Akira Ransomware: A $244 Million Comedy of Errors or Cybercrime Mastery?
The Akira ransomware group has raked in over $244 million, proving crime does pay—at least in ransomware! Known for targeting VMware ESXi servers, Akira recently upgraded its villainous toolkit to attack Nutanix and SonicWall, while exploiting vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-40766. Watch out, businesses, your servers might just be their next payday!
Hot Take:
Looks like the Akira ransomware group has been binge-watching “Breaking Bad” and taking extensive notes. With over $244 million in ill-gotten gains, they’re clearly the Walter Whites of the digital underworld, turning the internet into their very own Albuquerque. If only they used their talents for good, they could probably end world hunger—or at least make a decent dent in student loans. Instead, they’re adding a touch of chaos to the cyber landscape with their digital heists. Who knew that cybercrime could be this lucrative? Maybe it’s time to consider a career change—or at least invest in better cybersecurity!
Key Points:
- Akira ransomware group has raked in over $244 million from its malicious activities.
- The group targets VMware ESXi servers, and expanded its scope to other vulnerabilities in 2025.
- They’ve been spotted exploiting vulnerabilities in SonicWall, Cisco, Windows, and Veeam products.
- Akira employs various techniques such as password spraying, brute-forcing, and credential theft.
- Data exfiltration and encryption can occur within 2 hours of initial access.