Actionable Insights For CISOs
1) Assume Compromise Before a Vulnerability Is Publicly Disclosed
Zero-day exploitation cycles are now measured in weeks, not months, and attackers often maintain silent presence long before vendors acknowledge the risk. CISOs must operate on the mindset that by the time a patch or advisory exists, adversaries may have already established persistence and quietly extracted data.
2) Evolve From Ransomware Preparedness to Data-Extortion Preparedness
Modern ransomware is less about encrypting systems and more about leveraging stolen, high-value data for financial and reputational blackmail. Organizations should elevate data exfiltration prevention to a primary strategic objective, not a secondary security function. This means strengthening DLP controls, enhancing network monitoring for abnormal outbound flows, enforcing stricter egress controls, and using behavioral analytics to detect unusual data movement patterns early.
3) Treat Business-Critical Platforms as Prime Targets, Not Just Infrastructure
Attackers are increasingly prioritizing ERP, financial platforms, HR systems, and supply chain applications because these systems contain sensitive data and operational backbone information. CISOs must ensure these mission-critical platforms receive priority patching, hardened configurations, and strict segmentation controls.
4) Prepare Leadership for Extortion-Centric Incident Response
Organizations must develop robust executive-level crisis playbooks that define communication protocols, legal considerations, breach disclosure strategies, public relations handling, cyber insurance activation, and structured decision-making frameworks around ransom engagement. Clarity before crisis limits panic during crisis.
5) Invest in Strong Threat Intelligence and Early Warning Mechanisms
The earliest and most accurate detections of these campaigns are increasingly coming from external intelligence sources rather than internal monitoring tools. CISOs should prioritize deep integration of high-quality threat intelligence feeds, monitor adversary-operated leak portals, track ransomware ecosystems, and actively participate in cross-industry intelligence sharing networks and ISAC communities. Early awareness significantly reduces response lag.
About The Author
Lars G. A. Hilse is a seasoned cybersecurity expert, independent advisor, and recognized thought leader with more than 25 years of experience in cybercrime, cyber defence, and cyber terrorism. His work spans global risk assessments, strategic incident response planning, and the development of cybersecurity maturity models used by governments and large enterprises worldwide. Lars has briefed decision-makers at the European Parliament and held advisory roles that shape national and corporate cybersecurity strategies. He created the Advanced Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Checklist (ACRAC), an open-source framework adopted globally for risk evaluation and mitigation. In addition to delivering high-impact briefings and crisis response protocols, Lars contributes to complex cybercrime investigations and collaborates closely with law enforcement, military, and intelligence communities.
Now, let’s hear directly from Lars Hilse on this subject:
The Clop ransomware gang discovered that Oracle E-Business Suite has a critical vulnerability (CVE-2025-61882) that allows unauthenticated remote code execution. So naturally, they’ve been exploiting it since at least August 2025, targeting dozens of major organizations worldwide. Canon, Broadcom, Dartmouth College, and numerous others got hit. But here’s the real story: Clop didn’t deploy encryption immediately. They focused on data theft first.
This is the new playbook. Stage one: gain access through a critical vulnerability before vendors even know it exists. Stage two: exfiltrate massive amounts of data quietly. Stage three: send extortion emails with proof of compromise. Stage four: leak data on their dark web site when companies don’t pay. That’s not ransomware in the traditional sense—that’s data extortion with a ransomware option.
The vulnerability itself? CVSS 9.8 (critical), affecting Oracle EBS versions 12.2.3 through 12.2.14. Unauthenticated attackers could execute arbitrary code remotely without any user interaction. Graceful Spider (tracked as Clop affiliates) started exploiting this in early August, well before Oracle issued a patch in October. That’s a two-month window where attackers had free rein.
What makes this particularly galling is the scale. Google Threat Intelligence Group and Mandiant analysis indicates that Clop exfiltrated a “significant amount” of data from multiple victims. The group’s leak site currently lists dozens of organizations’ domains, including household names. Extortion emails started going to executives in late September 2025, and the threat actors substantiated their claims with legitimate file listings dating back to mid-August.
This connects to a broader trend I’ve been warning about in my research on advanced persistent threats and cyber terrorism. Nation-state sponsored actors and professional cybercrime gangs are converging on similar tactics: find zero-days, quietly exfiltrate data, then monetize through extortion rather than encryption. It’s more profitable and attracts less law enforcement attention than traditional ransomware deployments.
The real lesson here? Zero-day vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure have a shelf life measured in weeks. The moment a vendor discloses a critical flaw, threat actors have already been chewing through your data for months. Assume you’re already compromised and audit your environments for indicators of compromise immediately.
By, Lars Hilse
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