Though I agree in principle that ransomware is not a breach in the strictest sense of the word, I would say there is tremendous value in adding the reactive weight of a breach in how we perceive and respond to a ransomware incident.  Incident is the correct word to use in this situation.  Ransomware is a significant security incident and should be treated as such.  Unfortunately, many of us lock into the “Confidentiality” component of IT Security and only react when data is accessed or exposed.  “Availability” is still a very important leg of the IT security triad and deserves significant consideration.

http://www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/security-awareness/ransomware-event-not-data-breach/