The Snatch Ransomware Gang's Latest Target: Briars Group

The Snatch ransomware gang has allegedly attacked Briars Group. Briars Group is a London-based consultancy firm that helps businesses expand overseas. Its clients range from the cyber-tech sector to the oil and gas sector and from startups to multinationals. Briars Group was founded in 1991 by Andrew Brierly and Kate Jolly, and its services include: Company Formation, Corporate Compliance, Global HR Services, Global Payroll Services, PEO/Employer of Record, Taxation, Accounting, Banking & Payments, and Foreign Exchange Treasury.

While Snatch hasn’t yet confirmed how much data it claims to have stolen, the ransomware gang has posted Briars Group’s details on its dark web leak site. Briars Group has neither confirmed nor denied the attack.

Snatch Ransomware Gang's Modus Operandi

The Snatch ransomware gang, which first appeared in 2018, uses sophisticated AES encryption to prevent victims from accessing their information. The hackers use Windows registry keys to boot in safe mode. Snatch typically targets high-profile organizations and forces target systems to reboot in safe mode to disable antivirus software. Snatch typically demands between 1 and 5 bitcoins as ransom, and researchers have not yet found a way to decrypt stolen information. The ransomware gang initially targeted regular users with spam emails, but since 2019 has targeted entire organizations.