'PlugwalkJoe' Admits Unprecedented Twitter Hack That Included Musk, Kardashian, Biden: Feds 'PlugwalkJoe' Admits Unprecedented Twitter Hack That Included Musk, Kardashian, Biden: Feds
'PlugwalkJoe' Admits Unprecedented Twitter Hack That Included Musk, Kardashian, Biden: Feds A 23-year-old British citizen who hacked the Twitter accounts of Joe Biden, Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian and Bill Gates, among others, pleaded guilty in federal court to a host of related charges as part of a deal with the government. Joseph James O'Connor -- also known as "PlugwalkJoe" -- technically faces up to 77 years in prison under federal sentencing guidelines but will likely get somewhere between 10 to 20 years when all is said and done. The Liverpudlian hacker admitted during a plea hearing in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, May 9, that he committed one of the largest high-pro…
Ransomware Attacks Mass Health Insurance Company With 2 Million Customers Ransomware Attacks Mass Health Insurance Company With 2 Million Customers
Ransomware Attacks Mass Health Insurance Company With 2 Million Customers A health insurance conglomerate is dealing with the fallout of a cybersecurity ransomware incident that impacted systems used to service customers, accounts, brokers, and health care providers.  Point32Health, a parent company for Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, announced that the security incident occurred on Monday, April 17 and mostly impacted systems used for Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.  "After detecting the unauthorized party, and out of an abundance of caution, we proactively took certain systems offline to contain the threat," Point32Health's statement reads.  …
Navy Vet From NJ Unmasked As Pro-Russian Propagandist Donbass Devushka Navy Vet From NJ Unmasked As Pro-Russian Propagandist Donbass Devushka
Navy Vet From NJ Unmasked As Pro-Russian Propagandist Donbass Devushka Donbass Devushka is not who she appears to be. According to the Wall Street Journal, a popular pro-Russian social media account is actually run by Sarah Bils, a former Naval officer and native of Camden County. Bils, who was born in Voorhees Township, now lives in Washington near the Naval Station Whidbey Island, according to numerous reports. On social media, Donbass Devushka regularly celebrated the deaths of Ukrainian soldiers and posted videos to YouTube.  On Telegram, she helped share US intelligence information that the government claims was recently leaked by Jack Teixeira, accord…
'Cybercriminal, Cheat' Russian Hacker Guilty Of Boston Stock Conspiracy: Feds 'Cybercriminal, Cheat' Russian Hacker Guilty Of Boston Stock Conspiracy: Feds
'Cybercriminal, Cheat' Russian Hacker Guilty Of Boston Stock Conspiracy: Feds A Russian businessman was convicted this week of an elaborate conspiracy where he and several others hacked into a computer system located in Boston to steal yet-to-released earnings reports from hundreds of companies and used the information to buy stocks, authorities said. They made nearly $100 million in this scheme, officials added.  Vladislav Klyushin, age 42, of Moscow, was found guilty on Tuesday, Feb. 14, on all charges, including wire fraud and securities fraud, following a 10-day trial in Boston, the US Attorney for Massachusetts said. He faces up to 30 years in federal prison.  …
Data Breach Leaks Social Security Numbers In Central Jersey School District Data Breach Leaks Social Security Numbers In Central Jersey School District
Data Breach Leaks Social Security Numbers In Central Jersey School District A school district in Somerset County announced a serious data breach in its computer system Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District (BRRSD) said an unauthorized user accessed school employees' Social Security numbers between Dec. 10 and Dec. 12, according to this statement.  The district didn’t say how many people were affected by the computer breach. In addition to Social Security numbers, the hacker gained access to insurance enrollment information for employees s and unspecified “other individuals,” the district said. The school district said it sent letters to the affected e…
Hospital Patient Data Stolen in CentraState Cyberattack Hospital Patient Data Stolen in CentraState Cyberattack
Hospital Patient Data Stolen in CentraState Cyberattack Patient data was stolen from CentraState Medical Center in a ransomware attack on the Freehold hospital's computer systems, officials said. In a statement released on Friday, Feb. 10, the health system said the December attack included the theft of patients’ names, addresses, birthdays, social security numbers, health insurance information, medical records and patient account numbers. The cyberattack occurred on the morning of Dec. 29, when the hospital “detected unusual activity involving its computer systems,” the statement said. “Additionally, some information related to care received a…
