Shed a tear, if you can, for the poor, misunderstood cybercriminals hard at work trying to earn a dishonest crust by infecting organisations with ransomware.Newly released research has revealed that the riches to be made from encrypting a company's data and demanding a ransom are not proving so easy to come by as they once were.Because, although the number of ransomware attacks are reported to...

What is HellCat?HellCat is the name of a relatively new ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that first came to prominence in the second half of 2024. Like many other ransomware operations, HellCat breaks into organisations, steals sensitive files, and encrypts computer systems - demanding a ransom payment for a decryption key and to prevent the leaking of stolen files.So it's your typical "double...

What is the VanHelsing ransomware?First reported earlier in March 2025, VanHelsing is a new ransomware-as-a-service operation.Oh, so it's a relatively new player on the malware scene, then. Why the concern?At least three victims of VanHelsing have already been identitified, and a number of variants of the malware have been analysed by security researchers. The fact that VanHelsing runs as a RaaS...

What is the BlackLock ransomware?BlackLock is a relatively new ransomware group. First seen in March 2024, the ransomware operation initially operated under the name El Dorado, before rebranding as BlackLock late last year. BlackLock follows a RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service) business model, leasing its tools and infrastructure to affiliates who launch attacks, sharing a proportion of the proceeds...

The Medusa ransomware gang continues to present a major threat to the critical infrastructure sector, according to a newly-released joint advisory from the FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).As of February 2025, the Medusa ransomware operation, which we have previously detailed on the Tripwire State of...

What is the Cactus ransomware?Cactus is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group that encrypts victim's data and demands a ransom for a decryption key.Hundreds of organisations have found themselves the victim of Cactus since it was first discovered in March 2023, with their stolen data published on the dark web as an "incentive" to give in to the extortionists' demands.So far, so sadly normal. What...

Companies are being warned that malicious hackers are using a novel technique to break into businesses - by pretending to offer audits of the company's cybersecurity.With ransomware and other cybersecurity threats high in the mind of many business owners, it is all too easy to imagine how many companies might react positively to an invitation to have the security of their networks tested.But...

Security experts have warned that a cybercriminal group has been running a malicious and inventive phishing campaign since August 2024 to break into organizations across Europe, North America, Africa, and the Middle East.The Russian group, known as Storm-2372, has targeted government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), as well as firms working in IT, defence, telecoms, health, and the...

The US Coast Guard has been urged to improve the cybersecurity infrastructure of the Maritime Transportation System (MTS), which includes ports, waterways, and vessels essential for transporting over $5.4 trillion worth of goods annually.The Government Accountability Office (GAO) has warned in a report published this week that America's maritime transportation system lacks a proper cybersecurity...

British legal professionals have seen a "significant surge" in data breaches, according to new research from NetDocuments, a firm that provides a cloud-based content management platform for the legal sector.The firm has described how it analysed data from the UK regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), and discovered that the number of data breaches in the country's legal sector had...

A California man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that saw over 50 individuals and organisations lose millions of dollars.59-year-old Allen Giltman, of Irvine, California, pleaded guilty to charges that he and his co-conspirators built a network of fraudulent websites impersonating legitimate financial institutions.According to a US Department...

The Turkish government is proposing a controversial new cybersecurity law that could make it a criminal act to report on data breaches. The new legislation proposes penalties for various cybersecurity-related offences. But they key one which has people concerned is this:"Those who carry out activities aimed at targeting institutions or individuals by creating the perception that there has been a...

What is the Medusa ransomware?Medusa is a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) platform that first came to prominence in 2023. The ransomware impacts organisations running Windows, predominantly exploiting vulnerable and unpatched systems and hijacking accounts through initial access brokers.Initial access brokers?Initial access brokers (IABs) specialise in gaining unauthorised access to the networks of...

What is Space Bears?Space Bear is a relatively new ransomware group that first appeared on the radar in April 2024. The gang, which is aligned to the Phobos ransomware-as-a-service group, steals sensitive data from organisations, encrypts victims' computer systems, and demands that a ransom be paid for a decryption key or the data will be published on the dark web.So far, so normal. What makes...

As we approach the end of another exciting year in the world of cybersecurity, it's the perfect time to reflect on the stories, insights, and guidance that resonated most with our readers.2024 brought new challenges and opportunities with the rapid adoption of AI, evolving ransomware tactics, and an increased focus on proactive security measures. These trends shaped the conversations on Fortra’s...

In a co-ordinated international effort, the law enforcement agencies of 15 countries have made the holiday season a little less stressful for companies and consumers - by seizing control of some of the internet's most popular DDoS-for-hire services.Operation PowerOFF has disrupted what was anticipated to be a surge of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks over the Christmas period by taking...

What is 3AM?3AM (also known as ThreeAM) is a ransomware group that first emerged in late 2023. Like other ransomware threats, 3AM exfiltrates victims' data (threatening to release it publicly unless a ransom is paid) and encrypts the copies left on targeted organisations' computer systems.So it's the normal story with ransomware - exfiltrate, encrypt, extort?Pretty much - but there are some...

The UK's National Crime Agency (NCA) has revealed details of Operation Destabilise, a years-long international law enforcement investigation into a giant Russian money laundering enterprise that handled billions of dollars for drug traffickers and ransomware gangs worldwide. The multi-billion dollar Smart and TGR networks are said to have used a complex system of cash handovers and cryptocurrency...

It's not a new technique, but that doesn't mean that cybercriminals cannot make rich rewards from SEO poisoning. SEO poisoning is the dark art of manipulating search engines to ensure that malware-laced adverts and dangerous websites appear high on users' results - often impersonating legitimate businesses and organisations. But the simplest way of all to get a malicious website in front of a...

What is Mimic?Mimic is family of ransomware, first found in-the-wild in 2022. In common with many other ransomware attacks, Mimic encrypts a victim's files, and demands a ransom payment in cryptocurrency for the release of a decryption key.Does Mimic also steal data?Yes, some variants of Mimic can also exfiltrate data from a user's computers before it is encrypted - the stolen data is typically...