Report by Check Point
Global Cyber Attacks Remain Near Record Highs in February 2026 Despite Ransomware Decline
Key Findings
Clop accounted for 13% of published attacks in February.
Telecommunications was the third most targeted sector, averaging 2,699 weekly attacks per organization, up 6% year over year.
Europe and North America both experienced notable increases in the number of attacks compared to February 2025, with +11% and +9% growth respectively.
Organizations used an average of 11 different GenAI tools in February.
Latin America recorded the highest average number of attacks worldwide, with 3,123 weekly attacks per organization, alongside the largest year‑over‑year increase (+20%).
Business services was the most targeted sector, accounting for 37% of ransomware victims, followed by consumer goods & services (13%) and industrial manufacturing (9%).
Qilin led global ransomware activity, responsible for 15% of published attacks in February.
The Gentlemen was responsible for 11% of attacks in February.
The average number of weekly cyber attacks per organization reached 2,086, representing a 9.6% increase year over year.
The education sector continued to be the most targeted industry in February, facing an average of 4,749 cyber attacks per organization per week, a 7% increase year over year.
In February 2026, 629 ransomware attacks were reported globally, reflecting a 32% decrease year over year.
North America accounted for 57% of reported ransomware incidents, followed by Europe (17%) and APAC (17%)
The government sector ranked as the second most targeted industry in February, with organizations experiencing 2,714 weekly attacks on average, reflecting a 2% year‑over‑year increase.
APAC recorded the second highest average number of attacks worldwide, reporting 3,040 weekly attacks per organization, a 3% increase year over year,
Africa recorded the third highest average number of attacks worldwide, averaging 2,993 weekly attacks, reflecting a-7% decline year over year.
The average enterprise user generated 62 GenAI prompts per month
49 different ransomware groups publicly impacted organizations worldwide during February
The United States was the most impacted country, accounting for 51% of all reported ransomware attacks.
1 in every 31 GenAI prompts in February posed a high risk of sensitive data leakage, with 88% of organizations using GenAI tools regularly impacted by this risk