New Zealand Electrical Contractor McKay Hit by Ransomware Attack in January
One of New Zealand’s largest privately owned electrical contractors, McKay, confirmed it was targeted in a cyberattack in January 2026 after being listed as a victim on the darknet leak site of the newly emerged ransomware group Mnt6.
The Whangarei-based firm, which operates across nine locations in New Zealand, provides engineering, construction, and maintenance services for infrastructure, renewables, and marine projects. Recent work includes street lighting in Wellington and Queenstown, the Waikato Kingfisher Project, and the Lightyears Solar Farm.
McKay detected unauthorized access on one internal device in January and immediately activated its cybersecurity response plan, isolating and containing the breach. The company stated that its IT systems remained secure throughout the incident, with operations verified by a third-party cybersecurity specialist. All affected customers and relevant parties were notified, and the breach was reported to authorities, including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and the National Cyber Security Centre.
An Auckland High Court injunction was obtained to restrict the disclosure of compromised data. While Mnt6 listed McKay on its leak site on 30 April 2026, the group provided limited details about the attack.
Mnt6, which surfaced in late April 2026, has listed only three victims so far McKay and two Canadian firms. Cybersecurity firm WatchGuard suggests the group may operate as a data broker, though its origins remain unclear. The incident highlights the growing threat posed by emerging ransomware groups targeting critical infrastructure providers.
Source: https://www.cyberdaily.au/security/13537-exclusive-kiwi-electrical-contractor-confirms-cyber-attack
McKay cybersecurity rating report: https://www.rankiteo.com/company/mckay
"id": "MCK1777861431",
"linkid": "mckay",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "1/2026",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization's existence"{'affected_entities': [{'customers_affected': True,
'industry': 'Engineering, Construction, Maintenance '
'(Infrastructure, Renewables, Marine)',
'location': 'Whangarei, New Zealand',
'name': 'McKay',
'size': 'Large (privately owned, operates across nine '
'locations)',
'type': 'Electrical Contractor'}],
'customer_advisories': 'All affected customers were notified',
'date_detected': '2026-01-01',
'date_publicly_disclosed': '2026-04-30',
'description': 'One of New Zealand’s largest privately owned electrical '
'contractors, McKay, was targeted in a cyberattack in January '
'2026 after being listed as a victim on the darknet leak site '
'of the ransomware group Mnt6.',
'impact': {'data_compromised': True,
'systems_affected': 'One internal device'},
'investigation_status': 'Ongoing',
'ransomware': {'data_exfiltration': True, 'ransomware_strain': 'Mnt6'},
'references': [{'date_accessed': '2026-04-30',
'source': 'Darknet leak site (Mnt6)'},
{'source': 'WatchGuard'}],
'regulatory_compliance': {'legal_actions': 'Auckland High Court injunction '
'obtained to restrict disclosure '
'of compromised data',
'regulatory_notifications': ['Office of the Privacy '
'Commissioner',
'National Cyber '
'Security Centre']},
'response': {'communication_strategy': 'Notified all affected customers and '
'relevant parties',
'containment_measures': 'Isolated and contained the breach',
'incident_response_plan_activated': True,
'law_enforcement_notified': True,
'third_party_assistance': True},
'threat_actor': 'Mnt6',
'title': 'McKay Ransomware Attack',
'type': 'Ransomware'}