Ukrainian man charged in US with ‘Raccoon’ malware scheme
October 25, 2022 GMTSAN ANTONIO (AP) — A Ukrainian man has been arrested on federal cybercrime charges in an alleged scheme that for years used malware to steal information from millions of people around the world, U.S.
US firm: Likely Iranian threat actor in Albania cyberattack
August 4, 2022 GMTTIRANA, Albania (AP) — A cyberattack that temporarily shut down numerous Albanian government digital services and websites in mid-July was likely the work of pro-Iranian hackers seeking to disrupt an Iranian opposition group's conference in Albania, a leading U.S.
Wawa agrees to payment, security changes for ’19 data breach
July 26, 2022 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain will pay $8 million to several states over a 2019 data breach that involved some 34 million payment cards, authorities announced Tuesday.
US agencies: Industrial control system malware discovered
April 13, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Multiple U.S. government agencies issued a joint alert Wednesday warning of the discovery of a suite of malicious cyber tools created by unnamed advanced threat actors that are capable of sabotaging the energy sector and other critical industries.
Ukraine says potent Russian hack against power grid thwarted
April 12, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Russian military hackers attempted to knock out power to millions of Ukrainians last week in a long-planned attack but were foiled, Ukrainian government officials said Tuesday.
At one targeted high-voltage power station, the hackers succeeded in penetrating and disrupting part of the industrial control system, but people defending the station were able to prevent electrical outages, the Ukrainians said.
Toyota restarting Japan plants after malware hits supplier
March 1, 2022 GMTTOKYO (AP) — Toyota plans to resume production at all of its 14 plants as of Wednesday, after they were idled for a day due to a cyberattack on a domestic supplier.
The supplier, Kojima Industries Corp., said Tuesday it had found a virus in its computer server.
A free-for-all but no crippling cyberattacks in Ukraine war
March 1, 2022 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Russia has some of the best hackers in the world, but in the early days of the war in Ukraine, its ability to create mayhem through malware hasn’t had much of a noticeable impact.
Cyberattacks accompany Russian military assault on Ukraine
February 24, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Cyberattacks against Ukrainian government websites and affiliated organizations added to the confusion of Russia’s military assault Thursday, including data-wiping malware activated a day earlier that cybersecurity researchers said infected hundreds of computers including in neighboring Latvia and Lithuania.
Sternum’s Solution Beats BotenaGo Malware Targeting Millions of Devices in a Live Trial
February 9, 2022 GMTUkraine says Russia behind cyberattack in ‘hybrid war’ move
January 16, 2022 GMTKYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine said Sunday that Russia was behind a cyberattack that defaced its government websites and alleged that Russia is engaged in an increasing “hybrid war” against its neighbor.
Microsoft discloses malware attack on Ukraine govt networks
January 16, 2022 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Microsoft said late Saturday that dozens of computer systems at an unspecified number of Ukrainian government agencies have been infected with destructive malware disguised as ransomware, a disclosure suggesting an attention-grabbing defacement attack on official websites was a diversion.
Jackson Public schools ups cybersecurity after hacker attack
December 26, 2021 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — The public school district in Mississippi's capital city is implementing new cybersecurity measures after hackers attacked its server last year.
Jackson Public Schools officials say attackers sought to encrypt files and have the district pay a ransom to return the files, WJTV reports.
Spyware find highlights depth of hacker-for-hire industry
December 16, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Security researchers said Thursday they found two kinds of commercial spyware on the phone of a leading exiled Egyptian dissident, providing new evidence of the depth and diversity of the abusive hacker-for-hire industry.
Report: Chinese hackers targeted Southeast Asian nations
December 9, 2021 GMTBANGKOK (AP) — Chinese hackers, likely state-sponsored, have been broadly targeting government and private-sector organizations across Southeast Asia, including those closely involved with Beijing on infrastructure development projects, according to a report released Wednesday by a U.S.-based private cybersecurity company.
Data hacked for 400,000 Planned Parenthood LA patients
December 2, 2021 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles branch of Planned Parenthood was hit by a data breach involving about 400,000 patients, but there is no indication that the information was used “for fraudulent purposes," the group said.
Hungarian official: Government bought, used Pegasus spyware
November 4, 2021 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — A senior official in Hungary's governing party acknowledged for the first time on Thursday that the government purchased a powerful spyware tool, which was allegedly used to target journalists, businesspeople and an opposition politician.
Consortium behind Pegasus Project wins EU journalism prize
October 14, 2021 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The consortium of journalists behind the Pegasus Project investigation into malware from Israel-based NSO Group that provided further evidence that it was used to spy on journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents, won the top European Union journalism prize Thursday.
Iowa farm cooperative hit by ransomware, systems go offline
September 20, 2021 GMTA ransomware attack by the BlackMatter gang forced New Cooperative, an association of Iowa corn and soy farmers, to take their systems offline but it said it created workarounds to receive grain and distribute feed, a person close to the business said.
