Tag: ransom
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Nearly Half of MSPs Have Dedicated Kitty For Ransomware Incidents
Recent research by Cybersmart has revealed that nearly half (45%) of MSPs admitted to having a dedicated pool of money set aside for ransomware payments. This is despite increasing pressure from insurers and global governments to avoid paying ransoms to stop fuelling criminal enterprises and encourage proactive resilience. Historically, the guidance and best practice around…
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UK government to ban public bodies from paying ransoms to hackers
Tags: attack, computer, cyber, cybercrime, government, hacker, healthcare, international, office, ransom, ransomware, russiaMeasure intended to send message to international cybercriminals ‘that the UK is united in fight against ransomware’The UK government is planning to ban public bodies from paying ransoms to computer hackers, and private companies will be required to inform authorities if they plan to cave into cash demands.The stance, announced on Tuesday by the Home…
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Clément Domingo: “We are not using AI correctly to defend ourselves”
Tags: access, ai, attack, control, credentials, cyber, cyberattack, cybercrime, cybersecurity, dark-web, finance, government, group, hacker, infrastructure, intelligence, Internet, jobs, law, malicious, malware, office, password, programming, ransom, startup, threat, tool, trainingstartup, but dedicated to cybercrime in a very efficient way,” Domingo tells via email. “Most have what we call affiliates, which allows them to operate worldwide and attack any organization or entity. In most cases, the startup keeps 20% of the ransom and the accomplice takes 80%.”These are companies that, as he details, offer all…
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Russian Vodka Maker Beluga Struck by Ransomware Attack
Novabev Group, the parent company of premium vodka brand Beluga, has confirmed it was hit by a sophisticated ransomware attack on July 14, 2025, temporarily disrupting operations and affecting IT infrastructure across the company and its WineLab subsidiary. The Russian spirits manufacturer has refused to pay any ransom demands, maintaining a firm stance against negotiating…
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Extradited Armenian Tied to Ryuk Ransomware Faces US Trial
FBI Accuses Ukrainian Man of Identifying Exploitable Flaws in Victims’ Networks. A 33-year-old Armenian man, Karen Vardanyan, accused of facilitating Ryuk ransomware attacks against numerous organizations, is due to stand trial in the U.S. in August. The FBI said the Ryuk operation earned at least $15 million in cryptocurrency ransom payments from victims. First seen…
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Devman Claims Cyberattack on Thailand Ministry of Labour, Demands $15M Ransom
A threat actor named Devman has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Thailand Ministry of Labour, compromising over 300 gigabytes of sensitive data and severely disrupting government operations. First seen on thecyberexpress.com Jump to article: thecyberexpress.com/thailand-ministry-of-labour-cyberattack/
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Italian police dismantle Romanian ransomware gang targeting nonprofits, film companies
The group, known as “Diskstation,” is accused of encrypting victims’ systems and demanding large cryptocurrency ransoms to restore access to their data, Italy’s Postal and Cybersecurity Police said in a statement. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/italian-police-dismantle-romanian-ransomware-gang
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Former US Army member confesses to Telecom hack and extortion conspiracy
A former US Army soldier pleaded guilty to hacking telecom databases, stealing data, and extorting companies by threatening to release the stolen info. A former Army soldier, Cameron John Wagenius (21) pleaded guilty to conspiring to hack telecom companies’ databases, steal sensitive records, and extort victims by threatening to release stolen data unless ransoms were…
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Former U.S. Army Member Pleads Guilty in Telecom Hacking Case
A 21-year-old former U.S. Army soldier has pleaded guilty to participating in a sophisticated cybercrime operation that targeted telecommunications companies through hacking, data theft, and extortion schemes. Cameron John Wagenius, who was stationed in Texas during his military service, admitted to conspiring with others to breach protected computer networks and demand ransom payments from victim…
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GLOBAL GROUP RaaS Adds AI-Powered Negotiation Feature for Ransom Demands
A newly surfaced Ransomware-as-a-Service operation, dubbed GLOBAL GROUP, has begun deploying an AI”driven negotiation tool that elevates the psychological pressure on victims and streamlines extortion workflows for affiliates. Security researchers at EclecticIQ first identified GLOBAL GROUP’s activity in early June on the Ramp4u underground forum, where the threat actor known as “$$$” shared an onion…
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How defenders use the dark web
Tags: access, antivirus, attack, breach, corporate, credit-card, crypto, cyber, cybercrime, dark-web, data, data-breach, email, extortion, finance, fraud, government, group, hacker, healthcare, identity, incident, insurance, intelligence, Internet, interpol, law, leak, lockbit, mail, malware, monitoring, network, phishing, ransom, ransomware, service, software, theft, threat, tool, usa, vpnAttributing attacks to threat actors: When organizations suffer from data breaches and cyber incidents, the dark web becomes a crucial tool for defenders, including the impacted businesses, their legal teams, and negotiators.Threat actors such as ransomware groups often attack organizations to encrypt and steal their data so they can extort them for money, in exchange…
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Did This Retail Giant Pay a Ransom to Scattered Spider?
