Tag Archive for: accused

Ex-CMD of OAUTH accused in panel report of widespread job racketeering

/in


A report by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare’s investigative panel exposed a dire situation at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) in Ile-Ife, Osun State.

According to the PUNCH, the former Chief Medical Director, Dr. Olumuyiwa Owojuyigbe, was implicated in over-employment and job racketeering, causing the non-payment of salaries to health workers.

Dr. Aderemi Azeez, leading the investigation, discovered a significant over-employment situation orchestrated by Owojuyigbe. The hospital, against waiver approval for 450 vacancies in 2022 employment, hired a staggering 1,973 individuals. This substantial surplus resulted in financial strain, leaving several workers unpaid for months.

The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Muhammad Pate, acknowledged the investigation’s conclusion.

“We are addressing the OAUTH situation. The investigation has just been completed into this unfortunate situation. We understand the difficulties being faced by numerous innocent health workers and will do our best to resolve them equitably,” the minister wrote on his verified X (Twitter) handle.

Read also:OAU health workers lament over 10 months unpaid salaries

In a statement titled ‘OAUTH Ife and the Unrest,’ and signed by Patricia Deworitshe, the Director of Press at the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the ministry addressed the unrest at OAUTH, pinning it on the job racketeering and over-employment orchestrated during Owojuyigbe’s tenure.

The statement partly read, “The hospital conducted the exercise in two phases (230 and 220) after securing the approval of the Federal Character Commission not to advertise the posts.

“During the first phase, the hospital recruited 600 instead of 230, and a total of 1,823 staff members were recruited in the second phase instead of 220.

“At the end of the two phases, the hospital recruited 2,423 staff instead of 450. As such, 1,973 staff members were recruited in excess of the approved waiver.”

The hospital’s recruitment process vastly exceeded approved limits, employing 2,423 instead of the authorised 450 staff, with an alarming…

Source…

China Accused of Massive IP Theft, AI Hacking by Five Eyes Intelligence Alliance

/in


China stands accused of stealing intellectual property and using artificial intelligence to hack and spy on other nations at an unprecedented scale.

As Reuters reports, the accusations come from the Five Eyes intelligence alliance—which comprises the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand—following meetings with private US companies in Silicon Valley. The theft is occurring across a wide range of sectors, covering everything from quantum technology and robotics to biotechnology and AI.

FBI Director Christopher Wray referred to China as an “unprecedented threat,” and said, “China has long targeted businesses with a web of techniques all at once: cyber intrusions, human intelligence operations, seemingly innocuous corporate investments and transactions … Every strand of that web had become more brazen, and more dangerous.”

Mike Burgess, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation’s director-general, added: “The Chinese government is engaged in the most sustained scaled and sophisticated theft of intellectual property and expertise in human history.”

Chinese government spokesman Liu Pengyu responded to the accusations, stating, “We firmly oppose to the groundless allegations and smears towards China and hope the relevant parties can view China’s development objectively and fairly.”

Earlier this year, when Microsoft caught China spying on critical western infrastructure, the Chinese government responded by claiming it was just a “collective disinformation campaign” by the US and its allies.

This is the first time all members of Five Eyes have publicly called out China’s actions collectively. In response, the alliance is hoping both private industry and academia will help to counter the threats, which Wray describes as “a bigger hacking program than that of every other major nation combined.”

Source…

Amazon Security Engineer Arrested and Accused of Hacking Crypto Exchange

/in


Looks like trouble is brewing for a top-notch cybersecurity whiz at Amazon. Shakeeb Ahmed, a former security engineer, finds himself in hot water as federal prosecutors allege that he skillfully used his hacking expertise for malicious purposes. The accusation? Mr. Ahmed allegedly orchestrated a scheme to pilfer a staggering $9 million in assets from a cryptocurrency exchange last summer and then tried to conceal his ill-gotten gains through a web of online trickery.

Authorities apprehended the 34-year-old tech aficionado in Manhattan on Tuesday, charging him with wire fraud and money laundering. Although officials refrained from disclosing the name of Ahmed’s former employer, they did describe him as a “former security engineer” for an undisclosed “international technology company.” According to the allegations, Ahmed exploited a vulnerability in the smart contract of an unnamed Solana-based crypto exchange, enabling him to generate a massive $9 million in fraudulent fees. These fees were meant to be rightfully disbursed to platform customers who contributed substantial liquidity. However, Ahmed supposedly manipulated the software by injecting false price data, essentially conjuring money out of thin air. Additionally, he stands accused of attempting to squeeze more funds out of the exchange using “flash loan” attacks—a type of crypto exploit.

Initially, the company where Ahmed previously worked remained shrouded in mystery, as officials declined to reveal any details. However, cybersecurity blogger Jackie Singh shed some light on the matter on Tuesday evening. Singh claimed that Ahmed had been an employee at Amazon, citing various online profiles seemingly connected to the security expert.

Curious to learn more, Gizmodo reached out to Amazon for clarification regarding Ahmed’s employment. A spokesperson confirmed that Ahmed was no longer working for the company, although they couldn’t provide further insights into his role at the tech giant.

According to a LinkedIn profile matching Ahmed’s description, he held the position of “Senior Security Engineer” at Amazon and had been with the company since November 2020. The profile…

Source…

Volt Typhoon and other Chinese groups accused of hacking the US and others

/in


[1/2] U.S. and Chinese flags are seen in this illustration taken, January 30, 2023. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

SINGAPORE, May 25 (Reuters) – Chinese hacking teams have been blamed by Western intelligence agencies and cybersecurity groups for digital intrusion campaigns across the world, targeting everything from government and military organisations to corporations and media groups

Cybersecurity firms believe many of those groups are backed by China’s government. U.S.-based Mandiant has said some Chinese hacking groups are operated by units of China’s army.

China’s authorities have consistently denied any form of state-sponsored hacking, saying China itself is a frequent target of cyberattacks. It has dubbed the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) as “the world’s largest hacker organisation”.

Some of the biggest Chinese hacking teams identified by intelligence agencies and cybersecurity groups are:

‘VOLT TYPHOON’

Western intelligence agencies and Microsoft (MSFT.O) said on May 24 that Volt Typhoon, a group they described as state-sponsored, had been spying on a range of U.S. critical infrastructure organisations, from telecommunications to transportation hubs.

They described the attacks in 2023 as one of the largest known Chinese cyber-espionage campaigns against American critical infrastructure.

China’s foreign ministry described the reports as part of a U.S. disinformation campaign.

‘BACKDOORDIPLOMACY’

Palo Alto Networks, a U.S. cybersecurity firm, says its research showed BackdoorDiplomacy has links to the Chinese state and is part of the APT15 hacking group.

A Reuters report in May identified BackdoorDiplomacy as being behind a widespread series of digital intrusions over several years against key Kenyan ministries and state institutions. The Chinese authorities said it was not aware of such hacking and described the accusations as baseless.

APT 41

Chinese hacking team APT 41, which is also known as Wintti, Double Dragon and Amoeba, has conducted a mix of government-backed cyber intrusions and financially motivated data breaches, according to U.S.-based cybersecurity firms FireEye and Mandiant.

The U.S secret service said the team had stolen U.S. COVID relief benefits worth tens of…

Source…