![]() ![]() Just like before, the DDoS extortion gangs also kept using the names of more famous hacking groups to send their threats, hoping to intimidated victims. The former CenturyLink division, now part of Lumen, said these schemes never actually stopped, although the frequency of these email threats died down over the fall, compared to their prevalence over the summer. Image: Radwareīut this resurgence in DDoS extortion tactics was also documented by Lumen’s Black Lotus Labs, which reported on their comeback last week. Attacks typically lasted around nine hours and ranged around 200 Gbps, with one attack peaking at 237 Gbps. Radware said it saw some organizations being targeted with DDoS attacks after receiving the extortion emails. Extortionists also had to adapt and reduce their demands over time, going from requesting 10 BTC to 5 BTC, as in some cases, the extortion fee would have been too large for some companies to pay, as the Bitcoin price tripled since August 2020.Īnd just like in the summer of 2020, Radware said that these DDoS extortion groups had the firepower to deliver on their threats. The security firm believes that the rise in the Bitcoin-to-USD price has led to some groups returning to or re-prioritizing DDoS extortion schemes.īut Radware said that the Bitcoin price surge was so sudden and unexpected that it caught even some groups by surprise. Radware said that some of the emails it seen were sent by a group that was active over the 2020 summer when the extortionists targeted many financial organizations across the world.Ĭompanies that received this group’s emails last summer also received new threats over the winter, Radware said. Companies are encouraged instead to pursue extra defence from possible threats by their security providers.In a security alert sent to its customers and shared with ZDNet this week, Radware said that during the last week of 2020 and the first week of 2021, its customers received a new wave of DDoS extortion emails.Įxtortionists threatened companies with crippling DDoS attacks unless they got paid between 5 and 10 bitcoins ($150,000 to $300,000). ![]() Attackers used names including Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear, Lazarus Group, and Armada Collective.īut by the end of the year, Black Lotus Lab confirmed that some of these ransom emails had also been signed under the name of Kadyrovtsy, the name of an elite Chechen military organization that had also been affiliated with DDoS gangs and extortionists in the early 2010s.īoth Black Lotus Laboratories and Radware have suggested that businesses should not pay for the ransom, as this essentially means more kidnapping in the future. ![]() Much as before, the DDoS ransomware gangs have used the identities of more prominent hacker groups to send their attacks, aiming to threaten the victims. The former CenturyLink division, now part of Lumen, said that these schemes had never completely ceased, although the incidence of these e-mail attacks had declined over the fall, relative to their prevalence over the summer. Attacks usually lasted around nine hours and ranged about 200 Gbps, with one attack at 237 Gbps.īut this revival in DDoS extortion tactics was also documented by Lumen’s Black Lotus Lab, which posted on their return last week. Radware said that it saw several companies targeting DDoS attacks after collecting ransom emails. Extortionists have had to change and reduce their requests over time, from 10 BTC to 5 BTC, since in some situations the ransom charge may have been too high for some businesses to pay, since the Bitcoin price has increased since August 2020.Īnd just as in the summer of 2020, Radware said that these DDoS ransom gangs had the firepower to cope with their attacks. The security firm says that the spike in the Bitcoin-to-USD price has driven some groups to return to or re-prioritize DDoS extortion schemes.īut Radware said that the price spike in Bitcoin was so rapid and unpredictable that it took some groups by surprise. Radware said that some of the emails it saw were sent to a party that was involved during the 2020 summer when extortionists threatened a variety of financial organizations around the world.Ĭompanies who sent communications from this community last summer have received fresh attacks over the winter, Radware said. In a security warning sent to its customers and shared with ZDNet this week, Radware said that its customers got a new wave of DDoS ransom emails during the last week of 2020 and the first week of 2021.Įxtortionists threatened businesses with crippling DDoS attacks until they were charged between 5 and 10 bitcoins. ![]()
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