Again in 2021, Sophos X-Ops printed an article on the highest ten methods ransomware operators ramp up stress on their targets, in an try to get them to pay. Final yr, X-Ops revealed that menace actors have since developed a symbiotic relationship with sections of the media, leveraging information articles as extortion stress. Three years on, menace actors proceed to adapt and alter their ways to extend leverage towards their targets.
The strategies we described within the 2021 article – akin to threats to publish knowledge, calling staff, and notifying prospects and the media about breaches – are all nonetheless in use right now. Nevertheless, ransomware gangs are adopting some new, and regarding, ways.
A short abstract of our findings:
- Ransomware operators more and more weaponize respectable entities – such because the information media, laws, civil regulatory enforcement authorities, and even regulation enforcement – to ramp up stress on victims
- In some circumstances, criminals encourage affected prospects and staff to assert compensation, or launch litigation – generally offering the names and call particulars of CEOs and enterprise homeowners
- Risk actors declare to evaluate stolen knowledge for proof of criminality, regulatory noncompliance, and monetary discrepancies – all of which can be utilized as additional leverage and to inflict reputational harm
- Ransomware criminals overtly criticize their victims, and can generally try to deride them as unethical or negligent, which might additionally trigger reputational harm – in addition to contributing to some menace actor teams’ makes an attempt to ‘flip the script’ and painting themselves as beneficent vigilantes
- Ransomware operators seem like more and more snug with stealing and leaking extraordinarily delicate knowledge, together with medical data, nude photographs, and, in a single case (as we’ll cowl later), the private particulars of a CEO’s daughter
Laws and litigation
One thing we didn’t see a lot, if any of, in 2021 was ransomware actors weaponizing laws, or encouraging secondary victims of their assaults – akin to purchasers, prospects, and staff – to launch lawsuits, so as to enhance stress on focused organizations. Nevertheless, we’ve seen a number of current examples of this.
In November 2023, ALPHV/BlackCat filed a Safety and Change Fee (SEC) grievance towards one in all its personal victims. The menace actor alleged that the corporate had did not notify the SEC of the breach throughout the 4 days required beneath the new remaining guidelines (which, whereas adopted in July 2023, didn’t really come into drive till December of that yr).
We noticed threats to reveal non-compliance in different contexts, too. In some circumstances, it’s one thing for which menace actors seem like particularly looking out. As we reported in our December 2023 piece on the connection between ransomware gangs and the media, at the least one menace actor seems to be actively recruiting for individuals to search for cases of non-compliance and monetary irregularities – presumably to make use of this as leverage for extortion.
Determine 1: A menace actor posts a recruitment advert on a prison discussion board, searching for somebody to search for “violations,” “inappropriate spending,” “discrepancies,” and “cooperation with corporations on sanction lists.” It’s not clear that that is linked particularly to ransomware
It’s value noting that this type of exercise can require appreciable experience – as famous by one menace actor on a prison discussion board under (Determine 2) – however is probably going nonetheless enticing to ransomware operators if it supplies them with extra ammunition.
Determine 2: A menace actor supplies some recommendation on discovering “inconsistencies in tax reporting” on a prison discussion board
At the very least one different ransomware group claims to do such a analysis. The WereWolves menace actor notes, on its leak website, that it topics stolen knowledge to “a prison authorized evaluation, a business evaluation and an evaluation when it comes to insider data for rivals.”
Determine 3: An excerpt from the WereWolves ransomware leak website
We famous one significantly disturbing instance, the place the Monti ransomware gang claimed that an worker at a compromised group had been trying to find youngster sexual abuse materials. The menace actor posted a screenshot of a browser historical past window, together with a PowerShell window exhibiting the alleged username of the offender. Monti went on to state that “in the event that they don’t pay up, we’ll be pressured to show over the abuse data to the authorities, and launch the remainder of the data to the general public.”
