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Cyber Threat
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Ransomware victim Financial Services

Merit Financial Group

Listed by Storm on · organisation based in United States

Disclosed
Oct 19, 2026
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Storm
118 victims listed
Country
United States
#1 most targeted
Sector
Financial Services

ThreatAI analysis

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

Storm listed Merit Financial Group on its dark web leak site on 19 October 2026. Providing financial advice and managing $5.59 billion in assets, Merit operates nationwide as a wealth management firm.

About Merit Financial Group

Merit Financial Group, LLC, doing business as Merit Financial Advisors ("Merit"), is a national wealth management firm that supports both the independent broker-dealer and RIA models. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, Merit has 24 additional offices throughout the U.S. and managed $5.59 billion in assets as of June 30, 2021 ($3.53 billion in advisory, $1.95 billion in brokerage assets and with $112 million in assets under advisement). Merit's mission is to establish and exceed the financial goals of its clients, while also providing its advisors and offices with practice management resources, an industry leading technology platform and the investment expertise needed to drive growth and deliver a superior client experience. The company headquarters is located in 2400 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 550, Alpharetta, GA 30009, United States. 201-500 Employees

Source record: ransomware.live

About the Storm group

Storm has listed 84 victims since August 2026.

Incident analysis

Merit Financial Group was listed by Storm ransomware, a group with 118 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on October 19, 2026.

Merit Financial Group is based in United States and operates in the Financial Services sector. United States ranks #1 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 10,101 victims in this database.

Sector context. Financial sector organisations are targeted for their access to funds, sensitive financial data, and the reputational damage a public breach can cause. Regulatory requirements also increase recovery costs.

Storm 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 Merit Financial Group attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Merit Financial Group was listed as a victim of the Storm ransomware group on October 19, 2026. The organisation is based in United States and operates in the Financial Services sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Merit Financial Group?

Merit Financial Group was attacked by Storm ransomware. Storm is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 118 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Merit Financial Group ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Merit Financial Group was disclosed on October 19, 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 Merit Financial Group ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Merit Financial Group 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 Financial Services organisation, Merit Financial Group likely held financial records, client data, and transaction histories.

How can organisations protect against Storm attacks?

To defend against Storm 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.