Facebook just announced that it was hacked last month in a short statement on its website. Apparently, an unknown number employees visited a compromised developer site and were infected with malware. Facebook’s being very cagey about all this, but we’ve been able to scrounge up some details. More »
While hackers are usually notorious for breaking into databases and stealing personal information, some hackers simply breach into systems just for the fun of it. Case in point: someone (or possibly even a group) hacked their way into the KRTV affiliate of the Montana News Network and its CW station, prompting an emergency alert message warning viewers of an impending zombie apocalypse.
In several counties in Montana, KRTV says that the hackers broadcasted an emergency alert message that informed viewers that “dead bodies are rising from their graves,” and that the bodies were “attacking the living,” warning people not to “approach or apprehend these bodies as they are extremely dangerous.”
While the hackers used an alert system normally meant for weather emergencies, the network The network assures viewers that there actually isn’t any such emergency, and its engineers are investigating the situation to see what happened. Apparently, the message sparked four calls to local police to see if the zombie apocalypse was real.
It’s certainly an interesting way to hack into a news station, and from what we’ve been hearing about recently with Anonymous and other takedown hacker groups, it’s nice to take a break from that and have a laugh over what seems to be a completely-harmless hack, although we’re sure that KRTV officials and engineers will be working overtime to make their system more secure for the future.
[via FOX]
Hackers warn of zombie apocalypse in news station hack is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
This past week has been full of hackings of various organizations, and the Federal Reserve is the latest on the list. They have confirmed that they were recently hacked by Anonymous. One of the organization’s website was breached, and Anonymous reportedly leaked the contact information of thousands of bankers.
While the bank said that the breach didn’t “affect critical operations”, the news definitely doesn’t make the situation any less worrisome. The bank didn’t specifically mention any details, but a spokesperson said that the hacker group got in “by exploiting a temporary vulnerability in a website vendor product…exposure was fixed shortly after discovery and is no longer an issue.”
The hackers accessed the St. Louis Fed Emergency Communications System database, which was put in place in 2008, and is used by banking agencies to communicate during an emergency. In total, the system is used by 17 states in the US, with several more to utilize the system sometime this year.
Of course, some are saying that the Federal Reserve is downplaying the severity of the hack on its systems. Sensitive data on more than 4,000 banking officials was compromised, and while the organizations try to minimize the damage of the hack, security experts say that the damage that was already done is bad news and poses serious risks.
[via ZDNet]
Federal Reserve confirms Anonymous hack, critical operations not affected is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Multiple companies have been reported in recent times as having been hacked, including Twitter, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post. Now the Department of Energy has stepped in and stated that it was hacked in the middle of January, with sensitive data being compromised. The information comes from a letter the agency sent out to its employees.
According to letter, the attacks resulted in the “unauthorized disclosure of employee and contractor Personally Identifiable Information.” No information was provided about who is responsible for the hacks, however. The agency is actively, along with law enforcement, investigating the attack, and looking into what other information may have been compromised.
Although the information was provided in the form of a letter to employees, the agency has not stated anything official publicly. Spokespersons for the Department of Energy declined commenting on the issues. The agency was required by law to disclose when sensitive personal information has been compromised; according to the letter, no classified information was jeopardized.
This follows the disclosure of hacking attacks by several other companies and agencies. On Friday, we reported that Twitter had discovered a live hacking attempt, and that 250,000 accounts had been compromised. Meanwhile, the New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal have all reported that they have undergone attacks by hackers in China.
[via Reuters]
The Department of Energy reports that it was hacked in January is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Reuters reports that the US Department of Energy was hacked last month and a trove of employee information was lost to the cyber intruders. The hack was revealed in a letter obtained by Reuters, which was sent to employees on Friday. The DOE claims no confidential information was lost in the attack. More »
After hacking up government websites last week, and the week before, Anonymous has pulled off another hack to push their agenda of reforming computer crime law in the wake of Aaron Swartz’s suicide. This time, they’ve leaked names, addresses, and other information about over 4,000 bank executives. And they did it all on a government site. More »
The Wall Street Journal snagged a preview of an upcoming book co-authored by Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt and the company’s Jared Cohen, and it doesn’t seem to paint the rosiest picture of China. Dubbed The New Digital Age, the tome reportedly claims China is “the world’s most active and enthusiastic filterer of information” in addition to “the most sophisticated and prolific” hacker of foreign firms. Recent stats and events don’t exactly help the nation’s image.
