Tag Archive for: indicted

Kansas Man Indicted for Hacking, Tampering with a Public Water System – Homeland Security Today

/in


A Kansas man has been indicted on a federal charge accusing him of tampering with a public water system, Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard said Wednesday.

Wyatt A. Travnichek, 22, of Ellsworth County, Kansas is charged with one count of tampering with a public water system and one count of reckless damage to a protected computer during unauthorized access.

“Our office is committed to maintaining and improving its partnership with the state of Kansas in the administration and implementation of the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard. “Drinking water that is considered safe is essential to the protection of the public’s health.”

The indictment alleges that on or about March 27, 2019, in the District of Kansas, Travnichek knowingly accessed the Ellsworth County Rural Water District’s protected computer system without authorization. During this unauthorized access, it is alleged Travnichek performed activities that shut down the processes at the facility which affect the facilities cleaning and disinfecting procedures with the intention of harming the Ellsworth Rural Water District No. 1, also known as Post Rock Rural Water District.

“By illegally tampering with a public drinking water system, the defendant threatened the safety and health of an entire community,” said Lance Ehrig, Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division in Kansas. “EPA and its law enforcement partners are committed to upholding the laws designed to protect our drinking water systems from harm or threat of harm. Today’s indictment sends a clear message that individuals who intentionally violate these laws will be vigorously prosecuted.”

Upon conviction, the alleged crimes carry the following penalties:

Tampering with a Public Water System: Up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Reckless Damage to a Protected Computer During Unauthorized Access: Up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Read more at the Justice Department

(Visited 8 times, 1 visits today)

Source…

Swiss hacker indicted after claiming credit for breaching Nissan, Intel

/in


By Paresh Dave

(Reuters) – A Swiss computer hacker who has claimed credit for helping steal or distribute proprietary data from Nissan Motor Co, Intel Corp and most recently security camera startup Verkada was indicted on Thursday, U.S. prosecutors announced.

Till Kottmann, 21, remains in Lucerne and has been notified about the pending charges, the U.S. attorney’s office in Seattle said in a statement.

Kottmann did not immediately respond to a request for comment following the announcement of the indictment, which came after midnight in Lucerne.

Kottmann over the last year allegedly working with a group accessed internal files belonging to at least eight parties, including six unnamed companies, the Washington State Department of Transportation and an undisclosed federal agency, according to the indictment.

“Kottmann, and others, accessed protected computers, including ‘git’ and source code repositories as well as internal infrastructure, through use of stolen access keys, credentials and exploits,” the indictment said.

It added Kottmann overall hacked dozens of businesses and government agencies and purportedly published leaked data from over 100 entities.

In social media posts and on a website, Kottmann allegedly shared some of the information and took credit for breaches, the document said.

Dates and descriptions in the indictment related to two of the alleged hacks match Kottmann’s past statements about Intel and Nissan.

Intel declined to comment. Nissan and Verkada did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This month, Kottmann shared with Reuters recordings of live and archived surveillance footage Kottmann obtained from inside a Tesla factory, an Alabama jail and other facilities by gaining access to Verkada’s administrative system.

Prosecutors accused Kottmann of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse.

It was not immediately clear if or when Kottmann would be brought to the U.S. to face charges. Swiss authorities raided Kottmann’s residence last week.

(Reporting by Paresh Dave; additional reporting by Joseph Menn; Editing by Leslie Adler and Michael Perry)

Source…

North Korean military hackers indicted in cyber plot to rob banks, attack companies

/in


Three North Korean computer programmers have been charged in Los Angeles with conspiring to steal and extort more than $1 billion in a sweeping array of cyberattacks against banks, other companies and cryptocurrency traders around the world, federal authorities announced Wednesday.



Kotaro Koizumi et al. posing for the camera: From left, Park Jin Hyok, Kim Il and Jon Chang Hyok are accused of conspiring to steal more than $1 billion in a sweeping array of cyberattacks. (U.S. Justice Department)

© (U.S. Justice Department)
From left, Park Jin Hyok, Kim Il and Jon Chang Hyok are accused of conspiring to steal more than $1 billion in a sweeping array of cyberattacks. (U.S. Justice Department)

The hackers were working for a North Korean military agency, the Reconnaissance General Bureau, and pursuing strategic and financial goals of the country’s leader, Kim Jong Un, authorities said.

In an indictment unsealed Wednesday, a federal grand jury in Los Angeles charged that Jon Chang Hyok, Kim Il and Park Jin Hyok attacked banks, entertainment companies, online casinos, defense contractors, energy utilities and others in the U.S., Bangladesh, Mexico, Indonesia, Britain, Vietnam, Pakistan and other countries.



a group of people walking down a street next to a sign: Federal authorities say embarrassing emails of Sony executives were hacked by North Korean computer programmers and made public as revenge for the studio's release of "The Interview," a comedy that mocked North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

© (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)
Federal authorities say embarrassing emails of Sony executives were hacked by North Korean computer programmers and made public as revenge for the studio’s release of “The Interview,” a comedy that mocked North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong Un. (Christopher Polk / Getty Images)

The victims included Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. Embarrassing emails sent by Sony executives were made public in 2014, allegedly in retaliation for the studio’s release of “The Interview,” a comedy film that depicted the fictional assassination of Kim Jong Un. One of the accused hackers, Park, was charged in the Sony attack in 2018, and now the other two men are accused of having a hand in the incursion as well.

Beyond the Sony attack, the indictment announced Wednesday alleges a broader scheme to carry out various cybercrimes, including the attempted theft of $1.2 billion from banks across the globe, wide distribution of malicious cryptocurrency apps and spear-phishing campaigns to penetrate computer systems of U.S. defense contractors, the Pentagon and the U.S. State Department.

“As laid out in today’s indictment, North Korea’s…

Source…

Man indicted in $27M ransomware fraud case affecting Maryland senior living provider – News

/in


The Department of Justice last week announced a coordinated international law enforcement action against hackers who defrauded a Maryland senior living provider, among other victims, of more than $27 million.

Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins, a Canadian national, was indicted on conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, intentional damage to a protected computer, and transmitting a demand in relation to damaging a protected computer.

The indictment, filed in the Middle District of Florida, states that Vachon-Desjardins was part of a hacker ring known as NetWalker that extorted at least $27.6 million from companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges and universities through ransomware attacks.

As McKnight’s Senior Living previously reported, Lorien Health Services, which offers assisted living, skilled nursing and rehabilitation at nine locations in Maryland, was one of NetWalker’s alleged victims. The data breach last summer reportedly exposed the personal information of 47,754 residents.

The Justice Department said the ransomware attacks specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, “taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.” 

The government was able to seize approximately $454,530.19 in cryptocurrency from ransom payments to Vachon-Desjardins, as well as disable a “dark web” hidden resource used to communicate with NetWalker ransomware victims.

As part of the joint international effort, Bulgarian law enforcement seized computers affiliated with NetWalker. A dark web blog that posted the files of NetWalker victims who refused to pay the ransom now displays a graphic indicating that it was seized by government agencies.

According to court documents, once a victim’s computer network is compromised and data are encrypted, actors that deploy NetWalker deliver a ransom note to the victim. Hackers typically gain unauthorized access to a computer network days or weeks before delivering a ransom note, according to the Justice Department.

The department explained that NetWalker operates a “ransomware-as-a-service…

Source…