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February 13, 2022

REvil's Ransomware Business Model & Staying Ahead with AI

Learn more about REvil by exploring a REvil ransomware campaign discovered by Darktrace's AI. Find out how the recent arrests impact cyber security.
Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
Written by
Oakley Cox
Director of Product
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13
Feb 2022

REvil, also known as Sodinokibi, is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) gang responsible for one of the largest ransomware attacks in history. On 14th January 2022, Russia announced it had arrested 14 members of the criminal gang. The move came at the request of the US authorities, who have worked hard with international partners to crack down on the gang. Last year, multiple high-profile attacks were attributed to the REvil group, including the JBS ransomware and Kaseya supply chain incidents.

The arrests are certainly a victory for western law enforcement agencies, and follows November’s announcement from Europol that seven arrests of REvil affiliates had been made in the preceding months. The question is: to what extent will these arrests disrupt the gang’s operations, and for how long?

Early indications from security researchers at ReversingLabs indicates REvil activity has been unaffected. Statistics on REvil implants two weeks after the Russian arrests are unchanged, and if anything indicate a modest increase.

This continued activity implies one of two scenarios:

  • The flurry of arrests have only impacted ‘middle men’ within the criminal gang’s hierarchy
  • REvil’s ransomware-as-a-service model is resilient enough to survive disruption from law enforcement

Both scenarios are worrisome to those who may fall prey to ransomware gangs, and the reality is likely to be a far more complex mixture of these and other factors. The crackdown on ransomware is long overdue, but the battle is likely to be a long one. Law enforcement agencies need to disrupt the business model to such an extent that it no longer becomes profitable or favorable to be in the ransomware business, and this is likely to take months or even years.

So as the crackdown on ransomware plays out on the biggest stage, what comfort, if any, can security teams take from recent events?

Staying ahead of the evolving RaaS model with AI

A joint report on ransomware issued recently by the FBI, CISA, the NCSC, the ACSC and the NSA highlighted key trends over the past year:

  • RaaS has become increasingly professionalized, with business models and processes now well established.
  • The business model complicates attribution because there are complex networks of developers, affiliates, and freelancers.
  • Ransomware groups are sharing victim information with each other, diversifying the threat to targeted organizations.

In summary, the report illuminates how ransomware gangs have become increasingly adaptable when it comes to evading law enforcement and maximizing profit from ransom payments. Multiple groups have faded away, or retired, only to reappear under a different name and with a slightly updated playbook. The tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) differ from victim to victim, largely because attacks are conducted by different ransomware operators and affiliates.

This is troubling for law enforcement bodies trying to crack down on the individuals behind these attacks. When a RaaS group like REvil consists of an amorphous and ever-changing web of associates, making individual arrests is a constant game of catch up, and will be unlikely to bring down the group as a whole.

The same battle is being played out on the scale of individual attack campaigns. Security tools focused on the hallmarks of previously encountered threats are also in a continuous state of catch up: by the time a single attack is detected, fingerprinted, and stored for next time, attackers and their techniques have moved on.

But there is another option available to defenders, who are increasingly turning to Self-Learning AI to stay one step ahead of attackers. By learning its digital surroundings and identifying subtle deviations indicative of an attack, this technology can detect and respond to novel attacks on the first encounter. Below is an example of how Self-Learning AI detected an attack launched by REvil without the use of rules or signatures.

REvil threat find

In the summer of 2021, a REvil affiliate launched an attack against a health and social care organization – a sector that has seen a big increase in cyber-attacks since the start of the global pandemic. While the attack was detected by Darktrace’s AI without using rules or signatures, the security team was not monitoring Darktrace at the time. In the absence of Autonomous Response – which would have taken targeted action to contain the threat – the attack was allowed to progress.

After gaining access to the network via the laptop of a remote worker, the attacker was able to abuse a legitimate remote desktop (RDP) connection to a corporate jump server to bruteforce additional credentials.

Once equipped with more credentials, the attacker connected to multiple internal devices via RDP, including a second jump server. Data exfiltration began from the initially compromised server over RDP port 3389.

