KnowBe4 Urges Organizations to Recognize Social Engineering's Critical Role in Ransomware Surge

Amidst rising ransomware-related attacks, KnowBe4 shares five pivotal tips to reduce human risk this Ransomware Awareness Month

TAMPA BAY, Fla., July 2, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- KnowBe4, the world-renowned cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, is shining a spotlight on the critical role social engineering plays in the global surge of ransomware attacks. As part of Ransomware Awareness Month in July, KnowBe4 is encouraging organizations to reflect on how human risk contributes to ransomware exposure with five essential strategies to strengthen their human layer defenses.

This call to action comes as KnowBe4's research highlights a concerning 57.7% increase in ransomware payloads delivered through phishing attacks between November 1, 2024, and February 15, 2025, compared to the preceding three months. Commonly considered the most common initial access vector for ransomware into an organization, this alarming trend underscores phishing's pivotal role in the rise of ransomware incidents.

Industry data continues to underscore the severity of ransomware on organizations, with global damages projected to reach $275 billion annually by 2031. In addition, the 2025 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report highlights that ransomware was involved in 44% of all analyzed breaches, which was up from 31% the previous year.

As the volume and fallout of successful ransomware attacks increase in 2025, KnowBe4 shares five top tips for organizations to strengthen their human defenses:

1. Tailor Cybersecurity Training by Role: Offer timely, role-specific personalized training that directly addresses the unique threats and responsibilities of different departments, helping to dramatically reduce employee behaviors often exploited by ransomware attackers.
2. Run Realistic Phishing Simulations: Regularly conduct real-world phishing simulations that mimic current threat tactics to build employees' critical thinking skills and instinctive resistance against ransomware delivery methods.
3. Promote a No-Blame Reporting Culture: Foster an environment where employees feel safe and empowered to immediately report any suspicious emails or activities, even if they have made a mistake, enabling faster ransomware containment and incident response.
4. Keep Ransomware Awareness Front and Center: Implement continuous awareness campaigns through ongoing reminders, visuals, and regular communication to reinforce vigilance and ensure ransomware threats remain top-of-mind for the entire workforce.
5. Utilize Advanced Anti-Phishing Technology: Support employees with advanced anti-phishing technology that employs AI and machine learning to detect and neutralize sophisticated phishing attacks, including zero-day threats carrying ransomware payloads, before they ever reach an employee's inbox.

"Ransomware remains one of the largest cyber threats an organization can face–and it all starts with social engineering," said Roger Grimes, data-driven defense evangelist at KnowBe4. "As reports continue to highlight the varied forms of phishing as the most prevalent access vector for ransomware-related attacks, organizations must prioritize reducing human risk first and foremost. This Ransomware Awareness Month, it is crucial for every organization to understand their strongest defense against ransomware is actually their workforce."

For more information, visit www.knowbe4.com.

About KnowBe4

KnowBe4 empowers workforces to make smarter security decisions every day. Trusted by over 70,000 organizations worldwide, KnowBe4 helps to strengthen security culture and manage human risk. KnowBe4 offers a comprehensive AI-driven 'best-of-suite' platform for Human Risk Management, creating an adaptive defense layer that fortifies user behavior against the latest cybersecurity threats. The HRM+ platform includes modules for awareness & compliance training, cloud email security, real-time coaching, crowdsourced anti-phishing, AI Defense Agents, and more. As the only global security platform of its kind, KnowBe4 utilizes personalized and relevant cybersecurity protection content, tools and techniques to mobilize workforces to transform from the largest attack surface to an organization's biggest asset.

Media Contact:
Kathy Wattman
SVP of Public Relations
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727-474-9950

SOURCE KnowBe4 Inc.