"Tonga Is the Latest Pacific Island Nation Hit With Ransomware"

A ransomware attack has targeted Tonga's state-owned telecommunications company. Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC), one of the country's two telecommunications companies, announced that the attack could slow down administrative operations. The ransomware attack encrypted and locked access to a part of TCC's system, but did not disrupt the delivery of voice and Internet services to users. However, it may slow down the connection of new users, the delivery of bills, and the management of consumer communications, according to the company. The Polynesian country consists of about 171 islands and has a population of around 100,000. TCC manages all fixed telephone lines and has a 70 percent market share in dial-up and broadband Internet. With over 300 employees, the company operates nearly half of the mobile phone services. According to cybersecurity researcher Dominic Alvieri,  the Medusa ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack on TCC. In a 2022 advisory, the US Homeland Security Department's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), warned that Medusa is based on a Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model and shares 60 percent of ransoms with affiliates while keeping the remaining 40 percent. Observed as recently as May 2022, MedusaLocker attackers mostly exploit Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) vulnerabilities to gain access to victim networks. This article continues to discuss the ransomware attack faced by Tonga. 

The Record reports "Tonga Is the Latest Pacific Island Nation Hit With Ransomware"