Report finds NSO Group’s spyware used on Bahraini activists
August 24, 2021 GMTRICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Nine activists from Bahrain had their iPhones hacked by advanced spyware made by the Israeli company NSO Group, the world's most infamous hacker-for-hire firm, a cybersecurity watchdog reported on Tuesday.
Maddow to contribute foreword to book on Pegasus malware
August 12, 2021 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Rachel Maddow is contributing a foreword to “Pegasus," a book by two Paris-based investigative reporters on the phone malware allegedly used by governments to monitor and sometimes attack journalists, human rights activists and lawyers among others.
Hospital network reveals cause of 2020 cyberattack
July 27, 2021 GMTMARSHFIELD, Vt. (AP) — A cyberattack that crippled the computer systems of a hospital network affecting six hospitals in Vermont and New York last fall happened after an employee opened a personal email on a company laptop while on vacation, a University of Vermont Health Network official said Tuesday.
Morocco denies using spyware to target French officials
July 21, 2021 GMTRABAT, Morocco (AP) — Morocco’s government is denying reports that the country's security forces may have used spyware made by Israel’s NSO Group to eavesdrop on the cellphones of France’s president and other public figures.
UN rights chief alarmed by reported use of powerful spyware
July 19, 2021 GMTBERLIN (AP) — The United Nations' human rights chief voiced alarm Monday over the reported use of military-grade malware from Israel-based NSO Group to spy on journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.
Hungary: Politicians demand inquiry into alleged spying
July 19, 2021 GMTBUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Opposition lawmakers in Hungary's parliament have demanded an inquiry into findings by an international investigation that the country's right-wing government used powerful malware to spy on critical journalists, politicians and business figures.
Probe: Journalists, activists among firm’s spyware targets
July 19, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — An investigation by a global media consortium based on leaked targeting data provides further evidence that military-grade malware from Israel-based NSO Group, the world’s most infamous hacker-for-hire outfit, is being used to spy on journalists, human rights activists and political dissidents.
Fallout continues from biggest global ransomware attack
July 5, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The single biggest ransomware attack yet continued to bite Monday as more details emerged on how a Russia-linked gang breached the exploited software company. The criminals essentially used a tool that helps protect against malware to spread it globally.
Ransomware hits hundreds of US companies, security firm says
July 3, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A ransomware attack paralyzed the networks of at least 200 U.S. companies on Friday, according to a cybersecurity researcher whose company was responding to the incident.
The REvil gang, a major Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate, appears to be behind the attack, said John Hammond of the security firm Huntress Labs.
Colombia catches hacker wanted in the U.S. for ‘Gozi’ virus
June 29, 2021 GMTBOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian officials say they have arrested a Romanian hacker who is wanted in the U.S. for distributing a virus that infected more than a million computers from 2007 to 2012.
Two men convicted of helping create ransomware attacks
June 16, 2021 GMTTwo men from Estonia have been convicted of federal cybercrime charges involving ransomware and other attacks on computer systems around the globe.
Oleg Koshkin, 41, was convicted Tuesday by a jury in U.S.
Latvian woman charged in US with role in cybercrime group
June 5, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A Latvian woman has been charged with developing malicious software used by a cybercrime organization that infected computers worldwide and looted bank accounts of millions of dollars, the Justice Department said Friday.
US says agencies largely fended off latest Russian hack
May 29, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says it believes U.S. government agencies largely fended off the latest cyberespionage onslaught blamed on Russian intelligence operatives, saying the spear-phishing campaign should not further damage relations with Moscow ahead of next month’s planned presidential summit.
Russian to be deported after failed Tesla ransomware plot
May 24, 2021 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — A Russian man was sentenced Monday to what amounted to time already served and will be deported after pleading guilty to trying to pay a Tesla employee $500,000 to install computer malware at the company’s Nevada electric battery plant in a bid to steal company secrets for ransom.
Alaska courts making technology upgrades after cyberattack
May 24, 2021 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska court system Monday said it is taking steps aimed at avoiding future cyberattacks, such as upgrading software and “investing in technology that can better protect our systems from intrusion.”
Tulsa computer system hacks stopped by security shutdown
May 21, 2021 GMTTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Most residents of Tulsa are being prevented from paying their water bills after the city shut down its computer network as a security measure following an attempted ransomware attack, a city official said Friday.
Alaska health department website targeted in malware attack
May 19, 2021 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The Alaska health department website was the target of a malware attack, officials said.
A similar attack previously targeted the state's court system.
The health department in a statement late Tuesday said its website was taken offline Monday while an investigation takes place.
Outages blamed on malware still plaguing budget airlines
April 23, 2021 GMTA technology provider says a malware attack triggered a dayslong outage that has caused reservations systems to crash at about 20 low-cost airlines around the world...
SolarWinds hacking campaign puts Microsoft in the hot seat
April 23, 2021 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The sprawling hacking campaign deemed a grave threat to U...
