Tag:

Information Technology

New Brunswick, NJ
News
Massive Data Breach Hits Rutgers During Finals Week Massive Data Breach Hits Rutgers During Finals Week
Massive Data Breach Hits Rutgers During Finals Week Rutgers students faced disruptions during finals week after a nationwide cyberattack targeted Canvas, the widely used classroom software platform used by colleges and schools across the country. The breach was claimed by a hacking group called “ShinyHunters,” which posted a message online warning schools they had until Tuesday, May 12, to contact the group before data was leaked. The message, posted alongside what appeared to be download links and references to “pay_or_leak,” claimed the group had “breached Instructure,” the company that operates Canvas. Rutgers was among thousands of inst…

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by Cecilia Levine
Hackensack, NJ
News
Google’s AI Mode Goes Live: Search Like Never Before Google’s AI Mode Goes Live: Search Like Never Before
Google’s AI Mode Goes Live: Search Like Never Before If you visited Google on Tuesday, July 1, you may have noticed something new: a playful AI-themed Google Doodle and a prompt to “Try AI Mode and search like never before.” That’s because Google officially launched its brand-new AI Mode, a powerful new feature that changes the way users get information — and it’s now available to everyone in the U.S., including teens, with no login required. According to a blog post from Google, the new feature runs on Gemini 2.0, the company’s advanced artificial intelligence model. Unlike regular search, AI Mode is built to handle more complicated question…

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by Cecilia Levine
Ridgewood, NJ
Schools
Passwords Compromised In Ridgewood Schools Cyber Attack, Superintendent Says Passwords Compromised In Ridgewood Schools Cyber Attack, Superintendent Says
Passwords Compromised In Ridgewood Schools Cyber Attack, Superintendent Says The Ridgewood Public School District is monitoring a potential cybersecurity hack, officials said in an email this week. The district's cybersecurity systems detected and alerted its IT team to unauthorized access attempts by an outside entity on Tuesday, Nov. 5, Superintendent Mark Schwartz said in an email. "The attacker was able to view certain directory information, including encrypted password data (password hashes)," he said. "While these passwords are securely encrypted and cannot be used to log in to any systems, we believe a proactive district-wide password reset is appropriate to …

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by Cecilia Levine
Burlington, NJ
Police & Fire
Babies Among Victims Depicted In Child Porn Downloaded By Burlington Repeat Offender: Feds Babies Among Victims Depicted In Child Porn Downloaded By Burlington Repeat Offender: Feds
Babies Among Victims Depicted In Child Porn Downloaded By Burlington Repeat Offender: Feds A Burlington man previously convicted of downloading child pornography admitted to committing the same crime, authorities said. Charles Borrelli, 62, pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Sept. 25 to receipt of child pornography, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. According to court documents and statements, Borrelli downloaded pictures of child sexual abuse on Monday, Jan. 3, 2022. He also used a peer-to-peer file-sharing network to distribute photos and videos on the same day. Investigators said Borrelli had more than 600 images and videos…

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by Chris Spiker
Riverside-Delanco, NJ
Police & Fire
Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say
Medford School's IT Worker Sextorted Girls Into Sending Nude Pics, Prosecutors Say A 24-year-old South Jersey school's IT worker is accused of blackmailing girls he met online into sending him nude pictures, authorities said. Bryce Berger, who is from Delanco and works in Medford's public school system, was arrested on Thursday, Sept. 19, Burlington County Prosecutor LaChia Bradshaw said in a news release. The investigation began after the prosecutor's office received a tip about his online activities. Investigators said Berger used an app to ask for nude pictures from girls between 12 and 17 years old and received some. He then sextorted them, threatening …

