On January 14, 2025, the United Kingdom government published a consultation on ransomware proposing new measures to increase incident reporting and reduce ransom payments (the “Consultation”). The Consultation outlines three objectives in this regard and is open for responses until April 8, 2025. Proposal 1: Targeted Ban on Ransomware Payments The UK government is proposing […]
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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 […]
New Joint CISA – FBI – DC3 Guidance Advises On Ransomware Threats Linked to Iran-Backed Hackers: What Enterprises Need to Know
A recent joint advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center (DC3) warns of increased collaboration between Pioneer Kitten, an Iranian state-backed threat actor, and various ransomware groups. The advisory highlights how Iranian threat actors are leveraging relationships with affiliates […]
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, […]
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 […]