Category Archives: Department of Justice

National security officials outline hopes for national data breach notification law

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Top U.S. national security officials on Tuesday explained some ideal elements to a potential national data breach reporting law, describing the idea as one pathway to stopping massive security incidents like the SolarWinds hack. A national data breach reporting law would need to be clear and concise for companies to follow it, and generally not be a huge burden, said Tonya Ugoretz, deputy assistant director of the FBI. It also might function as an alternative to government surveillance of private sector networks, a controversial idea previously suggested as a means of detecting cyber-espionage. Such a law should be focused on receiving reports about only especially sensitive breaches, such as those which jeopardize national security and critical infrastructure or that compromise U.S. government information, Ugoretz said during a prerecorded segment that aired at the virtual 2021 RSA Conference. However, Ugoretz and Adam Hickey, the deputy assistant attorney general and the Justice […]

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Ticketmaster Coughs Up $10 Million Fine After Hacking Rival Business

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Several Ticketmaster executives conspired a hack against a rival concert presales firm, in attempt to ‘choke off’ its business. Continue reading Ticketmaster Coughs Up $10 Million Fine After Hacking Rival Business→

Suspect in case of Mirai botnet, which knocked major sites offline in 2016, pleads guilty

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The U.S. Department of Justice on Wednesday announced that an unnamed defendant has pleaded guilty in connection with a cyberattack that rocked the internet in 2016. The October 2016 distributed denial-of-service attack affected Dyn, an internet infrastructure company, before rippling out to cause outages for sites including Twitter, Netflix, Spotify, AirBnb and Reddit, among others. DDoS attacks typically occur when attackers access a network of hacked computers, then direct those connections to a single point on the web, overwhelming the target with traffic and knocking it offline. In this case, the defendant in question conspired with others in September and October 2016 to leverage an offshoot of an army of hackers computers known as the Mirai botnet, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The malicious tool relied on connected video cameras, recorders and other devices to carry out the incident. Authorities withheld the name of the defendant because they were a […]

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Why the Biden administration needs a National Cyber Director more than ever

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As the Biden-Harris administration thinks about cyber appointments and cyber strategy for the first 100 days of the administration, appointing a National Cyber Director role requiring Senate confirmation is critical. The National Cyber Director will coordinate, support, and deconflict efforts on cyber, technology, and related issues led by executive branch agencies, engage the private sector to build trust and advance shared priorities, and represent the administration at home and abroad on cyber. The administration will face a number of cybersecurity and technology challenges upon entering the White House. Effective mobilization and coordination of the government, and engagement with industry and civil society requires a coordinated strategy led by an empowered National Cyber Director who is responsible for the work. That person also must be able to hold federal agencies accountable. The cybersecurity landscape has only grown more complex since President-Elect Biden left office as vice president. Election security, foreign investment […]

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$100M Botnet Scheme Lands Cybercriminal 8 Years in Jail

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Aleksandr Brovko faces jail time after stealing $100 million worth of personal identifiable information (PII) and financial data over the course of more than 10 years. Continue reading $100M Botnet Scheme Lands Cybercriminal 8 Years in Jail→

U.S. Levies Sanctions Against Russian Research Institution Linked to Triton Malware

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The latest in a flurry of actions this week, tied to foreign threats against U.S. computer systems, includes sanctions by the Department of the Treasury. Continue reading U.S. Levies Sanctions Against Russian Research Institution Linked to Triton Malware→

Rapper Who Bragged About Defrauding US CARES Act Program Could Face Up to 22 Years in Prison

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A rapper who bragged about fleecing the US Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) on YouTube was arrested for allegedly defrauding the government of $1.2 million in benefits, the Department of Justice (DOJ) disclosed on Friday. According to a press rel… Continue reading Rapper Who Bragged About Defrauding US CARES Act Program Could Face Up to 22 Years in Prison→

Video-Game Piracy Group ‘Team Xecuter’ Leaders in Custody

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The two alleged leaders of Team Xecuter targeted popular consoles like the Nintendo Switch, the Sony PlayStation Classic and Microsoft Xbox. Continue reading Video-Game Piracy Group ‘Team Xecuter’ Leaders in Custody→