Cybercrime

German Court Orders Google to Clean Up Autocomplete
May 15, 2013

A federal court in Germany has told Google that it must remove offensive or defamatory suggestions from its autocomplete function when it receives a complaint. The case that prompted the ruling started with a German businessman who, upon culling through Google.de, found that he was associated with scientology and fraud.

Bank Internet Links Can Give Hackers Keys to Vaults
May 13, 2013

Willie Sutton once said that he robbed banks because that's where the money was. If Sutton were living today, he might have made the career move to hacker. That would allow him to do what he liked to do best -- steal money -- on a global scale, which is what a ring of bank robbing hackers have been doing. Eight of the alleged cybercrooks were arrested in the U.S. last week.

High-Tech Plot Leads to Record-Breaking Heist
May 10, 2013

In what is believed to be one of the biggest robberies ever executed, cyberthieves stole nearly $50 million from a pair of Middle Eastern banks. Far from bullying their way into vaults, members of this crime ring reportedly hacked into credit card processing firms and withdrew money from ATMs in 27 different countries.

ESEA Users' Systems Plundered in Bitcoin Mining Scam
May 02, 2013

The E-Sports Entertainment Association on Wednesday admitted that users' graphic cards had been hijacked to mine Bitcoin virtual currency. The mining was surreptitiously set in motion by a rogue employee without the knowledge of other ESEA staff or users of the network. ESEA is known for anti-cheat software and systems that allow players to compete in online matches.

Millions of Livingsocial Users Now Prime Phishing Targets
April 29, 2013

LivingSocial's customers received some bad news on Friday: The popular daily deal site had been hacked, compromising some 50 million members' customer data. There was some good news -- credit card data was not affected, the company promised in its notice to customers. Also, the Facebook credentials of users who connected to LivingSocial using Facebook Connect were not compromised.

Report: Criminals Put a Bull's-eye on Web Infrastructure
April 29, 2013

Cybercriminals have begun focusing their malicious endeavors on the sinew of the Internet to reap greater rewards. For months now, Net bandits have targeted key infrastructure elements -- from the domain-naming service to certificate-issuing authorities to hosting services -- in order to spread cash-producing malware. "They're going after the infrastructure of the Internet," said Dave Jevans, chairman of Marble Security.

Aussie Police Nab Possible Lulzsec Ringleader
April 24, 2013

Police in Australia have arrested a 24-year-old who claims to be a high-level member of the international hacking collective Lulzsec. The IT worker was charged with two counts of unauthorized modification of data and one count of unauthorized access to/modification of restricted data. In other words, he attacked and defaced a government website.

Feds Sue to Pry Crammed Charges From Cellphones
April 18, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission filed a suit against Wise Media this week, accusing the company of slipping unauthorized charges into consumer cellphone bills. Wise Media allegedly charged cellphone users fees for services to which they'd never subscribed, a practice referred to as "cramming." The company used short codes, which have legitimate purposes within the mobile landscape.

Lame U/P Combos Make WordPress Irresistible to Hackers
April 16, 2013

An attack of unprecedented proportions has been hitting sites using WordPress, a free and open source blogging tool and content management system that powers more than 60 million websites worldwide. It appears the hackers are trying to take over WordPress servers to give them added muscle for future attacks. Poor choice of passwords and inadequate server security are making their task easier.

Real-World Marauders Infest Online Games
April 12, 2013

A scenario involving cybercriminals using techniques developed by state-sponsored cyberespionage groups sounds like a plot point in a video game, but the Winnti crew aren't the villains in some new release. These Chinese hackers are very real, and online games are their target. The group has been conducting a long-running cybercrime campaign targeting online gaming companies worldwide, Kaspersky Lab reported this week.

Judge Throws the Book at AT&T Hacker 'Weev'
March 18, 2013

Andrew Auernheimer, a hacker known as "Weev," was sentenced Monday to 41 months in prison for obtaining the personal data of more than 100,000 iPad owners from AT&T's publicly accessible website and sending the information to the media. The ruling immediately sparked an outcry from a digital rights group that claims the punishment does not fit the crime.

Feds' Case Against Journo Spurs Crime-and-Punishment Uproar
March 16, 2013

The case of a journalist charged Thursday with aiding the hacker group Anonymous is sending up red flags in two camps: employers who must worry about security threats from disgruntled ex-workers; and a digital rights group that is finding troublesome parallels with the prosecution of the late Aaron Swartz.

Feds Probe Hack of First Lady, Biden, Celebs
March 13, 2013

Police in Los Angeles have teamed with the FBI to investigate Russian hackers suspected of stealing and posting sensitive information about Michelle Obama, Joe Biden, law enforcement officials and Hollywood celebrities. The material in question was posted on a website using .su as a suffix -- reportedly a tip-off that the perpetrators have a Russian connection.

China on Cyberattacks: US Is Pot Calling the Kettle Black
March 04, 2013

After taking it on the chin for its alleged attacks on U.S. media outlets -- and for its army reportedly backing hackers engaged in cyberespionage around the world -- China returned fire. The government claimed its defense and military ministries' websites are being bombarded with 144,000 hacking attacks a month from the U.S.

Joint Effort Snares Gang of Cyberthugs
February 14, 2013

Europol announced Wednesday the breakup of a gang of cybercriminals who allegedly ran a ransomware scheme to extract money from online users in 30 countries. Spanish police, working alongside Europol's European Cybercrime Center, made 11 arrests in an action dubbed "Operation Ransom."

Europol Cybercops Take Down Ransomware Ring
February 14, 2013

The European police agency, Europol, announced Wednesday that it had dismantled a Russian-led, Spain-based cybercrime organization. The organization reportedly extorted millions of euros across more than 30 countries, mostly in Europe. The group's plan was to convince Internet users to pay fines, supposedly to authorities, for trumped-up infractions.

Attack on Fed Exposes Weak Patch Maintenance
February 11, 2013

While many Americans watched the wrap-up of the Super Bowl Feb. 3, the band of hackers called "Anonymous" broke into a Web-facing server at the Federal Reserve and pilfered a list of some 4,000 people who work in the banking industry -- many of them ranking executives at banks and credit unions. Later in the week, the Fed acknowledged the break-in.

EU's Cybersecurity Plan Requires Members to Report Attacks
February 07, 2013

The European Union on Thursday announced a strategic plan designed to prevent and respond to cyberdisruptions and attacks. The heart of the plan: a requirement that all member states and key Internet enablers -- including some U.S.-based companies -- must report attacks. These actions are part of the EU's overall cyber security strategy for a free and open Internet.

Brace Yourself for the Post-PC Threat Era
January 28, 2013

It was inevitable. As computing has evolved, so has its nemesis: malware. "2012 is truly the year we entered the post-PC era as cybercriminals moved to embrace Android, social media platforms, and even Macs with their attacks," Trend Micro declared in its annual Security Roundup last week. A characteristic of the post-PC threat landscape is the accelerated growth of malware.

2012's Most Notable Computer Crimes
January 16, 2013

Users of the Internet and electronic gear are vulnerable to criminals near and far, but we don't always hear about what happens at court and whether the alleged criminals are convicted or acquitted. Here is an update on some those crimes for consideration. After an 11-day jury trial in Denver, members of the management of Executive Recycling were convicted of illegally disposing of e-waste overseas.