The Growing (and Frightening) Complexity of Ransomware Groups

Tenable recently released their Ransomware Ecosystem white paper. So we sat down with Satnam Narang, a research engineer focused on security response at the company, to discuss some its findings, including:The FBI estimates that between 2013 and 2019, ransomware groups collectively earned over $144 million. That number skyrocketed in in 2020 with these groups reportedly raking in $692 million collectively.According to U.S. government data, the first half of 2021 saw ransomware payments reach just under $600 million in the first six months, which included a record amount of $40 million paid out by an insurance company. And you can probably guess that these reported amounts are a fraction of the true total being paid to ransomware attackers and groups.Additional data is available by downloading the white paper here.For more information on the work Tenable does, you can go to www.tenable.comTo catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast.To catch up on past episodes, you can go to Manufacturing.net, IEN.com or MBTmag.com. You can also check Security Breach out wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple, Amazon and Overcast. And if you have a cybersecurity story or topic that you’d like to have us explore on Security Breach, you can reach me at jeff@ien.com.To download our latest report on industrial cybersecurity, The Industrial Sector’s New Battlefield, click here.