Tag Archive for: radical

Despite word of ‘radical malware attack,’ it took hours to shut down Suffolk’s computer network

/in


The email sent at 11:18 a.m. on Sept. 8 from a top computer manager at the Suffolk County Clerk’s Office to the Bellone administration’s technology commissioner was as blunt as it was chilling.

“We are currently experiencing a radical malware attack and we shut down all outside access to the systems until such time as we are safe,” said the email, which was obtained by Newsday.

Yet, more than four hours had elapsed before the rest of the county’s computer networks, encompassing nearly 600 servers from Hauppauge to Riverhead, were severed from access to the outside world, starting the clock on the county’s broader response to one of the most devastating ransomware attacks faced by a U.S. municipality of any size in the history of such cyberattacks.

A series of emails obtained by Newsday from the day of the attack and the day prior show that awareness of the attack had been slowly dawning on technology staff and officials in the 24 hours preceding the shutdown. Among those was the actual ransomware message, first circulated at 10:53 a.m. on Sept. 8, 25 minutes before the clerk’s office shut down.

WHAT TO KNOW

  • More than four hours passed between the time Suffolk County was warned of a “radical malware attack” and most of the county’s computer networks were shut down.
  • Emails obtained by Newsday show that awareness of the attack had been slowly dawning on technology staff and officials in the 24 hours preceding the shutdown.
  • The cyberattack on Suffolk could be one of the most expensive attacks in U.S. history on municipal governments.

Whether the four-hour lag in shutting down all county computer networks caused a sizable loss of data is open for debate. One tech expert called it “significant,” but said that considerably more data could have been taken in the days and weeks before the Black Cat/ALPHV message was first noted in a 10:53 email. Suffolk Comptroller John M. Kennedy Jr. said it likely made the difference between the clerk’s unscathed backup data and the impacts that continue to ripple through Bellone administration operations. 

The emails obtained by Newsday provide a limited look inside the attack at the time it was happening, chiefly…

Source…

Supreme Court Issues Radical New Reading of Anti-Hacking Law

/in


Morning commuters walk by The U.S. Supreme Court building May 24, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Morning commuters walk by The U.S. Supreme Court building May 24, 2021 in Washington, DC.
Photo: Anna Moneymaker (Getty Images)

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday said a Georgia police officer had not violated the country’s main anti-hacking law by improperly accessing a government database for financial gain, a decision likely to curtail prosecutions under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) of individuals who misuse computer systems to which they have legal access.

The police officer, Nathan Van Buren, was arrested and charged under the 1986 law after accepting payment from an FBI informant to search a law enforcement database of license plate information. The government charged Van Buren with violating the CFAA, which prohibits people from knowingly “exceeding” their “authorized access” to a computer system.

The ruling is widely viewed as a win for criminal defense lawyers who’ve long criticized the statute as overly ambiguous and who’ve accused prosecutors of employing an overly expansive interpretation. The government has previously brought charges under the CFAA against people accused of violating corporate computer policies and website terms of service.

The ruling is “an important victory for civil liberties and civil rights enforcement in the digital age,” the American Civil Liberties Union said.

In its 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court found Van Buren’s use of the license plate database—however improper—was not “unauthorized,” insofar as the CFAA is concerned.

G/O Media may get a commission

“In sum, an individual ‘exceeds authorized access’ when he accesses a computer with authorization but then obtains information located in particular areas of the computer—such as files, folders, or databases—that are off limits to him,” the court’s opinion, delivered by Justice Amy Coney Barrett, says.

Barrett went on to note the government has never argued that Van Buren was prohibited from accessing the database, even if his motives for doing so, in this case, were immoral. “The only question is whether Van Buren could use the system to retrieve license-plate information. Both sides agree that he could,” she wrote.

Justices Clarence Thomas,…

Source…

Radical Folding iPhone Design, MacOS Malware Problems, Apple’s Russian Accommodation

/in


Taking a look back at another week of news and headlines from Cupertino, this week’s Apple Loop includes a folding iPhone concept, new iOS security features, new AirPods delay, latest TouchID technology, iPad Pro launch details, Apple’s Russian Accommodation, macOS malware, the discontinued HomePod, and the power of loyalty to Apple.

Apple Loop is here to remind you of a few of the very many discussions that have happened around Apple over the last seven days (and you can read my weekly digest of Android news here on Forbes).

Folding The iPhone 13 In Half

When the iPhone 13 is released later this year, it’s expected to carry on Apple’d existing design language. But what if all of Apple’s R&D in folding phones was to come to fruition in a one-off device? The team from Let’s Go Digital and Technizo Concept have gathered all the information to give us a look at what a modern iFlip would look like:

“Probably the first foldable iPhone will use a flexible display panel from Samsung. It seems to be an OLED screen, although mini LED is not excluded. For the product renders, we have assumed that Apple will maintain the notch, but reduce it, just as with the iPhone 12s / iPhone 13 models expected later this year.”

Let’s Go Digital.

Apple’s New iOS Security Approach

As Apple continues to release beta versions of iOS 14.5, the released code can be examined for new features that can be ’turned on’ in the future. One such feature looks to be the ability to delivery security updates outside of an iOS update. That’s going to make it easier to patch any problems, and follows the lead of Google, who added a similar feature in Android:

“Apple is expected to offer standalone security updates where users will be given the option to choose if they want to install the entire iOS update or just the security updates. According to new string code found in iOS 14.5, once you download an update, for instance, just the security update sans any feature changes, you will have to delete it before installing a newer available iOS update.”

XDA Developers.

Your Ears Will Have To Wait

Late last…

Source…

Android Circuit: Radical Galaxy Note 10 Leaks, Samsung’s Big S10 Problem, Huawei Fights America – Forbes

/in

Android Circuit: Radical Galaxy Note 10 Leaks, Samsung’s Big S10 Problem, Huawei Fights America  Forbes

Taking a look back at seven days of news and headlines across the world of Android, this week’s Android Circuit includes the Galaxy S10 software problems, leaked Note 10 designs, the latest Galaxy Fold delay, Huawei fights back against America, 5G arrives in the UK, why Sony is still in the smartphone business, and a deep dive into the Qualcomm anti-trust judgement. Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can find the weekly Apple news digest here). Samsung Addresses Galaxy S10 Software Problems This week …

“android security news” – read more