Collecting Cyber-News from over 60 sources

Tag: extortion

Rogues gallery: 15 worst ransomware groups active today

Mar 9, 2026 10:47 AM

Tags: access, ai, alphv, apt, attack, backup, breach, cloud, cyber, cybercrime, dark-web, data, data-breach, defense, detection, email, encryption, endpoint, exploit, extortion, finance, government, group, healthcare, infrastructure, insurance, intelligence, korea, law, leak, linux, lockbit, malicious, malware, moveIT, network, north-korea, organized, phishing, ransom, ransomware, russia, service, social-engineering, software, strategy, threat, tool, usa, vmware, vpn, vulnerability, windows, zero-day

Black Basta: History: Black Basta appeared on the ransomware scene in early 2022 and is believed to be a spin-off from Conti, a group notorious for attacking major organizations.How it works: Black Basta usually deploys malware through exploitation of known vulnerabilities and social engineering campaigns. “Employees in the target environment are email bombed and then…
Tarnung als Taktik: Warum Ransomware-Angriffe raffinierter werden

Mar 9, 2026 5:46 AM

Tags: access, ai, ciso, control, cyber, cyberattack, detection, encryption, endpoint, extortion, framework, intelligence, lockbit, mitre, openai, ransomware, RedTeam, service, software, strategy, threat, tool, vulnerability

Statt eines kurzen, aber sehr schmerzhaften Stiches setzen Cyberkrimelle zunehmend darauf, sich in ihren Opfern festzubeißen und beständig auszusaugen.Ransomware-Angreifer ändern zunehmend ihre Taktik und setzen vermehrt auf unauffällige Infiltration. Dies liegt daran, dass die Drohung mit der Veröffentlichung sensibler Unternehmensdaten zum Hauptdruckmittel bei Erpressungen geworden ist.Der jährliche Red-Teaming-Bericht von Picus Security zeigt, dass Angreifer zunehmen…
Teenage hacker myth primed for a middle-age criminal makeover

Mar 6, 2026 10:47 AM

Tags: access, breach, business, corporate, crypto, cyber, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data, detection, extortion, finance, group, hacker, hacking, infrastructure, jobs, malware, network, penetration-testing, programming, ransomware, service, skills, software, technology, threat, vulnerability

Cybercrime cartels: Dray Agha, senior security operations manager at managed detection and response services firm Huntress, said the analysis illustrates that the “Hollywood image of a teenage lone wolf hacking for bragging rights” is vastly outdated since the threat landscape is dominated by “highly organised, profit-driven syndicates.””While young people may still engage in digital vandalism…
ShinyHunters Claims Woflow Breach: What It Means for SaaS Supply Chain Security

Mar 5, 2026 11:46 PM

Tags: breach, extortion, risk, saas, supply-chain, tactics

Learn the security risks in SaaS supply chains and about ShinyHunters’ evolving extortion tactics behind the alleged Woflow breach. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2026/03/shinyhunters-claims-woflow-breach-what-it-means-for-saas-supply-chain-security/
Phobos ransomware leader pleads guilty, faces up to 20 years in prison

Mar 5, 2026 7:47 PM

Tags: extortion, ransomware, russia

The 43-year-old Russian national ran a ransomware operation that impacted more than 1,000 victims globally. The conspiracy netted more than $39 million in extortion payments. First seen on cyberscoop.com Jump to article: cyberscoop.com/phobos-ransomware-leader-guilty/
Von Ethical Hacker erpresst? – Ungeschützte Datenbank legt eine Milliarde Kundendaten offen

Mar 5, 2026 9:47 AM

Tags: extortion, hacker, update

First seen on security-insider.de Jump to article: www.security-insider.de/datenleck-milliarden-sensible-daten-enthuellt-a-d866daf68c3c4d3fcb3df0e8e9bc7f61/
Von Ethical Hacker erpresst? – Ungeschützte Datenbank legt eine Milliarde Kundendaten offen

Mar 5, 2026 9:47 AM

Tags: extortion, hacker, update

First seen on security-insider.de Jump to article: www.security-insider.de/datenleck-milliarden-sensible-daten-enthuellt-a-d866daf68c3c4d3fcb3df0e8e9bc7f61/
What to Expect from Iran’s Digital Counterstrike

