Ransomware encrypts or steals data to disrupt operations and extort victims, making backups, access controls, and incident response essential.
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Background for this topic.
Ransomware is malware used to deny access to systems or data, usually by encrypting files and demanding payment for decryption. Many operations also steal sensitive information and threaten to publish it, so an attack can create both an availability crisis and a privacy or disclosure risk. Initial access may involve phishing, stolen credentials, exposed remote services, or exploitation of unpatched vulnerabilities; attackers may then move through the network before deploying the payload.
Defenses should combine vulnerability management, phishing-resistant authentication where practical, endpoint and network monitoring, and backups that are isolated from routine administrator access and regularly tested for recovery. Organizations should also limit privileges and segment critical systems to reduce the blast radius. An incident requires rapid containment, preservation of forensic evidence, restoration from known-good backups, and assessment of notification, legal, and regulatory obligations. Threat intelligence can help identify relevant criminal infrastructure or tactics, but it does not replace sound access control, patching, detection, and recovery practices.
Ukrainian and German law enforcement authorities have identified two Ukrainians suspected of working for the Russia-linked ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group Black Basta
The identity of the Black Basta ransomware gang leader has been confirmed by law enforcement in Ukraine and Germany, and the individual has been added to the wanted list of Europol and Interpol. [...]
Ransomware kingpin who escaped Armenian custody is believed to be lying low back home German cops have added Russian national Oleg Evgenievich Nefekov to their list of most-wanted criminals for his services to ransomware.…
Despite Some Well-Known Groups Disappearing, Ransomware Competition Remains FierceHere's unwelcome ransomware news: Groups' victim listings and underground chatter suggest that the count of victims and number of criminal groups behind such attacks have both risen over the past 12 months, despite repeat disruptions by law enforcement, fierce competition and fewer victims paying.
While ‘traditional’ ransomware attacks remain stable, some gangs are shifting towards exploiting zero-days and supply chains to go straight to stealing data
Ransomware Gang Money Message Claimed It Exfiltrated 4.7TB of Firm's DataPharmacy services firm PharMerica will pay at least $5.27 million - plus millions more on enhancing its security - as part of a preliminary class action settlement approved this week by a federal court involving a 2023 data theft incident the company reported as affecting 5.8 million individuals.
The Kyowon Group (Kyowon), a South Korean conglomerate, disclosed that a cyberattack has disrupted its operations and customer information may have been exposed in the incident. [...]
Stealthy Group Taps Blockchain 'EtherHiding' to Facilitate Victim CommunicationsThe DeadLock ransomware group, a newly emerged digital extortion group, is using blockchain smart contracts to store proxy server addresses for facilitating ransomware negotiations with victim organizations. The technique suggests the group is made up of experienced cybercriminals.
A new DeadLock ransomware operation uses Polygon blockchain smart contracts to manage proxy server addresses
New crooks on the block get crafty with blockchain to evade defenses Researchers at Group-IB say the DeadLock ransomware operation is using blockchain-based anti-detection methods to evade defenders' attempts to analyze their tradecraft.…
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.
Digital Transformation and Legacy OT SystemsManufacturers remain the top ransomware target in Europe, yet 80% still house critical vulnerabilities. As cyber-physical attacks escalate, Manusec Europe 2026 speakers urge organizations to break tool silos, empower responders and secure legacy OT without halting production.
University of Hawaii says a ransomware gang breached its Cancer Center in August 2025, stealing data of study participants, including documents from the 1990s containing Social Security numbers. [...]
“Pervasive” threat of phishing, invoice scams and other cyber-enabled fraud is at “record highs”, warns WEF Cybersecurity Outlook 2026