Foreign hackers targeted former military chief Mullen: report

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Foreign hackers targeted the computers of Mike Mullen, ex-chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, calling it the latest in a pattern of attacks on computers of former high-ranking U.S. officials. The FBI is pursuing the hackers, the Journal reported. The agency was not immediately available for comment. Mullen's office confirmed that the retired admiral was cooperating with a cyber investigation. "Admiral Mullen, now a private citizen, has responded to very specific requests and is cooperating with an ongoing cyber investigation he has been informed is focused overseas," it said in a statement. The hackers targeted personal computers Mullen used while working on the grounds of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, after his retirement in 2011, the report said, citing officials and others familiar with the probe. One official said the evidence pointed to China as the origin of the hacking and that it appeared the hackers were able to access a personal email account. A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told the Journal he was not aware of the investigation and that his government prohibits cyber attacks. China is often cited as a suspect in various hacking attacks in the United States and other nations. Beijing dismisses allegations it is involved. The Journal report said current and former U.S. cyber security officials say the Mullen case is the most recent example of a series of undisclosed hacker attacks on the computer files of former senior U.S. officials. Hackers view their computers as an easier way to get access to sensitive information, said these people, who declined to name the targeted former officials.

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Cyber criminals could increasingly look to attack, hijack smartphones in 2013

TORONTO - Some cyber criminals who disseminate viruses and malware in attempts to hijack computers are beginning to shift their focus. Your smartphone may be their next target. PC users have learned to be constantly vigilant to the threat of viruses, which attack relentlessly, slow down computers and potentially put valuable personal information at risk. Windows computers will continue to be targeted going forward but cyber thieves are casting a wider net in the hunt for digital prey. This past year, hundreds of thousands of Apple computers — which had long been thought to be immune to viruses — were hit with the so-called Flashback or Fakeflash malware. Apple machines had been free from attack for so long that the computer giant brazenly stated on its website that "it doesn't get PC viruses." You won't find that claim online anymore. Now Apple only says its computers are "built to be safe." It's unclear how much Apple computers will continue to be targeted in the near future, but experts say 2013 may be the year that smartphones come under heavier attack. A few months ago, the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a warning to U.S. citizens about growing smartphone threats, named Loozfon and FinFisher, on Android devices. The FBI was alerted to mobile websites that claimed to offer work-at-home job opportunities. A link on the fraudulent websites triggered an attempt to download Loozfon on an Android phone, which steals data from a user's address book. FinFisher is a far more sophisticated threat, which can essentially take over a phone, allowing it to be controlled and monitored remotely. Hackers can capture images of what is displayed on the phone's screen, record what users type in, and listen to phone calls. The program, which was originally designed for government and law enforcement agencies before being co-opted by nefarious groups, can be run on Android devices as well as iPhones, BlackBerrys, Windows and Symbian phones. The good news is that hackers have yet to begin aggressively targeting average consumers in North America, said Seth Hardy of the Citizen Lab, a research group based out of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto. "The risk is still pretty low but that doesn't mean it's always going to be that way, it's just still a relatively new space," Hardy said. "The moment people start to figure out how to take advantage of it for money is when we'll see a lot more of it targeting the average user." The Android platform — which happens to the most popular globally — is the most under attack. According to a recent report by security firm F-Secure, more than 51,000 different threats targeting Android devices were discovered during the third quarter of the year. One major problem has been the ability of scammers to sneak malicious apps into Google's official marketplace. Google launched a feature called Bouncer earlier this year to address the issue and claims it reduced "potentially malicious downloads" by 40 per cent — which suggests viruses can still sneak through without detection. AVG, the maker of free and premium anti-virus software, has had a mobile product for a couple of years already. "We're now starting to see some significant threats and an increase in threats on (Android)," says AVG spokesman Tony Anscombe, who noted the company also has mobile apps for iPhones and Windows phones. Avast!, Lookout and Sophos also have free mobile security apps. Anscombe said there are several ways a hacker can exploit a victim once getting into their phone. "If you think about the traditional methods of scamming somebody, using phishing or viruses on a PC platform, I can start stealing your identity, I can start building a profile on you and then potentially take your details and maybe auction your identity off — and depending on what information it has in it, it might fetch up to $20 for another cyber criminal," he explained, adding that hackers are now hijacking phones and sending text messages or making calls that incur massive charges. "If I can get the right access on your mobile device ... I can monetize directly. It's a much easier way for someone to make money out of the bad stuff they do." Users who decide to seek out pirated content through unofficial app stores face a more significant risk of picking up a mobile bug. "Angry Birds was taken off the legitimate store, modified and then listed in third-party app stores. It gave the app additional privileges (so hackers) could send SMS messages," Anscombe said. "But the user doesn't necessarily look at the privileges when they install an app. Especially with the younger generation, they'll start emailing (their friends bragging), 'Hey, I can get this for free.'" Hardy said looking into a mobile anti-virus app isn't a bad idea but users should never let their guard down. "Having anti-virus as part of a layered solution is always a good thing, but believing that any one security measure is going to completely protect you is generally incorrect and might lead you to more risky behaviour."