In addition to the threat of hacking attempts originating from China, the work also touches upon the Chinese government’s alleged involvement with network infrastructure providers such as Huawei. According to the book, such cooperation puts the US at an economic and political disadvantage since “the United States will not take the same path of digital corporate espionage, as its laws are much stricter (and better enforced) and because illicit competition violates the American sense of fair play.” However, Schmidt and Cohen posit that even western firms “will coordinate their efforts with their governments on both diplomatic and technical levels” as the future unfolds.
In terms of what’s to come, the work also considers that the country’s “mix of active citizens armed with technological devices and tight government control is exceptionally volatile,” and that it could cause “widespread instability,” and even “some kind of revolution in the coming decades.” If you’re interested in more prognostication from Google’s head honcho, the book is slated to hit shelves this April. For now, you can hit the neighboring source link for additional morsels.
[Image credit: TechCrunch, Flickr]
Filed under: Google
Via: The Verge
Source: Wall Street Journal
Not to be left out, The Washington Post is now saying it’s been the target of Chinese hack attacks too. Who’s next? [The Washington Post] More »
Following on the heels of the New York Times, Bloomberg News, and the Wall Street Journal, sources have come forward to state that The Washington Post has also been hit by cyberattacks originating in China. The information was provided by individuals said to be familiar with the situation, including a former Post employee. The attacks were said to have occurred over the course of at least four years.
According to the sources, the attacks only began targeting the newsroom in 2012, during which time it was discovered that the computers were connecting to Chinese web servers. Beyond that, information about the matter is pretty scarce, since the Post did not make any official statements on the alleged attacks. One spokesperson stated that the company doesn’t “have anything to share at this time.”
American media companies are reported to have been under attack from China since 2008, a move on the aforementioned nation’s part to keep an eye on coverage about the nation and its various happenings. Investigations by security agencies and companies have revealed that many journalists and news employees have had files, emails, and contacts nabbed by the hackers.
The journalists who have been targeted all seem to have something in common – some type of coverage or work pertaining to China, whether its a political investigation or opinion piece. When asked about the issue, secretary of state Hillary Clinton stated, “We have seen over the last years an increase in not only the hacking attempts on government institutions but also nongovernmental ones … [the Chinese] are not the only people who are hacking us.”
[via New York Times]
Washington Post added to the list of media attacked by Chinese hackers is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Earlier today, we reported that the New York Times has been targeted by Chinese hackers, who were attempting to access files and emails relating to an investigation it performed of the Chinese Prime Minister’s family. Now the Wall Street Journal has followed it lead, stating that Chinese hackers have likewise targeted its system.
According to the Wall Street Journal, its computer system had been hacked by China, but it did not specify how, when, or to what degree. Instead, it simply stated that the hacks were an attempt on China’s part to monitor how the Journal reported on the country. A spokeswoman said that nothing indicated customer information was messed with, or that the hacking was done for financial reasons.
Says Journal spokesperson Paula Keve in a statement: “We continue to work closely with the authorities and outside security specialists, taking extensive measures to protect our customers, employees, journalists and sources. We fully intend to continue the aggressive and independent journalism for which we are known.”
In response to the attacks, the Wall Street Journal has performed a complete change to its network designed to increase security and keep the hackers out. The newspaper is likewise working with security experts to help maintain the safety of its network. Many other news outlets have also been the target of China’s attacks, something the FBI views as a national security issue, and that it has been looking in to for over a year.
[via Wall Street Journal]
Wall Street Journal has also been targeted by Chinese hackers is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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