Attackers are adopting more sophisticated ransomware attack techniques, incorporating key attributes of defunct criminal groups to target individuals, according to a new Kaspersky report.
This shift highlights growing concerns in the cybersecurity environment.
report, Emerging ransomware trends for 2023made public today ahead of Anti-Ransomware Day 2023 on Friday.
According to the report, the top five ransomware groups that are the most influential and cause the most attacks have undergone significant changes over the past year.
In the first half of 2022, Reville and Conti ranked second and third respectively in attack. However, in Q1 2023, these groups were replaced by Vice Society and BlackCat. The ransomware groups remaining in the top five for Q1 2023 are Clop and Royal.
Read more about the Vice Society threat actor: Vice Society claims ransomware attack against University of Duisburg-Essen
Kaspersky added that all of these groups are still alive, according to last year’s survey of ransomware trends. Researchers have noted several significant cross-platform variants of his ransomware, including Luna and Black Basta.
For 2023, Kaspersky experts highlighted three major ransomware trends. First, ransomware groups incorporate self-spreading and mimicking capabilities into their malware, as seen in examples like Black Basta, LockBit, and Play.
Next, cybercriminals are also targeting industries such as gaming by exploiting vulnerabilities in antivirus drivers.
Finally, large ransomware gangs have adopted the functionality of leaked or purchased code to enhance their attack capabilities.
“Ransomware gangs always surprise us and never stop developing their techniques and procedures,” said Dmitry Garov, senior security researcher in Kaspersky’s global research and analysis team.
The executive also said that over the past 18 months, the company has observed ransomware gangs turning their operations into serious business.
“This fact makes even amateur attackers very dangerous. Therefore, it is very important to keep your cybersecurity services up to date in order to keep your business and personal data safe.” concludes Gabroff.
Learn more about ransomware trends for 2023 in this analysis by Recorded Future CISO Jason Steer.
