of criminals
