Akira ransomware group
Akira is one of the extortion operations we watch continuously. This page covers what is known about the group and the current state of its leak site, which we last saw change 17h ago.
Who they are
Akira is a ransomware group first observed in March 2023, targeting both Windows and Linux environments, with a particular focus on corporate networks and VMware ESXi servers. The group employs a double extortion model, stealing sensitive data before encrypting systems and threatening to leak it on a Tor-based leak site if ransom demands are not met. Akira typically gains initial access through exploitation of unpatched VPN services, compromised RDP credentials, phishing, or abuse of legitimate remote administration tools. Its Windows variant uses the Windows CryptoAPI to encrypt files, appending the “.akira” extension while skipping critical system folders to maintain system stability. Ransom demands have ranged from $200,000 to over $4 million, typically requested in Bitcoin, and the group has been linked to high-profile incidents affecting education, manufacturing, and healthcare sectors. Akira appears to operate independently rather than as a Ransomware-as-a-Service, and continues to evolve, with recent variants improving encryption speed and evasion techniques.
Current status
Akira's leak site is answering our checks. That does not mean the group is actively posting — plenty of sites stay up for months with nothing new on them — but the infrastructure is live.
The last change we recorded on it was 17h ago (4 Sep 2026 19:32 UTC).
Which organisations this group has named, and when, is part of the SINON platform rather than this page. Create an account to search it, or to be told automatically if a name you care about turns up.
Sectors targeted
This group does not state an industry on its site, so we have nothing reliable to report. Most crews are opportunistic rather than sector-specific in any case — they hit what they can reach.
Watching for your name
If Akira posts your company, a supplier or a subsidiary, you want to hear it from us rather than from a journalist. SINON checks these sites continuously and alerts on the names you give it.
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