2024 Cybersecurity Forecast: Ransomware's New Tactics and Targets

In the past, cybercriminals often operated with the motive to "do it for lulz," engaging in malicious activities purely for the sake of amusement or creating chaos. Today, they’re driven by profit, transforming into rational business entities seeking scalable, repeatable processes for a steady income. This change in motivation has made predicting their behavior somewhat easier, as their actions are now grounded in strategic objectives rather than unpredictable whims.

In 2024, we expect the ransomware threat will continue taking an opportunistic turn—a trend that we first highlighted in 2022, gained momentum throughout 2023 (marked by multiple advisories, culminating in the ongoing CitrixBleed exploitation), and is projected to reach maturity this year.