istock photo

An influential computer hacker turned FBI informant led investigators to his former accomplices, helping federal agents make their first significant crack into Anonymous, a cybergroup that attacks corporate and government websites.

Four members of the international computer hacking group LulzSec were charged Tuesday with a worldwide conspiracy after the legendary hacker known in Internet circles as Sabu exposed the inner workings of the sophisticated attacks.

LulzSec hackers are allegedly part of a loose confederation of computer saboteurs known as Anonymous, which has “waged a deliberate campaign of online destruction, intimidation and criminality,” according to an indictment made public Tuesday in a federal court in New York.

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How The Feds Turned a Hacker Against His Own (Fox News)

By Allan Lengel

More than than 60 people were indicted today on charges of stealing millions of dollars from U.S. bank accounts through mischievous computer attacks.

In announcing the local and federal indictments, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara of New York said that modern high-tech bank heists no longer require “a gun, a mask, a note or a getaway car. … It requires only the Internet and ingenuity. And it can be accomplished in the blink of an eye, with just a click of the mouse.”

Authorities said the cyberattacks began in Eastern Europe with the e-mailing of a malware known as “Zeus Trojan.”

The e-mails were sent to municipalities and small businesses in the United States, and once they were opened, the malware embedded itself in the computers, recording keystrokes of account numbers and passwords when users logged into bank accounts, the U.S. attorney’s office said.

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By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON -- The FBI is making a new move to try and bring its troubled computer project called the “Sentinel” under control, according to the Washington Post’s Capital Business report. The program has been plagued by endless glitches.

The paper reports that the FBI has decided to bring the project in house, with its IT division taking over from contractor, Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin. The system has been designed to replace the FBI’s paper-based system for criminal investigation records.

The paper reports that the project is expected to go quicker and come within the $451 million budget. Lockheed Martin will be retained as a subject matter expert, the paper reported.

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OTHER STORIES OF INTEREST

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• Report Says 10 States Sell Half of Imported Gun Crimes (AP)
• Atty Says Feds Trying to Quiet Anti-War Protesters (AP)
• Judge Rules that Verdict Stands in Hacked Sarah Palin Email Case (AP)
• Jury Rejects Caffeine Defense in Murder Trial (AP)
• ND Police Chief Accused of Trying to Rape Girl (AP)
• Ex-Ill. Gov Blago to Talk About Trust (AP)
• 9 Years After 9/11 Intelligence Sharing Still Hobbled (Newsweek)
• Justice Department Honors Longest Serving Prosecutor (Main Justice)

By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON — A 65-year-old Information Technology Program manager for the FBI was sentenced Friday  in Alexandria, Va., to 3 years and 10 months in prison for possessing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Samuel I. Kaplan, 65, of Gainesville, Va., pled guilty to possessing child porn on June 3. Court records show Kaplan, who worked for the FBI in Chantilly, Va., used the FBI’s computer network to “facilitate sexually explicit communications.”

Authorities said Kaplan had on his home computer between 10 to 20 images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

Robert Mueller and Eric Holder in 2009/fbi photo

WASHINGTON – The massive overhaul of the FBI’s computerized case management system may not be as big a mess as it seems — at least that’s what Director Robert S. Mueller III told the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on Thursday.

The website Main Justice reported that Mueller said the delays on the $305 million project known as the Sentinel were routine and assured Senators that it would not become a boondoggle.

Main Justice reported that Mueller’s decision to suspend work on parts of the program resulted from the discovery of some “coding defects.”

“Is this just a normal delay … or are we on the way to boondoggle?” asked Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), chairwoman of the Commerce, Justice and science Appropriations Subcommittee, Main Justice reported.

Mueller said it was a minor setback.

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Read Full Statement before the committee

WASHINGTON — The FBI has been struggling a long time to catch up to the 21st century when it comes to having  a top-flight computer system.

The New York Times reports that the struggle continues and that the agency “has suspended work on parts of its huge computer overhaul, dealing the agency the latest costly setback in a decade-long effort to develop a modernized information system to combat crime and terrorism.”

The paper reported that completion of the overhaul, whic was slated for the fall, has been delayed until early next year. Not only is the delay bad news, it could cost at least an extra $30 million in cost overruns, the paper reported.

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By Allan Lengel

WASHINGTON – It may not be the menacing Swine Flu, but this virus could cause you some pain.

The FBI has issued a consumer warning regarding a pop-up security message on the Internet.

“The messages may contain a virus that could harm your computer, cause costly repairs or, even worse, lead to identity theft,” the FBI said in a press release. “The messages contain scareware, fake or rogue anti-virus software that looks authentic.

“The message may display what appears to be a real-time, anti-virus scan of your hard drive. The scareware will show a list of reputable software icons; however, you can’t click a link to go to the real site to review or see recommendations. Cyber criminals use botnets—collections of compromised computers—to push the software, and advertisements on websites deliver it. This is known as malicious advertising or “malvertising.”

Once the pop-up warning appears, it can’t be easily closed by clicking the “close” or “X” buttons.”

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Scary to think these agencies are so vulnerable. Looks like some IT folks have some work to do.

By DEVLIN BARRETT
Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Law enforcement computers were struck by a mystery computer virus Thursday, forcing the FBI and the U.S. Marshals to shut down part of their networks as a precaution.

The U.S. Marshals confirmed it disconnected from the Justice Department’s computers as a protective measure after being hit by the virus; an FBI official said only that that agency was experiencing similar issues and was working on the problem.

“We too are evaluating a network issue on our external, unclassified network that’s affecting several government agencies,” said FBI spokesman Mike Kortan. He did not elaborate or identify the other agencies.

Marshals spokeswoman Nikki Credic said the agency’s computer problem began Thursday morning. The FBI began experiencing similar problems earlier.

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