IT News Head Lines (TweakTown) 2/16/2015

Hackers tricked bankers into installing malware, stole $300 million
According to some security researchers at Kaspersky, a group of hackers have used tricky malware to steal at least $300 million from bankers throughout 30 countries across the world.

The hackers tricked bank staff into installing a virus, or malware, through a spoofed email, where they spied on staff to learn their behavior. From there, they were able to mimic bank staff, to learn telltale signs that money is being taken from the bank, and transferred to various accounts. The attacks did just that, transferring money to other bank accounts, but some of it is sent to ATMs where criminals are monitoring specific ATMs.

The banks that were hit are now aware of the attack, but Kaspersky cannot name the banks due to non-disclosure pacts. Some of the firms don't want to admit they were hit, as they would be looked at as victims, and that their security has failed them. As for the breaches of security, the hackers injected malware into banks in the United States, Russia, Japan and many more countries.


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Season premiere of Better Call Saul is free on the Google Play Store
Two of the most talked about shows have their season premieres for free right now, with the season premieres of Better Call Saul and Game of Thrones free on the Google Play Store.

Any device that supports Google Play can watch these episodes, including your desktop, smartphone or even Chromecast. There are purchase options for the rest of the episodes, or the entire season run, too. Better Call Saul episodes are $1.99 each, or $16.99 for the entire season (with the first two episodes only available right now obviously).

Game of Thrones is a bit more expensive at $2.99 per episode or $28.99 for the entire season, of which there are four to secure. As for your region, you'll have to make sure that they're free before grabbing them, because for as far as we're aware, it's for the US only. If you find out it's free for you too, let us know in the comments below.

Your move, iTunes.


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HTC One M9 will reportedly have 8-core processor and 1080p display
We should expect to see the HTC One M9 unveiled very soon at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, but before then we're seeing more detailed leaks on HTC's upcoming flagship smartphone.

The HTC One M9 should feature a 5-inch screen, with a resolution of 1920x1080, which is a bit of a let down compared to its competitors with 1440p displays. We should see an 8-core processor, 3GB of DDR4 RAM, 32/64GB of on-board storage, support for LTE Category 6 (300/50Mbps), Android 5.0.2 Lollipop with Sense 7.0, a 20.7-megapixel rear-facing camera, 4-megapixel UltraPixel front-facing camera, BoomSound, Bluetooth 4.1, a microSD card slot and a 2840mAh battery.

Some of you might have noticed in those specifications that we've written DDR4 RAM, which is an interesting addition to the mix. The Full HD display will provide additional battery life compared to those with a QHD panel, so while HTC won't win at display resolution, it should have a decent amount of battery life compared to competing handsets.


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AMD Radeon R9 390X to be released in 'four to six weeks'
AMD must be so close to unveiling its next-generation range of GPUs, but the latest information on the Radeon R9 390X has it rocking an all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler made by Cooler Master.

Cutting to the chase, AMD will reportedly ship its reference Radeon R9 390X with an AIO cooler but AIB partners like SAPPHIRE, XFX and so forth will ship their own coolers. WCCFTech is now reporting that the new Radeon 300 series, and more specifically the flagship Radeon R9 390X will launch in "four to six weeks", which should see it released in late March, or early April.

AMD has said that it's working on something "crazy" for the Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2015, which kicks off in early March. This new information could be true, with AMD showing off its new GPU at GDC 2015, which is incredibly exciting.

We've previously reported that AMD would release its Radeon R9 390X with an AIO cooler from Asetek, just like it did with the Radeon R9 295X2, but this new information has Cooler Master providing the AIO cooler. Asetek had a recent order from an "undisclosed OEM" for a desktop video card that would ship in the first half of 2015, with the end product resulting in $2 million to $4 million in revenue for Asetek.

This would result in around 50,000 to 100,000 units, where soon after this, the information leaked on Asetek providing the AIO cooler for AMD. After a couple of months passed, we saw AMD re-release its FX-9590 processor with a Cooler Master liquid cooling unit, which replaced the previous unit that was made by Asetek. Cooler Master reportedly licensed the design of the cooler from Asetek, which should be a big hint at what is going on here.


