Security Bytes: Mitnick's Web site hacked |
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By SearchSecurity.com Staff
22 Aug 2006 | SearchSecurity.com |
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Mitnick's Web site hacked
Digital vandals defaced the Web site of hacker-turned-security-consultant Kevin Mitnick over the weekend, replacing information on his books and consulting services with foul language.
According to CNET News.com, the vandals, who are reportedly based in Pakistan, hacked into the machine hosting Mitnick's site, removed his front page and put their own page in its place. The defacement affected four of Mitnick's Web addresses, including KevinMitnick.com and MitnickSecurity.com.
"The Web hosting provider that hosts my sites was hacked," Mitnick told CNET News.com. "Fortunately, I don't keep any confidential data on my Web site, so it wasn't that serious. Of course it is embarrassing to be defaced -- nobody likes it."
Mitnick gained notoriety as a hacker who was caught by the FBI in 1995 after a much-publicized pursuit. He served a five-year prison sentence for wire and computer fraud and later became a security consultant and author, traveling the lecture circuit.
Trojan hides in fake message from anti-child porn group
UK-based antivirus firm Sophos plc is warning of a Trojan horse proliferating via email messages claiming to be from an organization that fights child pornography on the Web. The Trojan hides in emails that claim the recipient's email address has been found in a child porn database discovered by the Association of Sites Advocating Child Protection (ASACP).
Sophos said Troj.Agent-CPK has been spammed out in the email messages with the subject line "CP investigation was started." Part of the email reads as follows:
"I'd like to inform you that investigating activity of the one of child porno sites; we found e-mails data base, in which was your e-mail . In view of this, I have two versions: either you are the client of this shop, or your e-mail appeared there accidentally. I sincerely hope that it was accidental coincidence and believe that you are interested in this version as well. If you show a good will, make modest, voluntary donation on our site: http://www.asacp.org/donation.html, I will be convinced in your being not implicated in this business."
Attached to the email is a file called asset576.zip, which unzips to a file called asset.txt.exe. Running the executable file installs the Trojan horse onto the user's computer, Sophos said.
The ASACP described the incident as a "massive spoof email attack" and has published a warning on its Web site informing recipients of the message that they may be at risk of infection.
Computers stolen from hospital chain
Ten computers housing sensitive patient information was stolen from one of the offices of Nashville-based HCA Inc., a chain of 182 hospitals and 94 surgery centers in 22 states, England and Switzerland. In a statement on its Web site, HCA said the computers held thousands of files listing unpaid bills from Medicare and Medicaid patients for hospitals in eight states. HCA said the records were required for government reports and the information included Social Security numbers and, in a small number of cases, codes used by the government to identify patient groups.
More specifically, the theft affects Medicare or Medicaid patients who failed to pay their co-payments or deductibles, resulting in overdue accounts, as well as Medicare and Medicaid patients who were seen in an HCA hospital in Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas or Washington, between 1996 and 2006.
"Authorities believe the computers were stolen by a gang that has committed numerous break-ins in the same area, looking for computers to be sold for their hardware and not the data," HCA said in its statement. "Despite a rigorous testing process and substantial security measures, this incident took place, showing criminals can sometimes bypass even the most effective security."
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