The AKO ransomware gangtold BleepingComputer that ThunderX was a development version of their ransomware and that AKO rebranded as Razy Locker. As Malwarebytes points out, because this was the first time ALPHVs operators created such a website, its yet unclear who exactly was behind it. ThunderX is a ransomware operation that was launched at the end of August 2020. Publishing a targets data on a leak site can pose a threat that is equivalent or even greater than encryption, because the data leak can trigger legal and financial consequences for the victim, as well as reputational damage and related business losses. Keep your people and their cloud apps secure by eliminating threats, avoiding data loss and mitigating compliance risk. What makes this DLS interesting is an indication that the threat actors were likely issuing two ransom demands: one for the victim to obtain the decryption key and a second to delete the exfiltrated data from the DLS. Though all threat groups are motivated to maximise profit, SunCrypt and PLEASE_READ_ME adopted different techniques to achieve this. Management. Similarly, there were 13 new sites detected in the second half of 2020. Learn about our unique people-centric approach to protection. Currently, the best protection against ransomware-related data leaks is prevention. Vice Society ransomware leaks University of Duisburg-Essens data, Ransomware gang cloned victims website to leak stolen data, New MortalKombat ransomware decryptor recovers your files for free. In February 2020, DoppelPaymer launched a dedicated leak site that they call "Dopple Leaks" and have threatened to sell data on the dark web if a victim does not pay. Defense Victims are usually named on the attackers data leak site, but the nature and the volume of data that is presented varies considerably by threat group. In the left-hand panel on the next menu, you'll see a "Change Adapter Settings" option. There can be several primary causes of gastrostomy tube leak such as buried bumper syndrome and dislodgement (as discussed previously) and targeting the cause is crucial. Effective Security Management, 5e,teaches practicing security professionals how to build their careers by mastering the fundamentals of good management. Data exfiltration risks for insiders are higher than ever. Babuk Locker is a new ransomware operation that launched at the beginning of 2021 and has since amassed a small list of victims worldwide. Episodes feature insights from experts and executives. The Veterans Administration lost 26.5 million records with sensitive data, including social security numbers and date of birth information, after an employee took data home. For comparison, the number of victimized companies in the US in 2020 stood at 740 and represented 54.9% of the total. In March 2020, CL0P released a data leak site called 'CL0P^-LEAKS', where they publish the victim's data. They previously had a leak site created at multiple TOR addresses, but they have since been shut down. The first part of this two-part blog series explored the origins of ransomware, BGH and extortion and introduced some of the criminal adversaries that are currently dominating the data leak extortion ecosystem. It does this by sourcing high quality videos from a wide variety of websites on . CL0P started as a CryptoMix variantand soon became the ransomware of choice for an APT group known as TA505. After this occurred, leaks associated with VIKING SPIDER's Ragnar Locker began appearing on TWISTED SPIDER's dedicated leak site and Maze ransomware began deploying ransomware using common virtualization software, a tactic originally pioneered by VIKING SPIDER. . Our threat intelligence analysts review, assess, and report actionable intelligence. According to Malwarebytes, the following message was posted on the site: "Inaction endangers both your employees and your guests Its common for administrators to misconfigure access, thereby disclosing data to any third party. By mid-2020, Maze had created a dedicated shaming webpage. It is estimated that Hive left behind over 1,500 victims worldwide and millions of dollars extorted as ransom payments. As data leak extortion swiftly became the new norm for big game hunting (BGH) ransomware operators since late 2019, various criminal adversaries began innovating in this area. Leakwatch scans the internet to detect if some exposed information requires your attention. An excellent example of a data leak is a misconfigured Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3 bucket. The use of data leak sites by ransomware actors is a well-established element of double extortion. It is not believed that this ransomware gang is performing the attacks to create chaos for Israel businessesand interests. The conventional tools we rely on to defend corporate networks are creating gaps in network visibility and in our capabilities to secure them. This website is similar to the one above, they possess the same interface and