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 and 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 – reminiscent of threats to publish knowledge, calling staff, and notifying prospects and the media about breaches – are all nonetheless in use at this time. Nevertheless, ransomware gangs are adopting some new, and regarding, ways.
A quick abstract of our findings:
- Ransomware operators more and more weaponize legit entities – such because the information media, laws, civil regulatory enforcement authorities, and even legislation 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 get in touch with particulars of CEOs and enterprise homeowners
- Menace 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 injury
- Ransomware criminals overtly criticize their victims, and can generally try and deride them as unethical or negligent, which might additionally trigger reputational injury – 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 comfy with stealing and leaking extraordinarily delicate knowledge, together with medical information, nude pictures, 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 – reminiscent of purchasers, prospects, and staff – to launch lawsuits, with the intention 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 Trade Fee (SEC) grievance towards certainly one of its personal victims. The menace actor alleged that the corporate had didn’t notify the SEC of the breach inside the 4 days required underneath the brand new ultimate guidelines (which, whereas adopted in July 2023, didn’t truly come into power 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 very least one menace actor seems to be actively recruiting for folks to search for situations of non-compliance and monetary irregularities – probably to make use of this as leverage for extortion.
Determine 1: A menace actor posts a recruitment advert on a legal discussion board, looking 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 legal discussion board under (Determine 2) – however is probably going nonetheless engaging 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 legal discussion board
At the very least one different ransomware group claims to do the sort of analysis. The WereWolves menace actor notes, on its leak website, that it topics stolen knowledge to “a legal authorized evaluation, a industrial 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 displaying the alleged username of the offender. Monti went on to state that “in the event that they don’t pay up, we’ll be compelled to show over the abuse data to the authorities, and launch the remainder of the knowledge to the general public.”
Determine 4: A part of a put up on the Monti ransomware leak website
We additionally famous an occasion of a menace actor encouraging folks whose personally identifiable data (PII) appeared in a knowledge breach to “partake in litigation towards the sufferer.” Furthermore, the menace actor additionally supplied a “snippet of the negotiations” and inspired these affected to “categorical your issues” to an govt on the focused group – offering not simply that particular person’s title, but additionally their phone quantity.
Determine 5: A menace actor posts on a legal 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 multiple ransomware gang. The Qiulong group, for instance, commonly consists of 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 put up on the Qiulong ransomware leak website. Word the reference (redacted within the picture above) to a particular make of automobile the CEO drives
Equally, the Snatch menace actor commonly names particular people as “accountable” for knowledge breaches.
Determine 7: A put up on the Snatch leak website, which names a particular particular person who Snatch claims is “accountable 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 attitude 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 injury (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 realize their very own unlawful goals, 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 very least one CEO beforehand being convicted following authorized motion associated to a ransomware assault. Whereas out of scope for this specific 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 legislation enforcement, that doesn’t imply it gained’t occur sooner or later – and the likelihood is prone to be of concern to C-suites.
Furthermore, the truth that some ransomware operators declare to take a vigilante position to reveal wrongdoing, irregularities, and legal exercise inside organizations presents an fascinating moral challenge, regardless of the irony that doing so helps their very own legal exercise.
Ethics, reputational injury, and embarrassment
In Determine 4 above, the WereWolves ransomware group claimed to reveal (and threatened to report) critical legal 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 doubtless legal exercise happening inside the group that was victimized?
Many ransomware criminals thrive on this moral gray space, and need 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 power for good, by referring to themselves as “trustworthy…pentesters”, or as a “penetration testing service” conducting “cybersecurity [studies]” or “safety audit[s].” After all, legit penetration testers function with the prior permission of, and underneath parameters set by (and generally, lively 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 resolution at a time.” The language right here is – most likely deliberately – harking back to company advertising and marketing 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 discuss with 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 consists of the assertion that “we’re sorry that you simply had been affected by corporations’ negligent perspective to the privateness and safety of their prospects’ private knowledge.” Word the declare that this “provides you the chance to request compensation”
Of specific curiosity in Determine 10 is 8Base’s promise that they’ll “take away private data from disclosure on demand…for free of charge to you,” following requests from particular person purchasers of the focused group.
