cybercrimes

Investment and courier frauds dominate among cyber crime cases registered in Mangaluru

“Cyber Crime Theory to Practice – A Comprehensive Guide for Law Enforcement. (3)

Out of the 42 persons arrested this year, 15 were from Karnataka, while 27 were from other states, including 11 from Kerala and nine from Tamil Nadu. Mangalore: Though the number of cybercrime cases reported was less due to effective preventive action and increased awareness among the public in Mangalore Commissioner ate limits, the year 2024 saw the largest financial impact, with over Rs 40.46 crore lost, Rs 9.32 crore frozen, and Rs 2.55 crore released to the complainant, said Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal. Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal said that the year 2023 saw a significant rise in the number of cases registered at Cybercrimes, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station, while other Police Stations experienced a steady increase every year. In 2023, CEN police station had 196 in 2023, and 62 in 2024. Other police stations registered 120 cybercrime cases during the same period, with eight cases in 2022, and 40 in 2023. He said that investment frauds accounted for 50 per cent of the reported cases and approximately 75 per cent of the total amount lost. A total of 67 cases with Rs 30.3 crore lost was reported during the year followed by digital arrest scams involving courier and customs with 25 cases and losses of Rs 7.1 crore. Job frauds accounted for eight cases, cases, resulting in loss of Rs 1.2 crore, while matrimonial frauds saw four cases with Rs 60.4 lakh lost. Online shopping frauds caused losses of Rs 5.9 lakh across three cases, and share market frauds resulted in Rs 41.96 lakh loss in five cases. Additionally, advertisement fraud accounted for Rs 50,000 in losses, KYC fraud caused Rs 8.35 lakh in losses, and other frauds collectively led to a loss of Rs 63.28 lakh, he explained. About 5,498 complaints were reported on the National Cyber Crime Reporting portal, of which 215 were converted into FIRs. On the detection of cases, the commissioner said that the detected cases saw a sharp increase in 2023, particularly at other police stations, with a steady rise in Cybercrimes, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) police stations in 2024. Out of the 42 persons arrested this year, 15 were from Karnataka, while 27 were from other states, including 11 from Kerala and nine from Tamil Nadu. A total of 217 awareness programmer were conducted across the jurisdiction. A comprehensive campaign to combat cybercrime has been launched, focusing on raising awareness and prevention among all sections of society. Programmer were conducted at various levels: Police Station level, beat level, Sub-division level, and Commissioner ate level, ensuring widespread reach, he added.

Phishing Attack Hits General Dynamics, Exposing Employee Data

Aerospace and defense giant General Dynamics has revealed that a phishing attack targeted its employees, compromising dozens of employee benefits accounts. The breach, discovered on October 10, exposed sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers, bank account details, and government-issued IDs. The attack began with a fraudulent advertising campaign that directed employees to a fake login portal mimicking a legitimate third-party platform. Unsuspecting employees entered their credentials, granting attackers access to their accounts. General Dynamics reported the breach to the Maine Attorney General’s Office, confirming that 37 individuals were affected. Once inside the compromised accounts, the attackers manipulated personal data, including bank account information. General Dynamics promptly suspended access to the service upon discovering the unauthorized activity and began notifying affected employees the same day. Written notifications were sent this week to all impacted individuals. The company clarified that the breach occurred through a third-party login portal and not its internal systems. “Available evidence indicates that the unauthorized access was authenticated through the third party, not directly through any General Dynamics business units,” the company stated. To mitigate the impact, General Dynamics is offering two years of complimentary credit monitoring to affected employees. They have also urged individuals to reset their login credentials for Fidelity NetBenefits accounts and avoid reusing compromised passwords. The phishing attack marks another incident involving Fidelity this year. Earlier, the financial services company disclosed breaches affecting over 100,000 customers across its insurance and investment platforms. Cybersecurity experts continue to emphasize the importance of vigilance against phishing campaigns, which remain a significant threat to organizations and their employees.