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by Chris Spiker
Newington, CT
Police & Fire
Man Admits To Embezzling $2M From Newington 'Good Guy' Gun Store: Feds Man Admits To Embezzling $2M From Newington 'Good Guy' Gun Store: Feds
Man Admits To Embezzling $2M From Newington 'Good Guy' Gun Store: Feds A Connecticut man faces more than a decade in prison after he admitted to stealing over $2 million from his former employer, authorities said.  Middlesex County resident Evan Bobzin, age 39, of Chester, pleaded guilty to interstate transmission of stolen money and tax evasion, the US Attorney General for Connecticut said.  Bobzin worked as the head of information technology at Hoffman’s Gun Center in the Hartford County city of Newington. The store also goes by the name Hoffman’s Guns For The Good Guys. The prosecutor said Bobzin stole cash from the 2686 Berlin Turnpike…

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by Josh Lanier
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
News
CEO Of CrowdStrike Is NJ Billionaire George Kurtz Working To Remedy Microsoft Meltdown CEO Of CrowdStrike Is NJ Billionaire George Kurtz Working To Remedy Microsoft Meltdown
CEO Of CrowdStrike Is NJ Billionaire George Kurtz Working To Remedy Microsoft Meltdown Friday, July 19 is not a good day for George Kurtz. Kurtz is the CEO of CrowdStrike, the cybersecurity firm that appears to be responsible for the global outage that disrupted flights, stock markets, media outlets, and banks. Kurtz, 59, is also a Parsippany-Troy Hills native and graduate of Seton Hall University who according to Forbes is worth about $3.1 billion. How has Kurtz spent his morning? Assuring the world that all will soon be right again after the issue with a Falcon content update for Windows Hosts that caused the global outage. Today was not a security or cyber incident. O…

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by Cecilia Levine
Towson, MD
News
Microsoft Outage Forces All Maryland Courts, Clerks' Offices To Close Microsoft Outage Forces All Maryland Courts, Clerks' Offices To Close
Microsoft Outage Forces All Maryland Courts, Clerks' Offices To Close The worldwide Microsoft outage has had wide-ranging impacts, including Maryland courts, which had to close on Friday.  Maryland's Office of Government Relations and Public Affairs Division announced on July 19 that all of the state's courts, offices, and facilities will be closed to the public, but will remain open for emergency situations. Clerks' offices are also closed. Notice: Due to the worldwide Microsoft outage, all Maryland courts, offices, and facilities will be closed to the public today but will remain open for emergency matters. All clerks’ offices are closed. This mess…

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by Zak Failla
Hyde Park, NY
Obituaries
Longtime Southern Westchester BOCES Employee Dies At Age 47 Longtime Southern Westchester BOCES Employee Dies At Age 47
Longtime Southern Westchester Boces Employee Dies At Age 47 A longtime tech worker in the Hudson Valley died at the age of 47 at his home. Jamie Brian Paterson of Hyde Park, a lifelong Dutchess County resident, lived in of Hyde Park and was born in Poughkeepsie to Daniel M. Paterson and Linda J. (Steele) Paterson. Paterson graduated from FDR High School in Hyde Park in 1994 and then from Dutchess Community College. He was a longtime employee of Southern Westchester BOCES in Rye Brook where he worked in their IT department as a systems engineer, according to his obituary. When he was not working, his obituary said Paterson enjoyed camping, bowling,…

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by Kathy Reakes
Mahopac, NY
Schools
Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report
Hudson Valley School District Vulnerable To Online Security Disruptions: Report A new report from the Office of the New York State Comptroller has discovered a Hudson Valley school district is particularly vulnerable to online security disruptions.  The report, issued earlier in January by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli following an audit performed by his office, found that the Garrison Union Free School District in Putnam County did not adequately secure its online network user accounts and has sensitive information technology control weaknesses.  Additionally, the report found that the district's staff did not have sufficient guidance or plans i…

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by Ben Crnic
Gaithersburg, MD
News
Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ
Government Contractor With 'Top Secret' Security Clearance Accused Of Espionage In DC: DOJ A government contractor living in Maryland has been accused of espionage by federal officials in Washington, DC, authorities announced. Abraham Teklu Lemma, 50, a naturalized US citizen from Ethiopia who lives in Silver Spring is facing series charges for allegedly conspiring with a foreign government, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Thursday. Lemma worked as an IT administrator for the Department of State and as a Management Analyst for the Department of Justice, which led to him being granted a "TOP SECRET" security clearance and access to classified systems. Prosecutors sa…

