Dissecting Akira Ransomware: Techniques, Payloads, and Lessons Learned
Posted inCyber Security

Dissecting Akira Ransomware: Techniques, Payloads, and Lessons Learned

Introduction

We will move our discussion ahead from our last topic on Ransomware and will go through a ransomware Akira. In the crowded and ever-evolving ransomware landscape, Akira has quickly established itself as one of the most disruptive players. Emerging in March 2023, Akira targets organizations with a double extortion playbook — exfiltrating sensitive data before encrypting systems, forcing victims into a pay-or-leak dilemma.
Its cross-platform capabilities (Windows, Linux, ESXi) and rapid evolution, including a Rust-based variant dubbed Megazord, have made it a growing concern for sectors worldwide.

Akira is a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) family first observed in 2023 and highly active through 2024–2025, responsible for many incidents across industries and regions. It typically performs data exfiltration followed by encryption (double-extortion). CISAVeeam Software

Posted inCyber Security

Ransomware 101: Understanding the Threat

Introduction

Ransomware has evolved from being a nuisance for individual computer users to one of the most damaging threats to modern organizations.
It’s not just about encrypting files anymore — the latest ransomware operations have become full-fledged criminal enterprises, combining data theft, extortion, and public shaming into a single high-pressure attack model.

In this blog, we’ll establish a baseline understanding of ransomware — what it is, how it works, the different types, and why it remains a critical threat.
This foundation will set the stage for our upcoming deep dives into specific ransomware families and practical detection techniques.