65% of DC Cameras Hacked Before Inauguration

Romanian hackers infiltrated 65% of outdoor surveillance cameras in Washington, DC, ahead of President Trump's inauguration as part of an extortion scheme only now being made public, according to a criminal complaint. The complaint, filed in DC and unsealed Thursday, accuses Romanians Mihai Alexandru Isvanca, 25, and Eveline Cismaru, 28, of hacking 123 of the city's 187 outdoor police cameras over four days in January 2017, leaving them temporarily unable to record footage, report CNN and the Washington Post. 

All the cameras were OK by the big day. An affidavit says the individuals—believed to be part of a hacking network—took over the computer system that operated the cameras and began sending ransomware emails to about 180,000 email addresses. Authorities say they planned to lock users out of their computers until they received payment.

Read the full story on Newser.com

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