Mar 5, 2026 1:47 AM

Tags: attack, breach, cloud, communications, cyber, cyberattack, cybersecurity, data, defense, espionage, exploit, extortion, finance, government, group, hacking, infrastructure, intelligence, international, iran, leak, middle-east, military, network, ransomware, risk, risk-assessment, service, tool, update, vulnerability, worm

After the United States and Israel began a bombing campaign on Iran, leading to the decapitation of its political and military leaders, the Middle East has erupted into waves of kinetic warfare. But what should we expect about cyber? Iran has a formidable offensive cybersecurity capability and is considered one of the four most aggressive…
Hacker mass-mails HungerRush extortion emails to restaurant patrons

Mar 4, 2026 8:51 PM

Tags: data, data-breach, email, extortion, hacker, mail, threat

Customers of restaurants using the HungerRush point-of-sale (POS) platform say they received emails from a threat actor attempting to extort the company, warning that restaurant and customer data could be exposed if HungerRush fails to respond. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/hacker-mass-mails-hungerrush-extortion-emails-to-restaurant-patrons/
Alabama man pleads guilty to hacking, extorting hundreds of women

Mar 2, 2026 8:47 PM

Tags: computer, extortion, fraud, hacking

A 22-year-old Alabama man pleaded guilty to extortion, cyberstalking, and computer fraud charges after hijacking the social media accounts of hundreds of young women (including minors). First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/alabama-man-pleads-guilty-to-hacking-extorting-hundreds-of-women/
2nd March Threat Intelligence Report

Mar 2, 2026 6:47 PM

Tags: data, extortion, intelligence, threat

Wynn Resorts, a United States-based casino and hotel operator, has confirmed that employee data was accessed following an extortion threat linked to ShinyHunters. The company said operations were not disrupted. Reports indicate […] First seen on research.checkpoint.com Jump to article: research.checkpoint.com/2026/2nd-march-threat-intelligence-report/
Europol goes after The Com’s ransomware and extortion networks

Feb 27, 2026 1:37 PM

Tags: extortion, law, network, organized, ransomware

Law enforcement agencies across 28 countries have spent the past year building cases against a loosely organized collective known as The Com, a decentralized network of mostly … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2026/02/27/europol-the-com-network-arrests/
‘Project Compass’ Cracks Down on ‘The Com’: 30 Members of Notorious Cybercrime Gang Arrested

Feb 27, 2026 12:37 PM

Tags: attack, crime, crimes, cybercrime, extortion, international, law, network, ransomware

International law enforcement operation led by Europol targets network of teenagers and young adults involved in ransomware attacks, extortion and other crimes First seen on infosecurity-magazine.com Jump to article: www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/project-compass-com-arrests/
1 Million Records from Dutch Telco Odido Leaked Online in Massive Data Breach

Feb 27, 2026 9:36 AM

Tags: breach, cyber, data, data-breach, extortion, privacy

The Dutch telecommunications company Odido suffered a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 700,000 customers. The incident, which included an extortion attempt, has raised serious concerns about customer privacy and data security in the telecom sector. Following the breach, attackers leaked the stolen information online in two separate dumps. Extent of…
Ransomware groups switch to stealthy attacks and long-term access

Feb 27, 2026 8:37 AM

Tags: access, application-security, attack, ciso, control, crime, cyber, cybercrime, cybersecurity, data, detection, encryption, endpoint, exploit, extortion, group, identity, intelligence, monitoring, organized, ransomware, service, software, strategy, supply-chain, switch, theft, threat, tool, vulnerability

38% drop in encryption over the past 12 months as more cybercriminals turn to silently exfiltrating data for extortion as their main stock in trade.Picus’ suggestion that the volume of ransomware attacks is dropping is disputed by other experts.Tony Anscombe, chief security evangelist at endpoint security vendor Eset, offered a contrasting perspective.”In the recent Eset…
Cryptohack Roundup: Step Finance Shuts Down After Exploit

