Support from British businesses crucial in removing over 235000 … – National Cyber Security Centre
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Infamous British Hacker ‘PlugwalkJoe’ Receives Five-Year US Prison Sentence for Cryptocurrency Theft
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In a groundbreaking ruling, British hacker Joseph O’Connor, known as PlugwalkJoe in the online world, has been handed a five-year prison sentence in the United States.
Notorious British Hacker Sentenced to Five Years in US Prison for Cryptocurrency Theft
British hacker Joseph O’Connor, who is famously recognized as PlugwalkJoe in the digital realm, has received a significant five-year prison sentence in the United States. Following his arrest in Spain in July 2021, O’Connor was subsequently extradited to the US on April 26, 2023. His guilty plea in May encompassed various charges related to computer intrusions, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracies.
The announcement of O’Connor’s sentencing was disclosed by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York on June 23.
According to the statement, O’Connor has not been named, but it confirms that he gained unauthorized access to the accounts and computing systems of the exchange where the targeted executive worked by employing a SIM-swapping technique.
The court’s ruling includes not only the prison term but also a three-year period of supervised release. Additionally, O’Connor has been ordered to forfeit the exact amount he pilfered, which totals $794,012.64.
Furthermore, O’Connor’s criminal activities extend beyond the aforementioned SIM swap attack. He and his accomplices orchestrated the high-profile Twitter hack in July 2020, which netted them approximately $120,000 in stolen cryptocurrency.
The Twitter hack involved the deployment of social engineering techniques and SIM-swapping attacks, enabling O’Connor and his associates to seize control of around 130 prominent Twitter accounts.
Other Illegal Activities
In addition to their activities on Twitter, the group of cybercriminals also gained unauthorized access to two prominent accounts on TikTok and Snapchat. Exploiting their scheme, they deceived unsuspecting Twitter users and profited by selling access to compromised accounts.
One notable incident involved O’Connor attempting to blackmail a Snapchat victim by threatening to release private messages…
Spain Orders Extradition of British Alleged Hacker to U.S.
Spain’s National Court has agreed to the extradition to the U.S. of a British citizen who allegedly took part in computer attacks, including the July 2020 hacking of Twitter accounts of public figures such as Joseph Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Gates.
A court statement Friday said requirements had been met for handing over Joseph James O’Connor to U.S. authorities for 14 charges covering crimes such as revelation of secrets, membership of a criminal gang, illegal access to computer systems, internet fraud, money laundering and extortion.
O’Connor, 23, from Liverpool, England was arrested in the southern Spanish coastal town of Estepona in July 2021.
He is accused of hacking some 130 Twitter accounts. The court document said he is also wanted for hacking the Snapchat account of an unidentified public figure whom he allegedly tried to extort with the threat of publishing nude photographs of the person.
He is also wanted for several cases of “swatting,” prank calls to emergency services aimed at getting large numbers of police to be sent to different locations.
The court rejected arguments by O’Connor’s lawyers that he should be tried in Spain since the servers he used were located there.
The statement said he is wanted by courts in the Northern District of California and the Southern District of New York. The extradition order can be appealed.
Why British homes are at risk from ‘Trojan Horse’ smart devices
Hikvision has called concerns about its technology “unsubstantiated” and a “knee jerk reaction”.
There are concerns that China’s dominance of technology runs deeper than just consumer gadgets.
Ministers previously ordered telecoms companies to strip technology made by China’s Huawei from mobile and broadband networks by 2027, amid concerns it represented a national security risk, something the company always denied.
Three Chinese companies, Quectel, Fibocom and China Mobile, make up roughly half of global shipments of IoT cellular modules, according to data from Counterpoint Research. While these historically only processed tiny packets of data over 2G networks, increasingly they are picking up and transmitting more information over 4G and 5G mobile networks.
The proliferation of these IoT modules means that bugs or backdoors, whether left in by design or by accident, are a risk. Concerns have only mounted after a concealed tracking device was found in a government car, believed to have been planted in a part imported from China, the i reported.
Under Chinese law, the CCP can compel companies to aid intelligence gathering operations and provide customer data.
Parton has gone as far as to call for a ban on the sale and installation of new Chinese IOT kits that connect to cellular networks.
Parton, the former diplomat, who now works for the consultancy OODA, writes in a report sent to government officials: “[Chinese Communist Party] policy documents show the strategic importance of IOT technology to the party.
“In line with CCP industrial policy to promote global champions in new industries, IOT companies have benefited from the creation of a domestic market which excludes international competition.”
For now, the main risk presented by IOT technology appears to be weak security practices and cheap, hackable gadgets. But as China’s dominance continues to grow, a more strategic threat could be emerging.
A government spokesman said: “We are legislating to protect consumers’ connected devices, such as smartphones, TVs, speakers and routers, through new laws to strengthen their privacy and security.”
“It will ban sales in the UK of smart…