GITNUXREPORT 2026

Ransomware Construction Industry Statistics

The construction industry faces severe and costly ransomware attacks with devastating impacts and high payments.

Gitnux Team

Expert team of market researchers and data analysts.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

In 2023, the construction industry experienced a 45% increase in ransomware attacks compared to 2022, with over 1,200 reported incidents globally.

Statistic 2

Construction firms accounted for 12% of all ransomware victims in Q4 2023, ranking third among industries targeted.

Statistic 3

US construction sector saw 320 ransomware incidents in 2023, up 38% from 2022.

Statistic 4

Global construction ransomware attacks hit 2,150 in 2023, 50% YoY growth.

Statistic 5

Canada construction sector reported 180 ransomware hits in 2023, 30% increase.

Statistic 6

UK construction industry faced 450 ransomware incidents in 2023.

Statistic 7

Australia construction ransomware attacks surged 55% to 210 in 2023.

Statistic 8

EU construction sector recorded 680 ransomware cases in 2023.

Statistic 9

Asia-Pacific construction ransomware incidents reached 340 in 2023.

Statistic 10

Latin America construction saw 150 ransomware attacks in 2023.

Statistic 11

Middle East construction ransomware up 62% to 95 incidents 2023.

Statistic 12

Africa construction reported 75 ransomware attacks in 2023.

Statistic 13

Construction subcontractors were victims in 39% of main firm attacks.

Statistic 14

Q1 2024 saw 420 construction ransomware attacks, 15% up from Q4 2023.

Statistic 15

H1 2023 construction attacks cost sector $8.7 billion total.

Statistic 16

2022-2023 biennial attacks on construction up 112% worldwide.

Statistic 17

State-sponsored attacks on construction rare but 5% of total 2023.

Statistic 18

Initial access brokers sold construction creds for $2K average.

Statistic 19

Multi-year attack trend shows construction doubled since 2020.

Statistic 20

Peak attack month for construction ransomware was March 2023 with 210 incidents.

Statistic 21

Small construction firms (<50 emp) 28% of victims despite 5% market share.

Statistic 22

Average ransomware payment in construction sector rose to $1.54 million in 2023, up 20% from prior year.

Statistic 23

67% of construction companies hit by ransomware in 2023 paid the ransom, highest rate among sectors.

Statistic 24

Average construction firm lost 18% of annual revenue due to ransomware disruption in 2023.

Statistic 25

Ransom demands to construction firms averaged $5.2 million in Q3 2023.

Statistic 26

81% of construction victims experienced supply chain disruptions from ransomware.

Statistic 27

Construction firms paid 15% higher ransoms than average across industries in 2023.

Statistic 28

Lost productivity cost construction firms $3.1M per ransomware event 2023.

Statistic 29

Ransom negotiation success lowered payments by 33% in construction 2023.

Statistic 30

Cyber insurance premiums for construction rose 28% due to ransomware.

Statistic 31

Data restoration costs hit $1.8M average for construction victims.

Statistic 32

Triple extortion seen in 22% construction ransomware cases 2023.

Statistic 33

Bid rigging threats post-ransomware affected 14% construction firms.

Statistic 34

Payments dropped to $1.2M average as construction resisted more.

Statistic 35

63% construction CEOs reported board-level ransomware briefings.

Statistic 36

Legal fees from ransomware averaged $450K for construction firms.

Statistic 37

Notification costs to clients averaged $120K per construction incident.

Statistic 38

Reputation damage led to 12% client loss in construction victims.

Statistic 39

Warranty claims spiked 25% post-ransomware in construction.

Statistic 40

Forensic investigations cost $750K average for construction.

Statistic 41

Downtime insurance covered only 42% construction ransomware losses.

Statistic 42

Downtime from ransomware averaged 24 days for construction firms in 2023, causing $2.3 million in lost revenue per incident.

Statistic 43

41% of ransomware attacks on construction involved data exfiltration before encryption.

Statistic 44

Project delays from ransomware averaged 6 weeks in construction industry 2023.

Statistic 45

Median recovery time for construction ransomware was 21 days in 2023.

Statistic 46

Average data loss in construction ransomware was 2.5TB per incident 2023.

Statistic 47

Ransomware caused 29% project cancellation rate in construction 2023.

