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Hackers Take a Hit as Cybersecurity Industry Booms
From “Operation Card Shop” to “Operation High Roller,” the cybersecurity headlines this week sounded more like something out of a Las Vegas casino.
Keeping a poker face for nearly two years, on Tuesday the US Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed its major sting operation to crack down on hackers, announcing the agency had arrested 24 people around the globe for engaging in credit card and banking cyber crime.
Dubbed “Operation Card Shop,” undercover FBI agents set up an online forum called “Card Profit,” where hackers could communicate and buy, sell and trade stolen credit card numbers and other personal banking information. Read more…
Iran Detects Attack, Japan Develops Daedalus
With little progress being made in Washington, the focus this week falls on foreign nations and their efforts to enhance cybersecurity.
In Iran, with continued reports of cyber attacks against the country’s nuclear program, Gholam Reza Jalali, the director of the Passive Defense Organization, announced late last week that the nation is working to boost its cyber defenses, particularly surrounding its industrial systems.
“The important point is that we develop mechanisms for cyber defense in a way that we will be able to defend the country against new viruses,” said Jalali according to the Tehran Times.
But a new attack may have already penetrated the nation’s network, according to one Iranian official. Read more…
Senators See Cyber Attack Demo, Urge Legislative Action
Despite debates on Capitol Hill, few would disagree that the US needs to take steps to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity. But defining cyber procedures and necessary precautions continues to keep Congress at odds.
In an attempt to speed up the process, the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) this week played host to a cyber attack demonstration put on by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
With DHS Deputy Undersecretary for Cybersecurity Mark Weatherford leading the demo, the event’s intent was to show members of Congress how easy it is for a hacker to access a system, specifically through a spear phishing cyber attack. Read more…
Obama Reacts as Flame Cyber Attack Ignites Controversy
Last week we reported on Flame, the latest, most sophisticated cyber attack to hit Iran, reportedly spying on the development of its nuclear weapons program.
As the Middle East placed the blame on Israel and the United States for deploying the malware, Israel was the first to jump in with what some saw as a shoddy attempt to deny the claims.
But tensions continue to remain high this week, with everyone from Israeli defense officials to US senators to President Obama adding to the heat surrounding Flame. Read more…
Middle East Fights ‘Flame’ Cyber Attack
While the US was off observing its Memorial Day holiday on Monday, the Middle East was busy tracking reports of a potentially serious cyber attack spying on its systems.
Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab, in conjunction with an investigation by the International Telecommunication Union, announced this week that they had discovered “a highly sophisticated malicious program that is actively being used as a cyber weapon attacking entities in several countries.”
Identified as “Worm.Win32.Flame” and dubbed “Flame” for short, the malware was reportedly developed as a cyber espionage tool against Iran and several other countries in the Middle East, functioning undetected for over two years. Read more…
Cybersecurity News 