Latest coverage for Initial Access

Patch Rollout Slows and Ransomware Incident Volume Rises, Finds Latest Verizon DBIRThe frequency of hackers exploiting vulnerabilities in hardware and software to gain initial access to a victim's environment continues to surge, and half of all successful breaches also now involve some type of "ransomware action," according Verizon's 2026 Data Breach Investigations Report.

Malware-as-a-Service Operations Favors Russian-Speaking CustomersAn emerging remote access Trojan targeting Android devices in Spanish-speaking nations is propagating fraudulent advertisements as an initial access point on Meta-owned applications.

Terabytes of Data Stolen From Cloud-Based Collaboration Tools, Researchers WarnDozens of organizations that use real-time content collaboration platforms appear to have lost not only credentials but also terabytes of hosted data to information-stealing malware being wielded by an initial access broker with a sideline in auctioning large volumes of stolen data.

$2,700 Is the Average Price for Initial Access to a Victim, Plus PrivilegesWhy hack, when hackers are willing to sell guaranteed access to breached networks? More and more cybercrooks agree they'd rather outsource than bother with the tedium of actual network penetration, leading to a flourishing initial access market.

Group Amassed Intelligence on CFO to Trick Help Desk and Gain Initial AccessHackers tied to the cybercrime group Scattered Spider have been taking down fresh victims, including a logistics firm first breached when attackers tricked its help desk, using personal information they amassed for the CFO, reports the security team that responded to the intrusion.

33-Year-Old Foreign National Accused of Spreading Ryuk and Other RansomwareA suspected initial access specialist for a ransomware-wielding group is being extradited from Ukraine to the United States to stand trial. The group has been accused of earning over $100 million in ransom by using malware such as Ryuk, Dharma and Hive against more than 2,400 organizations.

Police Take Down 300 Servers Worldwide, Neutralize 650 DomainsLaw enforcement in a European-led operation against malware often used as a precursor to ransomware took down 300 servers worldwide, police said Friday. The crackdown is the latest action under Operation Endgame targeting ransomware and botnet ecosystem.

Police Take Down 300 Servers Worldwide, Neutralize 650 DomainsLaw enforcement in a European-led operation against malware often used as a precursor to ransomware took down 300 servers worldwide, police said Friday. The crackdown is the latest action under Operation Endgame targeting ransomware and botnet ecosystem.

70% of Ransomware Incidents Trace to Attackers Simply Logging In, Researchers WarnHackers may have a reputation for wizardry, but researchers say two of their top tactics are entirely prosaic: exploiting known vulnerabilities in outdated networking gear to gain initial access, as well as using valid - albeit stolen - employee credentials and just logging in.

'Wave of Ransomware Attacks' Hitting FortiOS and FortiProxy Devices, Warn ExpertsCyber defenders said they're seeing a "wave of ransomware attacks" unleashed by attackers who gain initial access by targeting two known vulnerabilities in Fortinet FortiOS and FortiProxy devices. Hackers sometimes patch the devices to hide their persistent remote access.

Group Claims a NY Surgical Center and a Nevada Medical Center Among Recent VictimsU.S. authorities are warning healthcare sector entities of incidents involving Everest, a Russian-speaking ransomware group and initial access broker, which claims to have stolen sensitive patient information in recent attacks, including on two medical care providers in New York and Nevada.

Criminal and Nation-State Focus on Network Edge Devices Continues, Researchers WarnAttackers have been escalating their attempts to compromise poorly secured virtual private networks - including appliances set for password-only authentication - to gain remote, initial access to enterprise networks, Check Point Software Technologies warns.