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.
Microsoft had discovered five Paragon Partition Manager BioNTdrv.sys driver flaws, with one used by ransomware gangs in zero-day attacks to gain SYSTEM privileges in Windows. [...]
Researchers: Ransomware Group Emerged Last Fall; Variant of Babuk MalwareA new ransomware gang, Termite, has started leaking on the dark web samples of sensitive data stolen in an attack on Australian fertility clinic Genea. A court has issued a restraining order in hopes of preventing the threat actor or others from further disseminating, using or publishing the data.
After Disrupting Ascension Health, Black Basta Forecast Reprisals From FBI, Moscow"We are pentesters, not murderers," ransomware group Black Basta claimed in its negotiations with victim Ascension Healthcare in May 2024, after its attack led to widespread disruptions and patient safety alerts. Leaked chat logs reveal the group feared resulting reprisals from the FBI and Moscow.
1 in 3 entries are used to extort civilians, says new paper Fresh research suggests attackers are actively monitoring databases of vulnerabilities that are known to be useful in carrying out ransomware attacks.…
The Qilin ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for the attack at Lee Enterprises that disrupted operations on February 3, leaking samples of data they claim was stolen from the company. [...]
Also: U.S. Health Data Privacy Crackdowns, Reality vs. Hype of LLMs in SecurityIn this week's update, four editors with ISMG explore the crumbling state of ransomware group Black Basta and implications for other cybercrime gangs, the expanding impact of U.S. health data privacy laws, and whether large language models are truly what they seem.
Data collected by cyber-insurers show that ransomware accounts for the majority of insurance claims, but that much of the losses stem from third-party breaches affecting policyholders.
Data from Resilience found that third-party attacks made up 23% of material cyber insurance claims in 2024, with ransomware attacks targeting vendors a major driver
As the UAE financial sector finished up its annual cyberattack exercise, its worries about ransomware compromises and geopolitical attacks are on the rise.
Series A Investment Expands AI-Driven Cybersecurity and Threat DeflectionMimic got $50 million in Series A funding to expand its ransomware defense solutions. Backed by Google Ventures and Menlo Ventures, the company will enhance AI-driven threat detection, automate security for proprietary apps, and grow internationally to protect enterprises from ransomware attacks.
Also, AI Video Mocking Trump and Musk Disrupts HUD OfficesThis week, a U.S. Army soldier pleaded guilty, an AI video displayed to federal workers mocked Donald Trump and Elon Musk, a Saudi firm hit by ransomware, a new North Korean scam, hackers targeted Ukrainian notaries, CISA flagged two flaws, a botnet targeted Microsoft 365 and unpatched Ivanti VPNs.
The vendor's products fall in a category that ransomware operators like to target to circumvent victims' ability to recover from a successful attack.
DragonForce ransomware attacks Saudi firms stealing 6TB data, escalating cyber threats in real estate
United Kingdom water supplier Southern Water has disclosed that it incurred costs of £4.5 million ($5.7M) due to a cyberattack it suffered in February 2024. [...]
The threat group has a variety of tactics in its toolbox, including double extortion and ransomware-as-a-service.
A threat actor tracked as 'EncryptHub,' aka Larva-208, has been targeting organizations worldwide with spear-phishing and social engineering attacks to gain access to corporate networks. [...]
More than a year's worth of internal chat logs from a ransomware gang known as Black Basta have been published online in a leak that provides unprecedented visibility into their tactics and internal conflicts among its members
The Termite ransomware gang has claimed responsibility for breaching and stealing sensitive healthcare data belonging to Genea patients, one of Australia's largest fertility services providers. [...]
IVF clinic Genea has confirmed that stolen patient data has been published online, with the Termite ransomware group appearing to be the perpetrators
Disruptive Data-Stealing Attackers Hit Vehicle Retail Giant Right Before ChristmasCyber resilience lessons learned: In the wake of a disruptive ransomware attack, the head of automotive retail giant Arnold Clark said continually practicing and refining the organization's resilience plan has driven its response time down from at least 12 hours, to just one or two.