Tag Archive : Hacking

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Microsoft takes down hacking network with potential to disrupt election

October 13, 2020 | technology | No Comments

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Microsoft obtained a court order to disrupt the largest botnet in the world.


Angela Lang/CNET

This story is part of Elections 2020, CNET’s coverage of the run-up to voting in November.

A group of tech companies dismantled a powerful hacking tool used by Russian attackers just three weeks before the US presidential election. On Monday, Microsoft announced actions against Trickbot, a Russian botnet that’s infected more than a million computers since 2016 and that’s behind scores of ransomware attacks. 

Cybersecurity experts have raised concerns about ransomware attacks casting doubt on election results. While a ransomware attack wouldn’t change votes and could only lock up machines, the chaos stirred by a cyberattack could create uncertainty about the outcome of the results. 

Election officials in most states have offline backup measures in the event of a ransomware attack, but have a harder time tackling the disinformation that comes with getting hacked.

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Member of ‘The Dark Overlord’ hacking group sentenced to five years in prison

September 28, 2020 | technology | No Comments

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A UK national pleaded guilty today to extorting tens of companies across the world as a member of an infamous hacking group known as The Dark Overlord (TDO).

Nathan Francis Wyatt, 39, was sentenced to five years in prison and ordered to pay $1,467,048 in restitution to victims.

According to court documents, Wyatt was part of the TDO hacker group since 2016. The group operated by hacking into large companies, stealing their sensitive data, and then asking for huge ransoms.

If victims didn’t pay, the hackers would sell their data on hacking forums, leak it on the public internet, or tip journalists about the breach in order to generate negative press for the hacked company.

Wyatt’s role in the scheme was to contact victims and demand ransom payments. He was connected to the group after he used phone numbers registered in his name to contact some of the victims.

Wyatt

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By [email protected]_84

Computer Forensics and Hacking Expert Witness: Howdy, I’m a Hacker!

May 4, 2020 | computer | No Comments

The most common visual is the pale nerd in his mother’s basement who is getting into his university server to change his rivals grades to failing ones. Then there are the various Hollywood depictions which show “master criminals” manipulating traffic signals and financial markets. This is a fairly recent use of the word “hacker” and for years before it had a very different meaning.

In the early 90’s when Linux (a popular free computer operating system) was introduced, the word hacker did not even exist. Users of these operating systems referred to themselves as “hackers”, only due to their ability to manipulate and reuse programming code for their own purposes, outside of its originally intended purpose. If you think of them as chefs, everyone has that one basic recipe for lobster bisque, but each chef will put their own spin on the recipe to make it their own. They were … Read More

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Computer Hacking Methods and Protection

May 3, 2020 | computer | No Comments

Protecting your computer against hacking is different from protecting it against viruses that you accidentally or unknowingly invite into your computer that then cause damage in one form or another. Anti-hack is about protecting your computer against external entities that are deliberately trying to get into your computer to cause damage and to steal from you – or cause damage. Viruses are impersonal and hacking is personal.

Anti-Hack software is now out there for sale in addition to anti-virus software. These products protect you in ways that anti-virus software does not. Following are some examples.

DoS (Denial of Service) Attacks:

DoS attacks occur when too much traffic is directed to your company website at once. The web server essentially ‘chokes’ on the amount of traffic trying to squeeze into it’s network hardware. Attack scripts are easily downloadable and you do not need to be an experienced engineer to launch an … Read More

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By [email protected]_84

Computer Hacking

May 1, 2020 | computer | No Comments

Computer hacking is defined as any act of accessing a computer or computer network without the owner’s permission. In some cases, hacking requires breaching firewalls or password protections to gain access. In other cases, an individual may hack into a computer that has few or no defenses. Even if there are no defenses to “break” through, simply gaining access to a computer and its information qualifies as criminal computer hacking.

The Intent to Hack

To be convicted of computer hacking, it must be proven that the defendant knowingly gained access to a computer with the intent of breaching without permission. Sometimes individuals, particularly young computer-savvy teenagers, break in to a computer or network just to prove that they can. They may brag about their accomplishment afterward, using the stunt to flaunt their computer abilities. Even though there may not have been an intent to steal or defraud from the hacked … Read More

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By [email protected]_84