6 Ransomware Trends & Evolutions For 2023
More than any other industry, cybersecurity is constantly changing. But the number of major paradigm shifts that transformed the world of cybersecurity in the past few years has been unprecedented, especially when it comes to combating ransomware.
The costly and global threat of ransomware has evolved alongside changing technology in the past two decades. Just as threat researchers and engineers rethink their solutions when the currents of cybersecurity shift, their adversaries are always following the latest trends to successfully target their victims.
How is ransomware evolving?
New developments like the success of law enforcement crackdowns on ransomware, changing government regulations, international sanctions, and the looming regulation of cryptocurrency will force adversaries to adapt—both to overcome new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities. For cybersecurity leaders, keeping ahead of these 6 changes will be crucial in defending against new exploits and attack vectors.
To learn more about 10 key ransomware evolutions, read The Near and Far Future of Ransomware Business Models.
Traditionally, ransomware groups targeting businesses have preyed on industries where uptime is crucial and even an hour lost to a payload that encrypts files or halts production can be prohibitively expensive. But some adversary groups are finding success without ever deploying a payload.
LAPSU$, a group believed to have targeted such heavyweights as Microsoft, Nvidia, Uber, and Rockstar Games, gained prominence by extorting their victims and posting stolen data online when they failed to meet the group’s demands. As adversaries find more avenues to profit from their targets, cybersecurity leaders will need to carefully consider where all of their organization’s vulnerabilities lie.
Today, stealing or encrypting data to extort victims is the norm for ransomware groups. But stolen data is not just valuable to its rightful owners. One compromised machine can provide adversaries with a wealth of company secrets and sensitive documents ready for sale to the highest bidder.
While ransomware groups are not known for widespread data monetization, it’s an established underground…
