Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

A U.S. government agency paid $1M to Kairos, a group focused on data theft and extortion rather than ransomware, Ransom-ISAC reports. A new case study from Ransom-ISAC reconstructs a complete data-extortion incident involving a U.S. government body and a threat actor called Kairos, using a leaked negotiation transcript and blockchain tracing of the ransom payment. […]

A U.S. government entity paid about $1 million to keep stolen files from being leaked, according to a new case study by Rakesh Krishnan for Ransom-ISAC, built on a leaked negotiation chat and the blockchain trail the payment left

The Blackfield ransomware gang is asking for a $2 million ransom from Nidec Corporation, a large Japanese manufacturer of electronic components for automotive and computing applications. [...]

A cybercrime group known as The Gentlemen has emerged as the second most active ransomware gang by victim count, rapidly attracting a talented pool of hackers through an aggressive recruitment strategy that promises affiliates 90 percent of any ransom paid by victims. This post examines clues pointing to a real life identity for the administrator of The Gentlemen ransomware group.

The FBI warned that the extortion gang Silent Ransom Group is targeting law firms and social-engineering its way into servers and databases.

A 5-year study on the Ransomware Economy found that 30,515 exposed databases were hit by ransom attacks, causing massive damage despite victims never paying. Database extortion doesn’t look like the ransomware stories that usually grab headlines. There’s no slick branding, no leak-site countdown, no gang posting memes on Telegram. In most cases, there’s just a […]

Survey of cybersecurity leaders suggests that majority would strongly consider paying cybercriminals, if that’s what it took to help restore encrypted systems

'Full recovery is impossible for anyone, including the attacker' Organizations hit by the wave of Trivy and LiteLLM supply-chain compromises that paid Vect in hopes of recovering their data likely did not get much back, according to Check Point Research. That's because the ransomware Vect uses isn't actually ransomware at all, but a wiper that destroys any file larger than 128KB.…

A cautionary tale illustrates why the person negotiating should never be involved with any part of the ransom payment process.

Angelo Martino helped accomplices extort a combined $75.3 million in ransom payments from five victim companies. The post Former DigitalMint ransomware negotiator pleads guilty to extortion scheme appeared first on CyberScoop.

Plus: Court papers reveal nonprofit paid a ransom worth nearly $26.8 million The third of three former ransomware negotiators accused of assisting the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang in extorting US businesses has pleaded guilty, months after his two co-workers did the same.…

2023 and 2024 Ransomware Breaches Affected More Than 2.5MMichigan-based McLaren Health Care has agreed to pay $14 million to settle consolidated class action litigation involving two ransomware attacks - allegedly by Alphv/BlackCat in 2023 and by Inc Ransom in 2024 - that affected about 2.5 million patients and employees.

Revenue From Supply-Chain Attacks by Clop Group Sharply Fell, Report InvestigatorsOnce lucrative steal-and-leak campaigns pioneered by Russian ransomware group Clop look set to go the way of the dinosaurs. While an estimated 25% of victims paid a ransom in the inaugural campaign five years ago, the number of victims that paid fell to zero by 2023, report ransomware responders.

Russia-Linked Ransomware Group Dumps Customer Data After Failed Extortion AttemptUnder Armour may trade on the "blood, sweat, respect" slogan, but a Russia-linked ransomware group hasn't been abiding, after they stole data pertaining to 72.7 million of the athleisure giant's customers, then leaked it on darkweb sites after saying the retailer refused to pay a ransom.

Crackdown Targets Multiple Members of Cybercrime Group, Including 'Hash Crackers'Police raided two suspected members of the notorious Black Basta ransomware group - tied to over 600 victims worldwide and many millions in ransom payments - in Ukraine and issued an international arrest warrant for the Russian national suspected of being the operation's founder and ringleader.

University of Hawaii Cancer Center Paid RansomCancer patients who participated in University of Hawaii Cancer Center studies during the 1990s may soon receive a notification that ransomware hackers stole their data in an August 2025 incident. Experts said the hack spotlights concerning risks involving compromises of medical research data.

More Than 100,000 Affected by Hack Detected on Dec. 30The New Zealand government is probing a year-end ransomware hack of private healthcare service provider Manage My Health that impacted thousands of patients. Digital extortion group Kazu has claimed responsibility and threatened to leak the data on Jan. 15 unless it receives a $60,000 ransom.

Americans Extorted at Least 5 Firms, Earning $1 Million From a Medical Device MakerTwo American cybersecurity professionals who moonlighted as BlackCat ransomware gang affiliates pleaded guilty to using the crypto-locking malware to extort at least five victims in the United States, including a medical device maker that paid a cryptocurrency ransom worth over $1 million.

Analysis of Seized LockBit Data Suggests Victims Who Pay Enjoy More Media CoverageBad news for any organization that's ever paid a ransom in a bid to avoid their breach coming to light, or for a promise from attackers to delete stolen data, with a study of seized LockBit data finding that victims who paid a ransom were more likely to see the attack get detailed in the media.

The US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network shared data showing how dramatically ransomware attacks have changed over time.