This hack has all the earmarks of a middle-man conspiracy: "On Friday, a Target spokeswoman backtracked from previous statements and said criminals had made off with customers’ encrypted PIN information as well. But Target said the company stored the keys to decrypt its PIN data on separate systems from the ones that were hacked."
'Target’s Nightmare Goes On: Encrypted PIN Data Stolen' New York Times: http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/targets-nightmare/<http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/27/targets-nightmare-goes-on-encrypted-pin-data-stolen/?_r=0> On Tue, Dec 24, 2013 at 9:17 AM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: > This hack has all the earmarks of an inside job: > > "Target confirmed on Monday that the company is partnering with Secret > Service to investigate the breach, and said its point-of-sale terminals in > U.S. stores were infected by malware, or malicious software. Target said it > was restricted in the amount of information about the investigation it > could share." > > 'Target Discusses Breach With State Attorneys' > http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/<http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304020704579276901918248632> > > > On Tue, Dec 17, 2013 at 11:36 AM, Richard J. Williams < > pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> Addressing the important issues! >> >> According to what I've read, the NSA doesn't even know how many documents >> were collected and purloined by Edward Snowden. But, one does wonder how an >> organization of thousands of spies wouldn't be able to spot another spy >> among their own. Apparently Snowden was a genius among geniuses. That, in >> itself should have been a red flag. Go figure. >> >> In a book I recently read, one of the prosecutors at trial told the >> presiding judge that Kevin Mitnick, The Dark Side Hacker, at one time the >> most wanted hackers by the FBI, could hack into a phone connection at NORAD >> and with a series of whistles, cause a ballistic missile to be launched. Go >> figure. >> >> Next, they will be telling us that there's a hidden camera inside every >> Mr. Coffee pot. You better check every ball point pen in the house for cams >> and voice actuated listening devices, while you're at it. LoL! >> >> "Among the more eye-opening claims made by NSA is that it detected what >> CBS terms the “BIOS Plot” – an attempt by China to launch malicious code in >> the guise of a firmware update that would have targeted computers >> apparently linked to the US financial system, rendering them pieces of >> junk." >> >> Read more: >> >> 'NSA goes on 60 Minutes: the definitive facts behind CBS's flawed report' >> The Guardian: >> >> http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/dec/16/nsa-surveillance-60-minutes-cbs-facts >> >> >> >> >> On 12/13/2013 6:47 AM, Richard Williams wrote: >> >> The Darkside Hacker >> >> Kevin Mitnick, known as the Darkside Hacker, was at one time the >> most-wanted computer criminal in the United States. Law enforcement >> officials convinced a judge that he had the ability to "start a nuclear war >> by whistling into a pay phone." One state attorney told the judge that >> Mitnick could somehow dial into the NORAD modem via a payphone from prison >> and communicate with the modem by whistling to launch nuclear missiles. >> >> According to Douglas, Mitnick managed to hack into some of the >> country's most powerful — and seemingly impenetrable agencies such as the >> DMV, SSA, and the FBI, and large companies, including PacBell, Motorola, >> Nokia, and DEC. Using "social engineering" and conning employees into >> giving him private information and maneuvering through layers of security. >> Using hacker techniques and social engineering Mitnick gained access to >> data that no one else could. >> >> The 2012 graphic novel Wizzywig by Ed Piskor is a close allusion to the >> story of Mitnick, with the main character's name replaced with Kevin >> Phenicle. The novel parallels the entire story of Mitnick under the >> codename "Boingthump", from his early days of phone phreaking. >> >> Think your information and your computer is secure? You can yourself a >> lot of trouble by just sending your IP address and password to Kevin >> Mitnick at 2245 N. Green Valley Parkway, Suite 411, Henderson, NV. LoL! >> >> Work cited: >> >> 'Hacker Culture' >> by Thomas Douglas >> University of Minnesota Press >> pp. xxiv >> >> >> See More: >> >> 'Hackers' >> Directed by Iain Softley >> Starring Jonny Lee Miller, Angelina Jolie, Renoly Santiago, Matthew >> Lillard, Lorraine Bracco and Fisher Stevens. >> >> [image: Inline image 1] >> >> Read more: >> >> 'The Hacker Manifesto' >> http://www.phrack.org/issues.html?issue=7&id=3&mode=txt >> >> 'Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution' >> by Steven Levy >> >> 'The Art of Deception' >> by Kevin Mitnick >> >> 'The Art of Intrusion: The Real Stories Behind the Exploits of Hackers, >> Intruders & Deceivers' >> by Kevin Mitnick >> >> 'Ghost in the Wires: My Adventures as the World's Most Wanted Hacker' >> by Kevin Mitnick >> Foreword by Steve Wozniak >> >> >> On Thu, Dec 5, 2013 at 8:57 AM, Richard Williams <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: >> >>> Massive Hacker Attack! >>> >>> According to SpiderLabs, "...'123456’ was the most