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Abstract

This assessment updates the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security's 2023 Baseline cyber threat assessment on cybercrime, providing a forward‑looking view of the ransomware threat to Canada from 2025 to 2027. It covers the early history of ransomware, emerging and projected trends, its impact on Canadian organizations, and debunks common myths about cyber hygiene and incident response. The report defines ransomware as malware that denies access to systems or data until a payment is made, noting the evolution to include data theft and extortion. It emphasizes that financially motivated, opportunistic threat actors target organizations of all sizes and sectors, posing risks to infrastructure, data, supply chains, operations, and livelihoods.