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Van Nuys man indicted for allegedly selling ‘trojan’ malware to help others crack computers – Daily News

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Federal authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of a Van Nuys man who allegedly schemed to market and sell malware that gave purchasers control over computers and enabled them to access victims’ private communications, their login credentials and other personal information.

Edmond Chakhmakhchyan, 24, allegedly used the screen name “Corruption.” He was arrested Wednesday by special agents with the FBI. During his arraignment in federal court, he pleaded not guilty to charges contained in a two-count indictment and was ordered back to court on June 4. His bond was set at $70,000.

The indictment charges Chakhmakhchyan with one count of conspiracy to advertise a device as an interception device, to transmit a code to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer and to intentionally access a computer to obtain information, as well as one count of advertising a device as an interception device. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The indictment alleges an agreement between the malware’s creator and Chakhmakhchyan in which the defendant allegedly would post ads for the Hive remote access trojan, or RAT, on the Hack Forums website, accept Bitcoin payments for licenses to use the Hive RAT and provide customer service to those who purchased the licenses.

Customers purchasing the malware would transmit Hive RAT to protected computers and gain unauthorized control over and access to those devices, allowing the RAT purchaser to close or disable programs, browse files, record keystrokes, access incoming and outgoing communications and steal victim passwords and other credentials for bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, all without the victims’ knowledge or permission, according to the indictment.

Chakhmakhchyan allegedly began working with the creator of the Hive RAT, previously known as “Firebird,” about four years ago and advertised online the RAT’s many features.

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What is a VPN? What virtual private networks do & who needs them | The Daily Courier

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Fast Facts

A VPN can disguise your computer’s digital address, helping to keep you safer online.

VPNs allow users to avoid targeted ads and bypass regional content restrictions. 

Free VPNs exist, but paid options may provide better privacy.

There are plenty of benefits to having a virtual private network (VPN), even if you’ve never heard of one. It’s an additional layer of encryption that helps hide some of your data from prying eyes. 

Digital security has never been more important than it is in this modern era. Plus, if you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to watch Netflix on the other side of the world, a VPN can help you do that, too.

What is a VPN in simple terms?

VPN stands for a “virtual private network.” In a nutshell, it creates a third-party between you and the websites you want to access. 

A well-chosen VPN essentially scrambles some of your data — including your geographic location — making it harder for third parties like internet service providers (ISPs) or websites to collect it.

VPNs can also help you get past website blocks and censorship. For those in the U.S., demand for these nifty little gadgets has started to creep upward as multiple states have enacted ID verification laws for users wishing to access adult entertainment.

Related: Popular adult film star explains why she thinks Utah’s new age verification law won’t work

How does a VPN work? Virtual private networks for beginners

Internet service providers have access to mountains of personal data, which is used to, among many other things, sell you personalized ads. Our internet data is stored by these providers, and hackers can gain access to that data. In some parts of the world, including U.S. states, some content is censored — a VPN can also help you clear those kinds of digital hurdles.

A VPN works to encrypt your data, basically scrambling it all up in such a way that makes it harder to trace. More technically, it masks what’s called your internet protocol (IP) address. 

If the internet were the city you lived in, your IP address would be your computer’s home address. If you can see the benefit of getting a post office box, then you might want to consider a reputable VPN…

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Albanian Daily News – albaniandailynews.com

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Albanian Daily News  albaniandailynews.com

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Virginia Retirement System hack demands transparency and accountability – Daily Press

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Through no fault of their own, thousands of Virginians are learning that their names, social security numbers, birthdates and partial addresses may have been exposed on the internet as part of a massive data breach affecting millions of Americans.

Most of those whose personal information may have been compromised are retired public employees who receive pension benefits through the Virginia Retirement System. VRS initially told Channel 8 News in Richmond that active members of the retirement system were not affected by the hack, but later backed away from that blanket statement. The hack compromised personal information of some survivors and beneficiaries of retirees, a group that includes some current teachers and other state employees. As many as 230,000 people may be affected.

Retirement systems in other states have also been targeted by the hackers, as have other public pension and private-sector retirement plans, state and federal agencies. California’s public employee retirement system, the largest in the nation, announced in June that hackers had stolen confidential data of about 769,000 retirees and beneficiaries.

How did this happen? After all, those in the commonwealth’s retirement system don’t have a choice about giving their personal information to VRS. Was VRS careless with the data in its files? The answer is complicated.

Like many other retirement systems, VRS contracts with a company called Pension Benefits Information to verify information about retirees and guard against overpayment. PBI, like many organizations around the world, uses the MOVEit Transfer software to share data, supposedly securely.

In May, a Russian ransomware group calling itself Clop apparently discovered a flaw in the MOVEit Transfer software and exploited it to gain access to a great deal of confidential personal information before the flaw was discovered and repaired.

Clop and similar cyber criminals steal data and then demand ransom in exchange for not making the information public. Clop wasn’t zeroing in on retired Virginia public employees, but all those whose personal details are now in the hands of unscrupulous crooks should be concerned.

It’s a fact of 21st century life:…

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