Ransomware Resilience Starts with the Right People
Ransomware remains one of the most disruptive threats facing businesses in 2025. The numbers speak for themselves:
- Global ransomware damage costs are expected to exceed $20 billion this year.
- Attacks are becoming more targeted, often crippling hospitals, transport hubs, and critical infrastructure.
- Recovery costs — downtime, lost data, and reputational damage — often exceed the ransom itself.
When leaders talk about ransomware resilience, the focus often falls on technology: firewalls, backups, endpoint detection, and AI-driven tools. These are vital — but they’re only part of the equation.
The truth is: resilience starts with people.
Here’s why:
Awareness & Vigilance
Over 80% of ransomware attacks begin with a phishing email. Technology may flag suspicious links, but employees who are trained, alert, and empowered to act are the ultimate line of defence.
Incident Response Readiness
A playbook is only as good as the people executing it. Having the right talent — from SOC analysts to crisis communications experts — ensures your organization doesn’t freeze when every second counts.
Culture of Security
A resilient organization is one where cybersecurity is embedded into everyday behavior. This requires leaders who hire not just for technical skills, but for communication, collaboration, and adaptability.
Balancing Tools with Talent
Tools don’t interpret risk. People do. An experienced security engineer or CISO can make the difference between a quick recovery and prolonged downtime.
How to Build People-First Ransomware Resilience:
- Hire for both technical and soft skills – critical thinking and teamwork are as important as tool mastery.
- Invest in ongoing training and simulations to keep staff sharp against evolving threats.
- Establish a cross-functional incident response team that includes IT, legal, PR, and leadership.
- Foster a “security-first” mindset at all levels — from the boardroom to frontline employees.
Ransomware resilience is not just an IT issue. It’s a talent issue. The strongest defences come from organizations that recruit, train, and retain the right cybersecurity professionals — and empower every employee to play their part.
The CyberHire Blueprint-solution framework to get the required cybersecurity experts while saving time, cutting costs by more than 60%, and improving retention by more than 96%.
What’s your take? Do you believe the biggest weakness against ransomware lies in tools, processes, or people?