Known as Rey, the suspect is reportedly helping the FBI identify and locate other members of the extortion group.

The post Alleged ShinyHunters Leader Arrested in Jordan appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Amir Barati, an alleged member of the Mabna Institute, was indicted for targeting universities, private organizations, and government entities in the US and abroad.

The post In Rare Move, Alleged Iranian State Hacker Extradited to US appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Modern messaging apps allow users to link their phone accounts to their computer desktop. Eavesdroppers are taking advantage of this capability:

Apps such as WhatsApp Web and Signal Desktop allow people to use their accounts on other devices, such as laptops or desktop computers.

Germany’s Customs Office has been using these features to connect a police-controlled computer to a suspect’s account.

Once connected, messages can be delivered to that computer without the police having to crack the encryption protecting them.

Netzpoltik details that police are able to gain access in this way either through physical access to someone’s phone or by intercepting verification codes via a state-sanctioned phishing attack or intercepting SMS messages via telephone surveillance.

That last paragraph is important. Making this work requires user consent.

What we want is a feature that displays connected devices, so users could notice if a new device gets connected to their account.

Pepijn van der Stap was convicted in 2023 for hacking multiple organizations, stealing their data, and extorting them.

The post Dutch Police Arrest Convicted Hacker in ShinyHunters Investigation appeared first on SecurityWeek.

He’s being prosecuted for giving border officials a code that wiped his phone:

The case centers on a feature included in GrapheneOS, a custom Android operating system that runs in place of the software on most modern Google Pixel devices. Tunick’s attorneys confirmed GrapheneOS was running on his phone.

The software feature allows the device owner to set a passcode that deliberately wipes the contents of that device if entered instead of the user’s unlock passcode.

Tunick’s case also raises ongoing questions about what constitutional rights can be invoked at the border, which the U.S. government has long asserted is not U.S. soil until a person is authorized to enter.

Right. And he wasn’t under arrest, either.

Three more news stories.

Graphine says that the feature is “completely legal“:

GrapheneOS is completely legal. We have no obligation to weaken any of the security protections it provides. Creating and using GrapheneOS is strongly protected by the US constitution. Laws attempting to make it illegal or require weakening the security would be unconstitutional.

It’s hard to know how much the Constitution matters in the US right now.

Governments are switching, but I’m not sure it makes a difference:

…some municipalities, including Denver, Colorado, are ditching their Flock arrays. But keep in mind that if they’re only switching from Flock to another brand of license-plate readers, like Axon, it’s like a gambling addict trying to kick the habit by switching from FanDuel to DraftKings.

[…]

Despite what you may read on the Flock website, Axon cameras are pretty effective when it comes to hoovering up personal details that can go far beyond your license plate numbers. That means a municipality that opts for Axon cameras instead of Flock units won’t necessarily reduce the amount privacy its citizens lose through their use.

Yet another Israeli mass surveillance company:

Made by Israeli surveillance company Cognyte, the tech simulates a mobile phone tower, which forces nearby phones to connect to it. That enables cops to keep tabs on any phones in the vicinity ­ whether they’re owned by a suspect in a case or not. Cognyte’s contract with the state of Texas reveals that the simulator, called FalcoNet, can be concealed within the vehicles, hidden in a backpack for on-foot missions or attached to a helicopter. It’s the same technology as the infamous Stingray, one of the original cell-site simulators made by defense giant L3Harris.

Thalha Jubair and Owen Flowers were prosecuted over a 2024 cyberattack targeting Transport for London (TfL).

The post Two Scattered Spider Hackers Sentenced to Jail in UK appeared first on SecurityWeek.

The 13-country effort, named Operation Ramz, targeted cyber threats in the Middle East and North Africa region.

The post 201 Arrested in Crackdown on Cybercrime in Middle East, North Africa appeared first on SecurityWeek.

The second iteration of the German-speaking online crime marketplace had over 22,000 users and more than 100 sellers.

The post Resurrected ‘Crimenetwork’ Marketplace Taken Down, Administrator Arrested appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Dozens of Venezuelan nationals have been charged by the US for their role in ATM jackpotting attacks. 

The post 2 Venezuelans Convicted in US for Using Malware to Hack ATMs appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Operating as an access broker, the defendant sold unauthorized access to compromised networks to an undercover agent.

The post Jordanian Admits in US Court to Selling Access to 50 Enterprise Networks appeared first on SecurityWeek.

Nicholas Moore pleaded guilty to repeatedly hacking the U.S. Supreme Court’s filing system and illegally accessing computer systems belonging to AmeriCorps and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The post Tennessee Man Pleads Guilty to Repeatedly Hacking Supreme Court’s Filing System appeared first on SecurityWeek.

RedVDS enables threat actors to set up servers that can be used for phishing, BEC attacks, account takeover, and fraud.

The post RedVDS Cybercrime Service Disrupted by Microsoft and Law Enforcement appeared first on SecurityWeek.

The 44-year-old individual planted remote access malware on a logistics firm’s systems, with help from employees.

The post Dutch Port Hacker Sentenced to Prison appeared first on SecurityWeek.