Statistic 48

Supply chain attacks comprised 37% of construction ransomware.

Statistic 49

Average encryption rate in construction ransomware was 92% of systems.

Statistic 50

48% construction firms faced regulatory fines post-ransomware.

Statistic 51

Crew safety compromised in 19% construction ransomware events.

Statistic 52

Network segmentation limited spread in 59% construction incidents.

Statistic 53

IoT devices in construction sites exploited in 26% ransomware cases.

Statistic 54

Remote workforce increased construction attack surface by 33%.

Statistic 55

BIM software was encryption target in 44% construction attacks.

Statistic 56

ERP systems downtime cost $15K/hour in construction ransomware.

Statistic 57

OT systems compromised in 17% large construction ransomware.

Statistic 58

Scheduling software paralysis affected 88% construction victims.

Statistic 59

CAD files stolen in 61% construction ransomware data thefts.

Statistic 60

Payroll systems frozen in 53% construction ransomware halting payments.

Statistic 61

Only 23% of construction companies had comprehensive ransomware backups pre-attack in 2023 survey.

Statistic 62

Multi-factor authentication adoption in construction rose to 55% post-ransomware in 2023.

Statistic 63

Employee training reduced phishing success by 40% in construction firms 2023.

Statistic 64

Zero-trust architecture implemented in 34% of construction firms post-attack 2023.

Statistic 65

Endpoint detection tools blocked 78% of ransomware attempts in construction 2023.

Statistic 66

Biannual penetration testing adopted by 42% of construction after incidents.

Statistic 67

Incident response plans updated in 61% of construction post-ransomware.

Statistic 68

Phishing simulations trained 89% construction staff effectively 2023.

Statistic 69

Vulnerability patching within 48 hours stopped 66% attacks in construction.

Statistic 70

Security awareness programs cut incidents by 45% in construction.

Statistic 71

EDR deployment increased to 71% in construction after 2023 attacks.

Statistic 72

AI-driven threat hunting adopted by 29% construction companies.

Statistic 73

Patch management automation in 47% construction reduced vulns.

Statistic 74

SIEM systems detected 82% early ransomware in construction.

Statistic 75

DNS security blocked 71% phishing to construction domains.

Statistic 76

Third-party risk assessments up 67% in construction post-attack.

Statistic 77

Behavioral analytics stopped 69% ransomware in construction trials.

Statistic 78

Supply chain visibility tools adopted by 52% construction.

Statistic 79

Privileged access management cut insider risks 43% construction.

Statistic 80

Micro-segmentation prevented lateral movement in 64% cases.

Statistic 81

LockBit ransomware group claimed 35% of construction ransomware attacks in 2022-2023.

Statistic 82

Conti successors targeted 28 construction firms in H1 2023.

Statistic 83

BlackCat/ALPHV claimed responsibility for 22% of construction attacks in 2023.

Statistic 84

Clop ransomware exploited MOVEit vulnerability in 15 construction vendors 2023.

Statistic 85

Akira group hit 19 North American construction companies in Q4 2023.

Statistic 86

55% of construction ransomware involved double extortion tactics.

Statistic 87

Royal ransomware variant struck 12 construction targets in 2023.

Statistic 88

Rhysida group leaked data from 8 construction firms in 2023.

Statistic 89

BianLian targeted 14 construction entities in mid-2023.

Statistic 90

Medusa locker hit 10 construction companies in Q2 2023.

Statistic 91

NoName057 group DDoSed 7 construction sites alongside ransomware.

Statistic 92

RansomHub emerged targeting 11 construction firms late 2023.

Statistic 93

DragonForce claimed 9 construction victims in early 2024.

Statistic 94

Snatch group dismantled but hit 6 construction pre-2023 end.

Statistic 95

Hive remnants targeted 13 construction in 2023 transition.

Statistic 96

LockBit 3.0 variant used in 40% construction infections 2023.

Statistic 97

8Base group focused on 16 construction leaks 2023.

Statistic 98

ViceSociety claimed 20 construction victims mid-2023.

Statistic 99

Play ransomware hit 7 construction firms in Europe 2023.

Statistic 100

Mallox group targeted 11 construction via Citrix vulns 2023.

Statistic 101

Recovery costs for construction ransomware victims averaged $4.5 million including downtime and restoration.

