Latest news with #Sinnott
NZ Herald
30-04-2025
- NZ Herald
British teens linked to cyber-attack on Marks & Spencer
He is alleged to have been behind the September 2023 hack of Las Vegas casino operators Caesar's Entertainment and MGM Resorts International, causing widespread disruption at some of the city's most high-profile venues. Buchanan, a Scot who is understood to have been remanded in custody after being detained while trying to take a charter flight between Spain and Italy, was charged this month alongside four American men, all of whom are below the age of 25. Hacks continue Last year, a 17-year-old from Walsall was also arrested in the UK in connection with the same Las Vegas hacks. West Midlands Police did not respond to a request for an update on his case. Nonetheless, the arrests have not stopped the gang's ongoing activities. Scattered Spider is thought to have most recently targeted Marks & Spencer, forcing the multinational retailer to halt its online sales for the past five days. The attack has wiped millions of pounds from the London Stock Exchange-listed company's market value, even emptying shelves at some of its shops. Aiden Sinnott, a senior threat researcher with cyber security company Sophos' Secureworks unit, said that Scattered Spider is a 'nihilistic' part of a much deeper online subculture that engages in 'depraved and outrageous things'. Murky scene Known for attracting 'English-speaking' teenagers and young men to its ranks, the gang first emerged on the murky cyber crime scene around June 2022. 'They're not like a traditional [organised crime] group in that there's no kind of structured hierarchy,' Sinnott said. 'In terms of personas and who's behind them, it's quite difficult to pin down, because it is kind of an online collective that operates behind usernames.' The hack that affected M&S meant that the retailer was forced to stop accepting online orders. The cyber security expert added that Scattered Spider is believed to be an offshoot of a much darker online community called The Com. This group is known for its kudos-beats-all ethos, where its members attempt to one-up each other in the most horrible ways possible to gain online status and prestige. Depraved acts In this warped subculture, nothing is off limits – be it renting Russian ransomware to target a high-street retailer or even child abuse. The Com's members have been linked to claims that they would egg each other on to coerce children into performing depraved acts on webcam, up to and including self harm. Using their advanced hacking skills, The Com's members threatened to expose their victims to friends and family unless their demands were met. 'It just seems to be almost nihilistic – there's no real financial motivation,' Sinnott said. 'It seems to be about gaining kudos within the group. And that kudos comes from doing increasingly depraved and outrageous things.' Scattered Spider's members, while closely linked to The Com, are thought to be more motivated by money and prestige for pulling off heists against high-profile companies. Their British and American origins mean that, unlike when Russian cyber-criminals target the West, 'they are within reach of law enforcement', Sinnott said. Cut of a ransom Cyber-security experts believe that Scattered Spider has rented a piece of Russian-made hacking software – ransomware – called DragonForce. In a ransomware attack, the attackers encrypt – forcibly scramble – business-critical computer files and then demand a hefty ransom to unscramble them again. DragonForce's creators would expect a cut of the ransom as their fee for renting out the software to Scattered Spider. Royal Mail, which was targeted by Russian hackers in 2021 amid similar circumstances, faced a £67 million ($151m) demand. It chose not to pay. Most businesses choose not to pay the ransom in similar circumstances, although for some it is a less painful option than rebuilding entire corporate systems and processes from scratch. Marks & Spencer has declined to comment on the cyber-attack to date.
Irish Examiner
26-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Hospitality at core of Kinsale's €875k Harbour Heights family home
EXCEPT that this is Kinsale we are talking about, it would be quite a novel thing to say that 'secluded, private detached family homes for less than €1m here are rare right now.' Yet, that's the observation of the vendor of 2 Harbour Heights, a spotless home with hospitality in its bones — its owners are in the restaurant/hotel/dining business sectors, and they have cut their property chops with a growing hospitality collection under their belt, in Kinsale, in Cork city and in West Cork. No 2 Harbour Heights is set — as the name suggests — on a height above the buzzing harbour town of Kinsale at Cappagh, and is on a site of one third of an acre, walled on three sides, with a south-facing patio: it got a very substantial overhaul back in 2014, helping to explain its fresh demeanour. 'We have been there over 10 years, with fantastic happy memories and the family before us were here for over 20 years, so this property has changed hands only twice in the last over 30 years,' says the busy hospitality business MD of the more domestic scaled No 2, adding 'it's been an amazing family home.' It's moving on time now and No 2 which is on the outside/approach to Harbour Heights is pitched at family buyers and, as it's a bungalow it's also pitched at downsizers and relocators by its selling agent Sinead Sinnott of Sheehy Brothers auctioneers. Ship ahoy Set off the Bandon Road, above the new homes scheme Belvedere, Harbour Heights has a mix of c 15 various-sized detached bungalows, on large and mature sites, and 10 semi-ds deeper inside, with one semi, No 21 fetching €655,000 when resold last year. A larger, detached in Harbour Heights reportedly went sale agreed also in 2024 at €1.1m, but local reports say the owners subsequently took it off the market. Another detached inside in Harbour Heights meanwhile has gone sale agreed for around its €750,000 guide, needing updating. Sheehy Brothers' Ms Sinnott predicts strong viewing and bidding interest in No 2, saying bungalows are rare in any case in and around Kinsale, especially those on good, private grounds within a safe walk of the town. There'll be an appeal to older buyers and downsizers from near and far as it's all on the one level, but families are also expected as the site of 0.3 of an acre allows for future expansion, as families grow. No 2 Harbour Heights 'is presented in immaculate condition,' Ms Sinnott adds, and is bright, with a good southerly aspect , while decor 'is light and neutral.' There are water and harbour views, out towards the Bulman in Summercove, spanning Charles and James Forts and up the Bandon River. Rooms include a lounge/dining room with open fire and patio access, kitchen and large utility, and three bedrooms, one of them en suite as well as a main family bathroom, whilst outside a new patio and fencing was put in, inside the block wall boundary, with electric access gates, with parking for several cars (currently a Dragon yacht — a popular Kinsale sailing class — graces the drive.) Upgrades in 2014 included a new kitchen, bathrooms, new plumbing and wiring, new gas boiler and tank, as well as wall, floor, and attic insulation upgrades. South aspected rear of 2 Harbour Heights VERDICT: Privacy, space and comfort, and all in great nick thanks to owners who know the hospitality business well.
