Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   The command and control servers behind the ‘Red October’ espionage network started shutting down only hours after the campaign was exposed by Kapersky Lab last week. The Red October malware campaign targeted governments, embassies and scientific organizations around the world. According to researchers at Kapersky Lab, the spy network had been gathering data and …

Chris Dougherty Virtual Threat Contributing Writer   Facebook accounts are an often overlooked gateway into an individual’s personal life.   We, as social networking users, have few reservations about posting our photos, location, plans to travel, private outbursts, and information regarding friends, family and work.  We include names, phone numbers, email addresses, GPS coordinates and the list goes on and …

  Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat.com, Contributing Writer   Kaspersky Lab has uncovered a cyber espionage campaign that is targeting diplomatic and government agencies around the world.  The campaign has been dubbed “Rocra”, short for “Red October”. As of this writing the malware at the heart of the attack is actively sending data to several command and control (C&C) servers.  According to domain registration …

Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   Hackers with ties to Al-Qaeda terrorist cells in Somalia and the Philippines are targeting New York small businesses using international phone hacking scams.  The scams are costing the companies hundreds of thousands of dollars in phone charges each month. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) said that the hacker group has a connection to Syracuse and it …

  Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   Most people believe their phone conversations are private.  Well, they may not be as private as you think if your office or home is filled with hacked phones. Researchers at Columbia University have discovered a flaw in  telephones that allows a hacker to turn a phone’s microphone into a sophisticated recording device.  Using …

  Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   Why stay anonymous online?  In today’s society there are people and automated devices that are recording your deepest, most private thoughts and activities. Each day we voluntarily divulge the most intimate details of our lives through social networking accounts, email, banking apps, online games and more. In addition, governments and corporations can censor …

Chris Dougherty Virtual Threat Contributing Writer   As the Christmas season and holiday shopping hits full swing, cyber criminals are using sophisticated attacks to steal your money and credit card data. The latest scheme infects cash register machines with a malicious piece of software called Dexter malware. Seculert, an Israeli security firm, has identified a growing trend where criminals are …

Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   Caribbean officials in Belize have questioned 3 people with regard to the murder of Gregory Viant Faull, an American citizen living in a town north of San Pedro, on the island of Ambergris Caye.  Belize authorities say John McAfee, the 67 year old founder of the antivirus software giant McAfee, is a “person of interest” …

Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   A member of the Anonym0us hacking collective announced the group is planning to set up an enhanced Wikileaks clone service by the end of 2012. According to The Hacker News, the Wikileaks competitor is scheduled to be launched on December 21st of this year.  A representative for the hacktivist group, claiming to speak on behalf of …

Chris Dougherty VirtualThreat Contributing Writer   Have you ever wondered why so many people are easy targets for hackers?  The top reason is due to the use of weak, common passwords. According to SplashData, a California password management company, the word ‘password’ is the #1 most common password on the “Worst Passwords of 2012” list. The #2 position for most …