Hackers use Cryptoware Against Police for Bitcoin Ransom
Computer hackers have been attacking government offices and private industry for decades in the pursuit of extorting millions of U. S. Dollars. Now, the digital crime is gaining a new digital treasure for the a more advanced 21st century criminal underworld. Cryptoware Attack Nets Over 2 Bitcoins. South of Chicago, Illinois, the small Midlothian police department was subject to a criminal Cryptoware attack by an unknown hacker. The perpetrator disabled a police computer, rendering it inaccessible through his encryption program labeled Cryptoware. As far as police know, the computer's....
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A suburban Chicago Police Department recently paid a $500 worth Bitcoin ransom to retrieve their malware-hit data from an unidentified hacker. Somewhere in January, Midlothian police reported to have been attacked by cryptoware - a trojan that encrypts data of the target's computer and seeks ransom for its retrieval from online criminals. Reportedly, the hacker in this case had encrypted specific confidential files on the police's computer, though he never got to access them. According to Calvin Harder Jr., a local IT expert at Midlothian, someone from the police department accidentally....
A senior executive in Australia has reportedly been victimized after the company they work for was pressured by online hackers into paying a ransom in bitcoin worth $14,000 earlier this year. According to a report by the Brisbane Times, the unnamed Queensland-based business suffered an internal data theft, which was followed by the ransom demand. The company paid the amount, local law enforcement officials told the news service. Subsequent ransom demands were ignored, police explained, a decision that is said to have prompted the hackers to escalate their intimidatory tactics. The hackers....
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....
Hackers creating online malware attacks typically demand bitcoin ransom, as this prevents authorities from tracking where the payments went. Bitcoin transactions are anonymous and irreversible, making these the usual mode of ransom required by scammers. Just recently, a company based in Brisbane suffered internal data theft and was demanded to pay bitcoin ransom to its hackers. Initially, the company refused to make the payments but the hackers escalated their threats. Bitcoin Ransom Payment. Eventually, the Australian firm gave in to the demands and gave the hackers the amount they wanted....
Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt attacked by hackers, lock 130 guests out of their rooms forcing the hotel to pay Bitcoin ransom. Hackers attacking critical IT infrastructure for Bitcoin ransom is not a new thing. It has been happening on a regular basis in the past couple of years. But attacking a hotel and locking hundreds of guests out of their rooms probably never happened before last week. According to reports, one of the top European hotels, Romantik Seehotel Jaegerwirt in Austria became the target of cybercriminals. They managed to hack into the luxurious 4-star hotel’s electronic key....