Security News
The FBI, UK National Crime Agency, and Europol have unveiled sweeping indictments and sanctions against the admin of the LockBit ransomware operation, with the identity of the Russian threat actor revealed for the first time. According to a new indictment by the US Department of Justice and a press release by the NCA, the LockBit ransomware operator known as 'LockBitSupp' has been confirmed to be a Russian national named Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, who reportedly earned $100 million as part of the gang's activities.
As the number of real victims of ransomware gangs continues to rise, the number of ransomware payments is falling, along with the average ransom payment."Despite the surge in attacks in 2023, ransomware attacks involving payments decreased by 46%, according to our data," says blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis.
Despite significant disruptions for high-profile ransomware gangs LockBit and BlackCat, Q1 2024 became the most active first quarter ever recorded - a 21% increase over Q1 2023, according to Corvus Insurance. In January, Corvus reported that global ransomware attacks in 2023 set a record high, surpassing 2022 by close to 70%. The Q1 Ransomware Report shows that 2024 is picking up right where 2023 left off.
Your profile can be used to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests. Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services, possible interests and personal aspects.
The City of Wichita, Kansas, disclosed it was forced to shut down portions of its network after suffering a weekend ransomware attack. Wichita is the largest city in Kansas, with a population of 400,000 people, ranking it among the top 50 largest cities in the United States.
Yaroslav Vasinskyi, a Ukrainian national, was sentenced to 13 years and seven months in prison and ordered to pay $16 million in restitution for his involvement in the REvil ransomware operation. Law enforcement linked the long-term REvil affiliate to the Kaseya supply-chain ransomware attacks, which impacted over 1,500 companies worldwide.
Your profile can be used to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests. Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services, possible interests and personal aspects.
The UnitedHealth Group has confirmed that it paid a ransom to cybercriminals to protect sensitive data stolen during the Optum ransomware attack in late February. The BlackCat/ALPHV ransomware gang claimed the attack, alleging to have stolen 6TB of sensitive patient data.
Your profile can be used to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests. Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services, possible interests and personal aspects.
In addition to revealing a nearly 20% year-over-year increase in the number of ransomware victims, the GRIT Q1 2024 Ransomware Report observes major shifts in the behavioral patterns of ransomware groups following law enforcement activity - including the continued targeting of previously "Off-limits" organizations and industries, such as emergency hospitals. "Overall, we're seeing an increasingly volatile ransomware ecosystem. Law enforcement disruptions this quarter appear to have temporarily slowed or shifted operational activities of prolific Ransomware-as-a-Service groups, including Alphv and LockBit," said Drew Schmitt, Practice Lead, GRIT. "Affiliates are the lifeblood of RaaS operations, and in the wake of these disruptions, we've already observed smaller RaaS groups attempting to recruit disaffected or displaced affiliates. While the long-term effects of law enforcement efforts are yet to be seen, we expect a turbulent Q2 as the RaaS landscape continues to evolve," added Schmitt.