Cybercrime/malcode – Lifeboat News: The Blog

Mar 5
2016

Should We Worry That We’re Headed for Cyber World War I?

Reserve you calendars for March 9th because New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative is hosting its annual Cybersecurity for a New America Conference in Washington, D.C.

On Wednesday, March 9, New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative will host its annual Cybersecurity for a New America Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s conference will focus on securing the future cyberspace. For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website.

So, what does cyberwar mean anyway?

At core, when we talk about cyberwar, we’re just talking about warfare conducted through computers and other electronic devices, typically over the Internet. As the very ’90s prefix cyber– (when was the last time you heard someone talk about cyberspace with a straight face?) suggests, it’s been part of our cultural and political conversations since the early ’80s. In recent years, however, such conversations have picked up as those in power become more conscious of our reliance on computers—and our consequent vulnerability. Perhaps more importantly, information like that disclosed by Edward Snowden has demonstrated that governments have already made preparations for virtual conflict, whether or not they’re actively engaging in it now. (Click here for a cheat sheet.)

Mar 5
2016

This Ransomware encrypts your files and then reads you the ransom note

Adding insult to injury.

From Russia with Love : Cerber Ransomware first encrypts your files and then reads out the ransom note.

Malware authors are know to be a ingenious lot and trust them to come with a Ransomware that actually reads out the ransom note to the victim.

Cerber is a latest ransomware which encrypts target victim’s files and then provides a TTS (text-to-speech) feature that reads out the ransom note.

Mar 5
2016

Microsoft Co-Founder Bill Gates Was Caught Hacking 45 Years Ago

World’s most famous hackers: Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft.

Mar 5
2016

IRS Hack Getting Worse as the Agency Discovers That More Accounts Has Been Compromised

There finally comes a point that you have to question why even have unique identity cards or numbers anymore.

The United States Internal Revenue Services have been battling a huge hacking scandal for nearly a year now. In the month of May last year, the Internal Revenue Services discovered that their security system shad been compromised along with the account details and personal information of over 100,000 people.

Mar 5
2016

Rise in cyber risk leads to jobs boost

Big money in hacking law firms. Hackers being hired and paid by parties in suits, companies in acquisition, etc.

The growing influence of the internet in law has opened up a wealth of opportunities for cyber law specialists, according to cyber law expert Bradley Deacon.

Mar 5
2016

Malware, Accessibility Clickjacking, Affects 65% Of Androids

To all my Android friends — new impacts revealed around Clickjacking.

Skycure co-founders Adi Sharabani and Yair Amit revealed that a new kind of malware puts a stunning 500,000,000 Android phones at risk.

Mar 5
2016

The Dark Web Hacking Forum ‘Hell’ Is Back Online

I missed posting this in earlier; however, better late than never.

Hell is back up and in business again.

An old moderator has relaunched the hacking forum “Hell.”

Mar 2
2016

Want To Hack The Pentagon? New Defense Department Program Challenges Hackers To Breach US Cyber Security

A challenge by the US Pentagon.

A new Defense Department competition will invite vetted hackers to find vulnerabilities in U.S. cyber security.

Mar 2
2016

How Hackers Recruit New Talent

I wanted to share this article; not to promote a career as a hacker, only to share how organized these groups have become.

It involves job postings on the dark web, Skype interviews, and digital voice-changing technology.

Mar 1
2016

Autonomous Killing Machines Are More Dangerous Than We Think

I see articles and reports like the following about military actually considering fully autonomous missals, drones with missals, etc. I have to ask myself what happened to the logical thinking.

A former Pentagon official is warning that autonomous weapons would likely be uncontrollable in real-world situations thanks to design failures, hacking, and external manipulation. The answer, he says, is to always keep humans “in the loop.”

The new report, titled “ Autonomous Weapons and Operational Risk,” was written by Paul Scharre, a director at the Center for a New American Security. Scharre used to work at the office of the Secretary of Defense where he helped the US military craft its policy on the use of unmanned and autonomous weapons. Once deployed, these future weapons would be capable of choosing and engaging targets of their own choosing, raising a host of legal, ethical, and moral questions. But as Scharre points out in the new report, “They also raise critically important considerations regarding safety and risk.”

As Scharre is careful to point out, there’s a difference between semi-autonomous and fully autonomous weapons. With semi-autonomous weapons, a human controller would stay “in the loop,” monitoring the activity of the weapon or weapons system. Should it begin to fail, the controller would just hit the kill switch. But with autonomous weapons, the damage that be could be inflicted before a human is capable of intervening is significantly greater. Scharre worries that these systems are prone to design failures, hacking, spoofing, and manipulation by the enemy.