First observed in March 2024, “BlackLock” (aka El Dorado or Eldorado) has rapidly emerged as a major player in the ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) ecosystem. By Q4 2024, it ranked as the 7th most prolific ransomware group on data-leak sites, fueled by a staggering 1,425% increase in activity from Q3. BlackLock uses a double extortion tactic—encrypting data while stealing sensitive information—to pressure victims with the threat of public exposure. Its ransomware is built to target Windows, VMWare ESXi, and Linux environments, though the Linux variant offers fewer features than its Windows counterpart.
