Ransomware groups Qilin and Akira are expanding operations as RaaS ecosystem successors following law enforcement disruptions, using infostealer-harvested credentials as primary initial access rather than exploiting patched vulnerabilities. The attack surface is identity infrastructure across all sectors, with no single vendor product as the entry point. Organizations that lack early-warning detection for infostealer activity and credential anomalies face elevated risk of full ransomware deployment compounded by data exfiltration and multi-layered extortion.