[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"framework:mitre-attack\u002Ft1486":3},{"item":4,"lessons":18,"controls":68,"related":97},{"family":5,"item":6,"code":7,"title":8,"citations":9,"publisher":10,"summary_md":11,"official_text":12,"official_attribution":13,"official_url":14,"link_label":15,"note":16,"updated_at":17},"mitre-attack","t1486","T1486","Data Encrypted for Impact",37,"MITRE","**What attackers do.** Attackers encrypt files, servers or virtual machines so the organisation cannot use them, usually to demand a ransom. This is the signature step of ransomware and serves the Impact tactic, often paired with data theft for double extortion.\n\n**How to defend.** Keep offline or immutable backups, test restores regularly, and protect backup systems with separate credentials. Limit administrative access and lateral movement so one compromised account cannot reach every host, and harden hypervisors and management consoles. Endpoint protection with ransomware behaviour detection and rapid isolation helps stop encryption in progress.\n\n**Signs to look for.** Look for mass file renames or new file extensions, sudden high disk activity, ransom notes appearing in many folders, and deletion of shadow copies or backups beforehand. The common gap is detecting the encryption itself too late, rather than the preparation that comes days before.","Adversaries may encrypt data on target systems or on large numbers of systems in a network to interrupt availability to system and network resources. They can attempt to render stored data inaccessible by encrypting files or data on local and remote drives and withholding access to a decryption key. This may be done in order to extract monetary compensation from a victim in exchange for decryption or a decryption key (ransomware) or to render data permanently inaccessible in cases where the key is not saved or transmitted.\n\nIn the case of ransomware, it is typical that common user files like Office documents, PDFs, images, videos, audio, text, and source code files will be encrypted (and often renamed and\u002For tagged with specific file markers). Adversaries may need to first employ other behaviors, such as File and Directory Permissions Modification or System Shutdown\u002FReboot, in order to unlock and\u002For gain access to manipulate these files. In some cases, adversaries may encrypt critical system files, disk partitions, and the MBR. Adversaries may also encrypt virtual machines hosted on ESXi or other hypervisors. \n\nTo maximize impact on the target organization, malware designed for encrypting data may have worm-like features to propagate across a network by leveraging other attack techniques like Valid Accounts, OS Credential Dumping, and SMB\u002FWindows Admin Shares. Encryption malware may also leverage Internal Defacement, such as changing victim wallpapers or ESXi server login messages, or otherwise intimidate victims by sending ransom notes or other messages to connected printers (known as \"print bombing\").","© The MITRE Corporation. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of The MITRE Corporation (MITRE ATT&CK®).","https:\u002F\u002Fattack.mitre.org\u002Ftechniques\u002FT1486\u002F","Open the technique on MITRE ATT&CK",null,"2026-10-18T15:18:43.663+00:00",{"total":9,"list":19},[20,24,28,32,36,40,44,48,52,56,60,64],{"slug":21,"title":22,"published_at":23},"qilin-ransomware-operator-arrested-lessons-from-a-global-extortion-campaign","Qilin Ransomware Operator Arrested: Lessons from a Global Extortion Campaign","2026-10-07T14:20:38.216+00:00",{"slug":25,"title":26,"published_at":27},"shinyhunters-leader-arrested-after-70m-extortion-spree-targeting-140-organizations","ShinyHunters Leader Arrested After $70M Extortion Spree Targeting 140+ Organizations","2026-10-05T08:20:20.717+00:00",{"slug":29,"title":30,"published_at":31},"iranian-state-linked-hacker-extradited-after-decade-long-data-theft-campaign","Iranian State-Linked Hacker Extradited After Decade-Long Data Theft Campaign","2026-10-02T12:21:07.859+00:00",{"slug":33,"title":34,"published_at":35},"teen-alleged-to-lead-killsec-ransomware-gang-behind-500-victims","Teen