Microsoft downs Zeus botnet but can't ID who's behind it

Microsoft won court permission to seize servers Friday that took down a deployment of the Zeus botnet, and it even detailed the corporate structure that enabled using the zombie network to steal cash from victims.

By Tim Greene | 28 March, 2012 00:25

Tags: botnet, cybercrime, Defcon, legal, Microsoft, security, Yahoo, Zeus botnet

CanSecWest browser-hacking contests offer bigger bounties, get small results

Contest organizers this year increased sixfold the prizes given out for successful zero-day browser exploits during the CanSecWest security conference, but wound up with just one more exploit to show for it.

By Tim Greene | 14 March, 2012 01:30

Tags: CanSecWest, Defcon, Google, pwn2own, pwnium, security

Contests hack the heck out of Chrome

VANCOUVER -- Dueling browser-exploit contests at the CanSecWest conference yielded immediate results -- two hacks against Google Chrome -- with contestants in both competitions demonstrating exploits within an hour of the contests' opening.

By Tim Greene | 09 March, 2012 02:35

Tags: CanSecWest, chrome, Defcon, Google, pwn2own, pwnium, security, software

Hackers hit oil, gas, defense companies in Norway

A single group of hackers using spearphishing has stolen industrial drawings, contracts and more from at least 10 oil, gas and defense companies in Norway, according to a published report.

By Tim Greene | 19 November, 2011 08:29

Tags: BBC, cybercrime, Defcon, intrusion, legal, security, spearphishing

10 scariest hacks from Black Hat and Defcon

Hack week in Vegas

During the Black Hat and Defcon conferences in Las Vegas last week, researchers wheeled out their best new attacks on everything from browsers to automobiles, demonstrating ingenuity and diligence in circumventing security efforts or in some cases in exploiting systems that were built without security in mind. Here's a handful of the ones that deserve the most concern.

By Tim Greene | 18 August, 2011 23:45

Tags: blackhat, Defcon, Facebook, hacks, privacy, SAP flaw, siemens s7

Is your Linksys or Netgear router open to attack?

If you have a Linksys model WRT160N or Netgear RP614v4 router, it may be time to worry a little. At least according to a report out of Defcon from The Register. The vulnerability is based on CSRF, or cross-site request forgery, an issue with the cPanel web-based control software used to administrate the devices.

By Jason Cross | 04 August, 2009 04:06

Tags: Defcon, Linksys, netgear

A Defcon badge unlike anything you have ever seen

It's unlike any conference badge you've seen before. Sleek, stylish, programmable, and made out of metal. It's the Defcon 18 conference badge. Unveiled at the annual hacker conference in Las Vegas, here's a first look at this year's badge.

By IDG News Service staff | 05 August, 2010 14:20

Tags: Defcon, Defcon 2010, security