Rapid 7 - To Maze and Beyond: How the Ransomware Double Extortion Space Has Evolved
We're here with the final installment in our Pain Points: Ransomware Data Disclosure Trends report blog series, and today we're looking at a unique aspect of the report that clarifies not just what ransomware actors choose to disclose, but who discloses what, and how the ransomware landscape has changed over the last two years.
Firstly, we should tell you that our research centered around the concept of double extortion. Unlike traditional ransomware attacks, where bad actors take over a victim's network and hold the data hostage for ransom, double extortion takes it a step further and extorts the victim for more money with the threat (and, in some cases, execution) of the release of sensitive data. So not only does a victim experience a ransomware attack, they also experience a data breach, and the additional risk of that data becoming publicly available if they do not pay.
According to our research, there have been a handful of major players in the double extortion field starting in April 2020, when our data begins, and February 2022. Double extortion itself was in many ways pioneered by the Maze ransomware group, so it should not surprise anyone that we will focus on them first.
The rise and fall of Maze and the splintering of ransomware double extortion
Maze's influence on the current state of ransomware should not be understated. Prior to the group's pioneering of double extortion, many ransomware actors intended to sell the data they encrypted to other criminal entities. Maze, however, popularized another revenue stream for these bad actors, leaning on the victims themselves for more money. Using coercive pressure, Maze did an end run around one of the most important safeguards organizations can take against ransomware: having safely secured and regularly updated backups of their important data.
Throughout most of 2020 Maze was the leader of the double extortion tactic among ransomware groups, accounting for 30% of the 94 reported cases of double extortion between April and December of 2020. This is even more remarkable given the fact that Maze itself was shut down in November of 2020.
Other top ransomware groups also accounted for large percentages of data disclosures. For instance, in that same year, REvil/Sodinokibi accounted for 19%, Conti accounted for 14%, and NetWalker 12%. To give some indication of just how big Maze's influence was and offer explanation for what happened after they were shut down, Maze and REvil/Sodinokibi accounted for nearly half of all double extortion attacks that year.
However, once Maze was out of the way, double extortion still continued, just with far more players taking smaller pieces of the pie. Conti and REvil/Sodinokibi were still major players in 2021, but their combined market share barely ticked up, making up just 35% of the market even without Maze dominating the space. Conti accounted for 19%, and REvil/Sodinokibi dropped to 16%.
But other smaller players saw increases in 2021. CL0P's market share rose to 9%, making it the third most active group. Darkside and RansomEXX both went from 2% in 2020 to 6% in 2021. There were 16 other groups who came onto the scene, but none of them took more than 5% market share. Essentially, with Maze out of the way, the ransomware market splintered with even the big groups from the year before being unable to step in and fill Maze's shoes.
What they steal depends on who they are
Even ransomware groups have their own preferred types of data to steal, release, and hold hostage. REvil/Sodinokibi focused heavily on releasing customer and patient data (present in 55% of their disclosures), finance and accounting data (present in 55% of their disclosures), employee PII and HR data (present in 52% of their disclosures), and sales and marketing data (present in 48% of their disclosures).
CL0P on the other hand was far more focused on Employee PII & HR data with that type of information present in 70% of their disclosures, more than double any other type of data. Conti overwhelmingly focused on Finance and Accounting data (present in 81% of their disclosures) whereas Customer & Patient Data was just 42% and Employee PII & HR data at just 27%.
Ultimately, these organizations have their own unique interests in the type of data they choose to steal and release during the double extortion layer of their ransomware attacks. They can act as calling cards for the different groups that help illuminate the inner workings of the ransomware ecosystem.
Thank you for joining us on this unprecedented dive into the world of double extortion as told through the data disclosures themselves. To dive even deeper into the data, download the full report.
Additional reading:
- For Finserv Ransomware Attacks, Obtaining Customer Data Is the Focus
- For Ransomware Double-Extorters, It's All About the Benjamins — and Data From Healthcare and Pharma
- New Report Shows What Data Is Most at Risk to (and Prized by) Ransomware Attackers
- Complimentary GartnerⓇ Report "How to Respond to the 2022 Cyberthreat Landscape": Ransomware Edition
from Rapid7 Blog https://blog.rapid7.com/2022/07/27/to-maze-and-beyond-how-the-ransomware-double-extortion-space-has-evolved/
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