cybersecurity

Hackers Put Social Networks Such as Twitter in Crosshairs

Web sites such as Twitter are becoming increasingly favored by hackers as places to plant malicious software in order to infect computers, according to a new study covering Web application security vulnerabilities. Social-networking sites were the most commonly targeted vertical market according to a study of hacking episodes in the first half of the year. The study is part of the latest Web Hacking Incidents Database (WHID) report, released on Monday. In 2008, government and law enforcement sites were the most hit vertical. Social networks are "a target-rich environment if you count the number of users there," said Ryan Barnett, director of application security research for Breach Security, one of the report's sponsors, which also includes the Web Application Security Consortium. (PC World) ›
CyberSECURITY

Hackers Stole IDs for Attacks

Russian hackers hijacked American identities and U.S. software tools and used them in an attack on Georgian government Web sites during the war between Russia and Georgia last year, according to new research to be released Monday by a nonprofit U.S. group. In addition to refashioning common Microsoft Corp. software into a cyber-weapon, hackers collaborated on popular U.S. ›
CyberATTACK

Georgia Cyberattacks Linked to Russian Organized Crime

The cyberattacks against Georgia a year ago were conducted in close connection with Russian criminal gangs, and the attackers likely were tipped off about Russia's intent to invade the country, according to a new technical analysis, much of which remains secret. The stunning conclusions come from the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, an independent nonprofit re ›
CyberSECURITY

DHS plans cybersecurity wiki

The Homeland Security Department plans to develop a “cyber ops wiki” that agencies can use to improve collaboration on cybersecurity efforts, according to a notice from the department. The wiki will be used by DHS’ National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and the six other federal cybersecurity centers as a collaboration tool and a way to develop improved situational a ›
CyberTHREATS

Hackers Use Twitter to Control Botnet

Hackers are now using Twitter to send coded update messages to computers they’ve previously infected with rogue code, according to a report from net-monitoring firm Arbor Networks. This looks to be the first reported case of hackers using the popular micro-messaging company to control botnets, which are assemblages of infected PCs that can be directed to spy on their us ›
CyberATTACK

Cyber attack hits PNG's internet link

Papua New Guinea's internet link with the world has been hit with a cyber-attack, slowing connection speeds to a crawl. The world's internet infrastructure came under strain late last week when a major effort by Russian-based hackers to close down a pro-Georgian blogger affected some social media sites, and Twitter was shut down worldwide. The CEO of Kina ›
CyberCRIME

Alleged hacker on virus charges

An Adelaide man will face court next month over charges relating to what police allege is one of Australia's largest computer hacking networks. South Australian police will allege the 20-year-old from Adelaide's west was working from his home. It is alleged he infected about 74,000 computers worldwide with a software he developed which is capable of crashing websites. (A ›
CyberATTACK

Hacker hits UC journalism school's Web site

University officials discovered the problem in early July after noticing someone bragging on a hackers' Web site about accessing the journalism school site. It took several weeks for technology experts to understand the extent of any potential problem. (SF Gate) ›
CyberSECURITY

Hacker with Asperger’s Sentenced to 55 Months for Trucking Scheme

A Los Angeles hacker received a slightly reduced sentence Monday of 55 months in prison for participating in a multi-million computer fraud scheme, after a federal judge took into account the man’s diagnosis with Asperger’s Syndrome. Viachelav Berkovich, 34, received five months less than the minimum recommen ›
CyberATTACK

Twitter attack may have been tech warfare

Interesting to note that last week's Twitter attack may have originated in a struggle to either propagate or suppress news and views on the Russia-Georgia dispute over the far-away Abkhazia region. Wouldn't be the first in recent times that Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, have been on the front lines of a technological arms race between the purveyors and supp ›
General News

Cybersecurity Official Resigns

A top operational official in charge of protecting civilian government computer networks has resigned, dealing another blow to the federal effort to enhance cybersecurity. Mischel Kwon, the director of the Department of Homeland Security's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, submitted her resignation letter this week. "Moving on is a hard step for me, but one I must t ›
CyberSECURITY

Privacy fears aired about safety of Social Security data

David Leopard of Richardson has devoted a good part of his retirement to helping seniors guard against identity theft. But even this former FBI agent and corporate security executive isn't sure what to make of a research team's claim that it can predict most, and sometimes all, of an individual's nine-digit Social Security number from publicly available inf ›
CyberSECURITY

Social network security: Social anxiety

After a deranged student's shooting rampage killed 32 classmates on a spring morning two years ago at Virginia Tech University, one of Randy Marchany's first priorities was accounting for the seven students who worked in the school's information security office. Marchany, director of the Virginia Tech IT Security Testing Lab, was able to confirm that six of them were unha ›