According to Infosecurity Magazine, European organizations suffered a 13% increase in ransomware attacks over the past year, with UK entities being the most affected according to CrowdStrike’s 2025 European Threat Landscape Report. The analysis of data leak sites from September 2024 through August 2025 revealed 1,380 European victims, with manufacturing, professional services, and technology sectors being the most targeted. The Akira and LockBit ransomware groups were identified as the most successful, responsible for 167 and 162 attacks respectively. The report also highlighted alarming trends including “Violence-as-a-Service” with 17 physical attacks since January 2024, primarily in France, including the kidnapping of a Ledger crypto-wallet co-founder in January 2025. This escalating threat landscape has prompted significant concern among security professionals.
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The Business Logic Behind European Targeting
The strategic focus on European organizations reveals sophisticated business calculations by ransomware operators. European companies operate under strict regulatory frameworks like GDPR that create additional pressure points beyond operational disruption. When threat actors can demonstrate they’ve exfiltrated sensitive data, they can leverage the potential for massive regulatory fines—up to 4% of global annual turnover under GDPR—as additional coercion. This creates a dual-pressure scenario where companies face both operational paralysis and regulatory exposure, making them more likely to pay ransoms. The concentration on manufacturing and professional services reflects these sectors’ critical supply chain positions and typically lower cybersecurity maturity compared to financial services, creating optimal risk-reward ratios for attackers.
The Disturbing Evolution to Physical Violence
The emergence of Violence-as-a-Service represents a fundamental shift in cybercriminal business models. Traditional ransomware relied on digital pressure, but the integration of physical threats creates unprecedented psychological leverage. The coordination through Telegram-based networks indicates these are organized criminal operations with clear division of labor—some members handle digital intrusions while others execute physical components. The focus on cryptocurrency professionals makes strategic sense, as these individuals often possess both technical access to digital assets and personal knowledge of security practices. The CrowdStrike report documenting 17 such attacks in under two years suggests this isn’t an isolated trend but an emerging service offering within the cybercrime ecosystem.
The Thriving Initial Access Market
The report’s finding of 260 initial access brokers advertising access to over 1,400 European organizations reveals a mature cybercrime supply chain. These brokers operate as specialized contractors who breach networks then sell that access to ransomware groups, creating efficiency in the criminal ecosystem. This specialization allows ransomware operators to focus on their core competency—extortion—while outsourcing the initial compromise phase. The scale of this market indicates significant underspending on basic security hygiene across European organizations. Many companies still fail to implement fundamental controls like multi-factor authentication, privileged access management, and network segmentation that would dramatically reduce the value of these access broker offerings.
Strategic Implications for European Business
European organizations must recognize they’re operating in an increasingly hostile digital environment where traditional security approaches are insufficient. The convergence of digital and physical threats means security strategies must extend beyond IT departments to include physical security, executive protection, and crisis management capabilities. Companies in high-risk sectors like manufacturing and technology need to assume they will be targeted and invest accordingly in both preventive controls and response capabilities. The geographic concentration in Western Europe suggests attackers are following the money—targeting regions with strong economies but potentially fragmented security postures across different national regulations and enforcement approaches.
The Escalation Trajectory
Looking forward, the professionalization of cybercrime operations suggests continued escalation. As Europol establishes dedicated task forces, we can expect temporary disruptions but not elimination of these threats. The economic incentives driving ransomware—with payouts reaching millions per incident—ensure persistent innovation in tactics. We’re likely to see further specialization within criminal networks, with groups focusing exclusively on specific techniques like vishing, initial access, or physical intimidation. The most concerning trend is the normalization of violence as a business tool, which could eventually expand beyond cryptocurrency professionals to other high-value targets across different industries. European businesses must prepare for this new reality where digital and physical security are inextricably linked.
