AlphaLocker Ransomware: A Threat to Financial Services Sector in Texas
Incident Date:
April 24, 2024
Overview
Title
AlphaLocker Ransomware: A Threat to Financial Services Sector in Texas
Victim
First Texas Alliance Corp (FTAC)
Attacker
AlphaLocker
Location
First Reported
April 24, 2024
Ransomware Attack on First Texas Alliance Corp by AlphaLocker
Attack Overview
A distinguished benefits and consulting firm based in Houston, Texas, First Texas Alliance Corp (FTAC), has recently fallen victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the group known as AlphaLocker.
The data compromised in the attack includes sensitive documents such as financial planning files, client information in formats like DOC, XLS, TXT, and PDF from the company's file server, email PST files, and desktop contents from workstations, specifically highlighting a workstation named 'zack'.
Company Profile
First Texas Alliance Corp has been a key player in the financial services sector in Texas for over 45 years. The company is known for its personalized advisory services and a vast network of top-tier third-party providers. Despite the lack of specific public data on the company's size or revenue, FTAC's long-standing reputation and its role as a trusted advisor in financial matters make it a significant entity in its industry.
Vulnerabilities and Target Profile
FTAC's extensive handling of sensitive financial data and its interconnected network with various third-party providers might have exposed multiple attack vectors for cybercriminals. The firm's reliance on digital tools for managing and storing substantial client data could also have made it an attractive target for ransomware attacks like those conducted by AlphaLocker.
AlphaLocker's Modus Operandi
AlphaLocker, a ransomware-as-a-service provider, is known for its low-cost solutions that appeal to a wide range of cybercriminals. The group primarily infects systems through phishing emails with malicious attachments, leveraging tools to evade detection and encrypt files using sophisticated algorithms. The ransomware appends a unique extension to encrypted files, and the decryption keys are held on remote servers controlled by the attackers, compelling victims to pay a ransom to regain access to their data.
Sources
Recent Ransomware Attacks
The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.
The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.