Category: Law & order
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The AI Fix #53: An AI uses blackmail to save itself, and threats make AIs work better
The AI Fix #53: An AI uses blackmail to save itself, and threats make AIs work better In episode 53 of The AI Fix, our hosts suspect the CEO of Duolingo has been kidnapped by an AI, Sergey Brin says AIs work better if you threaten them with physical violence, Graham wonders how you put…
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Smashing Security podcast #418: Grid failures, Instagram scams, and Legal Aid leaks
Smashing Security podcast #418: Grid failures, Instagram scams, and Legal Aid leaks In this week’s episode, Graham investigates the mysterious Iberian Peninsula blackout (aliens? toaster? cyberattack?), Carole dives in the UK legal aid hack that exposed deeply personal data of society’s most vulnerable, and Dinah Davis recounts how Instagram scammers hijacked her daughter’s account –…
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SEC Twitter hack: Man imprisoned for role in attack that caused Bitcoin’s price to soar.
SEC Twitter hack: Man imprisoned for role in attack that caused Bitcoin’s price to soar. Eric Council Jr. pleaded guilty to charges related to the January 2024 hack of the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Twitter account, which saw a fake announcement about the Bitcoin cryptocurrency posted to its followers. Read more in my…
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The AI Fix #50: AI brings dead man back for killer’s trial, and the judge loves it
The AI Fix #50: AI brings dead man back for killer’s trial, and the judge loves it In episode 50 of The AI Fix, AI brings a slain man back from the dead so he can appear at his killer’s trial, Mark gets a mysterious phone call, Trump uses AI to become Pope Donald the…
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Two years’ jail for down-on-his-luck man who sold ransomware online
Two years’ jail for down-on-his-luck man who sold ransomware online A man has been jailed in Ireland for two years after pleading guilty to offences related to his illegal online business that sold ransomware and other malware, as well as stolen credit card details, and false bank accounts. Read more in my article on the…
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Hackers hit deportation airline GlobalX, leak flight manifests, and leave an unsubtle message for “Donnie” Trump
Hackers hit deportation airline GlobalX, leak flight manifests, and leave an unsubtle message for “Donnie” Trump GlobalX Airlines, a charter airline being used by the US government for deportation flights, has been attacked by hacktivists who have made off with what they claim are detailed flight records and passenger manifests. Read more in my article…
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Smashing Security podcast #416: High street hacks, and Disney’s Wingdings woe
Smashing Security podcast #416: High street hacks, and Disney’s Wingdings woe Brits face empty shelves and suspended meal deals as cybercriminals hit major high street retailers, and a terminated Disney employee gets revenge with a little help with Wingdings. Plus Graham challenges Carole to a game of “Malware or metal?”, and we wonder just happens…
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Smashing Security podcast #415: Hacking hijinks at the hospital, and WASPI scams
Smashing Security podcast #415: Hacking hijinks at the hospital, and WASPI scams He’s not a pop star, but Jeffrey Bowie is alleged to have toured staff areas of a hospital in Oklahoma, hunting for computers he could install spyware on. We dive into the bizarre case of the man accused of hacking medical networks and…
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The AI Fix #47: An AI is the best computer programmer in the world
The AI Fix #47: An AI is the best computer programmer in the world In episode 47 of The AI Fix, o3 becomes the best competitive programmer in the world, hacked California crosswalks speak with the voice of Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, Meta introduces a herd of Llamas, Graham explains what a “lollipop lady”…
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Smashing Security podcast #413: Hacking the hackers… with a credit card?
Smashing Security podcast #413: Hacking the hackers… with a credit card? A cybersecurity firm is buying access to underground crime forums to gather intelligence. Does that seem daft to you? And over in Nigeria, even if romance scammers would like to update their LinkedIn profiles, just how easy is it to turn a new leaf…
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The AI Fix #46: AI can read minds now, and is your co-host a clone?
The AI Fix #46: AI can read minds now, and is your co-host a clone? In episode 46 of The AI Fix, China trolls US tariffs, a microscopic pogoing flea-bot makes a tiny leap forward for robotics, Google unveils the Agent2Agent protocol, a robot dog is so cute it ruins Graham’s entire day, and Europe…
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King Bob pleads guilty to Scattered Spider-linked cryptocurrency thefts from investors
King Bob pleads guilty to Scattered Spider-linked cryptocurrency thefts from investors A Florida man, linked to the notorious Scattered Spider hacking gang, has pleaded guilty to charges related to cryptocurrency thefts which have netted hundreds of thousands of dollars. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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The AI Fix #43: I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords!
