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Ransomware victim Agriculture and Food Production

Duarte Nursery, Inc.

Listed by Aurora on · organisation based in United States

Duarte Nursery, Inc.

Disclosed
Oct 20, 2026
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Aurora
57 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Agriculture and Food Production

ThreatAI analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Aurora. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

Aurora listed Duarte Nursery, Inc., a wholesale deciduous fruit and nut tree nursery based in Hughson, California, on its dark web leak site on 20 October 2026. The company had over 300-500 full Social Security numbers of employees from quarterly tax filings.

About Duarte Nursery, Inc.

Duarte Nursery, Inc. is a wholesale deciduous fruit and nut tree nursery in Hughson, California — an S Corporation run by brothers John and Jeff Duarte. The dataset is the company's complete digital footprint: 300–500 full Social Security numbers from California DE9 quarterly employment tax filings (2024 Q1 through 2026 Q2). The owners' complete identity packages — John Duarte: SSN 545-67-5279, DOB 9/9/1966, DL C3261756, BofA account 325107115395. Jeff Duarte: SSN 545675712, DOB 7/19/1969. Bank account and routing numbers for ~100 employees via NACHA ACH direct deposit files — plus the company's own BofA commercial account credentials and wire transfer instructions. Two years of reviewed financial statements showing the company is <redacted> Privileged litigation documents from active lawsuits including P2G class certification strategy and settlement documents. Proprietary rootstock and grafting data — the IP that differentiates Duarte from competing Central Valley nurseries. Complete salary and compensation data for 23 salaried employees, insurance coverage details, tax returns, and 401(k) census information.

Source record: ransomware.live

About the Aurora group

Aurora is a ransomware group associated with a multi-purpose Go-based malware distributed by multiple criminal teams from mid-2022, also sold as an infostealer/botnet under the same name on underground forums. Aurora has listed 42 victims since April 2026.

Incident analysis

Duarte Nursery, Inc. was listed by Aurora ransomware, a group with 57 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on October 20, 2026.

Duarte Nursery, Inc. is based in United States and operates in the Agriculture and Food Production sector. United States ranks #1 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 10,137 victims in this database.

Sector context. Organisations in this sector hold valuable data and operational systems that ransomware groups seek to exploit for financial gain through encryption and data exfiltration.

Aurora typically follows a double extortion model: data is exfiltrated from the victim's systems before files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished. The leak site, where this listing appeared, is the lever for the second demand.

Source. Public leak-site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. The disclosure date is when the listing was published, which can differ from the date of compromise. This site does not publish or link to stolen data. Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

Was Duarte Nursery, Inc. attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Duarte Nursery, Inc. was listed as a victim of the Aurora ransomware group on October 20, 2026. The organisation is based in United States and operates in the Agriculture and Food Production sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Duarte Nursery, Inc.?

Duarte Nursery, Inc. was attacked by Aurora ransomware. Aurora is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 57 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Duarte Nursery, Inc. ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Duarte Nursery, Inc. was disclosed on October 20, 2026. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the Duarte Nursery, Inc. ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Duarte Nursery, Inc. has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Agriculture and Food Production organisation, Duarte Nursery, Inc. likely held sensitive business data, client information, and operational records.

How can organisations protect against Aurora attacks?

To defend against Aurora and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.