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☆ Hackers threaten to release Trump documents from Georgia case if they don't get a ransom by Thursday
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-28 | by ( Jacob Shamsian | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

LockBit works with affiliates to hack companies and government agenciesLockBit 3.0's targets go far beyond just the Fulton County government. As of Wednesday, it had ongoing ransom demands for 11 different companies on its website in addition to the one for Fulton County. AdvertisementA Fulton County court administration spokesperson declined to comment. AdvertisementAt a press conference on February 20, Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said no ransom was paid. AdvertisementThe renewed ransom threat comes as Willis's investigation is beleaguered by a series of heated hearings playing out in a Fulton County courtroom.

Persons: —, Donald Trump —, Donald Trump's, Christopher Krebs, Dan Schiappa, LockBitSupp —, Biden, Donald Trump, Trump, Joe Raedle, Oz, Krebs, Alashe, LockBit, Fulton, Fani Willis, It's, George Chidi, Pool, Schiappa, Robb Pitts, Pitts, Willis Organizations: Service, Fulton, Business, FBI, United, Crime Agency, US Department of Justice, government's, Trump, Justice Department, Boeing, Commercial Bank of China, U.S, Trump Force, Atlanta Hartsfield, Jackson International Airport, Biden, Trump —, Trump . Fulton, Arctic Wolf, Atlanta Journal Locations: Georgia, Fulton, Mexico, Fulton County, Atlanta , Georgia, Russian, Trump . Fulton County, Atlanta, Krebs

☆ Outages from cyberattack at UnitedHealth's Change Healthcare extend to seventh day as pharmacies deploy workarounds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Ashley Capoot | In | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Change Healthcare's systems are down for the seventh day after a cyber threat actor gained access to its network last week. Change Healthcare offers tools for payment and revenue cycle management, and its system outages have disrupted operations in pharmacies and health systems across the country. Change Healthcare merged with Optum in 2022. Rising number of health-care cyberattacksThe attack on Change Healthcare comes after 2023 set a grim record for health-related cybercrime. Impact of Change Healthcare's breachUnitedHealth has not specifically disclosed exactly which Change Healthcare systems have been affected, but the fallout from the cyberattack has caused a ripple of problems across the U.S. health-care system.

Persons: UnitedHealth, John Riggi, Riggi, Cliff Steinhauer, Steinhauer, Cary Brazeman, Brazeman, hadn't Organizations: New York Stock Exchange, UnitedHealth Group, U.S . Securities, Exchange, Change Healthcare, Change, Optum, Healthcare, Palo Alto Networks, Google, CNBC, American Hospital Association, National Cybersecurity Alliance, CVS Health, Walgreens Locations: U.S, Palm Springs

☆ An infamous hacking group is reportedly behind the cyberattack that has left US pharmacies reeling
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Camilo Fonseca | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A high-profile ransomware gang is responsible for the outage that has paralyzed US pharmacies, Reuters reported. Blackcat is behind the attack on UnitedHealth Group's claims management arm last week, per the report. The outage at Chain Healthcare, the payment management arm of healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group, was caused by a ransomware attack by hackers affiliated with Blackcat, Reuters reported, citing two unnamed sources. AdvertisementLast week's attack on Change Healthcare forced its parent company to disconnect its own systems "to prevent further impact," according to UnitedHealth Group. But experts aren't sure if the group responsible for last week's hack was sponsored by foreign actors.

Persons: Blackcat, UnitedHealth, —, Reddit, cybercriminals, Brett Callow Organizations: Reuters, Service, Healthcare, UnitedHealth, Blackcat, Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, UnitedHealth Group, American Pharmacists Association, SEC, Colonial Pipeline, Google, Palo Alto Networks

☆ AI can 'disproportionately' help defend against cybersecurity threats, Google CEO Sundar Pichai says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Justin Sullivan | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesMunich, GERMANY — Rapid developments in artificial intelligence could help strengthen defenses against security threats in cyber space, according to Google CEO Sundar Pichai. Amid growing concerns about the potentially nefarious uses of AI, Pichai said that the intelligence tools could help governments and companies speed up the detection of — and response to — threats from hostile actors. But AI, I think actually, counterintuitively, strengthens our defense on cybersecurity," Pichai told delegates at Munich Security Conference at the end of last week. Sundar Pichai CEO at GoogleHowever, Pichai said that AI was also lowering the time needed for defenders to detect attacks and react against them. Google last week announced a new initiative offering AI tools and infrastructure investments designed to boost online security.

