Akira Infects 2 More Targets
Akira reaches the US to hit 2 more targets. These are HydraTek & Associates and Hamilton-Madison House, working in engineering consulting and immigration services respectively.
- The attacks occurred almost simultaneously, showcasing Akira’s flexibility and reach
- None of the victims posted any public statement regarding the attacks, but it is presumed that the negotiations are ongoing
- According to Akira’s own posts, though, it seems like neither of the victims accepted to pay the ransom
- Akira announced that it will release the stolen data publicly for anyone to download and use for free
Apparently, the attacks weren’t as successful as Akira hoped they would be, since the attacker only managed to secure a small amount of data. Hamilton-Madison House only lost approximately 10GB of data, which is a far cry compared to other hits.
In some ransomware attacks, the attackers often secure dozens or even hundreds of GB of data, depending on the victim’s profile. This may explain why the 2 victims in this case may have refused the negotiations, since they didn’t have that much to lose.
Akira is a relatively new ransomware actor, first being observed in March of 2023. It has a TOR website where the group posts evidence of recent attacks, makes threats, points out potential targets, and leaks the data they’ve stolen in case of failed negotiations.
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Who Is Akira and How Does It Operate?
Akira is quite an aggressive ransomware organization that takes pride in its ability to strike multiple targets at the same time. They can also infiltrate high-profile institutions, both public and from the private sphere.
Aside from its adaptability, reach, and capabilities, Akira is also feared for another reason: the overpriced ransoms. Unlike other ransomware actors who proportion the value of their ransom demands to the victim’s capabilities, Akira operates in other terms.
The organization is known to demand ridiculous ransoms, sometimes ranging in the hundreds of millions of dollars. This is one of the reasons why Akira has a relatively low pay rate. But it doesn’t matter because one paid ransom makes up for 10 unpaid ones.
Akira also doesn’t seem willing to negotiate the ransom price too much. They are rather inflexible and stick to their original demand in most cases.
Akira also hits indiscriminately, affecting businesses from pretty much all fields of work. These include healthcare, , real estate, medical sciences, education, manufacturing, public relations, financing, and many others.