Two weeks later, the attacker identified the organization’s crown jewels, stored on a third server, and attempted to initiate command and control (C2) communications. The server made a number of unusual external connections, including attempts to connect to a rare domain that resembled the pattern of activity associated with REvil’s earlier Kaseya ransomware campaign.

Darktrace for Endpoint, which was running on remote user devices, provided additional visibility, enabling the security team to determine the initially compromised user device. Had Antigena been active on the endpoint, it would have intervened to stop this unusual activity by blocking the specific unusual connections – containing the attack without impacting normal business operations.

Connecting the dots of a low-and-slow attack

The total dwell time of the attacker was 22 days. They were patient, and undertook actions in bursts of activity often with days in between. This pattern of behavior is not uncommon for ransomware attacks, particularly those using the RaaS model in which each step may be performed by different gang members or affiliates.

Darktrace’s Cyber AI Analyst was able to track in real time the complete attack lifecycle over several weeks, stitching together the separate phases of the attack into a coherent security incident.

Figure 1: Cyber AI Analyst reveals the complete attack kill chain

New name, same game

This attack is another case of threat actors living off the land: using legitimate programs and processes that were already in use in the environment to perform malicious activity. This can be very difficult to detect with traditional tools that are based on static use cases and cannot differentiate a legitimate RDP session from a malicious one.

As cyber-criminal groups like REvil continue to defy law enforcement efforts, defenders need to stay ahead with AI technology that learns its environment, adapts as it changes and grows, and responds to threats based on subtle deviations that indicate an emerging attack. Autonomous Response has been adopted by over thousands of organizations across all areas of the digital estate – from email and cloud services to endpoint devices, stopping ransomware attacks early, before encryption is achieved.

Thanks to Darktrace analyst Petal Beharry for her insights on the above threat find.

Technical details

Darktrace model detections:

  • Device / RDP Scan
  • Device / Bruteforce Activity
  • Compliance / Outbound Remote Desktop
  • Anomalous Connection / Upload via Remote Desktop
  • Anomalous Connection / Download and Upload
  • Anomalous Connection / Uncommon 1 GiB Outbound
  • Anomalous Connection / Active Remote Desktop Tunnel
  • Device / New or Uncommon SMB Named Pipe
  • Device / Large Number of Connections to New Endpoints

Inside the SOC
Darktrace cyber analysts are world-class experts in threat intelligence, threat hunting and incident response, and provide 24/7 SOC support to thousands of Darktrace customers around the globe. Inside the SOC is exclusively authored by these experts, providing analysis of cyber incidents and threat trends, based on real-world experience in the field.
Written by
Oakley Cox
Director of Product

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July 23, 2025

Closing the Cloud Forensics and Incident Response Skills Gap

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Every alert that goes uninvestigated is a calculated risk — and teams are running out of room for error

Security operations today are stretched thin. SOCs face an overwhelming volume of alerts, and the shift to cloud has only made triage more complex.

Our research suggests that 23% of cloud alerts are never investigated, leaving risk on the table.

The rapid migration to cloud resources has security teams playing catch up. While they attempt to apply traditional on-prem tools to the cloud, it’s becoming increasingly clear that they are not fit for purpose. Especially in the context of forensics and incident response, the cloud presents unique complexities that demand cloud-specific solutions.

Organizations are increasingly adopting services from multiple cloud platforms (in fact, recent studies suggest 89% of organizations now operate multi-cloud environments), and container-based and serverless setups have become the norm. Security analysts already have enough on their plates; it’s unrealistic to expect them to be cloud experts too.

Why Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) roles are so hard to fill

Compounding these issues of alert fatigue and cloud complexity, there is a lack of DFIR talent. The cybersecurity skills gap is a well-known problem.

According to the 2024 ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, there is a global shortage of 4.8 million cybersecurity workers, up 19% from the previous year.

Why is this such an issue?