Facebook says it halts hackers tied to Palestinian security
April 21, 2021 GMTJERUSALEM (AP) — Facebook said Wednesday it has broken up a hacker network used by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' intelligence service in an attempt to keep tabs on journalists, human rights activists and government critics...
Tech firms say there’s little doubt Russia behind major hack
February 24, 2021 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Leading technology companies said Tuesday that a monthslong breach of corporate and government networks was so sophisticated, focused and labor-intensive that a nation had to be behind it, with all the evidence pointing to Russia...
France to boost cyberdefense after hospital malware attacks
February 18, 2021 GMTPARIS (AP) — French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday unveiled a plan to better arm public facilities and private companies against cybercriminals following ransomware attacks at two hospitals this month and an upsurge of similar cyber assaults in France...
Cybercops derail malware botnet, FBI makes ransomware arrest
January 27, 2021 GMTTHE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — European and North American cyber cops have joined forces to disrupt what may be the world's largest network for seeding malware infections...
Google says North Korea-backed hackers sought cyber research
January 27, 2021 GMTSEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Google says it believes hackers backed by the North Korean government have been posing as computer security bloggers and using fake accounts on social media while attempting to steal information from researchers in the field...
Report: gov’t spyware targets phones of Al-Jazeera reporters
December 21, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Dozens of journalists at Al-Jazeera, the Qatari state-owned media company, have been targeted by advanced spyware in an attack likely linked to the governments of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, a cybersecurity watchdog said Sunday...
EXPLAINER: How bad is the hack that targeted US agencies?
December 14, 2020 GMTGovernments and major corporations worldwide are scrambling to see if they, too, were victims of a global cyberespionage campaign that penetrated multiple U...
Man pleads guilty to role in malware protection scam
December 3, 2020 GMTPROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A man pleaded guilty Thursday to his role in a computer protection services scam that cheated victims out of nearly $1 million by misleading them into believing that malware had been detected on their computers, federal prosecutors said...
Trial of Russian charged in bitcoin fraud begins in Paris
October 19, 2020 GMTPARIS (AP) — The trial of a Russian man alleged to have used ransomware in a 135 million euros ($157 million) bitcoin fraud will begin Monday...
Microsoft attempts takedown of global criminal botnet
October 12, 2020 GMTMicrosoft announced legal action Monday seeking to disrupt a major cybercrime digital network that uses more than 1 million zombie computers to loot bank accounts and spread ransomware, which experts consider a major threat to the U...
Hacked hospital chain says all 250 US facilities affected
October 1, 2020 GMTThe hospital chain Universal Health Services said Thursday that computer services at all 250 of its U...
Russian man sentenced for LinkedIn, Dropbox data breaches
October 1, 2020 GMTSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A Russian man convicted of hacking LinkedIn, Dropbox and Formspring and stealing the personal information of more than 100 million customers was sentenced Wednesday to more than seven years in federal prison...
First-ever EU cyber sanctions hit Russian, Chinese, NKoreans
July 30, 2020 GMTBRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union on Thursday imposed its first-ever sanctions over cyberattacks, slapping them on alleged Russian military agents, Chinese cyber spies and organizations including a North Korean firm...
Questions linger over investigation into Jeff Bezos’ hacking
January 23, 2020 GMTDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Cybersecurity experts said Thursday there were still many unanswered questions from an investigation commissioned by Jeff Bezos that concluded the billionaire's cellphone was hacked, apparently after receiving a video file with malicious spyware from the WhatsApp account of Saudi Arabia's crown prince...
What we know, and don’t, about the alleged Bezos phone hack
January 23, 2020 GMTBOSTON (AP) — U.N. human rights experts are asking Washington to investigate a suspected Saudi hack that may have siphoned data from the personal smartphone of Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and owner of The Washington Post...
Iranian cyberattacks feared after killing of top general
January 4, 2020 GMTBOSTON (AP) — Iran’s retaliation for the United States' targeted killing of its top general is likely to include cyberattacks, security experts warned Friday...
Wawa facing lawsuits over data breach at all of its stores
December 27, 2019 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Wawa convenience store chain is facing a wave of lawsuits over a data breach that affected its 850 locations along the East Coast.
Wawa Inc. discovered malware on its payment processing servers this month before stopping the breach Dec.
Wawa says data breach affected thousands over 10 months
December 19, 2019 GMTWAWA, Pa. (AP) — The Wawa convenience store chain says a data breach may have collected debit and credit card information from thousands of customers.
Pennsylvania-based Wawa Inc. said Thursday that its information security team discovered malware on its payment processing servers on Dec...
2 Russians charged in ‘Evil Corp’ global cybertheft ring
December 5, 2019 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department unsealed charges Thursday against the alleged leader and a top associate of a Russian cybercriminal gang that U...
The most dangerous celebrity online is revealed
October 22, 2019 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Actress Alexis Bledel has been bookish and sweet on "Gilmore Girls" and "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants...
Millennial Money: How to outsmart smartphone scammers
August 13, 2019 GMTYour smartphone is your confidante, your hand-held connection to the world — and one of your biggest vulnerabilities...