Persons: Sundar Pichai, Emily Chang, Justin Sullivan, Pichai, —, Hillary Clinton, Mark Hughes, DXC, Hughes, That's Organizations: APEC, Summit, Moscone West, Getty, Munich, Cybersecurity Ventures, Britain's, Cyber Security, Google, MSC, Adobe, IBM, Meta, Microsoft, Twitter, U.S, Iran's, Guard, CNBC Locations: San Francisco , California, San Francisco, Munich, GERMANY, cybersecurity, GCHQ, Russia, China, Iran

☆ Pharmacies across America are having trouble processing some prescriptions because of a cyberattack
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( David Goldman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Pharmacies across the United States are reporting that they are having difficulty getting prescriptions to patients because of a cyberattack on a unit of UnitedHealth. The cyberattack prevented some pharmacies from processing prescriptions to insurance companies to receive payment. “This outage is impacting dispensing of pharmacy prescriptions – resulting in delays in processing and in some cases, inability to process,” the hospital said. In a statement, Change Healthcare said it believed the attack was isolated to its network and did not spread elsewhere. “At this time, we believe the issue is specific to Change Healthcare and all other systems across UnitedHealth Group are operational,” the company said.

Persons: ”, “ Refills, UnitedHealth, “ Organizations: CNN, Healthcare, Naval Hospital, ” Evans, Community Hospital, Securities and Exchange Commission, UnitedHealth, ”, SEC Locations: United States, Camp Pendleton , California, Pendleton, Colorado, Norton , Kansas

☆ Biden to sign executive order on US port cybersecurity targeting Chinese-manufactured shipping cranes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Lori Ann Larocco | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

An executive order to be signed by President Biden will bolster maritime cybersecurity by making sure all critical port infrastructure that is owned and operated adheres to international and industry recognized safety regulations. The Biden official said that the new Supply Chain Resilience Center, announced last November, will be included in efforts to enhance port security. In addition to the new rules and regulations, $20 billion will be used to strengthen U.S. port infrastructure through the Investing in America Agenda. These cranes have been a focus of debate among national security experts and port officials in recent years. Over the long term, senior Biden administration officials said they would like to invest in the onshoring of port crane manufacturing.

Persons: Biden Organizations: Coast Guard Cyber Command, Coast Guard, & Infrastructure Security Agency, CNBC, Biden, Chain Resilience, Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries, Capitol, Port, Reshoring, American Association of Port Authorities Locations: U.S, China, Shanghai, Beijing, Capitol Hill, America, Japan, Austria, Finland, Germany, Nagoya

☆ LockBit: FBI and allies seize dark-web site of world’s most prolific ransomware gang
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-19 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —The FBI and its international allies have seized a dark-web site that the world’s most prolific ransomware gang has used to extort its victims, according to a message on the website viewed by CNN. The hackers claimed credit for a November ransomware attack that forced New Jersey-based Capital Health to cancel some patient appointments. LockBit also claimed responsibility for ransomware attacks on the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China and Fulton County, Georgia, in recent months. The US Justice Department also announced the indictment of two Russian men for deploying LockBit ransomware against victim organizations throughout the US, including against unnamed manufacturing firms. While there have been notable arrests and law enforcement seizures of millions of dollars’ worth of ransom payments, the ransomware economy continues to thrive.

Persons: LockBit, ”, cybercriminals, LockBit’s ransomware, Don Smith, Cybercriminals, ” Allan Liska, ” Liska, “ LockBit Organizations: CNN, FBI, Health, Industrial, Commercial Bank of China, National Crime Agency, LockBit, US Justice Department, Justice Department, Government Locations: New Jersey, Fulton County , Georgia, Australia, Germany, Eastern Europe, Russia, China, Secureworks

Hospitals in recent years have shifted their use of online technology to support everything from telehealth to medical devices to patient records. Brett Callow, an analyst for the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, counted 46 cyberattacks on hospitals last year, compared with 25 in 2022. The dramatic increase in these online raids has prompted the nation’s top health agency to develop new rules for hospitals to protect themselves from cyber threats. The attacks can put hospitals’ networks offline for weeks or months, forcing hospitals to turn away patients. In Chicago, Lurie hospital’s network has been offline for two weeks.

