Latest news with #FBI
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Another hit piece on Kash Patel? FBI director accused of 'fire-transfer-push to resign' playbook
Kash Patel has been blamed in an NYT editorial for making Americans feel unsafe. In a stinging editorial piece, the New York Times criticized FBI director Kash Patel for making the agency an "instrument of Mr Trump's political will". It said that Patel's main qualification is his unquestioning fealty to President Donald Trump and so on expected lines, Patel has assigned agents to pursue long-running MAGA grievances. And one of them is to prove that China had some role to play in manipulating the 2020 election. Patel faced intense scrutiny about his private life, his flying with an official jet to meet his girlfriend, his spending time at sporting events etc. He has also been accused of failing to publish the Epstein Files. The NYT noted that Kash Patel, before taking office, called the FBI an existential threat and its employees political jackals. People whom Kash Patel scapegoated are the agents that he now oversees, damaging the bureau's morale and its effectiveness, the editorial said. It said Patel and his deputy, Dan Bongino, singled out agents who worked on the prosecution of the Jan 6 rioters and then fired them, or transferred them or pushed them to resign. For example, the FBI transferred Spencer Evans, who ran the FBI's field office in Las Vegas, after Trump allies accused him of denying religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccine within the bureau, the NYT editorial said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Secure Your Child's Future with Strong English Fluency Planet Spark Learn More Undo "The resulting loss of expertise and experience is chilling. The bureau today has fewer people with the skills to prevent crime, political corruption and foreign espionage," it said. 'Poorly thought out hit piece' Deputy FBI director Dan Bongino reacted to the piece and called it a poorly thought-out hit piece. 'This NY Times article is precisely why hard-working Americans simply do not trust the media,' Bongino wrote on X Saturday. 'The article is a poorly thought out hit piece which attempts to address the dramatic personnel changes we've made, along with the enterprise-wide reorganization Director Patel and I have undertaken. ' Bongino provided a snippet of data points proving what they did for the betterment of the agency and said Patel and he have reformed the FBI aggressively.
First Post
2 hours ago
- Business
- First Post
How North Korea's Tech Fraud Infiltrates US Companies Vantage on Firstpost
How North Korea's Tech Fraud Infiltrates US Companies | Vantage on Firstpost | N18G How North Korea's Tech Fraud Infiltrates US Companies | Vantage on Firstpost | N18G A covert network involving Americans is helping North Korean nationals pose as U.S. tech employees through stolen identities and laptop farms. The FBI has launched nationwide investigations as this scheme compromises sensitive data, steals money, and funnels funds back to Pyongyang amid heavy sanctions. See More
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Nicolas Cage hails 'kind, intelligent' Julian McMahon
Nicolas Cage will remember Julian McMahon as a "kind and intelligent man". The Australian actor died from cancer on Wednesday, aged 56, and his former co-star in The Surfer - the 2024 psychological thriller film - has paid a glowing tribute to Julian, describing him as "one of (his) favourite people". "Such deeply saddening news," Cage told Deadline. "I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors. "Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favourites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favourite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family." Elsewhere, Dylan Walsh - who starred alongside Julian in Nip/Tuck, the hit TV medical drama - has admitted to being "stunned" by the news. "We rode this wave together and I loved him," the 61-year-old actor said. "My heart goes out to Kelly and Maddy. "Jules! I know you'd want me to say something to make you smile - all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my God, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace." The late actor played Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted, the police crime drama, and Dick Wolf - who created the FBI franchise - has expressed his shock and sadness. "What shocking news," he said. "All of us at Wolf Entertainment are deeply saddened by Julian's passing and our condolences go out to his entire family." Julian's passing was announced by his wife Kelly McMahon on Friday. In a statement to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible. Nicolas Cage will remember Julian McMahon as a "kind and intelligent man". The Australian actor died from cancer on Wednesday, aged 56, and his former co-star in The Surfer - the 2024 psychological thriller film - has paid a glowing tribute to Julian, describing him as "one of (his) favourite people". "Such deeply saddening news," Cage told Deadline. "I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors. "Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favourites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favourite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family." Elsewhere, Dylan Walsh - who starred alongside Julian in Nip/Tuck, the hit TV medical drama - has admitted to being "stunned" by the news. "We rode this wave together and I loved him," the 61-year-old actor said. "My heart goes out to Kelly and Maddy. "Jules! I know you'd want me to say something to make you smile - all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my God, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace." The late actor played Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted, the police crime drama, and Dick Wolf - who created the FBI franchise - has expressed his shock and sadness. "What shocking news," he said. "All of us at Wolf Entertainment are deeply saddened by Julian's passing and our condolences go out to his entire family." Julian's passing was announced by his wife Kelly McMahon on Friday. In a statement to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible. Nicolas Cage will remember Julian McMahon as a "kind and intelligent man". The Australian actor died from cancer on Wednesday, aged 56, and his former co-star in The Surfer - the 2024 psychological thriller film - has paid a glowing tribute to Julian, describing him as "one of (his) favourite people". "Such deeply saddening news," Cage told Deadline. "I spent six weeks working with Julian, and he was the most talented of actors. "Our scenes together on The Surfer