Rough start for Apple Pay alternative - CurrentC mobile payment data systems hacked today

MCX’s CurrentC payment system, the alternative to Apple Pay backed by Walmart, Best Buy, CVS, Rite Aid, Gap, and others, was hacked today. Reports indicate the data breach involves the theft of email addresses of early beta participants and others who expressed interest in testing the new mobile payment system. No word yet on how the email addresses were stolen but you have to assume it was a backend-database penetration. If the culprits don’t already have the unencrypted login information, they soon will as soon as their phishing campaign begins targeting these users.

Rough start for Apple Pay alternative - CurrentC mobile payment data systems hacked today

List of comic book characters (superheroes and villains) and their real names and true identities

Practically every comic book character has an alternate identity. Many have more than one. Here’s a list of well-known comic book characters, both superheroes and villains, and their real-life identities.

List of comic book characters (superheroes and villains) and their real names and true identities

New Jersey school teachers snaps most terrifying great white shark photo ever!

National Geographic reported this unbelievably terrifying photo of a Great White Shark lunging for bait dangling from shark cage. The photo was taken by 26-year-old Amanda Brewer who acts as a courageous cage diver by night and a, wait for it… New Jersey school teacher by day! She took the photo of the female great white shark off Seal Island in Mossel Bay, South Africa.

New Jersey school teachers snaps most terrifying great white shark photo ever!

JPMorgan Chase security breach not what you think - military attack against key financial institutions turns over keys to the kingdom

Although I’m disappointed that JPMorgan Chase delayed the disclosure of the breach that touched more than 83 million U.S. households (they knew about it at least four months ago), I’m even more upset at what they disclosed – that key customer financial data was not stolen. JPMorgan may tout the expertise of their security team who bravely stopped the attack before the hackers could get their mitts on customer accounts and passwords, I see a pretty good indication that this was *not* what the attackers were after. At this point, there’s a pretty good clue that the attack was a government or military-sponsored endeavor, likely originating from Russia.

JPMorgan Chase security breach not what you think - military attack against key financial institutions turns over keys to the kingdom

Rare cross-platform malware targets iOS and Android devices of Hong Kong protestors

An Israeli security firm has discovered evidence of a cross-platform (iOS and Android) malware attack targeting the Operation Central (Umbrella Revolution) protestors in Hong Kong. The spyware, Xsser mRAT (or Xsser.0day), exposes information on the devices such as SMS and email messages, instant messages (e.g. Tencent Archive), GPS location data, phone call logs, contact information, and of course, usernames and passwords.

Rare cross-platform malware targets iOS and Android devices of Hong Kong protestors