Most dangerous ransomware groups of 2022
December 29, 2022 – Published on Cybernews
Over the last year, gangs have dissolved and reformed, but one thing’s for certain – they keep coming back.
Major trends included double extortion, supply chain attacks, ransomware-as-a-service, ransomware rebranding, and geopolitically-motivated attacks.
And while the notorious ransomware group Conti finally bowed out this year, its members have only moved on, with new gangs forming and reforming.
LockBit has been around since 2019, operating as a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS); and, according to GuidePoint Security, it’s by far the most prolific ransomware group, accounting for more than four in ten of all publicly posted ransomware victims. It’s believed to be headquartered in Russia.
The latest variant, LockBit 3.0, launched in June and hit 41 countries this quarter, according to Intel 471, mainly targeting professional services and consulting and manufacturing, consumer and industrial products, along with the real estate sector.
It features new encryptors built on the BlackMatter source code, along with new extortion strategies.
And meanwhile, in an extraordinary move, LockBit has launched its own bug bounty program, offering up to $1 million for the discovery of vulnerabilities in its malware, victim-shaming sites, Tor network, or messaging service.
Read More HERE.