US, others emphasize LockBit ransomware threat

Organizations have been warned in a joint cybersecurity advisory by the U.S., Canada, Germany, France, Australia, New Zealand, and U.K. cybersecurity authorities regarding the pervasive threat of LockBit ransomware, which was the most distributed ransomware strain worldwide last year, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. More than 1,650 ransomware attacks have been claimed by the LockBit ransomware operation, which has already raked in nearly $91 million in ransoms from its U.S.-based victims since January 2020, the advisory noted. Numerous techniques leveraged by LockBit have also been detailed in the advisory, with the ransomware group noted to have integrated BlackMatter and ALPHV ransomware tooling in its latest iteration. "LockBit competed with other RaaS operations, like Hive RaaS, to fill the gap in the cybercriminal market leading to an influx of LockBit affiliates," said the advisory. Continuous improvements applied by LockBit have been regarded by cybersecurity experts as the key to its staying power.