Group items tagged

"Hackers breached the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), the organization that coordinates unique web addresses all across the world, but luckily didn't hit the Internet Assigned Numbers Authority, an important leg that keeps the Internet running smoothly. Attackers used "spear fishing" to break into the system in late November, according to a post on ICANN's website this week. Staffers received email messages that appeared to be coming from ICANN's own domain; several ICANN staffers' emails were compromised."

"It happened when Hello Kitty's fan site, SanrioTown.com, had its database accessed in late 2015. Here's the catch - it wasn't hacked. According to security researcher Chris Vickery of Kromtech, no hack was necessary. Vickery stated that pretty much anyone could access, "…first and last names, birthday…, gender, country of origin, email addresses, unsalted SHA-1 password hashes, password hint questions, their corresponding answers…," and more."

"If mediocre malware can power some of the largest DDoS attacks ever, and considering the sad state of security of the Internet of Things in general, we should probably brace for more cyberattacks powered by our easy-to-hack "smart" Internet of Things, as many, including ourselves, had predicted months ago."

"Gmail users are under attack in a gigantic phishing operation that's spreading like wildfire across the internet right now. People took to Twitter to report receiving an email that looks like an invitation to join a Google Doc from someone they know. But when you click on the link to open the file, you are directed to grant access to an app that looks like Google Docs but is actually a program that sends spam emails to everyone you've emailed, according to a detailed outline of the attack on Reddit. "

"The bill will now allow police to access all web browsing records in specific crime investigations, beyond the illegal websites and communications services specified in the original draft bill. It will extend the use of state remote computer hacking from the security services to the police in cases involving a "threat to life" or missing persons. This can include cases involving "damage to somebody's mental health", but will be restricted to use by the National Crime Agency and a small number of major police forces."

"This person or group, who go by the names BestBuy and Popopret, recently spammed an ad to folks on Jabber, an instant messaging service. They offered to perform a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack on whomever their client(s) wanted, and they backed up their offer by claiming to wield the ability to perform some of the strongest DDoS attacks ever seen. Recent events in the history of the internet show us that these kind of attacks - if these hackers indeed have the power they claim - can wreak internet havoc by blocking user access to a range of some of the web's most popular destinations."

"he outlines three sources of dysfunction - 'deliberate, malicious intent, such as state-sponsored hacking and attacks, criminal behaviour, and online harassment'; 'system design' which has created 'perverse incentives where user value is sacrificed, such as ad-based revenue models that commercially reward clickbait'; and the 'viral spread of misinformation'. he also calls attention to the 'unintended negative consequences' of the web, which he said had led to 'the outraged and polarised tone and quality of online discourse'."

""Self-drive cars will probably work through internet connectivity and, just as large volumes of electronic traffic can be routed to overwhelm websites, the opportunity for self-drive traffic being routed to create 'spam jams' or disruption is a very real prospect.""

"Clearview, the shady facial-recognition firm with links to law-enforcement and alt-right internet trolls, reports that its entire client list has been stolen."