Moral hazard ahoy: MS head Archie Norman won’t say if he authorized DragonForce ransomware hacker payday. First seen on securityboulevard.com Jump to article: securityboulevard.com/2025/07/marks-spencer-archie-norman-ransom-richixbw/
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Trend Micro flags BERT: A rapidly growing ransomware threat
Low-code, high impact: BERT is not an isolated development, it is part of a growing wave of emerging ransomware groups that are proving both capable and elusive. In just the last three to four months, cybersecurity researchers have identified multiple new ransomware families that signal a shift toward leaner, low-code, and faster malware operations.For instance,…
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AiLock Ransomware Emerges with Hybrid Encryption Tactics: ChaCha20 Meets NTRUEncrypt
The AiLock ransomware organization, which Zscaler first discovered in March 2025, has become a powerful force in the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) market, which is a frightening trend for cybersecurity professionals. This malicious entity operates with a sophisticated structure, leveraging both a negotiation site to extract ransoms from victims and a Data Leak Site (DLS) to threaten…
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Qantas contacted by suspected cyber criminal but airline won’t confirm if hacking ransom demanded
Hacked airline says Australian federal police have been engaged but it ‘won’t be commenting any further on the detail of the contact'<ul><li>Get our <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/email-newsletters?CMP=cvau_sfl”>breaking news email, <a href=”https://app.adjust.com/w4u7jx3″>free app or <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/series/full-story?CMP=cvau_sfl”>daily news podcast</li></ul>A potential cyber criminal has made contact with Qantas, the airline has confirmed, after a <a href=”https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/jul/02/qantas-confirms-cyber-attack-exposes-records-of-up-to-6-million-customers”>major attack on its network…
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INC Ransom claims pilfering North Carolina city data
First seen on scworld.com Jump to article: www.scworld.com/brief/inc-ransom-claims-pilfering-north-carolina-city-data
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When hackers become hitmen
So, you think hacking is just about stealing information, extorting ransoms, or wiping out company data? The truth is, sometimes it’s about killing people too… First seen on grahamcluley.com Jump to article: grahamcluley.com/when-hackers-become-hitmen/
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Another Billing Software Vendor Hacked by Ransomware
Horizon Healthcare RCM Hints at Paying Ransom in Data Theft Incident. Horizon Healthcare RCM is the latest revenue cycle management software vendor to report a health data breach involving ransomware and data theft. The firm’s breach notification statement suggests that the company paid a ransom to prevent the disclosure of its stolen information. First seen…
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How to Chart an Exposure Management Leadership Path for You, Your Boss and Your Organization
Tags: access, attack, automation, breach, business, ciso, cloud, container, cybersecurity, data, defense, exploit, identity, incident response, iot, jobs, kubernetes, ransom, regulation, risk, security-incident, service, soc, threat, tool, vulnerability, vulnerability-managementEach Monday, the Tenable Exposure Management Academy provides the practical, real-world guidance you need to shift from vulnerability management to exposure management. In this post, we share some tips on how to lead the move to exposure management. You can read the entire Exposure Management Academy series here. For years, organizations poured resources into reactive…
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UK Ransom Payments Double as Victims Fall Behind Global Peers
UK ransomware victims are paying extortionists twice as much as a year ago First seen on infosecurity-magazine.com Jump to article: www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/uk-ransom-payments-double-victims/
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Companies negotiate their way to lower ransom payments
Nearly 50% of companies paid the ransom to recover their data, the second-highest rate in six years, according to Sophos. How actual payments stack up with the initial demand … First seen on helpnetsecurity.com Jump to article: www.helpnetsecurity.com/2025/06/25/ransom-demand-payment/
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UK ransomware costs significantly outpace other countries
UK organisations hit by ransomware attacks paid much higher ransoms than in other countries over the past 12 months, according to a new study. First seen on computerweekly.com Jump to article: www.computerweekly.com/news/366626502/UK-ransomware-costs-significantly-outpace-other-countries
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McLaren Health Says 743,000 Affected by 2024 Ransomware Hack
Michigan-Based Group Breached in Ransomware Attack for Second Time in Two Years. McLaren Health has begun notifying more than 743,000 people affected by a ransomware attack last summer. The incident, carried out by cybercriminal gang Inc Ransom, is McLaren’s second major health data breach from a ransomware attack in two years. First seen on govinfosecurity.com…
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Qilin Ransomware Adds “Call Lawyer” Feature to Pressure Victims for Larger Ransoms
The threat actors behind the Qilin ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) scheme are now offering legal counsel for affiliates to put more pressure on victims to pay up, as the cybercrime group intensifies its activity and tries to fill the void left by its rivals.The new feature takes the form of a “Call Lawyer” feature on the affiliate…
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Tonga Ministry of Health hit with cyberattack affecting website, IT systems
Minister of Health Ana ‘Akau’ola then told parliament on Thursday that an unnamed ransomware gang attacked the National Health Information System, demanding millions in ransom to restore the system. First seen on therecord.media Jump to article: therecord.media/tonga-ministry-of-health-hit-with-cyberattack
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Qilin offers >>Call a lawyer<< button for affiliates attempting to extort ransoms from victims who won't pay
Imagine for one moment that you are a cybercriminal. First seen on tripwire.com Jump to article: www.tripwire.com/state-of-security/qilin-offers-call-lawyer-button-affiliates-attempting-extort-ransoms-victims
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Ukraine Extradites Suspected Ransomware Group Member to US
33-Year-Old Foreign National Accused of Spreading Ryuk and Other Ransomware. A suspected initial access specialist for a ransomware-wielding group is being extradited from Ukraine to the United States to stand trial. The group has been accused of earning over $100 million in ransom by using malware such as Ryuk, Dharma and Hive against more than…