Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research hit by Medusa ransomware gang, possible data breach
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The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Perth is hit by a ransomware cybersecurity incident.
The Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, established in 1998, has grown into one of Australia’s leading medical research centers.
The breach has compromised its internal servers. The Medusa ransomware gang claimed responsibility, stating on their dark web leak site that they had stolen 4.6 terabytes of internal CCTV footage. The gang demanded $500,000 but also offered to sell the data to other buyers for the same price. They set a ransom deadline for July 12, 2024, which could be extended for an additional $10,000.
The gang’s post included a file tree showing the stolen data, which primarily consisted of video files recorded by internal building cameras.
A spokesperson confirmed the incident but withheld comments on reports that a ransomware gang had stolen data and demanded a hefty ransom of $500,000. In an official statement, the institute confirmed that it had engaged cybersecurity experts and advisers to guide its response and restore secure network access to its facilities.
The extent of the data breach is still under investigation.
The Institute has informed the Australian Cyber Security Centre and is cooperating with law enforcement and privacy regulators.
