In recent years, we have been observing a disturbing trend in the world of cybercrime - criminals are increasingly operating like professional companies. Their organized approach and collaboration with other groups make them resemble technology startups more than the lone hackers they are often thought to be. This phenomenon leads to attacks that bypass the most advanced security teams and government defense operations. Additionally, the financial impact of these activities is constantly growing - according to the latest IBM research, the average cost of a ransomware attack in 2022 was $4.35 million, a 2.6% increase compared to 2021 and almost 13% since 2020, when it was $3.86 million. Let’s look at how cybercriminals are mimicking the nature of today’s modern companies.
Ransomware as a Service
Ransomware groups are increasingly adopting traditional business models to scale and function in a highly productive manner. Ransomware as a Service (RaaS), similar to Software as a Service (SaaS), allows less skilled ransomware affiliates to purchase tools using a subscription-based payment method. This not only helps in expanding operations but also provides a new way of generating revenue, unifying what once were fragmented and one-time attacks. By outsourcing ransomware tools, RaaS operators can focus on their niche area, introducing improvements in their specific area of expertise to continually improve their product.
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Using New Technologies
For today’s agile startups, new programming languages offer alternative ways to build and secure code. Rust is a language gaining popularity among developers because it contains many built-in security features that prevent code compilation with common vulnerabilities. This layer of protection solves some long-standing problems in languages like C and C++, which over the years have led to many buffer overflow and use-after-free (UAF) vulnerabilities. Unfortunately, these same benefits have also attracted the attention of criminals. In recent months, ransomware groups such as BlackCat, Hive, and Agenda have been using Rust because of the ease with which this cross-platform language allows them to adapt their malware to different operating systems.
Threat from Automated Chatbots
Cybercriminals are also future-proofing their “organizations” by leveraging generative AI, which enables them to scale beyond what were once one-time attacks. It is well documented that writing code with ChatGPT is often incorrect or incomplete, so there is still a need for people with significant skills to work alongside it. However, security researchers have already had success using these tools’ APIs to quickly help with reverse engineering legitimate software.
Given the progressive evolution of cybercrime, teams responsible for security must constantly stay up to date with new strategies and tools used by criminals. It is crucial to understand and anticipate potential threats and quickly adapt to new attack methods. Today’s organizations must invest in continuous training, advanced technologies, and cooperation with other institutions to effectively counter malicious activities. Additionally, it is also important to be aware of and prepared for the various tactics that criminals may use to avoid being surprised by an attack and minimize potential damage. Increased vigilance and proactivity in cybersecurity are key to ensuring protection against a growing and increasingly complex spectrum of digital threats.
Related Terms
Learn key terms related to this article in our cybersecurity glossary:
- Ransomware — Ransomware is a type of malicious software (malware) that blocks access to a…
- Security Operations Center (SOC) — Security Operations Center (SOC) is a central location where a team of security…
- SOC as a Service — SOC as a Service (Security Operations Center as a Service), also known as…
- Network Security — Network security is a set of practices, technologies, and strategies aimed at…
- Cybersecurity — Cybersecurity is a collection of techniques, processes, and practices used to…
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