An average member of the Conti ransomware group earns $1,800 per month, a figure that can be considered low considering the success of the criminal gang.
See also: Conti ransomware: New source code leak
On Wednesday, Secureworks published a set of findings based on the group's internal chat logs, which were leaked earlier this month and have been disseminated by cybersecurity researchers ever since.
The internal message files were leaked online after Conti, who was monitored by Secureworks, publicly declared her support for Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Conti is a ransomware group suspected of being of Russian origin that has infiltrated hundreds of organizations around the world. The group will infiltrate a network, steal data, encrypt networks, and then demand a ransom. Victims who refuse to pay may find their information online.
See also: Conti Leak: Conversations show ties with Russia
The Conti group's average ransom demand is around $750,000, but depending on the size and annual revenue of a victim, extortion payments can be set much higher, sometimes reaching millions of dollars.
Check Point researchers had previously scanned the Conti group's chat logs and revealed its structure.
The team offered its newly hired members hybrid or remote work options, performance reviews, bonuses, and more.
While new members go through interviews, not everyone is told they are applying for a job with a criminal group, as some “employee” messages have revealed. However, they may be offered salaries far above the local average to stay with the group when the truth is revealed.
According to Secureworks' analysis of the logs, which contained 160,000 messages exchanged between nearly 500 people between January 2020 and March 2022, there was also the following message (translated from Russian) showing a member's average salary of $1,800 per month.
See also: CISA: Updates Conti ransomware alert with nearly 100 domain names
The average salary earned by a Russian household is $540 per month — so the “salary” offered by cybercriminal groups could be a powerful lure. Furthermore, as the value of the ruble declines due to international sanctions, many will be influenced to want to enter this criminal market.
Information source: zdnet.com