design, and this site will help you run a very fast email leak test. Prevent data loss via negligent, compromised and malicious insiders by correlating content, behavior and threats. Collaboration between operators may also place additional pressure on the victim to meet the ransom demand, as the stolen data has gained increased publicity and has already been shared at least once. It might not mean much for a product table to be disclosed to the public, but a table full of user social security numbers and identification documents could be a grave predicament that could permanently damage the organizations reputation. Here are a few ways an organization could be victim to a data leak: General scenarios help with data governance and risk management, but even large corporations fall victim to threats. Dedicated IP address. Employee data, including social security numbers, financial information and credentials. This group predominantly targets victims in Canada. Maze ransomware is single-handedly to blame for the new tactic of stealing files and using them as leverage to get a victimto pay. This site is not accessible at this time. DarkSide After encrypting victim's they will charge different amounts depending on the amount of devices encrypted and if they were able to steal data from the victim. The collaboration between Maze Cartel members and the auction feature on PINCHY SPIDERs DLS may be combined in the future. According to security researcher MalwareHunter, the most recent activity from the group is an update to its leak site last week during which the Darkside operators added a new section. In operation since the end of 2018, Snatch was one of the first ransomware infections to steal data and threaten to publish it. Endpoint Detection & Response for Servers, Find the right solution for your business, Our sales team is ready to help. There are some sub reddits a bit more dedicated to that, you might also try 4chan. spam campaigns. Named DoppelPaymer by Crowdstrike researchers, it is thought that a member of the BitPaymer group split off and created this ransomware as a new operation. They may publish portions of the data at the early stages of the attack to prove that they have breached the targets system and stolen data, and ultimately may publish full data dumps of those refusing to pay the ransom. from users. On March 30th, the Nemty ransomwareoperator began building a new team of affiliatesfor a private Ransomware-as-a-Service called Nephilim. Like a shared IP, a Dedicated IP connects you to a VPN server that conceals your internet traffic data, protects your digital privacy, and bypasses network blocks. By: Paul Hammel - February 23, 2023 7:22 pm. data. Maze Cartel data-sharing activity to date. Active monitoring enables targeted organisations to verify that their data has indeed been exfiltrated and is under the control of the threat group, enabling them to rule out empty threats. Data leak sites are usually dedicated dark web pages that post victim names and details. Secure access to corporate resources and ensure business continuity for your remote workers. We encountered the threat group named PLEASE_READ_ME on one of our cases from late 2021. Although affiliates perform the attacks, the ransom negotiations and data leaks are typically coordinated from a single ALPHV website, hosted on the dark web. Instead of hosting the stolen data on a site that deals with all the gang's victims, the victim had a website dedicated to them. For those interesting in reading more about this ransomware, CERT-FR has a great report on their TTPs. Cuba ransomware launched in December 2020 and utilizes the .cuba extension for encrypted files. Dislodgement of the gastrostomy tube could be another cause for tube leak. They can be configured for public access or locked down so that only authorized users can access data. While there are many routes to application security, bundles that allow security teams to quickly and easily secure applications and affect security posture in a self-service manner are becoming increasingly popular. We explore how different groups have utilised them to threaten and intimidate victims using a variety of techniques and, in some cases, to achieve different objectives. Because this is unlike anything ALPHV has done before, it's possible that this is being done by an affiliate, and it may turn out to be a mistake. Read the latest press releases, news stories and media highlights about Proofpoint. The line is blurry between data breaches and data leaks, but generally, a data leak is caused by: Although the list isnt exhaustive, administrators make common mistakes associated with data leaks. It leverages a vulnerability in recent Intel CPUs to leak secrets from the processor itself: on most 10th, 11th and 12th generation Intel CPUs the APIC MMIO undefined range incorrectly returns stale data from the cache hierarchy. It is possible that a criminal marketplace may be created for ransomware operators