L' INTELLIGENCE CYBER par Jean-Paul Pinte

Key findings
 There has been an exponential growth in police ransomware attacks in the EU and worldwide over the last two years. Ransomware is a fast method for criminals to generate significant profits.
 New forms of encryption ransomware are far more threatening as files and documents vital to individuals and businesses are at risk of being lost permanently. Small- and medium-sized enterprises and public services might become preferred targets for ransomware offenders.
 The use of online prepaid solutions and virtual currencies have been major developments in the evolution of ransomware fraud and drive the exponential proliferation of this criminal activity. They provide anonymity of cash in the online environment and are key elements of money laundering schemes.
 The sustained growth of the Crime-as-a-Service model has fuelled the development of ransomware cases. Ransomware attacks can be easily deployed by criminals and are no longer restricted to the technically savvy.
 Underground forums are initial meeting and networking points for cybercriminals and serve as key enablers for their ransomware operations. Underground forums provide spaces for cybercriminals to form organisations and structures and support the professionalisation of the criminal trade.
 Offenders are increasingly investing in protecting their infrastructures and communications integrity, commonly using bullet-proof hosting and strong encryption, which reduces the scope for law enforcement actions.
 Ransomware criminals rely on the services of specialised money launderers. These use different techniques to cash out illicit profits, combining both virtual and traditional systems, using various online gambling platforms as well as electronic payment intermediaries and virtual currencies.
 The public is largely unaware of the threat of ransomware, which contributes to the success of this type of fraud.
 The distribution of ransomware actors and infrastructure over many legal jurisdictions complicates investigations and requires lengthy legal assistance processes.

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