Security experts say that a cyberattack that first hit British hospitals, holding their computer networks hostage, has now spread beyond the U.K., targeting other healthcare facilities, shipping companies, and utilities, in a rapidly growing number of countries. [More]
attacks
Erotic Phishing Attack Steals Thousands Of Tumblr Logins
By 6.29.11
Thousands of logins for emo-blogging platform Tumblr have been stolen in the past week via a phishing attack that lured users to enter their credentials in exchange for the promise of erotic content. [More]
Guitar Center Customer Loses Fight With Elmo
By 9.28.10
Who would punch Elmo in the back of the head? A disgruntled customer at a Guitar Center in Florida, that’s who. The Elmo performer was working a gig at a toy store next door, then wandered over to Guitar Center. That’s when a customer came in, played some drums, behaved aggressively toward other customers and staff, then punched Elmo. [More]
Here's The Video Of That Crazy McNugget Lady Who Attacked McDonald's Employees
By 8.10.10
Remember the McDonald’s drive-thru customer who went all 28 Days after she was told they’d stopped serving Chicken McNuggets? Obviously a story like this is a hundred times more awesome if you can watch the actual attack, and fortunately for us the security footage of the event is now available. [More]
Hungry McDonald's Customer Throws Mop Water At Cashiers
By 1.6.10
A bucket of dirty mop water is nobody’s friend, which is exactly why you shouldn’t leave it out where customers can reach it. Because eventually someone will get angry over an order and feel a need to throw something, and oh look, mop water. [More]
Pizza Hut Manager Attacks Old Man
By 10.5.09
A 27-year-old Pizza Hut manager in Winnipeg, Manitoba, went bonkers last Friday and dragged a 76-year-old customer to the ground over a payment dispute. The manager was arrested, and the customer returned the next afternoon to dine, because he is afraid of nothing.
Another Sears.com Security Hole Discovered
By 9.2.09
That Sears website exploit we posted about a couple of weeks ago was funny, mainly because it seemed more embarrassing for Sears than a true security risk. However, an independent security researcher had also discovered a more significant issue with the site—it allowed for an unlimited number of gift card verification attempts via an external script, so a criminal could use the site as a brute force method to identify valid gift cards for Sears and Kmart.
Marriott Says Woman Is Responsible For Her Rape
By 8.14.09
[Update: Marriott has dropped the appeal.] If you want to live dangerously, why not try an unrelaxing visit to the Stamford Marriott Hotel & Spa? It features a game room, a BBQ/picnic area, $10 a day Internet access, and the occasional mentally unhealthy transient wandering for days around the parking garage waiting to attack you. Best of all, if you are attacked Marriott will let you take all the credit for it, and then subpoena your friends and professional contacts, thereby permanently ruining any anonymity you hoped to maintain. Because at Stamford Marriott, if you’re raped in our parking garage by a guy our security should have noticed and kicked out, don’t come crying to us!
Apple Argues Jailbreaking iPhones Can Lead To Terrorism
By 7.29.09
Apple is doing everything it can to sway the Copyright Office, which is in charge of periodically handing out DMCA exemptions, to keep iPhone jailbreaking illegal. We always thought Apple was against any exemption because of their exclusivity deal with AT&T. But no, it turns out they’ve been trying to protect us all from a Die Hard attack on the nation’s communications infrastructure.
Time Warner Cable Getting Slammed By Denial Of Service Attack
By 2.26.09
Time Warner Cable wants you to know that if you’re one of their customers — the slow speeds you’ve been experiencing are the result of a denial of service attack by nefarious hacker-types.
Man Sues Walmart After Being Bitten By Snake, But Keeps Going Back For The Deals
By 2.17.09
Ah, the irresistable pull of bargains! A man in Florida is suing Walmart because he was bitten by a pygmy rattler while shopping in the garden center in 2008. His is the third such attack in a Walmart in Florida since 2006, and he’s claiming the retailer should have taken better steps to prevent rattler bites after the first two attacks. Our favorite detail, though, is that he won’t stop going to Walmart, because “their prices are too good to shop elsewhere.”
Pistol Whipping Pizzeria Owner Was Ex-Mobster In Witness Protection Program
By 2.9.09
Well, this explains that Goombah Pizzeria owner’s apparent anger management issues: he was a former hit-man who’d served prison time in 2004 after pleading guilty to 2 murders.
Pizzeria Owner Pistol Whips Customer For Complaining About Calzone
By 1.28.09
Joseph Milano, the owner of Goombah’s Pizza in Palm Coast, Florida—and no, we’re not making up that name—was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he struck a customer in the face with a gun, then leaped over the counter and began beating up the customer and his roomate. The man had ordered a takeout calzone, and was at the counter asking for a refund because he said the calzone had been prepared incorrectly. Wait, is this a theme restaurant? Update: Yeah, it sorta is: it turns out the owner is a former hitman for the mafia.
Vindictive Qwest Employee Slashes Six Phone Lines
By 9.22.08
Janine Butler said, “This person could come into my home during the day, during the evening time. They could steal, rob, rape. We live in a scary time.”
Follow Up: Woman Tasered Last November At Best Buy Will Not Have Charges Filed Against Her
By 2.12.08
On November 26th, a 35-year-old woman was shopping at Best Buy in Daytona Beach, Florida when there was some sort of communication breakdown, and a police officer who was at the store tasered her. We wrote about it here, and it turns out there’s a video of the event here. At the time there were few details, but the full story has since been pieced together and resolved, and last week the Florida state attorney said “charges won’t be pursued because there is no evidence that Beeland committed a crime.”
Protect Yourself From Badware
By 10.8.07
Stopbadware.org has just released its “Trends in Badware 2007” report, a free overview of all the ways you and your computer can be slipped digital roofies while you’re online looking at LOLpornography and doing your banking through Twitter. It’s written in a deliberately non-technical style, so if you’re put-off or intimidated by the Slashdot crowd, this is a great way to educate yourself or a naive loved one about the dangers of drive-by downloads, website hacking, and so on.
