Hackers Demand $30K To Unlock Newark’s Computers

Computers serving the City of Newark have been infected by ransomware, according to a report by TAPintoNewark.  The computers are unusable and the hacker has demanded 1.7 Bitcoin, the equivalent of $30,000 to unlock the City’s system.

The City’s police department’s computers were unaffected by the RSA-2048 encryption that was installed on Newark computers on Friday.

Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Ashley Madison leak contains 88 emails tied to government agencies in N.J.

Eighty-eight email addresses tied to government agencies that conduct business in New Jersey were part of the massive Ashley Madison leak, a NJ Advance Media analysis has found. Of the 88 email addresses, 54 were listed as working addresses, or addresses to which the service was able to send an email. On August 18, a group… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Hackers Publish Stolen Data From Adultery Site Ashley Madison

Hackers who stole the personal information of adultery website Ashley Madison.com’s 37 million users last month reportedly dumped the data on the dark web late Tuesday night, according to cybersecurity experts. The leaked information included member accounts and credit card details from the match-making sitewhich bears the slogan “Life is short. Have an affair”in a 9.7… Read the rest of this entry »

• Tweet

Department of Homeland Security Issues Warning To Computer Users

By Art Gallagher

If you’ve been surfing the net over the last few days,  you are very likely at risk for identity theft.  Your networks could be at risk. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced that hackers have discovered and are exploiting a flaw in Java security that could allow the installation of malicious software and malware on your computer.

DHS is recommending that computer users disable or uninstall Java until further notice.

Most anti-virus, firewall and malware detection programs are not preventing this vulnerability from being exploited.

For instructions on disabling or uninstalling Java click here.

This is a serious problem that has not yet been widely reported in the media.

For more detailed information, read this article by Brian Krebs at KrebsOnSecurity.com

UPDATED: Computer Experts Recommend Disabling Java Unless You Know You Need It

• Tweet

Rible wants to protect gun owners’ privacy

Assembly Republican Conference Leader Dave Rible (30th District, Monmouth) announced yesterday that he will propose legislation that would prohibit the public release of the names and addresses of gun permit holders.

The Journal News, the suburban New York affiliate of the Asbury Park Press, published a map of and the names and addresses of gun permit holders from Westchester and Rockland Counties on Sunday, December 23.  The Gannett owned publication obtained the information from the county clerks of Westchester and Rockland via New York’s Freedom of Information Law.  Since the December 23 publication, the Putnam County Clerk has declined the Journal News’ Freedom of Information request for that county’s gun permit holders’ information.

A Westchester based blog, Talk of the Sound, responded by publishing the names and addresses of Jounral News employees, including those of the reporter who wrote the original story and Gannett’s CEO.  A group of hackers broke into the company’s subscriber database.  They are distributing the names, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and passwords of the 10,000 subscribers of the paper’s website to anyone who asks.

The Journal News hired arm guards to secure its Rockland County headquarters.  JN didn’t report that they hired arm guards. That stroy was broken by their competitor, The Rockland  County Times.

Rible’s proposed bill would prevent that kind of nonsense from happening in New Jersey.

• Tweet