New Revelations on Regin Malware, Possibly State-Sponsored
In an article published on MIT Technology Review, legendary cryptography expert Bruce Schneier warns that antivirus companies have tracked for years a recently uncovered, very powerful and sophisticated malware, but chose not to disclose their findings. Why? Because there are indications that the malware is developed and operated by a government - the United States government. Schneier is an American cryptographer, computer security and privacy specialist, and writer. He is the author of several books on general security topics, computer security and cryptography. One of the most....
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Security researchers have just discovered "one of the most advanced pieces of malware ever created." Symantec researchers recently published their findings on a Trojan they named "Regin." Regin has been in use since at least 2008 and has only now been discovered. Researchers state the tool is "a complex piece of malware whose structure displays a degree of technical competence rarely seen. It's been cleverly designed to spy on computer systems around the world while leaving hardly a trace behind. The software's authors have gone to great lengths to cover its tracks." Regin uses multiple....
While these attacks against US companies have subsided for the time being, there is no reason to believe the Bitcoin malware threat is over. Internet criminals resort to this type of malware to target both consumers and businesses alike, in the hopes of forcing people into paying the associated ransom to restore computer access. One of the most recent waves of Bitcoin ransomware attacks executed against US companies has been allegedly instigated by Chinese hackers. Although corporate espionage and hacking attempts between the US and China are nothing new, it is the first time a large-scale....
Tewksbury Police Department has reportedly paid a $500 Bitcoin ransom to hackers who had infected the department's files with a ransomware program called CryptoLocker. The malware program bogged down the police systems for 5 days after which the department finally decided to pay up. Chief of Police Timothy Sheehan said, "Nobody wants to negotiate with terrorists. Nobody wants to pay terrorists. We did everything we possibly could." Timothy went on to add that, "It was an eye-opening experience, I can tell you right now. It made you feel that you lost control of everything. Paying the....
Bitcoin.org, the Bitcoin Core website, has warned users to be vigilant downloading binaries for the upcoming 0.13.0 Bitcoin Core release because it will likely be targeted by state-sponsored attackers. Bitcoin.org does not believe it has the resources to defend against the attack. The Chinese bitcoin community is especially warned. A key is recommended for download. Warning: Uses Could Lose Coins. Not being careful before downloading binaries could result in the loss of all of a user’s coins, the website warned. The malware could also cause a computer to participate in attacks against the....
Bitcoin.org has posted a notice on the website warning the Bitcoin community about a potential attack by state-sponsored hackers targeting Bitcoin Core release. Bitcoin has been in the government’s crosshairs across the world since it became popular. Now, a new warning has surfaced on Bitcoin.org – the quasi-official Bitcoin website expressing concerns about a potential threat. The latest update on the website cautions the Bitcoin community to be “extra careful” while downloading the new updates. With a new Bitcoin Core release around the corner, the website anticipates an attack by....