Today, Comparitech researchers have published an in-depth study looking at the Akira ransomware gang.
According to the findings, Akira claimed responsibility for 683 ransomware attacks this year so far. This puts it just behind Qilin (864 attacks) in terms of gang dominance. Additionally, the number of attacks in 2025 so far is already double Akira’s attack number in 2024 — 272.
From these numbers, this research breaks down Akira ransomware attacks by sector and industry (government, healthcare, manufacturing, education, etc.), its most targeted countries, as well as its largest ransomware demands.
Rebecca Moody, Head of Data Research at Comparitech, said:
“If this report shows us anything about ransomware groups as a whole, it’s that they’re constantly adapting and evolving in a bid to carry out as many lucrative hacks as they can. Like many other gangs, Akira’s focus has shifted toward the manufacturing sector with manufacturers accounting for 27% of Akira’s attacks in 2025 so far. While system encryption remains key in these attacks, data theft is also present in the majority of cases. Manufacturers can ill afford downtime, which boosts a gang’s chance of receiving a payment for the decryption key but, to double-up their chances of getting a payout, gangs will also steal as much data as possible.
Manufacturers might not be in possession of as much sensitive personal data as healthcare providers, for example, but they will often have documents that, if leaked, could have severe consequences. For example, if a new concept or design is released, it may give competitors an advantage. Or, if the manufacturer works with government agencies or defense companies, certain documents in the wrong hands could be catastrophic.”
For full details, the in-depth report can be read here: https://www.comparitech.com/news/akira-ransomware-stats-on-attacks-ransoms-data-breaches/
Like this:
Like Loading...
Related
This entry was posted on December 11, 2025 at 11:31 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Comparitech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Akira Ransomware: Stats on Attacks, Ransoms, & Data Breaches
Today, Comparitech researchers have published an in-depth study looking at the Akira ransomware gang.
According to the findings, Akira claimed responsibility for 683 ransomware attacks this year so far. This puts it just behind Qilin (864 attacks) in terms of gang dominance. Additionally, the number of attacks in 2025 so far is already double Akira’s attack number in 2024 — 272.
From these numbers, this research breaks down Akira ransomware attacks by sector and industry (government, healthcare, manufacturing, education, etc.), its most targeted countries, as well as its largest ransomware demands.
Rebecca Moody, Head of Data Research at Comparitech, said:
“If this report shows us anything about ransomware groups as a whole, it’s that they’re constantly adapting and evolving in a bid to carry out as many lucrative hacks as they can. Like many other gangs, Akira’s focus has shifted toward the manufacturing sector with manufacturers accounting for 27% of Akira’s attacks in 2025 so far. While system encryption remains key in these attacks, data theft is also present in the majority of cases. Manufacturers can ill afford downtime, which boosts a gang’s chance of receiving a payment for the decryption key but, to double-up their chances of getting a payout, gangs will also steal as much data as possible.
Manufacturers might not be in possession of as much sensitive personal data as healthcare providers, for example, but they will often have documents that, if leaked, could have severe consequences. For example, if a new concept or design is released, it may give competitors an advantage. Or, if the manufacturer works with government agencies or defense companies, certain documents in the wrong hands could be catastrophic.”
For full details, the in-depth report can be read here: https://www.comparitech.com/news/akira-ransomware-stats-on-attacks-ransoms-data-breaches/
Share this:
Like this:
Related
This entry was posted on December 11, 2025 at 11:31 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Comparitech. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.