Matthew RosenquistFounder & CISO Advisor, Cybersecurity Insights · CISO, Cybersecurity Strategist, & Industry Advisor

Next Tier of Ransomware - Cyber Crime Junkies #cybersecurity #podcast

6 Jan 2026 · 1 min

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0:56

In this podcast excerpt, the speaker outlines the evolution of ransomware tactics. Initially, ransomware simply locked victims' data without taking it, then progressed to stealing data and threatening its exposure. Early attacks also employed denial‑of‑service (DoS) as pressure. The discussion highlights a newer, more damaging tier: attackers threaten to harm a victim’s supply chain—targeting suppliers, vendors, and partners—to force payment, recognizing that such collateral damage can cripple business operations. This tier requires additional effort, as criminals must use stolen data to infiltrate other organizations, a process that demands talent and resources. The speaker notes that artificial intelligence can assist attackers in automating and scaling these complex, multi‑stage operations.

Chapters

Originally it was about we're just locking your data, we're not even taking it. Then we're taking it and we're going to threaten you in regards to that or some combination thereof. Right. And even before that, it was we're just going to do a denial of service attack against you. But once we get to the point where, hey, they're not going to pay, all right, let's figure out what is that next tier. That next tier is to cause harm. So we're seeing if you don't pay, I'm going to victimize your suppliers, your vendors. Right. And they're going to sue you and they're going to drop. They're not going to be your suppliers, vendors or partners. Partners anymore, and that impacts your business, right? Your deliverables. So that's going to be another tier. We're starting to see that, but that requires another level. It isn't just stealing the data, it's using that data for further hacking of another organization. That takes work, right? That takes talent and work. You know, you have to really tick them off. AI can really help you with that. Correct. So they're going to be using that.