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NVIDIA withdraws overclocking support in latest GTX 900M drivers
Many users are reportedly outraged due to NVIDIA's cancellation of overclocking capabilities for their 900M series - through the latest driver release. Although mobile video cards are not generally overclocked, customers who purchased systems containing GTX 980M GPU's were applying mild overclocks to get the most out of their system.

This driver update is the GeForce R347 (347.29), which has removed its overclocking tools and withdrew support for any third-party tools you may wish to install. Users have been issuing complaints on NVIDIA's official forums, which saw a response from NVIDIA staff. Manuel Guzman replied "unfortunately GeForce Notebooks were not designed to support overclocking. Overclocking is by no means a trivial feature, and depends on thoughtful design of thermal, electrical, and other considerations. By overclocking a notebook, a user risks serious damage to the system that could result in non-functional systems, reduced notebook life, or many other effects."

As seen on HotHardware, Guzman went on to express that allowing mobile GPU overclocking in the first place was a mistake made by his team and should have never been implemented.

Guzman also explained that "there was a bug introduced into our drivers which enabled some systems to overclock. This was fixed in a recent update. Our intent was not to remove features from GeForce notebooks, but rather to safeguard systems from operating outside design limits." The NVIDIA-pitchfork threads are still running rampant, with many users disagreeing with the outcome.

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Auto industry source says Apple is working on self-driving vehicles
Apple is reportedly working on self-driving vehicle technology, shifting hundreds of employees to work on an Apple electric vehicle. The "Titan" project is a major initiative as senior executives and workers would focus on connected technology and electric vehicle developments.

"They don't appear to want a lot of help from carmakers," Reuters was told by an unnamed industry source. "Fully automated driving is an evolution. Carmakers will slowly build the market for autonomous cars by first releasing connected and partially automated cars."

It's possible Apple may not actually want to go to production with the electric vehicle - where it would compete with Tesla and other automakers - but could license any technology developments to others.

Silicon Valley companies have shifted focus to help automakers develop autonomous and connected services - but this would be a major effort for Apple. The company is known for developing new products in-house, but many of the projects are scrapped with new breakthroughs used for its core offerings: electronic devices and mobile products.


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Recent data breaches forcing companies to rethink cybersecurity fight
Companies are scrambling to defend against cyberattacks in an effort to prevent data breaches, but are struggling to find success. Cybersecurity experts warn they must realize that hackers will likely enter their systems, and have to find ways to defend attacks after unauthorized access already occurs.

Worldwide IT security spending was around $70 billion in 2014, according to Gartner research group estimates - but that figure will top $109 billion by 2020 for just banks, energy and defense contractors. Spending is going to keep increasing with the number of attacks also reaching new levels, experts warn.

"Once an attack has made it past those defenses they're in the gooey center, and getting around is relatively simple," said Ryan Wagner, director of product management at vArmour, in a statement to Reuters. "You need to make sure that when you close the door, the criminal is actually on the other side of the door."


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Companies must expect cybersecurity attacks, prepare for problems
Insurance companies and other healthcare-related businesses can expect additional cybersecurity scrutiny in the future, after Anthem suffered a major data breach.

To better fight against cyberattacks - and subsequent data breaches - companies should conduct cyber vulnerability risk assessments and penetration testing. Just a few years ago, these types of activities were seen as luxuries that very few companies engaged in, but now business leaders must look to ensure their networks are secure.

Cybercriminals are extremely opportunistic and look for any opportunity they can manipulate for their benefit:

"In general, hackers are a lot like shady oil prospectors... they'll start by blindly poking holes in all kinds of organizations' cyber security until they find a well, and if they find one, they'll try to cultivate it for all it's worth," said Joe Caruso, founder and CEO/CTO of Global Digital Forensics (GDF). "But if someone else finds an area that turns out to be on a gusher of premium quality crude, they'll happily jump on the bandwagon and go after every bit of adjacent property so they can tap that same well as quickly as possible before its bled dry."


