#1 Trusted Cybersecurity News Platform Followed by 4.50+ million
The Hacker News Logo
Get the Free Newsletter
SaaS Security

Usa Hacker News | Breaking Cybersecurity News | The Hacker News

Obama will control internet, signs Emergency Internet Control

Obama will control internet, signs Emergency Internet Control

Jul 17, 2012
Barack Obama has signed an executive order that could hand control of the internet to the U.S. Government, in the event of a natural disaster or terrorist attack. " The federal government must have the ability to communicate at all times and under all circumstances to carry out its most critical and time sensitive missions ," Obama said . President Obama adds that it is necessary for the government to be able to reach anyone in the country during situations it considers critical, writing, " Such communications must be possible under all circumstances to ensure national security, effectively manage emergencies and improve national resilience ." Later the president explains that such could be done by establishing a " joint industry-Government center that is capable of assisting in the initiation, coordination, restoration and reconstitution of NS/EP [national security and emergency preparedness] communications services or facilities under all conditions of emerging threats, cr
Operation Card Shop : FBI Arrested 24 Credit Card Cyber Criminals

Operation Card Shop : FBI Arrested 24 Credit Card Cyber Criminals

Jun 27, 2012
Operation Card Shop : FBI Arrested 24 Credit Card Cyber Criminals The FBI has arrested 24 cybercriminals part of an international law enforcement operation aiming to arrest and prosecute the users of a sting operation called "Carder Profit". The suspects, collared after a two-year investigation dubbed "Operation Card Shop," allegedly stole credit card and banking data and exchanged it with each other online. " We put a major dent in cybercrime ," she said. " This is an unprecedented operation. "In the sting, which they called Operation Card Shop, undercover investigators created an online bazaar to catch buyers and sellers of credit card data and other private financial information. They also aimed at people who clone and produce the physical credit cards that are then used to buy merchandise. Some CarderProfit users apparently learned of the involvement of the feds months ago. A Twitter user with the name @JoshTheGod wrote that "has informants and most likly to be belie
Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Making Sense of Operational Technology Attacks: The Past, Present, and Future

Mar 21, 2024Operational Technology / SCADA Security
When you read reports about cyber-attacks affecting operational technology (OT), it's easy to get caught up in the hype and assume every single one is sophisticated. But are OT environments all over the world really besieged by a constant barrage of complex cyber-attacks? Answering that would require breaking down the different types of OT cyber-attacks and then looking back on all the historical attacks to see how those types compare.  The Types of OT Cyber-Attacks Over the past few decades, there has been a growing awareness of the need for improved cybersecurity practices in IT's lesser-known counterpart, OT. In fact, the lines of what constitutes a cyber-attack on OT have never been well defined, and if anything, they have further blurred over time. Therefore, we'd like to begin this post with a discussion around the ways in which cyber-attacks can either target or just simply impact OT, and why it might be important for us to make the distinction going forward. Figure 1 The Pu
The tale of LulzSec, two admits targeting websites

The tale of LulzSec, two admits targeting websites

Jun 27, 2012
The tale of LulzSec  two admits targeting websites Two British members of the notorious Lulz Security hacking collective have pleaded guilty to a slew of computer crimes, in the latest blow against online troublemakers whose exploits have grabbed headlines and embarrassed governments around the world. LulzSec members Ryan Cleary , 20, and Jake Davis , 19, pleaded guilty in a London court to launching distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks last year against several targets, including the CIA, the Arizona State Police, PBS, Sony, Nintendo, 20th Century Fox, News International and the U.K.'s Serious Organized Crime Agency and National Health Service Ryan Cleary is from Essex, United Kingdom who was arrested by Metropolitan Police on June 21 2011 and charged with violating the Computer Misuse Act and the Criminal Law Act 1977. He was accused of being a member of LulzSec but was not a member of the said group although he admitted that he did run one of the IRC channels that t
cyber security

Automated remediation solutions are crucial for security

websiteWing SecurityShadow IT / SaaS Security
Especially when it comes to securing employees' SaaS usage, don't settle for a longer to-do list. Auto-remediation is key to achieving SaaS security.
Drones can be hijacked by terrorist, Researchers says Vulnerability Exist

