Pierluigi Paganini
May 26, 2026
A 5-year study on the Ransomware Economy found that 30,515 exposed databases were hit by ransom attacks, causing massive damage despite victims never paying. Database extortion doesn’t look like the ransomware stories that usually grab headlines. There’s no slick branding, no leak-site countdown, no gang posting memes on Telegram. In most cases, there’s just a […]
Pierluigi Paganini
May 23, 2026
Ransomware gangs are shifting from encryption to pure extortion, focusing on stolen data, reputational pressure, and stealthier attacks. Ransomware groups are quietly changing strategy in 2026. Instead of encrypting systems and causing immediate disruption, many attackers are now focusing on pure extortion: stealing sensitive data and threatening to leak it publicly if victims refuse to […]
Pierluigi Paganini
May 02, 2026
Two US security experts were sentenced to 4 years for helping ransomware attacks. A third accomplice pleaded guilty and awaits sentencing. Two US cybersecurity professionals, Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Martin, were sentenced to four years in prison for their role in supporting ransomware attacks. Both pleaded guilty to conspiracy involving extortion. A third individual, Angelo […]
Pierluigi Paganini
April 23, 2026
Leaked data from RAMP reveals Russia’s ransomware ecosystem, analyzing 1,732 threads, 7,707 users, and 340,000 IP records from the forum. RAMP was not just another dark web forum. It was one of the clearest examples of how ransomware has become an organized marketplace, with sellers, buyers, brokers, and recruiters all playing different roles in the […]
Pierluigi Paganini
April 10, 2026
Dutch healthcare IT firm ChipSoft suffered a ransomware attack, forcing services and its HiX platform offline, impacting hospitals and patients. ChipSoft, a major Dutch provider of EHR systems, was hit by a ransomware attack that forced it to take its website and digital services offline, disrupting access for hospitals, healthcare providers, and patients. EHR (Electronic […]
Pierluigi Paganini
March 25, 2026
A Russian hacker got 2 years in prison, $100K fine, and $1.6M judgment for running a botnet used in ransomware attacks on U.S. firms. Russian national Ilya Angelov (40) was sentenced to 24 months in prison for operating a botnet used to carry out ransomware attacks on dozens of U.S. companies. He was also fined […]
Pierluigi Paganini
March 24, 2026
U.S. sentences Russian hacker Aleksei Volkov to 81 months in prison for aiding ransomware attacks, causing over $9M in damages. A U.S. court sentenced Aleksei Olegovich Volkov to 81 months in prison for supporting ransomware groups like Yanluowang. He helped carry out dozens of attacks, causing over $9M in losses. Arrested in Italy in 2024 […]
Pierluigi Paganini
February 07, 2026
Rome’s La Sapienza University was hit by a cyberattack that disrupted IT systems and caused widespread operational issues. Since February 2, Rome’s La Sapienza University, one of the most important Italian universities, has been offline due to a cyberattack. For days, students have been unable to book exams, check tuition payments, or access faculty contacts. […]
Pierluigi Paganini
February 04, 2026
Ransomware groups now exploit VMware ESXi vulnerability CVE-2025-22225, patched by Broadcom in March 2025. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirms that ransomware gangs are exploiting the VMware ESXi sandbox escape flaw CVE-2025-22225. The vulnerability is an arbitrary write issue in VMware ESXi. An attackers with privileges within the VMX process may trigger an arbitrary […]
Pierluigi Paganini
January 27, 2026
A multi-stage phishing campaign targets users in Russia with ransomware and Amnesia RAT using fake business documents as lures. FortiGuard Labs researchers uncovered a multi-stage malware campaign mainly targeting users in Russia. The attack uses fake business documents as social engineering lures to distract victims while malware runs in the background. It escalates to full […]