  • Highly specialized skill set: DFIR professionals need to have a deep understanding of various operating systems, network protocols, and security architectures, even more so when working in the cloud. They also need to be proficient in using a wide range of forensic tools and techniques. This level of expertise takes a lot of time and effort to develop.
  • Rapid technological changes: The cloud landscape is constantly changing and evolving with new services, monitoring tools, security mechanisms, and threats emerging regularly. Keeping up with these changes and staying current requires continuous learning and adaptation.
  • Lack of formal education and training: There are limited educational programs specifically dedicated for DFIR. Further, an industry for cloud DFIR has yet to be defined. While some universities and institutions offer courses or certifications in digital forensics, they may not cover the full spread of knowledge required in real-world incident response scenarios, especially for cloud-based environments.
  • High-stress nature of the job: DFIR professionals often work under tight deadlines in high-pressure situations, especially when handling security incidents. This can lead to burnout and high turnover rates in the profession.

Bridging the skills gap with usable cloud digital forensics and incident response tools  

To help organizations close the DFIR skills gap, it's critical that we modernize our approaches and implement a new way of doing things in DFIR that's fit for the cloud era. Modern cloud forensics and incident response platforms must prioritize usability in order to up-level security teams. A platform that is easy to use has the power to:

  • Enable more advanced analysts to be more efficient and have the ability to take on more cases
  • Uplevel more novel analysts to perform more advanced tasks than ever before
  • Eliminate cloud complexity– such as the complexities introduced by multi-cloud environments and container-based and serverless setups

What to look for in cloud forensics and incident response solutions

The following features greatly improve the impact of cloud forensics and incident response:

Data enrichment: Automated correlation of collected data with threat intelligence feeds, both external and proprietary, delivers immediate insight into suspicious or malicious activities. Data enrichment expedites investigations, enabling analysts to seamlessly pivot from key events and delve deeper into the raw data.

Single timeline view: A unified perspective across various cloud platforms and data sources is crucial. A single timeline view empowers security teams to seamlessly navigate evidence based on timestamps, events, users, and more, enhancing investigative efficiency. Pulling together a timeline has historically been a very time consuming task when using traditional approaches.

Saved search: Preserving queries during investigations allows analysts to re-execute complex searches or share them with colleagues, increasing efficiency and collaboration.

Faceted search: Facet search options provide analysts with quick insights into core data attributes, facilitating efficient dataset refinement.

Cross-cloud investigations: Analyzing evidence acquired from multiple cloud providers in a single platform is crucial for security teams. A unified view and timeline across cross cloud is critical in streamlining investigations.

How Darktrace can help

Darktrace’s cloud offerings have been bolstered with the acquisition of Cado Security Ltd., which enables security teams to gain immediate access to forensic-level data in multi-cloud, container, serverless, SaaS, and on-premises environments.

Not only does Darktrace offer centralized automation solutions for cloud forensics and investigation, but it also delivers a proactive approach Cloud Detection and Response (CDR). Darktrace / CLOUD is built with advanced AI to make cloud security accessible to all security teams and SOCs. By using multiple machine learning techniques, Darktrace brings unprecedented visibility, threat detection, investigation, and incident response to hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

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July 23, 2025

Global Telecom Provider: Powering and Protecting the World's Data Giants

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This global leader plays a critical role in keeping the world connected. The company works with some of the largest and most influential public and private organizations in the world to enable ultra-fast data transmission.

Safeguarding the systems that keep the world connected

Standing at the forefront of global connectivity, this industry leader designs and manages large-scale communications systems that power the world’s most data-intensive enterprises – including social media giants, hyperscale cloud providers, and major data center operators. Given the scale, confidentiality, and sensitivity of the systems and data it helps transport, the company faces complex cybersecurity challenges.

Protecting sensitive customer data

Most of the organization’s projects are custom-designed and highly proprietary, making data privacy and Intellectual Property (IP) protection critical to maintaining trust and confidentiality with customers. In an industry where every competitor knows the landscape intimately, any loss of data could cause significant damage.

International security implications

The company faces a broad range of advanced cyber threats – from corporate espionage and supply chain risks to cyber-physical attacks on critical infrastructure. Its international footprint adds complexity, including cross-border regulatory compliance. A successful attack could disrupt business, compromise IP, or trigger wider consequences like disruptions to international data transfers and other critical services.

The global leader works closely with communities to anticipate threats that could impact the global communications network at large.

In this environment, cybersecurity is a foundation for international trust,” said the organization’s CISO.

