Not Another Ransomware Blog: Initial Access Brokers and Their Role

**Executive summary:** This briefing explains the role of initial access brokers in the ransomware ecosystem, detailing how they gain and package network access (often through RDP or compromised gateways), advertise it on criminal forums (pricing typically USD 500–10,000), and sometimes use services like ZoomInfo to characterize victims without naming them; it also recommends monitoring criminal forums (e.g., via Shadow Search/ReliaQuest GreyMatter) to detect listings that may indicate imminent compromise.