Ransomware in Spain has not just persisted — it has accelerated at an alarming rate. According to data published by INCIBE in February 2026, the previous year closed with 392 registered ransomware attacks in Spain, more than double the 176 recorded the year before. A 123% increase in a single year, in the attack type with the highest economic impact per incident.

The confirmed 2026 cases illustrate this with familiar names: Ahorramás was attacked by the Qilin ransomware group in the first months of the year, with access to internal documentation and operational data across its network of more than 290 supermarkets. Inditex reported a breach originating from an external vendor. Endesa confirmed the compromise of data belonging to millions of customers — national ID numbers, IBANs, contract details — through a former technology provider.

These are not isolated exceptions. They are the norm of what is happening in Spain in 2026. And most attacks affecting SMBs never even reach the press.

What Has Changed About Ransomware in 2026

Ransomware in 2026 doesn't just encrypt — it steals first. Double extortion has become the standard: data is exfiltrated before encryption and used as a second leverage point regardless of whether the company pays or not.

Ransomware has evolved considerably since the first cases that encrypted files and demanded Bitcoin. In 2026, the typical attack chain has four well-defined phases:

Initial access. The most frequent entry point in Spain in 2026 is compromised valid credentials — obtained through infostealers (Lumma, RedLine, Stealc), AI-personalised phishing, or purchased directly on dark web access marketplaces. VPNs and remote desktops (RDP) without multi-factor authentication are the most exploited entry points. The Akira group, one of the most active in Spain, has a well-documented pattern: it specifically targets Cisco VPN concentrators without MFA.

Persistence and lateral movement. Once inside, the attacker does not act immediately. According to INCIBE-CERT and Mandiant data, the average dwell time before encryption has been reduced to less than five days in 2026 — leaving very little window to detect the intrusion before the damage becomes irreversible. During that time, the attacker maps the network, escalates privileges and moves laterally toward the most critical systems.

Exfiltration. Before encrypting, they copy. Everything of value — customer databases, contracts, financial information, employee data — is sent to attacker-controlled servers. This turns the incident into a double threat: recovering the encrypted files does not eliminate the risk of the data being published or sold.

Encryption and extortion. Encryption is the last step, not the first. The ransom note arrives after the damage is already done. The average amount demanded from mid-sized Spanish companies is between €80,000 and €150,000, but the real cost of the incident — including downtime, recovery, regulatory fines and reputational damage — typically multiplies that figure.

The Most Active Groups Against Spanish Businesses in 2026

After LockBit's disruption in 2024, the ransomware ecosystem did not disappear — it fragmented. Affiliates migrated to RansomHub, Akira, Qilin and 8Base, groups that in 2026 account for most of the published victims in Spain.

Qilin. The group behind the Ahorramás attack. Operates as RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service) with affiliates. Broad focus: industry, retail, services.

Akira. Known for attacking mid-sized companies with a recognisable technical pattern: Cisco VPN without MFA, stolen credentials. Encrypts both Windows environments and ESXi servers.

RansomHub. Emerged in 2024 absorbing affiliates from ALPHV and LockBit. Currently one of the groups with the highest volume of published victims globally, with a growing presence in Spain.

8Base. More opportunistic, operates primarily against SMBs with exposed attack surfaces. Most frequent entry vector: systems with poorly configured remote access.

Why Spanish SMBs Are the Priority Target

88% of breaches affecting SMBs in Spain include ransomware, more than double the rate seen in large organisations. The reason is straightforward: lower protection, equally valuable data, and a higher probability of paying out of operational necessity.

Verizon's DBIR analysis confirms that SMBs are targeted nearly four times more frequently than large organisations. The attacker's logic is purely economic: a 40-person SMB rarely has an incident response team, rarely has tested backups, and frequently has poorly controlled remote access.

The cost of halting business operations due to a ransomware attack is estimated between €4,000 and €7,500 per minute, according to ESED data. For an SMB with tight margins, every hour of downtime can be critical.

What to Do Now: The Highest-Impact Measures

MFA on every remote access point, no exceptions

The most exploited entry vector in Spain is VPN or remote desktop without MFA. Enabling multi-factor authentication across all remote access points is the single measure that most reduces the probability of initial access — and the easiest to implement.

Remove broad network access — adopt least privilege

Ransomware spreads laterally because initial access grants too much. Limiting each user to the specific resource they need — the Zero Trust principle — turns a credential compromise into a contained incident rather than a total crisis.

Tested offline backups, not just configured ones

Ransomware also encrypts backups connected to the network. The only useful backup in an attack is one that is isolated and whose restoration has been tested recently. Having backups without testing them provides false security.

Real-time access visibility

With a dwell time of less than five days before encryption, the detection window is narrow. Having active logs of who accesses what and when makes it possible to detect anomalous behaviour — off-hours access, unusual location, access to resources the user does not normally consult — before the damage becomes irreversible.

Control external vendor access

The 2026 attacks on Endesa and Inditex both originated through technology providers. Point-in-time access, limited to the necessary resource with automatic expiry — not permanent accounts left open indefinitely.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I pay the ransom if I am attacked?

The official recommendation from INCIBE and all cybersecurity agencies is not to pay. Paying does not guarantee data recovery — attackers may not send the decryption key. It also finances future attacks and marks you as a willing payer for further extortion. The key is not to reach that point through tested backups and controlled access.

Does cyber insurance cover a ransomware attack?

It depends on the policy and whether the company can demonstrate it had basic security measures in place. Insurers increasingly require MFA, backups and security audits as a condition for covering ransomware incidents. Without those measures, coverage may be partial or void.

How do attackers get in if I have antivirus and a firewall?

Antivirus and firewalls protect the perimeter, but not credentials. The most used entry vector in Spain is a compromised valid credential: the attacker does not break the door down — they walk in with a legitimate key obtained through phishing or an infostealer. Once inside with valid credentials, the antivirus sees nothing unusual.

What do I need to report if I suffer a ransomware attack?

If personal data is compromised, GDPR requires notification to the AEPD within 72 hours of detection. If your company falls within the NIS2 scope, notification to INCIBE-CERT is required within 24 hours for significant incidents. Missing those deadlines aggravates the sanctions.

Summary

→ Ransomware in Spain more than doubled in one year: from 176 cases in 2024 to 392 in 2025, with Ahorramás, Endesa and Inditex among confirmed 2026 victims.

→ The current model is double extortion: data is stolen first, then encrypted. Paying does not guarantee recovering the information.

→ The most frequent entry vector is a valid credential used against VPN or RDP without MFA — the attacker enters with a legitimate key, not by forcing the door.

→ With less than five days of dwell time before encryption, the detection window is very narrow. Real-time access visibility is the difference between catching it in time or discovering it when it is already too late.

→ MFA on remote access, least privilege, tested offline backups and third-party access control are the four highest-impact measures for a Spanish SMB.

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