KIEV (Reuters) - Hackers took down the website of the Ukrainian energy and coal ministry on Tuesday, posting a message in English demanding a ransom paid in Bitcoin to recover encrypted files. A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration The attack appeared to be an isolated incident with no other government websites or systems affected, cyber police spokeswoman Yulia Kvitko wrote in a message to Reuters. Hackers have repeatedly targeted Ukrainian government systems and critical infrastructure such as energy companies. Kiev typically blames attacks on Russia, though Moscow denies involvement. “This case is not large-scale. If necessary, we are ready to react and help,” Kvitko said. The websites of state-run energy companies have not been affected and the ministry’s email system was working normally, the ministry spokeswoman said by phone. … [Read more...] about Ukrainian energy ministry website hit by ransomware attack
Ministry
Ukraine energy ministry website hit by ransomware attack: spokeswoman
KIEV (Reuters) - The website of Ukraine’s energy and coal ministry website has been hit by a cyber attack, though the websites of state-run energy companies have not been affected, the ministry’s spokeswoman said by phone. A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration As of 0734 GMT, a message posted in English on the website was demanding a ransom paid in Bitcoin to recover encrypted files. “Our specialists are working right now ... We do not know how long it will take to resolve the issue,” the spokeswoman said. “Ukrenergo, Energoatom - everything is okay with their sites, it’s only our site that does not work.” Reporting by Natalia Zinets; writing by Matthias Williams; Editing by Kevin Liffey … [Read more...] about Ukraine energy ministry website hit by ransomware attack: spokeswoman
India’s defense ministry website hit by technical glitch, not hack:…
NEW DELHI (Reuters) - The Indian Defence Ministry’s website and other government sites were hit by a technical issue on Friday but had not been hacked, the government said. Indian Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman delivers a speech during the annual Moscow Conference on International Security (MCIS) in Moscow, Russia April 4, 2018. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin “The site showed what appeared to be a Chinese character and it was understandable that the site was perceived to be hacked,” a government statement said. “However, it has since been identified that the sites have not been hacked.” Earlier on Friday, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had tweeted that the ministry’s website had been hacked and that the government was working to restore it. “Needless to say, every possible step required to prevent any such eventuality in the future will be taken,” she wrote. Screenshots shared on Twitter showed the website earlier displaying … [Read more...] about India’s defense ministry website hit by technical glitch, not hack:…
German ministries hit in 16 million email theft
Each German government ministry and 17 of its members of parliament were targeted by the huge data theft in which 16 million online identities were stolen. The data theft was revealed by the Federal Office for Online Security (BSI) at the end of January but at the time it refused to give out further details. Der Spiegel magazine reported on Sunday that email addresses and passwords for 600 government employees at every ministry were taken, alongside the 17 MPs. The attack was carried out by eastern European criminals, according to Der Spiegel. The BSI knew about the theft in August 2013, when they were warned by the Federal Office of Criminal Investigations (BKA), but only made it public in January. It also set up a website where people could check if their email address was among the 16 million taken. The theft was carried out through a "botnet" – a massive network of computers infected with malware. READ MORE: Hackers access 16 million email accounts … [Read more...] about German ministries hit in 16 million email theft
North Korea could nuke the US as early as July 23, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense
Alexandra Ma, provided by Published 3:43 am, Thursday, April 5, 2018 Now Playing: Britain’s Ministry of Defense predicts Kim Jong-Un could strike the US with a nuclear weapon as early as July. Nathan Rousseau Smith has the story. Media: Veuer North Korea could be capable of launching a nuclear strike by the middle of this summer, according to an assessment by the British Ministry of Defense. The defense minister Lord Howe told MPs in January that a missile could be ready in as little as six months, a deadline of late July. The British Defense Ministry tells Business Insider it stands by the assessment. Pyongyang tested successful intercontinental ballistic missiles last year; the next step is attaching them with a nuclear warhead. North Korea could launch a full-blown nuclear strike on the US as early as July 23, according to a prediction from Britain's Ministry of Defense. window._taboola = window._taboola || []; _taboola.push({ mode: 'thumbnails-c', … [Read more...] about North Korea could nuke the US as early as July 23, according to Britain’s Ministry of Defense