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Obama wants an open debate regarding encryption security
President Barack Obama claims he supports strong computer data encryption more than many law enforcement agencies, though sided with them regarding the need to keep the public safe.

To help address the issue, Obama wants a "public conversation" to discuss encryption and security efforts.

"And so this is a public conversation that we should end up having," Obama told Re/code. "I lean probably further in the direction of strong encryption than some do inside of law enforcement. But I am sympathetic to law enforcement because I know the kind of pressure they're under to keep us safe. And it's not as black and white as it's sometimes portrayed."

The US government and police authorities want access to smartphones and tablets, using everything from fear tactics, threats, and national security claims.

"There are times where folks who see this through a civil liberties or privacy lens reject that there's any trade-offs involved, and in fact there are," Obama noted. "It may be we want to value privacy and civil liberty far more than we do the safety issues, but we can't pretend that there's no trade-offs whatsoever."


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American Sniper (2014) Cinema Movie Review

American Sniper (2014)

Just as the Vietnam war inspired generations of films including Apocalypse Now, Platoon and Full Metal Jacket, so too has this millennium's sojourns into Afghanistan and Iraq, with Jarhead, Green Room and The Hurt Locker proved the same in recent times. The latest, American Sniper, based on the memoirs of Chris Kyle credited as the deadliest marksman in U.S. military history takes a slightly different, more personable take on events, but nonetheless brutally affecting and which illustrates the emotional toll on US forces both during, and after the war.

A salt-of-the-earth Texan native, Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper) has ambitions to become a famous rodeo cowboy when he's compelled to sign-up to the United States Navy, following the deadly bombings of the US embassy in Africa. His talents and superior concentration make him a prime candidate for Sniper detail, with Kyle quickly recruited by the Navy's SEAL special operations force.

Shortly after meeting Taya Renae (Sienna Miller) whilst off-duty, which blossoms into a relationship, Kyle witnesses the September 11 terrorist bombing in New York, and knows that he will soon be part of a retaliatory force. Sent to Iraq for his first tour of duty, Kyle earns his stripes in often ambiguous situations, with his eyes and reflexes responsible for protecting ground forces below. As the war becomes protracted and his tour of duties multiply, Kyle becomes more detached from Taya and his expanding family, haunted by the compatriots he's unable to save. Years spent overseas not only make it harder for him to readjust to civilian life, but also exponentially reduce his own chances of survival, both physically and mentally.

The more cynical amongst us might call out American Sniper for being perfectly timed to capitalize on the height of Oscar season, the kudos of which can mean millions more in revenue (not to mention feeding the egos of Hollywood's elite), but without doubt the film deserves its short listing for 'best picture' - if not the award itself. Whilst it might be dramatized and there's even suggestion that the events behind it might be a little fudged as well, this is a monumental effort of a compelling story, combining with authentic characterization and expert direction and staging.

From a long career in front of the lens, Clint Eastwood has managed to carve out an equally impressive career behind the camera, with two best director Oscars, multiple nominations and equal parts critical and financial success. American Sniper just might be his most dynamic film, not exactly what you expect from a director approaching 85 years of age.

Bradley Cooper carries the majority of the weight on his shoulders, cutting an almost unrecognizable figure from the attractive playboy from American Hustler and an obvious departure from the wisecracks of the The Hangover trilogy. Unfolding through his eyes, the film's focus remains unwaveringly on Kyle, despite the sizeable cast of players, including the increasingly marginalized Sienna Miller and his SEAL colleagues including Luke Grimes and Max Charles.

Mirroring the ever-present left/ right divide of U.S. (and international) politics, much has been made of the film's portrayal of war, smearing it with a pro-war label and accusing the filmmakers of making Kyle's record kill streak into some ill-advised heroic badge of honor. I found this to be anything but. American Sniper is a monumental film which drives home the great sacrifices, including their own lives in the pursuit of justice and security which fails to halt even after the war has.

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