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Lockbit & LockBit3 Ransomware
Under attack by ransomware or suffering a cyber breach?
Speed is critical when facing a live cyber attack. If you believe you’ve been compromised, by the Lockbit & LockBit3 ransomware group or another threat actor - contact us immediately.
About Lockbit & LockBit3 ransomware group
LockBit is a Russian-backed ransomware group that first emerged in 2019 and has since become one of the fastest-growing ransomware groups worldwide.
An infection with the LockBit ransomware group (or any ransomware) is characterised by your systems being locked and encrypted files held hostage. Victims typically see a ransom notice like the one shown here, with the perpetrators, a specialist cybercrime group, demanding payment, usually in cryptocurrency such as bitcoin, in exchange for restoring access and preventing the leak of stolen data.
What we can help with:
- Encrypted files & ransomware data recovery
- Incident response and containment
- Secure data restoration and system recovery
- Use of ransomware decryption tools and data recovery software
- Development of incident response plans and disaster recovery solutions
- Post-incident reviews and security hardening
Request a call back
If your organisation has been infected with ransomware contact us immediately.
How LockBit operators work
LockBit is a Russian-backed ransomware group that emerged in 2019, initially known as ABCD Ransomware. Since then, it has evolved significantly, with LockBit 3.0 representing its most advanced ransomware variant. Operating under a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, LockBit leases its malware (most notably the “StealBit” tool) to affiliates who carry out independent attacks. This model enables rapid expansion and diverse targeting, primarily exploiting vulnerabilities in external remote services like VPNs and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP).
The group focuses on infiltrating organisations by leveraging phishing, compromised credentials, and unpatched operating systems. LockBit threat actors aim to gain administrative privileges, exfiltrate sensitive and valuable data, and encrypt victim data to maximise impact. Their ransomware operations are known for speed and efficiency, combining file encryption with the threat of public data leaks to pressure victims into paying ransom demands.
We are equipped to deal with an attack from any ransomware group.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you are under attack from a ransomware group not listed above.
Recognising a LockBit attack
LockBit attacks use a sophisticated double extortion method. Initial access is gained via phishing, exploiting vulnerable software, or abusing remote services like unsecured RDP and VPN. Once inside, attackers escalate privileges by bypassing User Account Control and using valid accounts to maintain persistence. The ransomware employs WMI, PowerShell, and command-line tools to run malicious commands, disable security controls, and evade detection. Attackers clear logs and delete volume shadow copies to block recovery.
LockBit operators conduct extensive reconnaissance, scanning networks, reviewing domain controllers, and mapping Active Directories to find and exfiltrate valuable data. They limit lateral movement through network segmentation and privileged account control. Encryption targets both production and backup data, denying access to victim systems and offline backups. Afterward, a ransom note demands cryptocurrency payment, threatening to expose or sell stolen data. LockBit 3.0’s precise execution and advanced tactics make it one of the most dangerous ransomware variants today.
Why you must not interfere with your ransomware environment
If you discover a physical break-in at your offices, your first instinct would be to call the police; touch nothing and let them search for clues. Then, your focus would shift to restoring business operations.
A cyber-attack requires the same approach. Your digital environment is a CRIME SCENE. It is crucial to leave the environment untouched to allow for a forensic investigation.
This is not a task for your IT team or MSP. Digital Forensic specialists are available 24/7 to assist you, just like in a physical crime.
| description | Sector | Date Discovered | Attack Date | Country | Screenshot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation Systems | 23/08/2021 12:00 AM | 23/08/2021 12:00 AM | TH | - | |
| Information Technology | 30/07/2021 12:00 AM | 30/07/2021 12:00 AM | - | ||
| Transportation Systems | 01/04/2021 12:00 AM | 01/04/2021 12:00 AM | GB | - | |
| Critical Manufacturing | 30/11/2020 12:00 AM | 30/11/2020 12:00 AM | CH | - | |
| Communication | 21/10/2020 12:00 AM | 21/10/2020 12:00 AM | IN | - |
Known threat actors
Ransomware groups behind the attacks
Below is a breakdown of the most active ransomware groups and the variants driving their attacks.
Post breach actions
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Call a NCSC Cyber Incident Response approved supplier Some NCSC providers will fund up to 48 hours of investigation into your incident.
