The City of London Police has launched a new campaign urging businesses to report ransomware attacks promptly and strengthen their cyber defences, as fresh data shows hundreds of UK organisations were targeted over the past year.

Figures from Report Fraud, the national fraud and cyber crime reporting service run by the City of London Police, show that 323 organisations reported a ransomware attack between April 2025 and March 2026, equivalent to more than 26 incidents each month. More than 50% of reports came from small medium enterprises, accounting for 175 cases.

Total financial losses of around £270,000 were recorded, marking a 50% increase compared with the previous year. However, officials believe the true scale is significantly higher, with many businesses reluctant to disclose losses due to concerns over reputational damage or potential breaches of compliance rules linked to ransom payments.

Ransomware continues to rank among the most serious cyber threats facing UK organisations. As part of the campaign launched today, Report Fraud is calling on businesses, particularly smaller firms, to take preventative action and to report incidents swiftly when they occur.

Sector analysis shows that where industry data was available, manufacturing accounted for 42 reports, followed by the scientific and technical sector with 21 and education with 19, indicating a broad spread of risk across the economy.

Chief superintendent Amanda Wolf, head of Report Fraud operations at the City of London Police, said: “Ransomware remains a serious and evolving threat to organisations of all sizes across the UK. The most effective defence is preparation. We encourage businesses to be proactive -- through regular data backups, strong access controls, keeping systems up to date, and following National Cyber Security Centre guidance. These can all significantly reduce the risk and impact of an attack.

“If a business is experiencing a ransomware attack, it should be reported immediately by calling Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040, where a dedicated team is available to provide support and guidance during an incident.”

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