On October 1, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) unsealed an indictment against Aleksandr Viktorovich Ryzhenkov (Александр Викторович Рыженков), a member of the ransomware group Evil Corp. The indictment charges Ryzhenkov with several violations of the Computer Fraud & Abuse Act, as well as conspiring to commit money laundering, arising from his use of a […]
Ransomware
Ransomware Activity Trends in Q2 2024
Ransomware attacks are hitting record highs in 2024 and show no sign of slowing down as new criminal groups enter the scene and employ a variety of evolving tactics. This post identifies key highlights of ransomware activity in 2024 so far. Multiple recent security reports have reported a significant increase in ransomware attacks claimed by […]
LockBit Takedown Indicates Shifting DOJ Cyber Strategy and Has Implications for Ransomware Victims
On May 7, 2024, the United States unsealed an indictment against Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, one of the leaders of the Russian-based ransomware group LockBit, for his alleged involvement in developing and distributing the LockBit ransomware. According to the indictment, Khoroshev performed both administrative and operational roles for the cybercrime group, including upgrading the LockBit infrastructure, […]
National Cyber Security Centre Forecasts Upcoming Cyber Threats with AI Use for Attacks
On January 24, 2024, the U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) released a new report, The near-term impact of AI on the cyber threat, detailing how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will impact the effectiveness of cyber operations for 2025 and beyond. According to the report, threat actors are already using AI in cyber attacks and the […]
FBI Develops Decryption Tool to Combat Blackcat Ransomware
On December 19, 2023, the Justice Department (“DOJ”) announced a disruption campaign against the Blackcat ransomware group. In the same press release, they also stated that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) had developed a decryption tool to combat ALPHV/Blackcat’s ransomware variant. Over the last couple of years, Blackcat’s ransomware has risen in popularity and […]