Liminal Insights Report

Link Index for Ransomware Prevention 2025

A detailed benchmark of the top vendors helping enterprises detect, block, and recover from ransomware before it disrupts business.

08/22/25

Report Overview

Ransomware is the most persistent and costly cyber threat facing enterprises today. Attacks are evolving faster than defenses, using phishing, credential theft, and AI-generated payloads to bypass traditional controls.

Even as prevention tools expand, recovery confidence is low. Nearly 80% of organizations admit they would still consider paying a ransom if hit today. Cyber insurers are raising requirements, demanding tested backups, MFA, and endpoint controls before granting coverage.

The priority has shifted. It is no longer just about blocking attacks. It is about ensuring resilience and continuity when they break through.

The 2025 Link Index for Ransomware Prevention gives security, IT, and risk leaders a clear view of who is solving the real problems. We evaluated 77 vendors against buyer criteria like accuracy, compliance, and automation. From that review, 22 vendors stood out for their ability to deliver layered defenses that combine AI detection, immutable backups, access hardening, and automated recovery.

Legacy systems can’t provide the visibility or control today’s environments demand. Many teams are still using manual reviews, static policies, and disconnected tools to manage risk across AI workflows. That leaves gaps, especially around model behavior, data usage, and regulatory compliance.

The urgency is rising. 94% of practitioners list data protection as their top AI governance priority. More than three-quarters say traditional controls can’t keep up. As investment in AI increases, so does the need for policy automation, real-time monitoring, and model-level accountability.

The 2025 Link Index for AI Data Governance gives teams a clear view of where the market stands and which vendors are solving real-world problems. We evaluated 68 platforms based on the criteria that matter most: accuracy, data quality, compliance alignment, and operational control. From that review, 24 vendors stood out for their ability to deliver complete, scalable governance across the AI lifecycle.

Key Takeways:

Ransomware tactics are outpacing defenses: 66% of organizations say fileless malware and AI-driven payloads are beating traditional tools.
Phishing remains the top threat: 80% of ransomware starts with phishing, making email security and user protections essential.
Recovery readiness is critical: 98% of organizations now prioritize minimizing downtime and continuity as much as prevention.
Budgets are climbing: Enterprises expect a 7.5% increase in ransomware prevention spend this year, focused on detection, backups, and automation.
Insurers are setting the standard: 68% of organizations report cyber insurance harder to obtain, which makes aligning defenses with coverage requirements mandatory.

Methodology
The Link Index offers a detailed analysis and ranking of leading vendors for specific use cases, leveraging robust data and insights from Liminal’s market and competitive intelligence platform, Link. Liminal’s research team invites solution providers to participate in a company survey and analyst briefing. It uses a proprietary framework to assess and rank product capabilities based on their relevance to market needs. Liminal’s Digital Identity Landscape taxonomy and ontology are central to the Link Index, which precisely evaluates vendor solutions by buyer demand, product capability, and market presence. Liminal conducts a rigorous survey among buyers in the vendor selection process to identify the most in-demand product capabilities and the most valued product components. Market presence criteria included buyer satisfaction, market penetration, and brand recognition. The Link Index was designed to be used to inform go-to-market strategy and execution and provide guidance for solution buyers, specifically:
- Executives in corporate strategy
- Leaders of go-to-market execution
- Practitioners of solution implementation