BBC Correspondent Outsmarts Medusa Ransomware: A Comedic Tale of Failed Bribery
Medusa ransomware gang tried flipping a BBC reporter into an insider threat, offering him a slice of the ransom pie. They mistook him for an IT guru, promising riches for access. Despite their persistence and a cheeky offer of 0.5 BTC, the journalist chose journalism over cybercrime. Talk about a plot twist!
Hot Take:
Cybercriminals really need to step up their game if they think journalists are now the “in” crowd for insider threats. Offering a BBC correspondent a slice of a ransomware pie is like asking a vegan if they want to co-own a steakhouse. Maybe next time, Medusa, try not to mistake an investigative pen-pusher for a high-level techie with privileged access. This is just another classic case of ransomware meets reality check.
Key Points:
- Medusa ransomware gang attempted to recruit BBC correspondent Joe Tidy as an insider threat.
- The gang offered Tidy 15% to 25% of the ransom for access to BBC systems.
- Threat actor “Syndicate” (or “Syn”) contacted Tidy over Signal for the proposition.
- Medusa is known for double-extortion attacks and has targeted over 300 U.S. critical infrastructures.
- Tidy reported the incident to BBC’s security team and disconnected from their network.
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