FBI and CISA Warn of Expanding Medusa Ransomware Threat
The Medusa ransomware has targeted over 300 victims across critical industries, leveraging phishing and software exploits in double and triple extortion schemes.
- Medusa ransomware operates as a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model, allowing affiliates to conduct attacks while developers manage ransom negotiations.
- The FBI and CISA report over 300 victims in sectors like healthcare, education, and manufacturing, with ransom demands ranging from $100,000 to $15 million.
- Medusa actors use phishing campaigns and unpatched software vulnerabilities to infiltrate systems, employing double extortion and, in some cases, triple extortion tactics.
- Victims can pay $10,000 in cryptocurrency to delay public release of stolen data, with countdowns displayed on a data-leak website.
- Federal agencies recommend multifactor authentication, network segmentation, and regular software updates to mitigate the risk of Medusa ransomware attacks.
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