Tag Archive for: Fights

Hello, Ann Arbor: Behind the University of Michigan computer hack; legislator fights steep rents

/in


The school year started with an internet blackout for University of Michigan students.

And now we know a little more about why.

A third party hacked into the school’s computer system, prompting university officials to shut it down on Aug. 27, Sam Dodge recently reported.

An investigation into the hack revealed an unauthorized individual was able to access certain university systems from Aug. 23-27. The hacker had access to Social Security numbers, driver’s licenses or other government-issued identification numbers, financial account of payment card numbers and/or health information.

The university is continuing efforts to make the network more secure, according to the story.

Meanwhile, steep rents continue to cause a headache. They’ve even prompted a lawmaker who rents in the city to speak out.

State Rep. Carrie Rheingans, D-Ann Arbor, recently received an email notice from her landlord stating that her rent will increase by $6,000 per year, according to Ryan Stanton’s story. And if she doesn’t act soon, that price could go up.

The lawmaker introduced a bill into the Michigan Legislature on Sept. 7 that would repeal Michigan’s 1988 ban on rent control, restoring the ability of communities to enact local rent regulations.

Read more about those stories and others below.

Third-party gained access to University of Michigan systems, leading to August internet outage

Michigan lawmaker faces $6,000 rent hike after introducing rent control bill

Detroit-area hairstylist identified as woman killed in Washtenaw County crash

Court dismisses lawsuit declaring Ypsilanti-area nonprofit a public nuisance

Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Simple ingredients help Bao Space create authentic Asian cuisine

Ann Arbor voices opposition to widening U.S. 23 highway

Ypsilanti loses ‘fighter for good’ with death of attorney and former NAACP leader

What’s that? Developers pitch project for empty lot near Ann Arbor-area Lowe’s

New 80-unit project proposed for undeveloped portion of condo community near Ann Arbor

Trick-or-treat times for Halloween 2023 in Washtenaw County

About “Hello, Ann Arbor”: Each week, we deliver the big headlines straight to your inbox. “Hello, Ann Arbor” has also won awards…

Source…

FBI fights cyberattacks, ransomware scams

/in


New Mexico generally follows nationwide trends when it comes to destructive ransomware attacks, but there is one area where the state stands out: hacking efforts by foreign governments and “nation-state actors” that work on behalf of an outside government, says Juan Carlos Guerra, FBI supervisory special agent in Albuquerque.

That’s because of the number of national laboratories, military institutions and contractors and high-tech industries that call New Mexico home, he says.

Local FBI officials wouldn’t provide exact numbers or examples of such attacks, but Guerra says non-domestic bad actors generally “try to get a technical advantage over us, and cyber (attacks) are one way to do that.” So if an entity is developing a product or technology that’s not on the market yet, “that is something they would target,” he says.

The message the FBI is trying to spread in conjunction with October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month is that now is the time for businesses and individuals to protect against ransomware and cyber attacks of all kinds – not after the criminals have struck.

“This is not something that theoretically can happen,” Guerra says. “It’s happening.”

Ransomware occurs when malicious software, or malware, is downloaded onto a computer, locking files and networks until a victim agrees to pay a ransom. Sometimes even then, data that might contain sensitive information is destroyed.

It has happened to government agencies, businesses, medical providers, individuals and others throughout New Mexico and is proliferating partly because hackers are selling the codes that can be used to invade computer systems, Guerra says.

Top threats across the country, including in New Mexico, are ransomware and business email compromise scams, in which an employee is tricked into transferring money to the scammer.

Last year, more than 2,600 New Mexico victims reported losing almost $13 million in all internet scams, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Some protective steps include keeping software and operating systems up to date; making sure anti-virus programs are set to automatically update and run routine scans; backing up data…

Source…

Paralysed French hospital fights cyber attack as hackers lower ransom

/in


Issued on: Modified:

A hospital southeast of Paris has been crippled by an ongoing cyberattack, drastically reducing the number of patients who can be admitted and forcing a return to pre-digital workflows. Security experts are trying to retake control of the computer system as ransom negotiations continue.

The GIGN elite tactical force of the French gendarmerie is involved in negotiating with the hackers who targetted the Corbeille-Essonnes hospital 10 days ago.

The attack has blocked access to all medical imaging storage and patient admissions systems.

GIGN negotiators, who usually work on counter-terrorism and hostage release operations, have been communicating with the attackers via the Protonmail secure email service.

According to the Parisien newspaper, they have managed to talk down the ransom from $10 million to $1 million.

France won’t pay

Even if the ransom has been negotiated down, the hospital will not pay.

“Even if they ask for 150,000 euros, we will not pay. That is the rule that has been established,” the president of the board of the hospital, Medhy Zeghouf, told Le Parisien.

But the negotiations buy time for investigators who are trying to locate the attackers and regain access to the data.

The attack appears to be the work of the Lockbit group of Russian-speaking hackers, who have been behind several similar cyber attacks elsewhere in the world, notably in the United States, where private clinics are more likely to pay ransoms than hospitals in France.

Back to analogue

The hospital, meanwhile, continues to function, but at half capacity. Some 500 patients, including 13 children, have been transferred to other institutions.

Those patients left are being treated by doctors forced to communicate with pre-digital tools.

As digital security experts work to create a secure digital bubble around the hospital, staff have been prohibited from plugging in their computers.

Those most affected are the imaging services and the blood work laboratory, which have had to resort to burning data onto DVDs to share…

Source…

Paralysed French hospital fights cyber attack as hackers lower ransom demand

/in


Issued on:

A hospital southeast of Paris has been crippled by an ongoing cyberattack, drastically reducing the number of patients who can be admitted and forcing a return to pre-digital workflows. Security experts are trying to retake control of the computer system as ransom negotiations continue.

The GIGN elite tactical force of the French gendarmerie is involved in negotiating with the hackers who targetted the Corbeille-Essonnes hospital 10 days ago.

The attack has blocked access to all medical imaging storage and patient admissions systems.

GIGN negotiators, who usually work on counter-terrorism and hostage release operations, have been communicating with the attackers via the Protonmail secure email service.

According to the Parisien newspaper, they have managed to talk down the ransom from $10 million to $1 million.

France won’t pay

Even if the ransom has been negotiated down, the hospital will not pay.

“Even if they ask for 150,000 euros, we will not pay. That is the rule that has been established,” the president of the board of the hospital, Medhy Zeghouf, told Le Parisien.

But the negotiations buy time for investigators who are trying to locate the attackers and regain access to the data.

The attack appears to be the work of the Lockbit group of Russian-speaking hackers, who have been behind several similar cyber attacks elsewhere in the world, notably in the United States, where private clinics are more likely to pay ransoms than hospitals in France.

Back to analogue

The hospital, meanwhile, continues to function, but at half capacity. Some 500 patients, including 13 children, have been transferred to other institutions.

Those patients left are being treated by doctors forced to communicate with pre-digital tools.

As digital security experts work to create a secure digital bubble around the hospital, staff have been prohibited from plugging in their computers.

Those most affected are the imaging services and the blood work laboratory, which have had to resort to burning data onto DVDs to share information.

And it takes five times as…

Source…