With every leap in civilization there comes along with it a new brand of criminal. People adopt new technology to improve their lives, but with new tech comes new vulnerabilities, and it's up to the individual to keep themselves protected. If you… [Read more…]
A group of hackers called "The Dark Overlord" announced last week it hacked into the computer system of a law firm and stole approximately 18,000 documents connected to the September 11th attacks and the subsequent insurance payouts. This gang of cyber thieves demands a ransom paid in Bitcoin, and threatens to release all documents on the internet unless its demands are met. … [Read more…]
Dedication for this write goes to NEWSREP brother Mason. The good, the bad, and the ugly “If somebody gets your IP address you may as well lay down, because you’re dead.” “Should someone get your IP address they can find where you live.” “What if some creep gets your IP address, they can hack into your computer and steal your banking data.” True or false … [Read more…]
Google announced on Monday that it would be shutting down its social media platform "Google+" after a massive data breach was discovered. According to Reuters, the breach may affect up to 500,000 users and was most likely caused by a bug that infected the site more than two years ago. Although the bug was only announced this week, a report from Reuters states that Google … [Read more…]
Washington, D.C., United States—How can you shield your military installations, your nuclear power plants, your hospitals, and indeed all of your critical infrastructure against cyberattacks? Doctor Paul Stockton, a former Assistant Secretary of Defence for Homeland Defence and Security Affairs under the Obama administration, appears to have the answer. In research published … [Read more…]
On September 14th, ASEAN, a Southeast Asian regional cooperative consisting of ten member-nations, opened the ASEAN-Japan Cyber Security Capacity Building Centre in Bangkok, Thailand. The Centre is designed to train personnel from member countries in countering cyber threats. The coursework, designed by experts in Japan, will focus on analysis, forensics, and cyber defense. … [Read more…]
A report commissioned by the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCESRC) revealed among its findings that “Nefarious actors linked to China have targeted the networks of private sector entities and private sector government contractors in order to obtain sensitive government information and to exploit vulnerabilities within federal information … [Read more…]
On Monday, the U.S. and U.K. issued a series of joint statements warning about an ongoing Russian cyber campaign that aimed to support Russian intelligence gathering and even future offensive operations within the two nations. The hacking effort has been targeting network infrastructure devices like routers, as well as “critical infrastructure” providers and even internet … [Read more…]
My last duty station in the Marine Corps was as a part of the Inspector-Instructor staff at the 25Th Marine Regiment in Fort Devens, Massachusetts. I-I duty is a unique monster, one worthy of its own analysis, but one thing my time at the regiment afforded me as a lowly sergeant, was the opportunity to work alongside a number of senior ranking officers and enlisted Marines in a … [Read more…]
“Hey Don, we have an unusual idea. Leak us one or more of your father’s tax returns.” WikiLeaks slid that message into Donald Trump Jr’s Twitter DMs—an unusual request for the son of a then-presidential candidate. Since its founding, WikiLeaks had portrayed itself as the ultimate fourth estate—a digital drop-box where secrets could be deposited and released as public … [Read more…]
Kaspersky Lab, a Russian cybersecurity firm, has long asserted its independence of the Russian government. But a court document posted on the Facebook page of a Russian criminal suspect this year shows what appears to be an unusual degree of closeness to the FSB, the country’s powerful security service. The suspect, Konstantin Kozlovskiy, was arrested in the summer of 2016 … [Read more…]
Cyber security is a complex but essential reality of today's world. It can seem a little overwhelming at times--physical security is much simpler: you have a gun, you point it at the door, you shoot bad guys if they come in and try to hurt you or your family. If they climb through the window, you push them back out. Hackers, on the other hand, are entering through windows and … [Read more…]
In a Senate hearing covering defense strategy in protecting the country from cyber-attack yesterday, key missing personnel and unclear roles and responsibilities among government agencies frustrated members of the committee, ending with threats of subpoenas and still no clear strategy. Committee Chairman Senator John McCain (R-Az.) set the tone for the discussion in his … [Read more…]
