Ghent Dredging

Ghent Dredging, a Belgian construction firm specializing in marine and dredging operations, fell victim to a targeted cyberattack by the Akira ransomware group on May 23, 2025. The incident resulted in the unauthorized exfiltration and leak of 16 GB of sensitive corporate data, including financial records and employee documents. While no direct download links for the stolen data were publicly shared, the breach exposed critical operational and confidential information, posing significant risks to the company’s financial integrity, employee privacy, and business continuity.The attack underscores systemic vulnerabilities in the marine and construction sectors, where cybersecurity measures often lag behind evolving threats. The exposure of employee documents potentially containing personal and professional details raises concerns about identity theft, fraud, and reputational damage. Moreover, the compromise of financial records could enable further exploitation, such as fraudulent transactions or corporate espionage.The incident serves as a stark reminder of the growing sophistication of ransomware groups like Akira, which increasingly target mid-sized firms with weaker defenses. The breach not only disrupts internal operations but also erodes client and partner trust, potentially leading to contractual losses and regulatory scrutiny. Strengthening endpoint protection, access controls, and incident response protocols is now imperative for Ghent Dredging and peers in high-risk industries.

Source: https://www.redpacketsecurity.com/akira-ransomware-victim-ghent-dredging/

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/ghent-dredging

"id": "ghe631092125",
"linkid": "ghent-dredging",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "5/2025",
"severity": "85",
"impact": "3",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with internal employee data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': ['construction', 'marine'],
                        'location': 'Belgium',
                        'name': 'Ghent Dredging',
                        'type': 'private company'}],
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': '16 GB of corporate data leaked',
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'high',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['financial records',
                                              'employee documents']},
 'date_detected': '2025-05-23',
 'description': 'Ghent Dredging, a Belgian construction firm, was targeted by '
                'the Akira ransomware group on May 23, 2025, resulting in the '
                'leak of 16 GB of corporate data, including financial records '
                'and employee documents. While no download links were posted, '
                'the breach highlights serious risks to operational '
                'confidentiality and underscores the need for stronger '
                'cybersecurity in the marine and construction sectors.',
 'impact': {'data_compromised': ['financial records', 'employee documents'],
            'operational_impact': 'risks to operational confidentiality'},
 'lessons_learned': 'Need for stronger cybersecurity in the marine and '
                    'construction sectors',
 'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': '16 GB of corporate data',
                'ransomware_strain': 'Akira'},
 'threat_actor': 'Akira ransomware group',
 'title': 'Akira Ransomware Attack on Ghent Dredging',
 'type': 'ransomware'}