Malware Case Study

Sony has multiple networks, but the PlayStation Network has over 77 million users. In April 2011, Sony characterized a security breach as an “illegal and unauthorized intrusion” of the Sony networks. In fact, there was a series of breaches by different groups of hackers. The information provided by registered users, including usernames, passwords, names, and addresses, was compromised. In addition, the credit card information of users who make online purchases may have been compromised. Sony did not announce this information until a week after the last breech. The network was shut down after the last of the breaches.

What type of attack was launched on Sony? The assault on Sony network is believed to have been started with a simple spear phishing attack. This phishing attack allow the hacker group ‘Guardian of peace’ to gain access to the network by stealing network credentials. More than likely the simple phishing cause an un-trained employee to give up their network credentials with out a fight. “Analysis conducted by AlienVault revealed that the source code was specifically designed to target the Sony Pictures. The source code examined by Alien Vault used a simple login and password to gain access to Sony Pictures corporate network”( ). Experts believe that the hacker recycle a previous found code from all ready pre-existing malware, specialist had a look at the code and uncovered that this preexisting code was modified/written and send out by Korean speaking hackers.

how do you think people hack so easily? Technology is a very powerful things and if it lands on

However the breach occurred long time ago but went unrecognized. They suspected that this might be the same malware used during the Target’s data heist. Furthermore, the hackers injected the system with the malware which enters the system which is called BlackPoS (Point of Sale).This software cannot be detected as it masquerades as a genuine service. This malware scrapes the entire RAM and also keeps the track of entire data from the running processes. Later it transfers the entire

When people think of hacking, they think of the Matrix style hacking where they look at an interpretable screen with falling green symbols. Contrary to popular belief, hacking has become much easier as technology advances and more wireless alternatives become available such as bluetooth cars and phones. Technology companies have also begun to increase their security and has slowed the amount of attacks and has reduced the amount of personal information that can be stolen . However, even

In April of 2011, Sony had a major breach in its video gaming online network. Countless amounts of customer data were stolen, including personal information such as where they lived, who they were, and possibly even their credit card information. This attack happened to about seventy seven million Sony accounts (Cunningham). Cyber or Internet threats have been both increasing and been getting more and more sophisticated. In 2011, Saudi Arabia and Israel had been getting back at each other with personal information. Hackers from both countries gained financial and personal information about the other countries’ citizens and published it. A 19-year-old Saudi Arabian posted the financial information of six thousand Israelis. For revenge, Israeli hackers secretly gained credit card numbers and financial details from thousands of Saudi Arabians

The public was told of the breach on Dec 8th. It wasn’t until Dec 15th when they finally looked into the cause and fixed it. They sent out an e-mail to everyone, who they had emails for, about the breach. When they put out their response the main phrase everyone wanted

The first area that the hackers attacked was inadequate wireless network security; this is how the hacker gains access into the TJX Companies, Inc. system. From the investigation it was found that a retail store was using wire equivalent privacy (WEP) protocol. WEP is a weak security protocol that can be easily cracked. The current industry stand requires the use of WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) protocol or higher to protect you wireless network (Berg, G. 2008, August). Hackers used this first vulnerability to gain access into the TJX Companies, Inc. system and were able to move on from the

The illustration [1] below shows how the hackers got access through different networks that were connected.

The nature of the breaches – Sony is still having ongoing investigations into why their security breach happened, application-layer attacks attributed to the first two breaches. This makes one wonder if Sony took the appropriate measures when structuring their security defenses against such attacks.

In 2014, one the country’s largest home improvement companies Home Depot was attacked by hackers. The hackers used a vendor’s stolen log-on credentials to penetrate through the company’s network and installed a custom built malware that stole credit card data and email addresses. The attack allowed the hackers to gain access to 56 million credit and debit cards in the US and Canada, and another 53 million e-mail address were also stolen.

Although the breach had many problems that came with the whole situation, the details of the whole circumstance are simple, an intruder was responsible for the hack. Unlike other security breaches

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘hacker’? For most it means stealing information through the Internet, gaining illegal access to another person’s PC, or simply - disruptive behavior using a computer. The subject of hacking is no secret to the general public. Many people have been exposed to it by a bad experience or through the news and media. The idea of hacking that is stuck in the minds of people is that of which they have seen in the movies. The movies portray hackers as young and devious criminals. However, in reality these individuals are, talented people who use their abilities to find new and challenging ways to change how computers work. According to the Cult of the Dead Cow (weird name), a hacking organization, true

The primary factor in this breach, as it very often is, was people. In the end, it’s always about people. A company can have the best security protections in place and the hackers need is,

In accordance with many decades of cyber evolution, a cybercrime is shown in different ranges of crimes, which depend on the spread of technology and law. From the introduction of computer in the 1960s to the rise of personal computer in 1980s, cybercrime began to appear. The crimes can vary from piracy of software to patent-related crimes. This caused a surge in the introduction of relevant legislation in many countries and international organizations involved. In late 1990s, when Internet and transnational crimes were born, the international community cooperated in many instances such as the passing of the UN General Assembly Resolution 45/121 in 1990 and the manual for the prevention and control of computer-related crimes issued in 1994. Despite all the