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. Similar to many other ransomware operators, the threat actors added a link to their dedicated leak site (DLS), as shown in Figure 1. For those interesting in reading more about this ransomware, CERT-FR has a great report on their TTPs. Examples of data that could be disclosed after a leak include: Data protection strategies should always include employee education and training, but administrators can take additional steps to stop data leaks. 2 - MyVidster. Bolder still, the site wasn't on the dark web where it's impossible to locate and difficult to take down, but hard for many people to reach. spam campaigns. Call us now. Luckily, we have concrete data to see just how bad the situation is. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. By: Paul Hammel - February 23, 2023 7:22 pm. Dislodgement of the gastrostomy tube could be another cause for tube leak. . By definition, phishing is "a malicious technique used by cybercriminals to gather sensitive information (credit card data, usernames, and passwords, etc.) 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. Dish Network confirms ransomware attack behind multi-day outage, LastPass: DevOps engineer hacked to steal password vault data in 2022 breach, Windows 11 Moment 2 update released, here are the many new features, U.S. We want to hear from you. Though all threat groups are motivated to maximise profit, SunCrypt and PLEASE_READ_ME adopted different techniques to achieve this. Clicking on links in such emails often results in a data leak. Like with most cybercrime statistics, 2021 is a record year in terms of how many new websites of this kind appeared on the dark web. By visiting Starting in July 2020, the Mount Locker ransomware operation became active as they started to breach corporate networks and deploytheir ransomware. Browserleaks.com; Browserleaks.com specializes in WebRTC leaks and would . A misconfigured AWS S3 is just one example of an underlying issue that causes data leaks, but data can be exposed for a myriad of other misconfigurations and human errors. All Rights Reserved BNP Media. Gain visibility & control right now. Our threat intelligence analysts review, assess, and report actionable intelligence. 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). Todays cyber attacks target people. Less-established operators can host data on a more-established DLS, reducing the risk of the data being taken offline by a public hosting provider. Sponsored Content is a special paid section where industry companies provide high quality, objective, non-commercial content around topics of interest to the Security audience. This stated that exfiltrated data would be made available for sale to a single entity, but if no buyers appeared it would be freely available to download one week after advertising its availability. Instead it was on the regular world wide web, where we (and law enforcement) could easily discover things like where it was located and what company was hosting it. When purchasing a subscription, you have to check an additional box. It's often used as a first-stage infection, with the primary job of fetching secondary malware . Nemty also has a data leak site for publishing the victim's data but it was, recently, unreachable. Figure 3. If the ransom was not paid, the threat actor published the data in full, making the exfiltrated documents available at no cost. In May 2020, Newalker started to recruit affiliates with the lure of huge payouts and an auto-publishing data leak site that uses a countdown to try and scare victims into paying. Law enforcementseized the Netwalker data leak and payment sites in January 2021. The attackers pretend to be a trustworthy entity to bait the victims into trusting them and revealing their confidential data. However, TWISTED SPIDER made no reference to the inclusion of WIZARD SPIDER, and the duplication is potentially the result of the victims facing two intrusions by separate ransomware actors, or data being sold by WIZARD SPIDER to other threat actors.. Some people believe that cyberattacks are carried out by a single man in a hoodie behind a computer in a dark room. Starting as the Mailto ransomwareinOctober 2019, the ransomwarerebrandedas Netwalkerin February 2020. 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. Here are a few ways you can prevent a data leak incident: To better design security infrastructure around sensitive data, it helps to know common scenarios where data leaks occur. The ransom demanded by PLEASE_READ_ME was relatively small, at $520 per database in December 2021. For comparison, the number of victimized companies in the US in 2020 stood at 740 and represented 54.9% of the total. Sitemap, Intelligent Classification and Protection, Managed Services for Security Awareness Training, Managed Services for Information Protection, Request a Free Trial of Proofpoint ITM Platform, 2022 Ponemon Cost of Insider Threats Global Report. In August 2020, operators of SunCrypt ransomware claimed they were a new addition to the Maze Cartel the claim was refuted by TWISTED SPIDER. Sodinokibiburst into operation in April 2019 and is believed to be the successor of GandCrab, whoshut down their ransomware operationin 2019. ALPHV ransomware is used by affiliates who conduct individual attacks, beaching organizations using stolen credentials or, more recently by exploiting weaknessesin unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers. However, the situation took a sharp turn in 2020 H1, as DLSs increased to a total of 12. Many ransomware operators have created data leak sites to publicly shame their victims and publish the files they stole. Got only payment for decrypt 350,000$. 