Feb. 9 – The IRS recently identified and halted an automated attack upon its Electronic Filing PIN application on IRS.gov. Using personal data stolen elsewhere outside the IRS, identity thieves used malware in an attempt to generate E-file PINs for stolen social security numbers. An E-file pin is used in some instances to electronically file…
Category: Malware
UK: Lincolnshire council shuts down all IT after malware attack (UPDATE1)
Update: The Independent is reporting that there’s been a £1 million ransom demand attached to this incident. Five days later, the council’s database is still down, it seems. Alexander J. Martin reports: A 0-day security breach at Lincolnshire County Council has exposed locals’ medical records, addresses, and bank details, claimed an anonymous tipster, though the council denies…
AU: Hack attack on a hospital IT system highlights the risk of still running Windows XP
Robert Merkel writes: A virus attack on the computer system of one of Melbourne’s largest hospital networks is cause for concern because it affected machines running Microsoft’s Windows XP, an operating system no longer supported by the software giant. A report this week in The Age said a “computer virus” has affected Windows XP systems across the…
Cn: Viruses and malware hit over 25m users
Ding Yining reports: Over 25 million Chinese mobile phone users were affected by online payment-related spyware and there were about 326,000 kinds of newly created mobile payment malware last year, an industry report showed. Last year, more than 16.7 million smartphone-related viruses or malicious software emerged, according to the online payment “black industry” report released by…
Hyatt says 250 of its hotels had malware last year
There’s an update to the breach reported by Hyatt Hotels in December. Joseph Pisani reports: Hyatt said Thursday that it found malicious software in about 250 of its hotels, including five in the Chicago, that may have exposed customers’ credit- and debit-card numbers and other information to hackers. It’s the first time the hotel operator has listed…
BC: 150 Burnaby school district staff email accounts hijacked
Cornelia Naylor reports: As many as 150 Burnaby school district staff email accounts were hijacked by scammers in November and December, according to district secretary-treasurer Greg Frank, wreaking havoc with the district’s online communication with the outside world. Frank said the staff email account holders fell prey to phishing scammers, who tricked them into revealing…