Drones can be hijacked by terrorist, Researchers says Vulnerability Exist

Jun 26, 2012
Drones can be hijacked by terrorist , Researchers says Vulnerability Exist Fox News is reporting that researchers say that terrorists or drug gangs, with the right kind of equipment could turn the drones into "suicide" weapons. A University of Texas researcher illustrated that fact in a series of test flights recently, showing that GPS "spoofing" could cause a drone to veer off its course and even purposely crash. This is particularly worrisome, given that the US is looking to grant US airspace to drones for domestic jobs including police surveillance or even FedEx deliveries In other words, with the right equipment, anyone can take control of a GPS-guided drone and make it do anything they want it to. Spoofers are a much more dangerous type of technology because they actually mimic a command by the GPS system and convince the drone it is receiving new coordinates. With his device what Humphreys calls the most advanced spoofer ever built (at a cost of just $1,000) he was
US and Israel developed Flame Malware against Iran

US and Israel developed Flame Malware against Iran

Jun 20, 2012
US and Israel developed Flame Malware against Iran Unnamed Western officials confirmed that Flame was developed by US and Israeli governments. The United States and Israel jointly developed the Flame computer virus that collected intelligence to help slow Iran's nuclear program. The massive piece of malware secretly mapped and monitored Iran's computer networks, sending back a steady stream of intelligence to prepare for a cyber­warfare campaign, according to the officials. The effort, involving the National Security Agency, the CIA and Israel's military, has included the use of destructive software such as the Stuxnet virus to cause malfunctions in Iran's nuclear-enrichment equipment. The cyber campaign against Iran's nuclear program has included the use of another computer virus called Stuxnet that caused malfunctions in Iran's nuclear enrichment equipment. " This is about preparing the battlefield for another type of covert action, " said one former high-ranking U
The Hackers Conference 2012 Call For Papers #THC2012

The Hackers Conference 2012 Call For Papers #THC2012

May 12, 2012
We are extremely delighted to announce the Call for Papers for The Hackers Conference 2012   It is a unique event, where the elite of the hacker world, leaders in the information security industry and the Internet community meet face to face to join their efforts to cooperate in addressing the most topical issues of the IT world. Conference will be held in New Delhi, India and aims to get together industry, government, academia and underground hackers to share knowledge and leading-edge ideas about information security and everything related to it. The following list contains major topics the conference will cover. Please consider submitting even if the subject of your research is not listed here. Topics Cloud Security Wireless hacking GSM/VoIP Security Smartphone / Mobile Security Exploit development techniques Advance in reverse engineering National Security & Cyber Warfare New Vulnerabilities and Exploits/0-days Antivirus/Firewall/UTM Evasion Techniques New Web atta
Google's rogue engineer want to Stumble WI-FI Networks on Globe ?

Google's rogue engineer want to Stumble WI-FI Networks on Globe ?

May 03, 2012
Google's rogue engineer want to Stumble WI-FI Networks on Globe ? European privacy regulators said Wednesday that they were considering reopening their inquiries into Google's collection of personal e-mails and Web searches for its Street View service. Google's public version of events of how it came to secretly intercept Americans' data sent on unencrypted Wi-Fi routers over a two-year period doesn't quite mesh with what the search giant told federal regulators. A newly unredacted report from federal investigators and fresh information about the engineer behind the data collecting software are casting doubt on Google's assurances that it did not realize that its street-mapping cars were snatching personal data from Wi-Fi networks used by millions of unsuspecting households. A former state investigator identified YouTube programmer Marius Milner as 'Engineer Doe' at the center of Google's Street View scandal. Google's claim that it was one rogue engineer w
Iran Preparing For Cyberwar Against U.S

Iran Preparing For Cyberwar Against U.S

Apr 26, 2012
Iran Preparing For Cyberwar Against U.S Security professionals in both the U.S. government and in private industry have long feared the prospect of a cyberwar with China or Russia, two states capable of launching destructive attacks on the computer networks that control critical assets such as the power grid or the financial system. But, Iran is recruiting a hacker army to target the U.S. power grid, water systems and other vital infrastructure for cyberattack in a future confrontation with the United States, security specialists will warn Congress Thursday. " If Iran is willing to blow up a Washington restaurant and kill innocent Americans, we would be naive to think Iran would never conduct a cyberattack against the U.S. homeland ," said Counterterrorism and Intelligence Subcommittee Chairman Pat Meehan, R-Pa. " Over the past three years, the Iranian regime has invested heavily in both defensive and offensive capabilities in cyberspace ," states testimony from Ilan Berman, vi
U.S. Ambassador claim to be hacked by Russians