widely used >>> password and ‘password’, ‘123,’ and ‘111111’ were also among the top >>> entries. Three of the most used passwords are 'password', 'sex' and 'god', >>> not particularly in that order. Admins love to use 'god' as their password- >>> it gives them a feeling of power. >>> >>> So, let's review some password protocols: >>> >>> 1. Do not use the same password for all your online activities. >>> 2. Use a seven word combination of letters, numbers, and symbols for >>> your password with at least one letter in caps. >>> 3. Do NOT write down your password down on a Post-it note and affix it >>> to your computer monitor. >>> 4. Never reveal your password to anyone, including your significant >>> other. >>> 5. Change you password frequently - at least once a month, in order to >>> be on the safe side. >>> 6. DO IT NOW - don't wait until tomorrow to change your password. >>> >>> "Two million passwords for social media and email accounts have been >>> released online by hackers, IT security experts have discovered." >>> >>> Metro UK: >>> >>> http://metro.co.uk/two-million-facebook-gmail-and-twitter-passwords-stolen<http://metro.co.uk/2013/12/05/two-million-facebook-gmail-and-twitter-passwords-stolen-by-criminal-gang-4216332/> >>> >>> >>> On Mon, Dec 2, 2013 at 10:27 AM, Richard Williams >>> <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: >>> >>>> The programmer is God and Hackers are the prophets of Information >>>> Technology. >>>> >>>> So, if you are a hacker, it would be evil to not share your data and >>>> your code with the rest of the world, to save mankind from ignorance - a >>>> moral imperative for the hacker. The hacker's world view is libertarian- >>>> they believe that powerful individuals are taking over the Internet and >>>> controlling our thoughts through the media, violating our privacy. All the >>>> while posting reams of information about themselves. Go figure. >>>> >>>> "Because he knows the power of the technology he has mastered, he >>>> knows how distressingly fragile the barrier is between freedom and >>>> censorship—it’s a simple matter of who writes the code. Underlying it all >>>> was the hacker belief that the world could be perfected if enough of us >>>> tapped society’s vast reserves of knowledge and put it to proper use." >>>> >>>> Read more: >>>> >>>> 'So Open It Hurts' >>>> What the Internet did to Aaron Swartz >>>> New Republic: >>>> http://preview.tinyurl.com/ala5v77 >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sun, Dec 1, 2013 at 8:36 PM, Richard Williams >>>> <pundits...@gmail.com>wrote: >>>> >>>>> Reuters - A computer hacker was sentenced on Monday to three years >>>>> and five months in prison for stealing the personal data of about 120,000 >>>>> Apple Inc iPad users, including big-city mayors, a TV network news anchor >>>>> and a Hollywood movie mogul... >>>>> >>>>> 'U.S. computer hacker gets three-and-a-half years for stealing iPad >>>>> user data' >>>>> http://tinyurl.com/c72z58j >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Sat, Nov 2, 2013 at 12:42 PM, Richard Williams < >>>>> pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> "On Thursday, the 21-year old San Antonio native will enter La Tuna >>>>>> Federal Correction Institute in Anthony, TX to begin a one-year and one >>>>>> day >>>>>> sentence for breaching Sony Pictures Entertainment in May 2011 as a >>>>>> member >>>>>> of Anonymous offshoot, LulzSec." >>>>>> >>>>>> 'The $600,000 Joyride' >>>>>> San Antonio Current: >>>>>> http://sacurrent.com/news/the-600-000-joyride<http://sacurrent.com/news/the-600-000-joyride-local-hacker-and-former-lulzsec-member-on-why-he-went-to-prison-1.1576274> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> On Sat, Oct 19, 2013 at 9:24 AM, Richard Williams < >>>>>> pundits...@gmail.com> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Let's see, on the one hand we have the personal privacy advocates, >>>>>>> like Edward Snowden and Wikileak's Julian Assange, and the Electronic >>>>>>> Frontier Foundation. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> And, on the other hand we have social networking sites like Mark >>>>>>> Zuckerberg's Facebook and micro blogging sites like Evan Williams's >>>>>>> Twitter. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> And, in the middle we've got the FBI, IRS, CIA, NSA, ATF and the >>>>>>> HS. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> And, you got your black hats and your white hats; you got your >>>>>>> hackers and pirates; and you've got your worms and trojan horses. >>>>>>> There's a >>>>>>> PC on every desk, all running Microsoft Windows software. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> So, now Obama wants you to log on to a government site and enter >>>>>>> all your personal data. Go figure. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> "It also represents a dangerous normalization of ‘governing in the >>>>>>> dark,’ where decisions with enormous public impact occur without any >>>>>>> public >>>>>>> input." >>>>>>> >>>>>>> 'Snowden Says He Took No Secret Files to Russia' >>>>>>> New York Times: >>>>>>> http://www.nytimes.com/snowden<http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/18/world/snowden-says-he-took-no-secret-files-to-russia.html?_r=0> >>>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>> >>>> >>> >> >> >
