YO
Ransomware Victim Manufacturing

Young & Associates Consulting Engineers

Ransomware attack by Play Β· Disclosed February 22, 2026 Β· πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ United States

www.wjyaengineers.com

Date Disclosed
Feb 22, 2026
2026
Threat Group
Play
938 total victims
Industry
Manufacturing

Incident Analysis

Young & Associates Consulting Engineers was targeted by Play ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in our database with 938 confirmed victims globally. The attack was disclosed on February 22, 2026, when Young & Associates Consulting Engineers appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Young & Associates Consulting Engineers is based in United States , operating in the Manufacturing sector. United States ranks #1 globally for ransomware attacks, with 8,974 victims in our database.

Sector context: Manufacturing companies are frequently targeted because production downtime directly translates to financial loss. Ransomware operators exploit this time-sensitivity to demand higher ransoms and faster payment.

Play typically employs a double extortion model: first exfiltrating sensitive data from the victim's systems, then deploying ransomware to encrypt files. Victims face two simultaneous threats β€” paying to restore access and paying to prevent publication of stolen data. The group's leak site publishes victim names and exfiltrated data as leverage.

Data source: This incident record is sourced from public ransomware group leak site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. Disclosure date reflects when the victim was published on the leak site, which may differ from the initial date of compromise. This platform does not publish or link to stolen data. Last data update: Aug 3, 2026 08:00 UTC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Young & Associates Consulting Engineers attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Young & Associates Consulting Engineers was listed as a victim of the Play ransomware group on February 22, 2026. The organisation is based in United States and operates in the Manufacturing sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Young & Associates Consulting Engineers?

Young & Associates Consulting Engineers was attacked by Play ransomware. Play is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 938 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Young & Associates Consulting Engineers ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Young & Associates Consulting Engineers was disclosed on February 22, 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 Young & Associates Consulting Engineers ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Young & Associates Consulting Engineers 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 Manufacturing organisation, Young & Associates Consulting Engineers likely held sensitive business data, client information, and operational records.

How can organisations protect against Play attacks?

To defend against Play 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.