Russian Crime Ring Gains Internet Security Data on 1.2 Billion

[DonViejo]

Source: New York Times

A Russian crime ring has amassed the largest known collection of stolen Internet credentials, including 1.2 billion username and password combinations and more than 500 million email addresses, security researchers say.

The records, discovered by Hold Security, a firm in Milwaukee, include confidential material gathered from 420,000 websites, ranging from household names to small Internet sites. Hold Security has a history of uncovering significant hacks, including the theft last year of tens of millions of records from Adobe Systems.

Hold Security would not name the victims, citing nondisclosure agreements and a reluctance to name companies whose sites remained vulnerable. At the request of The New York Times, a security expert not affiliated with Hold Security analyzed the database of stolen credentials and confirmed it was authentic. Another computer crime expert who had reviewed the data, but was not allowed to discuss it publicly, said some big companies were aware that their records were among the stolen information.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/06/technology/russian-gang-said-to-amass-more-than-a-billion-stolen-internet-credentials.html?emc=edit_na_20140805

[Sherman A1]

1. Thanks for posting!

[PoliticAverse]

2. I think the bottom line at this point is "Internet security isn't". n/t

[McCamy Taylor]

3. How many people have internet ID? 2 billion? 3 billion? Does this make the Russian Mafia "God"?

[L0oniX]

4. Cash, checks and snail mail is the future.

[DeSwiss]

5. K&R

[bemildred]

6. Once again: anything that needs to be "secure" ought not be on the Internet.

The internet is a public space, not a private one.

[FormerOstrich]

7. You hit the nail on the head!

and you make a point that is not discussed very much.

Private companies started using the internet backbone for their Wide Area Networks at fraction of the cost. So of course, that became the norm. The firewalls intended to keep the private networks private can't do it.

Why does our electrical grids and other proprietary business require connecting to the internet? They don't except that is the communication routes which were chosen.....all to save $$$s.

On a personal scale the theory seems to be gaining more momentum. Cloud based storage and software are not given a second thought. Even our desktops won't run well without an internet connection because everything is intertwined. A standard desktop/laptop with minimal software had dozens of services running all the time.

Bemildred, I appreciate your point, but it is difficult to get many that will discuss this angle.

[bemildred]

9. Yeah, I know.

Back in the 90s I was a sysadmin when they started doing that, because it was cheap and you could reduce headcount, internet commerce and internet banking etc., and I said then it would be insecure and they would regret it.

[U4ikLefty]

8. It's only metadata