The Clop group’s mass exploitation of MOVEit file-transfer software represents the latest stage of innovation in the ever-evolving ransomware ecosystem.

As with all cybercrime, criminals’ imperative is simple: maximize illicit profits via the least amount of effort, time and risk. Russian-speaking criminal group Clop’s attacks have affected at least 421 organizations – and likely many more.

“It is likely that the Clop group may earn $75 million to $100 million just from the MOVEit campaign, with that sum coming from just a small handful of victims that succumbed to very high ransom payments,” ransomware response firm Coveware assesses. “This is a dangerous and staggering sum of money for one relatively small group to possess.”