Login
iscover
Share this article on:
Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
Powered by MOMENTUMMEDIA
The Akira ransomware gang has claimed a cyber attack on a now-defunct Australian media company.
Regency Media was listed on Akira’s dark web leak site, with the threat actor claiming to have stolen personal data belonging to customers and employees, as well as personal data.
“We are ready to upload more than 16 GB of essential corporate data such as: NDAs, driver’s licenses, passports, contact numbers and email addresses of employees and customers, financial data (audits, payment details, reports), etc,” said the group.
However, if the cyber incident is legitimate, Regency Media may be hard for the threat actors to contact, as reports suggest the company dissolved in 2023.
The company manufactured discs, VHS and audio cassettes for the Australian film, entertainment and recorded music companies and independent distributors, according to its description.
Cyber Daily has been unable to verify the legitimacy of the data theft claims.
Cyber attacks on defunct firms are an often overlooked security risk, as data often remains on legacy servers.
“This scenario highlights a critical challenge in cyber security: the risks posed by unmanaged legacy data when businesses shut down,” Christiaan Beek, Rapid7’s senior director of threat analytics, told Cyber Daily.
“Even after closure, sensitive data often remains on servers or cloud systems that can become easy targets for attackers, especially if they’re no longer monitored or secured.”
In November last year, the INC Ransom ransomware gang listed Brisbane-based law firm Nicholsons Solicitors as a victim on its darknet leak site.
On 24 November, the firm was added to INC Ransom’s list of victims, along with several documents exfiltrated as part of the alleged hack. Included are correspondence with clients, court documents, debtors reports, client bank account details, credit notes, and property deeds.
A screenshot of a file directory shows a list of folders and their sizes, suggesting a potential data breach in the area of at least 250 gigabytes.
Beek said the best practice before closing a business is to run a full data inventory before “securely wiping or encrypting systems and ensuring any retained data is managed by a custodian or compliant third party”.
“Without these steps, legacy data can linger as a liability, with no clear accountability. This incident underscores the need for greater awareness and stronger frameworks to manage residual data post-closure,” Beek said.
Be the first to hear the latest developments in the cyber industry.
