The Crime Report (https://thecrimereport.org/category/cybercrime/)
The Atlanta-based credit reporting agency said hackers exploited a “website application vulnerability” and got sensitive personal data including Social Security numbers, birth dates, and home addresses.
Hackers are finding a lucrative market in stealing mobile phone numbers and resetting passwords on every account that uses the number as a security backup. the Federal Trade Commission had reports of 2,658 incidents as of January 2016.
A Supreme Court ruling in June overruled the conviction of a sex offender for violating his probation after posting on Facebook. But that opens up a new legal minefield over limitations on internet access for anyone convicted of a crime, warns a Washington, DC attorney.
A case pending at the Supreme Court could decide whether constitutional protections against warrantless searches prevent courts and law enforcement from using evidence discovered from cellphone records. A former NYC prosecutor contends that the justices should hear arguments.
University of Maryland-College Park researchers set up over 200 “honeypot” computers to test whether online warnings deter cyberthieves. Quite the opposite, they found—in a study that may be a wakeup call to law enforcement.
In a growing menace, scammers try to extort money after phoning parents or other kin and falsely convincing them that a loved one is being held hostage. They sometimes research potential victims on social media.
The Trump administration’s refusal to publicly accuse Russia and others in a wave of politically motivated hacking attacks is creating a policy vacuum that security experts fear will encourage more cyber warfare. The White House “just wants ‘cyber’ to go away,” said one expert.
Ukraine’s prime minister called yesterday’s cyberattack — which targeted government workstations, power companies, banks, state-run TV stations, airports and ATMs — “unprecedented” in scope.
Security experts say ransomware attacks are an Internet scourge, but a new FBI reports suggests that the vast majority of its victims simply don’t bother reporting incidents of this growing financial cyber-menace.
In partnership with a California security firm, U.S. Girl Scouts will now be able to explore the fundamentals of cyber security skills. Officials say the move will help instill “a valuable 21st century skill set” in members of an organization best known for cookie sales.