Miami Hacker Could Get 25 Years

A Miami based hacker know as “segvec” and “soupnazi” plead guilty Tuesday to helping to orchestrate the theft of a massive amount of credit and debit card numbers. This is the third case against Albert Gonzalez, who was accused of hacking into a variety of retail stores purloining some tens of millions of credit and debit card credentials.

Back in September, Gonzalez plead guilty to charges in Massachusetts connected with…

Jim Lewis Weighs in on current and future trends in cyber security

Jim Lewis of the Center for Security and International Studies recently discussed some of the current and future trends in cyber security with the Council on Foreign Relations. During the interview, Lewis discussed recent reports of US drone vulnerabilities and how he thinks the Obama administration is doing in advancing cyber security in the US and abroad.

Among the…

DOE may be at risk for cyber attack

The Department of Energy (DOE) may be at risk for cyber attack according to a recent report by the Inspector General. If the DOE fail to upgrade their security measures, they risk a security breach and possible loss worth millions of dollars.

The Office of Science in the DOE has delayed standardization of computer protocols and enhancing other cyber security measures, leaving the DOE increasingly vulnerable to cyber attack. The…

Christmas holiday sees DDoS attacks

According to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal, several websites were hit with a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack around the Christmas holiday. The company that provides directory service to a variety of websites was targeted in the attack, which left several of the sites inaccessible to some users.

Once the company providing the directory services noticed the spike in activity, it moved rapidly to respond…

Russian Criminals Hack Citibank

According to recent press reports, US law enforcement officials are presently investigating the theft of tens of millions of dollars from Citibank by hackers using Russian software. The attack appeared to emanate from IP addresses linked to the Russian Business Network, a group of well known cyber criminals.

The Russian Business Network is known for involvement in spam, child pornography, malicious software and hacking. It appears that the attackers used…

City in India Launches Cyber Crime Police Station

The city of Kolkata, India, has launched a police station that will be solely devoted to handling cyber crime issues, according to an article in the Indian Express. The police launched a website, http://kolkatapolice-cybercampaign.net, which serves as an educational platform along with serving as a complaint receipt system and query registry.

Once the cyber police station is formed, it will be the fourth…

North Koreans may have acquired US-South Korean Military Plans

The North Koreans may have hacked into a computer used by a South Korean official and downloaded part of a war plan developed by the US and South Korea, according to The Chosun Ilbo. The breach appears to have occurred earlier this year when a South Korean officer used an unsecured USB drive on his home computer and part of a secure plan, known as OPLAN 5027,…

House looks to build good cyber hygiene

Members of the House of Representatives have asked security officials with the House to conduct cyber education training for new aides. Daniel Beard, House Chief Administration Officer, recently undertook a six week review prompted by the release of information from the ethics committee. In it, he suggested that security updates should primarily focus on increasing awareness among House staff members of good cyber hygiene.

Beard  said “Changes in security policies…

Iraqi Militants can use Cyber Attacks too

Iraqi insurgents have used existing, readily available technology, to hack into image feeds for US Predator drones, according to an article in the Wall Street Journal. Using software such as SkyGrabber, available for less than $30 via the internet, Shiite insurgents were able to intercept live video feeds from Predator drones.

While there is no evidence that the insurgents had the capacity to control the drones, the ability…

First Federal-State Cyber Partnership

Secretary Janet Napolitano and Governor Jennifer Granholm of Michigan announced yesterday the launch of the first of its kind federal-state partnership for cyber security. The partnership will deploy the Einstein 1 program across Michigan’s networks to enhance cyber security in the state.

Secretary Napolitano said “This first of its kind federal-state partnership will not only enhance our capabilities to defend Michigan from cyber threats, it will also strengthen…