Mexico Ranks Second in Latin America Ransomware

SCILabs reported 290 ransomware-linked attacks in Latin America between January and June 2026, up from 231 cases in the second half of 2025. The comparison represents a 25.5% increase, according to coverage based on the report. During that period, Mexico accounted for 17.93% of regional incidents, Brazil for 25.17%, and Colombia for 11.03%.

What did the SCILabs report show?

The report showed a rise in ransomware activity across the region during the first half of 2026. The coverage reviewed attributes a total of 290 attacks in Latin America to SCILabs, compared with 231 in the second half of 2025, which marks an increase of 25.5%, or 25.54%, according to the reference note.

Beyond the jump in total volume, the research identified 50 distinct ransomware variants active in the region during that first half. That figure broadens the scope of the report, since it points not only to more incidents, but also to a wider mix of families or strains in circulation.

Which countries accounted for the most incidents?

Brazil, Mexico and Colombia accounted for most of the cases SCILabs tracked in Latin America. According to coverage based on the report, Brazil represented 25.17% of incidents, Mexico 17.93%, and Colombia 11.03%.

The same coverage places Mexico as the second-most affected country in the region. The figure also appears in El Destape Web's report, which picked up the same SCILabs findings and said attacks rose 25.5% across Latin America, with Mexico accounting for a significant share of that activity.

How many variants were active?

SCILabs identified 50 distinct ransomware variants active in Latin America during the first half of 2026. That figure was mentioned in Unotv's coverage of the report and accompanies the increase in attacks recorded in the region.

The mention of active variants adds context on the breadth of the phenomenon during the period analyzed, but the available material does not detail which families were involved or which sectors they affected. For that reason, this note is limited to the confirmed data in the cited coverage.