All news with #ransomware tag

🛡️ Check Point and Sophos research shows Qilin has consolidated a large share of the ransomware market after disruption of rival groups. Active since 2022, Qilin lists the most victims and attracts affiliates with high payouts, mature infrastructure and AI-enabled tools. Rival groups like The Gentlemen have resurged, while increased prominence raises the likelihood of law enforcement action.

🔐 Sophos reports a new collaboration between the Vect ransomware group and TeamPCP, a supply-chain credential theft gang linked to The Com collective. The partnership combines TeamPCP’s large-scale credential harvesting from developer toolchains with Vect’s ransomware-as-a-service operations, raising the risk that compromised accounts could be escalated into ransomware incidents. Sophos and the FBI have both issued warnings and detailed associated malware and tactics, urging organizations to harden developer and supply-chain security.

🛡️ Cybercriminals are impersonating Interpol in a phishing campaign aimed at small businesses across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America. The emails claim to be from the 'Cybercrime Investigation Unit' and urge recipients to open a password-protected Proton Drive file supposedly containing evidence. The file leads to an executable disguised as a video that deploys ransomware and instructs victims to contact attackers via Tox rather than listing a ransom.

🛡️ SOCRadar links the FortiBleed credential-theft campaign to the INC and Lynx ransomware operations after finding a Windows server used by FortiBleed that contained access to ransomware negotiation panels. Investigators discovered FortiGate configuration files, harvested credentials, and a custom "FortiGate Sniffer" tool that intercepted VPN and authentication data. The operation targeted hundreds of thousands of devices and deployed sniffers on thousands, with ongoing investigation into additional servers, a suspected Nextcloud zero-day, and overlapping victim data.

🛡️ Researchers warn of an AI-generated Python web app, attributed to DeepSeek, that demonstrates a practical in-browser ransomware and information-stealing toolkit affecting Chromium-based browsers on Windows and Android. The sample, named InfernoGrabber v9.0, uses a phishing decoy to gain File System Access API permissions, then enumerates, exfiltrates, encrypts files, and displays a ransomware note without installing native payloads. Check Point highlights the lowered expertise barrier as LLMs can now independently surface viable attack paths.

🛡️ Check Point Research discovered a Python Flask sample where an AI model connected a legitimate browser API to ransomware-like behavior. The model generated code invoking showDirectoryPicker(), leveraging the File System Access API to request folder access and modify files without installation. A proof-of-concept showed how a fake web app could encrypt photos in a chosen directory, and Android Chrome’s full API support makes DCIM access possible. Defenders should scrutinize folder-access prompts, avoid granting write access to primary photo libraries, and rely on anti-phishing controls to block malicious pages.

🛡️ CISA confirms ransomware actors are exploiting the high-severity Microsoft Defender privilege escalation flaw dubbed BlueHammer (CVE-2026-33825). The bug was leaked with proof-of-concept code by researcher "Nightmare Eclipse" in April and later patched by Microsoft on April 14. CISA added the flaw to its KEV Catalog and ordered federal agencies to patch, and has now flagged it as used in ransomware campaigns.

🔍 Over the past year, Kaspersky’s Global Emergency Response Team and MDR service investigated diverse security incidents that informed the Anatomy of a Cyber World Global Report 2026. The post presents three real case studies illustrating how adversaries use credential theft, known vulnerabilities, and lateral movement to achieve persistence, escalate privileges, and deploy ransomware or wipers. It highlights recurring misconfigurations, delayed patching, and blind spots in monitoring as root causes of successful attacks.

🛡️ Security experts have reacted to a New York Times report linking Russian hackers to the Jaguar Land Rover breach, which reportedly cost the British economy £1.9bn. Microsoft flagged the activity, and specialists pointed to the lack of a ransom demand, timing before a vehicle rollout, and novel ransomware as indicators of state involvement. Former JLR security leaders and industry analysts suggest the attack resembled sabotage more than typical cybercrime.

🔍 Black Kite's 2026 European Cyber Risk Report found a 55.1% year-over-year rise in ransomware incidents in the first four months of 2026, averaging 171 incidents per month. Five countries — Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain — accounted for 70% of attacks. The Qilin ransomware was the most prevalent, followed by Akira and regionally focused SafePay, with manufacturing the most targeted sector. Researchers highlighted supply chain compromises and third-party risk as key drivers of the increase.