to sell or auction data, share techniques and even sell access to victims if they dont have the time or capability to conduct such operations. For threat groups that are known to use Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks, the leak site can be useful as an advanced warning (as in the case of the SunCrypt threat group that was discussed earlier in this article). Sure enough, the site disappeared from the web yesterday. This feature allows users to bid for leak data or purchase the data immediately for a specified Blitz Price. Payments are only accepted in Monero (XMR) cryptocurrency. (Marc Solomon), No one combatting cybercrime knows everything, but everyone in the battle has some intelligence to contribute to the larger knowledge base. Stand out and make a difference at one of the world's leading cybersecurity companies. Ionut Arghire is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek. The Maze Cartel creates benefits for the adversaries involved, and potential pitfalls for victims. Egregor began operating in the middle of September, just as Maze started shutting down their operation. The Maze Cartel creates benefits for the adversaries involved, and potential pitfalls for victims. They have reported on more than 3,000 victims that have been named to a data leak site since the broader ransomware landscape adopted the tactic. SunCrypt is a ransomware that has been operating since the end of 2019, but have recently become more active after joining the 'Maze Cartel.'. Not just in terms of the infrastructure legacy, on-premises, hybrid, multi-cloud, and edge. By visiting Instead of creating dedicated "leak" sites, the ransomware operations below leak stolen files on hacker forums or by sending emails to the media. She has a background in terrorism research and analysis, and is a fluent French speaker. Get the latest cybersecurity insights in your hands featuring valuable knowledge from our own industry experts. Maze is responsible for numerous high profile attacks, including ones against cyber insurer Chubb, the City of Pensacola,Bouygues Construction, and Banco BCR. Proofpoint can take you from start to finish to design a data loss prevention plan and implement it. TWISTED SPIDERs reputation as a prolific ransomware operator arguably bolsters the reputation of the newer operators and could encourage the victim to pay the ransom demand. Ransomware profile: Wizard Spider / Conti, Bad magic: when patient zero disappears without a trace, ProxyShell: the latest critical threat to unpatched Exchange servers, Maze threat group were the first to employ the method, identified targeted organisations that did not comply, multiple techniques to keep the target at the negotiation table, Asceris' dark web monitoring and cyber threat intelligence services. Additionally, PINCHY SPIDERs willingness to release the information after the auction has expired, which effectively provides the data for free, may have a negative impact on the business model if those seeking the information are willing to have the information go public prior to accessing it.. A data leak site (DLS) is exactly that - a website created solely for the purpose of selling stolen data obtained after a successful ransomware attack. When purchasing a subscription, you have to check an additional box. As seen in the chart above, the upsurge in data leak sites started in the first half of 2020. Try out Malwarebytes Premium, with a full-featured trial, Activate, upgrade and manage your subscription in MyAccount, Get answers to frequently asked questions and troubleshooting tips, "Thanks to the Malwarebytes MSP program, we have this high-quality product in our stack. Once the bidder is authenticated for a particular auction, the resulting page displays auction deposit amounts, starting auction price, ending auction price, an XMR address to send transactions to, a listing of transactions to that address, and the time left until the auction expires, as shown in Figure 3. Turn unforseen threats into a proactive cybersecurity strategy. The ransomware operators have created a data leak site called 'Pysa Homepage' where they publish the stolen files of their "partners" if a ransom is not paid. In August 2020, operators of SunCrypt ransomware claimed they were a new addition to the Maze Cartel the claim was refuted by TWISTED SPIDER. Duplication of a Norway-based victims details on both the TWISTED SPIDER DLS and SunCrypt DLS contributed to theories the adversaries were collaborating, though the data was also available on criminal forums at the time it appeared on SunCrypts DLS. As part of our investigation, we located SunCrypts posting policy on the press release section of their dark web page. We have information protection experts to help you classify data, automate data procedures, stay compliant with regulatory requirements, and build infrastructure that supports effective data governance. 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