Alleged to Lead KillSec Ransomware Gang Behind 500 Victims","2026-10-01T22:20:19.419+00:00",{"slug":37,"title":38,"published_at":39},"killsec-ransomware-takedown-exposes-110tb-of-stolen-victim-data","KillSec Ransomware Takedown Exposes 110TB of Stolen Victim Data","2026-10-01T16:21:40.406+00:00",{"slug":41,"title":42,"published_at":43},"killsec-ransomware-gang-dismantled-500-attacks-attributed-to-teen-led-operation","KillSec Ransomware Gang Dismantled: 500+ Attacks Attributed to Teen-Led Operation","2026-10-01T16:21:25.087+00:00",{"slug":45,"title":46,"published_at":47},"ryuk-ransomware-operator-sentenced-lessons-for-ransomware-defense-1790245269589","Ryuk Ransomware Operator Sentenced: Lessons for Ransomware Defense","2026-09-24T10:21:09.356+00:00",{"slug":49,"title":50,"published_at":51},"unpatched-systems-and-third-party-integrations-fuel-multi-vector-attack-wave","Unpatched Systems and Third-Party Integrations Fuel Multi-Vector Attack Wave","2026-09-04T18:21:18.819+00:00",{"slug":53,"title":54,"published_at":55},"aurora-ransomware-operators-leverage-ai-tools-to-attack-active-directory-certificate-services","Aurora Ransomware Operators Leverage AI Tools to Attack Active Directory Certificate Services","2026-08-31T14:22:10.286+00:00",{"slug":57,"title":58,"published_at":59},"atf-ransomware-incident-highlights-federal-endpoint-isolation-gaps","ATF Ransomware Incident Highlights Federal Endpoint Isolation Gaps","2026-08-28T14:20:23.029+00:00",{"slug":61,"title":62,"published_at":63},"synkloader-multitool-signals-rising-ransomware-threat-via-screen-hijacking-malware","SynkLoader Multitool Signals Rising Ransomware Threat via Screen-Hijacking Malware","2026-08-24T16:20:34.049+00:00",{"slug":65,"title":66,"published_at":67},"china-linked-apt-exploits-vmware-vcenter-days-after-patch-deploys-ransomware","China-Linked APT Exploits VMware vCenter Days After Patch, Deploys Ransomware","2026-08-17T12:21:52.909+00:00",[69,74,79,83,88,93],{"slug":70,"name":71,"problem":72,"stories":73},"endpoint-detection-response","Endpoint detection and response (EDR and XDR)","Malware and hands-on-keyboard attackers on laptops and servers get spotted and stopped.",20,{"slug":75,"name":76,"problem":77,"stories":78},"immutable-backup","Immutable backup and recovery","Ransomware cannot delete or encrypt your way back.",8,{"slug":80,"name":81,"problem":82,"stories":78},"vulnerability-management","Vulnerability scanning and prioritisation","You know which systems are vulnerable, and which ones to fix first.",{"slug":84,"name":85,"problem":86,"stories":87},"patch-management","Automated patch management","Known holes get closed in days, not months.",6,{"slug":89,"name":90,"problem":91,"stories":92},"email-security","Email security","Phishing, malware and invoice fraud are filtered out before they reach inboxes.",5,{"slug":94,"name":95,"problem":96,"stories":92},"network-detection-response","Network detection and response (NDR)","Attackers moving between systems inside the network get seen.",[98,104,110,114,120,124,130,135],{"family":99,"item":100,"code":101,"title":102,"together":103},"gdpr","32","Article 32","Security of processing",23,{"family":105,"item":106,"code":107,"title":108,"together":109},"cis","13","Control 13","Network Monitoring and Defense",21,{"family":105,"item":111,"code":112,"title":113,"together":73},"11","Control 11","Data Recovery",{"family":115,"item":116,"code":117,"title":118,"together":119},"nist-sp","800-61","SP 800-61","SP 800-61 Rev. 3: Incident Response Recommendations and Considerations for Cybersecurity Risk Management",19,{"family":121,"item":122,"code":123,"title":123,"together":119},"itil","overview","ITIL",{"family":125,"item":126,"code":127,"title":128,"together":129},"nist-800-53","ir-4","IR-4","Incident Handling",17,{"family":105,"item":131,"code":132,"title":133,"together":134},"12","Control 12","Network Infrastructure Management",13,{"family":105,"item":136,"code":137,"title":138,"together":134},"17","Control 17","Incident Response Management"]