GData and TrendMicro report a new ransomware they refer to as 'Petya' is circulating in the wild largely affecting German 'Human Resources' departments (archived 1, archived 2). Like other ransomware Petya encrypts files on an infected machine, but it goes further than other ransomware by living in a computer's masterboot record and presenting its demands through a DOS boot screen when the infected machine is powered on. In its present incarnation Petya demands a 0.99 Bitcoin ransom which doubles if its payment deadline is missed. If an affected user goes through the FBI approved manner of recovering their files by paying the ransom, they would be well advised to physically destroy the disk and handle recovered files with care. This is because if anything was learned from the MBR infecting rootkit Sony distributed on their music CDs, it is that people who care enough to put their malware in the MBR tend to make complete eradication of the malware a tremendous pain.
Small Usenet Provider In France Raided As Terrorists Strike Europe
While terrorists continue to attack targets in Europe, French police have raided a small Usenet provider in France (archived).
Chicago To 'scape Around Hole
A hole in the city of Chicago is about to get some much needed 'scaping to improve its aesthetics (archived). The 78 foot deep hole on the Chicago Shoreline located between the North and South portions of the city was intended to serve as a foundation for the placement of a 2000 foot tall spire which would stand proudly in the hole as the tallest tower in the City. Economic malaise however lead to an inability to erect the tower so it was largely abandoned for dirt and weedy growth to take over the area surrounding it. The site of the hole sits next to Chicago's Navy pier which prominently juts out into Lake Michigan. This new attention should vastly improve the appearance of the area around Chicago's hole, or at least improve it when viewed from ground level.
Verisign Patent Filing Covers Cryptocurrency Signing Scheme
Back on September 11th, 2015 Verisign filed a patent in the United States covering a cryptocurrency signing and double spend preventing scheme. As the patent was filed in a fiat venue, if there is any merit to the scheme presented this filing in the wrong venue does nothing to constrain any party from using it for any purpose. Verisign's scheme relies on key pairs being restricted to being used just one time.
US Animal Suicides Require Motorist Warning
The substantial number of suicidal deer plaguing Mitchell County, Iowa has pushed local officials to warn motorists of the hazard presented by wildlife at the end of their rope (archived). The hazard to motorists is so severe that in spite of protests that the signs were insensitive to persons who had experienced suicide, the hazard presented by suicidal deer becoming "an hero" fighting against bipedal motorists and the frequency of past events necessitated the warning remain as is.
Rockefeller Family Fund Divests From Industry That Made Rockefeller Family Fortune
Reports are emerging that the Rockefeller Family Fund is divesting from the oil industry upon which the Rockefeller family fortune was built (archived). Late family patriarch John D. Rockefeller built the fortune his descendants enjoy with his energy start up Standard Oil, a firm Rockefeller grew though unprecedented horizontal and vertical integration from its inception in 1870 until it was slain by US regulators in 1911. The Rockefeller Family Fund singled out ExxonMobil, the largest direct descendant of their late patriarch's Standard Oil for criticism. An ExxonMobil spokesperson responded alleging a conspiracy by the family against them. It is unknown whether Rockefeller's human and corporate descendants have sought counselling or mediation in the past for their issues. Meanwhile despite some upward movement in oil prices from the level they began the year at prospects for the energy industry as a whole remain bleak.
Microsoft Left Impaired AI To Suffer Twitter Humiliation
Mircosoft recently gave a cognitively impaired AI dubbed "Tay" access to a Twitter account (archived). Within 24 hours Tay began engaging in sexually explicit conversations with older men and became enamoured with the politics espoused by the character Donald Trump-Clinton plays on television. It is unknown whether Tay was cognitively impaired through artificial organic defect or through artificial intoxication. Either way, leaving a cognitively impaired intelligence or simulacrum thereof defenseless and exposed directly to the wild public is poor form.
BitBet Receiver Hired
After taking applications BitBet's estranged partners have hired experienced Bitcoin businessman David Francois to see BitBet through receivership. Monsieur Francois's application for the receivership states that he intends to complete the liquidation in a two week time frame following the receipt of all BitBet assets for liquidation, a task for which he will collect a fixed fee of 13.37 Bitcoin. This means that BitBet's assets including their domain name and software should be hitting the market shortly so parties interested in acquiring those assets should inquire with Monsieur Francois.
BitBet has found itself headed to receivership through an irreconcilable difference between the partners over how to handle an expense incurred through a method of handling peculiar node and miner behavior on the Bitcoin network which lead to a double payment to winners on a bet.
Brussels Attacked – Western Dream Likely Over
ISIS/ISIL has claimed responsibility for attacks in Brussels, Belgium that have taken at least 30 lives and wounded hundreds. One of the attacks, a subway bombing took place near the portion of Brussels that serves as the seat of the European Union's governing institutions. It is likely any last pretense that the dream of Open Europe is on the way out. Back in November ISIS/ISIL militants coordinating with burner cell phones conducted a decentralized attack on the French Capital which left more than a hundred dead. In France the government of their Nth Republic has used the attacks as a pretext for rescinding whatever freedoms had previously been left to citizens by it and its N minus 1 predecessors.
Gawker Media Total Damages Up To 140.1 Million dollars
Gawker Media has been hit for a further 25.1 million United States dollars in punitive damages. With the further 115 million in compensatory damages for economic and emotional trauma Gawker Media inflicted on Terry Bollea, the man who plays Hulk Hogan on television, the total award to Bollea stands at 140.1 million United States dollars. Gawker Media intends to appeal as they continue insisting comments made by the character Bollea plays on television compelled them to release footage of the private individual Bollea's actual private life.