How the Intelligence Cycle Can Help Defend Against Ransomware Attack

How the Intelligence Cycle Can Help Defend Against Ransomware Attack

When Tolkien first sat down to write Lord of the Rings, he probably never imagined it would go on for over 1,000 pages. The same can also be said for network defenders tackling ransomware attacks. Years ago, I distinctly remember saying that ransomware would never catch on…how wrong I was. As we near the halfway point of 2021, ransomware continues to play an increasingly dominating role in the cyber threat landscape. Here at Digital Shadows, we have produced over 800 intelligence updates on ransomware in 2021 so far. If things carry on at that rate, we’ll be at nearly 2,000 for the year. That’s at least 2,000 victims of a ransomware attack in a single year. And the actual figure will be much higher as many victims will have paid the ransom to avoid publication of their data.

One of the most significant ransomware events of 2021 was the attack on US fuel giant Colonial Pipeline, two weeks ago, by the operators of the “DarkSide” ransomware. Other notable attacks include a “Babuk” ransomware attack on the Metropolitan Police Department of Washington DC, the “Conti” ransomware attack on Ireland’s Health Service Executive, and an attack on insurance giant AXA by “Avaddon” ransomware after they stated they would be removing reimbursements for ransomware payments. I’m a great believer in the famous adage “prevention is better than cure.” So, with that in mind, I thought I’d take the opportunity to discuss how the intelligence cycle can help prepare organizations for a ransomware attack. 

What is the intelligence cycle? 


The intelligence cycle is a vital part of any threat intelligence capability. It is used by military ..

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