Cyber Activists Urge Revolt in Bahrain

A Facebook page calling for revolt in the island kingdom of Bahrain had by Tuesday garnered more than 6,000 “likes” on the social networking site, according to AFP.

“This is your chance to open the door for political and standard of living reforms, especially with the changes going on now…

Lawmaker Calls for Hacker Crackdown after Nasdaq Intrusion

Sen. Bob Menendez, a Democrat from New Jersey and a member of the Senate Banking Committee, is urging U.S. securities  regulators to crack down on cyber criminals following reports that hackers tried to break into the trading systems run by Nasdaq OMX Group.

The senator sent a letter to the Securities and…

Hackers Sell $25 Toolkits to Build Rogue Facebook Apps

Hackers are selling a $25 DIY toolkit to anyone interested in creating and distributing malicious Facebook applications, according to Websense Security Labs.

The toolkit, called Tinie’s Facebook Viral Application, provides cyber crooks a way to direct Internet users towards survey scams, spread malware, or act as a tool in click-fraud scams, The Register said.

“You don’t have to be a developer, but a mere $25 can buy…

Russian Man Guilty of $9,6 Million Cyber Heist

A Russian man has admitted stealing more than $9.6 million from a former division of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Sky News Online reports.

Yevgeny Anikin was part of an international hacking ring that copied the information of World Pay customers. The gang would then raise the maximum withdrawal limit on bank accounts before taking money from ATMs in Europe, Asia and the United States.

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty…

Internet Kill Switch Possible?

The Egyptian government’s multiday deactivation of the Internet, in the wake of the turmoil in the country, have raised concerns and questions about whether the U.S. government could block Internet access by implementing a “kill switch” to protect the country in the event of a cyber emergency.

Last summer, Sen. Joe Lieberman introduced the …

China Cracks Down on Online Porn

Chinese officials have increased their surveillance of Internet cafes and video-game halls as part of a clampdown on online pornography and violence to protect children,  officials say. The crackdown has resulted in the closing of more than 100,000 unlicensed establishments over the past five years.

By the end of last year, China had around 130,000 registered Internet cafes, an unnamed official with the State Administration…

DOE Kicks Off Cyber Initiative with NIST to Protect Power Grid

The Department of Energy has unveiled an initiative that seeks to bolster cybersecurity on the electric grid in cooperation with industry and government, as well as publicly and privately owned utilities.

Spearheaded by the Department’s Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the…

Deloitte Wants Cyber Champions for Collegiate Contest

Deloitte is seeking the best and the brightest technology students from universities and colleges across the United States to compete in the sixth annual National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, the firm announced in a release.

The contest, founded in 2005 by The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for…

Lockheed Martin’s Charles Croom Talks Cyber at Upcoming ‘Visionaries’ Forum

Lockheed Martin’s Vice President of Cyber Security Solutions Charles Croom has been announced as a featured speaker at the upcoming UMBC Visionaries in IT Forum, a four-part breakfast series developed to help elevate the prominence and recognition of Maryland as a critical hub of information and emerging …

Business as Usual after Nasdaq Confirms Cyber Attack

Exchanges and traders said they will continue normal business with Nasdaq OMX Group Inc. at today’s market open despite revelations that its systems had been hacked, Dow Jones reported.

Nasdaq OMX in a statement Saturday confirmed that its computer network had been breached by unidentified parties who installed malware on a Web-accessible system called Director’s Desk, a communications platform that stores critical data for more than 10,000…