Skip to content
Cyber Threat
CTI Academy Sponsor CTI Academy
Ransomware victim Healthcare

Fertility North

Listed by Trigona on · organisation based in Australia

fertilitynorth.com.au

Disclosed
Jan 18, 2024
Leak-site listing date
Threat group
Trigona
19 victims listed
Country
Australia
#10 most targeted
Sector
Healthcare

ThreatAI analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Trigona. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

About the Trigona group

According to PCrisk, Trigona is ransomware that encrypts files and appends the ._locked extension to filenames. Also, it drops the how_to_decrypt.hta file that opens a ransom note. An example of how Trigona renames files: it renames 1.jpg to 1.jpg._locked, 2.png to 2.png._locked, and so forth.It embeds the encrypted decryption key, the campaign ID, and the victim ID in the encrypted files. Trigona has listed 49 victims since April 2023.

How Trigona is documented to operate

Exploit Public-Facing Application T1190 Initial Access

Adversaries may attempt to exploit a weakness in an Internet-facing host or system to initially access a network. The weakness in the system can be a software bug, a temporary glitch, or a misconfiguration. Exploited applications are often websites/web servers, but can also include databases (like SQL), standard services (like SMB or SSH), network device administration and management protocols (like SNMP and Smart Install), and any other system with Internet-accessible open sockets. On ESXi infrastructure, adversaries may exploit exposed OpenSLP services; they may alternatively exploit exposed VMware vCenter servers.

Mitigations: Vulnerability Scanning, Limit Access to Resource Over Network, Filter Network Traffic, Network Segmentation, Privileged Account Management, Application Isolation and Sandboxing

MITRE ATT&CK reference
Deobfuscate/Decode Files or Information T1140 Stealth

Adversaries may use Obfuscated Files or Information to hide artifacts of an intrusion from analysis. They may require separate mechanisms to decode or deobfuscate that information depending on how they intend to use it. Methods for doing that include built-in functionality of malware or by using utilities present on the system. One such example is the use of certutil to decode a remote access tool portable executable file that has been hidden inside a certificate file. Another example is using the Windows <codecopy /b</code or <codetype</code command to reassemble binary fragments into a malicious payload.

MITRE ATT&CK reference

MITRE ATT&CK techniques attributed to Trigona across its recorded activity, not a finding about how Fertility North was reached.

Incident analysis

Fertility North was listed by Trigona ransomware, a group with 19 victims recorded in this database. The listing appeared on the group's leak site on January 18, 2024.

Fertility North is based in Australia and operates in the Healthcare sector. Australia ranks #10 worldwide for ransomware disclosures, with 410 victims in this database.

Sector context. Healthcare organisations are high-value ransomware targets because patient data is extremely sensitive, regulatory penalties for breaches are severe, and operational downtime can threaten patient safety — all factors that increase ransom payment pressure.

Trigona typically follows a double extortion model: data is exfiltrated from the victim's systems before files are encrypted, so the victim faces two demands at once — pay to restore access, and pay to keep stolen data unpublished. The leak site, where this listing appeared, is the lever for the second demand.

Source. Public leak-site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. The disclosure date is when the listing was published, which can differ from the date of compromise. This site does not publish or link to stolen data. Last updated .

Frequently asked questions

Was Fertility North attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Fertility North was listed as a victim of the Trigona ransomware group on January 18, 2024. The organisation is based in Australia and operates in the Healthcare sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Fertility North?

Fertility North was attacked by Trigona ransomware. Trigona is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 19 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Fertility North ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Fertility North was disclosed on January 18, 2024. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the Fertility North ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Fertility North has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Healthcare organisation, Fertility North likely held patient records, medical data, and personally identifiable information (PII).

How can organisations protect against Trigona attacks?

To defend against Trigona and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.