LockBit Attacks 2 More Targets
LockBit claimed responsibility for the latest breaches against Olea Kiosk and Arrow International from US. These are high-profile, old companies with decades of history and a large database of customers.
- The group itself published evidence of the attacks and set the deadline for publishing the data for 13th of January 2024
- Neither Olea nor Arrow International didn’t comment on the attack, so it’s unclear if they paid the ransom or not
- LockBit is a well-known cyberthreat actor with hundreds of victims across the globe
- The organization has grown to be one of the most active, dangerous, and feared in the ransomware field
These last 2 attacks are proof that LockBit has been on a growing spiral over the last months. This is even more amazing given LockBit’s history, as the service first became public in September of 2019.
This means that LockBit has now entered in 5th year of being the leader in cybercrime and ransomware activity. Recent estimates place LockBit as the number one most prolific actor in 2022.
As evidence suggests, LockBit appears to be responsible for over 44% of the total number of ransomware attack in 2022 and the trend doesn’t seem to change. The organization has been credited with over 1,700 attacks and little over $91 million in ransom gains.
These numbers only represent the statistics aiming at US-based operations. It is presumed that the figures go a lot higher in the global context.
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How LockBit Operates
The one aspect that makes LockBit so effective and hard to defend against is its ability to innovate and upgrade its systems and approaches constantly. The organization has created the infamous StealBit malware which functions automatically.
This hacking tool automates the data exfiltration process, allowing hackers to secure more information than ever before. This was introduced along with LockBit version 2.0, which allows the group to perform even faster and more efficient encryptions.
Plus, LockBit is known to often collaborate with other cyber-threat actors, primarily RaaS (ransomware-as-a-service) entities to perform more complex hits. LockBit also recruits insiders from the very companies they target to exploit personnel vulnerabilities.
According to reports, the group also conducts technical writing tests on underground platforms to recruit talented hackers and network access brokers. And because the organization is financially successful, it affords to hire the best talents.
Currently, LockBit 3.0 is in play, which launched in June of 2022. This one comes with even higher vulnerabilities risks, upping the stakes and showing that LockBit likes to stay one step ahead of its victims.