Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Aug 04, 2025

Ransomware criminals' demands rise as aggressive tactics pay off

Ransomware criminals' demands rise as aggressive tactics pay off

Average ransomware demands and payments are up as criminal enterprises pour money into the profitable operations

Ransomware gangs are getting greedier as aggressive tactics pay off.

The ransomware crisis just keeps getting worse as criminal enterprises pour money into highly profitable ransomware operations, according to a report from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 security consulting group.

The average ransomware payment climbed 82% to a record $570,000 in the first half of 2021 from $312,000 in 2020.


And criminal gangs are upping demands. The average ransom demand so far this year is $5.3 million, surging 518% from 2020 when the average demand was $847,000. That’s because too often it works.

"Ransomware attacks have prevented us from accessing work computers, pushed up meat prices, led to gasoline shortages, shut down schools, delayed legal cases, prevented some of us from getting our cars inspected and caused some hospitals to turn away patients," the report said.

For a single victim, the largest ransom demand seen by Unit 42 consultants rose to $50 million in the first half of 2021 from $30 million last year.

Ransomware gangs are getting greedier as aggressive tactics pay off.


Larger demands and ransoms mean gangs are getting creative, as the July Kaseya VSA attack shows.

REvil, a notorious ransomware-as-a-service criminal business enterprise, offered a "universal decryption key" to all of the organizations hit by the attack in return for a $70 million payment.

"Though it quickly dropped the asking price to $50 million. Kaseya eventually obtained a universal decryption key, but it’s unclear what payment was made, if any," Unit 42 said.

This year, the largest confirmed payment was the $11 million that JBS SA said it paid after an attack in June.

Quadruple extortion


The rise of "quadruple extortion" is one of the most ominous trends, said Unit 42, whose consultants handled "dozens" of ransomware cases in the first half of 2021.

"While it’s rare for one organization to be the victim of all four techniques, this year we have increasingly seen ransomware gangs engage in additional approaches when victims don’t pay up after encryption and data theft," Unit 42 said.

These four tactics are:

Encryption:


Victims pay to regain access to computer systems after key files get encrypted. This is classic ransomware.

Data theft:


Hackers release sensitive information if a ransom is not paid. This tactic took hold in 2020.

Denial of service (DoS):


Ransomware gangs launch denial of service attacks that bring down a victim’s public websites.

Harassment:


"Cybercriminals contact customers, business partners, employees and media to tell them the organization was hacked," the report said.

And as ransomware enterprises mature, the sophistication of attacks grows.

For instance, Unit 42 is starting to see ransomware gangs target a type of software known as a hypervisor.

Also expect to see more targeting of so-called managed service providers (MSPs) and their customers after the Kaseya attack, which spread to clients of MSPs, Unit 42 said.

Some gangs, however, will continue to focus on the "low end of the market...regularly targeting small businesses that lack resources to invest heavily in cybersecurity," the report said. Those ransom payments typically range from $10,000 to $50,000.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Pilots Call for Mental Health Support Without Stigma
All Five Trapped Miners Found Dead After El Teniente Mine Collapse
Ong Beng Seng Pleads Guilty in Corruption Case Linked to Former Singapore Transport Minister
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
Italy Fines Shein One Million Euros for Misleading Sustainability Claims
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
Declassified Annex Links Soros‑Affiliated Officials and Clinton Campaign to ‘Russiagate’ Narrative
UK's Online Safety Law: A Front for Censorship
Nationwide Protests Erupt in Brazil Demanding Presidential Resignation
Parents Abandon Child at Barcelona Airport Over Passport Issue
Mystery Surrounds Death of Brazilian Woman with iPhones Glued to Her Body
Bus Driver Discovers Toddler Hidden in Suitcase in New Zealand
Switzerland Celebrates 734 Years of Independence Amid Global Changes
U.S. Opens Official Investigation into Former Trump Prosecutor Jack Smith
Leaked audio of Canada's new PM Mark Carney admitting the truth about the Net Zero agenda: "We're gonna make a lot of money off of this."
China Enforces Comprehensive Ban on Cryptocurrency Activities
Absolutely 100% Realistic EVO Series Doll by EXDOLL (Chinese Company) used mainly for carnal purposes
World Economic Forum founder Klaus Schwab: "In this new world, we must accept... total transparency. You have to get used to it. You have to behave accordingly. But if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn't be afraid."
Meet Mufti Hamid Patel, head of Office for Standards in Education in Pakistan
George Soros tells the World Economic Forum: "President Trump is a con man and the ultimate narcissist, who wants the world to revolve around him."
Hamas are STARVING the hostages.
Decline in Tourism in Majorca Amidst Ongoing Anti-Tourism Protests
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
Poland Begins Excavation at Dziemiany After New Clue to World War II‑Era Nazi Treasure
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Threatens Canada with Tariffs Over Palestinian State Recognition
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Trump Sues Murdoch in “Heavyweight Bout”: Lawsuit Over Alleged Epstein Letter Sets Stage for Courtroom Showdown
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
Trump Administration Finalizes Broad Tariff Increases on Global Trade Partners
J.K. Rowling Limits Public Engagements Citing Safety Fears
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×