Feb 26, 2026 6:37 PM

Tags: exploit, extortion, finance, hacker, russia, scam

Also: IoTex Bridge Exploit Linked to Private Key Breach. This week, Step Finance shuts down, IoTeX bridge exploit, Russia-linked exchanges help evade sanctions, Australian charged in $3.5 million scam, a hacker returned $21 million in seized bitcoin to South Korean prosecutors and Malaysia arrested 12 police officers in an extortion case. First seen on govinfosecurity.com…
Notorious ransomware gang allegedly blackmailed by fake FSB officer

Feb 26, 2026 3:36 PM

Tags: cybersecurity, extortion, ransomware, russia

There is a certain poetic justice in a cybersecurity-related story that has emerged from Moscow this week: A man has been accused of trying to extort money… from a notorious Russian ransomware gang. First seen on bitdefender.com Jump to article: www.bitdefender.com/en-us/blog/hotforsecurity/ransomware-gang-blackmailed-fake-fsb-officer
Expert Recommends: Prepare for PQC Right Now

Feb 26, 2026 2:40 PM

Tags: cloud, cyber, extortion, ransomware

Introduction: Steal It Today, Break It in a DecadeDigital evolution is unstoppable, and though the pace may vary, things tend to fall into place sooner rather than later. That, of course, applies to adversaries as well. The rise of ransomware and cyber extortion generated funding for a complex and highly professional criminal ecosystem. The era…
Steaelite RAT Drives Surge in Double Extortion Attacks on Enterprises

Feb 26, 2026 7:37 AM

Tags: access, attack, cyber, cybercrime, extortion, malware, network, rat, strategy

A newly surfaced Remote Access Trojan (RAT) named Stealer is rapidly gaining traction across cybercrime networks, fueling a fresh wave of double-extortion incidents against enterprise targets. It offers features such as HVNC (Hidden Virtual Network Computing) monitoring and banking application bypass capabilities once reserved for advanced, custom-built malware teams. Steaelite’s marketing strategy mirrors that of commercial malware projects. The developer has actively…
Steaelite RAT combines data theft and ransomware management capability in one tool

Feb 26, 2026 5:37 AM

Tags: access, android, attack, authentication, awareness, business, corporate, credentials, crypto, cybercrime, data, ddos, defense, encryption, endpoint, extortion, infection, infosec, malware, mobile, monitoring, password, phishing, ransomware, rat, remote-code-execution, theft, threat, tool, training, windows

CSO that this isn’t the most sophisticated RAT he’s seen. “The novel aspect here,” he said, “is the convergence. Steaelite bundles remote access, credential harvesting, data exfiltration, and ransomware (currently in development) in a single package.” Traditionally, he explained, these capabilities have occupied different parts of the cybercrime toolchain, but Steaelite unifies the functions, giving…
ShinyHunters Leak 12.4 Million CarGurus Records in Massive Data Dump

Feb 25, 2026 11:37 PM

Tags: data, data-breach, extortion, leak, phishing, risk

ShinyHunters allegedly leaked 12.4 million CarGurus records, exposing personal and financing data and raising risks of phishing and data extortion attacks. The post ShinyHunters Leak 12.4 Million CarGurus Records in Massive Data Dump appeared first on TechRepublic. First seen on techrepublic.com Jump to article: www.techrepublic.com/article/news-shinyhunters-cargurus-data-leak-12-million-records/
Moscow man accused of posing as FSB officer to extort Conti ransomware gang

Feb 25, 2026 1:36 PM

Tags: extortion, group, ransomware, russia, service

A Moscow resident has been accused of trying to extort money from the notorious Conti ransomware group by posing as an officer of Russia’s Federal Security Service, according to local media reports. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/moscow-man-accused-of-extorting-conti-gang
CarGurus data breach exposes information of 12.4 million accounts

Feb 24, 2026 8:02 PM

Tags: breach, data, data-breach, extortion, group

The ShinyHunters extortion group has published personal information in more than 12 million records allegedly stolen from CarGurus, a U.S.-based digital auto platform. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cargurus-data-breach-exposes-information-of-124-million-accounts/
North Korean Hackers Continue to Target US Healthcare

Feb 24, 2026 3:02 PM

Tags: attack, extortion, group, hacker, healthcare, intelligence, lazarus, north-korea, ransomware, threat

