Cyberhacktivism threatens federal security

Federal Drive

Cyberhacktivism threatens federal security

Digital copiers pose security danger, \'kindergarten hacker\' cracks teacher\'s password

Federal News Network Staff

April 20, 2010 9:25 am

2 min read

Cybersecurity Update – Tune in weekdays at 30 minutes past the hour for the latest cybersecurity news on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin and Jane Norris (6-10 a.m.) and The Daily Debrief with Chris Dorobek and Amy Morris (3-7 p.m.). Listen live at FederalNewsRadio.com or on the radio at 1500 and 820 AM in the Washington, D.C. metro area.

A new wave of cyber protest is threatening cyber security at the federal and corporate level. A new report by well-known botnet researcher Gunter Ollmann of computer security firm Damballa, looks at the recent trend toward politically motivated cyberprotests, sometimes called hacktivism. So far these organized attacks have been carried out against rival governments like Estonia and Georgia and large companies like Project Aurora, but the report warns these cyber-protests could be carried out by anyone. These attacks are difficult to defend because they don’t necessarily involve true criminal behavior, and they could be carried out by their own customers. The growing popularity of social networks is making these target cyberprotests easier to organize and control, according to Ollmann. Darkreading.com says that as cyber protests continue to grow IT departments will have to set up some sort of counter attack.
Could your old and discarded copier be a threat to your personal and corporate security? The answer is yes, according to new reports. Digital copiers built after 2002 are essentially computers that store an image of every document scanned, copied or emailed on a hard drive. Ever faxed your tax return from the office copier? Then your information is most likely stored on the hard drive. CBS reports the copier industry isn’t stepping up about the hidden risk of personal identity theft.
Keep a close eye on those passwords. It was a school-child, not a seasoned hacker, who broke into a Virginia school’s record system. The school is Springhill Elementary in McLean, Virginia. And police say the 9-year old captured login credentials for the system from a teacher’s desk and used the information to change passwords, homework assignments and class rosters. No charges have been filed.