U.S. Ambassador claim to be hacked by Russians

Apr 01, 2012
U.S. Ambassador claim to be hacked by Russians Michael McFaul, the U.S. ambassador to Russia, took to Twitter Thursday night to accuse Russian media organization NTV of hacking his cell phone and email account. " I respect the right of the press to go anywhere & ask any question. But do they have a right to read my email and listen to my phone? " he tweeted this afternoon. when McFaul arrived for a meeting with the group For Human Rights today, reporters from state-owned NTV began peppering him with questions that kept him on the freezing street without a coat." Everywhere I go NTV is there. Wonder who gives them my calendar? They wouldn't tell me. Wonder what the laws are here for such things? " McFaul tweeted. Russian news agencies said NTV dismissed McFaul's complaint, and officials at the station, which is owned by Gazprom, the state-controlled monopoly, said they have a network of informants who provide them with information. Mr McFaul suggested the television reporters iden
'The Consortium' Just Called the Movement a 'SLUT '

'The Consortium' Just Called the Movement a 'SLUT '

Mar 14, 2012
' The Consortium ' Just Called the Movement a ' SLUT ' I'm disappointed. At the pinnacle of one of the greatest and most innovative political movements the world has ever seen, you have the new hackers group named "Consortium" bringing the movement to a new low and quite frankly, an embarrassment. When the world is finally revolting against tyranny, corruption and a disgraceful abuse of human rights, the group Consortium chooses to hack into a porn site and stole Users identity and credit card numbers of men and women, mostly who are serving in the military. ( List of Military Emails , Used in Porn Site to sign up is available in our last related article) May I ask Consortium to what end does this serve? There have been depictions of a sexual nature as old as civilization, such as, the Venus figurines and sexual rock art since prehistoric times. Using the excuse that the site was poorly secured, is no excuse at all for demeaning and demoralizing people using the
Facebook Hacking - Student jailed for eight months

Facebook Hacking - Student jailed for eight months

Feb 20, 2012
Facebook Hacking - Student jailed for eight months 26-year-old Glenn Steven Mangham, a student in the UK, has been sentenced to eight months in prison for hacking into Facebook from his bedroom at his parents house. Facebook spent $200,000 (£126,400) dealing with Mangham's crime, which triggered a "concerted, time-consuming and costly investigation. Glenn Mangham, 26, admitted to infiltrating the website between April and May of last year. Apparently no user details were taken, as he went straight for "invaluable" intellectual property instead. Facebook alerted the authorities last May after they discovered the breach. The FBI took care of the rest, tracing it all back to the UK address. He found his way in by hacking into the account of a Facebook employee. Facebook operates a bug bounty program in which it pays ethical hackers up to $US 500 for quietly disclosing vulnerabilities. According to reports of Mangham's court appearances, the software development student cl
How Hackers can Track your Mobile phone with a cheap setup ?

How Hackers can Track your Mobile phone with a cheap setup ?

Feb 18, 2012
How Hackers can Track your Mobile phone with a cheap setup ? Cellular phones have become a ubiquitous means of communications with over 5 billion users worldwide in2010, of which 80% are GSM subscribers. Due to theiruse of the wireless medium and their mobile nature, thosephones listen to broadcast communications that could reveal their physical location to a passive adversary. University of Minnesota researchers found a flaw in AT&T and T-Mobile cell towers that reveals the location of phone users. The attack, described in a Research paper (Click to Download Pdf) , is most useful for determining whether a target is within a given geographic area as large as about 100 square kms or as small as one square kilometer. It can also be used to pinpoint a target's location but only when the attacker already knows the city, or part of a city, the person is in. Ph.D. student Denis Foo Kune says, " Cell phone towers have to track cell phone subscribers to provide service efficiently
Tit for Tat - Anonymous Hackers Brings Down FBI website for #OpMegaupload

