Ransomware Bosses Earn Big Bucks; N. Korea Hacks 140,000 PCs

Posted June 14th, 2016 at 12:02 pm (UTC-4)
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Today’s Tech Sightings:

Attackers using ransomware encrypt files on mobile devices or PCs and lock out their users until they comply with a demand to pay ransom. (Ted Benson for VOA)

Attackers using ransomware encrypt files on mobile devices or PCs and lock out their users until they comply with a demand to pay ransom. (Ted Benson for VOA)

Ransomware Bosses Make $90K Annually

A recent study found that Russian ransomware bosses “earn” US$90,000 a year. That’s 13 times the average income of people who were taught that crime doesn’t pay. The availability of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) business model is saving hackers a lot of money and accelerating the spread of ransomware.

Microsoft, Google, Facebook Bow Down to Bangladesh Government on Content Removal

“Inappropriate content” will be removed from the Internet following intense talks between the government of Bangladesh and Facebook, Google and Microsoft. The tech companies agreed to respond to removal requests within 48 hours of receipt. But it remains unclear how “inappropriate content” is defined and how it will affect other government requests around the world.

North Korea Hacked 140,000 South Korean Computers

South Korean police said North Korean hackers broke into 140,000 computers at 160 South Korean firms and government agencies. An official said the hackers stole up to 42,000 documents, most of them defense-related. The haul included blueprints for the wings of U.S.-made F-15 fighter jets.

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Aida Akl
Aida Akl is a journalist working on VOA's English Webdesk. She has written on a wide range of topics, although her more recent contributions have focused on technology. She has covered both domestic and international events since the mid-1980s as a VOA reporter and international broadcaster.

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