Organizations should fix exposed remote access, weak identity controls, and unpatched internet-facing software next to reduce Play ransomware risk. Play is a ransomware operation that steals data, encrypts systems, and pressures victims with threatened publication.
The threat affects businesses and critical infrastructure in the Americas and Europe. The FBI was aware of about 900 entities allegedly exploited by Play actors as of May 2025, though that figure does not represent every victim worldwide. The FBI, CISA, and ASD/ACSC joint advisory identifies the practical defenses that deserve immediate attention.
Table of Contents
- Close exposed entry points
- Make MFA a requirement
- Check SimpleHelp exposure now
- Hunt for the actions behind encryption
- Prove recovery works for servers and virtual machines
Close exposed entry points
Start with every public-facing application, remote desktop service, and VPN gateway. Play actors have entered organizations through valid accounts, vulnerable public-facing applications, and internet-exposed RDP and VPN services.
Remove unnecessary external access and place necessary administrative access behind strong authentication. Review which accounts can reach remote services, especially accounts with broad system privileges.
- Inventory internet-facing applications, RDP, and VPN services.
- Disable services that are not needed.
- Restrict remaining access to approved users and networks.
- Patch exposed systems on a defined, urgent schedule.
Make MFA a requirement
Require multi-factor authentication for webmail, VPN, and critical-system accounts. A stolen password becomes far less useful when the attacker also needs a second verification factor.
Prioritize accounts that can administer systems, access remote tools, or reach sensitive data. The joint advisory specifically lists MFA, regular software patching, and vulnerability assessments among its priority mitigations. The FBI, CISA, and ASD/ACSC advisory supports treating these as connected work, not separate compliance tasks.
Check SimpleHelp exposure now
Organizations using SimpleHelp remote-support software should determine whether it is exposed to the internet and whether it has been patched. Play-linked initial-access brokers exploited CVE-2024-57727, a remote-code-execution flaw disclosed on January 16, 2025, at many U.S. entities.
Treat remote-management products as high-value access paths. Confirm the installed version, apply the available fix, and review accounts and sessions associated with the tool for unexpected activity. The joint FBI, CISA, and ASD/ACSC advisory identifies this flaw as a Play-linked access concern.
Hunt for the actions behind encryption
Do not depend on a ransomware file hash alone. Play recompiles its ransomware binary for each attack, creating distinct hashes that can weaken simple antivirus or anti-malware detections.
Monitor instead for attacker behavior: credential dumping with Mimikatz, attempts to disable antivirus, log removal, and remote execution through PsExec or Group Policy Objects. These actions can reveal an intrusion before widespread encryption begins.
Prove recovery works for servers and virtual machines
Maintain offline backups and test recovery plans. Backups address encryption, but Play's double-extortion model also creates a data-exposure problem because the group exfiltrates data before encrypting systems and threatens publication through a Tor site.
Include ESXi hosts and virtual machines in recovery exercises. Play's ESXi variant can power off running virtual machines and encrypt VM-related files when launched without command-line arguments. The FBI, CISA, and ASD/ACSC advisory makes ESXi recovery testing a specific operational priority.
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