FBI Warns—Use 2FA As Time Traveling Hackers Strike

Forbes - Mar 29th, 2025

The Medusa ransomware attacks have taken a bizarre turn with the discovery of a time-traveling hacking technique. Hackers are exploiting system misconfigurations to change system dates, allowing expired security certificates to appear valid and bypass protections. This creative abuse has impacted over 300 critical infrastructure targets, leading the FBI to issue a security advisory urging immediate action. Boris Cipot of Black Duck highlights the importance of robust endpoint protection and monitoring to detect such exploits, along with strict policy enforcement and revocation checks for signed drivers.

The implications of this development are significant, as it underscores the evolving nature of cyber threats and the need for adaptive security measures. The FBI's advisory emphasizes enabling two-factor authentication for crucial services like webmail and VPNs to safeguard against such sophisticated attacks. As the cybersecurity landscape becomes more complex, organizations must heed these warnings and strengthen their defenses against innovative tactics employed by cybercriminals. This story reflects broader trends in cybersecurity challenges that continue to grow in sophistication and frequency.

Cybersecurity Fbi Two Factor Authentication Medusa Ransomware Time Traveling Hackers Boris Cipot System Misconfiguration

Story submitted by Fairstory

RATING

6.2

Moderately Fair

Read with skepticism

The article provides a timely and engaging discussion of the Medusa ransomware attacks, highlighting the importance of cybersecurity measures and the novel concept of 'time-traveling hackers.' While it effectively raises awareness of the ongoing threat and offers practical advice, the article's accuracy is somewhat limited by the speculative nature of the hacking technique described. The reliance on a single expert for this claim and the lack of additional corroboration affects the story's credibility. Overall, the article is clear and accessible, making complex topics understandable to a broad audience, but it could benefit from more diverse sources and greater transparency in its reporting.

Accuracy

The story accurately reports on the Medusa ransomware attacks and their impact on critical infrastructure, citing the FBI's involvement and the issuance of a security advisory. However, the claim about 'time-traveling hackers' using a technique to change system dates to bypass security controls lacks corroboration from multiple sources. The description of this technique appears speculative and would benefit from additional verification from cybersecurity experts or official sources. The story does align with known details about the Medusa attacks, such as their reliance on social engineering and unpatched vulnerabilities, but the novel 'time travel' aspect requires more evidence to be considered accurate.

Balance

The article presents a fairly balanced perspective by including insights from both the FBI and a cybersecurity expert, Boris Cipot. It does not appear to favor one viewpoint over another and provides practical advice for mitigating ransomware attacks. However, the article could have improved its balance by including perspectives from additional cybersecurity experts or organizations, which would provide a broader view of the issue. The focus on a single expert's opinion might limit the range of viewpoints presented.

Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, with a logical flow from discussing the Medusa ransomware attacks to the novel hacking technique. The language is accessible, making complex cybersecurity concepts understandable to a general audience. However, the introduction of the 'time travel' hacking technique could be explained more thoroughly, as it might confuse readers unfamiliar with cybersecurity jargon. Overall, the article maintains a neutral tone and presents information in a straightforward manner.

Source quality

The primary sources cited in the article are the FBI and Boris Cipot, a senior security engineer at Black Duck. While the FBI is a credible and authoritative source on cybersecurity matters, the reliance on a single expert for the 'time travel' technique limits the diversity of sources. Including additional expert opinions or references to technical reports would enhance the article's credibility. The story does not cite any conflicting interests, but the limited source pool may affect the depth of the reporting.

Transparency

The article provides some context regarding the Medusa ransomware attacks and the FBI's advisory, but it lacks transparency in explaining the basis for the 'time travel' hacking technique. The methodology or evidence supporting this claim is not clearly disclosed, which could lead to questions about the validity of the information. Greater transparency in the sources and methods used to verify this claim would strengthen the article's credibility.