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.
The pro-Russia hacktivist group CyberVolk launched a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) called VolkLocker that suffered from serious implementation flaws, allowing victims to potentially decrypt files for free. [...]
Class Members Can Claim Up to $5K Each for Documented Losses Tied to BreachA small, rural county-owned Georgia community hospital has agreed to settle consolidated class action litigation involving a 2024 hacking incident in which ransomware gang Embargo claimed to have stolen 1.15 terabytes of the organization's data and leaked it on the darkweb.
Operators accidentally left a way for you to get your data back. CyberVolk, a pro-Russian hacktivist crew, is back after months of silence with a new ransomware service. There's some bad news and some good news here.…
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.
Inotiv Tells SEC 'It's Still Evaluating Full Impact and Notifying Breach Victims'Drug research firm Inotiv in a filing with federal regulators said it is still evaluating the financial and operational impact of an August cyberattack that's linked to ransomware gang Qilin. The company is also notifying nearly 10,000 people whose data was allegedly stolen in the incident.
Ransomware actors have targeted manufacturers, retailers, and the Japanese government, with many organizations requiring months to recover.
Shanya is the latest in an emerging field of packing malware, selling obfuscation functionality in order to help ransomware actors reach their target.
Cisco Talos has detected new tactics from a financially motivated actor using DeadLock ransomware
An initial access broker tracked as Storm-0249 is abusing endpoint detection and response solutions and trusted Microsoft Windows utilities to load malware, establish communication, and persistence in preparation for ransomware attacks. [...]
The threat actor known as Storm-0249 is likely shifting from its role as an initial access broker to adopt a combination of more advanced tactics like domain spoofing, DLL side-loading, and fileless PowerShell execution to facilitate ransomware attacks
Canadian organizations have emerged as the focus of a targeted cyber campaign orchestrated by a threat activity cluster known as STAC6565
Get your Hyper-V and VMware ESXi setups in order, people Researchers at security software vendor Huntress say they’ve noticed a huge increase in ransomware attacks on hypervisors and urged users to ensure they’re as secure as can be and properly backed up.…
Several ransomware groups have been spotted using a packer-as-a-service (PaaS) platform named Shanya to assist in EDR (endpoint detection and response) killing operations. [...]
A new report by the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) shows that ransomware activity peaked in 2023 before falling in 2024, following a series of law enforcement actions targeting the ALPHV/BlackCat and LockBit ransomware gangs. [...]
Clop Ransomware Group Targeted NHS Barts Health in AugustA National Health Service hospital is seeking assistance from the U.K. High Court to stymie a potential data leak tied to a ransomware hack. The hospital, NHS Barts, said ransomware group Clop targeted its network in August.
The US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network shared data showing how dramatically ransomware attacks have changed over time.