The Role of Threat Intelligence in Preventing Ransomware

The ransomware threat landscape remains a persistently nefarious one. The threat stays consistent despite the fact that the actors carrying out these attacks are often in flux. Dedicated ransomware gangs emerge and disband regularly. Lone actors and smaller operations try their luck too; some succeed and others get thwarted. An overlooked way to protect against ransomware attacks is through insights from a well-structured threat intelligence program. Here’s more on the role of threat intelligence in ransomware prevention.  

Unyielding Ransomware Threats

Nuspire’s Q3 deep dive into the cyber threat landscape found that ransomware extortion publications increased by 8% from the previous quarter. Worryingly, it appears savvy hackers are using more sophisticated methods to increase the damage from attacks. Other recent research found that ransomware attack severity jumped by 68% in the first half of 2024. Gangs like RansomHub, Play and ALPHV/Black Cat are some of the top players this year, carrying out many attacks.  

Using Threat Intel for Ransomware Prevention 

Monitor for known threat actor TTPs

Threat intelligence provides insights into specific TTPs associated with ransomware groups. Intelligence on commonly exploited vulnerabilities (like those in unpatched RDP servers or VPNs) can guide SOC teams to harden defenses. For example, CISA’s cybersecurity advisory on the Play ransomware gang discusses TTPs like abusing valid accounts and exploiting public-facing vulnerabilities in services like Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) and VPNs for initial access. Shoring up accounts with MFA and keeping public-facing systems up to date are actions you can directly take based on this easy-to-find intelligence.  

IOC feeds for early detection

Threat intelligence sources and feeds often provide IOCs associated with ransomware campaigns, including IP addresses, domains, malware hashes and command-and-control (C2) infrastructure. Ingesting these IOCs into your SIEM and EDR tools can trigger alerts when correlated with incoming traffic to swiftly flag potentially malicious activity early in the ransomware attack lifecycle. When the Conti gang was a prolific ransomware player, many companies avoided becoming a victim of their attacks by proactively blocking suspicious IPs and domains identified as associated with Conti’s C2 servers. 

Set up geo-specific alerts

Don’t ignore the value of geolocation-based threat intelligence to set up alerts when anomalous activity emerges from specific high-risk regions. This is especially useful if intelligence reveals that ransomware groups are ramping up operations from certain locations. Higher volumes of network access or login attempts from these regions can be flagged for further review, but remember that savvy hackers will often disguise their true location using VPNs. So, it’s worth integrating this intel with behavioral threat intelligence that monitors for anomalous activity patterns (such as unexpected login times or device configurations).  

Use threat intel for adversary emulation and testing responses

Threat intelligence feeds help inform adversary emulation exercises, where SOC and IR teams simulate ransomware groups’ techniques. This approach helps identify blind spots in the current defensive setup and gauge your response times against specific tactics.  

Simulated tests against the latest TTPs of active ransomware actors allow your security teams to build muscle memory and refine their response plans for improved speed and accuracy. All the theoretical knowledge in the world about what ransomware groups are doing won’t suffice—practical exercises reflecting real-world ransomware attacks are hugely beneficial for ransomware response. 

Monitor the dark and deep web for targeted discussions or leaks

Ransomware groups communicate via dark web forums or publish stolen data on leak sites if extortion demands go unmet. Many ransomware operators or affiliates discuss potential targets and tools on the dark web, often before launching an attack. Implementing dark web monitoring can reveal when attackers discuss your industry or even your organization specifically, or mention vulnerabilities common to your tech stack. This early warning allows security teams to focus resources on specific entry points or focus on fixing specific targeted vulnerabilities.  

Correlate threat intel reports with attack surface mapping

Regularly scan your company’s attack surface to map internet-exposed assets, open ports and unpatched systems, and correlate these with threat intelligence reports. If intelligence reports detail ransomware campaigns exploiting specific configurations or vulnerabilities, a targeted sweep of your environment can help flag at-risk assets before attackers find them.  

This is especially important given the complexity of modern IT environments. Sprawling assets often go unnoticed in dynamic and expanding networks; recent research found that 40% of IT assets at companies get left unmonitored. Attack surface mapping correlated with your sources of threat intel can go a long way towards effective ransomware prevention.  

Opt for unified intelligence platforms

Unified intelligence platforms that unify security insights and actions are the next step toward getting the most from threat intel in terms of ransomware prevention. By integrating AI and expert analysis, this type of platform provides both contextual threat details and prioritized alerts that enable you to anticipate attacks before they escalate. Key to this is getting a holistic view of your security ecosystem and relevant intel. The Nuspire Cybersecurity Experience empowers your organization with a unified, real-time view of your security landscape, integrating industry-specific threat intelligence directly into a single dashboard. Powered by our Nutron AI assistant, this platform provides actionable, context-aware insights to keep you one step ahead of emerging threats. 
 
Learn more about the Nuspire Cybersecurity Experience.