Nigeria’s Vice President Stresses Commitment to Fight Cyber Crime

The need to fiercely fight cyber crime and promote legitimate economic opportunity in West Africa has been described as a must for the government and industry, Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo said.

Speaking at the first West Africa cyber crime summit held recently in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, Sambo described cyber crime as a cross-industry…

NJ Prosecutor’s Office Adds a New Cyber Crime Unit

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office in New Jersey will now battle cyber crime with a new unit that will focus on investigating child pornography, cyber stalking, cyber bullying, computer fraud and the use of the Internet and other high-tech equipment used in crimes, The Star-Ledger reports.

“Cyber crime touches every kind…

Howard Schmidt: Cyber Threat ‘Exaggerated’

You can barely turn a page in a newspaper–or on your e-reader–without getting bombarded with an impending sense of doom originating from cyber attacks and malicious hackers. However, according to White House Cybersecurity Coordinator Howard Schmidt, that threat has been overplayed–”exaggerated,” as the cyber czar put it in a recent interview.

“Things…

Study: DDoS Often Used as Tool for Protests, Civil Disobedience

Security evangelist Sean-Paul Correll called the phenomenon “the future of cyber protests,” and a new report seems to substantiate his prediction of distributed denial of service attacks becoming a method frequently used by protesters and civil disobedients.

Historically associated with extortion, DDoS has morphed into an instrument used for various nonfinancial reasons,…

BBB Warns of Bogus Wi-Fi Hotspots

Better Business Bureau serving eastern North Carolina warns that hackers are taking advantage of travelers this holiday season by setting up fake Wi-Fi connections designed to steal personal information.

When searching for wireless connections, consumers may find an unsecured network connection available. However, that network may be a scam, and the consumer could be be surfing the web through the hacker’s computer. While…

Texas Hacker Accused of Stealing Quarter-Million Dollars

Authorities say a Texas hacker stole more than a quarter-million dollars from a subsidiary of Digital River Inc., an e-commerce company, by redirecting electronic payment transfers to his own account.

Jeremey Parker of Houston has been charged with computer fraud and wire fraud. According to the indictment, he alledgedly hacked into the computer network to steal $274,000 from Digital River through a subsidiary, SWReg…

Juniper Sets Up Shop in Pittsburgh

As part of its foray into the enterprise networking market, Juniper Networks has opened a new location in Pittsburgh, Pa., according to Pittsburgh Businesstimes.

The new sales office is located in One Oxford Center and is staffed with two people–with room to expand if needed.

“Pittsburgh represents an amazing market with an eye on innovation,” Mike…

FCC Passes First Rules for Fair Play on the Internet

The Federal Communications Commission voted today to approve its controversial first-ever Internet access regulation, which would enshrine into law the idea that all web traffic be treated equally.

The Washington Post reported FCC’s three Democratic members comprised a majority of votes favoring the net neutrality regulation, which FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski introduced more…

Fashionista Hacker Pays $12,5K to Settle Conde Nast Copyright Claim

An Ohio man has given the term black hat new meaning: According to The Smoking Gun reports, fashion-obsessed Ross Ulrich hacked into a Condé Nast computer system to snatch photos and pages from several upcoming issues of fashion magazines to later post them on his blog FashionZag.

The 22-year-old graphic design student said he fessed up to his crimes as agents executed a search warrant at his family’s Columbus…

Proposed Law Could Put Black Hats in Stripe City for 10 Years

Hackers and unauthorized informants could face up to 10 years in jail under a proposed state law aimed at protecting South Carolina military installations against a WikiLeaks-type scandal, according to The Charleston Post.

Charleston Republican Rep. Harry B. “Chip” Limehouse, III said his bill aims at strengthening the state’s laws against computer…