Determine 4: A part of a publish on the Monti ransomware leak website
We additionally famous an occasion of a menace actor encouraging individuals whose personally identifiable data (PII) appeared in an information breach to “partake in litigation towards the sufferer.” Furthermore, the menace actor additionally offered a “snippet of the negotiations” and inspired these affected to “specific your issues” to an government on the focused group – offering not simply that particular person’s title, but in addition their phone quantity.
Determine 5: A menace actor posts on a prison discussion board, offering materials for “those that want to partake in litigation towards the sufferer”
This tactic of naming particular people – together with contact particulars – is utilized by a couple of ransomware gang. The Qiulong group, for instance, repeatedly contains the small print of CEOs and enterprise homeowners on its leak website, usually accompanied by insults, private data, and accusations of negligence.
Determine 6: A publish on the Qiulong ransomware leak website. Notice the reference (redacted within the picture above) to a selected make of automotive the CEO drives
Equally, the Snatch menace actor repeatedly names particular people as “accountable” for knowledge breaches.
Determine 7: A publish on the Snatch leak website, which names a selected particular person who Snatch claims is “chargeable for knowledge leakage”
Determine 8: The Snatch menace actor explains its reasoning for together with the private knowledge of enterprise homeowners and authority figures on its leak website
In a single case, we famous that the Monti ransomware group had not simply named a enterprise proprietor and printed their Social Safety quantity, however had additionally posted a picture of them, crudely edited to incorporate satan horns and a speech bubble studying “I’m a dumb p***y who doesn’t care about my purchasers.”
From the angle of ransomware operators, referring to particular people serves three functions. First, it supplies a ‘lightning rod’ for any subsequent blame, stress, and/or litigation. Second, it contributes to the specter of reputational harm (lined within the subsequent part). And third, private assaults can menace and intimidate the management of the focused group.
It could appear considerably ironic that menace actors are weaponizing laws to attain their very own unlawful aims, and the extent to which this tactic has been profitable is unclear. Nevertheless, when used, it possible provides to the already appreciable stress skilled by C-suite executives – significantly within the context of at the least one CEO beforehand being convicted following authorized motion associated to a ransomware assault. Whereas out of scope for this explicit article, it’s value noting that the present authorized panorama pertaining to the private danger and accountability of CEOs and CISOs in such conditions seems unsure. Whereas we’re not conscious of any convictions arising from ransomware teams referring breach data to regulators or regulation enforcement, that doesn’t imply it gained’t occur sooner or later – and the chance is prone to be of concern to C-suites.
Furthermore, the truth that some ransomware operators declare to take a vigilante function to reveal wrongdoing, irregularities, and prison exercise inside organizations presents an fascinating moral situation, regardless of the irony that doing so helps their very own prison exercise.
Ethics, reputational harm, and embarrassment
In Determine 4 above, the WereWolves ransomware group claimed to reveal (and threatened to report) severe prison exercise allegedly occurring at a corporation. Whereas this by no means negates the illegality and seriousness of ransomware assaults, it raises an moral dilemma: Which is worse, the ransomware assault itself, or the attackers’ revelation of probably prison exercise going down throughout the group that was victimized?
Many ransomware criminals thrive on this moral gray space, and wish to seem ethical, moral, or genuinely involved about safety and confidentiality. As we famous in our earlier article on this subject, quite a few ransomware gangs try to ‘flip the script’ and painting themselves as a drive for good, by referring to themselves as “sincere…pentesters”, or as a “penetration testing service” conducting “cybersecurity [studies]” or “safety audit[s].” After all, respectable penetration testers function with the prior permission of, and beneath parameters set by (and generally, energetic supervision by) the businesses who rent them; ransomware criminals don’t.
Cactus, as an illustration, describes itself as a “Direct Safety Audit Company (DSAA) revolutionizing a buyer journey, one hyper-targeted answer at a time.” The language right here is – most likely deliberately – paying homage to company advertising materials.
Determine 9: On the FAQ web page on its leak website, the Cactus ransomware group claims that it conducts “community safety audits”
In distinction, many ransomware gangs seek advice from their targets as “irresponsible,” “negligent,” or uncaring.
