Tag Archive for: Man’

Van Nuys man indicted for allegedly selling ‘trojan’ malware to help others crack computers – Daily News

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Federal authorities on Thursday announced the arrest of a Van Nuys man who allegedly schemed to market and sell malware that gave purchasers control over computers and enabled them to access victims’ private communications, their login credentials and other personal information.

Edmond Chakhmakhchyan, 24, allegedly used the screen name “Corruption.” He was arrested Wednesday by special agents with the FBI. During his arraignment in federal court, he pleaded not guilty to charges contained in a two-count indictment and was ordered back to court on June 4. His bond was set at $70,000.

The indictment charges Chakhmakhchyan with one count of conspiracy to advertise a device as an interception device, to transmit a code to intentionally cause damage to a protected computer and to intentionally access a computer to obtain information, as well as one count of advertising a device as an interception device. Each count carries a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.

The indictment alleges an agreement between the malware’s creator and Chakhmakhchyan in which the defendant allegedly would post ads for the Hive remote access trojan, or RAT, on the Hack Forums website, accept Bitcoin payments for licenses to use the Hive RAT and provide customer service to those who purchased the licenses.

Customers purchasing the malware would transmit Hive RAT to protected computers and gain unauthorized control over and access to those devices, allowing the RAT purchaser to close or disable programs, browse files, record keystrokes, access incoming and outgoing communications and steal victim passwords and other credentials for bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, all without the victims’ knowledge or permission, according to the indictment.

Chakhmakhchyan allegedly began working with the creator of the Hive RAT, previously known as “Firebird,” about four years ago and advertised online the RAT’s many features.

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Identity Thief Lived as a Different Man for 33 Years

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It’s been a week since the world avoided a potentially catastrophic cyberattack. On March 29, Microsoft developer Andres Freund disclosed his discovery of a backdoor in XZ Utils, a compression tool widely used in Linux distributions and thus countless computer systems worldwide. The backdoor was inserted into the open source tool by someone operating under the persona “Jia Tan” after years of patient work building a reputation as a trustworthy volunteer developer. Security experts believe Jia Tan is the work of a nation-state actor, with clues largely pointing to Russia, although definitive attribution for the attack is still outstanding.

In early 2022, a hacker operating under the name “P4x” took down the internet of North Korea, after the country’s hackers had targeted him. This week, WIRED revealed P4x’s true identity as Alejandro Caceres, a 38-year-old Colombian American. Following his successful attack on North Korea, Caceres pitched the US military on a “special forces”-style offensive hacking team that would carry out operations similar to the one that made P4x famous. The Pentagon eventually declined, but Caceres has launched a startup, Hyperion Gray, and plans to further pursue his controversial approach to cyberwarfare.

In mid-February, millions of people lost internet access after three undersea cables in the Arabian Sea were damaged. Some blamed Houthi rebels in Yemen, who had been attacking ships in the region, but the group denied it had sabotaged the cables. But the rebel attacks are still likely to blame—albeit, in a bizarre way. A WIRED analysis of satellite images, maritime data, and more found that the cables were likely damaged by the trailing anchor of a cargo ship that the Houthi rebels had bombed. The ship drifted for two weeks before finally sinking, crossing paths with the cables at the time they were damaged.

The myth that Google Chrome’s Incognito mode provides adequate privacy protections can finally be put to rest. As part of a settlement over Google’s Incognito privacy claims and practices, the company has agreed to delete “billions” of records collected while users browsed in Incognito mode. It will also further clarify how…

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California man says fraudulent accounts opened, home purchased in his name since city of Oakland ransomware attack

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OAKLAND, Calif. — It’s been ten months since the city of Oakland, California’s network was hacked and the personal information of tens of thousands of people was leaked onto the dark web. Now, one victim says multiple accounts have been opened in his name, making fraudulent purchases, including a house.

Our sister station KGO was the first to report the city’s oversight — exposing dozens of victims who were never notified that their sensitive financial information was leaked.

“It’s a living nightmare,” said Oakland native Dedrick Warmack, as he anxiously checked his mailbox. “On the credit report, there’s credit cards that should’ve been closed, they’re now open with balances of $17,000 and $30,000.”

VIDEO: Dozens of Oakland ransomware victims never notified SSN were leaked on dark web

Dozens of victims of Oakland ransomware hack were never notified their social security numbers were leaked on the dark web, the I-Team found.

Warmack says his identity was stolen months after the city’s network was hacked.

“I have no idea how many accounts have been opened in my name,” he said.

Warmack says his credit score dropped more than 200 points, but he didn’t know at the time that was just the beginning.

At first, he says he started receiving strange phone calls and emails about refinancing a home. That was followed by letters he says he got from several banks notifying him of new accounts in his name.

“I knew something was going on,” he said.

Warmack is one of dozens of victims who previously filed a claim with the city alleging injury, but instead, ended up with their personal and financial information leaked.

Now, he says fraudulent checks are being made in his name.

RELATED: Oakland ransomware attack: Leaked data has more than 3.1K views on dark web

“Like this water and sewage bill for $2,000,” Warmack showed as he scrolled through his accounts. “This is not East Bay Mud…”

Warmack says some of the bills appear to be from New England.

“It says it’s an open balance, how can I have an open balance?”

From there — he says it only got worse.

“I’m getting notices about refinancing a home… and I’m like, I pay rent,” said Warmack. “Somebody has something in my name somewhere since October, I’ve been…

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Ex-GCHQ man jailed for life after stabbing US security worker

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  • By Harriet Robinson, Aruna Iyengar & PA Media
  • BBC News

Video caption,

CCTV of ex-GCHQ man’s attack on US security worker

A former UK intelligence worker has been jailed for stabbing a US government employee.

Joshua Bowles, from Cheltenham, attacked the woman in a leisure centre car park, three miles from GCHQ’s base, in March.

The 29-year-old was handed a life sentence at the Old Bailey, with a minimum term of 13 years.

Armed with two knives, Bowles punched and stabbed the woman repeatedly on 9 March, leaving her with cuts to her abdomen, chest and thigh.

The ex-computer software coding developer later said he had targeted her because he could not handle the “murky waters of ethics” and “the power that the American NSA have and the things they do”.

During sentencing, senior judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb found the stabbing was a “politically motivated attack” driven by “anger and resentment” towards GCHQ and women.

She rejected the defence claim that it was not a terrorist incident, saying Bowles’ internet history showed he had a “deep disaffection with society and a desire to challenge authority”.

The court heard Bowles had planned the attack and searched online for topics including US Unabomber terrorist Theodore Kaczynski, attacks on women, and white supremacy.

Image source, Counter Terrorism Policing

Image caption,

Joshua Bowles was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London

In a victim impact statement, the woman said using her attacker’s name made her “feel sick” and brought back “awful memories”.

She said she was “devastated” to find out they had worked in the same place, adding: “This attack has had a profound effect on me and it’s utterly and completely changed my life.

“Following the attack, I went from being in the best shape I had ever been to being the weakest I have ever been.”

On the day of the stabbing, the woman – referred to by code number 99230 – was followed as she and a friend left a Cheltenham leisure centre after a game of netball.

After hearing someone say “excuse me”, she turned and was punched repeatedly in the face.

‘Hated me’

She fought back, kicking and…

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