Dutch hackers have started hijacking laptops showcased in retail stores and using them for cryptocurrency mining, according to a report.
The stores involved have admitted that an undisclosed number of display samples were affected by malware and said they would take steps to eliminate the practice.
Dutch tech publication Computerworld reported the problem on 7th October after a computer science student revealed that laptops in the Media Markt chain of shops have been exposed to mining malware for some months.
Computerworld found that a total of 105 laptops were part of a botnet and that an estimated €500 had been generated in mining revenue over that time.
Media-Saturn Netherlands, owner of Media Markt, said it should not be possible to run malware on the machines as “a display model should require the password of an administrator”, adding:
“We will consult with our locations and suppliers […] Where necessary, we will come up with new or more stringent protocols.”
Several other stores were found to have a risk of malware, namely Paradigit, MyCom and Computerland, according to the report.
I attended City Council to speak as part of Fluoride Free Houston. There was a large amount of people in attendance today so all speakers were limited to 1 minute. The Mayor told council members she was not encouraging the usual dialogue because of the lack of time.
After a couple hours it was FFH’s time to speak. A couple speakers were upset by the lack of respect being displayed by council and the general apathy we witnessed. As one of the speakers stormed out of the back of the hall he said aloud something along the lines of “city council is bullshit!”. He walked out the door and a cop ran after him. I began filming and followed outside. I witnessed the cop grab and accost him without communication as to what was happening. I filmed the whole thing and attempted to defend him and chill the cop out.
I was unsuccessful. I went back to council.
Moments later two officers entered the hall and I felt they were there for me so I began filming. One officer repeatedly told me to get up and come out to the hall. He would not tell me why or answer any questions. He kept telling me to leave my stuff behind. He grabbed me by the arm and attempted to drag me to the hall. I walked out to the hall and stood against a wall. My camera was smacked several times. I was shoved around. All of this before I was finally told I was being accused of flicking someone off.
When the cop got more aggressive I sat down and stopped cooperating. They forced me down the hall. Eventually someone confirmed that it was not me and the cop let me go. I looked him in the face and said “You owe me a fucking apology.” He grabbed me again and handcuffed me and said I was under arrest. I was shoved into the elevator and taken downstairs to be harassed some more. Eventually they let me go and wrote me a ticket for “disorderly conduct, abusive language”.
Kobane is just six miles from the Turkish border – the gateway into Europe – and the NATO member country has already called on the international alliance to provide military assistance in the event that ISIS fighters breach the border.
Assault: ISIS militants raised their flag on a building on the eastern outskirts of the Syrian border town of Kobane this morning after an assault of almost three weeks
The black flag belonging to the terror group was visible from the Turkish side of the border– atop a four-storey building close to the scene of some of the most intense clashes in recent days. He added: ‘The main responsibility for NATO is to protect all allied countries. Turkey is a NATO ally and our main responsibility is to protect the integrity, the borders of Turkey,’ NBC News reports.
Local sources inside Kobane confirmed the group had planted its flag but said that Kurdish forces had repelled their advances so far. At least 20 ISIS militants have so far been killed in their assault on the city today – following the deaths of more than 45 fighters on each side yesterday.
Kobane is a town of key strategic importance to both ISIS and the Kurdish resistance due to its close proximity to the largely porous Turkish border. While the city centre is roughly six miles from the barbed wire fence that separates Turkey from Syria, the city’s northern suburbs are so close to Turkey that civilians in the Turkish town of Mursitpinar have been able to watch the fighting with binoculars.
Kurdish demonstrators held rallies all across Europe and Turkey calling to step up support for those stuck in the Syrian city of Kobani – which is close to being overrun by militants.
This episode of HARDLINE with Susanne Posel features Thomas Sheridan as our special guest. We discuss psychopaths in our culture just as America watches these psychopathic events unfolding in real time.
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