Hackers: Pro-Assad Group Targets US Websites

Pro-Assad regime hackers claim to have targeted leading US media websites, shutting down the New York Times for 30 minutes.

The Syrian Electronic Army said it had hacked sites belonging to Twitter and the Huffington Post, making them unstable, as well as closing down the NYT.

The NYT attributed the meltdown to a "malicious external attack".

When users attempted to visit www.nytimes.com, the only message that appeared was "Hacked by the SEA".

Meanwhile, Twitter confirmed the hack saying "viewing of images and photos was sporadically impacted", but added that "no user information was affected".

The SEA boasted in a tweet: "Hi @Twitter, look at your domain, its owned by #SEA :)"  

The boasting tweet from the SEA hacking group

While the Twitter site continued to function as normal, the SEA claimed to have changed domain details, redirecting social media traffic to its own server.

The shadowy hacker collective has also claimed to have changed domain details belonging to the Huffington Post news site.

The latest attacks come weeks after the Twitter feed of the Associated Press news agency was targeted.

The feed falsely reported that Barack Obama was injured in an attack on the White House.

The Washington Post website was also hacked this month in an attack blamed on the same group.

The SEA infiltrates organisations it perceives to be aligned against the Assad government.

The string of cyber attacks comes as US leaders have publicly discussed the possibility of launching an attack against the Assad government.

The potential for military action comes amid claims Mr Assad deployed chemical weapons on the Syrian people, two years into the nation's civil war.

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U.S. regulators, Bitcoin group to discuss digital currency

WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:50pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators and law enforcement agencies are expected to meet on Monday with an advocacy group for Bitcoin, a digital currency that has been under fire for its purported role in facilitating anonymous money transfers and supporting online purchases of illegal street drugs.

The meeting in Washington was arranged by the Treasury Department's anti-money laundering unit at the request of the Bitcoin Foundation, an advocacy group of Bitcoin-related businesses.

It will be an opportunity for wide-ranging discussions about the digital currency, a Treasury official said.

Bitcoins, which have been around since 2008, first came under scrutiny by law enforcement officials in mid-2011 after media reports surfaced linking the digital currency to the Silk Road online marketplace where marijuana, heroin, LSD and other illicit drugs are sold.

In recent months, the U.S. government has taken steps to rein-in the currency and more regulatory action is expected.

Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, the world's largest exchanger of U.S. dollars with Bitcoins, had two accounts held by its U.S. subsidiary seized this year by agents from the Department of Homeland Security on the grounds that it was operating a money transmitting business without a license.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported last year that Bitcoin was used by criminals to move money around the world, and the U.S. Treasury said in March that digital currency firms are money transmitters and must comply with rules that combat money laundering.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs launched an inquiry into Bitcoin and other virtual currencies earlier this month, asking a range of regulators to list what safeguards are in place to prevent criminal activity.

(Reporting by Brett Wolf. Editing by Andre Grenon)

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U.S. regulators, Bitcoin group to discuss digital currency

WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:50pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators and law enforcement agencies are expected to meet on Monday with an advocacy group for Bitcoin, a digital currency that has been under fire for its purported role in facilitating anonymous money transfers and supporting online purchases of illegal street drugs.

The meeting in Washington was arranged by the Treasury Department's anti-money laundering unit at the request of the Bitcoin Foundation, an advocacy group of Bitcoin-related businesses.

It will be an opportunity for wide-ranging discussions about the digital currency, a Treasury official said.

Bitcoins, which have been around since 2008, first came under scrutiny by law enforcement officials in mid-2011 after media reports surfaced linking the digital currency to the Silk Road online marketplace where marijuana, heroin, LSD and other illicit drugs are sold.

In recent months, the U.S. government has taken steps to rein-in the currency and more regulatory action is expected.

Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, the world's largest exchanger of U.S. dollars with Bitcoins, had two accounts held by its U.S. subsidiary seized this year by agents from the Department of Homeland Security on the grounds that it was operating a money transmitting business without a license.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported last year that Bitcoin was used by criminals to move money around the world, and the U.S. Treasury said in March that digital currency firms are money transmitters and must comply with rules that combat money laundering.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs launched an inquiry into Bitcoin and other virtual currencies earlier this month, asking a range of regulators to list what safeguards are in place to prevent criminal activity.

(Reporting by Brett Wolf. Editing by Andre Grenon)

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This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.

U.S. regulators, Bitcoin group to discuss digital currency

WASHINGTON | Mon Aug 26, 2013 1:50pm EDT

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. regulators and law enforcement agencies are expected to meet on Monday with an advocacy group for Bitcoin, a digital currency that has been under fire for its purported role in facilitating anonymous money transfers and supporting online purchases of illegal street drugs.

The meeting in Washington was arranged by the Treasury Department's anti-money laundering unit at the request of the Bitcoin Foundation, an advocacy group of Bitcoin-related businesses.

It will be an opportunity for wide-ranging discussions about the digital currency, a Treasury official said.

Bitcoins, which have been around since 2008, first came under scrutiny by law enforcement officials in mid-2011 after media reports surfaced linking the digital currency to the Silk Road online marketplace where marijuana, heroin, LSD and other illicit drugs are sold.

In recent months, the U.S. government has taken steps to rein-in the currency and more regulatory action is expected.

Tokyo-based Mt. Gox, the world's largest exchanger of U.S. dollars with Bitcoins, had two accounts held by its U.S. subsidiary seized this year by agents from the Department of Homeland Security on the grounds that it was operating a money transmitting business without a license.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation reported last year that Bitcoin was used by criminals to move money around the world, and the U.S. Treasury said in March that digital currency firms are money transmitters and must comply with rules that combat money laundering.

The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs launched an inquiry into Bitcoin and other virtual currencies earlier this month, asking a range of regulators to list what safeguards are in place to prevent criminal activity.

(Reporting by Brett Wolf. Editing by Andre Grenon)

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Group detection in complex networks: An algorithm and comparison of the state-of-the-art. (arXiv:1305.5136v2 [cs.SI] UPDATED)

Subjects: Social and Information Networks (cs.SI); Data Analysis, Statistics and Probability (physics.data-an); Physics and Society (physics.soc-ph)

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