Record $75 million ransom paid to hackers

An undisclosed victim paid $75 million to the Dark Angels ransomware group, setting a record for the largest ransomware payout. Zscaler, a cloud security firm, discovered the payment early in 2024 but did not name the affected organisation. The unprecedented payout is expected to attract other attackers aiming to replicate the Dark Angels’ success.

Zscaler reported an 18% increase in ransomware attacks from April 2023 to April 2024, with manufacturing, healthcare, and technology sectors being the most targeted. The rise in ransomware-as-a-service models, zero-day attacks, vishing, and AI-powered attacks has contributed to record-breaking ransom payments. The energy sector experienced a 500% increase in attacks, making it a prime target for cybercriminals.

The United States remains the top target for ransomware attacks, accounting for nearly half of all incidents. The Dark Angels group, which emerged in May 2022, is notable for targeting high-value healthcare, government, finance, and education companies. Their highest-profile attack in September 2023 involved stealing over 27TB of data from an international conglomerate and demanding a $51 million ransom. Zscaler warns that the success of Dark Angels may inspire similar tactics from other ransomware groups.