Alex Scroxton reports:

The developer or developers behind the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) family known variously as ALPHV, BlackCat and Noberus, have been hard at work refining their tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and today are probably more dangerous than ever before, according to intelligence from Symantec.

The ALPHV/BlackCat/Noberus operation – which Symantec tracks as Coreid (aka FIN7, Carbon Spider) – is a major and long-established player in the wider family of Russia-linked or based ransomware crews and affiliates, many of which are related through a murky and often hard-to-decipher web of alliances and interconnections.

Read more at ComputerWeekly.

Cyberwire also reports on the new report by Symantec.  They report, in part:

Target exclusions for Noberus.

Noberus was first seen in November of 2021, coded in Rust. This is the first observed professional ransomware strain used in attacks that was coded in the cross-platform language. Due to its cross-platform coding language, Coreid says that Noberus can be used on multiple different operating systems, including Windows, EXSI, Debian, ReadyNAS, and Synology. Noberus appeared shortly after BlackMatter was retired, and Coreid said in the rules that the ransomware cannot be used to attack:

• “The Commonwealth of Independent States or neighboring countries
• “Organizations in or related to the healthcare sector
• “Charitable or non-profit organizations
• “Affiliates are also advised to avoid attacking the education and government sectors.”

Read more at Cyberwire.

The advice apparently did not dissuade ALPHV from attacking Suffolk County government in New York, an attack that has knocked out the county’s 911 emergency system.