Persons: —, John Riggi, Association’s, “, ” Riggi, Ann, Robert H, Lurie, Brett Callow, Emsisoft, ” Callow, Callow, ”, Andrea Palm, Palm, Jason Castillo’s, Castillo, ” Castillo, it’s, Kathleen Foody Organizations: WASHINGTON, Midwestern children's, American, Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, FBI, of Health, Human Services, Health, HHS, Associated Press Locations: Midwestern, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Chicago

☆ Fulton County faces ransomware attack by ‘financially motivated actors,’ but county elections still on track
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | Alta Spells | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Officials in Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes parts of Atlanta, said Wednesday that “financially motivated” hackers appeared to be behind a ransomware attack that has disrupted key county services for weeks. The leak will only up the stakes for Fulton County to get a handle on a cyberattack that has hobbled services for weeks. The group that claimed Fulton County as a victim is a prolific group known as LockBit. It’s unclear if there has been any communication between Fulton County and the hackers. Fulton County’s ransomware attack comes amid a years-long effort by the US government to limit the damage of ransomware attacks on local governments, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.

Persons: “, Robb Pitts, Pitts, Fani Willis, Donald Trump, ” Pitts, LockBit, Fulton County’s, Cybercriminals, ” Alexander Leslie Organizations: CNN, Fulton, LockBit, Commercial Bank of China Locations: Georgia’s Fulton County, Atlanta, Fulton County, ” Fulton County, Fulton, Fulton County , Georgia

(AP) — One state lawmaker wants Nebraska to take measures to protect it from cyberattacks. State Sen. Loren Lippincott presented a bill Thursday to the Legislature's government committee that would give the Nebraska State Patrol $200,000 to hire “an ethical hacker.” The hacker would spend his or her days trying to break into the state’s computer network, as well as election equipment and software, to find any vulnerabilities in those systems. His bill also would allow hiring a security company that provide hackers to find weaknesses in the state's system. Lippincott presented the bill on the heels of FBI Director Christopher Wray's warning that Chinese government hackers are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems. If advanced, they would have to survive three rounds of debate to be passed in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature.

Persons: LINCOLN, cyberattacks, Sen, Loren Lippincott, Lippincott, ” Lippincott, Christopher Wray's, “ Organizations: Nebraska State Patrol, Security, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, cybersecurity Locations: Neb, Nebraska, Missouri, Georgia

WASHINGTON (AP) — The nation’s cybersecurity agency has launched a program aimed at boosting election security in the states, shoring up support for local offices and hoping to provide reassurance to voters that this year's presidential elections will be safe and accurate. Officials with the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency planned to introduce its new election security adviser program Thursday to the National Association of State Election Directors and on Friday to the National Association of Secretaries of State. For state and local election officials, the list of security challenges keeps growing. The CISA program includes 10 new hires, all of whom join the federal agency with extensive election experience. CISA Director Jen Easterly announced plans for the program at a July meeting of the state election directors in South Carolina.

Persons: Jen, Cait Conley, ” Conley, Keith Ingram, Spencer Wood, David Stafford, “, ”, Lori Augino, CISA, Al Schmidt, Karen Brinson Bell, Brinson Bell Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, National Association of State, National Association of, State, Ohio, State’s, North Carolina State Board Locations: New Hampshire, Fulton County , Georgia, Russia, South Carolina, Texas, Escambia County , Florida, Washington, ”, “

☆ Here's another sign our go-to cybersecurity stock should climb even higher in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Investors just received another reason to like Palo Alto Networks — the Club's favorite cybersecurity stock, which has been on fire. As these threats intensify for businesses, more customers are seeking out products and services like those offered by Palo Alto. "If the worst cybersecurity stock does well, what does it say about the best? Buy Palo Alto Networks," he said. Palo Alto Networks became the first cybersecurity stock to top a $100 billion market value late last year — a long-held goal by management.

