
Introduction
Cybercrime has matured into a highly structured global economy, rivalling legitimate industries in sophistication and profitability. The World Economic Forum projects that cybercrime will cost the global economy $10.5 trillion in 2025, effectively making it one of the largest economies in the world. (1) Ransomware is a key growth driver which has transformed from opportunistic disruption into a calculated financial model to maximise return on investment (ROI) for cybercriminals.
Modern ransomware is now delivered through professionalised networks, unlike early attacks carried out by isolated hackers. Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) lets affiliates purchase toolkits, access dashboards, and ...