The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is urging police departments and governments worldwide to beef up security around their email systems, citing a recent increase in cybercriminal services that use hacked police email accounts to send unauthorized subpoenas and customer data requests to U.S.-based technology companies.
Cybersecurity
Smashing Security podcast #392: Pasta spies and private eyes, and are you applying for a ghost job?
A Facebook friend request leads to arrest, Twitter scams ride again via promoted ads, and adult websites expose their members. Oh, and Graham finds out what Rule 34 is.
All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security” podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.
Canadian Man Arrested in Snowflake Data Extortions
A 26-year-old man in Ontario, Canada has been arrested for allegedly stealing data from and extorting more than 160 companies that used the cloud data service Snowflake.
On October 30, Canadian authorities arrested Alexander Moucka, a.k.a. Connor Riley Moucka of Kitchener, Ontario, on a provisional arrest warrant from the United States. Bloomberg first reported Moucka’s alleged ties to the Snowflake hacks on Monday.
At the end of 2023, malicious hackers learned that many large companies had uploaded huge volumes of sensitive customer data to Snowflake accounts that were protected with little more than a username and password (no multi-factor authentication required). After scouring darknet markets for stolen Snowflake account credentials, the hackers began raiding the data storage repositories used by some of the world’s largest corporations.
The AI Fix #23: Murder most weird, and why 9.11 is bigger than 9.9
In episode 23 of The AI Fix, an AI finds a new way to make life difficult for women in STEM, Graham reveals his brilliant idea for treating any medical emergency, a beloved chat show host returns from the grave, and our hosts learn that computer viruses were almost called computer weeds.
Graham tells Mark a story involving a murder, a moth, and an AI journalist, and Mark pits his co-host against the world’s most advanced computer program in a maths Olympiad.
All this and much more is discussed in the latest edition of “The AI Fix” podcast by Graham Cluley and Mark Stockley.
Booking.com Phishers May Leave You With Reservations
A number of cybercriminal innovations are making it easier for scammers to cash in on your upcoming travel plans. This story examines a recent spear-phishing campaign that ensued when a California hotel had its booking.com credentials stolen. We’ll also explore an array of cybercrime services aimed at phishers who target hotels that rely on the world’s most visited travel website.
Fired Disney worker accused of hacking into restaurant menus, replacing them with Windings and false peanut allergy information
A disgruntled former Disney employee is facing charges that he hacked into the company’s restaurant menu systems and wreaked havoc on its digital displays that could have potentially put lives at risk.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Fraudsters exploit US General Election fever, FBI warns
As the United States of Americas enter the final days of the race for the White House, the FBI has warned that fraudsters are using the presidential election campaign to scam citizens out of their savings and personal data.
Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog.
Smashing Security podcast #391: The secret Strava service, deepfakes, and crocodiles
In this week’s episode your hosts practice standing on one leg, Carole gives Graham a deepfake quiz, and we investigate how Strava may be exposing the movements of world leaders.
All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security” podcast by computer security veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault.
Change Healthcare Breach Hits 100M Americans
Change Healthcare says it has notified approximately 100 million Americans that their personal, financial and healthcare records may have been stolen in a February 2024 ransomware attack that caused the largest ever known data breach of protected health information.
The AI Fix #22: Probing AI tongues and ASCII smuggling attacks
In episode 22 of “The AI Fix”, our hosts encounter a bowl of buttermilk king crab ice cream prepared by a baby hippo, a TV station finds an even better way to generate programme ideas than using a tank full of manatees, and Elon Musk does the world’s most expensive Blade Runner cosplay.
Graham discovers a robot tongue and ponders the implications of AIs with an appetite, and Mark explains ASCII smuggling — a prompt injection attack that uses completely invisible characters.
All this and much more is discussed in the latest edition of “The AI Fix” podcast by Graham Cluley and Mark Stockley.