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. Babuk Locker is a new ransomware operation that launched at the beginning of 2021 and has since amassed a small list of victims from around the world. After Maze began publishing stolen files, Sodinokibifollowed suit by first publishing stolen data on a hacker forum and then launching a dedicated "Happy Blog" data leak site. Click that. When sensitive data is disclosed to an unauthorized third party, it's considered a "data leak" or "data disclosure." The terms "data leak" and "data breach" are often used interchangeably, but a data leak does not require exploitation of a vulnerability. If the bidder wins the auction and does not deliver the full bid amount, the deposit is not returned to the winning bidder. Related: BlackCat Ransomware Targets Industrial Companies, Related: Conti Ransomware Operation Shut Down After Brand Becomes Toxic, Related: Ransomware Targeted 14 of 16 U.S. Critical Infrastructure Sectors in 2021. The dedicated leak site, which has been taken down, appeared to have been created to make the stolen information easily accessible to employees and guests, thus pressuring the hotelier into paying a ransom. Soon after CrowdStrike's researchers published their report, the ransomware operators adopted the given name and began using it on their Tor payment site. Delving a bit deeper into the data, we find that information belonging to 713 companies was leaked and published on DLSs in 2021 Q3, making it a record quarter to date. Turn unforseen threats into a proactive cybersecurity strategy. However, TWISTED SPIDER made no reference to the inclusion of WIZARD SPIDER, and the duplication is potentially the result of the victims facing two intrusions by separate ransomware actors, or data being sold by WIZARD SPIDER to other threat actors., The exact nature of the collaboration between Maze Cartels members is unconfirmed; it is unknown if the actors actively participate in the same operations. The site was aimed at the employees and guests of a hotelier that had been attacked, and allowed them to see if their personal details had been leaked. Based on information on ALPHVs Tor website, the victim is likely the Oregon-based luxury resort The Allison Inn & Spa. The Maze Cartel creates benefits for the adversaries involved, and potential pitfalls for victims. According to Malwarebytes, the following message was posted on the site: "Inaction endangers both your employees and your guests 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. In September, as Maze began shutting down their operations, LockBit launched their ownransomware data leak site to extort victims. However, these advertisements do not appear to be restricted to ransomware operations and could instead enable espionage and other nefarious activity. Get deeper insight with on-call, personalized assistance from our expert team. Security solutions such as the CrowdStrike Falcon endpoint protection platform come with many preventive features to protect against threats like those outlined in this blog series. All rights reserved. Though human error by employees or vendors is often behind a data leak, its not the only reason for unwanted disclosures. Sekhmet appeared in March 2020 when it began targeting corporate networks. Become a channel partner. Unlike Nemty, a free-for-all RaaS that allowed anyone to join, Nephilim was built from the ground up by recruiting only experienced malware distributors and hackers. As Malwarebytes points out, because this was the first time ALPHVs operators created such a website, its yet unclear who exactly was behind it. On March 30th, the Nemty ransomwareoperator began building a new team of affiliatesfor a private Ransomware-as-a-Service called Nephilim. For example, if buried bumper syndrome is diagnosed, the internal bumper should be removed. Effective Security Management, 5e,teaches practicing security professionals how to build their careers by mastering the fundamentals of good management. Sensitive customer data, including health and financial information. 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. Management. Some of the most common of these include: . ransomware portal. They may publish portions of the data at the early stages of the attack to prove that they have breached the target's system and stolen data, and ultimately may publish full data dumps of those refusing to pay the ransom. Want to stay informed on the latest news in cybersecurity? Contact your local rep. Some of the actors share similar tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs), including an initial aversion to targeting frontline healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there are indications that adversaries are emulating successful techniques demonstrated by other members of the cartel1. Duplication of a Norway-based victims details on both the TWISTED SPIDER DLS and, DLS contributed to theories the adversaries were collaborating, though the data was also available on criminal forums at the time it appeared on, Also in August 2020, details of two victims were duplicated on both TWISTED SPIDERs DLS and WIZARD SPIDERs, DLS, resulting in theories that WIZARD SPIDER is a new addition to the Maze Cartel. The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) group ALPHV, also known as BlackCat and Noberus, is currently one of the most active. come with many preventive features to protect against threats like those outlined in this blog series. Pysafirst appeared in October 2019 when companies began reporting that a new ransomware had encrypted their servers. Learn about our unique people-centric approach to protection. But while all ransomware groups share the same objective, they employ different tactics to achieve their goal. The Lockbit ransomware outfit has now established a dedicated site to leak stolen private data, enabling it to extort selected targets twice. A vendor laptop containing thousands of names, social security numbers, and credit card information was stolen from a car belonging to a University of North Dakota contractor. Researchers only found one new data leak site in 2019 H2. The Login button can be used to log in as a previously registered user, and the Registration button provides a generated username and password for the auction session. As part of our investigation, we located SunCrypts posting policy on the press release section of their dark web page. If payment is not made, the victim's data is published on their "Avaddon Info" site. However, that is not the case. 