A type of ransomware that’s becoming more common is now targeting individuals, not just large corporations.
Medusa ransomware is dangerous enough that the FBI sent a 15-page memo warning people and entire industries. The agency says hundreds of victims have been reported and entire fields, from medicine to education and technology to manufacturing have been hit.
Jeffrey Seaman, an associated professor of applied computer science at Point Park University, says Medusa first surfaced in 2021, but it’s recently ramped up.
“This one is unique because it doesn’t just affect commercial companies, it affects you and I as well - individual users,” he said.
That includes people who use Outlook or Gmail.
“People are going to see something that doesn’t look familiar. They’re going to click on it. What it does is basically takes information from your system, gathers information from you. You don’t even realize you have a bug,” he said.
Seman says the scammers are trying to gather personal information, from your social security number to bank account information, even something private you don’t want someone else to know about.
“What they do is use that against you. You pay x amount of dollars...” Seaman explained.
In some cases, people or companies pay, but the scam keeps going.
“Be familiar with your surroundings. If you don’t recognize it. I get text messages all the time. I just delete it,” Seaman said.
There are three things Seaman says people should remember that can help keep them protected from ransomware.
- Update your operating system so there are no cracks that scammers can get through
- Turn on multifactor authentication to make confirming your identity harder for someone else
- Make sure your computer has antivirus software to identify any bugs and safeguard your personal information
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