The first ransomware attack, in 1988, was a crude effort involving virus-laden floppy disks. But in the decades since, the sophistication of malware, and the money reaped by criminals, has skyrocketed.
The recent attack on software supplier Kaseya has been labelled as the biggest global ransomware attack on record.
Ransomware has gone professional, with criminal consultants, affiliates and brokers – arresting them all will be difficult.
Olu Maintain’s hit song Yahooze is an ode to cybercrime.
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Poverty aside, cultural factors like the influence of hip hop songs may also play a role in making a life of cybercrime attractive to young people.
former ASIO head David Irvine on the cyber threats Australia faces.
Michelle Grattan discusses cyber security with former chairman of the Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre, David Irvine
The FBI’s latest cybersecurity moves bring the government into new territory – inside privately owned computers.
AP Photo/Cliff Owen
The courts have given the government the authority to hack into private computers unannounced. The action addresses a clear threat, but it also sets an unsettling precedent.
More than 500 million people’s details were compromised. The records include various combinations of name, email, gender, date of birth, location, relationship status and employer.
Universities are a prime target for cyber attacks and the weakest links in their defences are all the non-expert users of their systems. Teaching everyone basic cyber hygiene is vital.
Ransomware is quietly developing into one of the most disruptive – and lucrative – forms of cybercrime.
Organizations are more vulnerable to cyber-attacks as employees work from home.
To anticipate and protect themselves against the rise in cyberattacks, organizations need to consider new vulnerabilities that emerge when employees work from home.
We unpacked a large cybercrime business network and found a group relying on business 101 tactics: VIP memberships, cheap trial offers and a customer base reluctant to spend.
The outdated Microsoft operating system was recently dumped online in a huge leak. Hackers can now scour it for bugs to exploit.
One website dedicated to tracking stolen passwords suggests there are details of currently more than 10 billion compromised accounts available online.
Universities hold valuable information but are large and porous communities, with legacy IT systems often adding to the risks. But following a few basic rules can help counter cyber attacks.
Black markets thrive online and flourish during pandemics and other crises.
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The global pandemic has fueled illicit online sales of COVID-19 commodities, some of which are dangerous or illegal. Researchers are assessing the size and reach of this underground market.
Lukas Koch / AAP
The Australian government’s new cyber security plan moves in the right direction, but success will depend on how it’s executed.
Who are in the hoodies?
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The Russian cyberthreat, now targeting coronavirus vaccine research, goes back over three decades, extends into the country’s educational systems and criminal worlds, and shows no signs of letting up.
Twitter mediates so much in the public sphere that weak points at the company are weak points in society.
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Hackers demonstrated they can take over Twitter’s technology infrastructure, a brazen move that hints at how such an attack could destabilize society.
Cybercriminals view colleges as high-value targets.
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As colleges and universities strive to protect their campuses from COVID-19, they must also pay attention to cyberattacks that target sensitive data, a cybersecurity expert warns.
Twitter’s ‘blue tick’ club of influential users was locked out after financial scammers hacked celebrities’ accounts. But with ever more trust placed in social media, we stand to lose more than money.