US charges Phobos ransomware admin after South Korea extradition

November 18, 2024 at 02:51PM Evgenii Ptitsyn, a Russian suspected of leading the Phobos ransomware operation, has been extradited from South Korea to the U.S. He faces multiple cybercrime charges for his involvement in extorting over $16 million from more than 1,000 entities by coordinating ransomware attacks since November 2020. ### Meeting Takeaways: 1. **Extradition … Read more

Inside Water Barghest’s Rapid Exploit-to-Market Strategy for IoT Devices

November 18, 2024 at 04:27AM Water Barghest, estimated to control over 20,000 IoT devices by October 2024, exploits vulnerabilities to monetize them as proxies on a marketplace. Utilizing automated scripts and the Ngioweb malware, the process from infection to marketplace availability can be completed in under 10 minutes, highlighting its operational efficiency. **Meeting Notes Takeaways: … Read more

Teen serial swatter-for-hire busted, pleads guilty, could face 20 years

November 17, 2024 at 07:42PM A teenager, Alan Filion, pleaded guilty to making over 375 fake threats, known as “swatting.” Facing up to 20 years in prison, he conducted these calls targeting institutions and individuals to extort money. Meanwhile, cybersecurity updates reveal ongoing vulnerabilities in Metabase and D-Link devices, alongside rising online scams tracked by … Read more

Bloke behind Helix Bitcoin launderette jailed for three years, hands over $400M

November 15, 2024 at 08:04PM Larry Dean Harmon, 41, was sentenced to three years in prison for operating the Grams dark-web search engine and the Helix cryptocurrency laundering service, which handled over 354,000 bitcoins. He pleaded guilty to money laundering and conspiracy, and faces significant financial penalties, including a $60 million fine. ### Meeting Takeaways … Read more

Idaho Man Gets 10 Years for Hacking, Cyber Extortion

November 14, 2024 at 03:53PM Robert Purbeck, 45, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for hacking 19 US servers, stealing personal information of 132,000 people, and extorting an orthodontist for Bitcoin. He accessed sensitive data from a medical clinic and a police department. He must also pay over $1 million in restitution. ### Meeting … Read more

Cybercriminal devoid of boundaries gets 10-year prison sentence

November 14, 2024 at 03:29PM Robert Purbeck, 45, was sentenced to ten years in prison for cybercrimes targeting medical facilities and other organizations across the U.S. He extorted at least $1 million from 19 victims, including threatening their personal safety. Purbeck also faces three years of supervised release following his prison term. ### Meeting Takeaways: … Read more

Hacker gets 10 years in prison for extorting US healthcare provider

November 14, 2024 at 12:02PM Robert Purbeck, 45, from Idaho, has received a ten-year prison sentence for hacking 19 organizations, stealing personal data from over 132,000 individuals, and extorting victims. He pleaded guilty to unauthorized access charges and must pay over $1 million in restitution after an FBI raid revealed the extensive data theft. **Meeting … Read more

Two Men Charged For Hacking US Tax Preparation Firms

November 14, 2024 at 08:54AM Two Nigerian nationals have been charged for hacking into US tax preparation companies, with one suspect located in Mexico and the other in North Dakota. The incident highlights ongoing cybersecurity threats faced by financial institutions. **Meeting Takeaways:** – Two Nigerian nationals have been charged with hacking. – One individual is … Read more

Idaho Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Hacking, Data Theft, Extortion

November 14, 2024 at 07:39AM Robert Purbeck received a 10-year prison sentence for stealing personal information from over 132,000 individuals and committing extortion. This case highlights serious concerns regarding data security and cybercrime. ### Meeting Notes Takeaways: – **Individual Involved**: Robert Purbeck – **Offense**: Hacking, data theft, and extortion – **Sentence**: 10 years in prison … Read more

US indicts Snowflake hackers who extorted $2.5 million from 3 victims

November 13, 2024 at 01:52PM The Department of Justice has unsealed an indictment against two suspected hackers who compromised over 165 organizations using Snowflake cloud storage services. **Meeting Notes Takeaways:** 1. **Indictment Unsealed**: The Department of Justice has publicly released the indictment against two suspected hackers. 2. **Nature of Breach**: The hackers are believed to … Read more