Redefining Society and Technology Podcast Reconstructing the Organizational and Social Structure of a Ransomware Gang | A Black Hat USA 2024 Conversation with L Jean Camp and Dalya Manatova | On Location Coverage with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli
Guests:
L Jean Camp, Professor, Luddy School of Computing, Informatics, and Engineering, Indiana University [@IUBloomington]
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ljean/
At BlackHat | https://www.blackhat.com/us-24/briefings/schedule/speakers.html#l-jean-camp-37968
Dalya Manatova, Associate Instructor/Ph.D. Student, Luddy School of Computing, Informatics, and Engineering, Indiana University [@IUBloomington]
On LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dalyapraz/
At BlackHat | https://www.blackhat.com/us-24/briefings/schedule/speakers.html#dalya-manatova-48133
____________________________
Hosts:
Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martin
Marco Ciappelli, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining Society Podcast
On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/itspmagazine-podcast-radio-hosts/marco-ciappelli
____________________________
Episode Notes
In this Chats on the Road episode of the On Location with Sean and Marco podcast series, hosts Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli engage in an insightful conversation about the intricacies of modern cybercrime, specifically focusing on ransomware gangs. The discussion revolves around the research conducted by their guests, L Jean Camp, a scholar specializing in the economics of security and privacy, and Dalya Manatova, a PhD student studying security informatics and the organizational social dynamics of e-crime.
The episode explores how ransomware gangs, such as the notorious Conti group, operate much like legitimate businesses. These criminal organizations exhibit structured hierarchies, recruit testers who may not even realize they are part of an illegal operation, and employ professional negotiation tactics with their victims. The guests emphasize that the threat posed by these gangs is often misunderstood; rather than facing advanced government operations, most individuals and organizations are dealing with commoditized cyber-attacks that follow business-like procedures.
Jean and Dalya share intriguing details about their methodology, including the linguistic and discourse analyses used to map out the relationships and organizational structures within these criminal groups. These analyses reveal the complexities and resilience of the organizations, shedding light on how they maintain operational efficiency and manage internal communications. For instance, the researchers discuss the use of jargon like “cat” to refer to crypto wallets, a nuance that highlights the challenges of interpreting cybercriminal chatter.
Additionally, the conversation touches on the implications of these findings for cybersecurity practices and the broader business landscape. Jean notes the importance of information sharing and understanding the flow of chatter within and between criminal organizations. This awareness can empower defenders by providing them with better tools and methods to anticipate and counteract these threats.
Overall, the episode provides a comprehensive look at the sophisticated nature of ransomware gangs and the importance of interdisciplinary research in understanding and combating cybercrime. The session mentioned in the episode, "Relationships Matter: Reconstructing the Organizational and Social Structure of a Ransomware Gang," is slated for Wednesday, August 7th at Black Hat, promising to offer more extensive insights into this critical issue.
Be sure to follow our Coverage Journey and subscribe to our podcasts!
____________________________
This Episode’s Sponsors
LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/levelblue266f6c
Coro: https://itspm.ag/coronet-30de
SquareX: https://itspm.ag/sqrx-l91
Britive: https://itspm.ag/britive-3fa6
AppDome: https://itspm.ag/appdome-neuv
____________________________
Follow our Black Hat USA 2024 coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/black-hat-usa-2024-hacker-summer-camp-2024-event-coverage-in-las-vegas
On YouTube: 📺 https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnYu0psdcllRo9DcHmre_45ha-ru7cZMQ
Be sure to share and subscribe!
____________________________
Resources
Relationships Matter: Reconstructing the Organizational and Social Structure of a Ransomware Gang: https://www.blackhat.com/us-24/briefings/schedule/#relationships-matter-reconstructing-the-organizational-and-social-structure-of-a-ransomware-gang-39725
An Argument for Linguistic Expertise in Cyberthreat Analysis: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/372244795_An_Argument_for_Linguistic_Expertise_in_Cyberthreat_Analysis_LOLSec_in_Russian_Language_eCrime_Landscape
Building and Testing a Network of Social Trust in an Underground Forum: Robust Connections and Overlapping Criminal Domains: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/371353386_Building_and_Testing_a_Network_of_Social_Trust_in_an_Underground_Forum_Robust_Connections_and_Overlapping_Criminal_Domains
Usable Security Lab: https://usablesecurity.net/
Learn more about Black Hat USA 2024: https://www.blackhat.com/us-24/
____________________________
Catch all of our event coverage: https://www.itspmagazine.com/technology-cybersecurity-society-humanity-conference-and-event-coverage
To see and hear more Redefining CyberSecurity content on ITSPmagazine, visit: https://www.itspmagazine.com/redefining-cybersecurity-podcast
To see and hear more Redefining Society stories on ITSPmagazine, visit:
https://www.itspmagazine.com/redefining-society-podcast
Are you interested in sponsoring our event coverage with an ad placement in the podcast?
Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/podadplc
Want to tell your Brand Story as part of our event coverage?
Learn More 👉 https://itspm.ag/evtcovbrf