Two Russian groups, the People’s Cyber Army and Z-Pentest, claim to have taken attacks on critical infrastructure in the US to a new and more dangerous level. Dark web researchers at threat intelligence firm Cyble have discovered Telegram videos detailing attacks on US energy and water facilities far beyond the previously supposed capabilities of such groups. Cyble believes that the two groups may be working in cooperation with one another. Previously, the People’s Cyber Army, which also goes by the name of the Cyber Army of Russia Reborn, and lesser-known groups such as Z-Pentest, have largely confined their attacks on US critical infrastructure to simple and easy-to-repel distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.
A cybercriminal in Alabama, suspected of hacking into the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) X account, has been arrested. He is accused of using the compromised account to post fake messages, causing the value of Bitcoin to boost by $1,000. Hacker Eric Council Jr, also known as “EasyMunny” and “AGiantSchnauzer,” was allegedly able to secure the credentials for the SEC’s X account through a method called “Sim Swapping.” The council created a fake ID using the stolen personal information of someone who had access to the X account. With the fake ID, he was able to purchase a SIM card linked to the victim’s phone in a cellphone provider store in Alabama, giving Council access to the victim’s personal information and log-in credentials.
The European Union (EU) suffered a major setback this week in its drive to recreate cyberspace in its own image. In a surprising turnaround, the EU appears to have caved into threats by X (formerly Twitter) owner Elon Musk to reveal “secret deals” offered by the EU to himself and other US-based global social network platforms. Until Monday, EU Commissioner Thierry Breton appeared to be preparing for a legal cage fight with Musk, a man who is tipped to become the world’s first trillionaire, over the issue of free speech and Musk’s refusal to censor political debate on X in line with Brussels’ wishes. Breton’s shock resignation yesterday is now being seen by many as evidence of the truth behind Musk’s allegations. X CEO Linda Yaccarino immediately referred to the resignation of European Union commissioner Thierry Breton as "a good day for free speech."
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