What if they really are out to get you.
If you spend enough time walking the Las Vegas casino floors, you’re sure to come across some unique sights. But scores of people sporting all shapes and sizes of literal tin-foil hats? Welcome to DEF CON…
Category: Hackers
Hackers can seize practically all your online accounts, and it’s your voicemail’s fault
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Who would have thought that, in the end, it would be the humble voicemail that would do us all in?
Your Google, Microsoft, Apple, WhatsApp, and even Signal accounts all have an Achilles’ heel — the same one, in fact. And it turns out that if you’re not careful, a hacker could use that weakness to take over your online identity.
Or so claims self-described “security geek” Martin Vigo. Speaking to an enthusiastic collection of hackers and security researchers at the annual DEF CON convention in Las Vegas, Vigo explained how he managed to reset passwords for a wide-ranging set of online accounts by taking advantage of the weakest link in the security chain: your voicemail. Read more…
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View More Hackers can seize practically all your online accounts, and it’s your voicemail’s faultHomeland Security is worried about elections, so it’s asking hackers for help
It’s 10 a.m. at Caesar’s Palace hotel and casino in Las Vegas, and the conference room is packed.
Scores of hackers, cybersecurity professionals, and press have gathered at the DEF CON hacker conference to hear straight from the horse’s mouth j…
The hackers just arrived, and they’re already breaking Vegas
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It’s 107 degrees outside, and a disturbing number of people charging down the sidewalk are wearing black jeans.
That seemingly incongruous fashion choice, more than the blinking digital badges swinging from the necks of every mohawk-sporting passerby, clues the confused tourists into the reality that this week in Las Vegas is different. Yes, this week is DEF CON, and the hackers are very much in town.
And you better believe they’re already breaking Vegas.
Thursday was the official start of the 26th annual DEF CON hacker convention, this year spread out between Caesars Palace and The Flamingo. As typical, the first day of the four-day affair started slowly — the hacking villages where people practice remotely hijacking cars and breaking into voting machines are still getting set up, and the few opening talks cover decidedly non-technical tricks like how to lose your police tail. Read more…
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And now professional golf is being ransomed for bitcoin
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Raise that single gloved-hand to your mouth in shock: The hackers have gone after golf.
America’s last bastion of proud visor-wearers is scrambling this week, after unknown criminals took over the PGA of America’s servers on Tuesday — locking the golf association out of its files just days before the official Aug. 9 start of the PGA Championship in Missouri. And you better believe those hackers want bitcoin.
SEE ALSO: Ransomware has been around for almost 30 years, so why does it feel like it’s getting worse?
That’s right, the PGA was hit with ransomware.
So reports Golfweek, which notes that the now-encrypted files include “extensive promotional banners and logos used in digital and print communications,” in addition to “development work on logos for future PGA Championships.” Read more…
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View More And now professional golf is being ransomed for bitcoinYeah, this is bad: Russian hackers infiltrate U.S. power grid
No need to panic, folks! Just Russian hackers claiming “hundreds of victims” to infiltrate U.S. electric utilities, giving them the ability to cause blackouts.
The state-sponsored hackers used fairly common tactics to compromise the vendors that supp…
Roblox responds to the hack that allowed a child’s avatar to be raped in its game
There’s a special place in hell for people who think it’s funny to rape a 7-year old girl’s avatar in an online virtual world designed for children. Yes, that happened. Roblox, a hugely popular online game for kids, was hacked by an individual who subverted the game’s protection systems in order to have customized animations […]
View More Roblox responds to the hack that allowed a child’s avatar to be raped in its gameHackers steal $23.5 million from cryptocurrency exchange Bancor
Hackers attacked cryptocurrency exchange Bancor on Monday, compromising one of the company’s virtual wallets and stealing roughly $23.5 million worth of digital currencies.
According to Bancor, no user wallets have been compromised. The site has been…
Become a white hat hacker with this online course that’s on sale
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Nothing positive comes to mind when you hear the term hacker, right? You probably think of some hoodie-wearing Lisbeth Salander character who’s out to get all your passwords, banking information, and even worse, your identity.
Hacking, however, doesn’t have to be as evil as it’s cracked up to be. There are white hat hackers, for example, who make it their mission to beef up companies’ securities and keep unwanted IP addresses out.
If you want to use your hacking skills for good (not evil), the Certified White Hat Hacker Bundle may help. Read more…
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View More Become a white hat hacker with this online course that’s on saleTicketfly hacker threatens to release more stolen data
As far as blackmail goes, it was a relatively small request.
The hacker who claims to have gained access to a host of data from Ticketfly, prompting the Eventbrite-owned ticketing company to pull its site offline sometime late last night, told …
A year later, the exploit that fueled the WannaCry ransomware remains a threat
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It’s been a year since the WannaCry ransomware swept the globe, encrypting computers and wreaking havoc in the process. So you might think we’d have the vulnerability it exploited neatly wrapped up by now.
You’d be wrong.
Despite the potential billions of dollars in damage caused by the likely North Korean ransomware, hundreds of thousands of computers around the globe are still vulnerable to similar attacks — and that’s probably not going to change any time soon.
SEE ALSO: Ransomware has been around for almost 30 years, so why does it feel like it’s getting worse?
WannaCry hit the world hard on May 12, 2017. It wasn’t long before security researchers determined that the reason it was able to spread so quickly from computer to computer — like those at UK hospitals — was because of an exploit once hoarded by the NSA: EternalBlue. Read more…
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View More A year later, the exploit that fueled the WannaCry ransomware remains a threatHackers want your data. Meet the ones who are trying to protect it.
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The last two years have seen the Equifax breach, the WannaCry cyberattack, a nefarious DDoS attack that destroyed the internet for a full day, and a laundry list of other security breaches of the stores, restaurants, and retailers we know and love. A skilled hacker has a dangerous amount of power in their hands — power with the potential to destroy lives.
But take heart: Scattered across the internet are hundreds of thousands of equally skilled hackers who are fighting to protect you.
If your personal information wasn’t compromised this year, you have that army of nerds to thank.
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View More Hackers want your data. Meet the ones who are trying to protect it.