hacking

Internet
February 21, 2012
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U.S. officials fearful over potential ‘Anonymous’ cyberattacks

By on February 21, 2012 at 3:35 PM.

U.S. officials fearful over potential ‘Anonymous’ cyberattacks

The notorious “hactivist” group “Anonymous Operations” has the National Security Agency on edge, with the Agency’s director warning of the group’s dangerous growth. General Keith Alexander has warned that within a year or two, the group could have the ability to create a “limited power outage” through a cyberattack, reports the Wall Street Journal. General Alexander provided his assessment during a private meetings at the White House and has previously warned about the emerging ability of cyberattackers to disable or even damage computer networks. The warning highlights a growing federal concern over Anonymous’s activities, however cybersecurity experts have a different opinion on the potential threat posed by the group. Read on for more. More →

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Security
January 23, 2012
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Facebook to become the newest target of hacker group Anonymous [video]

By on January 23, 2012 at 1:05 PM.

Facebook to become the newest target of hacker group Anonymous [video]

Over the past week, notorious hacker group Anonymous has launched numerous DDoS attacks that disrupted service to a number of popular websites. The global hacker collective recently took down websites belonging to the Department of Justice, Universal Music, the Record Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America to protest SOPA, PIPA and the takedown of Megaupload. According to a new video posted on Monday, Anonymous now aims to take down Facebook. It in unclear as to why Facebook is the group’s new target; while the video mentions SOPA as part of its reason for the attack, Facebook openly opposed the controversial bill. In the past, Anonymous has listed potential targets as the United Nations, Xbox Live, U.S. Bank, Twitter and YouTube. More →

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mobile
January 17, 2012
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HTC offers bootloader unlocking tool for additional smartphones

By on January 17, 2012 at 3:35 PM.

HTC offers bootloader unlocking tool for additional smartphones

HTC continues to be true to the company’s word regarding bootloader unlocking tools. Through HTCDev, the Taiwanese company now offers its bootloader unlocker for the Desire HD, Wildfire, DROID Incredible, Desire Z, T-Mobile G2, Aria, ChaCha and Status. Even if a handset hasn’t received official support, the tool might still work. When the trend of locking bootladers began in 2010, HTC was one of many companies to promise unlocking tools and devices in the future, however, they are one of the few to actually have kept the promise. Unlike HTC, Motorola has continued to release devices with locked and encrypted bootloaders, placing the blame on the carriers and further frustrating a number of customers. More →

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Security
August 8, 2011
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'Anonymous' and 'LulzSec' release 10GB of data from 50 police departments

By on August 8, 2011 at 8:59 PM.

'Anonymous' and 'LulzSec' release 10GB of data from 50 police departments

In response to the arrests of LulzSec member Topiary and Anonymous PayPal hackers, members of the AntiSec initiative have infiltrated 50 police departments across the United States and stolen 10GB of data. According to a release put out by the group, which includes members from Anonymous and LulzSec, the data includes “private police emails, training files, snitch info and personal info on retaliation for Anonymous arrests.” It also includes social security numbers, address information, passwords, credit card numbers, training files and more. “We hope that not only will dropping this info demonstrate the inherently corrupt nature of law enforcement using their own words, as well as result in possibly humiliation, firings, and possible charges against several officers, but that it will also disrupt and sabotage their ability to communicate and terrorize communities,” a recent press release said. The data was stored on a single server and the hackers said it took less than 24 hours to infiltrate and copy the information. In a release posted on PostBin, the AntiSec movement called on other hackers to join in and “make 2011 the year of leaks and revolutions.” The group also told the government to give up and said “you are losing the cyberwar, and the attacks against the governments, militaries, and corporations of the world will continue to escalate.” More →

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Security
August 1, 2011
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LulzSec hacker Jake Davis aka 'Topiary' released on bail

By on August 1, 2011 at 2:45 PM.

LulzSec hacker Jake Davis aka 'Topiary' released on bail


District Judge Howard Riddle released 18-year old alleged LulzSec hacker Jake Davis on bail Monday morning. Davis hacked under the name “Topiary” online and served as the public face of LulzSec, often publishing press releases and status updates on the group’s Twitter account, before he was arrested on July 27th. The news debunks earlier reports that authorities had been duped into arresting an the wrong man. Authorities in the U.K. said they discovered personal information for more than 750,000 people on Davis’ computers. Davis has been charged with hacking the Sun, Times, Sony and the Serious Organized Crime agency. Davis’ lawyers are highlighting his role as a press secretary for LulzSec and have argued that Davis did not participate in the attacks directly. Davis was released on bail but cannot access the Internet from any device, including from smartphones, The Financial Times said.

