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Combating counterfeit microchips // by Dr. James Hayward, Ph.D, Sc.D.
Dr. James Hayward, the chairman, president, and CEO of Applied DNA Sciences, argues that the U.S. government needs to do more to prevent corrupted microchips from entering U.S. computers that make it easier for hackers and foreign governments to infiltrate networks
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Malware imported into U.S. on foreign-made components
A high level DHS official acknowledged that malware built into imported electronic components sold in the United States poses a serious threat to U.S. economy and security; he also said it was a complex threat which the federal government has been trying to address in different ways; Greg Schaffer, acting deputy undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at DHS, said the threat is “one of the most complicated and difficult challenges we have”
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AntiSec hacks IRC Federal, posts passwords online
Last Friday, AntiSec, a prominent hacking group, announced that it had successfully infiltrated the servers of IRC Federal; the company has contracts with several major government agencies including the Department of Justice, the Army, Navy, and NASA; in an announcement on their website, AntiSec wrote, “We laid nuclear waste to their systems, owning their pathetic Windows box, dropping their databases and private emails, and defaced their professional looking website”
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Critical vulnerability found in Apple iPhones and iPads
Apple is scrambling to develop a fix for a software vulnerability that leaves its iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices susceptible to hackers; according to Germany’s Federal Office for Information Security, which discovered the critical software vulnerability, hackers can steal confidential data from the devices without the user even suspecting it by exploiting a flaw in the program that allows users to “jail-break” their devices and run non-Apple software
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Foreign made chips could be allowing hackers into U.S. networks
Foreign-made computer parts could be manufactured with flaws or viruses that make it easier for hackers to later infiltrate U.S. computer networks; last week before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Greg Schaffer, DHS’s acting deputy undersecretary national protection and programs director, admitted that some foreign chips are being made with security vulnerabilities
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Top hackers to teach children at DEFCON Kids
At an upcoming gathering of some of the world’s most talented hackers, children will have the opportunity to learn hacking skills from the best;DEFCON, the infamous annual gathering of hackers, will hold DEFCON Kids for the first time; the decision to teach children hacking skills is controversial and is even drawing criticism from members within the DEFCON community
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Apple latest victim of Anonymous cyberattacks
Apple appears to be the latest victim of the mysterious group of international hackers known as Anonymous; the data breach appears to be relatively minor as the hackers only infiltrated a survey used to process technical support follow-up surveys and obtained twenty-seven internal Apple user names and passwords
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Cybercrime statistics wildly inaccurate, says researcher
A cybersecurity researcher is questioning the various statistics that government officials and IT companies use as evidence of the rampant and deleterious effects of hackers; Cormac Herley, a principal researcher at Microsoft Research, argues that the existing data on the estimated losses from cyberattacks is wildly inaccurate to the point that analysts have no idea what the problem’s economic impacts are; one expert, noting that estimates of the annual cost of cybercrime range from $560 million to $100 billion to $1 trillion, asks: “How can this be? How can you have estimates of the same problem ranging across three orders of magnitude?”
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International hacking group calls it quits
After a series of high-profile cyberattacks including attacks on Sony, the U.S. Senate, and the Arizona State Police’s websites, the international hacking group known as LulzSec has announced that they are officially disbanding; the group’s announcement comes shortly after British authorities working in conjunction with the FBI arrested a U.K. teenager for his affiliation with LulzSec; the group maintains that its decision was unrelated
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Arizona police network latest LulzSec cyber victim
In the latest string of attacks on government computer networks by LulzSec, an international hacker network, the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s computer network was broken into and the group is publicly releasing hundreds of law enforcement documents
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Study finds nearly 90 percent of businesses victim of cyber attacks
A recent survey of information technology (IT) security professionals reveals that cyberattacks are on the rise and businesses have had difficulty defending their networks; 84 percent admitted to having been the victim of a cyber attack; these attacks have been costly causing a majority of companies an estimated $500,000 or more in lost revenues, cash outlays, business disruptions, and other expenses
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Estonia pushes for joint EU cyber response
European Union security officials recently met in Brussels for the European Security Round Table to discuss the creation of a unified approach to cybersecurity; the meeting’s organizers say the event was designed to promote “a comprehensive policy approach to cyber-security among EU institutions”; attendees included representatives from the European Parliament, the European Defense Agency, NATO, and private security organizations
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DHS warns of critical vulnerabilities in Chinese software
Last week DHS warned that control software widely used in China’s weapons systems, utilities, and chemical plants has dangerous weaknesses that leave it open to hackers; the warning, issued by the DHS Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team (ISC-CERT), stems from critical vulnerabilities found in SCADA software developed by Beijing’s Sunway ForceControl Technology
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Teenage hacker brings down British law enforcement agency's website
A nineteen year old has been arrested by British authorities for attacking the website of the Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA); the teenager has also been charged with bringing down the websites of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry and the British Phonographic Industry; the FBI worked in conjunction with British investigators; authorities believe the hacking group LulzSec is behind the attacks
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China's sustained cyberattacks on U.S. are an economic, strategic threat
China has been engaged in a sustained guerrilla cyber war against the United States, with two goals in mind: first, stealing research and development, software source code, manufacturing know-how, and government plans; second, to counter American military superiority by threatening to damage the underpinning of the U.S. economy; that Congress and the administration do nothing in the face of these cyber assaults is puzzling
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More headlines
The long view
Ransomware Attacks: Death Threats, Endangered Patients and Millions of Dollars in Damages
A ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a company that processes 15 billion health care transactions annually and deals with 1 in 3 patient records in the United States, is continuing to cause massive disruptions nearly three weeks later. The incident, which started on February 21, has been called the “most significant cyberattack on the U.S. health care system” by the American Hospital Association. It is just the latest example of an increasing trend.
Chinese Government Hackers Targeted Critics of China, U.S. Businesses and Politicians
An indictment was unsealed Monday charging seven nationals of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) with conspiracy to commit computer intrusions and conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their involvement in a PRC-based hacking group that spent approximately 14 years targeting U.S. and foreign critics, businesses, and political officials in furtherance of the PRC’s economic espionage and foreign intelligence objectives.
Autonomous Vehicle Technology Vulnerable to Road Object Spoofing and Vanishing Attacks
Researchers have demonstrated the potentially hazardous vulnerabilities associated with the technology called LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, many autonomous vehicles use to navigate streets, roads and highways. The researchers have shown how to use lasers to fool LiDAR into “seeing” objects that are not present and missing those that are – deficiencies that can cause unwarranted and unsafe braking or collisions.