Ransomware Gap Widens: Defenses Lag Behind Threats

The cybersecurity readiness deficit is widening, with defenses struggling to keep pace with evolving ransomware threats. Ivanti's 2026 report indicates a 10-point year-over-year increase in the preparedness gap across all tracked threat categories, including ransomware, phishing, and software vulnerabilities. Ransomware shows the most concerning spread, with a 33-point gap between perceived threat and preparedness.

Machine identities, such as service accounts and API keys, are a growing blind spot in incident response. CyberArk's research found 82 machine identities for every human, many possessing sensitive access. Current ransomware playbooks, including Gartner's guidance, focus on human and device credentials, neglecting machine identities. This oversight allows attackers to exploit compromised service accounts and API tokens for lateral movement, as these credentials are often overlooked during containment.

Gartner emphasizes the urgency of ransomware attacks, likening them to a countdown timer where delays introduce significant risk. Recovery costs can escalate to 10 times the ransom amount, and attacks often deploy within a day of initial access. Organizations are increasingly willing to pay ransoms, with 54% stating they would, reflecting a lack of effective containment alternatives. Addressing machine identity management is crucial for closing the gap.

Traditional detection methods struggle to keep pace with modern threats, with 85% of security teams acknowledging this. Most organizations lack robust detection rules for anomalous machine identity behavior. Furthermore, the rise of agentic AI is expected to multiply the problem, creating an order of magnitude more machine identities that require governance. Security leaders must integrate machine identity inventory, detection rules, and containment procedures into their playbooks to effectively counter current and future threats.