- Cyber Extortion Triples as Industrialized Cybercrime Becomes Geopolitical Weapon, Orange Report Finds
PARIS – Cyber extortion has tripled globally since 2020, driven by the industrialization of cybercrime which now sits at the center of geopolitical conflicts, a new report from Orange Cyberdefense revealed Thursday.
On December 4, the European cybersecurity provider released its Security Navigator 2026 report, which analyzed over 139,000 security incidents between October 2024 and September 2025.
The findings show that cybercrime has evolved into a “Crime-as-a-Service” industry, leading to a 44.5% rise in cyber extortion victims in the last year alone.
Small and medium-sized businesses account for two-thirds of organizations affected, often as a vector to attack larger supply chains. Critical sectors have seen a dramatic increase in attacks, with the number of affected organizations in finance and insurance rising by 71%, and in health and transport by 69% and 67% respectively.
The report identifies a “balkanization” of cyberspace, where state actors, hacktivists, and criminal organizations are increasingly collaborating. These groups are leveraging cyberattacks and disinformation to destabilize democracies and economies. According to the report, the goal is often cognitive warfare—manipulating public opinion and undermining trust—rather than just technical disruption.
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Despite the growing threat, the report highlights the effectiveness of global cooperation. An analysis of 418 law enforcement actions from 2021 to 2025 showed a steady increase in successful operations to dismantle criminal networks, underscoring the report’s call for a stronger public-private “common battle front.”
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