There’s a follow-up to a breach previously noted on PHIprivacy.net. AP reports: A Frederick man has been sentenced to six months in federal prison for stealing personal information of more than 11,000 intellectually and developmentally disabled people. Alexander Afonso, an information technology specialist, pleaded guilty to using another employee’s computer credentials to obtain the victims’ Social Security numbers and medical…
Category: Government Sector
Russian hacker claims responsibility for taking down Maine, N.H. websites
Steve Mistler reports: A purported Russian hacker is claiming responsibility for an attack that disabled Maine.gov, the central portal to the websites for Maine state offices. The hacker, dubbed Vikingdom2015, boasted of the attack via Twitter. In addition to Maine state websites, the group also claimed responsibility for disabling New Hampshire state websites as well….
UK: Urgent investigation into breach of benefit claimants’ data
Tom Potter reports a breach involving Colchester Borough Council: An urgent probe has been launched into how the personal details of benefit claimants were disclosed to some Colchester householders. The borough council is investigating the breach of personal data during the delivery of housing benefit notification letters to residents last week. […] The council said…
In: Decoder of secret information stolen, security agencies panic
From the where-is-Captain-Midnight-when-you-need-him dept.: Theft of an electronic instrument worth around Rs 3 lakh [$4816.53 – Dissent] from the building of Dang district superintendent of police, Ahwa, has created panic among top national security agencies. Sources in police claim that the stolen device is a decoder of encrypted secret code language used by intelligence agencies to…
PH: PNP website trashed by hacker
Julie M. Aurelio reports: A website of one of the Philippine National Police’s support units was hacked by still unidentified persons on Sunday night, rendering the website virtually useless until Monday. The Police Security and Protection Group’s website was defaced by a hacker who identified himself as a certain “Leon HDZ,” posting a photograph of a…
ISIS hackers post names and addresses of 100 service members, call for jihad against them
Jason Molinet reports: Islamic State hackers have posted the personal details of 100 U.S. service members they claim took part in the bombing of ISIS targets in Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia and Afghanistan – and called on homegrown radicals to strike back. The group calling itself Islamic State Hacking Division allegedly gathered the dossier from…