FINAL WORD inflict maximum damage . Organisations are more likely to pay in these circumstances and ransoms can be set much higher .
Compromise-As-a-service networks common and they are popular among attackers as they can be purchased for between hundreds to thousands of dollars .
Post-compromise activities
The crimeware ecosystem has continued to evolve in recent years with new ransomware product offerings emerging on hacking forums , darknet markets and in closed communities .
Offensive security and dual-use tools have become increasingly widespread to carry out post-compromise activities . Dual-use tools are applications that were initially created to help legitimate administrators but are
These cater to criminals who seek to launch extortion attacks without having to first obtain initial access into the networks they are targeting . Individuals selling these offerings are known as ‘ initial access brokers ’, they seek to obtain an initial foothold in corporate environments and may also perform the post-compromise activities necessary to escalate privileges . These criminals then sell this access capability to others , rather than deploy malware themselves . Online sales postings have become increasingly frequent , with access to multiple
Many attackers are not only causing widespread disruption to business operations but are also stealing large quantities of sensitive data before issuing ransom demands .
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