The famous auto-racing giant NASCAR has found itself in the crosshairs of notorious foreign hackers who have demanded millions in ransom not to expose sensitive data.
The ransomware gang Medusa claims to have stolen over a terabyte of private information from the racing giant, giving them just 10 days to pay up or face public humiliation.
The Medusa ransomware group is demanding a staggering $4 million from NASCAR to prevent the release of stolen data.
This attack on the American sporting institution represents yet another example of foreign cybercriminals targeting the U.S.
The hackers have already released 37 document images related to NASCAR as proof of their breach.
These include corporate branding materials, detailed facility maps, and employee contact information.
The leaked documents appear to contain sensitive operational and logistical data, including raceway maps and staff credentials.
The impending leak raises serious concerns about both digital and physical security at NASCAR events.
According to reports, NASCAR has been given an ultimatum: pay $4 million within 10 days, extend the deadline by paying $100,000 per day, or allow immediate data download for the full ransom amount.
The racing organization has yet to publicly confirm or address the breach, leaving fans and stakeholders in the dark about the extent of the compromise.
This is not NASCAR’s first encounter with ransomware criminals. In July 2016, the organization was hit by a TeslaCrypt variant.
However, this latest attack appears significantly more sophisticated and threatening.
The stolen data reportedly includes internal documents with information about employees and sponsors and invoice scans that could potentially expose financial details.
Medusa has been actively targeting American organizations since 2021, with previous high-profile victims including Minneapolis Public Schools.
The group has targeted over 300 organizations across various critical infrastructure sectors, striking at the heart of American businesses.
The hacking group has expanded its criminal enterprise by recently targeting McFarland Commercial Insurance Services, Bridgebank Ltd, and Pulse Urgent Care.
Security experts have noted that Medusa has used stolen digital certificates to disable anti-malware tools, showing technical sophistication.
The attacks continue despite the FBI and CISA’sjoint advisory urging organizations to enhance security measures against Medusa’s tactics.
