avaddon

Avaddon was a ransomware-as-a-service operation active from June 2020 to June 2021, when the operators unexpectedly shut down and released decryption keys for all victims to Bleeping Computer. Assessed to be Russia-linked, Avaddon targeted organizations across multiple sectors and was one of the first groups to use DDoS attacks as an additional extortion lever alongside encryption and data theft. The group's voluntary shutdown and key release remains unusual in the ransomware landscape.