"How Cryptocurrency Gave Birth to the Ransomware Epidemic"
"Cryptocurrency has changed the game of cybercrime," argues Vice's Christian Devolu, in a new episode of their video series CRYPTOLAND. "Hackers and cybergangs have been locking down the data of large corporations, police departments, and even hospit.....»»
Eclipses were once associated with the deaths of kings—predictions played a key role in the birth of astronomy
Making interesting predictions is one of the hallmarks of successful science. When Albert Einstein formulated his theory of general relativity, an almost immediate test involved the prediction that in a solar eclipse, light from stars that would norm.....»»
Happier, more connected neighborhoods start right in the front yard
A salve for America's loneliness epidemic could exist right in front of its homes......»»
Elon Musk just gave another Mars speech—this time the vision seems tangible
"These are unthinkable numbers, but we’re not breaking any physics to achieve this." Enlarge / SpaceX will continue to iterate on Starship. (credit: SpaceX) Elon Musk has been talking publicly about his sweeping vision.....»»
How mosquito larva guts could help create highly specific insecticides
Did you know that the world's deadliest animal is the mosquito? And Aedes aegypti is one of the most dangerous. This bug spreads viruses that cause dengue fever, which was recently declared as an epidemic in Puerto Rico......»»
How can the energy sector bolster its resilience to ransomware attacks?
Since it plays a vital role in every functioning society, the energy sector has always been a prime target for state-backed cybercriminals. The cyber threats targeting this industry have grown significantly in recent years, as geopolitical tensions h.....»»
X blue checkmarks being forced on journalists who don’t want them
Ah, the saga of X’s blue checkmarks! Originally a sign that someone was who they claimed to be, and later sold so that cryptocurrency scammers could see their posts boosted, the company is now coming full circle with some journalists. Elon Musk.....»»
Student cleans up archival data and uncovers two stellar cocoons
While investigating 16 years of images of young stars from a retired astronomical camera, Leiden master's student Sam de Regt discovered that two of those stars were still enveloped in birth clouds that had not been seen at this level of detail befor.....»»
Missouri county declares state of emergency amid suspected ransomware attack
Outage occurs on same day as special election, but elections offices remain open. Enlarge / Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, which is part of Jackson County. (credit: Eric Rogers) Jackson County, Missouri, has declared a.....»»
Why Ontario school boards are suing social media platforms for causing an attention crisis
Four of Ontario's largest school boards have brought a lawsuit against four of the biggest social media companies for causing an epidemic of addiction among teens. The boards are seeking over $4 billion in damages......»»
Supercomputer simulations decode the mass puzzle of the first stars
Ching-Yao Tang and Dr. Ke-Jung Chen from the Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica (ASIAA) have made substantial progress in decoding the birth mass of the first stars using the powerful supercomputer at Berkeley National Lab......»»
Escalating malware tactics drive global cybercrime epidemic
Evasive, basic, and encrypted malware all increased in Q4 2023, fueling a rise in total malware, according to WatchGuard. Threat actors employ diverse tactics The average malware detections rose 80% from the previous quarter, illustrating a substanti.....»»
Car thieves in Canada are using AirTags to track victims" vehicles
Canada's complex car theft ring, which often involves stealing and shipping expensive cars and SUVs around the world, just got even creepier thanks to AirTag.AirTag on a bagCanada is currently dealing with an auto theft epidemic. The Insurance Bureau.....»»
How Spanish conquistadors, and a tiny cactus-dwelling insect, gave the world the color red
When you think about a red object, you might picture a red carpet, or the massive ruby in the Queen's crown. Indeed, Western monarchies and marketing from brands such as Christian Louboutin have cemented our association of the color red with power an.....»»
NHS Scotland confirms ransomware attackers leaked patients’ data
NHS Dumfries and Galloway (part of NHS Scotland) has confirmed that a “recognised ransomware group” was able to “access a significant amount of data including patient and staff-identifiable information,” and has published R.....»»
This beloved feature almost ruined Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
At a GDC panel, the Nintendo developers of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom gave a rare peek at the difficulty of creating the game's physics system......»»
Frivolous cryptocurrency App Store payment lawsuit killed by judge
A lawsuit against Apple complaining about instant transfer fees and the company's alleged distrust in cryptocurrency has been dismissed by the case's judge, with major flaws sending the suit back to the drawing board.A Bitcoin coinIn November 2023, a.....»»
Essential elements of a strong data protection strategy
In this Help Net Security interview, Matt Waxman, SVP and GM for data protection at Veritas Technologies, discusses the components of a robust data protection strategy, emphasizing the escalating threat of ransomware. He highlights the importance of.....»»
Stunning James Webb images show birth and death of massive stars
The James Webb Space Telescope continues to surprise us with stunning pictures, but of what exactly? Astronomer Nienke van der Marel shows with three images how massive stars lead short but explosive lives......»»
Attackers are exploiting JetBrains TeamCity flaw to deliver a variety of malware
Attackers are exploiting the recently patched JetBrains TeamCity auth bypass vulnerability (CVE-2024-27198) to deliver ransomware, cryptominers and remote access trojans (RATs), according to Trend Micro researchers. The CVE-2024-27198 timeline CVE-20.....»»
Malware stands out as the fastest-growing threat of 2024
93% of IT professionals believe security threats are increasing in volume or severity, a significant rise from 47% last year, according to Thales. The number of enterprises experiencing ransomware attacks surged by over 27% in the past year. Despite.....»»