Ransomware affiliates are operators who use ransomware and related services maintained by other criminals to attack victims. In a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) arrangement, developers or administrators may supply the software and infrastructure while affiliates find targets and carry out attacks; the exact division of work and payment terms vary by group. For victims, the consequences can include locked files and systems, interrupted services, financial and reputational harm, and—when data is stolen—threats to expose it.
What is a ransomware affiliate?
A ransomware affiliate is an operator participating in a criminal arrangement in which one party makes ransomware or related services available and another uses them against targets. The affiliate is not necessarily the person who wrote the malware or maintains the group’s infrastructure. Instead, the affiliate may deploy the tools and conduct some or all of the intrusion and extortion work.
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This arrangement is commonly called ransomware as a service, or RaaS. The label describes a business-like division of labor, not a standardized organization chart. Some groups may centralize software and infrastructure while giving affiliates room to choose victims and tactics; arrangements differ, and public descriptions of individual cases should not be treated as a blueprint for every operation.
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RaaS can lower the barrier to participating in ransomware crime because an operator need not build every component independently. That does not mean every affiliate has the same technical ability, access, or responsibilities. Nor does the label imply a legitimate service: it refers to criminal activity.
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How does the affiliate model work?
At a high level, administrators or developers maintain ransomware functionality and may provide supporting infrastructure. Affiliates use those resources to conduct attacks. The parties may settle payment through an upfront fee, a subscription, a share of proceeds, or a combination. CISA’s June 2023 LockBit advisory describes those possibilities, but they are examples of arrangements—not a universal pricing schedule.
There is no defensible standard commission percentage in the cited official material. A precise figure presented as the typical affiliate share would suggest a consistency the available descriptions do not establish.
| Example | What official sources describe | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| RaaS generally | In CISA’s LockBit advisory, arrangements may involve upfront payment, subscription fees, a cut of profits, or a combination. CISA and partners, June 2023. | A menu of possible business arrangements, not terms that apply to every group. No representative commission rate is established. |
| Phobos case | The DOJ’s February 2025 release alleges that affiliates paid Phobos administrators a fee for a decryption key after a successful attack. Deployments had unique identifiers matched to keys, and each affiliate was directed to pay to a wallet unique to that affiliate. U.S. Department of Justice, February 10, 2025; updated February 20, 2025. | A specific alleged arrangement in a criminal case, not a general RaaS rule. The defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. |
The Phobos example illustrates why “affiliate” does not always mean simply paying a fixed share of a ransom. The DOJ described a fee for a key, a unique identifier for each deployment, and a wallet associated with each affiliate. Those details are allegations in the case announced by the department, rather than a finding that should be generalized to other groups.
What happens during a ransomware attack?
A ransomware incident may involve several linked actions: gaining access to a victim’s network, copying or stealing files, encrypting data so it cannot readily be used, and demanding payment. Not every incident follows the same sequence, and not every affiliate uses every tactic. CISA describes incidents involving both encryption and data theft, as well as data extortion without encryption. CISA, MS-ISAC, NSA and FBI, #StopRansomware Guide.
Encryption can interrupt normal work
Encryption can make files or systems inaccessible to the people and services that depend on them. A victim may be unable to reach data needed for routine operations or mission-critical services. The impact is not limited to the computers displaying a ransom message: if essential information or systems cannot be used, normal business or public-service processes may be disrupted.
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Data theft creates a separate pressure point
In a double-extortion incident, attackers combine encryption with the threat of exposing stolen information. The threat may be to publish files publicly or disclose them to customers, clients, or other stakeholders. This creates a second form of pressure: even if a victim can restore access to systems, the possibility of disclosure can remain consequential.
LockBit is one group-specific example. A CISA-led advisory says LockBit affiliates employed double extortion from 2021, encrypting victim data and exfiltrating it while threatening to post it on leak sites. That is reported LockBit activity, not a universal ransomware sequence. CISA and partners, June 2023.
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Extortion tactics are not identical across groups
The DOJ’s Phobos release describes allegations of theft and encryption, ransom negotiation, threats to expose files, and eventual publication on a darknet site for victims who did not pay. This account shows how several forms of pressure can be combined in a particular case; it does not show that all affiliates behave that way. A useful way to compare incidents is to ask whether encryption was used, whether data was taken, whether publication was threatened, how victims were approached, and which period and sectors are covered by the reporting.
