The malware asks for 222 Bitcoin but will not honor promises to decrypt files after payment is made.
Source: $247,000 KillDisk ransomware demands a fortune, forgets to unlock files | ZDNet
Articles for January 2017
FBI Hacked, Again! Hacker Leaks Data After Agency Failed to Patch Its Site
It seems like the FBI has been hacked, once again!
A hacker, using Twitter handle CyberZeist, has claimed to have hacked the FBI’s website (fbi.gov) and leaked personal account information of several FBI agents publically.
CyberZeist had initially exposed the flaw on 22 December, giving the FBI time to patch the vulnerability in its website’s code before making the data public.
The hacker exploited a zero-day vulnerability in the Plone CMS, an Open Source Content Management software used by FBI to host its website, and leaked personal data of 155 FBI officials to Pastebin, including their names, passwords, and email accounts.
Source: FBI Hacked, Again! Hacker Leaks Data After Agency Failed to Patch Its Site
PHPMailer could put your website at risk: here’s what you need to know – Naked Security
A security hole in a website component commonly used for generating automatic emails could give crooks complete control over your server.
Source: PHPMailer could put your website at risk: here’s what you need to know – Naked Security
Police Ask for Amazon Echo Data to Help Solve a Murder Case
Hey, Alexa! Who did this murder?
Arkansas police are seeking help from e-commerce giant Amazon for data that may have been recorded on its Echo device belonging to a suspect in a murder case, bringing the conflict into the realm of the Internet of Things.
Amazon Echo is a voice-activated smart home speaker capable of controlling several smart devices by integrating it with a variety of home automation hubs. It can do tasks like play music, make to-do lists, set alarms, and also provide real-time information such as weather and traffic.
Source: Police Ask for Amazon Echo Data to Help Solve a Murder Case
Obama Expels 35 Russian Spies Over Election Hacking; Russia Responds With Duck Meme
The United States has expelled 35 Russian spies in response to Russia’s alleged interference in last month’s presidential election, further escalating tensions between the countries.
The US state department has declared 35 diplomatic intelligence officials from the Russian embassy in Washington DC and the consulate in San Francisco “persona non grata,” giving them and their families 72 hours to leave the country.
President Barack Obama has also announced the closing of two Russian compounds, in New York and Maryland, used by the Russian officials for intelligence-gathering, from noon on Friday.
Source: Obama Expels 35 Russian Spies Over Election Hacking; Russia Responds With Duck Meme
No smoking gun for Russian DNC hacks | ZDNet
The Russian government may have hacked Hillary Clinton’s campaign and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) to support Donald Trump’s campaign, but there’s no hard technical proof.
Source: No smoking gun for Russian DNC hacks | ZDNet