The group was first discovered in March and gained some notoriety for demanding large ransoms between $200,000 and $4 million. Security analysts have noted similarities between Akira’s tactics with the disbanded Conti ransomware group, according to a Sept.12 HC3 alert.
Similar to most ransomware groups, Akira employs the double extortion technique against their victims. Typically, the group has targeted victims who are not using multifactor authentication.
Akira is noted for its 1980s-themed retro website. Beyond healthcare, the group has targeted finance, real estate and manufacturing.
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