chort

Chort is a recently emerged ransomware group that first appeared in November 2024, operating with apparent financial motivations based on their targeting patterns across multiple sectors. Given the group's recent emergence and limited public documentation, their country of origin and potential affiliations remain unclear, though their targeting of US and Kuwaiti entities suggests a broader international operational scope rather than localized cybercriminal activity. The group's attack methodology details have not been extensively documented by major security firms, though their sector-specific targeting of education, agriculture and food production, technology, and government entities indicates a deliberate victim selection process rather than opportunistic attacks. With only seven known victims documented since their November 2024 emergence, Chort has maintained a relatively low profile compared to established ransomware operations, with no major high-profile incidents or law enforcement actions publicly reported by CISA, FBI, or prominent security researchers. The group remains active as of late 2024, though their limited victim count and recent emergence make it unclear whether they represent a nascent operation still developing their capabilities or a more selective targeting approach.