hackers News

Hacking Risk Shadows U.S. Business as Russia Threatens Critics

A swath of major American businesses — from major banks to utility companies — is preparing for possible cyberattacks against their computer networks as Russia on Thursday threatened “consequences” for nations that interfere with its invasion of Ukraine. Their concerns, …

Cyberattacks Accompany Russian Military Assault on Ukraine

BOSTON (AP) –The websites of Ukraine’s defense, foreign and interior ministries were unreachable or painfully slow to load Thursday morning after a punishing wave of distributed-denial-of-service attacks as Russia struck at its neighbor, explosions shaking the capital of Kyiv and …

Cyberattacks Increasingly Hobble Pandemic-Weary US Schools

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — For teachers at a middle school in New Mexico’s largest city, the first inkling of a widespread tech problem came during an early morning staff call. On the video, there were shout-outs for a new custodian …

US Unveils Plan to Improve Cyber Defenses For Water Utilities

WASHINGTON–The White House on Thursday unveiled a plan to beef up cybersecurity in the nation’s water sector, an extension of its efforts to thwart attacks against critical infrastructure including electricity and natural gas pipeline operators. Senior administration officials said water …

Delay in Creating New Cybersecurity Board Prompts Concern

RICHMOND, Va. (AP)–It’s a key part of President Joe Biden’s plans to fight major ransomware attacks and digital espionage campaigns: creating a board of experts that would investigate major incidents to see what went wrong and try to prevent the …

Ransomware Persists Even as High-Profile Attacks Have Slowed

WASHINGTON (AP)–In the months since President Joe Biden warned Russia’s Vladimir Putin that he needed to crack down on ransomware gangs in his country, there hasn’t been a massive attack like the one last May that resulted in gasoline shortages. …

Explainer: the Security Flaw That’s Freaked Out the Internet

BOSTON (AP) — Security pros say it’s one of the worst computer vulnerabilities they’ve ever seen. They say state-backed Chinese and Iranian hackers and rogue cryptocurrency miners have already seized on it. The Department of Homeland Security is sounding a …

Congressional Committee Seeks Lessons Learned From Ransomware Attack

In March 2021, CNA Financial Corp., one of the country’s largest insurance companies, suffered a ransomware attack from a cybercriminal group called Phoenix. The attackers pressured the insurer to pay up quickly by raising the ransom demand, claiming the data …

Iran-Backed Hackers Accused of Targeting Critical US Sectors

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hackers linked to the Iranian government have been targeting a “broad range of victims” inside the United States, including by deploying ransomware, according to an advisory issued Wednesday by American, British and Australian officials. The advisory says …

Justice Department Stepping Up Efforts to Combat Cybercrime

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is stepping up actions to combat ransomware and cybercrime through arrests and other actions, its No. 2 official told The Associated Press, as the Biden administration escalates its response to what it regards as …