INC Ransom Claims Attack on Sykes Consulting

INC Ransom claimed a ransomware attack on Sykes Consulting. The group obtained several miscellaneous pieces of corporate data. Sykes Consulting provides diverse structural engineering services for public and private sector projects. INC Ransom was first observed in the summer of 2023, and it is unclear if they maintain a RaaS (Ransomware-as-a-Service) affiliate operation or are a closed group.

Techniques and Tactics

INC uses common TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) such as leveraging compromised RDP (Remote Desktop Protocol) credentials to gain access and move laterally in a targeted environment. INC has been observed delivering ransomware using legitimate tools like WMIC and PSEXEC and uses other Living-off-the-Land (LOTL) techniques, abusing applications including MSPaint, WordPad, NotePad, MS Internet Explorer, MS Windows Explorer, and AnyDesk for lateral movement. INC has also been observed abusing tools like Esentutl for reconnaissance and MegaSync for data exfiltration.

Encryption and Targets

INC is written in C++ and uses AES-128 in CTR mode to encrypt files, and it also has a Linux version. It is unclear if INC employs any advanced security tool evasion techniques, and there are indications that they may attempt to delete Volume Shadow Copies (VSS) to hinder encryption rollback attempts. INC targets a wide array of industries, including manufacturing, retail, IT, hospitality, pharma, construction, and the public sector.

Double Extortion Tactics

INC practices double extortion and maintains a leaks site for double extortion, threatening to expose victims. INC has made good on threats to expose sensitive data if a target does not pay the ransom demand.