Posted on 01/18/2014 9:03:36 AM PST by Sub-Driver
January 18, 2014 17 year old fingered as author of malware used in Target attack Rick Moran
A 17 year old Russian hacker who goes by the online handle of "ree4" has been identified as the author of the malware that was used to attack Target and Neiman Marcus.
The teenager, Sergey Taraspov, is well known in cyber crime circles having developed other malicious codes to hack commercial systems. He apparently sold about 40 copies of his program to criminals who then modified it slightly and used it to sweep up at least 80 million debit and credit card numbers from Target alone.
Now, the firm that first revealed the Target attack, is saying that 6 other companies suffered a similar fate.
PC World:
Clements said IntelCrawler is "90 percent" sure of its finding, based on the forum postings and sources it communicated with.
The forum posts indicate the teenager sold the malware for $2000 or for a share of the profits that came from monetizing stolen payment card details, Clements said.
BlackPOS was also sold to "carding" websites such as .rescator, Track2.name and Privateservices.biz that trade in stolen card details, according to IntelCrawler.
BlackPOS was originally called Kaptoxa, which is Russian slang for potato. Clements said the Russian teenager eventually renamed the malware BlackPOS during a fresh marketing push.
Dallas-based security company iSight Partners wrote in a report earlier this week on the Target hack, which it called the "Kaptoxa operation." It says the hackers used a high level of skill to gain stealthy access to the retailer's network.
International Business Times is reporting that the 6 other companies targeted in the hack have not informed their customers yet:
(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...
I’m sorry you didn’t have time to read USC post.
Just a first stab, and as you say there are counter examples. (If it IS a counter example... I’m curious who did that retrospective Google for Tsarnaev... does Google have Wayback capability? Don’t want to just be tooting our horn in vain.)
Unfortunately I *did* read it. And that’s my reaction. Old Windows, not updated. And so?? If Microsoft wants to keep a reputation it won’t just sit on its hands.
Or never shop with any company that
uses Internal facing microsoft servers.
As if.
Everyone has room to raise their ethics quotient here.
holy cow!!!
Wasn’t it recently that Kerry was gifting potatoes to Russian diplomats? It seemed odd at the time, not so much now.
I can only speak to the days following the Boston Bombing's, the only references to "Tsarnaev" and "Chechnya" were related to the bombing. I looked to see what I could find. Everything prior to that day on "Tsarnaev" and "Chechnya" turned up nothing.
I should correct myself here: that may not mean there was nothing .....
And so it is.
So could it be Chechnya. I don’t know. I haven’t followed the trends in Russian hacking. My feeling, only a feeling and it could be wrong, about these hackers, is that if they are radical Muslims, they are young ones. Radical Islam screws up one’s brain eventually with all its demonic spiritual crap.
You're making a hell of an assumption: no one said that the servers that were breached were Microsoft.
The only details of the breach that have been released thus far have been that the Point of Sale systems that Target used involved using customized (in-house) developed software running on top of Windows XP Embedded POS.
Now if you're saying "don't shop anywhere where Windows XP Embedded POS / OS is used" .... good luck with that. It's (unfortunately) one of the most popular platforms for POS systems.
A better position to take might be this: If you're out shopping and want to remain completely safe from credit card information theft ... pay cash!
Best carry a gun with you too while carrying that cash ..
His nickname is reefer? Maybe this kid is really from Colorado?
-PJ
I do !
There's alot of speculation that this is Russian Mafia, could be them too. They do have a history of stealing credit card info. and selling to the highest bidders.
Does anyone have a Chechnyan phone book?
A thoroughly Roosky name doesn’t mean a whole lot in a place that has extreme Islamist recruiting going on. Islam is tailor made for the disaffected, and Russia is still a mess. Christianity has helped Russia, but its practice is still kind of jaded. At least that is my view and it could be askew. (I am a poet and I know it.)
BTTT
The Obama care site is said to be a security risk.
Any ideas out there on how it can be done?
OMG your pic brings back memories of that fake mini-giraffe sites that popped up after that! Cleverly done and so hilarious!
You probably won't since card theft is random across the country. For example, my credit card info was stolen maybe 6 years ago and someone charged up over $7,000 worth of stuff in Louisville, KY.
Basically it's local crime stuff that the papers never worry about.....
“I’m willing to bet that some research will turn up he’s either from, or has family in the Chechen region and ties to a muslim radical group.
Anyone want to take that bet?”
I, myself, was wondering the same thing,,or if he had any ties to Boston.
I’d rather the punk do time, get used and abused in prison, learn a lesson THEN get a legitimate job........
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