Widespread hacks continue, prompt retaliation
#hack #security #anonymous
NEW MEDIA TRENDS' Christopher Lacroix reports
If it's true what Anonymous claims, that the world is at "cyber war," then both sides are aggressively exchanging fire, with a long series of hacks and a sequence of crackdowns.
The highest-profile intrusion might have been the release of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's personal information. Blair's electronic address book -- including numbers and emails for members of Parliament -- was stolen and published. Hacker group TeaMp0isoN is claiming responsibility.
Anonymous stops short of taking credit, but the hackers point out in a blog post that 62 thousand Paypal, Gmail, and AOL e-mail addresses and passwords have been published. In the same post, the group advises users on how to create more secure passwords to protect their data: "Use symbols, caps, lowercase, and numbers in your all your passwords."
Lulz Security has nabbed more than 700 documents, many classified, from Arizona police. The documents expose fears among force members of technology interfering with their ability to catch bad guys. Of particular concern, according to the documents, is an iPhone application that records police during arrests and saves the file to an external server where cops can't get it.
The exposure of the documents reportedly worries the department; they "could jeopardize the safety of many DPS officers and employees," a spokesperson writes in a statement to the media.
PBS has been hacked again. Somebody made off with usernames and encrypted passwords from administrators for the show Becoming American, the broadcaster says. The website for PBS show Frontline was defaced last month.
A lawsuit alleges Sony fired many network-security employees just before a recent intrusion into its PlayStation Network servers and theft of personal information, possibly including credit-card numbers and shut down its service for more than three weeks. Three victims of the breach seek the class-action suit against the tech company. The suit alleges Sony had reckless disregard for the security of customers' information.
Game developer Electronic Arts is finally acknowledging a previous intrusion into its BioWare server that exposed user accounts.
"While we have security controls in place, even the best software and processes can't keep up with hackers 100 percent of the time," the company writes on its forums. "We have moved swiftly to implement additional security controls to prevent this type of breach from happening again to secure your data and are conducting further evaluations now."
On-line security experts are warning Twitter users of a resurgence of a widespread scam, which tricks users into handing over control of their accounts to a third party. The concern is over tweets stating "I will follow back if you follow me," and a link to a service promising hundreds or thousands of followers -- but registration requires Twitter usernames and passwords. The service then hijacks accounts and promotes itself in users' names through tweets.
Canada's Loblaw grocery chain has shut its T&T Supermarket website down in response to an intrusion that the company fears could have exposed 58,000 users' personal information. Loblaw says the site was hacked on seven separate days stretching back to June 6. The company warns customers using the site for grocery orders and job applications to check their computers for malware.
Retaliating against hackers
Anonymous is complaining that Tumblr, which hosts its blog, has taken away its submission and ask pages. "We still want your submissions," reads a post on a scaled-down Your Anon News, "You have a voice. Let's use it." The group quickly set up a chat room with Tumblr address.
Anonymous' new partnership with Lulz Security is reportedly the motivation behind a new campaign to hack Lulz. Many Anons pride themselves on what they consider "ethical hacking", while Lulz has stated it cares not for ethics. The two groups began working to together on the presently active Operation Anti-Security, which is an attempt to steal classified government information.
Among the destruction, at least in Singapore, there is hope for better security as experts meet with the goal of developing a standard to authenticate "everyone and everything," anywhere. Plans call for use of Secure DNS in different facilities with five layers of security. The original infrastructure of the Internet, still in use, was never designed with security in mind.
In Canada, government promises to crack down on cyber crime by accessing information have prompted pressure group Open Media to circulate an on-line petition.
"We're looking at a future where a range of 'authorities' will have the ability to invade the private lives of law-abiliding Canadians and our families... without any justification," the group writes on its website. It calls the proposed laws "anti-Internet".
Web users can electronically "sign" the petition at stopsying.ca.
Cnet: http://goo.gl/X9oe5
Your Anon News: http://goo.gl/W2Ypa
IT World: http://goo.gl/QWb2u
CBS: http://goo.gl/MyxXE
Cnet: http://goo.gl/WUnIw
Toronto Star: http://goo.gl/czb3i
PCWorld: http://goo.gl/gzOBX
MSNBC: http://goo.gl/ztGGK
Thinq: http://goo.gl/bb2gE
New York Times: http://goo.gl/rccGv
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