This Week in Getting Hacked: Hackers Gon’ Hack

It’s time for everyone’s favorite cyber security link dump—This Week in Getting Hacked! Guess what? People are still getting hacked the world over. What can you do, though? Hackers gon’ hack.

Cybersecurity links of the week!

-Former soccer star Paul Gascoigne says that Mirror Group journalists hacked his phone, resulting in a bout of depression and alcoholism, multiple changings of his cell number and a general fear of everyday life. Over a period of years, multiple stories were developed through the hacking of the athletes’ phone—and this isn’t even the first case that accuses the Mirror Group of doing the same. UK actress Lucy Taggart also joined Gascoigne in accusing MGN of hacking their mobile devices. Dastardly.

-If you think that only major companies like Target, Home Depot and every bank ever gets hacked—well, you’re wrong. Turns out that a lot of major law firms also get hacking threats on the reg, especially those that deal in high-profile cases or government contracts, mergers, etc. Basically anything important. Don’t worry about that civil case you took to Judge Judy a few years ago over a neighbor borrowing your lawnmower—nobody wants that info. It’s all about the big stuff. Here’s a fun quote that is not at all scary: “If you’re doing business in China or representing clients in China, you will get hacked.” YAY!

-Ethiopia is getting in on the hacking game by going after US journalists with commercial spyware. This comes as no surprise though, as Ethiopia has one hell of an oppressive government that doesn’t really like bad info getting out. How bad? Here’s another fun quote: “Harassment from government officials is a regular occurrence for dissenting journalists in Ethiopia.” The moral of the story is don’t be a journalist covering Ethiopia if you value your privacy.

-Here’s a fun little article from our friends at CNN on the evolution of hacking. Interesting. INFORMATIVE.

And finally…

-Turns out the CIA has tried for years to hack iPhones and iPads, trying to find a back door into Apple’s various devices. They’re basically looking to bypass the encryption system and find a way into the Apple firmware and do…something? I don’t know. Since we’re on the quote tip this morning, here’s another fun one, from Matthew Green, a cryptography expert at John’s Hopkins University: “Tearing apart the products of US manufacturers and potentially putting backdoors in software distributed by unknowing developers all seems to be going a bit beyond ‘targeting bad guys.’ It may be a means to an end, but it’s a hell of a means.” HOORAY!

For more information contact Chris L.