Report: Lazarus Group Pivoting to Medusa Ransomware for Extortion Attacks. North Korean-state backed Lazarus Group hackers are using Medusa ransomware in extortion attacks on U.S. healthcare entities despite a 2024 U.S. indictment of Rim Jong Hyok, an alleged member of the Lazarus subgroup Stonefly, according to a new threat intelligence report. First seen on govinfosecurity.com…
ShinyHunters extortion gang claims Odido breach affecting millions

Feb 24, 2026 2:02 PM

Tags: breach, extortion

The ShinyHunters extortion gang has claimed responsibility for breaching Dutch telecommunications provider Odido and stealing millions of user records from its compromised systems. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/shinyhunters-extortion-gang-claims-odido-breach-affecting-millions/
Neobank: Ex-Mitarbeiter erpresst offenbar Kunden von Revolut

Feb 24, 2026 2:02 PM

Tags: extortion, finance

Ein Ex-Angestellter von Revolut hat anscheinend während seiner Tätigkeit für die Bank Kundendaten abgegriffen und missbraucht diese nun für Erpressungen. First seen on golem.de Jump to article: www.golem.de/news/neobank-ex-mitarbeiter-erpresst-offenbar-kunden-von-revolut-2602-205772.html
North Korean Lazarus group linked to Medusa ransomware attacks

Feb 24, 2026 1:02 PM

Tags: attack, extortion, group, hacker, healthcare, lazarus, north-korea, ransomware, threat

North Korean state-backed hackers associated with the Lazarus threat group are targeting U.S. healthcare organizations in extortion attacks using the Medusa ransomware. First seen on bleepingcomputer.com Jump to article: www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/north-korean-lazarus-group-linked-to-medusa-ransomware-attacks/
Doppel-Erpressung ist inzwischen Standard

Feb 24, 2026 12:00 PM

Tags: cyberattack, extortion, ransomware

Ransomware-Angriffe sind längst keine Einzelfälle mehr, die nur große Unternehmen betreffen. Im Jahr 2026 zählen sie weltweit zu den hartnäckigsten und kostspieligsten Cyberbedrohungen mit Auswirkungen auf Unternehmen, öffentliche Einrichtungen und Privatnutzer gleichermaßen. Aktuelle Zahlen zeigen unter anderem: Über 1,3 Millionen Ransomware-Angriffe richteten sich 2024 gegen die USA. 74 % der Vorfälle beinhalteten Datenexfiltration,… First seen…
13 ways attackers use generative AI to exploit your systems

Feb 23, 2026 9:01 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, awareness, breach, captcha, ceo, chatgpt, ciso, cloud, credentials, crypto, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, dark-web, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, email, espionage, exploit, extortion, finance, flaw, framework, fraud, google, government, group, hacker, identity, infrastructure, intelligence, law, LLM, login, malicious, malware, marketplace, network, open-source, password, phishing, privacy, ransomware, resilience, risk, saas, scam, service, social-engineering, startup, supply-chain, tactics, technology, theft, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Facilitating malware development: AI can also be used to generate more sophisticated, or less labour-intensive, malware.For example, cybercriminals are using gen AI to create malicious HTML documents. The XWorm attack, initiated by HTML smuggling, which contains malicious code that downloads and runs the malware, bears the hallmarks of development via AI.”The loader’s detailed line-by-line description…
13 ways attackers use generative AI to exploit your systems

Feb 23, 2026 9:01 AM

Tags: access, ai, attack, authentication, awareness, breach, captcha, ceo, chatgpt, ciso, cloud, credentials, crypto, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, dark-web, data, deep-fake, defense, detection, email, espionage, exploit, extortion, finance, flaw, framework, fraud, google, government, group, hacker, identity, infrastructure, intelligence, law, LLM, login, malicious, malware, marketplace, network, open-source, password, phishing, privacy, ransomware, resilience, risk, saas, scam, service, social-engineering, startup, supply-chain, tactics, technology, theft, threat, tool, vulnerability, zero-day

Facilitating malware development: AI can also be used to generate more sophisticated, or less labour-intensive, malware.For example, cybercriminals are using gen AI to create malicious HTML documents. The XWorm attack, initiated by HTML smuggling, which contains malicious code that downloads and runs the malware, bears the hallmarks of development via AI.”The loader’s detailed line-by-line description…