The AI Fix #43: I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords! In episode 43 of The AI Fix, our hosts discover a robot that isn’t terrifying, a newspaper shuns journalists in favour of AI, Graham watches a robot dog learn to stand, an AI computer programmer develops a familiar attitude, and New York tries…
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Smashing Security podcast #409: Peeping perverts and FBI phone calls
Smashing Security podcast #409: Peeping perverts and FBI phone calls In episode 409 of the “Smashing Security” podcast, we uncover the curious case of the Chinese cyber-attack on Littleton’s Electric Light Company, and a California landlord’s hidden camera scandal. Find out about this, and more, in the latest edition of the “Smashing Security” podcast by…
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Free file converter malware scam “rampant” claims FBI
Free file converter malware scam “rampant” claims FBI Whether you’re downloading a video from YouTube or converting a Word document into a PDF file, there’s a chance that you might be unwittingly handing control of your PC straight into the hands of cybercriminals. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham…
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Smashing Security podcast #408: A gag order backfires, and a snail mail ransom demand
Smashing Security podcast #408: A gag order backfires, and a snail mail ransom demand What happens when a healthcare giant’s legal threats ignite a Streisand Effect wildfire… while a ransomware gang appears to ditch the dark web for postage stamps? Find out about this, and more, in the latest edition of the “Smashing Security” podcast…
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Man found guilty of planting infinite loop logic bomb on ex-employer’s system
Man found guilty of planting infinite loop logic bomb on ex-employer’s system Davis Lu had planted malicious Java code onto his employer’s network that would cause “infinite loops” that would ultimate result in the server crashing or hanging. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Smashing Security podcast #407: HP’s hold music, and human trafficking
Smashing Security podcast #407: HP’s hold music, and human trafficking Journey with us to Myanmar’s shadowy scam factories, where trafficked workers are forced to run romance-baiting and fake tech support scams, and find out why a company’s mandatory hold time for tech support could lead to innocent users having their computers compromised. All this and…
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Fake police call cryptocurrency investors to steal their funds
Fake police call cryptocurrency investors to steal their funds Have you had a phone call from police about your cryptocurrency wallet? Be on your guard – you could be about to be scammed. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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CISA refutes claims it has been ordered to stop monitoring Russian cyber threats
CISA refutes claims it has been ordered to stop monitoring Russian cyber threats It’s been a confusing few days in the world of American cybersecurity… Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Stop targeting Russian hackers, Trump administration orders US Cyber Command
Stop targeting Russian hackers, Trump administration orders US Cyber Command The Trump administration has told US cyber command and CISA to stop following or reporting on Russian cyber threats. Yes, Russia! That country everyone used to agree was home to lots of ransomware gangs and hackers. Hmmm… Read more in my article on the Hot…
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Smashing Security podcast #405: A crypto con exchange, and soaring ticket scams
Smashing Security podcast #405: A crypto con exchange, and soaring ticket scams From shadowy Bitcoin exchanges to Interpol’s most wanted, Alexander Vinnik was the alleged kingpin behind BTC-e, a $4bn crypto laundering empire. Learn more about him, and how he became a geopolitical pawn between the US, France, and Russia. Plus! Hear how concert-goers are…
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US charges two Russian men in connection with Phobos ransomware operation
US charges two Russian men in connection with Phobos ransomware operation Roman Berezhnoy and Egor Nikolaevich Glebov are alleged to have extorted over US $16 million in ransom payments using the Phobos ransomware, impacting over 1000 organisations in the United States. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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US woman faces years in federal prison for running laptop farm for N Korean IT workers
US woman faces years in federal prison for running laptop farm for N Korean IT workers Christian Marie Chapman, of Litchfield Park, Arizona, helped generate over US $17 million for North Korea after over 300 US companies unwittingly hired staff believing them to be US citizens. Read more in my article on the Hot for…
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Smashing Security podcast #404: Podcast not found
Smashing Security podcast #404: Podcast not found The story of how hackers managed to compromise the US Government’s official SEC Twitter account to boost the price of Bitcoins, AI isn’t helping reduce the rife conspiracy theories inside classrooms, and is the funeral bell tolling for ransomware? All this and more is discussed in the latest…
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Thailand cuts power and internet to areas of Myanmar to disrupt scam gangs
Thailand cuts power and internet to areas of Myanmar to disrupt scam gangs Well, this is a different approach to the scam problem… The government of Thailand has cut the power supply to areas near its border with Myanmar that are known to host brutal scam compounds. These heavily-guarded fraud factories house armies of people,…
