A Surry Hills-based company is responding to a cyber attack by the Lamashtu ransomware operation.Design and visualisation firm Virtual Ideas was listed by the hackers on September 26, with the hackers claiming to have stolen and published 35 gigabytes of company data.
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“The dataset encompasses the company’s complete operational footprint: project files for major property developments across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Canberra; financial administration including tax documentation, profit-sharing calculations, and invoicing records; tender submissions and competitive bid materials; and internal administrative files,” the hackers said in copy that appears to be generated by AI.
“The scale is considerable – over a thousand finance-related documents, hundreds of invoices, and extensive project documentation covering visual impact assessments, architectural renders, and development applications.”
Lamashtu is one of several groups that appears to be utilising AI to analyse stolen data and then create a report of what that data contains.
“This is a design studio that services property developers, councils, and architectural firms,” Lamashtu said.
“Their project archive reveals client relationships, pricing structures, and competitive positioning in the Australian property visualisation market.”
Virtual Ideas is aware of the claims and has been responding to the incident.
“We first became aware of the incident on the morning of Sunday the 27th of September, 2026,” a company spokesperson told Cyber Daily.
“Virtual Ideas have informed staff and informed clients to the best of our abilities to date.”
The company also said it had informed the Australian Cyber Security Centre of the incident.
Who is Lamashtu
Lamashtu has claimed 51 victims since it was first observed in April 2026, although it was mysteriously quiet during the months of July and August.
Most of its activity has targeted firms in Denmark and France, while manufacturing and professional services were its most targeted sectors.
Virtual Ideas is its first Australian victim.
Who is Virtual Ideas
Virtual Ideas describes itself as a specialist firm in “the design, creation and delivery of compelling 3D visualisation content”.
The company’s visualisation work includes the Barangaroo development, an urban regeneration project at Melrose Park, and commercial work on Wynyard Place. Its clients include Landlease, Mirvac, Crown, and the New South Wales Department of Planning & Environment.
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