Ransomware is present in 44% of confirmed data breaches in 2025, with a 37% year-over-year increase—and small and mid-sized businesses are disproportionately impacted. Credential abuse and unpatched vulnerabilities are the top entry points, underscoring a clear priority order for defense: identity, patching, and resilience planning.
Why Cybersecurity Matters in Michigan Right Now
- Attackers are increasingly targeting organizations with thinner defenses and limited in-house IT—a profile that matches many Michigan SMBs.
- U.S. breach costs hit a record $10.22M on average this year, driven by identity compromise and supply chain exposure—figures that can be business-ending without robust controls and recovery plans.
- Federal advisories detail active ransomware variants exploiting outdated systems and unpatched services, impacting numerous small- and medium-sized businesses across sectors that mirror Michigan’s economy (manufacturing, healthcare, professional services).
The 2025 Threat Picture: Plain Facts
- Ransomware present in 44% of breaches; median ransom payout down to $115K, but operational and recovery costs remain high, and third‑party breaches have surged to 30%.
- Primary initial access vectors: stolen credentials (22%) and exploited vulnerabilities (20), with edge/VPN flaws rising eightfold and median patch times at 32 days.
- Human elements persist: social engineering and credential misuse are intertwined; trained user reporting increases fourfold, reducing dwell time and impact.
- Global average breach cost declined to $4.44M, but the U.S. average rose to $10.22M; organizations leveraging AI/automation detect and contain faster, reducing costs materially.
- Law enforcement and federal guidance highlight active ransomware families (e.g., Medusa, Ghost/Cring), with widespread campaigns against unpatched, internet-facing systems frequently used by SMBs.
What To Fix First: A Strategic, Do/IT/Better Approach
Identity and Access Controls
- Enforce MFA on all critical systems (email, VPN, remote access, admin portals). Credential abuse leads all initial access vectors; MFA dramatically reduces risk.
- Implement least privilege and periodic access reviews; remove dormant accounts and shadow identities to shrink the blast radius.
Patch, Prioritize, Prove
- Prioritize patching perimeter devices, VPNs, and edge services; attackers are exploiting these at sharply higher rates, with median fix times of 32 days—too slow without SLAs and automation.
- Establish a vulnerability management calendar: weekly critical patch windows; monthly compliance attestation; quarterly external validation.
Ransomware Resilience by Design
- Assume disruption: ransomware present in 44% of breaches, and SMBs are overrepresented in victim totals.
- Segment networks to contain spread; test EDR containment playbooks. Practice credential rotation and golden image rebuilds.
- Measure vendor exposure: third‑party breaches now 30%—vet remote access, backups, and data processors with security questionnaires and right-to-audit clauses.
Backup, Recovery, and Real RTOs
- Many teams overestimate recoverability; only 35% can meet their recovery objectives in real events, and 25% test DR once per year or less.
- Maintain 3-2-1 backups with at least one immutable/offline copy; test restores quarterly (file-level and full VM/app). Track actual RTO/RPO metrics versus targets.
- Include SaaS backup for email, collaboration, and ERP; align retention with regulatory and business needs.
People and Process
- Security awareness tied to real threats: phishing, MFA fatigue, deepfake/social engineering; trained users report incidents 4x more often, improving containment.
- Run tabletop exercises with execs: decide on ransom stance, comms, and legal/regulatory steps before an incident. Increased refusal to pay (64%) is encouraging—but it only works with robust recovery capability.
How Lyons Technology Solutions Can Help (Solution-Focused)
- Cybersecurity: MFA rollout, privileged access management, EDR with managed detection/response, patch orchestration, and security awareness programs aligned to current attacker TTPs.
- Cloud & Backup/Recovery: Immutable, air‑gapped, and verified backups; quarterly DR testing; SaaS data protection; documented RTO/RPO proof so business leaders see true resilience readiness.
- Network Infrastructure & VoIP: Segmentation, zero-trust access to critical apps, hardened perimeter/VPN, and secure voice endpoints to minimize lateral movement.
- Dark Web Scans: Identity monitoring to find compromised credentials early and trigger resets before attackers weaponize them.
Michigan SMB Playbook: 90-Day Action Plan
- Days 1–30: Enable MFA everywhere; patch perimeter and VPN; deploy phishing-resistant training; snapshot and validate backups; identify crown jewels and segment access.
- Days 31–60: Run DR test with measured RTO/RPO; harden admin access; rotate credentials; tighten vendor access; implement automated patch SLAs on critical systems.
- Days 61–90: Tabletop incident response; finalize ransomware decision tree; deploy continuous attack surface monitoring; add immutable storage and quarterly restore proofs.
The data is unequivocal: identity, patching, and recovery discipline determine business survivability in 2025, especially for SMBs facing disproportionate ransomware pressure. Building measurable resilience isn’t about fear—it’s about confident continuity. Lyons Technology Solutions helps Michigan businesses do IT better with practical controls, tested recovery, and a right-sized roadmap to resilience.
Schedule a complimentary IT consultation to benchmark current readiness and get a prioritized 90-day plan.
– All statistics and threat insights reflect 2025 reports and federal advisories.