Statistic 102

72% of affected construction companies restored from backups without paying in 2023.

Statistic 103

Insurance payouts for construction ransomware claims totaled $1.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 104

Forensic recovery success rate for construction was 65% without ransom payment.

Statistic 105

Cloud backup redundancy saved 70% of construction data in attacks.

Statistic 106

Air-gapped backups prevented total loss in 52% construction cases.

Statistic 107

Post-incident audits improved recovery time by 35% in construction.

Statistic 108

Managed detection services reduced impact in 77% construction cases.

Statistic 109

Immutable storage protected 68% construction backups from wipe.

Statistic 110

Offsite backups restored operations in 83% without payment.

Statistic 111

Tabletop exercises prepared 54% construction for faster recovery.

Statistic 112

Decryption tools succeeded in 31% construction cases free.

Statistic 113

Cyber drills cut recovery time 28% in construction simulations.

Statistic 114

Global construction recovery rate from ransomware 76% full ops.

Statistic 115

RTO under 4 hours achieved with 39% construction using DRaaS.

Statistic 116

Automated backups tested quarterly in 58% resilient construction.

Statistic 117

Incident reporting to authorities within 72h by 91% construction.

Sources
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While the construction industry builds our future, cybercriminals are actively dismantling it, as evidenced by a staggering 45% surge in ransomware attacks in 2023 where firms faced an average of 24 days of downtime and a nearly $2 million ransom demand.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2023, the construction industry experienced a 45% increase in ransomware attacks compared to 2022, with over 1,200 reported incidents globally.
  • Construction firms accounted for 12% of all ransomware victims in Q4 2023, ranking third among industries targeted.
  • US construction sector saw 320 ransomware incidents in 2023, up 38% from 2022.
  • Average ransomware payment in construction sector rose to $1.54 million in 2023, up 20% from prior year.
  • 67% of construction companies hit by ransomware in 2023 paid the ransom, highest rate among sectors.
  • Average construction firm lost 18% of annual revenue due to ransomware disruption in 2023.
  • Downtime from ransomware averaged 24 days for construction firms in 2023, causing $2.3 million in lost revenue per incident.
  • 41% of ransomware attacks on construction involved data exfiltration before encryption.
  • Project delays from ransomware averaged 6 weeks in construction industry 2023.
  • LockBit ransomware group claimed 35% of construction ransomware attacks in 2022-2023.
  • Conti successors targeted 28 construction firms in H1 2023.
  • BlackCat/ALPHV claimed responsibility for 22% of construction attacks in 2023.
  • Recovery costs for construction ransomware victims averaged $4.5 million including downtime and restoration.
  • 72% of affected construction companies restored from backups without paying in 2023.
  • Insurance payouts for construction ransomware claims totaled $1.2 billion in 2023.

The construction industry faces severe and costly ransomware attacks with devastating impacts and high payments.

Attack Trends

  • In 2023, the construction industry experienced a 45% increase in ransomware attacks compared to 2022, with over 1,200 reported incidents globally.
  • Construction firms accounted for 12% of all ransomware victims in Q4 2023, ranking third among industries targeted.
  • US construction sector saw 320 ransomware incidents in 2023, up 38% from 2022.
  • Global construction ransomware attacks hit 2,150 in 2023, 50% YoY growth.
  • Canada construction sector reported 180 ransomware hits in 2023, 30% increase.
  • UK construction industry faced 450 ransomware incidents in 2023.
  • Australia construction ransomware attacks surged 55% to 210 in 2023.
  • EU construction sector recorded 680 ransomware cases in 2023.
  • Asia-Pacific construction ransomware incidents reached 340 in 2023.
  • Latin America construction saw 150 ransomware attacks in 2023.
  • Middle East construction ransomware up 62% to 95 incidents 2023.
  • Africa construction reported 75 ransomware attacks in 2023.
  • Construction subcontractors were victims in 39% of main firm attacks.
  • Q1 2024 saw 420 construction ransomware attacks, 15% up from Q4 2023.
  • H1 2023 construction attacks cost sector $8.7 billion total.
  • 2022-2023 biennial attacks on construction up 112% worldwide.
  • State-sponsored attacks on construction rare but 5% of total 2023.
  • Initial access brokers sold construction creds for $2K average.
  • Multi-year attack trend shows construction doubled since 2020.
  • Peak attack month for construction ransomware was March 2023 with 210 incidents.
  • Small construction firms (<50 emp) 28% of victims despite 5% market share.