Kingpin of Deadly Ransomware Gang Arrested: Extorted Thousands of Crores in Global Cyber Attacks

A dual Russian-Israeli national, Rastislav Panev, has been arrested in Israel and will soon face extradition to the United States for his alleged role in developing the notorious Lock Bit ransomware. Authorities claim the arrest marks a significant blow to the global ransomware operation. Rastislav Panev, a 51-year-old man holding dual Russian-Israeli citizenship, was arrested in Israel in August at the request of the United States Department of Justice (DoJ). Panev faces charges for allegedly developing the infamous Lock Bit ransomware, which is responsible for attacks on over 2,500 entities worldwide. Panev is currently being held in Israel, awaiting extradition to the U.S. According to court documents, he was involved with the Lock Bit ransomware group since its inception in 2019, continuing his activities until February 2024, when authorities dismantled parts of the operation. How Panev Operated Panev is accused of developing malicious code for Lock Bit, maintaining the infrastructure, and providing technical guidance to the group. Evidence obtained by investigators includes credentials found on Panev’s computer, granting him access to repositories hosting Lock Bit source code and control panel credentials. Additionally, Panev’s communications with Lock Bit’s main administrator, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, revealed his role in the operation. Khoroshev, identified as a Russian national, was previously charged by U.S. authorities. Investigators also discovered that Panev received payments amounting to $230,000 in cryptocurrency from Khoroshev between June 2022 and February 2024. Ransomware’s Global Impact The Lock Bit ransomware group has been linked to over 2,500 attacks across 120 countries, including 1,800 incidents in the United States alone. The group extorted more than $500 million in ransom payments, causing billions of dollars in damages. Law enforcement agencies worldwide view Panev’s arrest as a critical step in combating ransomware operations. Charges and Future Actions Panev admitted to developing code that disabled antivirus systems, deploying malware on victim networks, and creating ransom notes. His arrest follows a series of actions by the U.S. against members of the Lock Bit group, with rewards of up to $10 million offered for information leading to the capture of other operatives. The Lock Bit operation has led to several arrests globally, including the sentencing of a Lock Bit affiliate in Canada earlier this year. Panev’s extradition to the U.S. is expected to shed more light on the group’s activities and could result in further legal actions against its members. A Message to Cybercriminals Authorities emphasize that the arrest demonstrates a global commitment to holding cybercriminals accountable. Panev’s capture is a testament to international collaboration in the fight against ransomware and cybercrime, sending a strong warning to those involved in such activities.

Dev Information Technology soars 8% on launching new cybersecurity services

Shares of Dev Information Technology surged up to 7.76 per cent at Rs 163.80 a piece on the BSE in 23/12/2024 intraday trade. This came after the company launched new services under the cybersecurity segment. The newly enhanced cybersecurity services include cybersecurity consulting, threat and vulnerability management (VAPT), managed security operations centre (SOC), business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR) and cloud security services. “With the global cybersecurity market projected to reach $271.90 billion by 2029, businesses face mounting challenges in securing their digital assets, driven by rising cyber threats, digital transformation, and stricter regulatory requirements. These enhanced cybersecurity services address these challenges by offering proactive defence strategies, real-time monitoring, and comprehensive solutions to help businesses stay ahead of evolving threats and ensure compliance,” the company said in a statement. Moreover, strategic partnerships with Microsoft and AWS provide credibility and access to cutting-edge technologies, ensuring the delivery of world-class solutions, the company said. DEV Information Technology, established in 1997 and listed on NSE and BSE, initially focused on business automation software solutions, with the company expanding to offer a range of IT services globally. Headquartered in Ahmedabad, with offices in India and Canada, DEV IT specializes in providing Cloud Services, Digital Transformation, Enterprise Applications, Managed IT Services, and Application Development. Its product portfolio includes Talligence, an analytics platform, and ByteSigner, a digital signing solution. Meanwhile, on the equities side, DEV Information Technology stock has outperformed the market, as in the last six months it has surged 35 per cent while falling 21 per cent in the last year. In comparison, BSE Sensex has risen 2 per cent in the last six months and 10 per cent in a year. The company has a total market capitalisation of Rs 357.28 crore. Its shares are trading at a price-to-earnings multiple of 19.06 times and at an earning per share of Rs 7.98. At 12:34 PM; the shares of the company were up 4.61 per cent at Rs 159 a piece. By comparison, the BSE Sensex was trading 0.52 per cent higher at 78,450.66 level.

