An interesting development in the latest cybercrime trends has been a marked increase in attacks against online games and virtual worlds, as I have posted previously. One element that I have missed in the discussion about game hacking has been the methods with which cyber-criminals obtain login details and passwords Read more…
xkcd once more manages to distil complex issues in an understandable and undeniable manner. The weakest point in any computer security system is the carbon-based element managing the keys.
Some years ago, headlines describing global virus infections were commonplace. Does anyone remember the ILOVEYOU virus, the Melissa worm, and Code Red? Lately, while virus and worm threats have not diminished, their reporting has become less prominent. Have you heard about Nyxem, XSS and Sotrm? Neither had I. The less Read more…
The BBC is reporting that there is a new fatal flaw with Internet Explorer that allows hackers to gain access to a computer and steal passwords. In other news water is wet, politicians lie and Windows Vista is a huge disappointment. Seriously though, this is usually the perfect opportunity for Read more…
As a long-time watcher of Nigerian 419 scams, I felt obliged to pass this beauty on. Enjoy. Anti-Terrorist And Monitory Crime Division.Federal Bureau Of Investigation.J.Edgar.Hoover Building Washington Dc Attn: Beneficiary, This is to Officially inform you that it has come to our notice and we have thoroughly Investigated with the Read more…
A Federal jury in Los Angeles has convicted Lori Drew of three misdemeanour counts of computer fraud, specifically accessing a computer without authorisation. This is not unusual in itself, but the novelty of the decision is that Ms Drew’s conduct was to create a fictional MySpace account to bully neighbour Read more…
(via Pangloss) The European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) has published a report about the prevalence of cybercrime against virtual world inhabitants. The report states that: “2007 was the year of online gaming fraud – with malicious programs that specifically target online games and virtual worlds increasing by 145% Read more…
(via ORG-Discussion list and various other sources) A teenager in Florida has committed suicide while webcasting the event on video website Justin.tv. Reportedly, as many as 1,500 people were witnesing the event at one time, and some even encouraged the teenager with messages like this one: “Do it, do the Read more…
From the same people who brought you The War on TerrorTM, comes the latest in terrorist tools: Twitter! Wired reports that an American intelligence outfit has been attempting to guess which tools might be used by terrorist to unleash death and destruction on an unsuspecting populace. GSM phones, chat software Read more…
Internet news sites are abuzz with the report that a Japanese woman has been jailed after reportedly “killing” her virtual husband’s avatar after a virtual divorce. A 43-year-old Japanese piano teacher was virtually married to a 33-year-old office worker in the online game Maplestory – a cutesy Korean manga-style world. Read more…