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NEWS ABOUT: hacker

Scammers Target 'Google Doodles'

Special-occasion logos lead to results poisoned with malware

(Newser) - The graphics Google adds to its logo on special occasions have become the latest target for search engine scam artists adept at manipulating results. Yesterday's Esperanto Day sketch took users to a list of search results for creator L.L. Zamenhof and 27 of the first 50 contained malware, including... More »

UK Pentagon Hacker to Be Sent to US for Trial

Man with Asperger's was seeking info on UFOs

(Newser) - A British man who hacked his way into Pentagon computers looking for information on UFOs has lost his final appeal against extradition. Gary McKinnon, who suffers from Asperger's syndrome, is now expected to be sent to the US for trial within weeks, the Independent reports. The 43-year-old Londoner could face... More »

Brits Hold Up Hacker's Extradition

Asperger's sufferer accused of cracking Pentagon systems

(Newser) - American authorities keen to get their hands on a man accused of the biggest military hack in history are going to have to wait. British authorities have "stopped the clock" on the extradition of Gary McKinnon while lawyers examine new medical evidence, say officials. McKinnon, who has Asperger's syndrome,... More »

Virus 'Scareware' Scams Millions

Alarming virus warnings part of major rip off

(Newser) - Alarming warnings that internet surfers' computers are being invaded by a devastating virus are almost always scams used to either hack into computers or rip off consumers for phony protective software. More than 40 million people have fallen victim to the "scareware" scam in the past year. Experts have... More »

How to Avoid Becoming a Phishing Victim

Simple precautions can keep info out of scammers' hands

(Newser) - Phishing scams are becoming a lot more sophisticated. Unwary Internet users can easily end up with their bank account and credit card details in the hands of crooks. CNET lists the best ways to avoid becoming a victim:
  • Change passwords regularly. Experts recommend that passwords be changed every three months
... More »

Security Site Tots Up What You're Worth to Hackers

Symantec aims to raise cybercrime awareness

(Newser) - A rising number of cybercriminals make their living selling other people's online identities to thieves. Now a new security tool helps you calculate what yours is worth on the black market—and your risk of losing it, IT World reports. The Norton Online Risk Calculator aims to raise awareness of... More »

Hackers Indicted in Theft of 130M Credit Cards

(Newser) - Federal prosecutors indicted three hackers in Washington today for allegedly snagging more than 130 million credit card numbers from retail and financial organizations, the Wall Street Journal reports. Calling it the greatest US debit- and credit-card data theft ever, feds hit Albert Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, and two accomplices with... More »

Blogger Blames Kremlin for Twitter Meltdown

(Newser) - The Georgian blogger who was taken offline in the cyberattack that shut down Twitter on Thursday believes Moscow is the culprit, he tells the Guardian. The economics professor, who goes by the online name Cyxymu, says he believes Russian authorities targeted him with the denial-of-service attack because of his persistent... More »

'Every iPhone in the World' at Risk Tomorrow

Text-messaging flaw could let hackers take over your mobile

(Newser) - The iPhone’s text-messaging system has a dangerous flaw that hackers could exploit to take control of your phone, researchers say. They’ll reveal the trouble at a conference tomorrow, Forbes reports. So if you get a text with a “single square character,” turn off your phone right... More »

Video of Naked ESPN Reporter Inspires Hackers

In victory for karma, download attempts unleash virus

(Newser) - Peephole video of an ESPN reporter naked in a hotel room is lighting up the sports blogosphere—and not just because Erin Andrews is the star of many a basement-dwelling mama's boy's fantasy. Some attempts to download illicit footage have led to the spread of a computer virus. "Hackers... More »

Twitter Talks Alliance With Google, Plans World Takeover

(Newser) - Twitter executives are dreaming big, holding talks with seemingly every tech company on the planet, including Google and Microsoft, say confidential e-mails a hacker sent to TechCrunch. Among the revelations: Twitter was working on a reality TV pitch, has been in serious talks with Google, and aims to ultimately rack... More »

Hacker Sends Confidential Twitter Files to Blogs

Cyber-scoundrel also hacks Twitter CEO's Gmail, Paypal accounts

(Newser) - A hacker who gained access to a Twitter administrative account two months ago has been sending confidential files to bloggers, InformationWeek reports. Most of the documents sent to blogs such as TechCrunch have been only mildly embarrassing internal correspondence, but some contain security passwords. The hacker, who goes by “... More »

North Korea Suspected in US Cyber Attack

(Newser) - North Korean hackers have been fingered for the July 4 cyberattack that took down the websites of the Treasury, Secret Service, and other US government agencies, reports the AP. Another cyberattack hit sites in South Korea, including the president's website, and intelligence officials there said today that the North was... More »

Teen Hackers Foil New iPhone Limits

Hackers use school vacation to best Apple's engineers and 'jailbreak' new phone

(Newser) - A group of teenage thorns in Apple's side have been the first to release "jailbreak" software for the latest iPhone 3GS, the Wall Street Journal reports. The hackers, in the latest round of what Steve Jobs calls "a cat-and-mouse game with his top engineers," created software that... More »

Legendary Hacker: It Was 'a Huge Game'

Mitnick reflects on the road from 'computer terrorist' to consultant

(Newser) - Tagged a “computer terrorist,” Kevin Mitnick served jail time after eluding the FBI for 3 years; today, he’s a security consultant. The best-known hacker ever tells CNET his infiltration of firms like Motorola and Sun “was like a huge game”: “thrilling, adventurous,” and “... More »

Pentagon Builds Legion of 'Hacker Soldiers'

US lags behind in cyberwarfare: experts

(Newser) - Military recruiters may still prize the strapping jock, but military contractors are wooing the scrawny computer geek to join the ranks of young "hacker soldiers" enlisted to defend the US in cyberwarfare, the New York Times reports. Most of the biggest companies, like Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin, have... More »

Hackers Dupe Facebook Users

Phishing scheme scores password information

(Newser) - Hackers went Facebook-phishing yesterday, nabbing the passwords of an undisclosed number of users, Reuters reports. Facebook is working to restore the site and has blocked accounts hit in what it believes was a ploy to spread future spam. Hackers broke into accounts, sending users’ friends emails that contained links to... More »

US Seeks 'Ethical Hackers' to Combat Cyber Threats

(Newser) - To combat the rising threat of attack on the nation’s computer networks, the US government is turning to the dark side for help, the AP reports. A call has gone out for so-called “ethical hackers” who “think like the bad guy” to work with Homeland Security to... More »

Hacker Cops to Amazon Gay Flap

Skeptics still unsure whether he did it

(Newser) - A notorious hacker has taken credit for the snafu that bumped gay titles from Amazon’s bestseller lists and rankings, Gawker reports. “Weev” claims he tricked users into flagging the content as inappropriate without their knowledge. “I guess my game is up,” he confessed in a how-to... More »

Visa, Mastercard Warn of New Data Breach

Alerts issued after malware infects another payment processor

(Newser) - Mastercard and Visa have alerted financial institutions about another serious data breach at a payment processor, Wired reports. The breach, like the massive fraud unveiled at Heartland Payment Systems last month, is believed to have occurred through malicious software. The credit card issuers are refusing to name the processor involved... More »

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