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by Zak Failla
Highland Lakes-Vernon, NJ
Obituaries
Driver Killed In Sussex County Crash At 32 Had Just Purchased Home With High School Sweetheart Driver Killed In Sussex County Crash At 32 Had Just Purchased Home With High School Sweetheart
Driver Killed In Sussex County Crash At 32 Had Just Purchased Home With High School Sweetheart The 32-year-old driver killed in a Sussex County crash earlier this week had just purchased his first home with his high school sweetheart, according to loved ones who are coming together to provide support. Joseph S. Spagnuolo, of Frankford Township, was killed Monday morning, August 21, when the Ford 800 dump truck he was driving veered off the left side of Fox Hill Road, hit the guardrail, and overturned into the woods, Daily Voice reported. Born in Glen Ridge, Joseph had lived in Frankford Township for most of his life, his obituary says. He graduated from High Point Regional High Schoo…

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by Valerie Musson
Fairfax, VA
Police & Fire
Maryland Man Working IT For Fairfax County Busted For Elaborate Embezzlement Scheme, Police Say Maryland Man Working IT For Fairfax County Busted For Elaborate Embezzlement Scheme, Police Say
Maryland Man Working IT For Fairfax County Busted For Elaborate Embezzlement Scheme, Police Say A Maryland man who worked in the IT department for Fairfax County in Virginia is facing charges for an elaborate embezzlement scheme that saw him walk away with more than 150 Wi-Fi routers, authorities announced. Kevin Jefferson, 43, was arrested by the Fairfax County Police Department following a two-week investigation into the disappearance of 178 Mist Wi-Fi Access point routers from the Fairfax County’s Department of Information and Technology. Officials noted that a company in Massachusetts was also found to be in possession of 112 of the county’s routers. It is alleged that Jefferson…

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by Zak Failla
Glen Burnie, MD
News
Former Private School Employee From Maryland Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn Former Private School Employee From Maryland Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn
Former Private School Employee From Maryland Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Porn A Maryland man who was a former employee at a Washington, DC private school has admitted to accessing the dark web from home and work computers to obtain child pornography, authorities announced. Crofton resident Jay Gordon, 55, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography after being identified as a suspect in the trafficking of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) during a nationwide investigation involving the receipt and distribution of porn. Prosecutors said that Gordon’s IP address was found to access dark websites.  A search warrant was executed at Gordon’s residence and la…

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by Zak Failla
Parsippany-Troy Hills, NJ
Schools
North Jersey School Districts Across County Lines Will Share Same Superintendent North Jersey School Districts Across County Lines Will Share Same Superintendent
North Jersey School Districts Across County Lines Will Share Same Superintendent A high school isn't the only thing Bloomingdale and Butler will be sharing.  Starting Jan. 1, the two districts will share the same superintendent, ending Bloomingdale's longtime search. Dr. Daniel Johnson made the announcement to both "learning communities" in Passaic and Morris counties on Wednesday. "Butler and Bloomingdale have had a relationship for the better part of the past 100 years, and it is logical for the districts to begin to share services for the best interest of students and staff," said Johnson, who was hired in Butler in 2018. "Starting today, we redefine our longs…

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by Cecilia Levine
Massapequa, NY
Business
COVID-19: Here Are Guidelines For Phase 2 With Long Island Days Away From Reopening COVID-19: Here Are Guidelines For Phase 2 With Long Island Days Away From Reopening
Covid-19: Here Are Guidelines For Phase 2 With Long Island Days Away From Reopening Long Island is poised to enter Phase 2 of New York's reopening plan as the state continues its recovery from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Under the guidelines set forth by the state, Long Island is on track to hit the required metrics to expand reopening efforts as of Wednesday, June 10, with businesses opening under strict guidelines. Earlier story - COVID-19: There Are Now New Rules For Graduations, Houses Of Worship In NY Businesses reopening for Phase 2 will only be permitted to reach 50 percent occupancy, social distancing will be required, and face coverings must be wor…

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by Zak Failla