Extortion Activity No Longer Requires Encryption for Payment This blog dives into the growing trend of data theft and extortion activities which no longer require the use of ransomware to pressure victims into paying a demand. We examine the financially-motivated threat actors using both single and double extortion techniques and what this means for organizations going forward, especially with the arrival of frontier AI models. Shifting Threat Landscape Observations As detailed in our 2026 Global Incident Response Report, Unit 42 observed a notable decrease in the use of encryption for extortion-related cases last year. The total percentage in 2025 dropped to 78%, much lower than the near-or-above-90% levels observed between 2021-2024. Other security organizations have seen similar…