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Organizers of a U.N. conference on global telecommunications say hackers apparently blocked one of its main websites and caused disruptions in the talks that some critics fear could lead to greater controls over the Internet. The U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union says the website was hit late Wednesday, blocking access to its main page and interfering with a closed-door working group. It says it's still investigating but initial signs point to hackers. Thursday's statement says Internet traffic was diverted to a backup website for two hours before normal operations resumed. The 11-day gathering in Dubai is being closely watched for possible new international pacts on Internet commerce and security. The U.S. is leading efforts to block new Internet regulations, fearing they could open the door to greater monitoring and restrictions.

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc's rank in China's smartphone market, which is set to become the world's largest this year, fell to No.6 in the third quarter as it faced tough competition from Chinese brands, research firm IDC said on Thursday. IDC's announcement comes a day after Apple's shares fell more than 6 percent on the Nasdaq, logging its biggest single-day loss in four years and losing $35 billion of its value, on concerns about rivals gaining ground in the mobile devices market. China, already the world's biggest mobile phone market, is seeing competition intensifying in its smartphone sector, with global and homegrown vendors trying to outgun one another in terms of price and features. Underscoring that, Nokia announced on Wednesday it is to partner China Mobile, the country's largest wireless carrier, in a sales deal that will give the Finnish company an opportunity to win back some Chinese market share from Apple's iPhone. Apple saw its third-quarter ranking by market share fall two notches from its position in the second quarter, IDC said. Its market share by shipments was under 10 percent in the third quarter, when China's smartphone shipments hit a record high, at more than 60 million units, the research firm added. However, IDC analysts expect a rebound with the launch of the iPhone 5 in China in December. Apple last week received approval from regulators for the sale of the iPhone 5 in the country. Galaxy-maker Samsung Electronics Co Ltd, the world's No.2 PC maker Lenovo Group Ltd and global No.2 telecom equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd retained the top two and No.5 spots, respectively, IDC said. Chinese brand Coolpad made a three-spot leap to No.3 in the country, but ZTE Corp dropped one place to No.4 in the July-September period, IDC said. The research firm did not give the market share numbers of any company except Apple. "Chinese vendors Coolpad, Lenovo and ZTE made it to the Asia Pacific ex-Japan top 5 vendors on strong performance in their home market, showing that it is not impossible for Chinese vendors to surpass international vendors," Wong Teck-zhung, a senior market analyst at IDC, said in a statement. GENEROUS SUBSIDIES China now has more than one billion mobile phone subscribers though less than a fifth are 3G subscribers. The country's three mobile carriers, China Mobile, Unicom and Telecom have been doling out generous handset subsidies to try to attract higher-end users keen on online gaming and social networking. Chinese vendors are also offering smartphones in the sub-1,000 yuan ($160) category. "Price continues to be king," Jeff Lorbeck, senior vice president for U.S. mobile chip maker Qualcomm's product management, told reporters in a conference on Thursday.

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UN telecoms talks in Dubai hit by apparent hackers

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Organizers of a U.N. conference on global telecommunications say hackers apparently blocked one of its main websites and caused disruptions in the talks that some critics fear could lead to greater controls over the Internet. The U.N.'s International Telecommunications Union says the website was hit late Wednesday, blocking access to its main page and interfering with a closed-door working group. It says it's still investigating but initial signs point to hackers. Thursday's statement says Internet traffic was diverted to a backup website for two hours before normal operations resumed. The 11-day gathering in Dubai is being closely watched for possible new international pacts on Internet commerce and security. The U.S. is leading efforts to block new Internet regulations, fearing they could open the door to greater monitoring and restrictions.

