Warlock, a new ransomware gang, today claimed credit for a spate of cyber-attacks that hit several government agencies from around the world. The group claimed responsibility for 16 cyber-attacks in the past month, and about half those hit government agencies and departments.
In a blog post reporting this news, Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech, wrote:
“Also known as Warlock Dark Army, Warlock is a newer ransomware strain operated by cybercriminals. Once infected, Warlock encrypts data to make it inaccessible, then demands a ransom for the decryption key. It also steals data that it can use to extort targets by threatening to release private information.”
“Warlock could be connected to another ransomware group called Black Basta, which stopped claiming new attacks in January 2025. Warlock took credit for two attacks that Black Basta previously claimed against Arch-Con Corporation and Lactanet.”
“Comparitech researchers have tracked 79 confirmed ransomware attacks on government entities worldwide in 2025 to date. In 2024, we logged 199 such attacks in total. The average ransom demand is just over $2.4 million.”
“Ransomware attacks on government agencies and departments can both steal data and lock down computer systems. The attacker then demands a ransom to delete the stolen data and in exchange for a key to recover infected systems. If the target doesn’t pay, it could take weeks or even months to restore systems, data could be lost forever, and people whose data was stolen are put at greater risk of fraud.”
My stories on ransomware gangs never seem to end. I say that because I just finished writing about these guys, and now there’s a new gang on the block. This illustrates how out of control ransomware is and why urgent action is needed to get things in a better place.
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This entry was posted on June 11, 2025 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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There’s A New Ransomware Gang On The Block To Worry About
Warlock, a new ransomware gang, today claimed credit for a spate of cyber-attacks that hit several government agencies from around the world. The group claimed responsibility for 16 cyber-attacks in the past month, and about half those hit government agencies and departments.
In a blog post reporting this news, Paul Bischoff, Consumer Privacy Advocate at Comparitech, wrote:
“Also known as Warlock Dark Army, Warlock is a newer ransomware strain operated by cybercriminals. Once infected, Warlock encrypts data to make it inaccessible, then demands a ransom for the decryption key. It also steals data that it can use to extort targets by threatening to release private information.”
“Warlock could be connected to another ransomware group called Black Basta, which stopped claiming new attacks in January 2025. Warlock took credit for two attacks that Black Basta previously claimed against Arch-Con Corporation and Lactanet.”
“Comparitech researchers have tracked 79 confirmed ransomware attacks on government entities worldwide in 2025 to date. In 2024, we logged 199 such attacks in total. The average ransom demand is just over $2.4 million.”
“Ransomware attacks on government agencies and departments can both steal data and lock down computer systems. The attacker then demands a ransom to delete the stolen data and in exchange for a key to recover infected systems. If the target doesn’t pay, it could take weeks or even months to restore systems, data could be lost forever, and people whose data was stolen are put at greater risk of fraud.”
My stories on ransomware gangs never seem to end. I say that because I just finished writing about these guys, and now there’s a new gang on the block. This illustrates how out of control ransomware is and why urgent action is needed to get things in a better place.
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This entry was posted on June 11, 2025 at 3:07 pm and is filed under Commentary with tags Hacked. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.