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Report the incident to Report Fraud
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Locate your business continuity plan Work out what you can do without access to your systems and data.
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Identify your business insurance contact details
Who are we and what experience do we have in responding to cyber incidents?
We are accredited to ISO 27001 and recognised by the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
We provide comprehensive cyber risk management services, with a core focus on Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR). Our capabilities are driven by a 24/7 Security Operations Centre and a dedicated in-house intelligence team that delivers timely, actionable threat reporting.
With decades of collective cyber security experience, we have the expertise to assume operational ownership of your entire IT security architecture – simplifying and strengthening cyber security across your business.
As an Assured Service Provider for Cyber Incident Response (CIR) at the Standard Level. This accreditation demonstrates our ability to deliver high-assurance, effective support in response to a wide range of cyber threats.
Your NCSC-approved supplier is a specialist crime scene investigator who will:
- Isolate and preserve your environment for forensic investigation.
- Identify where the data has been duplicated and issue a legal takedown order.
- Identify your data, application and systems restore points. These might be at different points in time and will need to be carefully restored and reconstructed in a pristine environment.
- Liaise with your business insurance company and if needed, with the Police.
- Advise you on notifying your customers of your situation.
- Rebuild your systems, restore your data and get you back to full operation. Note: This process can take between 2 weeks – 2 months.
Working with us
Our response process
Our team are ransomware recovery specialists with a proven, streamlined approach to resolving incidents quickly and effectively.
Step 1: Triage
We deploy our incident response team the same day. From the first call, we begin onboarding, introduce key stakeholders, set communication schedules, and start gathering critical information to guide the response.
Step 2: Investigation
DFIR (Digital Forensic Incident Response) teams investigate breaches to identify vulnerabilities, attack vectors, and system impacts from ransomware such as Data Loss (PII). We deliver clear forensic insights to guide mitigation.
Step 3: Contain
Our onsite and remote teams act fast to stop the attack in its tracks. That includes isolating affected systems, removing malicious code, and putting protections in place to prevent further spread or damage.
Step 4: Remediate & Eradicate
Once contained, we work to fully eliminate the threat. This includes fixing exploited vulnerabilities, restoring systems to a secure state, and ensuring no traces of the attack remain.
Step 5: Recover
Our incident response teams help get your business back to normal. We restore access to systems, recover data, and ensure services are safe, stable, and functioning, with minimal downtime.
Step 6: Post Incident
We conduct a full review of the incident response and recovery efforts. Together we assess what happened, what worked, and what can be improved, helping you build stronger defences for the future.
Forensic analysis to drive recovery
Our process includes a thorough digital forensic analysis from step two where the output becomes a central component of business recovery. This is because understanding the attack is of critical importance:
Informing an initial infection date
The extent and spread of infection
Data exfiltration having an impact on regulatory positions
Ensuring that the attacker and any tooling or artefacts they leave behind are eradicated
It is critical that the analysis of digital evidence is carried out to an agreed plan.
Maximising early root cause discovery and legal leverage
The process is purpose-built to uncover the root cause as early as possible, which is essential to inform remediation / eradication and recovery as well as supporting a legal take-down case if this is applicable. A legal take-down means we can assist in the legal enforcement that stops the criminals from publishing the data, thus undermining the ransom notice.
Our Digital Forensic and Incident Response (DFIR) teams maintain consistent communication throughout. Dedicated Incident Managers and technical engineering leads provide updates during the Cyber Incident Response journey, utilising risk registers and working within change management processes, all from triage through to post-incident, delivering successful business recovery.
Key take aways
- You will not be able to access your systems or data.
- It is advised to disconnect from the internet and shut down your systems, including PCs, to prevent further infections.
- Your Office 365 system might also be compromised, allowing the attackers to monitor your responses. Avoid communicating with individuals through your primary email or team systems.
- Threat actors typically infiltrate your system at least 2-4 weeks before you become aware of the attack. Your data will have already been exfiltrated. If your system is encrypted, this was not an overnight event.
- Ransom demands in the UK typically range from £500,000 to £3 million, with some sectors, like education, facing demands that exceed £5 million
- Paying the ransom may violate financial sanctions, which is a criminal offence and could result in a custodial sentence or further financial penalties.
