Graham Cluely
N0n ransomware: what you need to know
N0n is a newly-emerged cyber extortion gang. The group was first spotted in the middle of September 2026, and within days it had published on its dark web leak site details of what it claimed to be around a dozen victims. Since then, the tally has continued to grow.
Read more in my article on the Fortra blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
FBI tells ShinyHunters members to turn themselves in, after arrest of alleged leader
The FBI has a very simple message for the ShinyHunters gang: give yourselves up.
On Tuesday, FBI cyber division assistant director Brett Leatherman released a video, thanking the Dutch police for arresting a 24-year-old man they believe to be a member of the group, and and who is separately suspected of attempting to arrange two murders.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
ShinyHunters suspect arrested, and is now investigated over alleged murder plots
An alleged key figure in the ShinyHunters cybercrime group has been arrested in the Netherlands, and - in a sinister twist - the 24-year-old suspect is also being investigated for attempting to arrange two murders.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Pentagon personnel database breach exposes personal data of millions
A Pentagon personnel database was breached for nine months without anyone noticing. Over three million people are affected.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Ukrainian ransomware developer jailed for nearly 13 years
A court in Zurich has sentenced a Ukrainian man to 12 years and nine months in prison, and banned him from Switzerland for ten years, for developing ransomware that blackmailed companies around the world.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Smashing Security podcast #486: Vibe-coded shops, and hackable Flock cameras
A store in Auckland vibe-coded itself a new website. Within hours, its inventory had somehow expanded to include a pair of crusty socks, an $850 banana, and all of New Zealand's national parks. What could possibly have gone wrong?
Meanwhile, a hacker collective backed a truck into one of the license-plate-reading Flock safety cameras popping up on American street corners, and took a very close look inside.
All this and more in episode 486 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Dave Bittner.
Categories: Graham Cluely
US Coast Guard and FBI board oil tanker to investigate cyber attack
An oil tanker bound for Texas was boarded mid-voyage by the US Coast Guard and FBI last month, after its network may have been compromised by malicious hackers.
According to the US Coast Guard, the supertanker was boarded after indications that the network "may have been compromised by a foreign actor."
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Smashing Security podcast #485: These researchers got drunk to hack an LG TV
Researchers wanted to test if LG's smart TVs come with any security risks - but their lawyers noticed a snag: the terms and conditions would forbid it. So they came up with a solution. They got plastered before setting up the TV, on the reasoning that you can't be legally bound to a contract you agreed to while drunk. What they discovered will make you look at your TV rather differently...
Meanwhile, awful Android malware with the audacious name "Awesome" (in Indonesian) is doing the rounds, stealing your data, demanding a ransom, and then giving you a "jump scare"...
Plus, in our featured interview, Andy Hornegold of Intruder explains why the mid-market is where cybercriminals are having the most fun right now - and how AI is helping attackers get from "first foot in the door" to "full ransomware disaster" in less than a working day.
All this and more in episode 485 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Lianne Potter.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Former AT&T store worker jailed after moonlighting as a SIM-swap gang’s inside man
44-year-old Kenneth Carter from Portland, Oregon, used to work in an AT&T retail store. But now he has been sentenced to 16 months in a federal prison.
That should be plenty of time for him to rue the day he agreed to increase his monthly income by helping a SIM swap gang in their attempt to steal over half a million dollars.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
‘Anne Hathaway’ admits leading $245 million crypto theft gang that spent a fortune on nightclubs, watches, and luxury cars
Here's a tip for any budding cybercriminals out there.
If you're going to steal a quarter of a billion dollars worth of cryptocurrency, maybe don't broadcast on a group chat every time you buy a Lamborghini, or blow half a million dollars on a single night out at a nightclub.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
Smashing Security podcast #484: How websites are tracking you with silence
When a chap called Matt noticed his Bluetooth headphones wouldn't switch to his phone, he was surprised to realise the reason was a single AliExpress webpage sitting open in his browser - playing nothing at all, at zero volume. And yet somehow his hardware could hear it. Audio fingerprinting is one of the sneakiest tracking tricks on the web.
Meanwhile, the intelligence agencies of the "Five Eyes" (not Five Guys) have got together and published advice on how companies should communicate after a cyber attack. The summary? For the love of God, stop calling every breach "sophisticated."
All this and more in episode 484 of the "Smashing Security" podcast with cybersecurity expert and keynote speaker Graham Cluley, and special guest Danny Palmer.
Categories: Graham Cluely
CRPx0 ransomware: what you need to know
CRPx0 is a cybercrime operation that started off operating a scam before pivoting into a fully-blown ransomware and cryptocurrency business.
Read more in my article on the Fortra blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
The US military just turned off ad tracking on its phones. Maybe you should too
Location data sold by the ad industry has reportedly helped adversaries target US troops. The Pentagon has responded by switching off ad tracking on its devices - and you can do the same on yours.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
How a hole in Lenovo’s login system let hackers walk into 5,000 Dropbox accounts
If you ever linked your Dropbox account to a Lenovo ID - perhaps to make life easier when logging in via a Lenovo laptop - you might want to take heed.
Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog.
Categories: Graham Cluely