Persons: there's, Nikesh Arora, Jim Cramer, Wall, Wednesday's Homestretch, Jim, hasn't, Jim Cramer's Organizations: Palo Alto Networks, Palo, Palo Alto, CNBC, Microsoft, Wall Street, JPMorgan, Alto Networks Locations: Palo Alto's, Palo, Russian

Officials at Lurie Children's Hospital said Thursday that they are still working with the FBI and other law enforcement but told reporters that a “known criminal threat actor” had accessed the hospital's network. The hospital shut down its own systems for phone, email and medical records once the breach was discovered on Jan. 31, officials said. “This is an active and ongoing investigation.”The situation at Lurie Children’s Hospital had all the hallmarks of a ransomware attack, although hospital officials have not confirmed or denied the cause. The latest annual report for Lurie Children’s said staff treated around 260,000 patients last year. Chicago-area pediatrician practices that work with the hospital also have reported being unable to access digital medical records because of the attack.

Persons: ”, “, Marcelo Malakooti, Allan Liska, Lurie, ” Liska, ” Malakooti, Brett Callow, Emsisoft, Lurie Children’s Organizations: CHICAGO, Lurie Children's, FBI, Lurie Children’s Hospital, Associated Press, U.S . Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Chicago

☆ Cybercriminals raked in record $1.1 billion in ransom payments in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Washington CNN —Cybercriminals extorted a record $1.1 billion in ransom payments from victim organizations around the world last year despite US government efforts to cut off their money flows, crypto-tracking firm Chainalysis said in a report released Wednesday. The surge in ransom payments, which nearly doubled the $567 million by Chainalysis in 2022, coincided with a “major escalation in the frequency, scope, and volume of attacks,” the New York based-firm said. After the FBI announced an operation that thwarted $130 million in ransom payments for several months in 2022, a variety of cybercriminal groups have struck US casinos, hospitals and schools in 2023, and have sometimes collected big payouts. MGM Resorts has estimated its recovery costs from a major ransomware attack last year at $100 million. Multiple US government agencies themselves were hacked by a Russian-speaking ransomware gang, as CNN first reported in July, though there were no reports of ransom payments made by those victims.

Persons: Washington CNN — Cybercriminals, Chainalysis, Jackie Burns Koven, Biden Organizations: Washington CNN, FBI, CNN, MGM Resorts, Colonial Pipeline, US Treasury, White, Justice Locations: York

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago children's hospital has been forced to take its networks offline after an unspecified digital attack, limiting access to medical records and hampering communication by phone or email since the middle of last week. Lurie Children's Hospital initially described the issue Wednesday as a network outage. On Thursday, officials released public statements saying the hospital had taken its networks offline as part of its response to a “cybersecurity matter." Health care providers aren't alone; state courts, county or state governments and schools all have struggled to recover from cyber-based attacks. Chicago-area pediatrician practices that work with the hospital also have reported being unable to access digital medical records because of the attack.

Persons: Lurie, ransomware, Lurie Children's Organizations: CHICAGO, Lurie Children's, “, Media, Associated Press, Department of Health, Human Services Locations: Chicago, “ As Illinois

☆ Fulton County government outage: Cyberattack brings down phones, court site and tax systems
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Alta Spells | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An ongoing cyberattack against Georgia’s Fulton County, which includes parts of Atlanta, has brought some of the government’s systems to a standstill, halting access to court filings, tax processing and other services. The office of the county’s District Attorney Fani Willis lost access to its phones, internet and the court system website, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The communication, court and tax systems have all been brought down, said Fulton County Board of Commissioners Chairman Robb Pitts in a news briefing Monday. A source with first-hand knowledge in Fulton County told CNN the internet and Odyssey court access are down as well. “We at Fulton County take cybersecurity seriously and we place a high priority on the protection of sensitive information,” Pitts said.

