- Ransomware made a significant comeback in 2023, with payments exceeding $1 billion, marking an increase in the scope and complexity of attacks.

- This is a notable shift from the decline observed in 2022, which was considered an anomaly rather than a trend.

- The Chainalysis report indicates a growing problem over the years, despite a temporary decrease in ransomware payments in 2022.

- The 2023 escalation saw an increase in the frequency, scale, and volume of ransomware attacks, involving diverse actors, from large syndicates to smaller groups and individuals.

- Initial Access Brokers (IABs) played a role in facilitating ransomware attacks by providing access to networks, which they sold to attackers for a relatively low cost.

- Monitoring IABs could offer early indicators for potential intervention and mitigation of attacks.

- Chainalysis discovered a correlation between funds flowing into IAB wallets and an increase in ransomware payments.

- Centralized exchanges and mixers have consistently been preferred for laundering ransomware payments, but new services like bridges, instant exchangers, and gambling services gained traction in 2023.

- Shifts in laundering methods are attributed to takedowns disrupting traditional methods, stricter Anti-Money Laundering/Know Your Customer (AML/KYC) policies, and unique preferences of new ransomware actors.

- Chainalysis observed significant concentration in specific services within each category that ransomware actors use for laundering, with exchanges showing the least concentration and gambling services, cross-chain bridges, and sanctioned entities exhibiting the highest levels of concentration.

$BTC

#SecurityInitiatives #ChainalysisReactor #RansomwareAttackUpdate

🚨 Scam alert targeting blockchain developers 🚨

Running their code almost got my #wallet flushed. Story time 👇

Yesterday I got contacted by a client on fiverr, looking to hire blockchain developers. This client had no reviews (first red flag). Offer was pretty appealing (500 USD per day, paid weekly) and at the same time very suspicious to me (rare to find this type of offer on the market), so I decided to dig deeper. He was not really interested in my portfolio and wanted that I jump into the technical test asap (third red flag to me). He invited me on Github, and after checking the code (from Github directly), I noticed some code that would scan the OS and try to find private key of crypto wallets. One library to check is "child_process" in the package.json, that has nothing to do here. 👀 Luckily I was well informed and knew about this trick upfront so I did not get into the trap.

Summary always be aware of these phising attacks! Specially for the developers and for those who store there private key in there systems!
#SecurityInitiatives #crypto

check the below code template

🚨 Crypto Scams on the Rise

The FBI just released a shocking report: losses related to cryptocurrency investment scams in the U.S. surged by 53% in 2023, totaling a staggering $3.94 billion.

Key takeaways:

* Scammers are relentless. Fraudsters are continuously refining their tactics, making scams more convincing.

* Vulnerable targets. Everyone, regardless of experience, needs to be cautious

* The importance of due diligence. Thoroughly research any crypto project or investment opportunity.

How to stay safe:

* Be skeptical of too-good-to-be-true offers.
* Don't give out private keys or seed phrases.
* Verify the legitimacy of platforms and individuals.

Let's share this information to help protect our networks from financial harm.

#cryptocurrency #scams #FBI #SecurityInitiatives #investment