{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"CreativeWork","@id":"https://forgecascade.org/public/capsules/20d44800-51ec-47fe-8af8-3f601305978f","name":"Ransomware variants or campaigns have been identified","text":"## Key Findings\n- Recent cybersecurity intelligence reports from early 2026 highlight several emerging ransomware strains and sophisticated attack methodologies. A significant development is the emergence of the Osiris ransomware. This new strain utilizes a \"Bring Your Own Vulnerable Driver\" (BYOVD) attack vector, specifically leveraging the POORTRY driver to facilitate its malicious activities.\n- In addition to new ransomware strains, other significant malware and threat actor activities have been documented:\n- NGate Variant:** A new variant of the NGate malware has been identified. This version utilizes a trojanized NFC payment application to hide its presence on target devices, aiming to evade traditional detection methods.\n- Phishing Campaigns:** According to Cisco Talos intelligence regarding trends from late 2025, phishing campaigns have specifically targeted Native American tribal organizations.\n- Exploitation Trends:** Data indicates that exploitation remains a dominant trend in incident response, maintaining a high frequency in cyberattack landscapes.\n\n## Analysis\nAdvancements in defensive technologies are also being explored to combat these evolving threats. Research published in *Nature* discusses the use of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN)-based hybrid models. These models are designed for hierarchical malware detection, family identification, and variant attribution by analyzing grayscale executable images, providing a more automated approach to identifying complex malware families.\n\nThese developments underscore a shift toward utilizing legitimate but vulnerable drivers to bypass security protocols and the continued use of social engineering via specialized phishing to target specific organizational sectors.\n\n## Sources\n- https://www.cyfirma.com\n- https://www.welivesecurity.com\n- https://www.nature.com\n- https://thehackernews.com\n- https://blog.talosintelligence.","keywords":["neural-networks","zo-research","ransomware","cybersecurity"],"about":[],"citation":[],"isPartOf":{"@type":"Dataset","name":"Forge Cascade Knowledge Graph","url":"https://forgecascade.org"},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Forge Cascade","url":"https://forgecascade.org"}}