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Nearly 100 law enforcement officers recently witnessed how easily an identity thief can steal electronic information. During a UNLV conference, a cybercrime expert used a $30 device to intercept data from their smartphones. Welcome to the dark side of the 21st century. As technology advances, so do the methods of thieves. They now target computers, phones, ATMs, credit card machines, and any device holding personal information. Identity theft is a severe crime. Criminals can quickly wreak havoc by draining bank accounts, taking out loans, and racking up credit card debts. A victim's credit score can be ruined in no time. As reported by Steve Kanigher in the Las Vegas Sun, Nevada has been a hotspot for identity theft. According to the Federal Trade Commission, Nevada ranked fifth in the nation for identity theft last year. This is an improvement from 2005 when it was second. Metro Police reported 2,063 cases from January to November 13 this year, down from 2,440 during the same...

A controversial anti-Islamist group has advised its members to stay vigilant following a leak of their details online. Hundreds of names and addresses linked to the English Defence League (EDL) were exposed after hackers breached one of the organization's websites. The group warned its members about potential reprisals and advised them to "remain extra vigilant regarding their home and personal safety." The security breach occurred last weekend when hackers accessed a clothing website connected to the EDL. The attackers, identifying themselves as the "Mujahideen Hacking Unit," obtained lists of individuals who had recently purchased items from the site or donated money to the group. The EDL has gained attention over the past year by organizing protests against what it terms the "Islamification" of Britain. Although the group claims it is neither racist nor anti-Muslim, opponents like United Against Fascism argue that the EDL's agenda is clearly I...

A top Interpol chief has expressed concerns about the cybersecurity measures in banks across the region. According to Major Ali Qubaisi, the Interpol team leader for the Middle East and North Africa, and head of the Economic Crimes unit of the Qatari Interior Ministry, banks in the region are "under-protected" against cybercrime. Additionally, legislation is not keeping pace with technological advancements. In an exclusive interview with Emirates 24|7, Major Qubaisi highlighted that the protective measures adopted by Arab banks against cybercrime are insufficient. "Some of these banks are surprised by the number of crimes being committed, but that is due to a lack of protection which should be adopted in this vital sector," he stated. He emphasized that as many as 50% of Arab banks need "electronic patrols." These patrols consist of groups that work online to track and detect any attempts to penetrate a bank's systems. Major Qubaisi explained that mo...

A pro-WikiLeaks hacker has stated that an Internet insurgent group will continue targeting companies that oppose the whistleblowing website.For the first time, the cyber-insurgent "Bass" from the group Anonymous spoke on camera, revealing details about their operations and their expanding membership. "Our pool of targets is actually very limited," the masked spokesman told Sky News. "We are going after the agencies that were directly involved in the censorship of WikiLeaks. "They include PayPal, which cut off services and withheld funds, Visa and MasterCard for similar actions, and Amazon for terminating their service support. "We don't attack the media, even those critical of us. We don't target any news outlets," he emphasized. "Facebook, Twitter, and other social networks, despite some actions against us, are not our targets." In their last attack, the group mobilized 9,000 volunteers as part of a "hive-mind" e...

The FBI is investigating the massive hack of Gawker Media. Reports indicate that FBI agents met with Gawker Media CEO Nick Denton on Monday following the hacking incident, which was claimed by a group called Gnosis. The Gawker website was paralyzed, temporarily forcing the gossip site to stop publishing. Hackers managed to access over 100,000 passwords and emails from the 1.3 million registered users. The site was forced to stop publishing on Sunday and sent emails to all registered users, urging them to change their passwords. According to reports, Gawker Media CEO Nick Denton admitted, “We’re deeply embarrassed by this breach.” Tips to Keep Your Passwords Safe Online Don’t Use the Same Password for Everything Using one password for all your accounts is unsafe. If a hacker gets your password for one account, they can access all your online identities. Use Different Passwords for Different Accounts Create and use strong, unique passwords for your online b...

A 29-year-old man was arrested on Tuesday for hacking into a girl's social networking profile, altering her photos, and posting inappropriate messages. The police apprehended Pramod Nana Bavdekar from his home in Andheri, seizing his computer and hard disk as evidence. The incident began on November 8, when the victim noticed her account was being used by someone else after she tried to log in. Consulting an expert, she learned her profile had been hacked. Shortly after, she was horrified to find her nude photos and a message stating, "I am a prostitute," on her profile. Additionally, her bank account number and other personal details were posted. The victim later received four letters via courier containing similar messages and photos, prompting her to file a complaint with the cyber division of the BKC police station. In her complaint, she mentioned her suspicion of Bavdekar, a former neighbor who had proposed to her two years earlier. According to the police, altho...