🔍 Analysis by NCC Group reveals Iran-linked MuddyWater impersonated the Chaos ransomware group to mask espionage operations. The report, published June 24, details how operators used extortion notes, negotiation channels and a leak site listing to simulate a financially motivated attack. Researchers warn that state-backed actors increasingly adopt cybercriminal tradecraft, complicating detection and response.

🛡️ Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee has criticised the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for a reactive approach to cybersecurity, leaving national galleries and museums exposed. The PAC highlighted incidents including a ransomware attack on the British Library and thefts from the British Museum as evidence of systemic failings. It calls on DCMS to set out concrete actions, share lessons across the sector, and address skills shortages and legacy technology.

🔍 Microsoft DART describes a complex multi-stage intrusion where two unrelated threat actors operated simultaneously, blending ransomware tactics with stealthy reconnaissance and persistence. Investigators observed exploitation attempts against on-premises SharePoint, use of legitimate tools like Velociraptor, cloud tunneling, credential misuse, and DLL sideloading to maintain access and evade detection. Coordinated telemetry correlation and threat intelligence enabled containment and targeted remediation guidance.

🔍 The Semperis-run "Enter the War Room" tabletop at Infosecurity Europe simulated a ransomware and reputational attack on fictional supermarket BlueCart. Red-team operators exploited supplier trust, stolen credentials, weak MFA, and poor network segmentation to access AI supply-chain systems and exfiltrate loyalty data. Attackers combined misinformation, deepfakes, fake orders, and payroll disruption to magnify harm, while defenders focused on out-of-band communications, honeypots, and refusing ransom demands to limit impact.

🔍 INTERPOL warns of a dramatic rise in cybercrime across Asia and the South Pacific driven by rapid digitalization, organized criminal networks, and uneven cybersecurity maturity. Phishing is identified as the most widespread and costly threat, while ransomware, AI-driven scams, deepfakes, and banking trojans have also surged. Authorities are scaling cross-border cooperation and resilience efforts to counter these threats.

🛡️ Threatdown and Malwarebytes researchers detail a new hands-on-keyboard ransomware called Prinz Eugen that prioritizes recently modified files for encryption and leaves no ransom note on compromised systems. Initial access is likely via stolen RDP credentials, with attackers manually deploying a payload named servertool.exe and sometimes using legitimate RMM tools like RemotePC for persistence. The Go-based malware encrypts files recursively without exclusions, uses ChaCha20-Poly1305 and Argon2id-derived keys, and self-deletes while overwriting keys to hinder recovery and forensics.

🛡️ ESET researchers report the Gentlemen RaaS actively develops and deploys multiple EDR-killing tools, led by a primary utility named GentleKiller with at least eight variants. These tools use BYOVD techniques and vulnerable drivers to obtain kernel privileges and disable security products from dozens of vendors. The framework permits easy driver swaps, is protected by commercial packers, and is supplemented by external tools like HexKiller, ThrottleBlood, and HavocKiller.

🛡️Interpol warns that cybercrime now accounts for 30% of crime in over half of Asia and South Pacific nations, driven by rapid digital adoption. The 2025/2026 Asia and South Pacific Cyberthreat Assessment, covering 18 countries, highlights online scams, infostealers, ransomware, deepfakes and BEC as primary threats. The report notes sharp rises in ransomware, DDoS and deepfake activity, and calls for improved cross-border collaboration and capacity building.

🔍 The 2026 Verizon DBIR analyzed over 22,000 confirmed breaches across 145 countries and concludes that organizations cannot patch fast enough to prevent every incident. Exploitation of vulnerabilities became the leading initial access vector as critical flaws and their remediation windows grew, while ransomware and third-party breaches surged. The report urges realistic, technical tabletop exercises that rehearse containment, communication, and coordination under time pressure.

🔒 Manufacturing facilities often rely on long-running operational technology (OT) that was built for stability, not security. As IT and OT converge, previously isolated systems face increased exposure to internet-borne attacks, ransomware, and supply-chain disruption. Effective defenses start with asset visibility, careful deployment choices, network protections for agentless devices, and long-term vendor support to mitigate risks without disrupting production.