Ransomware activity spikes 20%, hospitals now in crosshairs
April 24, 2024 – Published on SecurityBrief
A rise in ransomware activity and a shift in aggressor behavior was noted in the GuidePoint Security Q1 2024 Ransomware Report. This included an almost 20% year-on-year increase in the number of ransomware victims and a 55% YoY increase in active ransomware groups in spite of initiatives from law enforcement to counter this cyber threat. ‘Off-limits’ organizations such as emergency hospitals are now also seen as viable targets.
“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 (RaaS) groups, including Alphv and LockBit,” said Drew Schmitt, Practice Lead for GuidePoint Security research team, GRIT.
As a part of this evolving landscape, smaller ransomware groups are observed recruiting affiliates that have seemingly been left directionless due to the disruption of larger groups.
The report took a comprehensive look at the changing RaaS ecosystem, observing the impact of the Operation Cronos Task Force, an international law enforcement initiative led by the UK National Crime Agency, on LockBit. Other major occurrences from the quarter featured an apparent exit scam by Alphv, following their widely-reported attack on Change Healthcare, re-extortion attempts by Phobos affiliates and a proclaimed collaboration renewal by members of the notorious cybercrime collective, The Five Families.
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