Modern ransomware attacks aggressively took over the threat landscape a few years ago, with devastating outcomes. A key component that allowed these attacks to be so destructive and effective is the way that the cybercriminal underground evolved to support such operations, completely changing how the underground economy operates and impacting all other sorts of cybercrime to this day. In this presentation, we will detail the specialized roles and various functions required for sophisticated attacks and how the criminal ecosystem has evolved to meet those needs – both inside and outside of ransomware groups. By monitoring these changes in the underground, it’s possible to note evolutions in trends ahead of time and bolster defenses proactively.
