Black Kite Data Links High Ransomware Risk Scores to Real-World Attacks

The Ransomware Susceptibility Index (RSI) functions by scanning external risk signals to mirror how threat actors evaluate potential targets. Unlike traditional self-reported questionnaires, which rely on a company's internal perception of its security posture, the RSI focuses on observable evidence. According to Bob Maley, Chief Security Officer at Black Kite, this evidence-based approach is necessary because static assessments fail to capture the dynamic reality of modern cyber threats.

The model’s predictive power has accelerated over three years of annual testing. In 2023, high-RSI organizations were 27 times more likely to be targeted than low-scoring peers. That figure jumped to 96 times in 2024 before reaching the current 291 multiplier in 2025. During this same period, the incidence rate among low-risk organizations dropped from 1.7% to 0.14%, suggesting that the index is becoming increasingly precise at filtering out false positives while maintaining its focus on high-vulnerability targets.