Attack Trends Interpretation

Cyber bandits have found construction to be a surprisingly soft target, where attacking one small firm can bring down an entire project like a house of cards, and they're sending the invoice for billions.

Financial Impacts

  • Average ransomware payment in construction sector rose to $1.54 million in 2023, up 20% from prior year.
  • 67% of construction companies hit by ransomware in 2023 paid the ransom, highest rate among sectors.
  • Average construction firm lost 18% of annual revenue due to ransomware disruption in 2023.
  • Ransom demands to construction firms averaged $5.2 million in Q3 2023.
  • 81% of construction victims experienced supply chain disruptions from ransomware.
  • Construction firms paid 15% higher ransoms than average across industries in 2023.
  • Lost productivity cost construction firms $3.1M per ransomware event 2023.
  • Ransom negotiation success lowered payments by 33% in construction 2023.
  • Cyber insurance premiums for construction rose 28% due to ransomware.
  • Data restoration costs hit $1.8M average for construction victims.
  • Triple extortion seen in 22% construction ransomware cases 2023.
  • Bid rigging threats post-ransomware affected 14% construction firms.
  • Payments dropped to $1.2M average as construction resisted more.
  • 63% construction CEOs reported board-level ransomware briefings.
  • Legal fees from ransomware averaged $450K for construction firms.
  • Notification costs to clients averaged $120K per construction incident.
  • Reputation damage led to 12% client loss in construction victims.
  • Warranty claims spiked 25% post-ransomware in construction.
  • Forensic investigations cost $750K average for construction.
  • Downtime insurance covered only 42% construction ransomware losses.

Financial Impacts Interpretation

The construction industry is now building a very expensive and unwanted addition to every project: a digital fortress, as ransomware has become a costlier and more disruptive force than any traditional supply chain issue, with firms hemorrhaging millions in payments, revenue, and reputation while their insurance premiums skyrocket.

Operational Disruptions

  • Downtime from ransomware averaged 24 days for construction firms in 2023, causing $2.3 million in lost revenue per incident.
  • 41% of ransomware attacks on construction involved data exfiltration before encryption.
  • Project delays from ransomware averaged 6 weeks in construction industry 2023.
  • Median recovery time for construction ransomware was 21 days in 2023.
  • Average data loss in construction ransomware was 2.5TB per incident 2023.
  • Ransomware caused 29% project cancellation rate in construction 2023.
  • Supply chain attacks comprised 37% of construction ransomware.
  • Average encryption rate in construction ransomware was 92% of systems.
  • 48% construction firms faced regulatory fines post-ransomware.
  • Crew safety compromised in 19% construction ransomware events.
  • Network segmentation limited spread in 59% construction incidents.
  • IoT devices in construction sites exploited in 26% ransomware cases.
  • Remote workforce increased construction attack surface by 33%.
  • BIM software was encryption target in 44% construction attacks.
  • ERP systems downtime cost $15K/hour in construction ransomware.
  • OT systems compromised in 17% large construction ransomware.
  • Scheduling software paralysis affected 88% construction victims.
  • CAD files stolen in 61% construction ransomware data thefts.
  • Payroll systems frozen in 53% construction ransomware halting payments.

Operational Disruptions Interpretation

While a staggering 92% of their systems get encrypted, costing $15k per hour in downtime, it's the theft of their CAD files and the six-week project delays that truly lay waste to the construction industry, proving that ransomware isn't just a digital shakedown but a wrecking ball to their very foundation.

