The malware was revealed as Russian troops remain massed at the Ukrainian border, and after Ukrainian government agencies had their websites defaced.
Tag Archives: Cyberattacks and Hackers
Ransomware Group REvil Dismantled in Raids, Russia Says
Moscow said the ransomware group REvil “ceased to exist” after raids and arrests. It is not clear if the operation will ease tensions with Washington.
Journalists in El Salvador Targeted With Spyware Intended for Criminals
The announcement came months after the U.S. government blacklisted the Israeli firm that produces Pegasus, the technology used to target the journalists.
U.S. Details Possible Sanctions on Russia Over a Ukraine Invasion
The Biden administration and its allies are developing new possible sanctions ahead of a series of meetings to defuse the crisis with Moscow.
Biden Administration Warns Against Spyware Targeting Dissidents
The U.S. intelligence community offered steps that would mitigate — but not stop — spyware developed by firms like the NSO Group.
Israeli Company’s Spyware Is Used to Target U.S. Embassy Employees in Africa
The hack is the first known case of the spyware, known as Pegasus, being used against American officials.
Planned Parenthood Says Hacker Compromised Information for 400,000 Patients
The group’s Los Angeles affiliate said it did not know who was responsible for the ransomware attack and did not believe any information had been used for “fraudulent purposes.”
Palestinian Diplomats Targeted by Israeli Spyware, Official Says
The accusation, which has not been independently verified, raises new questions over whether Israel is using software made by NSO Group to spy on Palestinians.
Justice Dept. Brings New Charges in Ransomware Attacks
The department said it had charged a Russian national in one attack and recovered $6.1 million in ransom. It also arrested a Ukrainian man for another attack.
A Rare Win in the Cat-and-Mouse Game of Ransomware
A team of private security sleuths, in their first public detailing of their efforts, discuss how they used cybercriminals’ mistakes to quietly help victims recover their data.
The Sheikh, the Businessman and a Hacking Mystery on 3 Continents
A case that began with a feud in the United Arab Emirates, stretched from the U.S. to India and is now playing out in the British courts offers a rare glimpse into the anatomy of a hack-and-leak operation.
Governor Accuses Reporter of Hacking After Flaws in State Website Are Revealed
Gov. Mike Parson of Missouri has asked for a criminal investigation of a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter who told the state that a website revealed teachers’ Social Security numbers.
U.S. Holds Global Meeting to Fight Ransomware, Minus the World’s No. 1 Culprit
Russia, the biggest source of the problem, was not invited to the 30-nation conference, which sought to engage allies in efforts to disrupt cybercrime.
Dubai’s Ruler Hacked Phones of His Ex-Wife and Her Lawyers, U.K. Court Says
The sheikh, embroiled in a court case with his former wife, a Jordanian princess, used Israeli software to hack the phones. One of the lawyers targeted is a member of Britain’s House of Lords.
America Is Being Held for Ransom. It Needs to Fight Back.
Businesses attacked. Data stolen. Miles of pipeline shut down. The scourge of ransomware is worse than ever.
Don’t get Bezosed
A spyware flaw, Elizabeth Holmes and my latest Facebook alert.
Apple Security Update Closes Spyware Flaw in iPhones, Macs and iWatches
Researchers at Citizen Lab found that NSO Group, an Israeli spyware company, had infected Apple products without so much as a click.
Howard University Hit by a Ransomware Attack
The Washington school canceled online and hybrid classes for a second day after shutting down its network.
There’s a Better Way to Stop Ransomware Attacks
We’re not tackling the problem at its root.
Could Cyberwar Make the World Safer?
Hacking, like war, is the continuation of politics by other means, but without the inevitable sacrifice of lives.
T-Mobile Says Hack Exposed Personal Data of 40 Million People
The company said that stolen files included the personal information of 7.8 million current customers and 40 million people who had applied for credit.
Beware Free Wi-Fi: Government Urges Workers to Avoid Public Networks
The National Security Agency warned government employees that hackers could take advantage of the public Wi-Fi in coffee shops, airports and hotel rooms.
Biden Warns Putin to Act Against Russian Ransomware Group
Mr. Biden’s phone call appeared to be a pointed ultimatum to stop the hackers, who have attacked computer networks in the United States with relative impunity.
Biden Weighs a Response to Ransomware Attacks
The president summoned his top cybersecurity advisers to consider immediate action to disrupt Russian incursions.
Attempted Hack of R.N.C. and Russian Ransomware Attack Test Biden
The breach of a Republican National Committee contractor, also linked to Russia, and the global ransomware attack occurred weeks after a U.S.-Russian summit.
