Mack Energy Corporation

On July 9, 2025, Mack Energy Corporation, an independent oil and gas company based in New Mexico, fell victim to a ransomware attack by the group Cicada3301. The attackers exfiltrated 3.1 terabytes of data, including personally identifiable information (PII) such as names and Social Security numbers (SSNs) of at least 413 individuals in Texas. The breach was disclosed to authorities on November 7, 2025, with notifications sent to affected consumers via U.S. Mail. The ransomware group threatened to publicly release the stolen data within 19–20 days, posting sample screenshots as proof. The exposure of SSNs poses severe risks of identity theft, while the scale of the attack combined with the public extortion threat heightens financial, reputational, and operational consequences for the company. The incident likely disrupted internal systems, required forensic investigations, and necessitated coordination with cybersecurity experts and law enforcement. Affected individuals face long-term risks, including fraud and financial exploitation, while the company may suffer regulatory penalties, legal liabilities, and erosion of stakeholder trust.

Source: https://www.claimdepot.com/data-breach/mack-energy-2025

TPRM report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/mack-energy-corporation

"id": "mac1503615110825",
"linkid": "mack-energy-corporation",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "5/2025",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': '413 (in Texas)',
                        'industry': 'oil and gas',
                        'location': 'Artesia, New Mexico, USA',
                        'name': 'Mack Energy Corporation',
                        'type': 'private company'}],
 'customer_advisories': 'Notification via U.S. Mail to affected individuals, '
                        'advising vigilance against identity theft.',
 'data_breach': {'data_exfiltration': 'yes (3.1 terabytes)',
                 'number_of_records_exposed': '413 (in Texas; total unknown)',
                 'personally_identifiable_information': ['names',
                                                         'Social Security '
                                                         'numbers'],
                 'sensitivity_of_data': 'high (includes Social Security '
                                        'numbers)',
                 'type_of_data_compromised': ['personally identifiable '
                                              'information (PII)',
                                              'names',
                                              'Social Security numbers']},
 'date_detected': '2025-07-09',
 'date_publicly_disclosed': '2025-11-07',
 'description': 'On July 9, 2025, Mack Energy Corporation, an independent oil '
                'and gas company based in Artesia, New Mexico, became the '
                'victim of a ransomware attack orchestrated by the group '
                'Cicada3301. The attackers exfiltrated approximately 3.1 '
                'terabytes of the company’s data, including personally '
                'identifiable information (PII) such as names and Social '
                'Security numbers of at least 413 individuals in Texas. The '
                'group threatened to publish the stolen data within 19–20 days '
                'and released sample screenshots as proof. The breach was '
                'disclosed to the Texas Attorney General’s office on November '
                '7, 2025, and affected individuals were notified via U.S. '
                'Mail.',
 'impact': {'brand_reputation_impact': 'high (potential identity theft risks '
                                       'and public data release threat)',
            'data_compromised': ['personally identifiable information (PII)',
                                 'names',
                                 'Social Security numbers'],
            'identity_theft_risk': 'high',
            'legal_liabilities': 'potential (due to exposure of PII)'},
 'initial_access_broker': {'data_sold_on_dark_web': 'likely (threatened public '
                                                    'release)'},
 'investigation_status': 'ongoing (details not publicly disclosed)',
 'motivation': ['financial gain', 'data theft', 'extortion'],
 'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': 'yes (3.1 terabytes)'},
 'recommendations': ['Affected individuals should monitor for signs of '
                     'identity theft.',
                     'Companies should ensure robust incident response plans '
                     'are in place for ransomware attacks.',
                     'Proactive measures such as network segmentation and '
                     'enhanced monitoring may mitigate future risks.'],
 'references': [{'source': 'Texas Attorney General’s Office - Data Breach '
                           'Reports'}],
 'regulatory_compliance': {'regulatory_notifications': ['Texas Attorney '
                                                        'General’s office']},
 'response': {'communication_strategy': 'notification via U.S. Mail to '
                                        'affected individuals',
              'incident_response_plan_activated': 'likely (standard practice '
                                                  'for ransomware incidents of '
                                                  'this scale)',
              'law_enforcement_notified': 'yes (Texas Attorney General’s '
                                          'office)',
              'third_party_assistance': 'likely (cybersecurity experts)'},
 'threat_actor': 'Cicada3301',
 'title': 'Ransomware Attack on Mack Energy Corporation by Cicada3301',
 'type': 'ransomware'}