Ransomware gangs are increasingly using the notoriety of established variants, such as LockBit, to intimidate victims. They leverage the fear associated with LockBit’s capabilities to pressure victims into paying ransoms. These gangs often embed hard-coded AWS credentials in their ransomware, allowing them to exfiltrate data using Amazon S3’s Transfer Acceleration feature. This tactic highlights the importance of implementing robust data protection measures, such as strong access controls and secure credential management, to prevent data exfiltration and mitigate ransomware threats.