hacking News

Ransomware Attack Strikes 20 Texas Local Governments

More than 20 local governments in Texas were targeted in a coordinated ransomware attack of unprecedented size. The Texas Department of Information Resources said in a statement that it believes a single source is behind all 22 of the attacks. …

Hacker Convicted in California of Breaking into More Than 100K Amex Accounts

A federal jury in Sacramento, Calif. has convicted a hacker accused of breaking into more than 100,000 of American Express accounts and handing off funds to Russia. The Sacramento Bee reported that 37-year-old Mihran Melkonyan on Tuesday was found guilty …

Idaho Governor Orders Cybersecurity Improvements for the State

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has signed an executive order aimed at protecting the state’s computer networks from hackers. The order signed this week creates a director of Information Security position, with that person reporting directly to the governor. The …

Malicious Adware Found on Computers in Arizona Legislature

Arizona officials say they found malware on a laptop computer at the state Legislature that triggered concerns of system-wide hack. A Department of Administration spokeswoman said that a forensic analysis found an adware program called Wajam. It injects ads onto …

California College Pays Hacker Ransom for Compromised Student Data

A California community college has paid a $28,000 ransom after a hacker took student data hostage. The Los Angeles Daily News reported that 1,800 Los Angeles Valley College teachers and staff were locked out of their computers last week, leaving …

The Right Cyber Coverage Can Protect a Business from Financial Ruin

A recent report on cybersecurity still shows many companies are unprepared for cyberattacks. The report, conducted by KPMG and British Telecom, reveals only 22 percent of companies have a comprehensive plan in place to deal with a major cybersecurity incident. …

Hacker Used Employee Credentials to Breach University of Alaska Data

University of Alaska officials say someone used an employee’s credentials to hack into a network drive that contained private information like Social Security numbers of more than 5,400 students at the Mat-Su campus. Officials said in a release that there …

VW’s Keyless Entry Systems Vulnerable to Hacking: European Researchers

Tens of millions of vehicles sold by Volkswagen AG over the past 20 years, and some current models, are vulnerable to theft because keyless entry systems can be hacked using cheap technical devices, according to European researchers. Computer security experts …

U.S. Treasury Unit Reviews Fosun’s Acquisition of Ironshore

U.S. authorities are conducting a review of China’s Fosun Group’s acquisition in November 2015 of Bermuda-based insurer Ironshore. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), part of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, regularly conducts company reviews …

Beazley & Munich Re to Offer Broad Cyber Cover for Large Global Companies

Beazley, a pioneer in data breach response insurance and the largest insurer of cyber liability risks in the Lloyd’s market, has partnered with the Corporate Insurance Partner unit of Munich Re to offer broad protection for the digital assets and …