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Orders TikTok Ban In State Government Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Orders TikTok Ban In State Government
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Orders TikTok Ban In State Government Some popular social media apps - including TikTok - are being banned in state government offices in Virginia, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced. Youngkin issued an Executive Order on Friday, Dec. 16 that will ban the use of certain Chinese-owned mobile phone applications and websites on state government technology, according to officials. The ban includes TikTok, WeChat, “and any other applications developed by ByteDance Limited or Tencent Holdings Limited on state government devices and wireless networks. It also requires businesses that contract with the state government to also prohibit the …
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Orders TikTok Ban For Government Employees Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Orders TikTok Ban For Government Employees
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan Orders TikTok Ban For Government Employees Outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan is taking steps to ensure that there will be no TikToking coming out of the Maryland State House anytime soon. Hogan announced on Tuesday, Dec. 6 that the state is issuing an emergency cybersecurity directive that will prohibit the use of certain Chinese and Russian-influenced products and platforms - including TikTok - in the state's executive branch. “These entities present an unacceptable level of cybersecurity risk to the state, and may be involved in activities such as cyber-espionage, surveillance of government entities, and inappropriate collection of sensi…
NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians
NY Post Fires Employee For False, Racist, Violent Content Targeting Politicians A series of racist, violent headlines that were posted on the website and Twitter account of the New York Post on Thursday, Oct. 27, were carried out by an employee, Variety reports.  In a statement to the outlet, a spokesperson for the Post said an investigation had revealed that the “unauthorized conduct” was an inside job and the employee responsible has been fired. “This morning, we immediately removed the vile and reprehensible content from our website and social media accounts,” the spokesperson said. The news organization did not reveal the employee’s name. The New York Post ha…
Iranian Nationals Coordinated Cyberattacks On Boston Children's Hospital, Others: FBI Iranian Nationals Coordinated Cyberattacks On Boston Children's Hospital, Others: FBI
Iranian Nationals Coordinated Cyberattacks On Boston Children's Hospital, Others: FBI The FBI said three Iranian nationals have hacked and attacked computer systems around the world, including the Boston Children's Hospital.  Mansour Ahmadi, 34, Ahmad Khatibi Aghda, 45, and Amir Hossein Nickaein Ravari, 30, "engaged in a pattern of hacking, cyber-theft, and extortion largely for personal gain," FBI Director Christopher Wray said. The agency indicted the men earlier this week, though they remain in Iran and have escaped capture.  The FBI is offering a $10 million reward for information leading to their capture.  The FBI says since October 2020, the men have hacked scores of …
Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends NSFW Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends NSFW Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack
Seesaw App Used By Elementary Schools Sends Nsfw Photos To Parents In Apparent Nationwide Hack Elementary schools across the US are urging parents to not open the messages on the Seesaw app after an apparent hack sent out "inappropriate" images starting on Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022.  "The platform was hacked and is experiencing a nationwide issue where some school district families and teachers were receiving links/URLs to inappropriate images," officials at a Schodock elementary school in New York said on its website.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Seesaw (@seesawlearning) Most schools are simply asking parents and guard…
Herndon's ManTech Acquired For $4.2B by DC Firm Herndon's ManTech Acquired For $4.2B by DC Firm
Herndon's ManTech Acquired For $4.2B by DC Firm ManTech International, a Herndon-based defense contractor with more than 9,000 employees, will be acquired by Washington DC equity firm Carlyle Group for a cool $4.2 billion, the company announced. “This announcement is an important milestone for ManTech and a testament to our growth and the leadership position we have built since our founding by George Pedersen more than 50 years ago,” said ManTech CEO and President Kevin M. Phillips in a press release.  ManTech provides analytics and cybersecurity to the country's defense and intelligence agencies.  The all-cash deal received t…