- If your data is sold or published online, it puts your customers and staff at risk, potentially implicating you in a Data Protection breach.
- You will need to submit a data takedown request to the initial location where the data was transferred.
- Do not overwrite the encrypted data. It is crucial to determine when the infection began and where the data was sent.
- Avoid rebuilding from the latest backup, as it is likely to be infected.
Why should I trust Zensec to do this work rather than my IT team?
A forensic analysis needs to be meticulous and a clean restore and recovery requires a wealth of experience not normally available in an in-house team who must provide a broader range of IT support skills:
Internal IT teams don’t have the necessary skill set to resolve security encryption issues themselves.
IT teams may recover to the same position with indicators of compromise ready to do it again… which can lead to another breach.
Internal teams are pressured to restore business operations and may recover before forensic analysis even begins, potentially destroying the crime scene before completion.
We can help
Frequently asked questions
Key information when you’re under pressure.
Yes, LockBit is a type of Ransomware software that is currently threatening businesses in the UK, gathering money to fund terrorism around the world.
A LockBit3 ransomware attack typically gains access to a system through one or more of the following methods:
A malicious link sent via email
Use of compromised web links
Purchased or stolen credentials
Failure to apply timely software updates
To reduce the risk of infection, we recommend adopting security policies that:
Educate staff on cyber security best practices and the risks of non-compliance
Use strong, unique passwords
Implement multi-factor authentication
Remove inactive or unnecessary user accounts
Perform regular, verified backups
Deploy timely security patches and system updates
Segment networks to limit lateral movement and restrict access
Monitor network traffic for unusual activity
Secure and monitor virtual private network (VPN) access to prevent credential misuse
After recovering from a LockBit attack, Zensec advises updating your business continuity plan to incorporate lessons learned during the incident and recovery process.
A ransomware attack presents the most significant threat to your business by:
- Disabling your access to systems, which could hinder machinery operation or impede progress through your business processes.
- Blocking access to critical data concerning suppliers, shipments, customers, orders, or steps in your business workflow.
In the event of a business interruption, identifying your position in the supply chain and sustaining operations can be challenging. If the disruption continues, maintaining business continuity becomes critical. Once systems and data are restored, addressing backlogs and establishing future operational protocols are essential.
Ransomware ranks only behind receivership in terms of its capacity to incapacitate a business.
The NCSC is the UK National Cyber Security Centre. They provide cyber security guidance and support, helping to make the UK the safest place to live and work online. They have defined a Cyber Incident Response procedure and they have approved and accredited suppliers to provide this service.
As a recognised Assured Service Provider by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), Zensec provide comprehensive cyber risk management services that are designed to Protect, Detect & Mitigate cyber security threats across the UK.
Report Fraud is the UK's national reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime. Whether you have been scammed, defrauded, or experienced cybercrime in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland, Report Fraud offers a central point of contact for information on fraud and financially motivated cybercrime.
https://www.reportfraud.police.uk/https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Most ransomware breaches cost approx £500K with smaller email data breaches in the realm of £50K. There is a dichotomy of preserving the environment for forensics or recovering it quickly for less business interruption. The cost increases the longer it takes to identify the breach and resolve it.
A cyber security insurance claim is complex and includes reasonable expenses to investigate and remediate an incident along with cover for legal, business interruption, criminal liability, employment liability and ransom policies. The insurance industry is liable to deliver the business recovery BUT Cyber insurance is viewed as volatile within the industry and many insurance policies are not being validated correctly.
Navigating through this requires experience, which is where Zensec can help.
Almost certainly, yes. It is possible that some of the data lost is classified as “Personal Data” to your customer. You have a legal obligation to protect that data but it may have been lost. You may also need to inform the Information Commissioner's Office https://ico.org.uk/.
Your insurer/legal council will advise you on what to do and how to proceed with this. Zensec has experience working with insurers and lawyers and can help in this relationship at this stressful time.
Dealing with a ransomware attack?
Our ransomware recovery service can help
Our expert team works quickly to contain the breach, recover your data, and restore your systems to full operation. We’ll guide you through every step of the recovery process and help strengthen your defences to prevent future attacks. Regain control with Zensec - trusted support when it matters most.