Persons: Fani Willis, Willis, Donald Trump, Robb Pitts, Pitts, ” Pitts, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Georgia’s, county’s Department of Information Technology, FBI, Fulton, IT, The Atlanta, Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Locations: Georgia’s Fulton County, Atlanta, county’s, Fulton County, Baltimore, New Mexico’s, Albuquerque, US

☆ Medibank attack: Australia publicly names and sanctions Russian hacker Aleksandr Ermakov over data leak
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-23 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Australia has publicly named and imposed cyber sanctions on a Russian hacker for his alleged role in a 2022 ransomware attack, in the country’s first use of the penalty. At the time, the Australian Federal Police said investigators knew the identity of the attackers but declined to name them. On Tuesday, the Australian government revealed the name of the individual sanctioned — Russian national Aleksandr Ermakov, 33, an alleged member of the Russian ransomware gang REvil. When the Medibank attack took place later that year, experts said it could have been perpetrated by a REvil member — which Australian authorities confirmed on Tuesday. An initial ransom demand was made for $10 million (15 million Australian dollars).

Persons: Aleksandr Ermakov, “, ” Richard Marles, GCHQ —, Marles, “ REvil, ” Abigail Bradshaw, Medibank, — Organizations: Australia CNN —, Australian Federal Police, Medibank, Australian Signals Directorate, FBI, National Security Agency, NSA, United Kingdom’s, Microsoft, JBS Foods, Russia’s Federal Security Service, REvil, Australian Cyber Security, ” Locations: Brisbane, Australia, Australia CNN — Australia, Russian, United States

☆ Australia Imposes Sanctions on Russian Hacker Over Medibank Breach
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Jan. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Renju JoseSYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia on Tuesday imposed cyber sanctions on a Russian man for his role in the breach at insurer Medibank, one of the country's biggest data thefts which impacted about 10 million customers. Targeted financial sanctions and a travel ban have been imposed on Russian citizen Aleksandr Ermakov after Australian authorities linked him to the breach at Medibank, Home Affairs Minister Clare O'Neil said during a press briefing. This is the first time Australia has used its cyber sanctions framework since legislating it in 2021. Medibank in 2022 disclosed that a hacker stole the personal information of 9.7 million current and former customers, and released the data on the dark web. Hackers in November hit DP World Australia, one of the country's largest ports operators, forcing it to suspend operations for three days.

Persons: Renju Jose SYDNEY, Aleksandr Ermakov, Clare O'Neil, they're scumbags, we'll, O'Neil, Renju Jose, Jonathan Oatis, Stephen Coates Organizations: Medibank, cybercrime, Home Affairs Locations: Australia, Victoria, Sydney

☆ Wipers are on the rise in threat to cybersecurity: Checkpoint
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailWipers are on the rise in threat to cybersecurity: CheckpointDorit Dor, chief technology officer of Check Point, said insured companies are targeted by ransomware because they are more likely to pay. On the other hand, wipers, with no intention for money, is rising from activist groups and state-backed hacks, she said.

Persons: Dorit Dor

☆ 3 reasons why investors keep sending cybersecurity giant Palo Alto Networks to record high after record high
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-16 | by ( Morgan Chittum | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Palo Alto Networks CEO Nikesh Arora said Tuesday that cybersecurity demand will only intensify in 2024. Palo Alto Networks was riding a six-session winning streak, including Tuesday's all-time high above $333 per share. PANW YTD mountain Palo Alto Networks (PANW) year-to-date performance When Arora took over as CEO of Palo Alto in June 2018, the stock was around $70 per share. Late last year, Palo Alto announced plans to buy enterprise browser startup Talon Cyber Security and cloud data specialist Dig Security. Arora Nikesh, Palo Alto Networks CEO & Chairman at the WEF in Davos, Switzerland on May 23rd, 2022.

Persons: Nikesh Arora, Arora, Jim Cramer, he's, OpenAI, Sam Altman's, Estee Lauder, Clorox, Palo, we've, Morgan Stanley, Jim Cramer's, Jim, Arora Nikesh, Adam Galica Organizations: Palo Alto, Club, CNBC, Palo Alto Networks, Alto, Palo, Google, MGM Resorts, Caesars Entertainment, Security Locations: Davos, Switzerland, Palo, Palo Alto

☆ North Korean Hackers, Criminals Share Money Laundering Networks in Southeast Asia - UN
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-15 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Tom WilsonLONDON (Reuters) - North Korean hackers are sharing money-laundering and underground banking networks with fraudsters and drug traffickers in Southeast Asia, according to a United Nations report published on Monday, with casinos and crypto exchanges emerging as key venues for organised crime. Funds stolen by North Korean hackers are a key source of funding for Pyongyang and its weapons programmes. The junket sector has been infiltrated by organised crime for "industrial-scale money laundering and underground banking operations," with links to drug trafficking and cyberfraud, the report said. The proliferation of casinos and crypto have "supercharged" organised crime groups in Southeast Asia, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific Jeremy Douglas told Reuters. "It's no surprise sophisticated threat actors would look to leverage the same underground banking systems and service providers," he said.

