The cybersecurity landscape is changing rapidly, and ransomware remains one of the most pressing threats to organisations across the UK. The first half of 2025 has brought a noticeable increase in ransomware activity, with attackers using increasingly sophisticated techniques and automation tools to breach defences and exploit vulnerabilities.

At Barrier, we help UK organisations stay ahead of these threats through proactive defence, strategic guidance, and accredited incident response capabilities. In this article, we highlight key ransomware trends in the UK from the first half of 2025, offer actionable cybersecurity advice, and explain how our services can support your organisation’s resilience.

Increase in UK-Based Attacks

UK organisations have seen a marked rise in ransomware incidents. According to the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ransomware remains the top threat facing British businesses. From January to June 2025, incidents affecting UK organisations increased by over 40% compared to the same period in 2024, with small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) the most impacted.

Targeted Sectors in the UK

Public sector services, including education and local government, have been frequent targets. UK schools, councils, and NHS-affiliated organisations reported a sharp increase in disruption due to ransomware, with average ransom demands now often exceeding £450,000. SMEs across sectors including manufacturing, finance, and legal services have also faced rising threats.

Shifting Threat Actor Landscape

With the LockBit group dismantled in late 2024, ransomware campaigns in the UK have shifted toward groups such as RansomHub, Akira, and Cl0p. Cl0p has been linked to multiple high-profile attacks on UK infrastructure and critical services in early 2025.

Automation and AI Tools

Threat actors are employing AI-driven tools to scan UK IP ranges for vulnerable systems, automate phishing campaigns, and conduct negotiations. This has shortened the time between initial compromise and full-scale attack, challenging traditional response strategies.

Unpatched UK Infrastructure

In July, over 120 UK-based organisations were affected by a ransomware campaign exploiting unpatched Microsoft SharePoint servers. This highlights the ongoing challenge of timely patching and IT asset management in UK networks.

Recommended Cybersecurity Measures

1. Prioritise Patch Management

Ensure all systems—especially Microsoft infrastructure and remote access tools—are updated promptly. Delays in patching remain a key vulnerability in the UK threat landscape.

2. Implement Robust Backup Strategies

Maintain encrypted, offsite, and immutable backups to ensure recovery even if ransomware encrypts live systems. Hybrid-cloud backups can reduce downtime and help avoid ransom payments.

3. Adopt a Zero Trust Security Model

Apply zero trust principles across your network, ensuring users and devices are continuously verified. Combine this with continuous monitoring to detect and isolate threats early.

4. Establish and Test Incident Response Plans

Develop and rehearse incident response protocols tailored to your organisation. Ensure plans involve IT, legal, PR, and executive leadership to enable a coordinated response.

5. Manage Supply Chain Risk

Assess your third-party suppliers, especially in IT, finance, and facilities. Many UK organisations affected in 2025 were compromised through trusted vendors.

How Barrier Networks Can Help

UK-Based Security Operations

Our Barrier Blue Security Operations Centre (SOC), based in the UK, provides 24/7 threat detection and incident response. We tailor our services to your organisation’s specific risk profile and compliance requirements.

NCSC-Certified Incident Response

As an NCSC-certified Cyber Incident Response (CIR) provider, Barrier Networks is authorised to manage major cyber incidents across critical UK sectors.

Strategic Cybersecurity Support

We partner with clients to deliver risk assessments, red/blue-team simulations, penetration testing, and compliance consultancy in line with UK regulatory standards.

Comprehensive Protection

Our services include vulnerability management, phishing prevention, endpoint protection, and integrations with leading platforms to deliver robust, multi-layered defence.