Cyber Threat Actor: Head Mare

Head Mare, also known as Head Mare, is a hacker group identified in open sources as operating from Russia. The group uses the alias Head Mare in reported incidents. Public sources indicate the group’s location is known to be Russia, though no further geographic detail is provided. The actor has been referenced in connection with ransomware activity against Russian targets.

Head Mare has directed its activity toward Russian organizations, specifically a major delivery service in May 2024. The attack disrupted parcel shipments, website and mobile application functionality, and caused widespread delivery delays. The group’s actions resulted in operational disruption through encryption of servers and destruction of backups. Public statements from the attackers criticized the victim’s security measures and service quality.

The observed tactics include deployment of ransomware that encrypts victim servers and deliberately destroys backup data to impede recovery. No specific initial access vector or malware family is named in the available reports. The group’s tooling style includes ransomware payloads that encrypt data and destroy backups. Their activity has been noted as similar to other ransomware events affecting Russian entities, though direct linkage remains unconfirmed for those cases.

Open source attribution places the group’s origin in Russia, with no publicly asserted ties to a state sponsor or criminal consortium. The most clearly documented operation is the May 2024 ransomware attack on the Russian delivery service, which led to multi‑day service suspension and financial impact on customers. Sources also note that the attackers have previously targeted other Russian entities, suggesting a pattern of repeated activity within the country’s private sector.