Persons: Tom Wilson LONDON, Lazarus, Pacific Jeremy Douglas, Tom Wilson, Tommy Reggiori Wilkes, Angus MacSwan Organizations: United, United Nations Office, Drugs, Korea's, United Nations, North, Casinos, Bangladesh's Central Bank, Lazarus, UNODC Regional Representative, Southeast, Pacific, Reuters Locations: Southeast Asia, United Nations, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, North, Geneva, United States, Pyongyang, Philippines

☆ SEC chair gives in to a bitcoin ETF, but the hostility against cryptocurrency is still there
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-11 | by ( Bob Pisani | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Gary Gensler, chairman of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), during an interview in Washington, DC, US, on Thursday, July 27, 2023. Gensler was faced with the difficult task of explaining why the SEC has reversed its position on bitcoin ETFs. Circuit held that the commission failed to adequately explain its reasoning when it turned down Grayscale's proposed bitcoin ETF. In large part, the conflicts are based on his claim that most crypto assets are securities that come under the purview of the SEC. While we approved the listing and trading of certain spot bitcoin ETP shares today, we did not approve or endorse bitcoin."

Persons: Gary Gensler, Gary Gensler's, Gensler, Grayscale's, I've, —, bitcoin Organizations: US Securities and Exchange Commission, SEC, Securities, Exchange, U.S, Appeals, Investment Locations: Washington , DC

☆ Hackers see wealth of information to steal in children's school records
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Rachel Curry | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The education community — students, teachers, parents, staff and those connected to all of them — are barraged with threats to their physical safety. Now, they're also increasingly dealing with the kind of threats that don't take lives but impact them nonetheless. Schools are "definitely not funded enough to support cyber warfare," said Josh Heller, supervisor of information security engineering at Digi International. Penn Manor School District has 5,500 students who collectively generate more than two million individual data points in the core student management system alone. Going after a student's spotless creditCybercriminals seeking ransom payouts or identity thieves going after a student's spotless credit can gain access to identifying information, assessments, assignments, grades, homework, health records, attendance history, discipline records, special education records, home communications and more.

Persons: they're, Charlie Reisinger, Josh Heller, Reisinger, Heller, Warren Young, Young Organizations: Penn Manor School District, Millersville University of Pennsylvania's, Digi International, U.S . Senate, Pennsylvania School, Absolute Software Locations: Lancaster County, Penn, U.S

Shares of The North Face and Vans owner VF Corp . VF Corp. declined to comment on whether the incident was a ransomware attack. VF Corp. announced the incident on the same day that the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's new cyber disclosure rules took effect. VF Corp. first identified hackers in its system on Dec. 13, meaning it took relatively little time for the company to identify the threat as material. VF Corp. is the latest major company to be hit a by cyberattack that disrupted company operations.

Persons: Clorox Organizations: Corp, VF Corp, U.S . Securities, Exchange, SEC, Caesars Entertainment, CNBC, MGM Resorts, Caesars, MGM

☆ CrowdStrike CEO says AI can help prevent ransomware attacks
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Julie Coleman | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz told CNBC's Jim Cramer that using artificial intelligence is important in fighting increasingly sophisticated ransomware attacks. "Right now, ransomware, on average is, $8.5 million per ransom event, which is double just over the last month." But as much as AI helps outfits like CrowdStrike, cybercriminals are also benefitting from it with "Dark AI" tools like FraudGPT. Kurtz stressed the importance of identity verification when it comes to preventing cybercrime, saying the biggest weakness is "between the keyboard and the chair," or individuals. Kurtz said this has created more business for CrowdStrike.

Persons: George Kurtz, CNBC's Jim Cramer, Kurtz Organizations: Publicly, Securities and Exchange Commission, CrowdStrike

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