Tag Archives: hacker

British Cybersecurity Agency Issues Warning About Quantum Hacker Threats In Relation to Cybercrime

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By 2035, the UK cybersecurity agency is urging organizations to protect their systems from quantum hackers, as the prospects for a strong computing breakthrough threaten digital encryption.

The National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has issued new guidance recommending large entities, including energy and transport providers, to introduce “post-Quantum encryption” to prevent quantum technology from infiltrating their systems.

NCSC warned that quantum computers, although still in development, pose a serious threat to encryption as they can solve complex mathematical problems that underpin public key cryptography. Quantum Computing’s ability to compute at incredible speeds is a major concern for encryption.

“Today’s encryption methods are used to protect everything from banking communication, but rely on mathematical problems that quantum computers could solve much faster, posing a threat to current encryption methods,” the agency stated.

NCSC recommends that large organizations, critical national infrastructure operators, and businesses with bespoke IT systems implement post-Quantum encryption to combat this threat.

Organizations must identify services that require upgrades by the 2028 deadline, undergo essential overhauls by 2031, and complete migration to a new cryptographic system by 2035 according to the guidance provided.

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Traditional computers use bits to represent information as 0 or 1, but quantum computers can simultaneously encode various combinations of 1 and 0, enabling them to perform much larger calculations at incredible speeds.

However, qubits, the building blocks of quantum computing, are highly sensitive to interference such as temperature changes and cosmic rays, hindering the development of large quantum computers despite significant investments. NCSC hopes its guidance will give organizations ample preparation for the future arrival of quantum computers.

“There is now a new way to encrypt public keys, making it prudent to act now rather than wait for the threat to materialize,” said Alan Woodward, a cybersecurity professor at the University of Surrey.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Russian LockBit ransomware hacker launches comeback attempt | Cybercrime

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The LockBit ransomware gang is re-emerging, following a recent international crackdown that severely disrupted its operations.

Based in Russia, the group has created new dark web sites to showcase a few alleged victims and release stolen data. The gang is now under investigation by the National Crime Agency in Britain, as well as the FBI and other law enforcement agencies. This comes after a joint operation led by Europol to target the group last week.

In a statement issued in English and Russian, LockBitSupp, the group’s administrator, claimed that law enforcement agencies hacked their previous dark web site by exploiting vulnerabilities in PHP, a commonly used programming language for websites. They assured that other servers with backup blogs not using PHP would continue leaking data from targeted companies.

The statement also mentioned personal negligence and irresponsibility, along with expressing support for Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. The group even offered a job to the individual who hacked their main site. Law enforcement confirmed that LockBitSupp does not reside in the U.S. and is cooperating with authorities.

Despite the disruption, the NCA stated that LockBit remains compromised, but they are vigilant as the group may attempt to reorganize. Additionally, the U.S. has indicted two Russians for deploying LockBit ransomware globally. Ukrainian police also arrested suspects related to attacks carried out using LockBit’s malicious software.

The renewed Rockbit website has issued threats against U.S. government sites and listed more alleged hacking victims. Security experts indicate that the group is attempting to resume operations but will face challenges due to the damage caused by international law enforcement actions.

LockBit operates on a ransomware-as-a-service model, leasing software to criminal organizations in exchange for a cut of the ransom payments. Despite the setback, the group needs to rebuild its reputation within the criminal community to attract affiliates following the recent law enforcement activities.

Ransomware attacks involve hackers infiltrating a target’s system, disabling it with malware, and encrypting files for ransom. Recent trends include extracting sensitive data like personal and customer information and demanding payment in cryptocurrency, mainly Bitcoin, to decrypt files or delete stolen data copies. Last year saw a record $1.1 billion paid in ransomware payments.

Source: www.theguardian.com