Building a resilient cybersecurity strategy from the ground up

The CISO had the rare opportunity to build the IT and cybersecurity infrastructure from scratch. "Initially, we bought what everyone else buys,” referencing the traditional mix of firewalls, routers, and antivirus tools. “But I knew we needed to do more.”

Self-Learning AI – “the missing piece”

With solid perimeter defenses in place, the security team sought deeper protection inside the network. Darktrace’s Self-Learning AI stood out. “Unlike other solutions, Darktrace’s AI looks beyond known threat signatures, learning what’s normal for our environment and flagging what’s not. That was the missing piece – something that could help us even when everything else failed.”

A solution and partnership that delivered

The CISO said he appreciated the ability to observe Darktrace in action before full deployment, noting that the Darktrace team was there every step of the way, providing guidance and expertise to ensure he got the most out of his investment.

Partnership was especially valuable given the company’s explosive 400% growth over the last six years. As resources were stretched and priorities shifted, “Darktrace remained patient and responsive. We’re slow and methodical, but the Darktrace support team was phenomenal, never losing momentum and earning our trust.”

A unified cybersecurity ecosystem

Today, the global leader is using the Darktrace ActiveAI Security Platform™ as a core part of its layered defense strategy, including:

The CISO appreciates how, as a unified cybersecurity platform, Darktrace has an intuitive user interface, which makes it easier for his team to investigate alerts visually, even without deep technical expertise.

Advancing defenses while impacting the bottom line

A 24/7 “safety net”

The fact that this company has never been hacked is the clearest proof it made the right decision with Darktrace, said the CISO. Initially rolled out in Human Confirmation Mode, meaning it would not take autonomous action without explicit approval from the security team, Darktrace immediately uncovered threats and anomalies that other tools had missed.

Darktrace acts as a must-have safety net—ready to step in when other tools fall short,” said the CISO.

From monitoring internal behavior and identifying unusual attack patterns, to autonomously neutralizing threats after hours, the platform provides peace of mind in a high-stakes industry. “Darktrace is my dark horse – the thing I have in my back pocket if everything else fails. It’s here to save the day, save my company, and maybe even save my career.”

Autonomous capabilities free up time for skilled analysts

Darktrace’s AI-powered detection and response capabilities are deeply embedded in the team’s day-to-day operations, autonomously investigating and responding to the majority of potential threats. Cyber AI Analyst conducted a total of 2,776 total investigations within three months, averaging just 12 minutes to autonomously investigate an incident. Of those 2,776 investigations, Darktrace resolved 2,671 (96%) autonomously and escalated only 105 (4%) to analysts. Darktrace has dramatically reduced alert fatigue and freed up analysts to focus on what really matters, saving the security team 486 analyst hours on investigations within a 20-day period.

From noise to actionable insight

Darktrace delivers meaningful data and meaningful alerts. “If Darktrace escalates an incident, we drop everything and work on that. We trust in Darktrace.” When analysts do need to investigate an incident, Darktrace’s forensic logs and guided remediation suggestions have slashed the time analysts spend on investigations by four to five times.

Stronger security. Lower cost.

The CISO says, “Darktrace is a money-saver for our organization, making continued investments an easy sell to the CEO and the board.”  When he found himself down a resource after a member of the security team left the organization, the CISO turned to Darktrace Managed Threat Detection and Response services for 24/7 expert support. “It was a no brainer. We got better coverage, higher skill levels, and around-the-clock support – all for less than what we would pay to employ a single analyst.”

Scaling securely into the future

Securing networks in motion  

The organization is preparing to scale both its operations and security posture across existing distributed, mobile and deployable communications networks that historically have been disconnected. Some of these networks are in constant motion and operating in some of the world’s most volatile regions. “Darktrace will act as an autonomous defender, monitoring for anomalous behavior and intervening, when necessary, especially during those dangerous times when an asset ‘goes dark’ and becomes disconnected from the broader network,” said the CISO.

Applying AI strategically

As the organization continues to evaluate where and how to apply AI, its emphasis will be on technologies that can act independently to contain threats – especially in environments where human response may be delayed. “It’s about using the right kind of AI for the right challenge. That’s why we’re investing in Darktrace, with tools that can adapt and learn even in isolation and provide real-time protection wherever we operate.”

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