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-NJ cop accused of handcuffing, sexually assaulting volunteer firefighters, lawsuit says
Three former and current volunteer firefighters have filed a lawsuit against an ex-New Jersey police officer and fire official, accusing him of subjecting them to abuse under the guise of training exercises. According to the 95-page complaint, obtained by NJ Advanced Media, Robert Sinnott would often carry out this abuse at the firehouse in Toms River, in full view of other members with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. It allegedly included handcuffing and groping trainees during police reenactments and simulations, and it was not uncommon for the exercises to turn violent and sexually explicit. Sinnott, who served as a police officer in Island Heights for more than 20 years before moving to Toms River, was also the assistant chief with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. His accusers claimed he used his leadership roles to groom and subject them to ongoing harassment, adding that his background in law enforcement enabled him to avoid getting into any legal trouble. What's more, any effort the plaintiffs made to report the abuse was met with retaliation and sometimes even efforts to conceal the allegations. 'For over two decades, Sinnott preyed upon young volunteer firefighters, with full knowledge — and inaction — by district leadership,' the complaint states. In addition to Sinnott, the lawsuit also names the Toms River and Silverton fire departments, as well as several local officials, accusing them of negligence, assault, civil rights violations, and a coordinated cover-up effort. The firefighters who filed suit are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for what they called years of 'emotional trauma, professional setbacks, and psychological distress.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-NJ cop accused of handcuffing, sexually assaulting volunteer firefighters, lawsuit says
Three former and current volunteer firefighters have filed a lawsuit against an ex-New Jersey police officer and fire official, accusing him of subjecting them to abuse under the guise of training exercises. According to the 95-page complaint, obtained by NJ Advanced Media, Robert Sinnott would often carry out this abuse at the firehouse in Toms River, in full view of other members with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. It allegedly included handcuffing and groping trainees during police reenactments and simulations, and it was not uncommon for the exercises to turn violent and sexually explicit. Sinnott, who served as a police officer in Island Heights for more than 20 years before moving to Toms River, was also the assistant chief with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. His accusers claimed he used his leadership roles to groom and subject them to ongoing harassment, adding that his background in law enforcement enabled him to avoid getting into any legal trouble. What's more, any effort the plaintiffs made to report the abuse was met with retaliation and sometimes even efforts to conceal the allegations. 'For over two decades, Sinnott preyed upon young volunteer firefighters, with full knowledge — and inaction — by district leadership,' the complaint states. In addition to Sinnott, the lawsuit also names the Toms River and Silverton fire departments, as well as several local officials, accusing them of negligence, assault, civil rights violations, and a coordinated cover-up effort. The firefighters who filed suit are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for what they called years of 'emotional trauma, professional setbacks, and psychological distress.'
Yahoo
25-03-2025
- Yahoo
Ex-NJ cop accused of handcuffing, sexually assaulting volunteer firefighters: lawsuit
Three former and current volunteer firefighters have filed a lawsuit against an ex-New Jersey police officer and fire official, accusing him of subjecting them to abuse under the guise of training exercises. According to the 95-page complaint, obtained by NJ Advanced Media, Robert Sinnott would often carry out this abuse at the firehouse in Toms River, in full view of other members with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. It allegedly included handcuffing and groping trainees during police reenactments and simulations, and it was not uncommon for the exercises to turn violent and sexually explicit. Sinnott, who served as a police officer in Island Heights for more than 20 years before moving to Toms River, was also the assistant chief with Silverton Volunteer Fire Company #1. His accusers claimed he used his leadership roles to groom and subject them to ongoing harassment, adding that his background in law enforcement enabled him to avoid getting into any legal trouble. What's more, any effort the plaintiffs made to report the abuse was met with retaliation and sometimes even efforts to conceal the allegations. 'For over two decades, Sinnott preyed upon young volunteer firefighters, with full knowledge — and inaction — by district leadership,' the complaint states. In addition to Sinnott, the lawsuit also names the Toms River and Silverton fire departments, as well as several local officials, accusing them of negligence, assault, civil rights violations, and a coordinated cover-up effort. The firefighters who filed suit are seeking compensatory and punitive damages for what they called years of 'emotional trauma, professional setbacks, and psychological distress.'
