Category: Hacking
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10 Billion Passwords Exposed: Should You Worry?
In a recent cybersecurity incident, an unprecedented leak of nearly 10 billion unique plaintext passwords has surfaced on a widely-used hacking forum. This enormous collection, dubbed “RockYou2024” due to its filename (rockyou.txt), is believed to have been compiled from various past data breaches. Assessing the Threat Level While the sheer…
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Maybe the Largest Data Leak of Passwords Ever – Is Yours One of Them?
It may be the largest data leak of passwords of all time. According to Cyber News, the leak may have exposed more than 8.4 billion passwords. The person posting the leaked passwords on a hacker forum claimed originally to have access to 82 billion passwords. “The compilation itself has been…
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Study: 18% of all online ad traffic is fraudulent
Cybersecurity company CHEQ is led by Guy Tytunovich, a former Israeli military intelligence officer. He says the amount of online advertising fraud is grossly underestimated. A new study released by his company estimates that 18% of all online ad traffic is a fraudulent. That cost cost advertisers as much as…
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New data leak exposes 773 Million email accounts; How to check if you are at risk
Here we go again. 773 million email address and passwords have been leaked. Security expert Troy Hunt dropped this bombshell this week on his blog. What he calls “Collection #1” is a set of email addresses and passwords that’s being shared on the dark web. Spanning different providers, nearly three-quarters…
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Hackers are now hacking Connected TV Sets
Yup, it happened. Hackers have been able to hack TV sets. The guy behind the hack called himself, The Hacker Giraffe, and managed to exploit a Google Chromecast vulnerability in devices and posted a privacy warning (and promoted PewDiePie, a YouTube celeb). According to Media Post, the hack takes advantage…
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Meet the Most Wanted Cyber Criminals in the United States
These 9 people are among the Most Wanted Cyber Criminals in the United States. The FBI says these crooks are responsible for hacking more than half a billion people’s personal data, email passwords, credit card information, and bank accounts info. Their actions account for more than $100 million dollars in…
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Facebook says it deleted half a billion fake accounts and 837 million spam message in 1Q 2018
When your platform is built around user-generated content, not everybody will use it for good. Policing the content to make sure people aren’t breaking the law, posting nude photos, hate speech, spreading fake news, or spamming everyone is difficult stuff. It’s a daunting task. “We’re often asked how we decide…
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Tracking the Equifax Hack Through the Dark Web
It’s been a year since hackers broke through security into the Equifax database – one of the world’s largest credit agencies – exposing the personal data of more than 143 million people. This put credit card accounts, credit histories, social security numbers, and other personally-identifiable financial information into the hands…
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Identity Theft is the fastest growing crime in the U.S.
The average suburban block has roughly 20 homes. Just among your closest neighbors, there are likely 4 families that have been victims of identity theft. The numbers are shocking: Bankrate.com says 41 million Americans have been the victim of identity theft. Think tank Privacy and American Business says the number is more…
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What Is Your Personal Information Worth on the Dark Web?
It’s called the “dark web” because it’s hidden for most people. It is not indexed by search engines and it is accessed by peer-to-peer networks using software, or networks like Tor, Freenet, and I2P. It is used by people that want to stay anonymous online, but it can also be used…
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How Dark Web Hackers Are Now Using Messaging Apps to Target You
If it seems like hackers are always one step ahead, you may be right. With the authorities shutting major marketplaces on the dark web, the crooks have turned their attention to apps to steal your information. Messaging apps are a favorite target. Hackers send links and attachments, such as a…
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How Hackers Exploit Bluetooth Technology
Bluetooth is amazing technology. It lets you connect your mobile to your car, your tablet to your television, control your lights from your smart phone, and more. It can also be a way for crooks to steal your identity. That’s why more than 3.6 billion devices ship with Bluetooth technology every year.…
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Major changes to online privacy – except in the U.S.
Some big changes are coming to online privacy, especially when it comes to companies like Google and Facebook. The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) establishes a new set of rules designed to give people more control over their data. Think about how much of “you” is online. Things…
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Year-long Google study of the dark web shows how accounts get hacked
The folks at Google teamed up with Carnegie Mellon to undertake an extensive study on how accounts get compromised. By searing the dark web, they identified some troubling things: 788,000 potential victims of off-the-shelf keyloggers 4 million potential victims of phishing kits 9 billion usernames and passwords exposed via data…
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Facebook vows to fight back against foreign interference in US elections
CEO Mark Zuckerberg laid out his plan to protect the integrity of US election. He says he wants to make sure “Facebook is a force for good in democracy.” “I don’t want anyone to use our tools to undermine (our) democracy,” Zuckerberg said in a video address. In order to…
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Find out if your data was compromised in the Equifax breach – 143 million people are affected
Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit reporting agencies had a major data breach – affecting 143 million people (nearly half the US population). Released was personal data, and some 200,000 SS# and some credit card numbers. You can go online here to check and see if you are affected. …
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For goodness sake, update your Windows software RIGHT NOW!
Ransomware is back in the news with a vengeance. The largest coordinated attack in history is underway, exploiting a vulnerability in Windows, and holding people’s computers hostage. Ransomware infects your computer and encrypts your data. It demands payment before releasing it. Authorities have said repeatedly there’s not much you can…
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Media outlets hits by massive “fake like” campaign; Facebook purges 200 million
USA Today lost nearly 6 million likes in April. They were fake Facebook accounts that had liked the paper. Parent company Gannett said there are still more than two million more fake accounts floating around. That adds up to roughly 38% of all likes, according to a CBS analysis of…
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Website hacking on the rise – check out the new things hackers are doing
Google reports an increase in the number of hacked sites. They estimate that there were roughly 32% more hacked sites in 2016 compared to 2015. “We don’t expect this trend to slow down,” Google said in a recent post. “As hackers get more aggressive and more sites become outdated,…
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Everytime there’s new technology, someone figures out a way to hack it, exploit, or infect it
Doesn’t it seems everytime there’s new technology, someone figures out a way to hack it, exploit, or infect it? 16 million homes have had a serious virus problem in the past two years. The conflicker virus alone has infected nearly 9 million computers. Even cars are being hacked. And there’s…
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Now ransomware is showing up on a Smart TV?
Wow. Just wow. Darrn Cauthon is a software developer. On Christmas day, he says, a family member was using their Smart TV and downloaded an app to watch a movie. The TV set froze up. When it rebooted, this notice appeared claiming to be from FBI Director James Comey. Full…
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Google Maps renames “Trump Tower” in NYC as “Dump Tower”
If you googled “Trump Tower” for a while this weekend, you’d find this… Instead of this… Yup, somebody re-named Trump Tower as Dump Tower on Google Maps.
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Cyber Criminals now spreading ransomware through Facebook, LinkedIn
If you find a graphic or image on your computer and you don’t remember downloading it, stop before opening! Experts have seen a dramatic increase in what’s Locky Ransomware being shared by unsuspecting victims, now through social media platforms LinkedIn and Facebook. Ransomware is insidious. It locks up your computer…
Paul Dughi.com 