4TB of internaal date allegedly leaked in Austrailan medical research breach

The Medusa ransomware group has claimed responsibility for stealing over four terabytes of data from the Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research in Western Australia. The group posted on its dark web leak site, stating that 4.6TB of internal building camera recordings had been uploaded. Medusa is demanding a ransom of US$500,000, though it is also willing to sell the stolen data for a similar price. A countdown on the site indicates a ransom deadline of July 12, 2024, with an option to extend it for an additional US$10,000. The group also released a file tree showing private IP addresses of video devices and the recording dates, with most of the 33,996 lines of data appearing to be video files.
A spokesperson from the Harry Perkins Institute confirmed that a cyber incident involving the institute’s internal servers was under investigation. The institute has engaged cybersecurity experts to manage the response and is working to restore secure network access. The Australian Cyber Security Centre has been notified, and the institute is cooperating with law enforcement and privacy regulators. The institute emphasized that the safety and privacy of its employees, researchers, and supporters is its top priority.
Established in 1998, the Harry Perkins Institute is a leading medical research center in Western Australia, with over 250 staff working to combat major diseases such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and rare genetic disorders.