Archive · 11 Aug 2026
South Korea, US issue joint Gunra ransomware warning
Gunra is a type of computer virus called ransomware.
Bad people use it to break into computers and lock up important files.
Then they ask for money to give the files back.
Gunra also copies the files before locking them.
If the owners do not pay, the bad people say they will share the files with everyone.
Police officers in South Korea and the United States worked together to warn people about this virus.
They told companies to update their software so the virus cannot get in.
They also said companies should use extra passwords, like a secret code sent to a phone.
That makes it much harder for bad people to sneak in.
It is like locking your door before a burglar comes.
South Korean police and US agencies including the FBI and NSA issued a joint cybersecurity advisory on Gunra ransomware.
Gunra first emerged in 2025 and has since evolved into a ransomware-as-a-service operation.
The malware has targeted critical infrastructure as well as healthcare, financial services and manufacturing.
Gunra uses a double-extortion approach, encrypting files while also stealing data and threatening to release or sell it.
Authorities urge organizations to patch software, reduce external network access and enable multi-factor authentication.
- Who
- The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), working with US agencies including the FBI and NSA, issued the warning about Gunra ransomware operators.
- What
- A joint cybersecurity advisory warning that Gunra, a ransomware-as-a-service operation, is targeting critical infrastructure and sectors including healthcare, finance and manufacturing.
- When
- No specific date is given; the advisory is current and notes that Gunra first emerged in 2025.
- Where
- South Korea and the United States, with attacks affecting organisations globally across critical sectors.
- Why
- Gunra has expanded into a ransomware-as-a-service model using double extortion, prompting authorities to share indicators of compromise and urge stronger defences.
- Ransomware
- Gunra
- First emerged
- 2025
- Operation model
- Ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS)
- Target sectors
- Critical infrastructure, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing
- Tactic
- Double extortion: file encryption plus data theft
- Issuing agencies
- KNPA, FBI, NSA
- Recommended defences
- Patching, reduced external access, multi-factor authentication