Ransomware Gangs Skip the CEO, Head Straight for the 40-Something IT Manager
The Register, Sunday, August 9th, 2026
Modern ransomware attacks target mid-level managers rather than executives to accelerate payment decisions.
Zscaler researchers analyzed 351 victims across 334 organizations in a single ransomware campaign and found nearly two-thirds held manager-level positions or above.
The average victim was a 46-year-old Gen X employee, with three-quarters working in accounting, finance, sales, operations, HR, or marketing. Attackers now combine compromised system data with public information to map organizational structures and identify individuals with business authority.
Rather than pursuing technical privilege through administrator accounts, criminals target business privilege, meaning employees who control payments, budgets, contracts, and vendor relationships. The shift reflects a sophisticated, targeted extortion approach replacing indiscriminate attacks.