Cyber-crimes, climate change new threats to human rights: President Murmu

In her address at an event hosted by the (NHRC) National Human Rights Commission here to mark Human Rights Day, the President also underlined that cyber-crimes and climate change are new threats to human rights The human rights discourse so far has been centred on the “human agency” as the violator is assumed to be a human but with AI entering our lives, the “culprit could be a non-human” but an intelligent agent, President Droupadi Murmu said on 10/12/2024. In her address at an event hosted by the NHRC here to mark Human Rights Day, the President also underlined that cyber-crimes and climate change are “new threats” to human rights. Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 every year to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. As we progress into the future, we are confronted with emerging challenges. Cybercrimes and climate change are new threats to human rights. The digital era, while transformative, has brought with it complex issues such as cyberbullying, deep fake, privacy concerns, and the spread… pic.twitter.com/9iLGjCLHM6 — President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) December 10, 2024 The UDHR serves as a global benchmark for the protection and promotion of human rights. “As we progress into the future, we are confronted with emerging challenges. Cyber-crimes and climate change are new threats to human rights,” Murmu said. She added that while the digital era was transformative, it also brought with it complex issues such as cyberbullying, deep fakery, privacy concerns, and the spread of misinformation. “These challenges underscore the importance of fostering a safe, secure and equitable digital environment that protects every individual’s rights and dignity,” the President said. In her address, she also touched upon the aspect of AI and its impact on human lives. “Artificial intelligence has now entered our day-to-day life, solving many problems, and creating several new ones too,” Murmu said. The human rights discourse so far has been “centred on the human agency”, that is the violator is assumed to be a human being, who would have a “range of human emotions such as compassion and guilt,” she said. “With AI, however, the culprit could be a non-human but intelligent agent. I leave the matter for you to ponder over,” the President said. She said in her address that climate change also forces us to review human rights thinking at a global level.

Students asked to become ‘cyber citizens’ to prevent cybercrimes

Police have called upon students to become ‘cyber citizens’ and help the cyber cell officers prevent online fraud, which has been rising. At a program organized by NTR Police at Siddhartha Mahila College on 26/11/2024, Police Commissioner S.V. Rajashekar Babu cautioned the students about cyber offenses. Students performed a cultural show alerting the public on various online frauds being reported daily. Mr. Rajashekar Babu said the NTR Commissionerate Police were taking measures to enlighten the public on the ‘1930 Call Centre’, ‘Cyber Citizens Mobile App’, ‘National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (NCRP)’, and the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre to check cybercrimes. “I request the students to be a cyber citizen. We will train the youngsters on different types of cyber offenses, how to respond immediately to online fraud, steps to prevent cybercrimes, where to complain about fraud, and other topics,” Mr. Rajashekar Babu said. Senior police officers explained to the girls about ‘honey trap’, an App’, ‘fake share marketing trade App’, ‘digital arrest’, ‘job frauds’, ‘matrimonial frauds’, ‘fake ED and CBI calls’, and other cyber offenses. “Fraudsters are resorting to frauds through various modus operandi. People should have knowledge of cyber frauds and help the police to prevent such frauds,” Mr. Rajashekar Babu said. Police are planning to create cyber citizens from different sectors. Training will be given to the cyber citizens, who will create awareness among the public on online frauds and the steps to avoid fake and spam calls, he said. The students carrying placards raised slogans against online fraud. College principal S. Kalpana, Junior College principal Dr. S. Padmaja, faculty T. Nagarani, K. Sarala, R. Madhavi and police officers participated.