A recent analysis of the ransomware group Meow raises the notion that groups are evolving from using encryption as a tactic to more profitable and cost-effective methods. At the end of the day, ransomware is a business. Those behind the malware used in ransomware attacks typically seek to make money, whether that be directly from the victim organization or by way of a nation-state paying for the gang’s services.

Malware attacks have become an unfortunate reality for organizations of all sizes. Malicious software is always changing, which causes a lot of problems. This, along with the fact that hackers are getting smarter, has made it hard for security teams to keep up with threats. For organizations to successfully fight malware, they need to take a comprehensive and proactive approach. This plan should include both responding to incidents and gathering information about threats.

In the always-changing world of online threats, ransomware attacks are getting trickier because bad people are always finding new ways to scam people. There is a new bug called Brain Cipher that is very dangerous. Brain Cipher ransomware is very bad. It can cost a company a lot of money, hurt its reputation, and make things not work right. Brain Cipher ransomware is cutting edge and dangerous. It has hurt companies all over the world a great deal.

One of the most interesting findings of our Netskope Threat Labs Report: Insurance 2024 was the discovery that GitHub is the most popular application in terms of malware downloads for this specific vertical, surpassing Microsoft OneDrive, which is usually the undisputed leader of this unwelcome chart.

Agent Tesla is an advanced piece of malware that functions as a keylogger and RAT (remote access trojan). The malware was first identified in 2014. They are crafted to infiltrate systems and seize sensitive information like usernames, passwords, and other private data mainly by logging keystrokes. This kind of spyware works secretly in the background, which is difficult to detect for the users.

Bumblebee is a highly sophisticated downloader malware cybercriminals use to gain access to corporate networks and deliver other payloads such as Cobalt Strike beacons and ransomware. The Google Threat Analysis Group first discovered the malware in March 2022 and named it Bumblebee based on a User-Agent string it used. The Netskope Threat Labs team discovered what seems to be a new infection chain leading to Bumblebee malware infection, and our findings corroborate those shared by other researchers.

At the end of every year, the Trustwave content team asks its in-house experts what cybersecurity topics they predict will be top of mind in the coming 12 months, and inevitably the top answer is more ransomware. Instead of waiting an extra couple of months, we thought why not get ahead of the curve, pretend that ransomware will again be an issue, because it will, and proceed to the part of the story where we go through the problem and mitigation methods.

No-one would be bold enough to say that the ransomware problem is receding, but a newly-published report by Microsoft does deliver a slither of encouraging news amongst the gloom. And boy do we need some good news - amid reports that 389 US-based healthcare institutions were hit by ransomware last year - more than one every single day.

This malicious tactic enables cybercriminals to sneak into an organization’s email network or other systems without the payloads typically associated with harmful software. The payloadless method leverages harder-to-detect malware delivery techniques and psychological manipulation to execute attacks. It reflects the ingenuity of threat actors and emphasizes the need for organizations to never stop revamping their security strategies.

At Foresiet, our mission is to help businesses stay informed about emerging cybersecurity risks. One of the latest and most dangerous threats is Interlock ransomware, a variant that has made waves on the dark web. This ransomware group claims to be more than just extortionists, positioning themselves as enforcers of accountability for companies that fail to adequately protect customer data and intellectual property.