Hackaday Visits the Electric City

Much to the chagrin of local historians, the city of Scranton, Pennsylvania is today best known as the setting for the American version of The Office. But while the exploits of Dunder Mifflin’s best and brightest might make for a good Netflix binge, there’s a lot more to the historic city than the fictional paper company. From its beginnings as a major supplier of anthracite coal to the introduction of America’s first electrically operated trolley system on its streets, Scranton earned its nickname “The Electric City” by being a major technological hub from the Industrial Revolution through to the …read more

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The Science of Landing on an Asteroid

TL;DR – Very, very gently.

Exploiting the resources of the rock-strewn expanse of space between Mars and the outer planets has been the stuff of science fiction for ages. There’s gold in them ‘thar space rocks, or diamonds, or platinum, or something that makes them attractive targets for capitalists and scientists alike. But before actually extracting the riches of the asteroid belt, stuck here as we are at the bottom of a very deep gravity well that’s very expensive to climb out of, we have to answer a few questions. Like, how does one rendezvous with an asteroid? What’s involved …read more

Continue reading The Science of Landing on an Asteroid

The Science of Landing on an Asteroid

TL;DR – Very, very gently.

Exploiting the resources of the rock-strewn expanse of space between Mars and the outer planets has been the stuff of science fiction for ages. There’s gold in them ‘thar space rocks, or diamonds, or platinum, or something that makes them attractive targets for capitalists and scientists alike. But before actually extracting the riches of the asteroid belt, stuck here as we are at the bottom of a very deep gravity well that’s very expensive to climb out of, we have to answer a few questions. Like, how does one rendezvous with an asteroid? What’s involved …read more

Continue reading The Science of Landing on an Asteroid

Fake Flash updaters deliver cryptominers AND update Flash

Cryptominers have dethroned ransomware as the top malware threat and cybercriminals are coming up with new ways to keep the mining activity secret from the victims. One of these includes tricking users into unknowingly downloading and running the minin… Continue reading Fake Flash updaters deliver cryptominers AND update Flash

Cryptocurrency mining malware increases 86%

McAfee released its McAfee Labs Threats Report September 2018, examining the growth and trends of new cyber threats in Q2 2018. In the second quarter, they saw the surge in cryptomining malware growth that began in Q4 2017 continue through the first ha… Continue reading Cryptocurrency mining malware increases 86%

Stealthy cryptomining apps still on Google Play

Researchers have flagged 25 apps on Google Play that are surreptitiously mining cryptocurrency for their developers, and some of these have still not been removed, they warn. About the malicious apps Disguised as games, utilities and educational offeri… Continue reading Stealthy cryptomining apps still on Google Play

Cybercriminals shift tools, tactics and procedures to improve infection rates

Trend Micro released its Midyear Security Roundup 2018, revealing that cybercriminals are moving away from attention-grabbing ransomware attacks to more covert methods intended to steal money and valuable computing resources. Half-year comparison of cr… Continue reading Cybercriminals shift tools, tactics and procedures to improve infection rates

Podcast: Bad Packets Report Founder on Rising Cryptojacking Attacks

Cryptojacking attacks are on the rise. We talk to security researcher Troy Mursch about why bad actors are drawn to this attack technique. Continue reading Podcast: Bad Packets Report Founder on Rising Cryptojacking Attacks

Steam Pulled an Indie Game Accused of Being an Elaborate Cryptocurrency Mining Scam

Steam game ‘Abstractism’ was pulled from the marketplace after users complained that it was hijacking their computers to mine cryptocurrency, and that the game developers were scamming players with in-game assets. Continue reading Steam Pulled an Indie Game Accused of Being an Elaborate Cryptocurrency Mining Scam

Newsmaker Interview: Troy Mursch on Why Cryptojacking Isn’t Going Away

Criminals have found a mischievous way to mine cryptocurrency. Security researcher Troy Mursch sounds off on why this tricky trend isn’t going away anytime soon. Continue reading Newsmaker Interview: Troy Mursch on Why Cryptojacking Isn’t Going Away