Tag Archive for: Swiss

Swiss police raid over hack on U.S. security-camera company – WAVY.com

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by: JAMEY KEATEN and MATT O’BRIEN, Associated Press

Posted: / Updated:

GENEVA (AP) — Swiss authorities on Monday confirmed a police raid at the home of a Swiss software engineer who took credit for helping to break into a U.S. security-camera company’s online networks, part of what the activist hacker cited as an effort to raise awareness about the dangers of mass surveillance.

The Federal Office of Justice said regional police in central Lucerne, acting on a legal assistance request from U.S. authorities, on Friday carried out a house search involving hacker Tillie Kottmann.

The hacker said online that electronics devices were seized during the raid. The Swiss office declined to specify the location or comment further, deferring all questions to “the relevant U.S. authority.”

The FBI said in a statement Friday it was “aware of the law enforcement activity conducted in Switzerland” but had no further comment.

Kottmann had identified as a member of a group of “hacktivists” who say they were able to view live camera feeds and peer into hospitals, schools, factories, jails and corporate offices for much of Monday and Tuesday last week after gaining access to the systems of California startup Verkada. They said the action was aimed at raising awareness about mass surveillance.

Verkada later locked them out by disabling all internal administrator accounts that the hackers had accessed using valid credentials found online. The company alerted law enforcement and its customers.

Kottmann, who uses they/them pronouns, said on the social media site Mastodon last week that the raid wasn’t specifically about the Verkada hack but was tied to an earlier FBI investigation. Kottmann has previously attracted attention for leaking hacked material to expose security flaws, including from U.S. chipmaker Intel last year.

It’s common for professional cybersecurity researchers to probe online systems for security flaws, though “hacktivists” often take that a step further by publicly exposing security risks or leaked materials to effect social change.

Kottmann didn’t…

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Hacker Who Claimed Verkada Camera Breach Raided by Swiss

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Illustration for article titled Feds Eye Swiss Hacker Tied to Major Security Cam Breach

Photo: Carolyn Kaster (AP)

Swiss authorities on Friday raided the home of a computer hacker reportedly under FBI investigation who has also—unrelatedly—taken credit for the recent breach of U.S. security camera company. The company, Verkada Inc., has itself separately been accused of granting employees extraneous access to the private surveillance feeds of potentially thousands of global customers.

Bloomberg, which first broke news of the Verkada breach on Tuesday, now reports that a 21-year-old hacker who’s taken credit is facing possible criminal charges in the U.S. A search warrant served by Swiss authorities and later seen by reporters points to an investigation by the FBI and federal prosecutors in the Western District of Washington.

The hacker, Tillie Kottmann, who is being investigated for earlier possible crimes, told reporters they acquired high-level credentials to Verkada’s network, granting them access to all of its clients’ cameras.

Verkada, founded in 2016, is a maker indoor and outdoor security cameras, access control systems, and environmental sensors. Its cameras and other technology are connected through a cloud-based platform. Its customers include healthcare companies, banks, restaurants, public schools, and more. Several U.S. cities have standing contracts with Verkada to surveil public spaces and structures.

On Wednesday, three former employees told Bloomberg that “more than 100″ former colleagues had direct access to the live feeds of Verkada’s clients—including some “20-year-old interns,” according to one Bloomberg source. The accounts have raised questions about the Verkada’s internal policies, though the company has said it “previously” moved to limit camera access to staff working closely with clients.

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Among the 150,000 camera feeds accessible to the hacker, more than 200 reportedly belong to electric car maker Telsa. Others are said to offer views inside schools, jails, and hospitals.

Attributing the breach, in part, to their own anti-capitalistic views, Kottmann told Bloomberg on Friday morning that police had searched their apartment in Lucerne, Switzerland, and seized electronic devices….

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WISeKey’s Identity Blockchain Technology Secures Commercial and Recreational Drones and Improves Safety Swiss Stock Exchange:WIHN

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WISeKey’s Identity Blockchain Technology Secures Commercial and Recreational Drones and Improves Safety

FAA lays out its remote ID ‘license plate for drones’ requirements

ZUG, Switzerland – December 29, 2020 – WISeKey International Holding (“WISeKey”, SIX: WIHN, NASDAQ: WKEY), a leading cybersecurity IoT company, today announced that its identity blockchain technology integrates advanced digital security solutions into drones. Commercial drones are being used across various industries to help companies save money, improve safety, and enhance the efficiency of their operations.

New regulations by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the U.S., for the first time allow commercial drones used for deliveries and services to fly overpopulated areas.  These rules include strict requirements for tracking these drones to address safety and FAA security concerns.

As per these new safety rules, all but the smallest drones will have to broadcast a radio signal with a digital license plate and a flight location.  Additionally, starting in 2022, the FAA’s Remote ID requirement will necessitate every drone sold in the U.S. that weighs more than 0.55 pounds to come with a way to broadcasts its location and identification to local authorities. One way to think of the technology is as a digital license plate for drones.

This technology already in use in Parrot drones (https://dronelife.com/2020/07/16/parrot-boosts-drone-security-with-wisekey-tech/), is now available and suitable for all commercial drones allowing WISekey to work directly with other drone manufacturers.  The integration of WISeKey’s digital security technologies from inflight control systems down to infrastructure is designed to help drone manufactures further guarantee the security of their drone flights and recorded data for professional users.

Public safety, security, defense, and inspection professionals comprise a growing market share of drone users who demand the highest levels of privacy, encryption and security for their flights.  Drones have many useful applications but can also be used to intentionally cause harm. Additionally, drones themselves can be subject to unlawful interference.

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Matrix has slowly evolved into a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the ransomware world – ZDNet

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Matrix has slowly evolved into a ‘Swiss Army knife’ of the ransomware world  ZDNet

The Matrix ransomware is usually deployed after cyber-criminals use unsecured RDP endpoints to compromise companies’ internal networks.

“exploit kit” – read more