Ransomware Roundup: 08.14.23

Halcyon Research reveals that ostensibly legitimate ISPs acting as Command‑and‑Control Providers (C2Ps) — exemplified by Cloudzy — are being used to provision infrastructure for nation‑state APTs and ransomware affiliates; researchers identified affiliates (Ghost Clown, Space Kook) deploying BlackBasta and Royal, demonstrated a method to detect C2Ps and provide IOCs, warned about Linux ransomware (Abyss Locker) targeting VMware ESXi, and documented real‑world healthcare disruptions tied to ransomware activity while providing defensive recommendations.