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. In one of our cases from early 2022, we found that the threat group made a growing percentage of the data publicly available after the ransom payment deadline of 72 hours was passed. This group's ransomware activities gained media attention after encrypting 267 servers at Maastricht University. If you do not agree to the use of cookies, you should not navigate 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. Keep up with the latest news and happenings in the everevolving cybersecurity landscape. Then visit a DNS leak test website and follow their instructions to run a test. WebRTC and Flash request IP addresses outside of your proxy, socks, or VPN connections are the leading cause of IP leaks. DarkSide Proprietary research used for product improvements, patents, and inventions. Help your employees identify, resist and report attacks before the damage is done. Instead of creating dedicated "leak" sites, the ransomware operations below leak stolen files on hacker forums or by sending emails to the media. A data leak can simply be disclosure of data to a third party from poor security policies or storage misconfigurations. The exact nature of the collaboration between Maze Cartels members is unconfirmed; it is unknown if the actors actively participate in the same operations. Interested in participating in our Sponsored Content section? 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. Its common for administrators to misconfigure access, thereby disclosing data to any third party. It was even indexed by Google, Malwarebytes says. With features that include machine learning, behavioral preventions and executable quarantining, the Falcon platform has proven to be highly effective at stopping ransomware and other common techniques criminal organizations employ. AI-powered protection against BEC, ransomware, phishing, supplier riskandmore with inline+API or MX-based deployment. Our mission at Asceris is to reduce the financial and business impact of cyber incidents and other adverse events. DoppelPaymer launched a dedicated leak site called "Dopple Leaks." The trendsetter, Maze, also have a website for the leaked data (name not available). Department of Energy officials has concluded with "low confidence" that a laboratory leak was the cause of the Covid epidemic. They were publicly available to anyone willing to pay for them. The cybersecurity firm Mandiant found themselves on the LockBit 2.0 wall of shame on the dark web on 6 June 2022. List of ransomware that leaks victims' stolen files if not paid, additional extortion demand to delete stolen data, successor of the notorious Ryuk Ransomware, Maze began shutting down their operations, launched their ownransomware data leak site, operator began building a new team of affiliates, against theAustralian transportation companyToll Group, seized the Netwalker data leak and payment sites, predominantly targets Israeli organizations, create chaos for Israel businessesand interests, terminate processes used by Managed Service Providers, encryptingthePortuguese energy giant Energias de Portugal, target businesses in network-wide attacks. High profile victims of DoppelPaymer include Bretagne Tlcom and the City of Torrance in Los Angeles county. Other groups adopted the technique, increasing the pressure by providing a timeframe for the victims to pay up and showcasing a countdown along with screenshots proving the theft of data displayed on the wall of shame. 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. However, the apparent collaboration between members of the Maze Cartel is more unusual and has the potential to alter the TTPs used in the ransomware threat landscape. [deleted] 2 yr. ago. Ionut Arghire is an international correspondent for SecurityWeek. Other groups, like Lockbit, Avaddon, REvil, and Pysa, all hacked upwards of 100 companies and sold the stolen information on the darknet. When first starting, the ransomware used the .locked extension for encrypted files and switched to the .pysa extension in November 2019. The number of companies that had their information uploaded onto dedicated leak sites (DLS) between the second half of the financial year (H2) 2021 and the first half of the financial year (H1) 2022 was up 22%, year on year, to 2,886, which amounts to an average of eight companies having their data leaked online every day, says a recent report, 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. Since then, they started publishing the data for numerous victims through posts on hacker forums and eventually a dedicated leak site. For comparison, the ransomware used the.locked extension for encrypted files and to. Published the data what is a dedicated leak site taken offline by a public hosting provider bid for leak data purchase! Firm Mandiant found themselves on the LockBit ransomware outfit has now established dedicated. 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