This Week in Getting Hacked: Access the Mainframe Edition

It’s that time again—time for everyone’s favorite panic-inducing cybersecurity link dump, “This Week in Getting Hacked”!

On to the links!

-After years of horrible portrayals of hacking in movies and television shows—most of which involves the furious clacking of keys and people yelling about trying to GET IN THE MAINFRAME—someone seems to have finally gotten it right. Mr. Robot debuted at SXSW in Austin this past week, and the USA Network show seems to have a grasp on how things actually work. Mainly, by following the idea that people are idiots and will willingly give up information. Mr. Robot uses social engineering, some good ol’ fashioned Google searches, and the least sexy thing in the world, the terminal screen. Also, it involves a lot of failure. Maybe he should try ACCESSING THE MAINFRAME.

-Health companies are constantly under attack for the vital info they store, and recently Premera Blue Cross became the latest victim of hacking. Around 11 million people’s information became available from phishing techniques. Who ACCESSED THE MAINFRAME? Well, researchers say that it might be Chinese-based group Deep Panda.

-Target is about to pay up to those who were affected by their breach in 2013. $10 million will be paid out to those named in the class-action lawsuit against Target, with a fund being set up and distributed, with everyone eligible to get $10,000 each. Cha-ching! Get that paper, kid. Now you can buy all the brightly colored chinos, romance novels, and tents from Target you can handle.

-China finally let the news break that they have an army of cyber-warriors, ready to strike at a moment’s notice. Whaaaaaaat? Are you serious?! What’s next—you’re gonna tell me that pro wrestling isn’t real, or that Bigfoot doesn’t exist?

And finally…

-An auxiliary cop went rogue and hacked into NYPD databases to get information on victims in traffic accidents to help his fake lawyer scheme. Yep, you read that right. Apparently, he ACCESSED THE MAINFRAME and was contacting victims and acting like a lawyer, despite having zero lawyering experience, and then promising to represent them. It’s really unclear how he was making money off this, but he might’ve gotten kickbacks from medical clinics for referrals. Who knows? All I know is that this is hilarious.

For more information contact Chris L.