Once more, that is (maybe) an try and 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 need to use in a lawsuit to compensate the injury precipitated to you.”
Determine 11: In a put up 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. As an example, the Karakurt group, in a ‘press launch,’ referred to as out a hospital after it didn’t pay a ransom.
Determine 13: The Karakurt group criticizes a hospital after it didn’t pay the ransom, calling it “dishonest and irresponsible”
Sometimes, 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 put up 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 analogous strategy. In 2022, for instance, the GoodWill ransomware group demanded that victims carry out charitable actions – reminiscent of feeding poor kids, or offering garments and blankets to the unhoused – and put up video proof on-line. In 2020, the Darkside ransomware gang claimed to have donated a proportion of its features to 2 charities. So far as we are able to 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 very least one of many two charities to which Darkside donated funds said that it could not be protecting the cash.
Malas, nevertheless, takes issues a step additional. Along with requiring charitable donations, it additionally explicitly criticizes particular organizations on the premise of alleged moral shortcomings – arguably combining ransomware with hacktivism.
Determine 15: A put up 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 put up on the Malas leak website, referring to an assault on a corporation within the pure assets 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 actually no totally different to its friends. It leverages the specter of reputational injury, in the identical manner that different ransomware gangs do. The intent is to scale back belief and good religion, with the proposed resolution being for the goal to pay up and due to this fact negate, at the very least partially, any hostile impression.
Malas can be no totally different to its friends in the case of 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. Acutely aware that many information retailers are eager to publish tales on ransomware, and that media consideration could compound reputational injury 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 probably regulatory our bodies too.
Determine 19: An excerpt from the FAQ on the Cactus leak website. Word the threats that “it’s extremely possible that you may be sued,” and that “journalists, researchers, and so forth. will dig by way of your paperwork, discovering inconsistencies or irregularities”
Determine 20: An excerpt from the FAQ on the Play leak website. Word 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, after all, 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 information, the medical information of kids, and, just lately, blood take a look at 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 “pictures of nude sufferers” and “details about sufferers’ sexual issues.”
Determine 21: A put up on the Qiulong leak website
Determine 22: One other put up on the Qiulong leak website
In a single significantly regarding instance, the Qiulong ransomware group posted screenshots of a CEO’s daughter’s id 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 supplied, this may occasionally have been an act of revenge after negotiations had damaged down
In 2021, we famous that ransomware gangs would generally electronic mail and name staff and prospects with the intention to enhance stress on organizations. Nevertheless, in recent times, menace actors seem like more and more fascinated with not merely threatening organizations instantly, but additionally secondary victims, as in Determine 23. As an 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 legislation enforcement. Nevertheless, the specter of swatting demonstrates some attackers’ willingness to weaponize legislation enforcement when it fits them – not in contrast to their willingness to weaponize laws and laws.
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 rising numbers of victims opting to not pay ransoms, competitors from different menace actors, ransomware teams feeling more and more emboldened, or different elements. Nevertheless, what is obvious is that every one the ways we talk about listed below are designed to intimidate focused organizations and folks linked to them.
Some ransomware teams will weaponize any legit useful resource to extend the stress on their targets – whether or not that’s the information media, as we explored in our earlier article, legislation 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 telephone calls and swatting additionally point out a willingness to maneuver threats from the digital sphere and into the actual world. Swatting, particularly, is a particularly harmful crime that has on some events resulted in damage and demise, in addition to important psychological misery.
Sooner or later, ransomware gangs seem prone to proceed to plot and make use of novel methods to coerce their victims into paying, and to inflict reputational injury – and maybe worse – if ransoms should not paid.
Sophos has a number of assets to assist defenders defend towards ransomware. You will discover finest follow steerage, an anti-ransomware toolkit, a hyperlink to our incident response companies, and hyperlinks to a number of of our ransomware-related stories right here. Particular recommendation on configuring Sophos merchandise to forestall ransomware can be out there.
