David Holsted reports: Computer hackers didn’t get money out of Alpena Schools. The district is the latest victim of ransomware, a denial-of-access attack that prevents computer users from accessing files. However, Superintendent Andrea Martin said the district did not pay the ransom, and no harm was done to the files. No important information was lost….
Category: U.S.
Ameriprise leak exposes millions of dollars worth of accounts
Zack Whittaker reports on another exposed database uncovered by Chris Vickery of the MacKeeper Security Research team: An advisor working for financial planning giant Ameriprise has inadvertently exposed hundreds of investment portfolios, worth tens of millions of dollars. The data was found on an internet-connected backup drive at the advisor’s home, which was set to…
Almost 800,000 to be notified because more than 100 Los Angeles County employees fell for a phishing attack
On a single day in May, 108 Los Angeles County employees fell for a phishing attack that affected approximately 756,000 individuals. Here is the press release issued Dec. 16 from the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office: The County of Los Angeles today disclosed that it was the victim of a phishing email attack that potentially…
Three Romanian nationals indicted in cyber fraud case in which they infected 60,000 computers, sent out 11 million malicious emails and stole at least $4 million
A 21-count indictment was unsealed in which three Romanian nationals were charged for operating a cyber fraud conspiracy in which they infected 60,000 computers, sent out 11 million malicious emails and stole at least $4 million, said U.S. Attorney Carole S. Rendon and FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen D. Anthony. Bogdan Nicolescu, 34, Tiberiu…
Florida man sentenced to prison for selling medical records stolen from Rotech Healthcare
There’s an update to an incident previously reported on this site in August: Dec. 13 – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell today sentenced Vickie Lorenzo Bryant (39, Plant City) to four years in federal prison for access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. He pleaded guilty on August 23, 2016. According to court documents, in…
Another day, another ransomware attack in the health care sector
John Blodgett reports: An unauthorized person hacked into the computer system of a chain of health clinics in the San Gabriel Valley and installed “ransomware,” the company that operates the clinics reported Wednesday. The breach of one server occurred in October, according to a news release from the East Valley Community Health Center, which operates…