New research from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42 has identified four emerging ransomware groups that have the potential to become bigger problems in the future. These are AvosLocker, Hive Ransomware, HelloKitty, and LockBit 2.0.

Emerging ransomware threat groups

“With major ransomware groups such as REvil and Darkside lying low or rebranding to evade law enforcement heat and media attention, new groups will emerge to replace the ones that are no longer actively targeting victims,” stated the security firm’s latest report Ransomware Groups to Watch: Emerging Threats. Within the research, Doel Santos, threat intelligence analyst, and Ruchna Nigam, principal threat researcher, detailed behaviors of the four ransomware groups.