Determine 10: The 8Base leak website mentions “irresponsible processing of…private knowledge and enterprise secrets and techniques” and contains the assertion that “we’re sorry that you just have been affected by corporations’ negligent angle to the privateness and safety of their prospects’ private knowledge.” Notice the declare that this “provides you the chance to request compensation”
Of explicit curiosity in Determine 10 is 8Base’s promise that they’ll “take away private data from disclosure on demand…without charge to you,” following requests from particular person purchasers of the focused group.
Once more, that is (maybe) an try to make the group seem affordable and moral, but it surely’s additionally mixed with a stress tactic aimed on the group. In the identical paragraph, 8Base notes that “as well as we are going to present your knowledge set that you should use in a lawsuit to compensate the harm brought about to you.”
Determine 11: In a publish on its leak website, the Blacksuit ransomware group claims that the administration of a focused group “doesn’t care about you or your private data”
Determine 12: A screenshot of the House Bears leak website, asking guests whether or not they belief focused corporations with their knowledge
In lots of circumstances, this criticism continues after negotiations have damaged down and victims have determined to not pay. For example, the Karakurt group, in a ‘press launch,’ known as out a hospital after it did not pay a ransom.
Determine 13: The Karakurt group criticizes a hospital after it did not pay the ransom, calling it “dishonest and irresponsible”
Usually, within the context of exposing safety weaknesses and negligence, ransomware operators painting themselves as morally superior to their targets. Sometimes, the waters are muddied additional.
The Malas ransomware gang, for instance, calls for that its victims “make a donation to a nonprofit of their selection.”
Determine 14: An excerpt from a publish on the Malas ransomware gang’s leak website. The citation within the final response is attributed to financier Warren Buffet
Different menace actors have beforehand adopted an identical strategy. In 2022, for instance, the GoodWill ransomware group demanded that victims carry out charitable actions – akin to feeding poor kids, or offering garments and blankets to the unhoused – and publish video proof on-line. In 2020, the Darkside ransomware gang claimed to have donated a proportion of its beneficial properties to 2 charities. So far as we will inform, there have been no identified victims of the GoodWill ransomware pressure, so we don’t know if the tactic was profitable, and at the least one of many two charities to which Darkside donated funds said that it will not be conserving the cash.
Malas, nonetheless, takes issues a step additional. Along with requiring charitable donations, it additionally explicitly criticizes particular organizations on the idea of alleged moral shortcomings – arguably combining ransomware with hacktivism.
Determine 15: A publish on the Malas leak website following an assault on a group company (an organization that makes an attempt to get better money owed on behalf of collectors)
Determine 16: One other publish on the Malas leak website, referring to an assault on a corporation within the pure sources sector
Malas admits that this strategy has not been significantly profitable. On its FAQ, its response to the query “Has it been efficient?” is an unequivocal “To date, no.” Apparently, the writer of the FAQ claims that one of many causes for that is that victims “gained’t ship cash to real grass-roots organizations.”
Determine 17: Malas goes into some element as to why it believes its strategy has not been efficient
Nevertheless, in making an attempt to current its targets as morally poor, Malas is basically no completely different to its friends. It leverages the specter of reputational harm, in the identical method that different ransomware gangs do. The intent is to scale back belief and good religion, with the proposed answer being for the goal to pay up and due to this fact negate, at the least partially, any antagonistic affect.
Malas can also be no completely different to its friends with regards to its communications with victims. Like different ransomware teams, it threatens to promote or publish knowledge and inform journalists and prospects.
Determine 18: An excerpt from the Malas leak website
The prevalence of this menace was one thing we famous each in our article on ransomware gangs and the media, and in our 2021 examination of ransomware stress ways. Aware that many information retailers are eager to publish tales on ransomware, and that media consideration could compound reputational harm to organizations and enhance the stress to pay up, many ransomware gangs explicitly make this menace on their leak websites, and can solicit media protection and communication with journalists.
As well as, some menace actors additionally threaten to inform prospects, companions, and rivals. The intent right here is to generate and intensify stress from a number of angles and sources: media consideration, prospects, purchasers, different corporations, and doubtlessly regulatory our bodies too.
