Ransomware Attack on Burgess Kilpatrick by Monti Group: Key Details

Incident Date:

August 30, 2024

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Overview

Title

Ransomware Attack on Burgess Kilpatrick by Monti Group: Key Details

Victim

Burgess Kilpartik

Attacker

Monti

Location

Vancouver, Canada

, Canada

First Reported

August 30, 2024

Ransomware Attack on Burgess Kilpatrick by Monti Group

Burgess Kilpatrick, a chartered professional accounting firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, has recently fallen victim to a ransomware attack orchestrated by the Monti ransomware group. This incident has compromised the firm's security and operations, highlighting the persistent threat posed by ransomware attacks.

About Burgess Kilpatrick

Burgess Kilpatrick is a well-established accounting and professional services firm founded in 1974. The firm specializes in assurance, taxation, and advisory services, catering to a diverse clientele ranging from small businesses to larger enterprises. With a team of approximately eight employees, Burgess Kilpatrick emphasizes personalized service and strong client relationships. The firm is known for its technology-driven approach, utilizing advanced tools like Microsoft Azure Predictive Analytics and Tableau software to enhance its service offerings.

Attack Overview

The Monti ransomware group has claimed responsibility for the attack on Burgess Kilpatrick via their dark web leak site. The attack likely involved the encryption of critical data, with the perpetrators demanding a ransom for its release. This breach underscores the vulnerabilities that even small to mid-sized firms face in the evolving landscape of cyber threats.

About Monti Ransomware Group

Monti ransomware emerged in June 2022 and quickly gained notoriety for its tactics, which closely mirror those of the infamous Conti group. Monti targets both Windows and Linux systems, with encrypted files typically bearing the ".puuuk" file extension. The group is known for its adaptability, incorporating elements from previous ransomware variants and utilizing tools like the Action1 Remote Monitoring and Maintenance (RMM) agent. Monti has been particularly active in targeting institutions within the legal, governmental, financial services, and healthcare sectors.

Penetration and Impact

While specific details about how Monti penetrated Burgess Kilpatrick's systems are not publicly available, common entry points for ransomware attacks include phishing attempts, exploiting software vulnerabilities, and leveraging weak security protocols. Given Burgess Kilpatrick's reliance on advanced technology for data analytics and financial services, any lapse in cybersecurity measures could have provided an entry point for the attackers.

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.