CONTI Hacker Group: The Young “For-Profit” Super-Cybercriminal Threat

As I wrap up my “know thy cyber-enemy” series, I have saved the “best” for last. Having emerged in late 2020, the CONTI hacker group is a relatively new player in the shadowy world of cybercrime. Despite its short history, the group has made a name for itself as a sophisticated and aggressive threat to businesses and organizations around the world.

Beyond providing education on adversarial hacker groups such as CONTI, this series has examined their behavior, targeting, tactics, and motivations. The resulting insights provide valuable, preemptive perspective on what kind of operational cybersecurity initiatives to pursue, what kind of technologies to invest in, and where vulnerability gaps in an organization’s operations may lie. To best mitigate risks, you must first understand the enemies beyond.

Double Extortion in a Wide Net

CONTI’s calling card is its extended use of ransomware. The group uses malware to encrypt victims’ data, then demands payment in exchange for the decryption key. Unlike other ransomware groups, however, CONTI has developed a reputation for using particularly aggressive tactics and demanding higher-than-average ransom payments. One of the most notable aspects of CONTI’s operations is its use of double extortion tactics. This involves not only encrypting the victim’s data, but also stealing sensitive information such as financial data, intellectual property, or personally identifiable information (PII). CONTI then threatens to release this information publicly if the victim does not pay the ransom.

The group’s operations are highly sophisticated and often involve multiple stages, including spear-phishing emails, network infiltration, and deployment of custom-built malware. CONTI’s malware is known for its ability to evade detection by antivirus software and to spread rapidly through an organization’s network. The group also adapts and evolves its tactics in response to changes in the cybersecurity landscape. For example, the group has been known to use the Ryuk ransomware strain in some attacks, which has been linked to other cybercriminal groups such as Wizard Spider and TrickBot.

While CONTI is relatively new on the scene, it has already made a significant impact. According to some estimates the hacker group has already earned millions of dollars in ransom payments from its victims, making it one of the most lucrative cybercriminal groups currently in operation. While other groups such as REVIL, APT10, or APT33 are affiliated with Russian, Chinese, and Iranian intelligence services respectively, CONTI is a bit different. CONTI operates largely from Russia and Eastern Europe and is thought to be operating for members’ profit while also supporting the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

To date, CONTI has targeted a wide range of businesses and organizations including healthcare providers, government agencies, and educational institutions. While some groups focus on specific industries, CONTI has shown a willingness to target any organization it believes can be successfully compromised. One of the most high-profile attacks attributed to CONTI occurred in February 2021 when the group targeted the Accellion file transfer service, compromising the data of dozens of organizations around the world. CONTI has also been linked to the May 2021 attack on Ireland’s health service that caused significant disruption to the country’s healthcare system.

A Significant Threat to Businesses

The CONTI hacker group has quickly established itself as a significant threat to businesses and organizations worldwide. The group’s use of double extortion tactics and aggressive ransomware attacks has resulted in millions of dollars in ransom payments and the compromise of sensitive data. The challenge that stems from this ruthlessly efficient and threatening hacker group is ugly and significant. With its aggressive tactics and willingness to target organizations in a wide range of industries, CONTI is likely to continue to pose a significant risk for years to come.

Understanding the behavior, targeting, tactics, and motivation of adversarial hacking groups like CONTI can guide organizations in designing strong cybersecurity strategies. To mitigate the threat posed by CONTI and other hacking groups, businesses and organizations need to have a multi-layered security program that includes endpoint protection, continuous user awareness and training, vulnerability assessments, incident response planning, and collaboration with other organizations and industry groups.

Preparation and Response

The CONTI threat profile highlights the importance of endpoint protection and detection through EDR, application protection, Cloud Access Security, and other systems that protect endpoints, applications, and workloads in a variety of operational environments. It also emphasizes the need for continuous user awareness and training as well as continual incident monitoring.

The group also highlights the importance for businesses and organizations to be vigilant in their monitoring and response to potential security incidents. This includes conducting regular vulnerability assessments, training employees on the risks of social engineering tactics such as spear-phishing emails, and implementing a well-defined incident response plan. These components of a multi-layered security program are critical to mitigating the CONTI threat.

By remaining vigilant and proactive and implementing robust cybersecurity measures, as well as through partnership with reputable Managed Security Service providers (MSSP), organizations can minimize the risk of falling victim to CONTI and other cybercriminal groups. They can also safeguard their data and systems for the future.