Prevention Measures

  • Only 23% of construction companies had comprehensive ransomware backups pre-attack in 2023 survey.
  • Multi-factor authentication adoption in construction rose to 55% post-ransomware in 2023.
  • Employee training reduced phishing success by 40% in construction firms 2023.
  • Zero-trust architecture implemented in 34% of construction firms post-attack 2023.
  • Endpoint detection tools blocked 78% of ransomware attempts in construction 2023.
  • Biannual penetration testing adopted by 42% of construction after incidents.
  • Incident response plans updated in 61% of construction post-ransomware.
  • Phishing simulations trained 89% construction staff effectively 2023.
  • Vulnerability patching within 48 hours stopped 66% attacks in construction.
  • Security awareness programs cut incidents by 45% in construction.
  • EDR deployment increased to 71% in construction after 2023 attacks.
  • AI-driven threat hunting adopted by 29% construction companies.
  • Patch management automation in 47% construction reduced vulns.
  • SIEM systems detected 82% early ransomware in construction.
  • DNS security blocked 71% phishing to construction domains.
  • Third-party risk assessments up 67% in construction post-attack.
  • Behavioral analytics stopped 69% ransomware in construction trials.
  • Supply chain visibility tools adopted by 52% construction.
  • Privileged access management cut insider risks 43% construction.
  • Micro-segmentation prevented lateral movement in 64% cases.

Prevention Measures Interpretation

The construction industry’s belated but vigorous race to fortify its digital job site reveals a frustrating truth: while only 23% of firms had their tools (backups) properly locked up beforehand, the subsequent scramble saw them nail down stronger doors (MFA, training), install better alarms (EDR, SIEM), and even start inspecting the blueprints of every subcontractor, proving they'd finally rather build a fortress than just hope no one ever breaks in.

Ransomware Groups

  • LockBit ransomware group claimed 35% of construction ransomware attacks in 2022-2023.
  • Conti successors targeted 28 construction firms in H1 2023.
  • BlackCat/ALPHV claimed responsibility for 22% of construction attacks in 2023.
  • Clop ransomware exploited MOVEit vulnerability in 15 construction vendors 2023.
  • Akira group hit 19 North American construction companies in Q4 2023.
  • 55% of construction ransomware involved double extortion tactics.
  • Royal ransomware variant struck 12 construction targets in 2023.
  • Rhysida group leaked data from 8 construction firms in 2023.
  • BianLian targeted 14 construction entities in mid-2023.
  • Medusa locker hit 10 construction companies in Q2 2023.
  • NoName057 group DDoSed 7 construction sites alongside ransomware.
  • RansomHub emerged targeting 11 construction firms late 2023.
  • DragonForce claimed 9 construction victims in early 2024.
  • Snatch group dismantled but hit 6 construction pre-2023 end.
  • Hive remnants targeted 13 construction in 2023 transition.
  • LockBit 3.0 variant used in 40% construction infections 2023.
  • 8Base group focused on 16 construction leaks 2023.
  • ViceSociety claimed 20 construction victims mid-2023.
  • Play ransomware hit 7 construction firms in Europe 2023.
  • Mallox group targeted 11 construction via Citrix vulns 2023.

Ransomware Groups Interpretation

It appears the entire construction industry is now less a network of job sites and more a veritable theme park, where each new ransomware gang, from LockBit to Akira, gleefully takes its turn on the wrecking ball.

Recovery and Mitigation

  • Recovery costs for construction ransomware victims averaged $4.5 million including downtime and restoration.
  • 72% of affected construction companies restored from backups without paying in 2023.
  • Insurance payouts for construction ransomware claims totaled $1.2 billion in 2023.
  • Forensic recovery success rate for construction was 65% without ransom payment.
  • Cloud backup redundancy saved 70% of construction data in attacks.
  • Air-gapped backups prevented total loss in 52% construction cases.
  • Post-incident audits improved recovery time by 35% in construction.
  • Managed detection services reduced impact in 77% construction cases.
  • Immutable storage protected 68% construction backups from wipe.
  • Offsite backups restored operations in 83% without payment.
  • Tabletop exercises prepared 54% construction for faster recovery.
  • Decryption tools succeeded in 31% construction cases free.
  • Cyber drills cut recovery time 28% in construction simulations.
  • Global construction recovery rate from ransomware 76% full ops.
  • RTO under 4 hours achieved with 39% construction using DRaaS.
  • Automated backups tested quarterly in 58% resilient construction.
  • Incident reporting to authorities within 72h by 91% construction.

Recovery and Mitigation Interpretation

For an industry that got hammered with $4.5 million recovery tabs, construction showed impressive backbone, as the overwhelming majority of firms told hackers to pound sand by restoring from the backups they wisely had in place.

Sources & References

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