high severity January 05, 2023 · 3 min read Unverified claim — what this is

Hayward Listed by BlackByte Ransomware Group

If you are a customer of Hayward, here’s what is being claimed, and what it would mean for you.

Come on in... The water is Hayward.At Hayward®, we're more than just equipment. Our objective is to make your pool experience worry and hassle-free. That's why our equipment is engineered to last and work smart at keeping your pool sparkling clean and trouble free.For over 80-years, we've been helping pool owners enjoy the pleasures of pool ownership by manufacturing cutting edge, technologically advanced pool equipment worldwide. We strive to ensure that your Totally Hayward™ System operates at maximum efficiency all season long. Our goal is that at the end of the day, your only concern is to
— from Blackbyte’s own leak-site posting. This is the group’s claim, quoted verbatim; it is not GalaxyWarden’s reporting and has not been independently verified.

Hayward Listed by BlackByte Ransomware Group

Hayward was listed on the BlackByte ransomware group's leak site on January 05, 2023. The company, known for manufacturing pool equipment and systems used by homeowners worldwide, confirmed that internal files were allegedly exfiltrated during a ransomware attack. Anyone whose personal information appears in those files — including customers, employees, or business partners — now faces heightened risk of identity theft and targeted fraud.

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Reported Details from the Listing

The BlackByte leak site posting states that internal files were exfiltrated from Hayward during a ransomware incident. The disclosure does not specify the exact number of records affected, the precise data types contained in the files, or any ransom demand amount. It simply presents samples of the stolen material as proof of compromise and threatens further publication if demands are not met. The primary source, hosted on a ransomware monitoring aggregator, contains no additional technical details about the initial access vector or the specific systems impacted.

Why This Matters for You and Your Family

When a household name like Hayward suffers a breach, the stolen internal files often contain names, addresses, phone numbers, email accounts, and payment details tied to customers who purchased pool pumps, filters, or automation systems. If your information is among the exfiltrated data, criminals can use it to impersonate you, file fraudulent tax returns, or open accounts in your name. Your family members listed on the same address or shared accounts are equally exposed. The attack underscores how even companies that sell everyday backyard products hold sensitive personal records that belong to ordinary people like you.

Doxxing and Identity-Chain Risks

Exfiltrated internal files frequently include spreadsheets that link customer identities to email addresses, phone numbers, and sometimes notes about home addresses or purchase histories. These details become building blocks for doxxing chains: attackers correlate the Hayward data with other breaches to map your online handles to your real-world identity. Once connected, the information can be sold on dark-web marketplaces or used to hijack accounts. Credential leaks of this nature routinely cascade into gaming-platform takeovers, especially for children whose parent accounts share the same household email or address.

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What the free scan actually returns

Sample resultyou@email.comIllustrative — not a real person

Found on people-search siteswe remove these

These listings are live, public, and legal to remove — and removing them is what we do.

value redacted in this sampleage, relatives, address historySpokeo

value redacted in this samplephone, household, property recordsBeenVerified

value redacted in this sample580 companies checked

Found in breach recordsverifiedreported — unverified

Each record is labeled: confirmed breach data, or an attacker’s claim no one has verified.

verifiedvalue redacted in this samplepassword + phone · 2024telecom breach

unverifiedvalue redacted in this sampleclaimed in ransomware listing · 2026leak-site claim

Leaked data cannot be deleted from the internet — anyone claiming otherwise is lying. Broker listings can be removed. We do the second, and show you exactly what to fix from the first.

Report details & sourcing

Attributed to Blackbyte · 147 incidents tracked →

Severity High the filing does not enumerate what was exposed

Disclosed January 05, 2023

Last reviewed August 8, 2026

Affected Unconfirmed

By GalaxyWarden Threat Research · Editorial & sourcing standards

Unverified claim — what this report is

This page documents a public listing on a ransomware/extortion group’s leak site, tracked via public threat-intelligence sources. A listing is the attacker’s claim. GalaxyWarden aggregates and reports such claims; we have not independently verified that a breach occurred, what data (if any) was taken, or the accuracy of anything the group asserts, and the named organisation has not necessarily confirmed the incident. Sections above describe what the listing shows and the group’s documented history — not verified findings about the named organisation. If you represent this organisation and believe anything here is inaccurate, tell us and we’ll review it promptly.

Editorial & sourcing policy

GalaxyWarden is a breach-monitoring service and news aggregator. We do not exfiltrate, host, purchase, or redistribute stolen data. Breach information is compiled from publicly accessible sources and threat-intelligence platforms, and is reported as claims attributed to their source. We promptly correct or remove material shown to be inaccurate — see our content & takedown policy or write to support@galaxywarden.com.

Threat-actor tracker

Blackbyte — 147 incidents tracked

Every breach we've attributed to Blackbyte, in one running log. See who else they've hit →

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