Brian Bowling reports: The dark side of the Internet provided Ryan Neil Green with a satisfaction that was missing in his life. Green was a licensed plumber who was more interested in computers than pipes. Using his computer skills, authorities say he conspired with others to help infect at least 77,000 computers, turning them into…
Two more hacks with ransom demands, but is anyone paying? Part 2.
As noted in Part 1, hackers continue to issue ransom demands, but going to the media to put pressure on hacked entities does not seem to have improved their chances of convincing their victims to pay the ransom. In Part 1, I reported on what appears to be a hack of VI Pay, Inc., a payroll…
Two more hacks with ransom demands, but is anyone paying? Part 1.
Over the past few months, DataBreaches.net has reported on a number of hacking incidents where the attackers demanded ransom if the victims did not want to see their data publicly dumped or put up for sale. Some of the incidents involved TheDarkOverlord, who attacked a number of clinics in the healthcare sector. Other incidents involved a self-described…
Ex-Verizon worker accused of selling customer phone records
Jeff Martin of AP reports: A former Verizon Wireless technician is accused of using the company’s computers to obtain customers’ private call records — plus data showing where customers’ phones were — and then selling them to an unnamed private investigator, federal prosecutors said. Daniel Eugene Traeger, who worked in Alabama, sold the confidential information…
UK man charged under Computer Misuse Act over US crime
Okay, I missed one where an arrest in the UK is allegedly linked to a breach in the U.S. On September 2, the Thames Valley Police announced: SEROCU’s Cyber Crime Unit has arrested a man in connection with computer misuse and fraud offences. A 37-year-old man from Reading was arrested yesterday (1/9) on suspicion of unauthorised…
Alberta Hospital Edmonton notifying 1,300 of snooping employee
Keith Gerein reports: A former employee of Alberta Hospital Edmonton inappropriately accessed the records of more than 1,300 patients, Alberta Health Services announced Monday in what is believed to be the province’s largest deliberate breach of health information. “In terms of a unique individual inappropriately accessing health care records, it is not within the scope…