sec

FBI finds no evidence that AntiSec hacked its laptop

The FBI said today that it does not know anything about a laptop that hackers say they compromised and that led them to millions of Apple iOS device user details, of which 1 million have been released on the Web.

"The FBI is aware of published reports alleging that an FBI laptop was compromised and private data regarding Apple UDIDs was exposed," said an FBI spokesperson. "At this time there is no evidence indicating that an FBI laptop was compromised or that the FBI either sought or obtained this data." Before the statement was released the … Read more

Apple user data uncovered by hackers

Tuesday's tech news roundup is cracking the code:

Members of the hacker activist movement AntiSec claim they accessed an FBI agent's laptop and found the unique device identification numbers for 12 million Apple iOS devices. The group posted one million of these ID numbers online. Hackers criticized the data that these UUID numbers can reveal about a user, and called into question what the data could be used for.

These UUIDs are not the same as Apple ID email and passwords used to log into iTunes accounts. Rather, these are unique serial numbers for every Apple device, and … Read more

AntiSec claims to have snatched 12M Apple device IDs from FBI

An online hacker group associated with Anonymous claims to have posted 1 million Apple Unique Device Identifiers (UDIDs) by breaching FBI security.

A UDID is the unique string of numbers that identifies each iOS device, formerly used by developers to track their app installations across Apple's user base.

In all, AntiSec claims to have obtained more than 12 million UDIDs, including user names, addresses, and notification tokens from a laptop used by an FBI agent. In a missive posted to Pastebin, the hacking group explains how it obtained the data from an FBI agent's laptop:

During the second … Read more

Second accused LulzSec hacker arrested in Sony breach

A second suspected member of the LulzSec hacker group has been arrested for his alleged role in a 2011 network security breach at Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Raynaldo Rivera, 20, of Tempe, Ariz., surrendered to authorities today in Phoenix, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. An indictment unsealed today charged Rivera with conspiracy and unauthorized impairment of a protected computer. He faces 15 years in prison if convicted.

Cody Kretsinger, of Phoenix, was indicted last September in connection with the attack and has pleaded guilty, the FBI said.

Rivera, who is allegedly known by the monikers "neuron&… Read more

Oracle pays $2 million SEC fine to settle India corruption case

The Securities and Exchange Commission charged Oracle under the Foreign Corrupt Practices act for failing to keep its India subsidiary from creating a slush fund used to pay phony vendors.

According to an SEC statement, Oracle settled the charges by paying a $2 million fine. For Oracle, the SEC flap is the latest court setback. For example, Hewlett-Packard recently won lawsuit over Oracle's decision to not support Itanium. The Itanium suit is a problem for Oracle, which will likely appeal the setback since HP could garner significant damages. The Java loss vs. Google was also notable … Read more

Facebook looks to California law to speed up Instagram payout

Drawing upon a little-known California law, Facebook is reportedly looking to hasten the payout of its Instagram purchase.

Typically with deals like this companies have to first register with the Securities and Exchange Commission but if the social network is able to use the California law it could save the company time and money. Only six states, including California, allow for this SEC exemption.

According to the Financial Times (subscription required), Facebook has scheduled an August 29 "fairness hearing" with the California Department of Corporations in San Francisco to discuss the terms and conditions of the proposed payout.… Read more

SEC looks into Sprint's tax collection practices

Sprint Nextel said today that the Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into the company's tax collection practices, following a related lawsuit filed by the state of New York.

In April, New York Attorney General Eric Schniederman filed a lawsuit against the Overland Park, Kan., wireless carrier, alleging it had stiffed New York state out of $100 million in taxes. Schniederman sought $300 million as a penalty.

Specifically, the suit deals with whether Sprint properly collected taxes from its customers to be paid to New York.

The SEC probe could suggest that the issue goes beyond New York. Sprint … Read more

Facebook's mobile-only use jumps 23 percent since March

Facebook's latest 10-Q filing reveals that nearly 20 percent of its more than 543 million monthly mobile users accessed the social network in June solely on their mobile device. That's 102 million people.

These astounding numbers were first reported by TechCrunch, which also notes that mobile-only users have increased dramatically. According to the SEC 10-Q report, 83 million people visited the site with only their mobile device in March, which adds up to a 23 percent increase of mobile-only users from March to June.

The specifics of Facebook's mobile use are important because the company's revenue … Read more

Hacking settlement to cost Stratfor $1.75 million

Stratfor has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit filed against the global intelligence firm after hackers affiliated with Anonymous stole subscriber data from its computers last year, Reuters reported today.

The settlement -- which calls for Stratfor to offer subscribers one month of free access to its service, a digital version of a book, and credit-monitoring service, in addition to paying attorney fees -- is expected to cost the company about $1.75 million, according to the settlement given preliminary approval by Judge Denis Hurley in U.S. federal court in New York.

Stratfor does not admit any "wrongdoing, … Read more

Two hackers plead guilty to LulzSec attacks on Web sites

Two British men pleaded guilty today to conspiracy charges related to a spree of attacks on U.S. and U.K. government and corporate Web sites by the LulzSec hacking group last year.

Ryan Cleary, 20, and Jake Davis, a 19-year-old who used the hacker handle "Topiary," admitted to launching distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks on Web sites including Sony, Nintendo, News International, Arizona State Police, HBGary Federal and PBS, according to The Telegraph.

Cleary pleaded guilty to four additional charges, including hacking into U.S. Air Force computers at the Pentagon. He was indicted by a U.S. federal grand jury … Read more