were amongst my favourites I have ever participated in, and Julian is one of my favourite people. He was a kind and intelligent man. My love to his family." Elsewhere, Dylan Walsh - who starred alongside Julian in Nip/Tuck, the hit TV medical drama - has admitted to being "stunned" by the news. "We rode this wave together and I loved him," the 61-year-old actor said. "My heart goes out to Kelly and Maddy. "Jules! I know you'd want me to say something to make you smile - all the inside jokes. All those years you had my back, and my God, we laughed. My heart is with you. Rest in peace." The late actor played Jess LaCroix in FBI: Most Wanted, the police crime drama, and Dick Wolf - who created the FBI franchise - has expressed his shock and sadness. "What shocking news," he said. "All of us at Wolf Entertainment are deeply saddened by Julian's passing and our condolences go out to his entire family." Julian's passing was announced by his wife Kelly McMahon on Friday. In a statement to Deadline, she said: "With an open heart, I wish to share with the world that my beloved husband, Julian McMahon, died peacefully this week after a valiant effort to overcome cancer. "Julian loved life. He loved his family. He loved his friends. He loved his work, and he loved his fans. His deepest wish was to bring joy into as many lives as possible.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
FBI issues alert as hacker group expands attacks to aviation industry
A sophisticated hacker group known as Scattered Spider is targeting major airline systems in a series of cyberattacks - putting passengers' personal information at serious risk, the has FBI warned. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued an urgent alert on X last month, warning travelers that a cybercriminal group - previously focused on retail and insurance - has now expanded its attacks to include the aviation industry. Nicknamed Scattered Spider, the dangerous hacker group uses slick 'social engineering' tricks, like pretending to be airline employees, to sneak their way into highly protected internal systems. Once they're in, they swipe sensitive data - then hold it hostage, demanding a payout to keep it from being leaked or sold, the agency explained. According to the FBI, the hackers often go a step further - locking up entire systems with ransomware, leaving them completely unusable until the hefty ransom is paid. 'They target large corporations and their third-party IT providers, which means anyone in the airline ecosystem, including trusted vendors and contractors, could be at risk,' the warning read. On June 27, the FBI warned the millions of daily air travelers that the notorious hacker group Scattered Spider started infiltrating the transportation industry, and often gain access by impersonating employees or contractors. Using what the FBI referred to as 'social engineering techniques' - Scattered Spider is known to trick company's IT help desks into letting them inside the secure internal systems. One of their go-to tactics is tricking IT desks into adding fake devices - disguised as routine 'help' - which then allow the hackers to slip past key security measures like multi-factor authentication. 'Once inside, Scattered Spider actors steal sensitive data for extortion and often deploy ransomware,' the FBI wrote. 'The FBI is actively working with aviation and industry partners to address this activity and assist victims,' they added. 'Early reporting allows the FBI to engage promptly, share intelligence across the industry, and prevent further compromise.' Brett Winterford, vice president of threat intelligence at Okta, described Scattered Spider as a loosely connected group of young hackers - mostly from Western countries - who collaborate and share techniques in an online forum called TheCom, as reported by Forbes . While money is their main motivation, Winterford said that they're also driven by 'the desire to score a big win that impresses their peers,' according to the outlet. They don't stick to one type of target - if they succeed in attacking one company in an industry, they will try the same trick on similar companies again and again. 'If they enjoy success against a target in any given industry, they'll rinse and repeat against similar organizations,' Winterford added. This is just the latest troubling news in the aviation world - the same tactics seem to be behind the recent cyberattack on Qantas. On Monday, Qantas - Australia's largest airline - confirmed a major data breach that could have impacted up to six million customers . In a statement on its website, Qantas said it detected unusual activity on a third-party customer service platform used by one of its call centers. A cybercriminal reportedly targeted the call center, breaking into the customer service platform - but Qantas said they locked down the breach shortly afterward . 'There are six million customers that have service records in this platform,' the statement said. 'We are continuing to investigate the proportion of the data that has been stolen, though we expect it will be significant.' 'An initial review has confirmed the data includes some customers' names, email addresses, phone numbers, birth dates and frequent flyer numbers,' it added. However, the airline also assured customers that credit card details, personal financial information and passport data were not stored in the compromised system. In an update on Friday, Qantas said the group believed responsible for the incident remained unclear and that it had not received a ransom request . Now, the biggest danger is that the stolen data could be used for fraud or even identity theft . Airlines have since been urged to strengthen their security after the massive hack left the aviation giant vulnerable to potential legal consequences. Last month, in a strikingly similar case, Delta Air Lines locked access to some frequent flyer accounts due to cybersecurity concerns discovered earlier that week - but didn't immediately inform the affected customers, The Hill reported . The issue came to light when a customer - who happened to be a TV reporter in Pennsylvania, according to The Hill - was unable to access his Delta account or change his password. When the reporter dug deeper, a Delta reservations agent revealed that the airline was dealing with 'concerns about a potential security breach' affecting 'a large number of customers' - possibly up to 68,000. Although customers were asked to verify their identity by uploading a photo of a valid government ID, a Delta spokesperson insisted that SkyMiles accounts remained secure and said the credential resets were carried out 'out of an abundance of caution,' according to the outlet.
