Hacking – #AllTheNews

Justice Department Kept Public in Dark About Iranian Hackers Until After Obama’s Nuclear Deal

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On March 24, the Department of Justice indicted seven Iranian hackers for two cyber-crimes. The charges result from the individuals’ attacks on U.S. bank websites and the breach of a New York dam’s control systems.

Even though the indictment was just released to the public, it had originally been announced but then immediately sealed the same week the U.S. and Iran were implementing agreements regarding Iran’s nuclear program—in addition to negotiating the release of four American prisoners and compensation of $1.7 billion back to Iran.

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch stated last week that “the Department of Justice is sending a powerful message: that [they] will not allow any individual, group, or nation to sabotage American financial institutions” and that the charges illustrate cyber-hacking or attacks of any sort will not be tolerated by the U.S. government.

While that may be true, it also appears that the Department of Justice wanted to keep the public in the dark on Iran’s cyber-crimes while the administration pursued building a relationship with the regime. If the Justice Department truly desires to make its point known on cyber-hacking, it should shine a light on Iran’s misdoings—not delay the truth as a favor to the administration.

Meanwhile, Iran’s cyber-capabilities have been growing exponentially for the past six years. Victims of past Iran-based cyber-attacks include not only U.S. military and private sectors, but also international allies.

http://dailysignal.com/2016/04/06/doj-kept-public-in-dark-about-iranian-hackers-until-after-administrations-nuclear-deal/

An iPhone-hacking tool likely wouldn’t stay secret for long

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Suppose Apple loses its court fight with the FBI and has to produce a software tool that would help agents hack into an iPhone — specifically, a device used by one of the San Bernardino mass shooters. Could that tool really remain secret and locked away from potential misuse?

Not very likely, according to security and legal experts, who say a “potentially unlimited” number of people could end up getting a close at the tool’s inner workings. Apple’s tool would have to run a gauntlet of tests and challenges before any information it helps produce can be used in court, exposing the company’s work to additional scrutiny by forensics experts and defense lawyers — and increasing the likelihood of leaks with every step.

True, the Justice Department says it only wants a tool that would only work on the San Bernardino phone and that would be useless to anyone who steals it without Apple’s closely guarded digital signature.

But widespread disclosure of the software’s underlying code could allow government agents, private companies and hackers across the world to dissect Apple’s methods and incorporate them into their own device-cracking software. That work might also point to previously unknown vulnerabilities in iPhone software that hackers and spies could exploit.

http://www.seattlepi.com/business/technology/article/An-iPhone-hacking-tool-likely-wouldn-t-stay-6922241.php

Feds seek 5 years prison for journalist in hacking case

The Justice Department is seeking a five-year prison sentence for a journalist convicted of giving the hacker collective Anonymous login credentials used to deface a story on the Los Angeles Times website in 2010.

Prosecutors are complaining that Matthew Keys, 29, a social media maven who worked for two TV stations and the Reuters news agency, used digital media such as Twitter to thumb his nose at the legal system in the wake of the guilty verdicts a federal jury in Sacramento returned against him last year.

“He expressed contempt for the jury’s verdict,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Segal wrote in a sentencing memo filed Wednesday. “Minutes after the verdict, [Keys] tweeted, ‘That was b—s—.’”

“It is exceptionally rare to see a defendant engage in an after-verdict press campaign to undermine public confidence in the jury’s verdict.” Segal wrote. “It is a direct attack on the work of the jury and the validity of the verdicts. It undermines respect for law at a time when the public seems more willing to credit strongly worded criticism of traditional institutions.”

http://www.politico.com/blogs/under-the-radar/2016/03/feds-seek-5-years-prison-for-journalist-in-hacking-case-220622

HACKERS TRACE ISIS TWITTER ACCOUNTS BACK TO UK GOV’T

Teenage computer experts unveil astonishing web of unpublicized interactions linking extremist social media mouthpieces to the British government.

British Gov’t behind pro-ISIS Twitter accounts

Hackers Trace ISIS Twitter Accounts Back To UK Gov’t

CYBERSECURITY FIRM: CHINESE HACKING ON US COMPANIES PERSISTS

The Irvine, California-based company, CrowdStrike, says it documented seven Chinese cyberattacks against U.S. technology and pharmaceuticals companies “where the primary benefit of the intrusions seems clearly aligned to facilitate theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, rather than to conduct traditional national security-related intelligence collection.”

http://www.infowars.com/cybersecurity-firm-chinese-hacking-on-us-companies-persists/

RUSSIAN HACKER FACES 30 YEARS AFTER PLEADING GUILTY TO HACKING NASDAQ, STEALING 160 MILLION CREDIT CARDS

Federal attorneys who charged Drinkman with conspiracy charges unvolving wired fraud and unauthorized access to protected computers said the case was the largest to ever be prosecuted on U.S. soil. They claimed that U.S. companies and individuals lost more than $300 million because of the breaches. Drinkman was first arrested in the Netherlands and extradited to the U.S. earlier this year.

“Defendants like Vladimir Drinkman, who have the skills to break into our computer networks and the inclination to do so, pose a cutting edge threat to our economic well-being, our privacy and our national security,” U.S. attorney Paul Fishman said in a statement.

http://www.infowars.com/russian-hacker-faces-30-years-after-pleading-guilty-to-hacking-nasdaq-stealing-160-million-credit-cards/

Fiat Chrysler will recall vehicles over hacking worries

“Innovation is occurring at lighting speed, and the intersection of automobiles and technology offers tremendous opportunity to keep families safe on the road and improve the American driving experience. But as the underlying technologies seemingly evolve by the day, so too must our manufacturers and regulators keep pace to protect drivers from these growing threats,” said Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-St. Joseph and ranking member Frank Pallone, D-N.J. “We are working with leading automakers and NHTSA to ensure all stakeholders are prepared to meet these challenges of the 21st century. We have said that cars today are essentially computers on wheels, and the last thing drivers should have to worry about is some hacker along for the ride.”

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/2015/07/24/us-pushing-guard-vehicle-cyberhacking/30613567/

FIAT CHRYSLER WILL RECALL VEHICLES OVER HACKING WORRIES

The first-of-its-kind callback came just days after a magazine report showed hackers could wirelessly take control of some functions of a Jeep Cherokee.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it will open an investigation into the recall to ensure all vehicles that could be affected are covered. “Opening this investigation will allow NHTSA to better assess the effectiveness of the remedy proposed by Fiat Chrysler,” NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind said in a statement, acknowledging the agency had urged the move.

http://www.infowars.com/fiat-chrysler-will-recall-vehicles-over-hacking-worries/