The Nova ransomware group is a recently surfaced threat actor, first observed in 2024, and appears to be part of the ongoing wave of newly branded ransomware operations. Public reporting on Nova is limited.

Nova’s activity indicates a preference for focused, opportunistic attacks rather than large-scale campaigns. The group combines system encryption with data theft, using the threat of data exposure to strengthen its extortion demands. Initial access is believed to rely on exposed remote services, compromised credentials, or phishing-based entry points, aligning with common ransomware intrusion paths.

From an operational standpoint, Nova favors efficiency over innovation, making use of established techniques such as disabling backups, stopping security services, and leveraging legitimate administrative tools to move laterally. Although still low-profile, Nova highlights how new ransomware actors can quickly inflict meaningful disruption by exploiting familiar weaknesses in organizational defenses.