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UK student convicted of denial of service attack

LONDON (AP) -- A London jury convicted a 22-year-old student and member of the hacking group Anonymous on Thursday of taking part in cyberattacks on several major companies' computer systems. Self-described "hacktivist" Christopher Weatherhead showed no emotion after being convicted of conspiracy to impair the operation of computers. The attacks hit the sites of MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and several others. Weatherhead, who will be sentenced at a later date, could face up to 10 years in prison. Three co-conspirators of Weatherhead pleaded guilty to the same charge in January and March. Prosecutor Russell Tyner said Weatherhead and the others targeted companies in the music industry involved in combating Internet piracy and firms that had stopped processing online donations to the data-leaking site WikiLeaks. Tyner said the attacks cost these companies more than 3.5 million pounds ($5.6 million). Working under online nicknames including "Nerdo" and "NikonElite," the group hit their targets with denial-of-service attacks — a technique that works by overloading a website with traffic. They also used Facebook and Twitter to recruit followers and publicize their attacks, according to police. The cybercrime spree focused attention on Anonymous, a loose-knit collection of Web-savvy activists and Internet pranksters — many of whom have targeted governments, officials or corporations over a variety of political grievances.

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UK jury convicts member of activist group Anonymous in computer denial-of-service attack

LONDON - A London jury convicted a 22-year-old student and member of the hacking group Anonymous on Thursday of taking part in cyberattacks on several major companies' computer systems. Self-described "hacktivist" Christopher Weatherhead showed no emotion after being convicted of conspiracy to impair the operation of computers. The attacks hit the sites of MasterCard, Visa, PayPal and several others. Weatherhead, who will be sentenced at a later date, could face up to 10 years in prison. Three co-conspirators of Weatherhead pleaded guilty to the same charge in January and March. Prosecutor Russell Tyner said Weatherhead and the others targeted companies in the music industry involved in combating Internet piracy and firms that had stopped processing online donations to the data-leaking site WikiLeaks. Tyner said the attacks cost these companies more than 3.5 million pounds ($5.6 million). Working under online nicknames including "Nerdo" and "NikonElite," the group hit their targets with denial-of-service attacks — a technique that works by overloading a website with traffic. They also used Facebook and Twitter to recruit followers and publicize their attacks, according to police. The cybercrime spree focused attention on Anonymous, a loose-knit collection of Web-savvy activists and Internet pranksters — many of whom have targeted governments, officials or corporations over a variety of political grievances.

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Nurse who died after Kate hoax call was from India

LONDON (AP) — A nurse found dead days after she took a crank call about the pregnant Duchess of Cambridge was originally from India, British police said Saturday, as details began to trickle out about the woman whose death has sparked anger at the Australian radio DJs behind the hoax. Jacintha Saldanha, 46, was found dead early Friday at nurses' housing provided by London's King Edward VII hospital, where Prince William's wife, the former Kate Middleton, was being treated for acute morning sickness this week. Police released a grainy photo of Saldanha on Saturday. She had lived in Bristol in southwestern England with her family for the past nine years, Scotland Yard confirmed. Police said her death is being treated as "unexplained," though they said they didn't find anything suspicious. A coroner will make a determination on the cause next week. Police have made no connection between her death and the prank call, but people from London to Sydney have been making the assumption that she died because of stress from the call. Flowers were left outside the hospital's nurses' building. Attached to the red, white and blue flowers, a note read: "Dear Jacintha, our thoughts are with you and your family. From all your fellow nurses, we bless your soul. God bless." A man identified as Saldanha's driving instructor Jeff Sellick, told Sky News he was in "complete shock" at her death, saying "it's just such a shame, she was such a nice person." In a statement, Saldanha's family said they were "deeply saddened" by the death and asked for privacy. Saldanha had worked for four years at the hospital. She took the hoax call Tuesday by the two DJs from 2DayFM, and transferred the call to the nurse caring for the duchess. During the call, a woman using the often-mimicked voice of Britain's monarch asked about the duchess' health. She was told by the second nurse who took the call from Saldanha that the duchess, the former Kate Middleton, "hasn't had any retching with me and she's been sleeping on and off." The recorded conversation sparked international headlines, and the DJs, Mel Greig and Michael Christian, soon apologized for the prank. They have said they will not return to the station until further notice, though the chief executive of the station's parent company has said he stands behind them. The Australian Communications and Media Authority, which regulates radio broadcasting, says it has received complaints about the prank and is discussing the matter with the Sydney-based station, though it has not yet begun an investigation. The station has a history of controversy, including a series of "Heartless Hotline" shows in which disadvantage people were offered a prize that could be taken away from them by listeners. St. James's Palace, the office of the duchess and her husband Prince William, expressed sadness at Saldanha's death, but insisted that it had not complained about the hoax. King Edward VII's Hospital said it did not reprimand Saldanha, nor had plans to discipline her. Officials from St. James's Palace have said the duchess is not yet 12 weeks pregnant. The child would be the first for her and William.

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