Showing posts with label malware. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

The NSA mirrored version of Facebook

photo facebook-nsaspying_zpsd164f9c0.png

Desert Rose Creations  (C)  2014

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Snowden Docs Expose How the NSA "Infects" Millions of Computers, Impersonates Facebook Server

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Guests

Ryan Gallagher, reporter for The Intercept.

New disclosures from Edward Snowden show the NSA is massively expanding its computer hacking worldwide. Software that automatically hacks into computers — known as malware "implants" — had previously been kept to just a few hundred targets. But the news website The Intercept reports that the NSA is spreading the software to millions of computers under an automated system codenamed "Turbine." The Intercept has also revealed the NSA has masqueraded as a fake Facebook server to infect a target’s computer and exfiltrate files from a hard drive. We are joined by The Intercept reporter Ryan Gallagher.

Transcript

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: We turn now to our last segment, the latest on leaks from Edward Snowden. TheIntercept.org reported last week the National Security Agency is dramatically expanding its ability to covertly hack into computers on a mass scale by using automated systems that reduce the level of human oversight in the process. The Intercept also revealed the NSA has masqueraded as a fake Facebook server to infect a target’s computer and exfiltrate files from a hard drive.
Joining us now is Ryan Gallagher from The Intercept, co-wrote the piece, "[How] the NSA Plans to Infect 'Millions' of Computers with Malware." Explain, Ryan.
RYAN GALLAGHER: Hi, Amy. Yeah, and the story we wrote last week, really, the key thing about it is the extent to which these techniques have really rapidly escalated in the last decade. And what we can see and what we reported was that, since about 2004, the National Security Agency has expanded the use of what it calls these "implants," which are sort of malicious software implants within computers and computer networks, and even phone networks, to basically steal data from those systems. About 10 years ago, they had, they say, about a hundred and a hundred and—between a hundred and 150 of these implants, but within the last decade that expanded to an estimated 100,000, in some reports, and they’re building a system to be capable of deploying "millions," in their own words, of these implants.
AMY GOODMAN: The revelation around the issue of Facebook has led Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to call President Obama on Wednesday and demand an explanation. He later wrote in a blog post, quote, "I’ve been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we’re protecting you against criminals, not our own government."
RYAN GALLAGHER: Yeah, and Mark Zuckerberg was definitely very agitated, we think, about the report and seems to have got on the phone to Obama. And interestingly, the NSA later issued a—actually claimed that they hadn’t impersonated U.S. websites. However, their own documents actually say that they pretended to be the Facebook server for this particular surveillance technique, so their denial sort of doesn’t really hold up to scrutiny when compared with their own documents. And there’s a bit of sort of a—you know, there’s questions to be asked about that.
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Links

"How the NSA Plans to Infect ‘Millions’ of Computers with Malware" by Ryan Gallagher & Glenn Greenwald

"Compare the NSA’s Facebook Malware Denial to its Own Secret Documents," by Ryan Gallagher

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Robert Galbraith/Reuters

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) - Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg called President Obama on Wednesday night to express frustration about the government's spying and hacking programs.
"When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon.
It may seem disingenuous for the leader of a giant tech company that hoards your data (and sells it wholesale) to point an angry finger at government surveillance. But Zuckerberg's complaint is specifically aimed at one thing: hacking.
His concerns are based on the latest investigative report from The Intercept, which revealed that the National Security Agency has weaponized the Internet, making it possible to inject bad software into innocent peoples' computers en masse. Put simply, using the QUANTUM program, the NSA can sneak into someone's Web browser.
The report is based on documents provided by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden.

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Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Couple arrested in connection with Target credit card breach and a 17-year-old Russian teen suspected of being the architect of the malware which affected 100million customers

Baby-faced teen’s malware eyed in Target data breach

By Kaja Whitehouse

January 18, 2014 | 6:59am

Baby-faced teen’s malware eyed in Target data breach

Security company IntelCrawler posted these Web images of a 17-year-old Russian it says may be the architect of the malware that hacked up to 110 million Target customers, and of online chats (left) it used to track him.