Tit for Tat - Anonymous Hackers Brings Down FBI website for #OpMegaupload

Jan 20, 2012
Tit for Tat - Anonymous Hackers Brings Down FBI website for   #OpMegaupload Megaupload.com , one of the world's most popular sources of online piracy, has been shut down by a federal indictment issued Thursday, which seized and charged seven people connected with it with running an international enterprise based on internet piracy. Online piracy by the two companies - Megaupload Ltd and Vestor Ltd - generated more than $ 175 million in criminal proceeds and caused more than half a billion dollars in harm to copyright owners Hacking group Anonymous said Thursday it knocked out the websites of the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice, and several entertainment industry sites as retribution for anti-piracy efforts by both the government and the entertainment industry. Anonymous said it was " the largest attack ever ," with 5,635 participants involved in bringing down the sites. The two government sites were up and running again after several hours. Megaupload stood as one of th
Hey @BarackObama ! Please don't extradite Gary McKinnon, CC : @Number10gov

Hey @BarackObama ! Please don't extradite Gary McKinnon, CC : @Number10gov

Jan 08, 2012
Hey @BarackObama ! Please don't extradite Gary McKinnon Gary McKinnon,  a Scottish systems administrator and hacker who has been accused of what one U.S. prosecutor claims is the " biggest military computer hack of all time " by hacking into the Pentagon, faces an ordeal of terrifying brutality if he is extradited to the United States. America wants to put him on trial, and if tried there he could face 60 years behind bars. Note : Request to Every Reader ! Please Re-Tweet/Share this article if you want to Support Gary McKinnon in the fight for justice. The mother Gary McKinnon has called for her son to stand trial in Britain claiming attempts to extradite him to the US have destroyed his life. He claims his motivation, drawn from a statement made before the Washington Press Club on 9 May 2001 by " The Disclosure Project ", was to find evidence of UFOs, antigravity technology, and the suppression of " free energy ", all of which he claims to have
The Hacker News Hacking Awards : Best of Year 2011

The Hacker News Hacking Awards : Best of Year 2011

Dec 31, 2011
The Hacker News Hacking Awards : Best of Year 2011 2011 has been labeled the " Year of the Hack " or " Epic #Fail 2011 ". Hacking has become much easier over the years, which is why 2011 had a lot of hacking for good and for bad. Hackers are coming up with tools as well as finding new methods for hacking faster then companies can increase their security.  Every year there are always forward advancements in the tools and programs that can be used by the hackers. At the end of year 2011 we decided to give " The Hacker News Awards 2011 ". The Hacker News Awards will be an annual awards ceremony celebrating the achievements and failures of security researchers and the Hacking community. The THN Award is judged by a panel of respected security researchers and Editors at The Hacker News. Year 2011 came to an end following Operation Payback and Antisec, which targeted companies refusing to accept payments to WikiLeak's, such as, Visa and Amazon. Those attacks were carrie
Why US Aircrafts Drop Spy Devices in Syrian ?

Why US Aircrafts Drop Spy Devices in Syrian ?

Dec 23, 2011
Why US Aircrafts Drop Spy Devices in Syrian ? Last week Iranian engineer claim to hijack U.S. drone by hacking GPS system using GPS spoofing. On December 14, residents of a small town in northern Syria reported seeing unidentified aircraft circling overhead, and dropping several small items attached to mini-parachutes , which entered Syrian airspace through the Turkish border. The gadgets, pictured here, look suspiciously like surreptitious listening devices. Residents say the question is :  who dropped them, and why? The sources explained that the aircrafts that dropped the devices were American, not Turkish. They added that the aircrafts took off from Incirlik air base, southeast of Adana, which is 130 km away from the city of Afrin, mainly to belong to the Kurdish nationalists. " This action aims at eavesdropping on communications between the Syrian troops, locating their spots accurately and collecting any information about it in order to provide them to U.S. and Turkish aut
Key infrastructure systems of 3 US cities Under Attack By Hackers

Key infrastructure systems of 3 US cities Under Attack By Hackers

Dec 15, 2011
Key infrastructure systems of 3 US cities Under Attack By Hackers BBC News Reported that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced recently that key infrastructure systems of three US cities had been accessed by hackers. Such systems commonly known as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) are increasingly being targeted by hackers. At a recent cybersecurity conference, Michael Welch, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division, said " hackers had accessed crucial water and power services.The hackers could theoretically have dumped sewage into a lake or shut off the power to a shopping mall ." " We just had a circumstance where we had three cities, one of them a major city within the US, where you had several hackers that had made their way into SCADA systems within the city ," Welch told delegates at the Flemings Cyber Security conference." Essentially it was an ego trip for the hacker because he had control of that city's system and h
Cybersecurity Resources