Summary
A BBC cyber correspondent named Joe Tidy was contacted by a criminal group called Medusa, who offered him money to help them hack into the BBC's systems. The criminals wanted Tidy to provide his login details so they could demand a ransom in bitcoin in exchange for not harming the BBC’s data. Medusa operates a ransomware service that helps criminals target various organizations.
Key Facts
- Joe Tidy, a BBC cyber correspondent, was approached by criminals offering him a share of ransom money for helping hack the BBC.
- The offer came from a person named Syndicate via an encrypted chat app called Signal.
- The plan involved using Tidy’s access to install malware or steal data from the BBC, then demand a ransom.
- Medusa is a criminal group that provides ransomware tools to hackers.
- Syndicate mentioned successful past agreements with insiders at a UK healthcare company and a US emergency services provider.
- Medusa operates on Russian-language dark web forums and avoids Russian or allied state targets.
- A US public warning highlighted that Medusa has been active for several years, hacking over 300 victims.
