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Hackers claim to have compromised Gold Coast-based Marina Family Medical and threaten to publish the stolen data online.
The Money Message ransomware operation is claiming to have successfully hacked the Marina Family Medical clinic.
Based in Coomera Waters on Queensland’s Gold Coast, Marina Family Medical offers psychology, physiotherapy, and general practice services to the local community.
Money Message, however, while claiming the hack, shared very little information on the incident in its 18 January leak post.
“Wait for data,” the gang said, adding only a description of the victim and details of its annual revenue.
The gang did not share any details of the ransom demand or ransom deadline; however, another victim posted at the same time – Argentina’s National Atomic Energy Commission – has already been published.
Money Message first emerged in March 2023 and has claimed 24 victims since then, including Marina Family Medical. The gang is known to use double-extortion techniques, both encrypting its victim’s data and demanding a ransom payment to supply a decryptor. If payment isn’t forthcoming, the gang then publishes the data on its leak site.
According to researchers, despite its low victim count, Money Message is technically proficient. Its ransomware is capable of targeting both Windows and Linux systems, including VMware ESXi servers, and is capable of targeting and excluding specific files while also deploying forensic obfuscation techniques.
Rather than sharing evidence of a hack on its leak site, the gang has been observed sharing evidence with its victims.
“Overall, the ransom note is designed to intimidate and coerce the victim into paying the ransom, leveraging threats of data exposure, legal troubles, and reputational damage,” researchers at Broadcom said in a December 2024 bulletin.
“It exemplifies the group’s use of double-extortion tactics, combining data theft with threats of public disclosure to maximise their leverage.”
Cyber Daily has reached out to Marina Family Medical for comment on the incident.
Marina Family Medical employs three doctors, a dietician, a pair of nurses, and a practice manager. The clinic also provides elderly and Indigenous health services, antenatal care, and pre-employment medicals.
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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