Saudi Arabia approves new financial settlement rules for corruption cases    IMCTC launches second phase of Sahel Countries Program in Niger    Riyadh Season 2024 attracts over 18 million visitors    Disaster happened in 'world's most controlled airspace'    American and father of youngest hostages among those due for release from Gaza Saturday    Palestinian born after father was jailed hugs him for the first time    FireAid: Stars take to stage for LA benefit concert    Singer and actress Marianne Faithfull dies at 78    Saudi, Russian foreign ministers discuss regional issues in phone call    MWL chief meets Italian president in Rome; thanking him for supporting two-state solution    Ettifaq sack Steven Gerrard after poor results, appoint Saad Al-Shehri as new head coach    National Cybersecurity Authority launches 2nd phase of Postgraduate Scholarship Program    GASTAT: Real GDP records growth of 4.4% in Q4 2024    Saudi Arabia launches inaugural Art Week Riyadh on April 6-13    HP is redefining the Future of Work with AI    Mona Lisa to be moved as part of major Louvre overhaul    Neymar bids heartfelt goodbye to Al-Hilal: I will always support you    Al-Nassr announces transfer of Brazilian forward Talisca to Fenerbahçe    SFDA chief rules out plan to ban sale of cigarettes or vapes    Al Hilal and Neymar mutually agree to part ways    Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan 'out of danger' after attack at home in Mumbai    Order vs. Morality: Lessons from New York's 1977 Blackout    India puts blockbuster Pakistani film on hold    The Vikings and the Islamic world    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Russian hackers target cash before politics
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 09 - 11 - 2016

Just as the scandal over alleged Russian hacking of the US Democratic Party erupted in June, police in Russia were rounding up a group known as Lurk.
In the underground world of Russian hackers, a shadowland of anonymous internet forums where users exchange the latest malware, Lurk was legendary.
The group, active since 2011, was accused of stealing some three billion rubles ($47 million, 42.5 million euros) from Russian banks and aspiring hackers were keen to join.
Then more than 50 members, most of whom hailed from the Urals city of Ekaterinburg, were arrested in a sweeping raid that entailed 86 probes in 15 regions across the vast country.
But despite the eye-catching operation, the crackdown on Lurk only touched the tip of the iceberg of a lucrative criminal industry.
Moscow-based internet security giant Kaspersky has estimated that there are over 1,000 hackers in Russia specialising in financial crimes.
Between 2012 and 2015, by the company's conservative estimate, Russian-speaking hackers stole at least $790 million across the globe.
Meanwhile, this type of illegal activity is flourishing.
"The number of financial cyber criminals is growing as the use of online banking rises," explained Yury Namestnikov, the head of Kaspersky's Russia research and analysis department.
Adding to security woes are also the prevalence of smartphones — which are less well protected than computers — and the rise in "ransomware", a technique that allows hackers to steal data and then ransom it back to the owner.
"It is no secret that most of today's crypto-ransomware has Russian roots, both in terms of the authors of the malicious code and of the actors who spread the malware and demand the ransom," Kaspersky noted in a report.
For industry experts Russia's dubious honour as a major power in the hacking world is no accident.
"We have good mathematics schools and Russians know how to code properly," said Namestnikov. "What is special about the Russian hackers is that they have been active for so long."
Artem Sychev is in charge of cyber security at Russia's Central Bank and concurs that "Russian-speaking hackers were educated in the Soviet-style system," whose emphasis on high-level maths and science continues today.
"They are most creative people, including unfortunately in the area of fraud," he said.
The furore over the US election hacks has shone a spotlight on alleged ties between hackers and the Russian government.
Authorities in Washington have accused top-ranking Russian officials of directing attacks on the US aimed at undermining the election.
CrowdStrike, the security firm that uncovered the hacking of the Democratic National Committee, said that the group behind it, Cozy Bears, was linked to Russian military intelligence.
Another group, Fancy Bears — which has hacked targets including the World Anti-Doping Agency — meanwhile has ties to the FSB spy agency, according to Crowdstrike.
Russia has dismissed the allegations and said US politicians are blaming Moscow in a bid to drum up their polling numbers.
Local experts insist the vast majority of hacking in Russia is aimed at thieving cash — not interfering in politics.
"99 percent of internet pirates are looking to steal money," said Ilya Sachkov, founder of Russian security firm IB-Group.
"There are no patriotic hackers."
Even while the Kremlin is adamant in denying a role in any of the hacking scandals, the authorities are certainly struggling to tackle the issue — and often appear to turn a blind eye.
"Unfortunately, for Russian-speaking cybercriminals current conditions are more than favourable: the risk of prosecution is low while the potential rewards are high," wrote Kaspersky.
As an example, Russian hacker Yevgeny Bogachev has a $3 million price on his head from the FBI.
His network of hackers — which operated from Ukraine and Russia before being dismantled in 2014 — stole more than $80 million from victims mainly in the US. Despite being wanted, Bogachev reportedly lives freely in the southern Russian city of Krasnodar. — Reuters


Clic here to read the story from its source.