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Ransomware negotiation tactics have turned into a business process

Intel 471's Dave Ross details ransomware negotiation tactics, with demands typically set at 1-5% of annual revenue and specialized criminal service roles.

In a Help Net Security video, Intel 471 Senior Director Dave Ross explains how ransomware groups research a victim's revenue and insurance coverage, run test decryptions to prove they hold a working key, and set demands at roughly 1% to 5% of annual revenue. He describes negotiation dynamics with shifting deadlines and a criminal service economy supplying language skills, data review, and legal analysis. Multi-extortion methods include data theft, DDoS attacks, and direct contact with customers and journalists.

Help Net Security · 9d agoRansomware

Ransomware attackers are zeroing in on mid-market companies

Black Kite found mid-market firms were 73% of disclosed ransomware victims in North America and Europe from January 2023 to June 2026.

Black Kite analyzed 13,336 publicly disclosed ransomware and data-extortion incidents with known revenue between January 2023 and June 2026, finding mid-market companies (annual revenue $10M-$1B) accounted for 73% of victims in North America and Europe, consistently between 72% and 75%. Manufacturing was the most affected sector, followed by professional, scientific, and technical services and construction. Of more than 120,000 assessed mid-market organizations, 54.7% had at least one significant patch-management issue on a public-facing system, over a quarter had a known-exploited vulnerability, and nearly one-third had stealer-log credential findings.

Help Net Security · 24d agoRansomware