3,000 Intelligence officials' names, emails leaked as 'INSA spies'

computerworld.com
Last week, a "premier intelligence and national security organization" was hacked and then hundreds of intelligence officials, ranging from the NSA, FBI, CIA, the Pentagon, the White House, had their names, email addresses, some phone numbers and even home addresses posted on Cryptome.

Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA) published a Cyber Intelligence report [PDF] about the need to develop better cyber intelligence sharing, analysis and defenses against the "cyber threat environment" where hackers are cracking into everyone's systems, from government agencies to private companies. 48 hours later, a cyberattack was launched against INSA website and the membership list was leaked after the hack.

MSNBC reported that "in apparent retaliation, INSA's 'secure' computer system was hacked and the entire 3,000-person membership posted on the Cryptome.org." There were 95 email addresses belonging to the "supersecret National Security Agency, as well as scores of others in key positions at the White House, the Pentagon, FBI, CIA, the Office of Director of National Intelligence and the State Department." John Young who runs Cryptome said in a telephone interview with NBC that he had no reservations about publishing 'INSA Nest of Official and Corporate Spies.' Young said, "We would love to name every spy that lives on Earth."

NSA President Ellen McCarthy confirmed the leak is real and told MSNBC that exposed members are not happy about the published list of names and email addresses. "Intelligence people are not very fond of getting a lot of attention."

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5-year-old girl finds hidden camera in a D.C. Starbucks bathroom

dailymail.co.uk

A five-year-old girl walked out of Starbucks with more than just a hot chocolate after having discovered a hidden camera in the coffee shop's unisex bathroom.

The girl's family is now suing the coffee chain for damages after she and her father were taped while using the toilet in a D.C. Starbucks.

William Yockey and his family were visiting the capital in late August from their home in Norfolk, Virginia.

His daughter discovered a video camera hidden underneath the sink that was pointed towards the toilet. Yockey determined that the camera was on and recording, then notified the police.

The camera was taken by police for further investigation, and no suspects have been named.

Because so little is known about the camera- including who put it there and when- this lawsuit could theoretically be opened up to include anyone else who used the restroom at that Starbucks.

The lawsuit, which will be heard in D.C. Superior Court, claims that the daughter suffered 'permanent and continuing emotional pain and suffering, humiliation, embarrassment and great emotional distress'

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Defence contractor warns of false cyber security beliefs

crn.com.au

Four 'mindsets' that trip up specialists.

BAE Systems Australia's cyber security head has warned against four mindsets preventing security specialists from effectively dealing with cyber threats.

According to the defence contractor's Tim Scully, an overemphasis on all-encompassing defensive measures or on compliance with standards or regulations could be counterproductive.

Scully, who was also the chief executive officer of BAE subsidiary Stratsec, chaired a work group on Cyber Threat and Fortress Mentality at the second national cyber warfare conference in Canberra this week.

Fortress mindset

He described the "fortress mindset" as the traditional approach to security, where specialists aimed to keep all threats outside of their networks.

Defensive measures in a "fortress" approach focused on systems and infrastructure rather than focusing on protecting the organisation's most valuable information.

That approach was as naïve as thinking that everything inside the network was secure, he said.

“If your network is connected to the Internet, and you have something of value to a threat actor, you are likely already compromised," he said.

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