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Threat actors have claimed a ransomware attack on Australian engineering firm Thornton Engineering.
The Akira ransomware gang listed Thornton Engineering on its dark web leak site on 24 February, claiming to have exfiltrated personal and business data.
“We are ready to upload more than 11 GB of essential corporate documents such as: contact numbers and email addresses of employees and customers, financial data (audits, payment details, reports), etc,” said the ransomware group.
Cyber Daily has observed that Thornton Engineering Australia is no longer listed on the group’s dark web leak site but has been unable to verify the reason for this.
Cyber Daily has contacted Thornton Engineering Australia for comment on the incident.
The Akira ransomware gang first appeared in March 2023 and is best known for targeting victims in the UK, US and Australia.
Just last week, the Akira ransomware gang claimed a cyber attack on a now-defunct Australian media company, Regency Media.
The threat actor claimed 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.
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.”
Cyber Daily has been unable to verify the legitimacy of the data theft claims.
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