Ransomware campaigns spanning 2017 through 2026 have caused hundreds of billions in aggregate damages across healthcare, critical infrastructure, financial services, and government sectors worldwide. Nation-state and criminal operators alike deploy ransomware through phishing, unpatched vulnerabilities, and supply chain compromises, frequently exfiltrating data before encrypting systems to maximize leverage. Organizations that lack patched perimeters, segmented networks, and tested recovery capabilities remain high-probability targets for operational disruption, regulatory exposure, and reputational harm.