Latest cybersecurity reporting from selected sources.

Prolific ShinyHunters Extortion Group Made 'Pay or Leak' Threat to VictimHome security giant ADT has suffered a data breach that appears to have exposed personally identifiable information tied to 5.5 million customers. Prolific extortionist group ShinyHunters claimed credit for the attack, saying it stole Salesforce data after socially engineering an ADT employee.

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.

Criminals Claim Leak of Customer Data From Six Victims, Including Qantas AirlinesA ransomware group that's been extorting Salesforce customers leaked some stolen data, following the FBI disrupting its shakedown sites. ShinyHunters, part of the rebranded Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters group, after leaking data from six victims, declared its Salesforce customer shakedown over.

Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters Claims 1 Billion Stolen Records, Pressures Victims to PayContinuing its ongoing extortion of Salesforce customers, the Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters ransomware operation has launched a data leak site, claiming to have stolen 1 billion records from hundreds of organizations that integrated Salesforce with the Salesloft Drift AI chatbot.

Move Raises Possibility Group Isn't Just Marketing Its Malware to CriminalsUp-and-coming ransomware group Anubis has tweaked its malware to irrevocably wipe victims' data - an unusual tactic from hackers whose typical corrupt bargain is restored data in exchange for extortion money. Why would a ransomware attacker seeking leverage in negotiations ever do this?

Rising Attacks Masks Lowering Profits, Attention Economy CompetitionRansomware groups' collective power to command victims' attention and compel extortion is waning, notwithstanding the disruption and chaos that continues to be their hallmark. The criminal underground powering ransomware is a world in flux where old, established groups are giving way to new brands.

FBI Ties Group to Triple-Extortion Tactics Involving Follow-On Ransom DemandsThe Medusa ransomware group has been continuing to pummel critical infrastructure sectors across America, warns a joint U.S. government alert. The FBI said the group's tactics include triple extortion, meaning it continues to shake victims down for a ransom, even after they've paid.

Man Accused of Hacking 90 Organizations Globally Under a Variety of AliasesA suspected hacker tied to more than 90 global data breaches has been arrested in Thailand. The Royal Thai Police and the Singapore Police Force said the 39-year-old suspect used a variety of aliases, including Altdos, Desorden, Ghostr and 0mid16B, and attempted to pressure victims into paying a ransom.

Incident Response Firm Reports 25% of Victims Paid - Typically for a DecryptorThe slice of organizations opting to pay extortion after being hit by ransomware dropped to an all-time low of 25%. Underpinning the drop is a combination of better defenses, improved business resilience as well as organizations simply deciding to not pay criminals.

Amateurish Ransomware Group Doubles as HackstivistsCybersecurity researchers discovered an artificial intelligence-driven ransomware group that emerged at the end of last year and compromised more than 85 victims worldwide. The group uses double extortion, combining data theft with encryption.

Cybercriminals Say They Hacked 66 CompaniesThe Clop cybercriminal group is threatening to make public the companies swept up by its mass hacking of managed file-transfer software built by Cleo Communications. In a Dec. 24 update to its dark web leak site, Clop asserted it has "data of many companies who use Cleo."

Big Game Hunting Will Intensify in 2025, Says Credit Rating AgencyImproved cybersecurity will result in ransomware hackers targeting larger organizations to wring out high dollar extortion payments and intensified focus on supply chain attacks, predicts Moody's Ratings. The share of ransomware victims willing to meet criminal demands for money is at record lows.

Georgia-Based Memorial Hospital and Manor Among Embargo Group's Latest VictimsEmbargo, a newcomer group to the ransomware scene, is threatening to begin publishing 1.15 terabytes of data belonging to a small rural Georgia hospital and nursing home attacked last week unless a ransom is paid before Tuesday. Experts say the double extortion gang disables victims' security tools.

Gang Hits Victims with 'Sophisticated' Exfiltration, Encryption Extortion AttacksHealth sector entities have yet another ransomware group to worry about, warn U.S. federal authorities. Trinity, a relatively new sophisticated threat actor, is hitting a variety of critical industries, including healthcare, said the Department of Health and Human Services in an advisory.