Cybercrime and Hacking Topic Center

Get the latest news and analysis on cybercrime and hacking

Former Qwest CEO out of prison, blames NSA for troubles

Revelations made by NSA leaker Edward Snowden would have given former Qwest CEO Joe Nacchio a fighting chance to beat insider-trading charges that garnered him a 70-month jail term, says Nacchio, who was released this month after serving four and a half years.
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Security company scours 'Dark Web' for stolen data

Alex Holden, founder of security company Hold Security, is in the business of bringing companies bad news.

Symantec seizes part of massive P2P botnet ZeroAccess

The cybercriminals behind ZeroAccess, one of the largest botnets in existence, have lost access to more than a quarter of the infected machines they controlled because of an operation executed by security researchers from Symantec.

Iran accused of hacking into U.S. Navy computers

Hackers backed by Iran have penetrated an unclassified U.S. Navy network in one of the most serious incidents of cybercrime yet by the Middle East nation, according to a report Friday.

iOS 7 security update patches lockscreen flaw

Apple yesterday released an iOS 7 software update that fixes a security flaw that let users bypass the iPhone lockscreen to access a range of onboard information and online accounts.

Malicious browser extensions pose a serious threat and defenses are lacking

Although the number of malicious browser extensions has significantly increased in the past year many security products fail to offer adequate protection against them, while others are simply not designed to do so, according to a security researcher.

NSA chief seeks more data from private sector in sharing offer

Gen. Keith Alexander, head of the embattled National Security Agency, says he is willing to share cyberattack information with the private sector -- an offer seen as a Trojan horse by at least one expert.

'Icefog' spying operation targeted Japan, South Korea

A hacking group that targeted Japan's parliament in 2011 is believed to have conducted nimble data thefts against organizations mainly in South Korea and Japan, including defense contractors, over the past two years.

Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak expounds on his hacking shenanigans and online mischief

In his keynote address at a security conference today, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak admitted he has enjoyed many adventures in hacking often for the sake of pranks on friends and family, especially back in his college days and the early years of working on computers and the Internet.

Google yanks sketchy iMessage clone for Android from app store

An app that purportedly spoofed a Mac so that Android smartphone and tablet owners could send and receive text-like messages through Apple's iMessage service disappeared today from the Google Play app store.

'HoneyDocs' lays irresistible bait for hackers

Police in Austin, Texas, set up sting operations with cars they have under surveillance, watching for thieves to break into them. Marcus J. Carey's Web service, HoneyDocs -- born in the same city -- uses the same concept, only with computer files.

China-based hackers are again targeting dissidents

Removed at the request of the IDG News Service.

False Lenovo Security Report Only Strengthens World's Top PC Maker

A report that Western nations deemed Lenovo PCs to be insecure was quickly kiboshed this week. CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle smells a rat and suspects it's only a matter of time before the source is outed (and unemployed). Meanwhile, Lenovo can relax and tout its security and stability.

Cisco impresses with first crack at next-gen firewall

When we tested next-generation firewalls last May, at least one important security vendor wasn't there: Cisco, because they weren't ready to be tested. Now that the ASA CX next-generation firewall has had a year to mature, we put the product through its paces, using the same methodology as our last NGFW test.

IT Concerns About Targeted Malware Rising

IT and security professionals are increasingly concerned about targeted malware and data breaches. What's worse is that their confidence in their ability to identify and stop them is waning.

Phishing concerns cause double trouble

Episode 1: Last week the administrators of 7,000 university websites were being called upon to change their .edu domain account passwords after a server security breach. Trouble was that the breach had been reported to the admins by Educause -- the non-profit higher-education IT group that runs .edu -- via an email that some recipients complained bore the familiar markings of a phishing attempt.

Chinese Government's Link to Cyber Espionage Clearer Than Ever

It's a common belief in the information security world that the Chinese government is behind many of the advanced persistent threats that target companies around the world in an effort to steal their IP and trade secrets. Now one security firm has come forward with years of evidence to link a prolific APT group to a unit inside the Chinese government.

Avoiding catastrophic business loss through cyber liability insurance

The benefits could be greatest for small businesses, which could be devastated by a data loss and its complications. (Insider, registration required)

Three charged with distributing Gozi virus

Three people allegedly involved for years in cybercriminal activities in Eastern Europe have been charged in a U.S. court for creating and distributing the Gozi virus that infected more than 1 million computers and allowed cybercriminals to steal millions of dollars over a five-year period.

Mobile Attacks Top the List of 2013 Security Threats

For years, information security experts have predicted a spike in mobile malware. Will 2013 be the year of mobile attacks? And what other security threats are on the horizon?