Cybercrime & Hacking – Page 3 – Computer Security Articles

Old Windows Server machines can still fend off hacks. Here's how

April 26, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Security, Servers, Windows 10

Credit to Author: Michael Kan| Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2017 04:01:00 -0700

If you’re running a Windows Server 2003 machine, you have a problem. Your already-vulnerable computer is now at severe risk of being hacked.

That’s due to the internet release earlier this month of a batch of updates that paint a bull’s-eye on computers running Windows Server 2003, according to security researchers.

“I can teach my mom how to use some of these exploits,” said Jake Williams, founder of Rendition Infosec, a security provider. “They are not very complicated at all.”

Experts are urging affected businesses to upgrade to the latest Windows OSes, which offer security patches that can address the threat.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Researchers remotely kill the engine of a moving car by hacking vulnerable car dongle

April 24, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Internet of Things, Malware & Vulnerabilities, Security

Credit to Author: Darlene Storm| Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2017 09:54:00 -0700

Israeli firm Argus Cyber Security recently reported that it had been able to remotely “take control of a car via Bluetooth” thanks to vulnerabilities in the Bosch Drivelog Connect OBD-II dongle.

While the hack wouldn’t affect 90 percent of cars and produce an army of “zombie cars” like was pulled off by cyber-terrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron) in the eighth installment of the Fast and Furious series, Argus researchers were able to remotely kill the engine of a moving car.

Famed car-hacker Charlie Miller isn’t too worried about a Fate of the Furious type of car hacking at this point. Bad guys remotely taking control of cars by hacking may currently be something we only see done in the movies, but the CIA was interested in hacking cars for what WikiLeaks claimed could be used to pull off “nearly undetectable assassinations.”

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ComputerWorld Independent

Russian man receives longest-ever prison sentence in the U.S. for hacking

April 24, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Security

Credit to Author: Lucian Constantin| Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2017 08:17:00 -0700

A 32-year-old Russian hacker was sentenced to 27 years in prison in the U.S. for stealing millions of payment card details from businesses by infecting their point-of-sale systems with malware.

The sentence is the longest ever handed out in the U.S. for computer crimes, surpassing the 20-year jail term imposed on American hacker and former U.S. Secret Service informant Albert Gonzalez in 2010 for similar credit card theft activities.

Roman Valeryevich Seleznev, a Russian citizen from Vladivostok, was sentenced Friday in the Western District of Washington after he was found guilty in August of 10 counts of wire fraud, eight counts of intentional damage to a protected computer, nine counts of obtaining information from a protected computer, nine counts of possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices and two counts of aggravated identity theft.

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ComputerWorld Independent

Russian man receives longest-ever prison sentence in the US for hacking

April 24, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Security

Credit to Author: Lucian Constantin| Date: Mon, 24 Apr 2017 08:17:00 -0700

A 32-year-old Russian hacker was sentenced to 27 years in prison in the U.S. for stealing millions of payment card details from businesses by infecting their point-of-sale systems with malware.

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ComputerWorld Independent

DHS's ICS-CERT warns of BrickerBot: IoT malware that will brick vulnerable devices

April 19, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Internet of Things, Malware & Vulnerabilities, Security

Credit to Author: Darlene Storm| Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:21:00 -0700

Since the emergence of Mirai, you may have wondered if your IoT device has ever been infected with malware; you even may have rebooted the device which would remove the infection. But if your IoT device becomes infected with BrickerBot, you will know because the malware will “brick” it. Just the same, some people will believe the hardware failed.

Radware security researchers previously said BrickerBot malware was responsible for permanent denial of service attacks (PDoS) that would “destroy” the infected devices. PDoS, also known as “phlashing,” is “an attack that damages a system so badly that it requires replacement or reinstallation of hardware. By exploiting security flaws or misconfigurations, this type of cyberattack can destroy the firmware and/or basic functions of system.”

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ComputerWorld Independent

DHS' ICS-CERT warns of BrickerBot: IoT malware that will brick vulnerable devices

April 19, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Internet of Things, Malware & Vulnerabilities, Security

Credit to Author: Darlene Storm| Date: Wed, 19 Apr 2017 08:21:00 -0700

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ComputerWorld Independent

How one personal cyber insurance policy stacks up

April 18, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Security

Credit to Author: Evan Schuman| Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2017 04:00:00 -0700

As cyber insurance slowly moves from corporate to consumer coverage, some interestingly comprehensive policies have been introduced. One, introduced this month by AIG, puts a strong emphasis on services to prevent attacks rather than merely paying for them once they happen. We decided to dive into the fine print to see how much wiggle room the insurer gave itself.

The new policy, called Family CyberEdge, is designed as a supplement to existing homeowner’s insurance and will cost an extra $597 for $50,000 limits for each key area, consisting of cyber extortion, data restoration, crisis management and cyber bullying, with no deductibles beyond a flat $1,000 for data restoration. Bump the coverage limit up to $100,000 and the annual premium rises to $972, or go for the maximum coverage of $250,000 and the annual premium comes in at $1,723.

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ComputerWorld Independent

1,175 hotels listed in payment card breach of Holiday Inn parent company

April 17, 2017 admin Cybercrime & Hacking, Malware & Vulnerabilities, Security

Credit to Author: Darlene Storm| Date: Mon, 17 Apr 2017 10:11:00 -0700

You may recall commercials for Holiday Inn Express that revolved around a “Stay smart” theme, but if you stayed in Holiday Inn Express, or other InterContinental Hotels Group-branded franchise hotel late last year, then you would be really smart if you keep an eye out for unexpected charges on your credit card.

IHG finally reported the findings from an investigation into a breach of the company’s payment systems. The company has over 5,000 hotels across 100 counties, with brands such as Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Resort, Holiday Inn Express, Crowne Plaza, Hotel Indigo, InterContinental, Kimpton, Staybridge Suites and Candlewood Suites. Hackers managed to get malware into the front desk payment system at some IHG-branded franchise hotels in the United States and Puerto Rico and made off with payment card data.

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