Infostealers and Ransomware Converge: From Credential Harvesting to Rapid Extortion Chains (cyfirma.com)

• Infostealer data sold to Initial Access Brokers
• Ransomware groups gain enterprise access within 48 hours
• Industrialized credential-to-extortion pipeline

"A clear pattern shows infostealer data funneled to Initial Access Brokers (IABs), enabling ransomware groups to achieve enterprise compromise within 48 hours. This convergence accelerates extortion chains by industrializing the handoff between credential theft and network access."