In a groundbreaking turn of events, ransomware gangs have shifted gears from mere extortion to offering loyalty rewards for the most complacent IT departments. For every unpatched SimpleHelp flaw exploited, organizations can now earn points redeemable for future attacks.

Sources reveal that the gangs are particularly targeting those who treat ‘Patch Tuesday’ as more of a suggestion than a calendar event. As a result, the gangs have announced partnerships with unnamed utility billing software providers to streamline their customer acquisition process.

Experts suggest this move by ransomware gangs reflects a broader industry trend where cybercriminals aim to foster deeper, more meaningful relationships with their victims—one unpatched vulnerability at a time.