How can an attack affect victims?
The immediate practical harm is loss of access: an organization may be unable to use files, applications, or systems needed to operate. CISA warns that ransomware and associated data-breach incidents can leave organizations unable to access necessary data and deliver mission-critical services. The disruption can extend into recovery, rather than ending when the initial intrusion stops. CISA, MS-ISAC, NSA and FBI, #StopRansomware Guide.
Victims may also face recovery and other financial costs, interruption to business or public services, and reputational consequences. When files have been stolen, there is an additional risk and burden from threatened disclosure, whether or not encryption is the only or main tactic. The specific consequences depend on what systems and information were affected; there is no single impact profile that fits every victim.
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The sectors cited in the DOJ’s Phobos announcement illustrate the range of potential victims. The department said the alleged victims included a children’s hospital, health care providers, and educational institutions. These examples do not mean that every organization in those sectors experiences the same effects, or that the case’s numbers represent the entire ransomware ecosystem.
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Official counts in ransomware announcements are usually tied to a particular group, case, time period, or method of counting. They should not be read as a current total of all victims. Two reported figures illustrate why attribution matters:
| Reported figure | Attribution and qualification | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| More than 1,000 entities; over $16 million in ransom payments | The DOJ’s 2025 Phobos announcement described these as allegations in the criminal charges concerning public and private entities allegedly victimized and payments allegedly received. DOJ, February 2025. | A final judicial finding, a measure of the whole ransomware ecosystem, or a current industry-wide victim count. |
| Approximately 900 affected entities | The FBI reported this figure for Play ransomware actors as of May 2025 in a joint advisory updated June 4, 2025. FBI, CISA and ASD’s ACSC, #StopRansomware: Play Ransomware. | A complete count of ransomware victims or a figure that can be applied to other groups. |
The figures concern different groups and are reported with different case or advisory contexts. They provide scale for those specific accounts, not a basis for calculating the number of all ransomware victims or predicting how frequently a particular organization will be targeted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can paying get a victim’s files back?
Not reliably. The FBI says: “Paying a ransom doesn’t guarantee you or your organization will get any data back.” That is the agency’s guidance on recovery uncertainty, not a promise that payment will restore access. The FBI also says it does not support paying a ransom. FBI, Ransomware guidance.
The point is important when an extortion demand offers a decryption key or makes other promises. An attacker’s promise is not a guarantee that the victim will recover data or avoid disclosure. The Phobos allegations describe a particular key-and-payment arrangement, but they do not establish a general outcome for victims who pay any ransomware group.
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How can organizations reduce disruption and prepare?
The FBI’s ransomware guidance recommends practical preparation steps that can improve resilience and give an organization a clearer path through an incident:
- Keep operating systems and applications current. Apply updates so systems are not left running outdated software.
- Back up data regularly. A backup is useful only if it exists when needed, so check that scheduled backups have completed.
- Disconnect backups from the systems they protect when appropriate. The FBI advises disconnecting backups from computers and networks. An offline drive is one possible physical tool, but a single drive is not a complete security or recovery plan.
- Prepare a continuity plan. Decide in advance how the organization will maintain or restore essential operations if systems or data become unavailable.
These measures address different parts of the problem: current software is a maintenance practice, verified backups support recovery, disconnection can separate backup copies from the connected systems they protect, and continuity planning helps prepare for interruption. They do not guarantee that an organization will avoid an attack or eliminate every consequence.
What should a ransomware victim do?
The FBI advises victims to contact their local FBI field office or report the incident to the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Its guidance does not promise that reporting will restore encrypted files; it provides official channels for victims to report ransomware activity. FBI, Ransomware guidance.
For an affected organization, the incident can involve both operational disruption and a data-exposure threat. Keeping those two consequences distinct helps clarify what the attackers are claiming: loss of access from encryption is different from the risk that stolen information may be disclosed. The FBI’s advice on reporting and its position on ransom payments should be considered alongside the organization’s continuity and recovery planning.
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