Akira
Cybercriminal groupTrackedPending verification
Also known as: GOLD SAHARA, PUNK SPIDER, Howling Scorpius
CyberUNK
Fact cardConfidence · Source
System
TypeCybercriminal group
Alternative designationsGOLD SAHARA, PUNK SPIDER, Howling Scorpius
ProliferationOrigin country only
Capabilities
Malware and toolsAdFind, Akira, Akira _v2, LaZagne, Megazord, Mimikatz, PsExec, Rclone8 malware and tool entries linked in ATT&CKHigh[1]
Attribution and activity
TargetsTechnical analysis of Akira ransomware indicates variants capable of targeting Windows or VMWare ESXi hypervisors and multiple overlaps with Conti ransomware.Med[1]
Notes
Akira is a ransomware variant and ransomware deployment entity active since at least March 2023. Akira uses compromised credentials to access single-factor external access mechanisms such as VPNs for initial access, then various publicly-available tools and techniques for lateral movement. Akira operations are associated with "double extortion" ransomware activity, where data is exfiltrated from victim environments prior to encryption, with threats to publish files if a ransom is not paid. Technical analysis of Akira ransomware indicates variants capable of targeting Windows or VMWare ESXi hypervisors and multiple overlaps with Conti ransomware. Description adapted from MITRE ATT&CK®, © The MITRE Corporation, used under the ATT&CK Terms of Use.
Akira is a ransomware variant and ransomware deployment entity active since at least March 2023. Akira uses compromised credentials to access single-factor external access mechanisms such as VPNs for initial access, then various publicly-available tools and techniques for lateral movement.
Draft entry. Values come from the cited public sources and are awaiting editor verification.
- Akira, Group G1024, MITRE ATT&CK
Published/updated 2026-07-31 · Tier 2 · checked 2026-11-08
- 2026-11-08 Entry created from MITRE ATT&CK Enterprise v20.1 (group G1024)