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On September 20, 2023, the FBI and CISA warned that Snatch ransomware actors had targeted critical-infrastructure organizations, including those in the Defense Industrial Base, Food and Agriculture, and Information Technology sectors. The advisory described data theft and possible threats to publish stolen information—not just file encryption—and recommended securing and monitoring Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), keeping offline backups, and enforcing phishing-resistant multifactor authentication (MFA). Its technical information reflected FBI investigations through June 1, 2023; it is a dated warning, not evidence of Snatch activity in 2026.
What was the Snatch ransomware warning?
The FBI and CISA issued joint advisory AA23-263A on September 20, 2023. They said Snatch actors had consistently evolved their tactics since mid-2021 and targeted a range of critical-infrastructure sectors. The advisory’s indicators and tactics were based on FBI investigations as recently as June 1, 2023. CISA’s advisory index lists AA23-263A with that publication date.
Which sectors did the advisory name?
The agencies specifically identified the Defense Industrial Base, Food and Agriculture, and Information Technology sectors as targets. They described targeting across a range of critical infrastructure; the three named sectors should not be read as a complete list.
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The advisory states: “Snatch threat actors conduct ransomware operations involving data exfiltration and double extortion.” In this pattern, attackers take data and may threaten to publish it on the Snatch extortion blog if a ransom is not paid. That means an incident can put both the availability of systems and the confidentiality of information at risk. The advisory describes a possible extortion tactic, not a sequence that occurred in every case.
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SecurityWeek’s contemporaneous account of the FBI/CISA advisory reported additional operational details, including RDP exploitation and compromised credentials for initial access, use of administrator credentials, attempts to disable security software, execution in Safe Mode, and attempted deletion of volume shadow copies in some cases. These details are attributed to that report; consult the September 21, 2023 coverage and the original advisory for context and technical specifics.
What should organizations do to reduce risk?
The FBI and CISA’s “actions to take today” are three defensive priorities:
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- Secure and closely monitor RDP. Review remote-access exposure and access controls, and watch for unusual activity. RDP is a legitimate administration tool, but exposed or poorly secured access can create an entry point.
- Maintain offline backups. Keep recovery copies disconnected from, or otherwise protected against compromise of, the primary environment. A backup is useful only if it remains available and can be restored; include restoration in recovery planning.
- Enable and enforce phishing-resistant MFA. Apply it to relevant accounts and access paths, especially remote access and administrative use. A FIDO2 security key is one possible implementation, subject to compatibility and organizational requirements; the agencies did not name or endorse a particular product.
These measures reduce exposure and improve resilience; none is a guarantee against compromise. For exact indicators of compromise, MITRE ATT&CK techniques, and the advisory’s technical guidance, use the original FBI/CISA Snatch advisory.
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The advisory is a historical snapshot: its publication date is September 20, 2023, and the latest date it gives for investigation-derived indicators and tactics is June 1, 2023. It does not establish that Snatch remains active against the named sectors today. Avoid treating the 2023 alert as a current threat bulletin without later authoritative reporting.
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