Here’s what’s happened with ransomware: Over the last decade, it has evolved from a headline-grabbing anomaly into an entrenched attacker asset. Recent data showing a plateau in overall attack volumes might offer a measure of comfort. But from our vantage point, this data tells a different, more concerning story. It signals a deliberate evolution in adversary strategy — a pivot from high-volume, opportunistic attacks to a more calculated “big game hunting” model.
Ransomware actors are becoming more selective, meticulously targeting organizations they know have the most to lose — and, perhaps more importantly, the financial means to pay.
This oversight creates a strategic blind spot. While many organizations have improved their defenses against widespread attacks, far fewer are prepared for a patient, well-resourced adversary conducting a targeted intrusion. Ransomware has transcended its origins as an IT problem to become a business continuity threat executed with the precision of a corporate takeover, and it demands a new defensive playbook.
New Economics of Extortion from Volume to Value
The evolution of ransomware is a case study in business model optimization. Where earlier campaigns followed a predictable playbook, today’s most dangerous attacks are tailored for high-value targets.
New, fast-moving groups, like Spoiled Scorpius (also called RansomHub) and Howling Scorpius (also called Akira) have emerged as sophisticated criminal syndicates with the resources to execute long-term campaigns against specific verticals. Their tactics have escalated in parallel. Multi-extortion ransomware has become their favored strategy; attackers now compound their leverage by exfiltrating sensitive data and threatening public exposure. This is a targeted tool designed to apply maximum pressure on a single, high-value victim.
This shift is most evident in the deliberate targeting of critical infrastructure. Industries, like manufacturing, healthcare and logistics, are under relentless assault precisely because their operational downtime is a board-level crisis. For these ransomware actors, disruption is the core objective, providing the greatest leverage to force a significant payout.
Why Traditional Defenses Miss the Big Game Hunter
Despite the growing urgency, many organizations remain tethered to defenses that this new class of ransomware has outpaced. Defenses built to stop high-volume, noisy attacks often miss the subtle signals of a targeted intrusion, where an adversary may spend weeks conducting quiet reconnaissance before making their move.
Legacy antivirus solutions struggle to detect malware that is custom-built for a specific target or uses fileless techniques to evade scrutiny. Compounding this is the dangerous lag between initial infiltration and detection. A “big game hunter” can move freely for extended periods, stealing credentials and mapping out critical systems long before an alarm is raised.
Adversaries now also use AI to craft flawless, targeted social engineering campaigns that bypass generic filters and trick even savvy employees. The result is a dangerous asymmetry: Attackers have modernized their business model, while too many defenders are still guarding against yesterday’s threat.
Defensive Strategy for the New Era of Ransomware
Answering this threat demands transformation, not incremental improvement. To make your organization an unattractive target for these advanced adversaries, you must act decisively.
First, modernize your infrastructure. Sophisticated attackers are experts at finding and exploiting legacy vulnerabilities. You must continuously evaluate your security stack to eliminate these weak points.
Second, operationalize AI and machine learning across your threat landscape. You need machine speed and intelligence to detect the faint signals of a stealthy, targeted attack. AI-driven automation and analytics are critical force multipliers that can spot anomalous behavior that human teams might miss.
Third, elevate ransomware readiness to a boardroom priority. When the risk is a calculated strike against the business itself, planning can no longer be delegated solely to IT. Therefore, you must provide regular training that simulates targeted social engineering, constant updates on adversary TTPs and embedding real-time threat intelligence into your daily operations.
Finally, treat ransomware as a central pillar of business continuity and operational resilience strategy. Bake resilience into the fabric of your operations. Assume a breach is possible, prepare for disruption, and practice for recovery.
True defense against this new era of ransomware requires a deeper understanding of the adversary’s business model and a response built on urgency and alignment. By adopting a modern, platform-based approach to security, leaders are able to move beyond a reactive posture. They can build the resilient foundation needed to defend against today’s most sophisticated threats, as well as to innovate with confidence, knowing their security can keep pace with their ambition.
For more information around ransomware, check out Unit 42’s Social Engineering Incident Response Report.
