Tag Archives: hacking

Some Harris County courts get Zoom bombed

Posted on December 15, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Not a story I expected to read this week. Pornographic videos were shown in several Harris County courtrooms Tuesday in what county officials are calling a “Zoom bombing” incident. “Several Harris County Courts at Law experienced zoom bombing — or … Continue reading →

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It always comes down to fluoride

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

I swear, it’s at the root of most election conspiracy fantasies. Laura Pressley and three other people huddled inside a Fredericksburg courtroom Monday, bowing their heads, closing their eyes, holding hands, and beginning to pray in hushed voices. “In Jesus’ … Continue reading →

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City news release website hacked

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Oops. Looking for a mail-order Russian bride or wondering how to order a school term paper online? Or maybe you want to improve your slot machine skills by playing online casino games. The city of Houston’s official website for news releases has you covered. The page on Wednesday morning … Continue reading →

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An update on election security

Posted on July 31, 2019 by Charles Kuffner

Nothing to see here. Russian hackers probed election systems in all 50 states, a new Senate report confirmed Thursday. The report comes one day after former special counsel Robert Mueller told Congress that the Russian government is working to meddle … Continue reading →

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Yeah, we’re still talking about the risk to our elections

Posted on October 21, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

And when we talk about these things, we talk to Dan Wallach. When we think about those who defend the territorial integrity of our nation and state, we tend to imagine well-equipped members of the U.S. armed forces, or perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , | 29 Comments

Cyber insurance

Posted on August 28, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

Seems like a good idea. Houston City Council on Wednesday unanimously agreed to spend $471,000 on cyber insurance, becoming the latest Texas municipality trying to bolster its response to growing technological risks. The insurance can cover up to $30 million … Continue reading →

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Who wants to protect our voting systems from hackers?

Posted on July 31, 2018 by Charles Kuffner

You would hope the answer to that question would be “everyone”, but that’s not the world we currently live in. A bipartisan group of 21 state attorneys general are demanding Congress’ assistance in protecting the 2018 election. Writing to Rep. … Continue reading →

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LWV to look at Harris County election security

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I look forward to seeing their results. The League of Women Voters of the Houston Area plans to study the cybersecurity of Harris County’s election system, but the non-partisan group may not be able to gather all the information it … Continue reading →

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So were we targeted by Russian hackers or not?

Posted on October 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Depends who you ask, I guess. A top state official is pushing back against the federal government’s claim that Texas was among states whose election systems were targeted by Russian hackers ahead of the 2016 presidential election. “At no point … Continue reading →

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Texas was a hacking target in 2016

Posted on September 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

We’re just finding out about this now? Hackers targeted Texas and 20 other states prior to the 2016 presidential election, the United States Department of Homeland Security has formally informed the states. But the hackers who tried to mess with … Continue reading →

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Hacking voting machines

Posted on August 17, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to leave this here. Google and Apple invite hackers to find flaws in their code and offer hefty rewards to those who find them. It’s a common practice in the industry. The government’s done it too, with programs like “Hack … Continue reading →

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Stanart pushes back on election security claims

Posted on July 28, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Our County Clerk is not happy with recent stories about the potential for vulnerability in our election systems. Despite reports from federal intelligence agencies and media outlets of Russia’s widespread targeting of state and local elections around the country and … Continue reading →

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Was the Harris County election system hacked?

Posted on July 23, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Wouldn’t you like to know? Despite widespread alarm over the breadth of Russian cyber attacks on state and local election systems last year, including revelations of Dallas County being targeted, Harris County officials are refusing to say whether hackers similarly … Continue reading →

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Maybe we should be a little more concerned about election security?

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Just a thought. Russia’s cyberattack on the U.S. electoral system before Donald Trump’s election was far more widespread than has been publicly revealed, including incursions into voter databases and software systems in almost twice as many states as previously reported. … Continue reading →

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More about the hack of the Astros

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating stuff. A federal judge has unsealed details about former St. Louis Cardinals executive Chris Correa’s hacking of the Astros’ email and player evaluation databases, clearing the way for Major League Baseball to impose sanctions against the Cardinals as soon … Continue reading →

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Stan Stanart talks election security

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I have a few thoughts as well. Over the course of the presidential race, concern has grown about digitally safeguarding election results. New cyber security threats seem to emerge monthly. Republican Donald Trump has repeatedly contended the presidential election will … Continue reading →

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Astros hacker sentenced to 46 months

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Away he goes. Former St. Louis Cardinals executive Christopher Correa was sentenced Monday to 46 months in prison for illegal incursions into the Astros’ computer database, wrapping up a case of sports-related cybercrime that a federal judge and prosecutors summed … Continue reading →

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Are driverless cars ready or not?

Posted on May 10, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

GM and Lyft think theirs are pretty close. General Motors Co. and Lyft Inc. within a year will begin testing a fleet of self-driving Chevrolet Bolt electric taxis on public roads, a move central to the companies’ joint efforts to … Continue reading →

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Astros-hacker pleads out

Posted on January 9, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

One chapter closes in of one of the stranger sagas I’ve seen in sports. The former scouting director of the St. Louis Cardinals pleaded guilty in federal court Friday to hacking into the player database and email system of the … Continue reading →

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Cardinals identify a fall guy

Posted on July 4, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The latest Hacked-Stros news. The St. Louis Cardinals have terminated the contract of their scouting director, Chris Correa, as investigations continue into alleged hacking of a Houston Astros database. A Cardinals’ lawyer, James G. Martin, confirmed the move Thursday, saying … Continue reading →

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“Roguish behavior”

Posted on June 20, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

The Saint Louis Cardinals admit they hacked the Astros’ proprietary database. Thursday’s tacit admission by St. Louis Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr. that someone in his organization was involved in hacking the Astros continued a saga that holds the potential … Continue reading →

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The Hacked-Stros

Posted on June 17, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

WTF? The F.B.I. and Justice Department prosecutors are investigating whether front-office officials for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the most successful teams in baseball over the past two decades, hacked into internal networks of a rival team to steal … Continue reading →

Posted in Baseball | Tagged , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Hacking cars

Posted on August 28, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

You can add this to the list of things you didn’t know you needed to worry about. Computer hackers can force some cars to unlock their doors and start their engines without a key by sending specially crafted messages to … Continue reading →

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