Tag Archives: Technology

After being hacked again, IRS shuts down e-File PIN service

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“The United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has announced the abolition of its PIN tool due to the platform being hacked.  Under the now abolished electronic filing PIN tool (e-File PIN), people dealing with the IRS were able to use a PIN number to access services on IRS.gov or by toll-free phone call.  The agency cited ‘additional questionable activity’ as the impetus for the change.  According to Sophos, 800 cases of identity thefts were identified earlier this year causing the PIN system to be partially suspended in March, although at the time the IRS told taxpayers who already had a PIN to continue using the service to file their tax returns as they normally would.”

http://siliconangle.com/blog/2016/06/27/after-being-targeted-successfully-by-hackers-again-irs-shuts-down-e-file-pin-service/

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Botnet formed of 25,000 malware-riddled surveillance cameras

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“The unusual 25,000-strong botnet was apparently spotted by US security outfit Sucuri when it investigated an online assault against an ordinary jewelry store.  The shop’s website was flooded offline after drowning in 35,000 junk HTTP requests per second. When Sucuri attempted to thwart the network tsunami, the botnet stepped up its output and dumped more than 50,000 HTTP requests per second on the store’s website.  When the security biz dug into the source of the duff packets, it found they were all coming from internet-connected CCTV cameras – devices that had been remotely hijacked by miscreants to attack other systems.”

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/28/25000_compromised_cctv_cameras/

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Thieves using laptops to hack into and steal cars

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“Houston police told the WSJ that this method may have been used in the theft of four other late-model Wranglers and Cherokees in the city.  Security researchers have been able to take over cars remotely because automakers don’t always do a good job at limiting how car systems interact with wireless communications.  What’s more, even cars that aren’t internet-enabled can be taken over via third-party devices that introduce connectivity, such as through the diagnostics port.  Remote exploits have included taking over a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, controlling the car’s brakes, accelerator, steering and more by wireless connection”

https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2016/07/08/thieves-using-laptops-to-hack-into-and-steal-cars/

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Chatbot lawyer overturns 160,000 parking tickets in London, NYC

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“Dubbed as ‘the world’s first robot lawyer’ by its 19-year-old creator, London-born second-year Stanford University student Joshua Browder, DoNotPay helps users contest parking tickets in an easy to use chat-like interface.  The program first works out whether an appeal is possible through a series of simple questions, such as were there clearly visible parking signs, and then guides users through the appeals process.  The results speak for themselves. In the 21 months since the free service was launched in London and now New York, Browder says DoNotPay has taken on 250,000 cases and won 160,000, giving it a success rate of 64% appealing over $4m of parking tickets.”

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/28/chatbot-ai-lawyer-donotpay-parking-tickets-london-new-york

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Sweden tests blockchain technology for land registry

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“Sweden is conducting tests to put the country’s land registry system on blockchain, the underlying technology supporting the digital currency bitcoin, the Swedish Land Registry said on Thursday.  Swedish blockchain company ChromaWay, consulting firm Kairos Future, and telecommunications service provider Telia have come up with a framework or the so-called ‘proof of concept’ through a white paper and technical demonstration of how the Swedish land registry would work on blockchain.  The blockchain technology works by creating permanent, public ‘ledgers’ of all transactions that could potentially replace complicated systems such as clearing and settlement with one simple database.”

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-sweden-blockchain-idUSKCN0Z22KV

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Bitcoin rival Ethereum fights for its survival after $50 million heist

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“On Friday, thieves exploited a software bug that allowed them to transfer more than 3.6 million ‘ether’—the base unit of the Ethereum currency—out of The DAO’s coffers. The digital loot made up more than a third of The DAO’s 11.5 million ether endowment. The seized booty is valued at anywhere from $45 million (based on the plummeting value of ether following the attack) to as high as $77 million (based on pre-attack exchange rates). In the days following the theft, there have been at least a half-dozen copycat attacks (for instance, as documented here and here) that combined have purloined more than 785 ether.”

http://arstechnica.com/security/2016/06/bitcoin-rival-ethereum-fights-for-its-survival-after-50-million-heist/

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How the Top 5 PC Makers Open Your Laptop to Hackers

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“As bad as Acer was, however, Asus was worse. Its updater was so bad the researchers called it ‘remote code execution as a service’—essentially a built-in service for hackers to do remote-code execution. Asus transmits unsigned manifests over HTTP instead of HTTPS. And although the manifest file was encrypted, it was encrypted with an algorithm known to be broken, and the key to unlock the file was an MD5 hash of the words ‘Asus Live Update.’ As a result, attackers could easily intercept and unlock the list to make changes. Asus update files weren’t signed, either, and they were also transmitted via HTTP.”

https://www.wired.com/2016/05/2036876/

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Police are filing warrants for your Android location timeline

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“These are the only two public affidavits uncovered so far, but it’s entirely possible that more have been filed under seal. Business records of this kind are also frequent targets for national security requests, a gag-ordered subpoena that some judges have criticized as unconstitutional. The company’s most recent transparency report lists just over 12,000 US government requests in the first half of 2015, 78 percent of which produced some user data, although the majority of those requests are typically for Gmail inbox content. The company does not break out location requests individually.”

http://www.theverge.com/2016/6/1/11824118/google-android-location-data-police-warrants

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Bitcoin Gains Favor With Modern Day ‘Gold Bugs’ Seeking Financial Security

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“Kanishka Sukumar, a 24-year-old consultant in midtown Manhattan, holds about a third of his wealth in bitcoin. He represents a new generation of ‘gold bugs’ who question the stability of paper currency or seek better ways to protect savings, according to The Wall Street Journal.  One in five bitcoin users hold the cryptocurrency since they don’t want the government or banks controlling their money, according to a survey of 3,500 bitcoin users. That was the second biggest reason the survey respondents hold bitcoin. The main reason, according to the survey from data provider CoinDesk, was to own bitcoin as an investment.”

https://www.cryptocoinsnews.com/bitcoin-gains-favor-modern-day-gold-bugs-seeking-financial-security/

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Owner of kite-surfing island for Silicon Valley executives faces $4.6 million fine

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“A state water agency has proposed one of its largest fines ever — $4.6 million — against a Bay Area man for allegedly damaging an island by transforming it into a luxury sporting enclave for Silicon Valley executives.  After purchasing the island in 2011, Sweeney sought to revive a decades-old duck hunting club at the island. He launched a kite-surfing outfit with marketing materials that tout its seclusion and convenience for Silicon Valley and Bay Area executives. The San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission issued a cease-and-desist order on April 22, concluding that Sweeney and the club violated two state laws.”

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bay-area-island-fine-20160518-snap-story.html

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