Robert McMillan, Dustin Volz, and Aruna Viswanatha report: Extortion payments from ransomware, a hacking scourge that has crippled hospitals, schools and public infrastructure, fell significantly last year, according to federal officials, cybersecurity analysts and blockchain firms. One of the examples cited surprised me, as I had no idea a Conti call center had so many…
Category: Of Note
GSA not tapping data on unauthorized access attempts at federal facilities, report says
Chris Riotta reports: The General Services Administration is failing to act on data linked to access cards used to enter federal facilities, according to a new oversight report. A two-year audit conducted between 2020 and 2022 revealed over 32,000 failed access attempts at GSA-managed facilities, the Office of Inspector General report said, possibly indicating attempts to gain…
In updated disclosure, News Corp says state hackers were on its network for two years
Sergiu Gatlan reports: Mass media and publishing giant News Corporation (News Corp) says that attackers behind a breach disclosed in 2022 first gained access to its systems two years before, in February 2020. This was revealed in data breach notification letters sent to employees affected by the data breach, who had some of their personal and health information…
Nl: Three arrested in massive hacking, data theft and blackmail probe; One was a whitehat researcher
DutchNews.nl reports: Amsterdam’s cyber crime police team has arrested three young men as part of a major investigation into hacking, data theft, blackmail and money laundering involving the private details of tens of millions of people. The three, aged 21 and 18, were picked up on January 23 and two have been restricted to contact…
Russian Malware Developer Arrested And Extradited To The United States
From the U.S.A.O., Middle District of Florida, February 22: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and extradition of Dariy Pankov a/k/a “dpxaker.” Pankov is charged with conspiracy, access device fraud, and computer fraud. If convicted on all counts, he faces a maximum penalty of 47 years in federal prison….
‘Nevada Group’ hackers target thousands of computer networks
Mehul Srivastava reports: A mysterious and unidentified group of hackers has sought to paralyse the computer networks of almost 5,000 victims across the US and Europe, in one of the most widespread ransomware attacks on record. The hacking unit, initially nicknamed the Nevada Group by security researchers, began a series of attacks that started around…