More →

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Security
July 22, 2011
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Hackers break into ‘AnonPlus’ social network

By on July 22, 2011 at 3:01 AM.

Hackers break into ‘AnonPlus’ social network

Reports surfaced on Thursday that Anonymous’ AnonPlus social network was broken into by other hackers who called themselves AKINCILAR. AKINCILAR, also the name of a town in Turkey, left a message and a picture of a dog head on the social network’s logo, which normally depicts a suited man with a question mark as a head. The social network was created as a safe zone for hackers to congregate anonymously after Google removed Anonymous Operations’ account from Google+. The message from AKINCILAR read:

We Are TURKIYE. We Are AKINCILAR.

This logo suits you more..How dare you rise against to the World..Do you really think that you are Ottoman Empire?
We thought you before that you cannot challenge with the world and we teach you cannot be social
Now all of you go to your doghouse..

Read on for more, including Anonymous’ response. More →

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Security
July 21, 2011
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‘Anonymous’ hackers to FBI: There is nothing you can do to stop us

By on July 21, 2011 at 1:03 PM.

‘Anonymous’ hackers to FBI: There is nothing you can do to stop us

Global hacker collective “Anonymous Operations” together with “Lulz Security” on Thursday issued a statement to the FBI and other international authorities. The release is a response to statements made by FBI Director Steve Chabinsky tied to the recent arrest of 14 individuals with suspected ties to the hacker group. ”We want to send a message that chaos on the Internet is unacceptable, Chabinsky told NPR in a recent interview. “[Even if] hackers can be believed to have social causes, it’s entirely unacceptable to break into websites and commit unlawful acts.” Anonymous did not mince words in its response. “These governments and corporations are our enemy. And we will continue to fight them, with all methods we have at our disposal, and that certainly includes breaking into their websites and exposing their lies,” an unnamed Anonymous representative said in a statement. “We are not scared any more. Your threats to arrest us are meaningless tous as you cannot arrest an idea. Any attempt to do so will make your citizens more angry until they will roar in one gigantic choir. It is our mission to help these people and there is nothing – absolutely nothing – you can possibly to do make us stop.” Anonymous’ full statement follows below. More →

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Security
July 19, 2011
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FBI raids ‘Anonymous’ hackers in New York

By on July 19, 2011 at 11:37 AM.

FBI raids ‘Anonymous’ hackers in New York

The FBI raided the homes of three hackers from the infamous hacking group ‘Anonymous’ in New York, Fox News reported on Tuesday. Reportedly, more than 10 FBI agents stormed the house of Giordani Jordan in Baldwin New York and took “at least one laptop from the premises.” Jordan is suspected to have been behind denial of service (DoS) attacks against a number of firms, including Mastercard and Visa. In addition, agents are also searching homes in Long Island and Brooklyn. The hackers are said to be in their late teens and early 20s. It’s unclear if the hackers were also part of the group LulzSec, which claimed responsibility for hacks against Sony, the U.S. Senate and the CIA. More →

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Security
June 28, 2011
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LulzSec’s last lulz: Malware for all those who downloaded hackers’ final plunder

By on June 28, 2011 at 12:30 PM.

LulzSec’s last lulz: Malware for all those who downloaded hackers’ final plunder

The small group of hackers known as Lulz Security, or simply “LulzSec,” would never disband without one final round of fun. BGR reported on Monday that the group’s reign of terror was coming to an end after 50 lul-filled days. During that period of time, LulzSec released data stolen in a series of online breaches with targets ranging from Sony to the U.S. Government. In its coup de grâce, LulzSec released a stash of stolen data from a variety of targets, including AT&T, Disney and the U.S. Navy. But data obtained through online breaches wasn’t the only thing LulzSec stuffed into the file; a directory named “BootableUSB” also contained a variety of malware including trojans and worms. While “LulzSec” is no more and its notorious Twitter account now sits dormant, members of the well-known hacktivism group “Anonymous Operations” have confirmed that LulzSec is gone in name only — the six LulzSec members have been absorbed by Anonymous, according to the group’s official Twitter feed. More →

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Security
June 27, 2011
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LulzSec says ‘bon voyage’ after 50-day hack fest

By on June 27, 2011 at 3:20 PM.

