The LockBit story: Why the ransomware affiliate model can turn takedowns into disruptions

In ancient Greek mythos, the mighty Hercules faced a seemingly insurmountable challenge when he encountered the Lernaean Hydra. This fearsome serpent had a terrifying ability: For every head that Hercules severed, two more would spring forth, creating a never-ending cycle of regrowth and renewal...

Wanted! US offers $10m bounty for ransomware kingpins

The US State Department is offering a massive $10 million reward if you can help bring DarkSide to justice. The U.S. Department of State announces a reward offer of up to $10,000,000 for information leading to the identification or location of any individuals who holds a key leadership position i...

‘An0m’ Encrypted-Chat Sting Leads to Arrest of 800

Law enforcement agencies have been selling encrypted phones to organized crime gangs for years, monitoring their conversations in what’s being called the biggest law enforcement sting ever. Since 2018, agencies have been overseeing the distribution of hardened, encrypted devices that have enabled...

Encoding Stolen Credit Card Data on Barcodes

Crooks are constantly dreaming up new ways to use and conceal stolen credit card data. According to the U.S. Secret Service, the latest scheme involves stolen card information embedded in barcodes affixed to phony money network rewards cards. The scammers then pay for merchandise by instructing a...

Feds Arrest 74 Email Fraudsters Involved in Nigerian BEC Scams

The United States Department of Justice announced Monday the arrest of 74 email fraudsters across three continents in a global crackdown on a large-scale business email compromise BEC scheme. The arrest was the result of a six-month-long operation dubbed "Operation Wire Wire" that involved the US...

Installation of Tor Relays in Libraries Attracts DHS Attention

The Tor Project recently started a program to help libraries install Tor relays as a way to protect the privacy of patrons and other Internet users. The program didn’t get too far, however, as the first library to install a relay had to turn it off after town police officials were contacted by...

Keeping your restaurant & hospitality Cardholder Data Environment safe

Reports of new credit card data breaches seem to be in the news daily. Recent high profile breaches within major retailers this year should serve as a wake-up call to the restaurant and hospitality industries. As a result of having high volumes of credit card transactions and decentralized securi...

Points of Sale Poorly Secured, Facing Sophisticated Attacks

The point-of-sale PoS systems on which financial transactions are conducted at nearly every physical retail location in the U.S. and and beyond are fast becoming a favorite target for sophisticated criminal organizations as well as standalone attackers. The emergence of this trend is unsurprising...

Anonymous #OpIsrael, cyber crime and assumptions on state-sponsored interference

Last April 7th the Anonymous collective hit the Israeli networks with a huge as historic offensive, for the first time an independent group of hackers declared war to a Governments to protest against its policy. Many web sites of the country were hit by DDoS attacks, the data on the event reporte...

Taiwan Struggles To Combat Attacks From China

Cyber crime, online fraud and copyright infringement are growing rapidly in Taiwan as law enforcement officials, law makers and the courts struggle to stay abreast of the problem, according to a local prosecutor says. In a Webcast presented to students and faculty at Harvard’s Berkman Center for...

Step 2: Don't Pay

Don’t Pay! Whatever else you do not pay to “license” the scareware, says Brulez. Scareware and fake antivirus programs are malicious and are created and distributed by criminal organizations. Paying the licensing fee may temporarily free up your system and remove the fake warnings and alerts...

Google and Godaddy Head Coalition Against Rogue Pharmacies

Herbal Viagra peddlers beware: Google and GoDaddy are coordinating the establishment of a non-profit organization dedicated to curbing the spread of illegal online pharmaceutical companies. The two firms plan to share information and work together to educate consumers about the dangers of buying...

178 Busted in Credit Card Cloning Scheme

Authorities in 14 countries raided stolen credit card groups and six cloning labs manned by criminal organizations in the U.S., Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Ireland with arrests in Australia, Sweden, Greece, Finland and Hungary. Read the full article. Reuters Read the Interior Minister statemen...