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Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for role in $50m internet scam
Man sentenced to 7 years in prison for role in $50m internet scam A California man has been sentenced to seven years in prison for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme that saw over 50 individuals and organisations lose millions of dollars. Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog. Graham…
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Ex-worker arrested after ‘shutdown’ of British Museum computer systems
Ex-worker arrested after ‘shutdown’ of British Museum computer systems London’s world-famous British Museum was forced to partially close its doors at the end of last week, following a serious security breach involving a former IT contractor. Police were called to the museum on Friday after a recently dismissed worker allegedly trespassed onto the museum site…
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Hacked buses blare out patriotic pro-European anthems in Tbilisi, attack government
Hacked buses blare out patriotic pro-European anthems in Tbilisi, attack government Residents of Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, experienced an unexpected and unusual start to their Friday morning commute. As they boarded their public transport buses, they were greeted by a barrage of sound emanating from the vehicles’ speakers. Read more in my article…
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Be careful what you say about data leaks in Turkey, new law could mean prison for reporting hacks
Be careful what you say about data leaks in Turkey, new law could mean prison for reporting hacks The Turkish government is proposing a controversial new cybersecurity law that could make it a criminal act to report on data breaches. But might it stifle journalism and free speech? Read more in my article on the…
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Smashing Security podcast #401: Hacks on the high seas, and how your home can be stolen under your nose
Smashing Security podcast #401: Hacks on the high seas, and how your home can be stolen under your nose An Italian hacker makes the grade and ends up in choppy waters, and hear true stories of title deed transfer scams. All this and more is discussed in the latest edition of the award-winning “Smashing Security”…
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The AI Fix #30: ChatGPT reveals the devastating truth about Santa (Merry Christmas!)
The AI Fix #30: ChatGPT reveals the devastating truth about Santa (Merry Christmas!) In episode 30 of The AI Fix, AIs are caught lying to avoid being turned off, Apple’s AI flubs a headline, ChatGPT is available to people who haven’t left the 1970s, our hosts regret to inform you that an AI artist now…
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Rydox cybercrime marketplace seized by law enforcement, suspected admins arrested
Rydox cybercrime marketplace seized by law enforcement, suspected admins arrested Rydox, an online marketplace used by cybercriminals to sell hacked personal information and tools to commit fraud, has been seized in an international law enforcement operation and its suspected administrators arrested. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go…
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Smashing Security podcast #397: Snowflake hackers, and under the influence
Smashing Security podcast #397: Snowflake hackers, and under the influence A Canadian man is arrested in relation to the Snowflake hacks from earlier this year – after a cybersecurity researcher managed to track his identity, and a cryptocurrency-trading Instagram influencer is in trouble with the law. All this and more is discussed in the latest…
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27 DDoS-for-hire services disrupted in run-up to holiday season
27 DDoS-for-hire services disrupted in run-up to holiday season Operation PowerOFF has disrupted what was anticipated to be a surge of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks over the Christmas period by taking over two dozen “booter” or “stresser” websites offline. Read more in my article on the Tripwire State of Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to…
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“CP3O” pleads guilty to multi-million dollar cryptomining scheme
“CP3O” pleads guilty to multi-million dollar cryptomining scheme A man faces up to 20 years in prison after pleading guilty to charges related to an illegal cryptomining operation that stole millions of dollars worth of cloud computing resources. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
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Smashing Security podcast #396: Dishy DDoS dramas, and mining our minds for data
Smashing Security podcast #396: Dishy DDoS dramas, and mining our minds for data A CEO is arrested for turning satellite receivers into DDoS attack weapons! Then, we’ll journey into the world of bossware and “affective computing” and explore how AI is learning to read our emotions – is this the future of work, or a…
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Russian money-laundering network linked to drugs and ransomware disrupted, 84 arrests
Russian money-laundering network linked to drugs and ransomware disrupted, 84 arrests The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has revealed details of Operation Destabilise, a years-long international law enforcement investigation into a giant Russian money laundering enterprise that handled billions of dollars for drug traffickers and ransomware gangs worldwide. Read more in my article on the…