Tag Archive for: ‘fun’
Couple deletes Holiday Inn data for fun after ransomware attack fails
A Vietnamese couple deleted Holiday Inn data from s computers after their ransomware attack failed, saying they did it for fun.
The hackers, who contacted the BBC on Saturday, September 17, said they had deleted the data “for fun”.
According to the evidence provided by the pair they said they were able to access the computers of the Holiday Inn owners, International Hotels Group (IHG) with relative ease.
The group, which owns around 6,000 hotels, received numerous complaints in the week saying that people were having problems booking. The company initially responded by saying that the system was undergoing maintenance, before admitting that they were the subject of a hacking attempt.
Calling themselves TeaPea, the hackers used an encrypted Telegram message to contact the BBC. They provided images as evidence of the hack, images that the company has confirmed are genuine.
The images show that the hackers gained access to servers, emails and Microsoft Teams chats, but were unable to use that access to install ransomware as the company isolated servers before they could so.
Instead the couple who deleted the Holiday Inn data said: “Our attack was originally planned to be a ransomware but the company’s IT team kept isolating servers before we had a chance to deploy it, so we thought to have some funny [sic]. We did a wiper attack instead.
“We don’t feel guilty, really. We prefer to have a legal job here in Vietnam but the wage is an average $300 (€300) per month. I’m sure our hack won’t hurt the company a lot.”
IHG says customer-facing systems are returning to normal although disruptions continue to be experienced as the company works to rebuild the data. Although the hackers say they took no data that has yet to be confirmed by IHG.
The hackers said they gained access to IHG’s internal IT network by tricking an employee into downloading a malicious piece of software, which gave them access. After that, they were able to use weak passwords to access the systems.
A spokeswoman for IHG told the BBC that password vault details were secure. She went on to say they had to evade “multiple layers of security”, adding that “IHG employs a…
This 26-year-old went from entering competitions for fun to making it his career – Mothership.SG
As the saying goes, do what you love and you won’t ever have to work a day in your life.
Bryan Phee was a first-year Engineering Science undergraduate when he entered his first capture-the-flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition.
CTF competitions require participants to pit their skills against each other in a battle to complete a challenge or as many challenges as possible within a given amount of time.
“The nature of these CTFs is to use one’s knowledge, resourcefulness and all sorts of creative ways to hunt for flags that are hidden,” shared Phee.
Although he did not win his first challenge, he was hooked.
“It’s like playing detective,” said Phee of what draws him to such competitions, which he has continued to play even after graduation.
Through the competitions, Phee was drawn into the arena of cyber security which inspired him to pursue his further studies and career in the field.
“It started off purely out of interest but reading more about the field of cybersecurity and learning more about its importance made me want to dive deeper into it as a career.”
That impetus drove him to pursue a Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and from there, he landed a job at Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT) as a cybersecurity engineer, a position he has held for the past two years.
CTFs and mobile security threats
“There are really tough CTFs that even Cybersecurity professionals find challenging,” said Phee.
One such CTF is the annual TISC (The InfoSecurity Challenge) organised by CSIT which will be held from Aug. 26 to Sep. 11.
Sharing more about TISC, Phee said, “The whole competition is made up of multiple challenges in increasing order of difficulty. These challenges cover a range of Cybersecurity topics such as Web Pen-testing, Forensics, Reverse Engineering and Mobile Security, just to name a few.”
One of the levels is a challenge on Mobile Security which Phee helped to create.
“Mobile security is something that affects most of us, and yet, not many people really understand enough about it.”
Besides transitioning from competitor to creator, another highlight of Phee’s job at CSIT is that he is…
CSM Velocity Center Joins Town Of Indian Head’s 101st Anniversary Festivities Sept. 25, Showcases ‘Art Of Innovation’ With Activities And Fun | thebaynet.com | TheBayNet.com
INDIAN HEAD, Md. – The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) is joining in the day-long festivities to celebrate the 101st anniversary of the Town of Indian Head Sept. 25 by hosting the “Art of Innovation” at the CSM Velocity Center. The public is invited to visit the Velocity Center throughout the day to enjoy an art exhibit, musical improvisation, games of giant Jenga, face painting and see presentations highlighting innovative technologies including robotics, 3-D printing and prototypes. Visitors will also have the chance to learn about the accomplishments of the Talons, CSM’s nationally ranked robotics team, and meet members of CSM’s Society of Women Engineers and National Society of Black Engineers.
“We couldn’t be more excited to spend the day in Indian Head to commemorate the town’s historic milestone and host a day of fun and community fellowship,” said CSM Associate Vice President of Continuing Education and Workforce Development Ellen Flowers-Fields. “We are very proud of the Velocity Center and the role that our community college plays in support of the Navy and in the economic revival of the Town of Indian Head. We are eager to show it off and meet our neighbors and visitors face-to-face.”
The CSM Velocity Center – where education and innovation meet – opened its doors one year ago during a Sept. 17, 2020 socially distant ribbon-cutting ceremony before about 1,300 Facebook Live onlookers. At the time, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division was marking its 130th anniversary and the Town of Indian Head was marking its 100th anniversary, but the Navy and the town were unable to celebrate their milestones in grand fashion due to pandemic restrictions.
The Town of Indian Head’s Sept. 25 activities to celebrate its 1920 incorporation and commemorate its centennial anniversary – plus one year – include a parade, amusement rides, live entertainment and a firework show in around the Village Green Park & Pavilion and the Indian Head Senior Center. The town’s events start at 9 a.m. and end after dark.
The Velocity Center’s ‘Art of Innovation’ activities will be held 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. In addition to…