Most computer attacks originate in U.S.

NF Reporter · 03-19-2007, 09:31 AM

AP - The United States generates more malicious computer activity than any other country, and sophisticated hackers worldwide are banding together in highly efficient crime rings, according to a new report.

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waltky · 08-05-2008, 07:43 PM

Have you been 'sniffed'?...

Justice: Hackers steal 40 million credit card numbers
5 Aug.`08 - 11 people indicted in largest hacking case, Department of Justice says; Defendants are from across the globe: U.S.; Estonia; Belarus; China; They allegedly hacked into the computer systems of nine major U.S. retailers; Documents say the group installed "sniffer" programs to capture card numbers

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Eleven people were indicted Tuesday for allegedly stealing more than 40 million credit and debit card numbers, federal authorities said. The indictments, which alleged that at least nine major U.S. retailers were hacked, were unsealed Tuesday in Boston, Massachusetts, and San Diego, California, prosecutors said. It is believed to be the largest hacking case that the Justice Department has ever tried to prosecute. Three of the defendants are from the United States; three are from Estonia; three are from Ukraine, two are from China and one is from Belarus. The remaining individual is known only by an alias and authorities do not know where that person is.

Under the indictments, three Miami, Florida, men -- Albert "Segvec" Gonzalez, Christopher Scott and Damon Patrick Toey -- are accused of hacking into the wireless computer networks of retailers including TJX Companies, whose stores include Marshall's and T.J. Maxx, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Barnes and Noble and Sports Authority, among others. The three men installed "sniffer" programs designed to capture credit card numbers, passwords and account information as they moved through the retailers' card processing networks, said Michael Sullivan, the U.S. attorney in Boston. "This has other personal numbers that could give them access to credit or debit cards that have already been issued and are active," Sullivan told CNN. The probe began in late 2006, Sullivan said. In addition to the Justice Department, the Secret Service has been conducting an undercover investigation for more than three years through the U.S. attorney's office in San Diego, he said.

The three then concealed the data in encrypted computer servers they controlled in the United States and eastern Europe, the Justice Department said. Some credit and debit card numbers were sold on the Internet, and were "cashed out" by encoding the numbers on the magnetic strips of blank cards. "The defendants then used these cards to withdraw tens of thousands of dollars at a time from ATMs," authorities said. Gonzalez and the others used anonymous Internet-based currencies to conceal and launder their proceeds, as well as channeling funds through bank accounts in Eastern Europe, the department said. "There are ties between all three districts and ties internationally that go all the way to the Ukraine and Latvia," Sullivan said. "The 41 million credit and debit numbers were used internationally."

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Gaping Internet security hole discovered
Tues., Aug. 5, 2008 - Traffic to legitimate Web sites is redirected to phony pages

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A giant vulnerability in the Internet's design is allowing criminals to silently redirect traffic to Web sites under their control. The problem is being fixed, but its extent remains unknown and many people are still at risk. The gaping security hole enables a scam that targets ordinary people typing in a legitimate Web address. It happens because hackers are now able to manipulate the machines that help computers find Web sites. If the trick is done properly, computer users are unlikely to detect whether they've landed at a legitimate site or an evil double maintained by someone bent on fraud. Security experts fear an open season for virus attacks and identity-fraud scams.

"It's kind of like saying, ‘There's a bunch of money on the street. If you can get over there soon enough, you can get it,'" said Ken Silva, chief technology officer for VeriSign Inc., which manages the ".com" and ".net" directories of Internet addresses. "It's something the industry is taking seriously. You'd be in a bad place if you weren't doing something about it." The bug's existence was revealed nearly a month ago. Since then, criminals have pulled off at least one successful attack, directing some AT&T Inc. Internet customers in Texas to a fake Google site. The phony page was accompanied by three programs that automatically clicked on ads, with the profits for those clicks flowing back to the hackers.

There are likely worse scams happening that haven't been discovered or publicly disclosed by Internet service providers. "You can bet that the (Internet providers) are going to stay tightlipped about any attacks on their networks," said HD Moore, a security researcher. The AT&T attack probably would have stayed quiet had it not affected the Internet service of Austin, Texas-based BreakingPoint Systems Inc., which makes machines for testing networking equipment and has Moore as its labs director. He disclosed the incident in hopes it would help uncover more breaches.

More Gaping Internet security hole discovered - Security - MSNBC.com