Ongoing: "The biggest cyber crime case filed in U.S. history"

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This story has been buried in the conventional press over the last two days. Therefore, I am doing my part to emphasize its importance. If you're interested in hacking and cyber-crime, be sure to give this article a read:

US Indicts Hackers In Biggest Cyber Fraud Case In History

DAVID JONES AND JIM FINKLE, REUTERS JUL. 26, 2013, 6:16 AM

http://www.businessinsider.com/us-indicts-hackers-in-biggest-cyber-fraud-case-in-history-2013-7

Here are a few highlights (emphasis mine):

NEWARK, N.J./BOSTON (Reuters) - Federal prosecutors said on Thursday they have charged five men responsible for a hacking and credit card fraud spree that cost companies more [than] $300 million and two of the suspects are in custody, in the biggest cyber crime case filed in U.S. history.

They also disclosed a new security breach against Nasdaq, though they provided few details about the attack.

Other companies targeted by the hackers include a Visa Inc licensee, J.C. Penney Co, JetBlue Airways Corp and French retailer Carrefour SA, according to an indictment unveiled in New Jersey. . . .

Authorities in New Jersey charged that each of the defendants had specialized tasks: Russians Vladimir Drinkman, 32, and Alexandr Kalinin, 26, hacked into networks, while Roman Kotov, 32, mined them for data. They allegedly hid their activities using anonymous web-hosting services provided by Mikhail Rytikov, 26, of Ukraine. . . .

The five hid their efforts by disabling anti-virus software of their victims and storing data on multiple hacking platforms, prosecutors said. They sold payment card numbers to resellers, who then sold them on online forums or to "cashers" who encode the numbers onto blank plastic cards. . . .

"There is an enormous shadow economy that exists in Eastern Europe. In some countries, sophisticated hackers are seen as national assets," he [Thomas Kellermann, VP of Trend Micro] said. . . .

Among the breaches cited in the New Jersey indictment, prosecutors charged that the group was responsible for the theft of more than 130 million credit card numbers from U.S. payment processor Heartland Payment Systems Inc beginning in December 2007, resulting in approximately $200 million of losses....

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After reading through this article, I can't help but believe much of our Corporate Oligarchy is more than a little embarrassed with their poor comprehension of computer security; Thus the burying of this story in the press.

There's A LOT more news about this incredible hacking crime spree yet to come. Keep an eye out.

:-Derek