U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero of the Southern District of New York on Friday sentenced former Amazon security engineer Shakeeb Ahmed to three years in prison in connection with a cryptocurrency hacking scheme.
Ahmed, 34, pleaded guilty to one count of computer fraud in December, acknowledging that he hacked two crypto exchanges and stole more than $12 million in cryptocurrency in the summer of 2022. He was ordered to forfeit about $12.3 million and pay more than $5 million in restitution.
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1. Negotiated Credentials Were Involved in 20% of the Cyber Attacks.
One out of every five cyber-attacks happens because someone’s digital keys got stolen. It’s like leaving your house key under the doormat—except it’s your sensitive information at risk instead of your house. These compromised credentials open the door for cyber intruders, giving them a free pass to wreak havoc on your digital life. These statistics remind you to strengthen your passwords, change them every few months, and stay vigilant because protecting your passwords is as essential as locking the doors to your home.
2. New and Small Businesses Report Attacked by Phishing Scams or Hackers Every 11 Seconds.
Within the blink of an eye, a small business somewhere is under siege by an online robber. It takes just 11 seconds for these cyber scoundrels to strike like clockwork, targeting the heart of someone’s entrepreneurial dream. It’s like a relentless game of digital cat and mouse, where these small businesses, often the backbone of communities, are left vulnerable. It’s a stark reminder that in this digital age, safeguarding these businesses isn’t just about protecting profits; it’s about preserving livelihoods and the spirit of entrepreneurship.
3. Human Mistakes or Errors Led to 95% of Data Breaches.
Almost all data breaches happen because of simple human slip-ups. It’s like misplacing keys to a treasure chest—except this treasure chest holds sensitive information. These errors, whether clicking on the wrong link or sharing info where it shouldn’t go, open the floodgates for cyber trouble. It’s not just about machines; regular folks unintentionally leave the back door open for digital intruders. It’s a reminder that behind every breach stat, there’s a missed step, a moment of oversight. But it also means we can tighten these digital locks through awareness and caution.
4. Identifying a Security Breach Takes More Than 206 Days.
Digital security breaches are the hidden leaks of the cyber world, often evading detection for extended periods while attackers operate unnoticed. According to statistics, identifying a network infiltration or data hack…
New Zealand’s political establishment and media have joined the US and Britain in a campaign vilifying China over charges of espionage. The country’s main intelligence agency—the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB)—confirmed an alleged breach immediately after the UK and US accused China of similar, but “higher level,” attacks.
GCSB director-general Andrew Clark (left) and NZSIS director-general Andrew Hampton speaking at a parliamentary select committee hearing on March 26. [Photo by www.parliament.nz / CC BY-ND 1.0]
Defence Minister Judith Collins stated on March 26 that the Parliamentary Service and Parliamentary Counsel Office had been targeted in a China-linked 2021 cyberattack. The Parliamentary Service provides administrative and support services to parliament and MPs, while the Parliamentary Counsel Office is responsible for drafting and publishing legislation. Collins said it was the first cyber-attack on New Zealand’s “democratic institutions” she was aware of.
According to GCSB director Andrew Clark, in August 2021 the agency became aware of “malicious activity” that compromised the parliamentary offices. He claimed that an investigation linked the hack to China’s ministry of state security and an affiliated group known as APT40, and because the breach was “detected quickly,” no sensitive data was taken.
A Chinese embassy spokesperson rejected the accusations as “groundless and irresponsible” and lodged diplomatic protests expressing “strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition.” The statement came shortly after New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters had cautioned China against “further interference.”
The sudden bringing forward of an alleged breach dating back to 2021 is clearly part of a co-ordinated operation with New Zealand’s allies in the Five Eyes spy network, which is led by the US and also includes Australia and Canada. Over the past week, US and British officials have filed charges, imposed sanctions, and accused Beijing over an alleged cyber-espionage campaign claimed to hit “millions” of people, including lawmakers, academics, journalists and others.
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Among the targets of the attacks: British Minister for Europe Nusrat Ghani, an IPAC member at the time of the attacks who was appointed in her role as minister on Tuesday, and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský, also a member of the group.
“This just proves the assessment in our Security Strategy, which states that the rising assertiveness of China is a systemic challenge that needs to be dealt with in coordination with our trans-Atlantic allies,” Lipavský told POLITICO in a comment. The cyberattacks took place about a year before Lipavský became a minister.
Ghani, while a parliament backbencher in 2021, told the U.K. parliament in July 2021 that China hacked IPAC accounts and called on the government to act swiftly. The U.S. indictment says China targeted 43 U.K. parliamentary accounts, most of whom were members of IPAC.
Invited to respond, Ghani did not dismiss she was among the group of politicians that was targeted by the campaign. The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office did not provide a comment in time for publication.
U.S. prosecutors said in their indictment that the Chinese hacking group had conducted cyberattacks on American political and state officials since at least 2015, including by posing as prominent American journalists to trick victims into clicking links that extract information on their whereabouts and digital devices.
The hackers used more harmful software tools in other campaigns targeted at the U.S.; the indictment did not say these tools were used against European targets in the 2021 email campaign targeted at IPAC members.
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