Everyone wants to pin the rise of ransomware on AI — it's convenient, trendy, and it sells. But researchers say otherwise: the ecosystem simply fragmented. The big cartels fell apart, and in their place a bunch of small groups sprouted up, the barrier to entry dropped, and everyone flocked to where there's no defense — small shops that nobody ever thought to protect.

No magic AI weapon, just plain market logic. There's demand, the barriers are low, the victims are defenseless — that's the whole secret behind the acceleration.