Ransomware

The LockBit intrusion set, tracked by Trend Micro as Water Selkie, has one of the most active ransomware operations today. With LockBit’s strong malware capabilities and affiliate program, organizations should keep abreast of its machinations to effectively spot risks and defend against attacks.

We cover the key trends that defined the ransomware threat landscape in the second half of 2023. Data from RaaS and extortion groups’ leak sites, open-source intelligence (OSINT) research, and the Trend Micro telemetry shows that LockBit, BlackCat, and Clop continued to rank among the active RaaS and extortion groups with the highest victim counts during this period.

Our continuous surveillance and research of the threat landscape in 2023 showed patterns suggesting that as cybercriminals take advantage of the expanding attack surface, they are also learning to prioritize substance over size.

2024 is poised to be a hotbed for new challenges in cybersecurity as the economic and political terrains continue to undergo digitization and enterprises increasingly leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), the cloud, and Web3 technologies. While these innovations are expected to lend a hand to organizations, they also provide opportunities for cybercriminals by promising big returns, more streamlined operations on wider impact zones, and more targeted victims.

After the shutdown of its leak site in October, we look at how ransomware group Trigona operated during its period of activity and discuss how enterprises can fortify their defenses against similar threats.

This report spotlights Akira, a novel ransomware family with highly experienced and skilled operators at its helm.

We delve into three of the most active ransomware families that dominated the first half of 2023: LockBit, Clop, and BlackCat. This report features data from ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) and extortion groups’ leak sites, Trend Micro’s open-source intelligence (OSINT) research, and the Trend Micro™ Smart Protection Network™, collected from Jan. 1 to June 30, 2023.

In this year’s Midyear Roundup, we look at the major events in the first half of 2023 and draw a picture of the threat landscape from behaviors and patterns observed in the threat landscape to stay ahead and prepare for risks in the second half of the year.

Backed by threat actors from Conti, Royal ransomware is poised to wreak havoc in the threat landscape, starting strong by taking a spot among the most prolific ransomware groups within three months since it was first reported. Combining new and old techniques and quick evolution, it is likely to remain a big player in the threat landscape in the future.