Yuan Hong reports: During the investigation of the cyberattack against Northwestern Polytechnical University (NPU), a leading Chinese aviation university, China has successfully extracted multiple samples of the spyware named SecondDate, and with the collaborative efforts of partners in various countries, the real identity of the US’ National Security Agency (NSA) personnel responsible for launching the…
Author: Dissent
New Europol report shines light on multi-billion euro underground criminal economy
The world is getting smaller, as trade, communication and infrastructure on a global scale brings us closer together. However, there is another, darker, side to the coin: our interconnected world is being abused by criminals who have created an underground economy to sustain their illegal operations. Europol’s first ever threat assessment on the topic, ‘The…
MGM and Caesars Hacked by Same Group in Span of a Few Weeks
William Turton, Christopher Palmeri, and Katrina Manson report: MGM Resorts International was hacked by the same group of attackers that breached Caesars Entertainment Inc. weeks earlier, according to four people familiar with the matter. The hackers demanded a ransom from MGM, according to two of the people. It wasn’t immediately clear how much ransom was requested or if…
Suspected ransomware attack hits Auckland Transport’s Hop cards
1News reports: A suspected ransomware attack is affecting Auckland Transport’s Hop card system, impacting card top-ups and leaving customer service centres with limited functionality. “Early indications are that this is a ransomware attack however our investigations are ongoing,” an Auckland Transport (AT) spokesperson told 1News. No personal or financial data has been accessed. Read more…
IOCTA spotlight report on malware-based cyber-attacks published
Following the Internet Organised Crime Assessment (IOCTA) 2023, today Europol published the spotlight report “Cyber Attacks: The Apex of Crime-as-a-Service”. It examines developments in cyber-attacks, discussing new methodologies and threats as observed by Europol’s operational analysts. The report also outlines the types of criminal structures that are behind cyber-attacks, and how these increasingly professionalised groups are exploiting…
FBI Tech Tuesday: Building a Digital Defense Against “Oops, Wrong Number!” Texts
Here’s another good tip to pass along to your kids or others who might be too trusting or vulnerable. FBI El Paso Special Agent Jeanette Harper explains: We’ve all seen these text messages. The texts addressed to someone else pops up on your phone about either a business meeting, veterinarian appointment, or a friendly get-together….