Lately, more and more ransomware gangs are threatening their targets with DDoS attacks in order to secure profits. Among them, the Avaddon ransomware gang is now being added. This gang uses DDoS attacks to force a victim to communicate with them and negotiate the required ransom.
DDoS attacks aim to render a computer or service incapable of accepting other connections and thus unable to serve potential customers. In other words, in a DDoS attack, a threat actor “floods” a site or network connection with more requests than it can handle, rendering it inaccessible to the public.
It is worth noting that DDos attacks are among the 5 most dangerous cyberattacks, as in order to be completely successful, the attackers must have a network , called a zombie net or botnet.
In October 2020, BleepingComputer reported that many ransomware gangs began using DDoS attacks against networks or sites of potential victims as an additional tool to force them to pay ransom. At the time, the two companies using this new tactic were SunCrypt and RagnarLocker.
Many companies that suffer ransomware attacks recover from backups and don't even bother contacting the attackers.
Because’ this reason, the Avaddon ransomware gang now uses DDoS attacks to «hit» the site or the network of a victim until the victim contacts them and begins to negotiate.
Emsisoft analyst Brett Callow, who shared this development with BleepingComputer, noted the following: “It’s not at all surprising to see threat actors combining ransomware and DDoS attacks: DDoS is cheap, easy, and in some cases can help hackers convince certain companies that a quick payment is the least painful option, thus increasing their chances of receiving money.”
Callow added that when Maze introduced a double extortion strategy, other ransomware gangs quickly adopted the method. It's too early to say whether threat actors will adopt the same tactic with DDoS attacks.
