Tag Archive for: shut

The number of ransomware victims is booming — despite major threats being shut down

/in


Despite the police dismantling some of the biggest and most dangerous ransomware threats out there, ransomware as a criminal industry continues to flourish. 

A new report from cybersecurity researchers from Palo Alto Networks’ Unit 42, which found a 49% increase in victims reported on ransomware leak sites. 

Source…

3G is being shut off across Australia. Here’s how to keep connected

/in


It’s the end of an internet era, with the nation’s major telecommunications providers announcing that 3G will begin phasing out within months.

While most smartphones are already connected to 4G and 5G services, a number of devices could require urgent action to remain connected.

Medical monitoring devices, baby monitors, EFTPOS machines, security cameras and smartwatches are some of the devices that might still be reliant on 3G.

Watch the latest News on Channel 7 or stream for free on 7plus >>

Vodafone will be the first to switch off 3G this year, rolling out the change on December 15.

Telstra will shut off 3G in June next year, and Optus will say goodbye to the third generation of wireless mobile telecommunications technology in September next year.

Even emergency triple-0 calls will no longer be possible on impacted devices.

That is why Telstra’s NSW regional general manager Mike Maron told 7NEWS: “It’s certainly really important to make sure that you make that change (to 4G or 5G) prior to June 2024.”

3G was introduced to the world in 2003, bringing with it a faster data rate, more secure encryption algorithms, and more efficient use of the radio bands it operates on.

“3G has done a fantastic job,” Maron said. “It was there to give us voice calls, text messages and also some light internet browsing.”

But now 20 years on it has since been superseded by more advanced technology, as online behaviour and internet demand drastically changes worldwide.

Why is 3G being phased out?

1G, 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G are all generations of wireless mobile telecommunications technology, which operates using radio frequencies.

The “G” stands for generation, and the number corresponds with each upgraded iteration of the technology. 1G and 2G have already been phased out.

3G is being phased out because the technology is no longer in demand.

Data consumption is increasing by more than 30 per cent each year, largely through streaming in hi-definition, a change which meant 3G is “not fit for purpose anymore,” according to Maron.

3G is…

Source…

The Week in Security: Researchers hack ‘unbreakable’ card-shuffling hardware, Discord.io shut after breach

/in


deckmate2-shuffling-hack

Welcome to the latest edition of The Week in Security, which brings you the newest headlines from both the world and our team across the full stack of security. This week: Researchers kick it Ocean’s Eleven style with an attack on card shuffling machines. Also: A software vulnerability could be behind a breach that shut down Discord’s invite system.

AWS Builder Community Hub

This Week’s Top Story

Hackers Rig Casino Card-Shuffling Machines for ‘Full Control’ Cheating 

History has shown us that there are few better ways of getting a piece of technology hacked than to declare it secure and “un-hackable.” The latest case in point: the Deckmate 2, an automated card shuffling machine used in casinos around the world. After an investigation into an alleged incident of cheating in a high stakes poker tournament prompted an official investigation that declared the Deckmate shuffling machine one that “is secure and cannot be compromised,” three IOActive researchers took up the implicit challenge. Spoiler alert: the Deckmate was, in fact, hackable. 

At a presentation at DEF CON, researchers Joseph Tartaro, Enrique Nissim and Ethan Shackelford of IOActive presented the results of a months-long investigation into the Deckmate. As reported by Wired, the three found attackers could employ a simple USB-enabled minicomputer to gain total control over the machine, potentially allowing a poker player to know exactly what cards the dealer and other players hold and, thus, become unstoppable at the table.

Tartaro and his fellow researchers were able to alter the shuffler’s code to hijack the machine, and tamper the shuffling process. They also were able to access an internal camera on the Deckmate, giving them the ability to know exactly which cards were being dealt and to whom. However, as of yet the IOActive researchers have not been able to engineer a technique that allows for them to choose the exact order of cards via this remote access. Light & Wonder, the makers of Deckmate, said in emails to the researchers that they are in the process of patching the issues discovered by the researchers. The company denies the compromises have been used against machines deployed on a casino floor. So if…

Source…

‘Wagner’ Hackers Say They Shut Down Russian Satellite Internet Provider

/in


Hackers who claim to be affiliated with Russia’s Wagner group say they’ve breached a Russian satellite internet provider and forced it offline. 

The mysterious group posted their claims in a Telegram channel as the Russian satellite communications provider Dozor-Teleport became unreachable on Thursday morning.

“Confirmed: Metrics show a disruption to satellite internet provider Dozor-Teleport which supplies Russia’s FSB (Federal Security Service), Gazprom, Rosatom and military installations,” internet traffic monitor NetBlocks reported. Others, including Kentik and Internet Outage Alerts, also confirmed Dozor-Teleport remains offline.  

In a Telegram message, the hacking group claims “part of the satellite terminals” failed at Dozor-Teleport, and information was wiped from the Russian company’s servers. As proof, the group posted apparent internal documents from Dozor-Teleport, suggesting they successfully compromised the company’s network. 

The group says it also defaced four Russian websites with a message titled: “Who are the Wagners? Everyone saw them on June 24th.”

“The whole world watched our actions, listened to our every word. We showed how easily we can reach Moscow in a day without meeting any resistance,” the message adds. 

A translated version of the message over the defaced websites.

A translated version of the message on the defaced websites.

The disruption occurs days after security researchers spotted a piece of ransomware that was also promoting the Wagner group. When it infects, the ransomware will drop a note written in the Russian language that encourages users to sign up with the paramilitary organization. 

But it remains unclear if the ransomware or the breach of Dozor-Teleport are connected to the real Wagner group. So far, the official Telegram channel for the Russian military organization has yet to comment on any of the cyberattacks. 

This past weekend, Wagner’s leader Yevgeny Prigozhin briefly rebelled against the Russian military by marching his troops toward Moscow while accusing the country’s defense ministry of incompetence. However, the rebellion was short-lived; Prigozhin called off his troops a day later and has since agreed to live in exile in Belarus. 

So it’s possible that…

Source…