Determine 19: An excerpt from the FAQ on the Cactus leak website. Notice the threats that “it’s extremely possible that you may be sued,” and that “journalists, researchers, and so on. will dig via your paperwork, discovering inconsistencies or irregularities”
Determine 20: An excerpt from the FAQ on the Play leak website. Notice that there’s some comparable wording to the Cactus discover in Determine 19, within the reply to the “What occurs if we don’t pay?” query
We famous in our 2021 article that the specter of leaked private knowledge was an enormous concern for organizations (and, in fact, for the people concerned), with each privateness and potential authorized ramifications. Whereas that is nonetheless the case, in recent times ransomware gangs have stepped up their recreation, generally leaking, or threatening to leak, significantly delicate knowledge.
Delicate knowledge, swatting, and extra
A number of ransomware teams have printed delicate medical knowledge following assaults. This has included psychological well being data, the medical data of kids, and, not too long ago, blood check knowledge.
In a world the place knowledge breaches are more and more commonplace, threatening to leak extraordinarily delicate knowledge exacerbates the stress on sufferer organizations, and might trigger appreciable misery and concern to these affected.
In some circumstances, we seen ransomware gangs explicitly calling this out on their leak website – noting that stolen knowledge included “photographs of nude sufferers” and “details about sufferers’ sexual issues.”
Determine 21: A publish on the Qiulong leak website
Determine 22: One other publish on the Qiulong leak website
In a single significantly regarding instance, the Qiulong ransomware group posted screenshots of a CEO’s daughter’s identification paperwork, together with a hyperlink to her Instagram profile.
Determine 23: The Qiulong ransomware group posts private knowledge of a CEO’s daughter on its leak website. From the restricted context offered, this will likely have been an act of revenge after negotiations had damaged down
In 2021, we famous that ransomware gangs would generally e-mail and name staff and prospects so as to enhance stress on organizations. Nevertheless, in recent times, menace actors seem like more and more fascinated about not merely threatening organizations instantly, but in addition secondary victims, as in Determine 23. For example, as reported in January 2024, attackers threatened to ‘swat’ sufferers of a most cancers hospital, and have despatched threatening textual content messages to a CEO’s partner.
As we wrote in 2021, ransomware operators will usually warn their victims to not contact regulation enforcement. Nevertheless, the specter of swatting demonstrates some attackers’ willingness to weaponize regulation enforcement when it fits them – not not like their willingness to weaponize laws and rules.
An escalation in ways
Whereas many ransomware gangs are nonetheless utilizing the stress ways we reported on in 2021, there seems to have been an escalation. It’s not sure whether or not that is pushed by growing numbers of victims opting to not pay ransoms, competitors from different menace actors, ransomware teams feeling more and more emboldened, or different components. Nevertheless, what is clear is that each one the ways we talk about listed below are designed to intimidate focused organizations and other people linked to them.
Some ransomware teams will weaponize any respectable useful resource to extend the stress on their targets – whether or not that’s the information media, as we explored in our earlier article, regulation enforcement, or threats of civil authorized motion or reporting malfeasance to regulatory authorities. Whereas it’s most likely too early to say if this strategy is efficient (and, it’s additionally value noting, the menace isn’t at all times carried out), the criminals’ goal is to generate stress from a number of angles and sources.
The usage of cellphone calls and swatting additionally point out a willingness to maneuver threats from the digital sphere and into the true world. Swatting, specifically, is an especially harmful crime that has on some events resulted in damage and demise, in addition to vital psychological misery.
Sooner or later, ransomware gangs seem prone to proceed to plan and make use of novel methods to coerce their victims into paying, and to inflict reputational harm – and maybe worse – if ransoms aren’t paid.
Sophos has a number of sources to assist defenders shield towards ransomware. You’ll find finest apply steering, an anti-ransomware toolkit, a hyperlink to our incident response providers, and hyperlinks to a number of of our ransomware-related reviews right here. Particular recommendation on configuring Sophos merchandise to stop ransomware can also be obtainable.