This blog will walk you through everything you need to know about the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns.
What is RaaS?
Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) is on the rise again! Well, not exactly again: it hasn’t been out of the space ever since its inception – all RaaS is, simply put, is ransomware by cybercriminals being marketed to other cybercriminals. The business model often works on a subscription or affiliate-based arrangement.
What are the Medusa Ransomware Gang Phishing Campaigns About?
There are various variants of Ransomware as a Service: the Medusa ransomware is one of such variants. According to CISA and various other sources on the Web, the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns have initiated on or around 2021 and have done considerable harm to be included amongst the top 10 ransomware actors since 2023.
As all of the operations by the Medusa group were initially handled solely by the group, the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns were initially considered to be a closed ransomware variant. At the same time, it should be noted that the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns have developed into a sophisticated operation with an affiliate model allowing other cybercriminals to launch attacks and peruse the ransomware with the ransom negotiations presumably still being handled by the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns team itself.
According to CISA and other cybersecurity experts, the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns have impacted more than 300 victims across a variety of sectors including, but not limited to education, health, legal, manufacturing, tech, and government organizations.
Identifying IoC by the Medusa Ransomware
Thankfully, Indicators of Compromise by the Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns are quite easy to spot since they’ve been identified by both the FBI and CISA: find them on the official website of the America’s cyberdefence agency, then implement monitoring and detection, and if necessary isolate affected systems and perform a thorough investigation to contaminate the damage and remove malicious artifacts.
Once you have identified potential Indicators of Compromise, make sure your data is safe by updating and patching your systems, segmenting and isolating network access points, and working with a firewall to protect your assets.
Protecting Yourself From Medusa Ransomware Gang Phishing Campaigns
To prevent your networks from being affected by Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns, follow the advice below:
- Ensure that your operating systems, software, and other applicable applications are always up-to-date and patched. You don’t have to update your systems every day, however, doing so every other week or so would help greatly.
- Segment and isolate network access points to restrict “movement points” between multiple network segments in the same organization.
- Consider filtering network traffic by blocking or preventing origins of unclear nature from accessing any sensitive information.
- Finally, consider using a hardware-based firewall or a Web Application Firewall to filter and block malicious attack vectors and keep an eye out on the logs to prevent intrusion attempts and harden your security stance.
Besides, follow general security advice and keep your applications and hardware safe. Don’t forget your passwords too: using the same password across multiple systems is one of the primary causes of identity theft – avoid doing that, remain vigilant and avoid entering information into anything you’re unsure about, and peruse data breach search engines to see if your identity is at risk of being stolen.
Summary
Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns are a sophisticated phishing campaign thought to have originated in or around 2021. It is thought that the ransomware targets a variety of sectors including education, health, legal, manufacturing, tech, and government organizations.
To protect yourself from the harm inflicted by Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns, follow general security advice, change passwords often, and keep your systems and apps up to date.
FAQ
What are Medusa Ransomware Gang Phishing Campaigns?
The Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns are series of sophisticated actions initiated by or linked to the so-called Medusa ransomware gang which is thought to be originating from Eastern Europe.
When did the Medusa Ransomware Gang Have Its Start?
The Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns are thought to have had their start around 2021.
How to Protect Myself From Medusa Ransomware Gang Phishing Campaigns and Other Threats?
To protect yourself from Medusa ransomware gang phishing campaigns and other threats targeting your wellbeing, keep your systems updated, remain vigilant, change passwords often, and make good use of data breach search engines such as BreachDirectory.com.