From late 2023 and into 2024, the ransomware ecosystem has become more diverse than ever, with an ever-expanding cast of extortion groups. Established players continue to compromise large companies globally, while smaller, newer groups are breaking into the scene with increasing frequency. From January to mid-May 2024 alone, 22 new ransomware groups emerged. In comparison, only 22 groups emerged during the entire two-and-a-half-year period between January 2018 and August 2020.

This blog provides a comprehensive update on a major data breach at the UK Ministry of Defence, a strategic shift in ransomware targets towards smaller businesses, and the increasing utilisation of generative AI in cybercrime.

The realm of hacktivism is rapidly expanding, its contours continually shifting and adapting to the geopolitical climate. Within this dynamic landscape, specific regions and industry sectors face heightened risks. Hacktivism, by its very essence, thrives in the public eye, as its actors strive to effect political or social change.