This baby-faced teen is a key suspect in developing the software that was used in the massive security breach that hit as many as 110 million Target shoppers last holiday season, according to a shocking new report.
In addition, the malicious software, or malware, has infected the payment systems of six other retailers — a possible sign that a half-dozen other attacks are underway, a California cyber-security firm said in the report.
The firm, IntelCrawler, which has tracked the malware’s architect for months, said on Friday that its main suspect is a 17-year-old with “roots” in St.Petersburg, Russia, who goes by the online nickname “ree4.”

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Mexican couple arrested crossing into the US in connection with Target credit card breach which affected 100million customers

McAllen, Texas Police arrested Mary Carmen Garcia, 27, and Daniel Guardiola Dominguez, 28, on Sunday
The couple were crossing into the U.S. with credit cards believed to contain stolen account information from Target customers
An estimated 100million Target customers had their personal information released in a December security breach

By Ashley Collman
PUBLISHED: 18:10 EST, 20 January 2014 | UPDATED: 18:29 EST, 20 January 2014
Two Mexican nationals were arrested in south Texas yesterday in connection to the December Target credit card breach which compromised the personal bank information of an estimated 100million customers.

McAllen, Texas police arrested 27-year-old Mary Carmen Garcia and 28-year-old Daniel Guardiola Dominguez as they were trying to cross into the U.S. from Reynosa, Mexico. Both are from Monterrey, Mexico.

Police say the couple crossed into the U.S. last weekend with 100 fraudulent cards and spent tens of thousands of dollars and brought an addition 96 cards with them on Sunday.

Arrested: Police arrested 27-year-old Mary Carmen Garcia (left) and 28-year-old Daniel Guardiola Dominguez (right) trying to cross into the U.S. Sunday with credit card information believed to have been acquired in a December security breach of Target

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Russian teen misidentified in Target breach, expert says

Published January 20, 2014

FoxNews.com

The Russian teenager identified as the author behind the software used in the security breach that hit Target Corp. during the crucial holiday season may be incorrect. (AP)

A cyber security firm that fingered a Russian teen for the malware used to steal 70 million Target customers' credit card numbers appears to be backing off, but not quite backing down.
Last week, California-based IntelCrawler named 17-year-old Sergey Tarasov as the kid behind the massive breach, saying he had "roots" in St. Petersburg and goes by the online nickname "ree4." Tarasov was subsequently identified in numerous media reports. But in an update to its report released Monday

, IntelCrawler said another author crafted the code, though it still accused Tarasov of playing a role in the breach.
"Three days ago, IntelCrawler researchers claimed that they had found out who is the brains behind the malware used in the Target breach," security expert Brian Krebs

told FoxNews.com in an email. "A couple of hours ago, IntelCrawler changed their version of the events, publishing data that links another Russian VK profile to the affair, this time Rinat Shabayev."

So Intelcrawler apparently just changed its mind about the guy responsible for the Target POS malware. Now they have the right guy
— briankrebs (@briankrebs) January 20, 2014

IntelCrawler had originally released the name of Sergey Tarasov, which Krebs says was misspelled as Taraspov. While IntelCrawler has revised its initial report, the company still believes Tarasov is connected to the malware.

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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Patients notified about Universityof Washington Medicine security breach

Patients notified about UW Medicine security breach

by AMY MORENO / KING 5 News

Posted on November 30, 2013 at 4:18 PM

Updated yesterday at 5:24 PM

The University of Washington is warning thousands of patients that their personal information may have been compromised. In early October, an employee opened an email that contained malicious malware that took control of a computer containing patient information.

The hospital says it could impact about 90,000 patient records and is sending letters to warn people about the potential security breach. Some patients are wondering why it took so long to let them know about the possible problem.

The letters say the incident happened more than a month ago, but Patricia Shiras says she didn’t receive a letter until Friday.
“The delay in letting us know is appalling, if it happened October 2nd why are we just being notified the day after Thanksgiving,” Patricia Shiras said.

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