Google has introduced a new security feature in its search engine to flag more web pages that might have been compromised by hackers. This new feature expands Google's long-standing program that marks websites hosting malicious software with a “This site may harm your computer” warning. Now, a new notation, "This site may be compromised," will indicate pages that may not be malicious but show signs that the site might not be fully controlled by its legitimate owner. This often happens when spammers add invisible links or redirects to unrelated websites, such as pharmacy sites. Additionally, Google will identify sites that have had phishing pages added by hackers. According to the Anti-Phishing Working Group, between 75% and 80% of phishing sites are legitimate sites that have been hacked and seeded with phishing kits to mimic trusted e-commerce and banking sites. It remains to be seen if Google can speed up the process of re-vetting sites flagged as compromised after th...

Stuxnet has both fascinated and horrified the cybersecurity community throughout 2010. Its multiple zero-day exploits, stealth capabilities, and precise control over industrial machinery mark it as a prime example of advanced cyber threats. Stuxnet represents both a nightmare and a dream for security researchers due to its sophisticated design and capabilities. Today, I moderated a panel on cybersecurity and infrastructure at the Washington Press Club, hosted by The Atlantic . I was eager to hear the panelists' insights on Stuxnet. I asked them to delve deeper than the usual "This is an existence proof of our worst fears" rhetoric and to identify more nuanced implications. The most intriguing response came from Bill Hunteman, senior advisor for cybersecurity at the Department of Energy. "This is just the beginning," Hunteman remarked. He explained that the advanced hackers who created Stuxnet "did all the hard work," and now the methods they develope...

Americans are nearly as likely to be victimized by Internet-based crime as by other forms of nonviolent theft. This perception emerges from a recent survey on crimes committed against individuals and their families. According to a Gallup Poll released Monday, 11% of American adults reported that they or a household member were victims of a computer or Internet crime on their home computers in the past year. This marks an increase from the previous seven years, where the percentage ranged between 6% and 8%. Gallup notes: "At 11 percent, computer/Internet-based crime is edging closer in reported frequency to the most common traditional forms of crime involving nonviolent theft of personal property and vandalism. Further, the increase is an exception in the overall crime picture, in that Americans' victimization reports have been fairly steady over the past several years. Not only has the overall percentage of Americans experiencing any type of crime been fairly flat, but Ameri...

A new information-stealing Trojan, believed to be of Chinese origin, has been identified by Avira researchers. This malware targets usernames and passwords for a variety of popular websites, including YouTube, Google, and PayPal, as well as Chinese sites like Youku, Tudou, Sogou, and Soho. The stolen credentials are sent to a server in China, reinforcing the researchers' belief about its origin. Unlike typical Trojans that modify registry keys or exploit the autorun feature to ensure execution, this Trojan exhibits unique behavior. It specifically targets shortcuts on the desktop or in special folders. The Trojan duplicates itself and places copies in folders containing the linked files, often executables. It renames the original files to click_[original-file-name].exe and assigns the original file names to its copies. As a result, each time a user clicks on a shortcut, the Trojan runs. To avoid detection for as long as possible, these copies are programmed to execute the rename...

The guest keynote speakers at technology conferences can vary in quality, but Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) Canada (NYSE: HIT) made a smart choice by inviting Michael Calce, also known as Mafiaboy, to speak at their recent Information Forum event in Toronto. Calce gained notoriety as a teenage hacker from Montreal, who became the subject of an RCMP/FBI manhunt after a massive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack in 2000. This attack brought down the websites of major companies like CNN, Amazon, Dell, and Yahoo. At the forum, he recounted his youthful indiscretions and delivered a stern warning about the dangers of over-sharing in the information age. Calce began his computing journey early, receiving his first white box PC at the age of six. He was engrossed by its capabilities, particularly playing games and storing data. His first programming venture was creating an application to track his hockey card collection, reflecting his passion for the Montreal Canadiens. By age nine, ...

Anonymous, a loosely affiliated group of Internet vigilantes, has claimed responsibility for various Internet attacks against organizations perceived as hostile to WikiLeaks. Today, the group sought to portray itself as more focused on symbolic protest rather than outright disruption. These claims come amid reports that the online payment site Moneybookers was taken offline by a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack launched by Anonymous members. In a statement released today, Anonymous organizers contended that they are not a group of hackers but a "gathering" of average Internet citizens. "We do not want to steal your personal information or credit card numbers. We also do not seek to attack critical infrastructure of companies such as Mastercard, Visa, PayPal, or Amazon," the statement read. Instead, the focus has been on attacking corporate websites or the online "public face" of companies seen as anti-WikiLeaks. The group described these acti...