Tag Archive for: John

Pastor John Gray’s church hit by ransomware attack


Relentless Church Pastor John Gray |

Relentless Church in South Carolina has suffered a ransomware attack and its head Pastor John Gray cautioned the culprits, warning, “You’re not attacking us, you’re attacking the God that we serve.”

Upon discovering an external attack on the church’s servers, Gray told NBC News affiliate WYFF in Greenville that the church’s IT team took immediate action, adding that they subsequently hired a top security firm to examine the breach’s source and safeguard the data of both the church and its congregation.

Gray also released a statement: “Anyone who would seek to harm a church, you’re not attacking us, you’re attacking the God that we serve, and you don’t want to go against him. We are very confident that our data is secured, and our congregation’s information is protected.”

Gray assured the congregation that services and programs would proceed as usual. “We’re going to continue with ministry as usual, and we’re not going to allow this to stop us or hinder us in any way,” he said.

Addressing the perpetrators directly in an interview with WYFF, Pastor Gray warned, “If I were you, I’d leave the things of God alone, and make an honest living instead of trying to steal from people who are doing their best to live a right, upright life.”

This is not the first time a church has reported being hit by a cyber attack.

In 2016, an alleged terrorist group called United Cyber Caliphate took credit for hacking Michigan’s Lamont Christian Reformed Church’s website.

“I clicked on the website and all of the sudden this video pops up, and I’m like, what is going on?” a church member was quoted as saying at the time in an interview with Fox 17. The video played, reading, “We will conquer your Rome, break your crosses and enslave your women by the permission of Allah, the Exalted.”

Consumers often receive unsolicited commercial emails or spam, which can sometimes serve as a means for criminals to contact potential victims for fraudulent schemes or identity theft, according to the Department of Justice, which encourages victims to report such unsolicited emails to the appropriate law enforcement…

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AtScale names John Langton as VP of worldwide engineering


AtScale has appointed John Langton as the company’s new vice president of worldwide engineering. In this role, John will run global engineering and R&D for AtScale, managing teams in the Bay Area, Boston, Sofia (Bulgaria) and in remote locations.

This position is an expansion of his role at AtScale, having joined earlier this year to lead the company’s artificial intelligence (AI) engineering initiatives. John brings over 20 years of experience with applied AI technologies and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) development to AtScale.

“I have known John for years and have invested in the company he founded and led through growth and acquisition,” said Chris Lynch, CEO of AtScale.

“His impact and leadership were immediately felt when he joined the AtScale team to lead AI/ML engineering earlier this year. I am extremely excited he has taken on this broader role, as we continue to redefine the modern notion of a semantic layer for data and analytics.”, Lynch continued.

Prior to joining AtScale, John was the CTO at Linus Health, a healthcare-focused SaaS company, where he drove the technology strategy behind the company’s next generation cognitive health solutions. He served in various AI/ML leadership roles at Wolters Kluwer, where he created the first healthcare AI team, and at athenahealth.

Prior to that, he was the founder and CEO of VisiTrend, a developer of interactive visual and security analytics that worked closely with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) until its acquisition by Carbon Black. John began his career at Charles River Analytics and holds a PhD in Computer Science from Brandeis.

“AtScale is transforming the way organizations leverage their data assets,” added Langton.

“Since joining earlier this year, I have come to appreciate the founding vision of creating a new technology category around the concept of a semantic layer. I am beyond excited to be part of the next chapter of AtScale.”, Langton continued.

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Hacker Gains Access To Tractor Diagnostics With New John Deere Jailbreak


An Australian-based hacker known as Sick Codes has developed a new jailbreak for John Deere tractors, as reported by Wired.

Sick Codes was able to trick John Deere tractor touchscreens into thinking they were being accessed by a certified dealer. This allows access to machine logs stored on a tractor’s touchscreen computer, which can be used to diagnose and repair problems.

Further hacking involved using small processors called microcontrollers wired into the computer’s circuitry to to unlock more functionality. Sick Codes was then able to gain unrestricted root access to the tractor’s computer, allowing him to dive in, look at, and change anything at will. The work primarily focused on John Deere’s 2630 and 4240 touchscreens, which are among the brand’s most widely-used models.

The hack was revealed at a talk at DEF CON, a security conference run in Nevada each year. Sick Codes demonstrated his mastery of the hardware by showing the John Deere touchscreen running a modified farm-themed version of Doom.

Restrictions put in place by equipment manufacturers have often forced farmers to wait for dealers to step in to repair their tractors. Farmers don’t like waiting around during frantic harvest times, though, and often resent not being allowed to fix their own machines. Hacks that provide access to crucial repair features have thus become popular, while others have returned to using older equipment to avoid the digital lockouts on modern rigs.

Many farmers have called for “Right To Repair” legislation that promises them unrestricted access to the machines they’ve paid for. Calls are also being made to stop manufacturers from denying owners from warranty coverage if they choose to make their own repairs.

Being able to unlock a John Deere computer and get full diagnostic information will be helpful to many farmers. On the flip side, it’s likely the news will lead to John Deere fixing these security holes in future hardware. Thus, the to-and-fro between hackers and manufacturers will rage on for some time yet.

Got a tip? Let the author know: [email protected]

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Far North mayoral race: Nine tussle to replace retiring mayor John Carter


Nine candidates are vying for the position of Far North mayor, representing a number of different sectors in the community, including Māori, business, farming and parents.

The candidates are Jaqi Brown, Ann Court, Clinton Dearlove, Kevin Middleton, Joshua Riley, Kelly Stratford, Moko Tepania, John Vujcich and Rachel Witana.

Three-term mayor John Carter, and former MP, is standing down this year.

The Far North faced a number of controversies in the last term, including reclassification of significant natural areas – which many people described as a “land grab”, the Government’s new Three Waters amalgamation and new Māori wards.

READ MORE:
* Running for mayor in the top of the country? Here’s what you need to know
* Significant Natural Areas (SNAs) in the Far North: What you need to know
* Far North District Council about turns, votes for Māori wards

Stuff asked each mayoral candidate to describe themselves in one sentence, if they represent a minority and to explain what they hope to achieve in Whangārei.

Jaqi Brown

Jaqi Brown is of Ngāpuhi, Croatian and English descent, has served three terms on the Te Hiku Community Board. She is mother to seven.

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Jaqi Brown is of Ngāpuhi, Croatian and English descent, has served three terms on the Te Hiku Community Board. She is mother to seven.

Brown, from Ahipara, is of Ngāpuhi, Croatian and English descent, and has served three terms on the Te Hiku Community Board.

“I have a passion for finding solutions to life’s jigsaw puzzles, having parented seven children – my own two and five whāngai [fostered] – I’ve learned to wedge open doors to advocate for those less able to speak for themselves.

“I’ve participated in a plethora of community initiatives and committees and boards to see things stood up for the betterment of our community, all while holding down a full-time job or two, to give me the experience and knowledge I need to become mayor.”

Brown said she is standing for mayor to ensure the community voice is heard at the council table, and to champion the unique region using her governance, networking, advocacy and taha Māori skills.

Ann Court

Ann Court is a married mother of three, who has been in local government since 1995.

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Ann Court is a married mother of three, who has been in local government since 1995.

Court is currently deputy mayor and was first elected to local government in 1995.

“I am a married mother of…

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