How New York City’s Law Department Got Hacked
Hackers used one worker’s login information to penetrate the Law Department’s network after officials failed to implement a simple security measure.
Once, Superpower Summits Were About Nukes. Now, It’s Cyberweapons.
But with the ease of denying responsibility and the wide range of possible attackers, the traditional deterrents of the nuclear age no longer work.
Bitcoin and Encryption: A Race Between Criminals and the F.B.I.
The F.B.I. scored two major victories, recovering a Bitcoin ransom and tricking lawbreakers with an encryption app. But criminals may still have the upper hand.
JBS Paid $11 Million Ransom to Hackers
The breach was the latest in a string of attacks targeting businesses critical to American infrastructure.
How the Pentagon Papers Shaped the Power of the Free Press
The Pentagon Papers created a delicate balance of power between the press and the government. Lately, it’s being threatened.
Bitcoin Is Actually Traceable, Pipeline Investigation Shows
The F.B.I.’s recovery of Bitcoins paid in the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack showed cryptocurrencies are not as hard to track as it might seem.
Who is Hacking the U.S. Economy?
In the past few weeks, cyberattacks have taken major industries hostage. Who are the perpetrators and why are the infiltrations becoming so common?
U.S. Seizes Share of Ransom From Hackers in Colonial Pipeline Attack
Investigators traced 75 Bitcoins worth more than $4 million through nearly two dozen cryptocurrency accounts.
F.B.I. Investigates Cyber Attack That Targeted N.Y.C. Law Department
City lawyers’ computer network was disabled after the attack, which the police and federal officials believe was the work of hackers.
Are We Waiting for Everyone to Get Hacked?
It’s been almost a decade since Leon Panetta, then the secretary of defense, warned of an impending “Cyber Pearl Harbor.” He didn’t want to be right.
F.B.I. Director Compares Ransomware Danger to 9/11 Threat
The Biden administration is taking steps to counter the growing threat of cyberattacks on U.S. businesses, and encouraging companies to do more to protect themselves.
White House Warns Companies to Act Now on Ransomware Defenses
An open letter urged them to take many of the defensive steps that the federal government requires of its agencies and contractors.
The M.T.A. Is Breached by Hackers as Cyberattacks Surge
Hackers with suspected ties to China penetrated the New York transit agency’s computer systems in April, an M.T.A. document shows. Transit officials say the intrusion did not pose a risk to riders.
Ransomware Disrupts Meat Plants in Latest Attack on Critical U.S. Business
Operations at several owned by JBS, which processes one-fifth of the country’s beef, were affected, according to union representatives and Facebook posts meant for employees.
Secret Chats Show How Cybergang Became a Ransomware Powerhouse
As the ransomware industry exploded, a Russian-speaking outfit called DarkSide offered would-be computer crooks not just the tools, but also customer support. We got an inside look.
Biden to Require Pipeline Companies to Report Cyberattacks
The move, which will require companies to report to the government any significant attacks, is a response to the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attacks.
Biden and Putin to Meet in Mid-June, in a Summit Fraught With Tensions
The meeting comes at the worst point in Russian-American relations since the fall of the Soviet Union about 30 years ago.
Irish Hospitals Hit by Cyberattacks, Forcing an I.T. Shutdown
Hospitals in Ireland, New Zealand and Scripps Health in San Diego are reeling from digital extortion attacks.
Colonial Pipeline Hack Shows Risk to US Energy Independence
The country relies less on foreign oil than it used to, but pipelines and grids are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks and extreme weather.
U.S. Energy Independence Threatened by Hackers and Climate Change
The country relies less on foreign oil than it used to, but pipelines and grids are increasingly vulnerable to cyberattacks and extreme weather.
Colonial Pipeline Now Delivering ‘Millions of Gallons’ an Hour, Owner Says
But it will still take days for gas stations in the Southeast to restock after panic buying depleted their supplies.
Colonial Pipeline Paid Roughly $5 Million in Ransom to Hackers
The payment clears the way for gas to begin flowing again, but it risks emboldening other criminal groups to take American companies hostage by seizing control of their computers.
Colonial Pipeline paid 75 Bitcoin, or roughly $5 million, to hackers.
Colonial pre-emptively shut down its pipeline operations on Friday. President Biden did not rule out a retaliatory strike on those responsible.
Pipeline Hack Points to Growing Cybersecurity Risk for Energy System
Energy infrastructure has increasingly come under assault, and analysts said the attack that cut off fuel supplies this week should be a “wake-up call.”
How the Colonial Pipeline Became a Vital Artery for Fuel
Growing domestic production of oil and gas has led to reduced refining capacity in the Northeast, increasing the reliance on fuel sent from Texas.