APT Intelligence Directory
Institute for Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity
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Vice Society

Medium ConfidenceHigh Threat

DEV-0832

Vice Society is a ransomware operation that has been active since at least 2021, primarily targeting education and healthcare sectors. The group is notable for using various ransomware strains rather than developing their own, including HelloKitty, Zeppelin, and custom variants. Vice Society gained significant attention for numerous attacks against K-12 schools and universities, causing widespread disruption to educational institutions. The group employs double extortion tactics and maintains a leak site for publishing stolen data.

Origin: Russia
Sponsor: Cybercriminal (No State Sponsor)
Active: 2021 - Present
Victims: 200+ organizations
Advanced
Active
Financial Gain
Risk Assessment
71
Composite Risk Score
High Risk
ARCS Compliance72
Escalation Risk70
Grievance Index68
Infrastructure Impact75
History & Evolution

Vice Society is a ransomware operation that has been active since at least 2021, primarily targeting education and healthcare sectors. The group is notable for using various ransomware strains rather than developing their own, including HelloKitty, Zeppelin, and custom variants. Vice Society gained significant attention for numerous attacks against K-12 schools and universities, causing widespread disruption to educational institutions. The group employs double extortion tactics and maintains a leak site for publishing stolen data.

Targeting

Target Sectors

EducationHealthcareGovernment

Target Regions

United StatesEurope
Attribution & Affiliations

Attributed to Cybercriminal (No State Sponsor) (Russia). Attribution confidence: Medium.

Intelligence Assessment
High
Threat Level
Moderately
Targeting
Moderately
Adaptability
High
Persistence
Continuous
Op Tempo
Active
Status

Future Outlook

Vice Society is expected to continue operations targeting Education sectors.

Timeline of Key Events
2021
Major

First observed activity of Vice Society

2024
Moderate

Continued active operations