Forbes
5 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
FBI Sounds Alarm As Airline Cyber Threats Escalate
Modern airplanes are flying data centers — highly connected, digitally controlled, and now squarely ... More in the crosshairs of cybercriminals and terrorists. In the wrong hands, these systems could become tools of chaos, opening the door to a new kind of hijacking and the unthinkable threat of a digital 9/ and electronic transmissions. Less than a year after the spectacular cyber-triggered shutdown of Sea-Tac Airport, the FBI has issued an urgent and chilling new warning. On June 27, 2025, the agency declared that America's airlines are under attack. Not from hijackers with boxcutters, but from cybercriminals with keyboards. And the timing is no coincidence. With global tensions escalating, the possibility of a devastating cyber event in aviation is no longer a remote risk. It is a real threat that must now be part of our national security calculus. As former White House cyber advisor Tom Kellermann warned, 'The cyber 9/11 is coming.' Meet 'Scattered Spider' This warning was not buried in bureaucratic language or a quiet bulletin. It was issued plainly, publicly and with urgency. The FBI confirmed that Scattered Spider, one of the most dangerous and sophisticated cybercrime gangs operating today, is now targeting the airline industry. This group, already infamous for crippling MGM Resorts and Caesars Entertainment, has pivoted its tactics toward aviation. Their strategy is simple and sinister. By impersonating airline employees or IT contractors, they trick help desks into bypassing multi-factor authentication. Once inside, they exfiltrate data and deploy ransomware across critical systems. According to Google's Mandiant division, Scattered Spider excels at persistence, lateral movement and rapid escalation. 'They can detonate ransomware within hours of breach,' said Mandiant CTO Charles Carmakal. The Stakes Could Not Be Higher This is not a drill. Over the past 60 days, a disturbing pattern has emerged: All of this comes on the heels of the August 2024 ransomware attack on Sea-Tac Airport, which forced port officials to disconnect critical systems, stranding nearly 1,400 passengers. Let's be clear. This is not about delayed boarding passes or missing loyalty points. Today's air travel depends on deeply interconnected digital systems. Reservation systems, crew scheduling, maintenance tracking, flight planning and air traffic communication are all vulnerable. A breach in any one of them can ripple outward and cause catastrophic disruption. What the FBI is signaling is a shift from isolated data theft to coordinated campaigns targeting aviation infrastructure. And Scattered Spider may just be the beginning. Experts warn that nation-state actors like China, Iran, Russia and North Korea are observing, learning and potentially preparing to strike. More importantly, non-state actors affiliated with Al Qaeda and ISIS, the same groups responsible for the 9/11 attacks, are undoubtedly watching as well. They have long viewed aviation as both a symbolic and strategic target and the rise of digital vulnerabilities gives them new avenues to exploit. Could Terrorists Hijack A Plane Through Code That is the question no one wants to ask aloud. While no attack to date has compromised flight-critical avionics, security researchers have demonstrated that aircraft systems could be targeted through satellite links, Wi-Fi networks, or compromised ground systems. Modern planes are flying data centers. The same technologies that enable efficiency and automation such as real-time telemetry, remote diagnostics and automated cockpit integrations can also become potential attack surfaces. A hacked flight planning system or corrupted weather feed could ground planes or worse. As cybersecurity strategist Theresa Payton put it, 'The future of warfare will be about disrupting trust and sowing chaos in the systems we rely on every day. Aviation is right at the top of that list.' Sea-Tac was a wake-up call. But what happens when a coordinated cyberattack strikes multiple major airports or airlines at once? For a chilling preview, watch the dystopian film Leave the World Behind, starring Julia Roberts and produced by former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama. In the story, a wave of cyberattacks collapses infrastructure, sparks global conflict and pushes civilization to the edge. It is fiction, but it is not far-fetched. The breadcrumbs are there and the warnings are real. History Is Warning Us This is not the first time the aviation industry has been tested: Every one of these incidents revealed cracks in the aviation system. And each time, the industry promised reforms. But promises do not stop payloads. The adversary is better funded, more persistent and more creative than ever. Six Actions That Must Be Done Now The time for incremental fixes is over. The aviation industry must act boldly and immediately across six critical areas: Final Approach The consequences are no longer theoretical. Without immediate action, we risk: That last scenario may sound extreme. But there was a time when hijacking four commercial aircraft and flying them into American landmarks was unthinkable too. We are entering an era where a few lines of malicious code can do what bombs and bullets once did. This is not science fiction. It is the next frontier of terrorism and organized crime. As we remember those lost on 9/11, we must not forget the lesson of that day. Complacency is the co-pilot of catastrophe. The FBI is warning us. Breaches are happening. The time to act is now.