LulzSec says ‘bon voyage’ after 50-day hack fest

The now infamous hacking team LulzSec recently announced that it was swabbing the decks of its “Lulz Boat” and closing up shop — for now. The group made its name after attacking a number of high visability targets recently, including Sony, the CIA’s website, and the U.S. Senate. It’s unclear if the group’s decision was made after its leader and chat logs were exposed, but the group makes a convincing argument that a 50-day hack-fest was planned the entire time. In its final press release, LulzSec said “Our planned 50 day cruise has expired, and we must now sail into the distance, leaving behind – we hope – inspiration, fear, denial, happiness, approval, disapproval, mockery, embarrassment, thoughtfulness, jealousy, hate, even love.” The letter, at times a bit awkward and out of character for the group, called on hackers to continue the fight against poor security in support of freedom of information. LulzSec — short for “Lulz Security” — confirmed it had a crew of six members and thanks its supporters, but we have a feeling we’ll hear more from the group in the future. Read on for the full release. More →

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General
June 24, 2011
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LulzSec IRC chat leaked; group says it was just a ‘subcrew channel’

By on June 24, 2011 at 7:00 PM.

LulzSec IRC chat leaked; group says it was just a ‘subcrew channel’

The Guardian has posted the full text of what is reportedly a LulzSec IRC chat room log from May 31st to June 4th. LulzSec — the notorious hacking group responsible for recent attacks on Sony, the CIA’s website, and the U.S. Senate — has fired back claiming that the room’s sole purpose is for recruiting new members. The Guardian reported that LulzSec’s members include hackers “Kayla,” “Topiary” — who runs the group’s Twitter feed and writers the press releases — and “Sabu,” who services as the group’s father figure and mastermind. The chat log, from a room called #pure-elite, is filled with text from other IRC users including “jopie91,” “Neuron,” “Storm,” “trollpoll,” and “voodoo,” but LulzSec’s press release said that those users just “hang out” with the group and aren’t involved with LulzSec. The IRC conversations run the gamut from comedic content to serious warnings. In one instance, the group’s alleged leader Sabu issued a command: “You realise we smacked the FBI today. This means everyone in here must remain extremely secure.” LulzSec affirmed that it’s still operating at full strength and added: “The Lulz Boat sails stronger than ever, nice try though. We are too sexy to be sunk, hacking continues as usual, u mad bros?” Read on for the full press release from LulzSec. More →

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Security
June 23, 2011
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26-year old pleads guilty to hacking AT&T iPad data

By on June 23, 2011 at 7:02 PM.

26-year old pleads guilty to hacking AT&T iPad data

Last year hackers made headlines when AT&T announced to a security breach that had allowed hackers to access the personal data from 114,000 iPad 3G users. On Thursday, 26-year old Daniel Spitler from San Francisco pleaded guilty to two crimes: conspiracy to gain unauthorized access to computers and identity theft. Spitler faces up to 10 years in prison — five years for each count, according to The Wall Street Journal. “Computer hackers are exacting an increasing toll on our society, damaging individuals and organizations to gain notoriety for themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman in New Jersey. “Daniel Spitler’s guilty plea is a timely reminder of the consequences of treating criminal activity as a competitive sport.” Fishman’s statements are clearly also aimed at other hackers; LulzSec and Anonymous, two hacking groups, recently announced that they have joined forces to attack the U.S. government. That’s in addition to recent hacks on Sony — which LulzSec took responsibility for — and Citigroup. Spitler will be sentenced on September 28th. More →

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Security
June 22, 2011
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LulzSec hacked, exposed by rival hackers [updated]

By on June 22, 2011 at 11:31 AM.

LulzSec hacked, exposed by rival hackers [updated]

LulzSec isn’t making any friends in the U.S. government or within any of the numerous companies that own the websites it has hacked, and apparently the group has managed to rub a few other hackers the wrong way as well. A website said to belong to a Dutch member of the hacker group LulzSec has reportedly been hacked by another group known as “TeaMp0isoN.” The site has since been taken down, but not before a 17-year-old TeaMp0isoN member was able to infiltrate it and post a statement. “Stop telling yourself that u are hackers, putting a ip into a irc is NOT hacking nor is using pre-made tools and scripts to grab databases,” the statement read. “You do not represent the anti-sec movement, u are not allowed to greet underground groups like zf0, ab, h0n0, el8 like your member ‘AnonSabu’ was doing, you will never be apart of the underground scene, if anyone thinks you are underground and can actually hack they have no idea about what happens in the underground scene.” The hacker went on to state that he plans to expose pictures, addresses, passwords, IP addresses and phone numbers belonging to members of LulzSec. TeaMp0isoN’s full statement follows below.

UPDATE: The Dutch owner of the aforementioned hacked website, Sven Swootleg, denies any involvement with LulzSec. His full statement now be found below, beneath TeaMp0isoN’s statement. More →

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