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Category — Celebrity hack
Hacker Who Leaked Celebrities' Personal Photos Gets 8 Months in Prison

Hacker Who Leaked Celebrities' Personal Photos Gets 8 Months in Prison

Aug 31, 2018
George Garofano (left) The fourth celebrity hacker—who was charged earlier this year with hacking into over 250 Apple iCloud accounts belonged to Jennifer Lawrence and other Hollywood celebrities—has been sentenced to eight months in prison. Earlier this year, George Garofano, 26, of North Branford, admitted to illegally obtaining credentials of his victims' iCloud accounts using a phishing scheme, carried out from April 2013 to October 2014, in which he posed as a member of Apple's security team and tricked victims into revealing their iCloud credentials. Using stolen credentials, Garofano then managed to steal victims' personal information, including their sensitive and intimate photographs and videos, from their iCloud accounts, and then leaked them on online forums, like 4Chan. Among the victims were Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian , Kirsten Dunst, Kate Upton, American Olympic gold medallist Misty May Treanor and actors Alexandra Chando, Kelli Garner and...
Fourth Fappening Hacker Admits to Stealing Celebrity Pics From iCloud Accounts

Fourth Fappening Hacker Admits to Stealing Celebrity Pics From iCloud Accounts

Jan 13, 2018
Almost three years after the massive leakage of high-profile celebrities' photos—well known as " The Fappening " or " Celebgate " scandal—a fourth hacker has been charged with hacking into over 250 Apple iCloud accounts belonged to Hollywood celebrities. A federal court has accused George Garofano , 26, of North Branford, of violating the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, who had been arrested by the FBI. Garofano has admitted to illegally obtaining credentials for his victims' iCloud accounts using a phishing scheme, which eventually allowed him to steal personal information on his victims, including sensitive and private photographs and videos. Among celebrities whose photographs were posted online back in 2014 are Jennifer Lawrence, Kim Kardashian, Kirsten Dunst, and Kate Upton. Also, female victims also include American Olympic gold medallist Misty May Treanor and actors Alexandra Chando, Kelli Garner and Lauren O'Neil. Between April 2013 to Oct...
The $10 Cyber Threat Responsible for the Biggest Breaches of 2024

The $10 Cyber Threat Responsible for the Biggest Breaches of 2024

Jan 16, 2025Identity Protection / SaaS Security
You can tell the story of the current state of stolen credential-based attacks in three numbers: Stolen credentials were the #1 attacker action in 2023/24, and the breach vector for 80% of web app attacks . (Source: Verizon). Cybersecurity budgets grew again in 2024, with organizations now spending almost $1,100 per user (Source: Forrester).  Stolen credentials on criminal forums cost as little as $10 (Source: Verizon). Something doesn't add up. So, what's going on? In this article, we'll cover: What's contributing to the huge rise in account compromises linked to stolen creds and why existing approaches aren't working.  The world of murky intelligence on stolen credentials, and how to cut through the noise to find the true positives. Recommendations for security teams to stop attackers from using stolen creds to achieve account takeover. Stolen credential-based attacks are on the rise There's clear evidence that identity attacks are now the #1 cyber threat f...
Fappening 2017: More Celebrity Photos Hacked and Leaked Online

Fappening 2017: More Celebrity Photos Hacked and Leaked Online

Aug 22, 2017
It seems like celebrities have not taken their security seriously, which once again resulted in the leaking of personal photographs of more a-listed celebrities. Dozens of personal and intimate photos of Anne Hathaway, Miley Cyrus, Kristen Stewart, Katharine McPhee, golfer Tiger Woods and his ex Lindsey Vonn have reportedly been surfaced on the Internet, and have widely been shared on Reddit, Tumblr and Twitter. The incident comes a few months after " The Fappening 2.0 " surfaced, leaking alleged pictures of many female celebrities, including Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried on Reddit and 4chan. The latest release of celebs private photos seems to have come after an unidentified hacker or group of hackers has gained access to celebs' Apple iCloud accounts and stolen private iPhone photos and videos. A similar trick was used in the 2014 Fappening incident , where anonymous hackers flooded the Internet with private photographs of major celebrities, including Jennife...
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Searching for Leaked Celebrity Photos? Don't Blindly Click that Fappening Link!

Searching for Leaked Celebrity Photos? Don't Blindly Click that Fappening Link!

Mar 21, 2017
Are you curiously googling or searching torrents for photos or videos of Emma Watson, Amanda Seyfried, Rose McGowan, or any other celebrities leaked in The Fappenning 2.0 ? If yes, then beware, you should not click any link promising Fappenning celebrity photos . Cybercriminals often take advantage of news headlines in order to trap victims and trick them into following links that may lead to websites containing malware or survey scams. Last week, a few private photos of Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried — ranging from regular selfies to explicitly sexual photos — were circulating on the Internet forums, including Reddit and 4chan, with UK's TV presenter Holly Willoughby and US actor Rose McGowan among the latest alleged victims. Now, according to the security researchers from MalwareBytes, scammers are exploiting this new batch of leaked celebrity photos and videos by using their stolen selfies to lure victims on social media sites and making dollars. Also Read: Hacke...
It's Fappening Again! Private Photos of Emma Watson and Others Leaked Online

It's Fappening Again! Private Photos of Emma Watson and Others Leaked Online

Mar 16, 2017
Are you clicking selfies? That is fine and not any criminal act, but this act can land you in trouble — here's how! Almost three years after a wave of private photographs of celebrities leaked online, "The Fappening 2.0" appears to be underway with the circulation of alleged naked pictures of female celebrities, including Emma Watson and Amanda Seyfried on Reddit and 4chan. Back in 2014, anonymous hackers flooded the Internet with private photographs of major celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence , Kim Kardashian , Kate Upton and Kirsten Dunst by hacking thousands of Apple's iCloud accounts . The Fappening hackers have since been sent to prison . The Fappening 2.0: It's Happening Again! However, in the latest leak, which has been heralded online as "The Fappening 2.0," the personal photographs of Amanda Seyfried and Emma Watson — ranging from regular selfies to explicitly sexual photos — have been leaking online since Tuesday night. ...
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