Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering listed on Akira ransomware leak site

• Ransomware group: Akira
• Country: United States
• Sector: Professional Services
• Announcement date: December 17, 2025

Akira ransomware group targets Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering

The Akira ransomware group has officially listed the professional services firm Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering on its dedicated leak site. According to the threat actor's announcement, the organization has been targeted in a data breach. The group claims to have obtained a significant amount of corporate data, asserting that they intend to upload approximately 53 GB of stolen information in the near future. At this time, no screenshots of the leaked data have been provided to verify the claims, and the specific ransom demand remains unknown.

Details of the alleged data breach

The threat actor has made specific claims regarding the nature of the compromised information. According to the group's announcement, the stolen datasets include a wide variety of sensitive documents belonging to the organization. The alleged breach involves the following types of data:

• Employee passports
• Driver's licenses
• Personal information
• Financial records
• Payment details
• Client files
• Project documentation

The breadth of this alleged data theft suggests a significant compromise of both internal administrative records and external client-facing documentation. While the group claims to possess these files, the accuracy and the full extent of the data breach have not been verified by any independent sources.

About Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering

Latitude 33 Planning & Engineering is a professional services firm specializing in the engineering sector. The company provides a comprehensive suite of services, including planning, engineering, and surveying. The firm maintains an operational presence across several key locations in the United States, including San Diego, Los Angeles, Sacramento, and Salt Lake City.

Implications and security considerations

The alleged theft of such sensitive documentation poses substantial risks to the organization and the individuals involved. The exposure of identity documents, such as passports and driver's licenses, combined with personal and financial records, creates a high risk of identity theft and fraud for both the company's employees and its clients. Furthermore, because the organization is based in the United States, the exposure of such personal data may lead to complex legal consequences under various state and federal regulations regarding data privacy and protection.

The tactics employed by the Akira group often involve double extortion, a method where attackers not only encrypt an organization's systems but also threaten to leak sensitive data on public forums to pressure the victim into paying. This approach is designed to maximize leverage by causing significant reputational damage. For a professional services firm, the publication of client files and project documentation could severely damage commercial reputation and potentially create opportunities for supply chain attacks, where the compromised firm is used as a stepping stone to reach its partners or clients.

Security analysts have noted that the Akira group has shown a known preference for exploiting vulnerabilities in Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to gain initial access to networks. This suggests that organizations facing similar threats should prioritize a comprehensive review of their network security posture, particularly regarding remote access points. To defend against such threats, organizations in the professional services sector often implement layered security strategies, including multi-factor authentication, regular vulnerability scanning, and robust encryption for data at rest and in transit. However, the veracity of the claims made by the Akira group remains unconfirmed.