Ransomware’s Bold New Move — Advertising for Inside Information
February 6, 2025 – Published on Techopedia
In a twisted version of “if you can’t beat them, join them,” ransomware groups have been spotted flashing up messages offering disgruntled workers the chance to divulge their company secrets.
Multiple security researchers have identified the disturbing new tactic, with gangs such as Sarcoma ‘advertising for insiders’ to give up information along with the digital keys of their organizations.
Insiders have always been a key resource for cybercriminals: a disgruntled former employee or a current worker can be highly valuable to hackers. But advertising for them so openly is a brazen show of just how lucrative — and competitive — the threat actor landscape has become.
On January 16, 2025, GuidePoint Security released its GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team’s (GRIT) annual 2025 Ransomware & Cyber Threat Report.
The report explains that the proliferation of ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) is behind the surge in incidents. Additionally, as the FBI and international law enforcement partners disrupt malicious infrastructure and shut down ransomware gangs, power struggles emerge among established, rebranded, or new players making the RaaS landscape more active than ever.
“From major law enforcement disruptions to group shakeups and new behavior patterns, 2024 was at times a chaotic year for threat actors — yet ransomware activity and new groups continue to proliferate,” Jason Baker, Lead Threat Analyst at GuidePoint Security said.
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