Ransomware attacks surge in NC, hacker negotiator shares perspective

January 5, 2026 – Published on WRAL-TV Raleigh, NC

The latest numbers from the state show ransomware attacks are up nearly 50 percent in North Carolina, with thousands of people victimized. The data was released as part of the state’s data breach report, with numbers from 2024, showing an increase from 843 incidents to 1,215.

Through a public records request, WRAL Investigates retrieved data from the state on which companies were victimized in the ransomware attacks. They included a wide range of targets from doctors’ offices to law firms to schools.

“It can impact any organization of any size across any vertical,” said Mark Lance, Senior VP of Incident Response and Threat Intelligence at GuidePoint Security. 

Lance has the unique job of negotiating one-on-one with the hackers, who are seeking ransom. He says the communications usually occur via web chat. 

“The most common way that victims are notified when they have been impacted is a ransom note on their computer system that says download this browser and go to this specific website, and that is where the interactions and communications would occur,” he explained. 

Read and Watch More HERE.