Boston has become somewhat of a hub for what is looking like the biggest ID theft in US history (to date, of course). The US Attorney General
Michael Mukasey annonunced yesterday here in Boston that a ring of 11 were
charged with massive ID theft in a series of successful attacks on the wireless networks of major retailers:
“They then hacked into the networks of TJX, BJ's Wholesale Club, OfficeMax, Boston Market, Barnes & Noble, Dave & Buster's, Sports Authority, Forever 21, and DSW. After gaining access to the systems, they installed programs that captured card numbers, passwords, and account information, officials said.”
The ring is notably international, which shows how this type of crime is not in any way limited by geography. Note in the following quote that the hackers used better security than their victims:
“The defendants - one from Estonia, three from Ukraine, two from China, one from Belarus, and one of unknown origin - allegedly concealed the data in encrypted computer servers they controlled in Europe and the United States.”
The key to the operation: breaking into the networks of these large retailers through the weakest link in the perimeter, their poorly secured wireless network.
