Friday, June 10, 2016

Bitcoin Exchange Owner Extradited Following Cybercrime Indictment

 

Two individuals tied to the now-defunct US bitcoin exchange Coin.mx have been extradited to the US from Israel, prosecutors announced today.

The US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York announced today that Gery Shalon and Ziv Orenstein have been extradited after being arrested last year. Both appeared in Manhattan court today and have been indicted on securities fraud and computer hacking charges. The two plead not guilty, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Shalon is alleged to be the owner of Coin.mx, an exchange based in Florida that has been tied to a string of cyberattacks on a number of companies including Wall Street bank JPMorgan, which resulted in the theft of personal data from tens of millions of client accounts. Reports from last year suggest that the alleged operation spanned the globe, targeting a range of major businesses.

The two were arrested in July of last year, prosecutors said, a move that came as charges were filed against alleged co-conspirators Anthony Murgio and Yuri Lebedev, who were accused of running an unlawful money transmission business. Murgio later plead not guilty.

US prosecutors have said that Coin.mx was used as a conduit for funds tied to the alleged cybercrime network.

US attorney Preet Bharara said in a statement:

"For the alleged hacks into numerous U.S. companies, including the largest theft of customer data from a U.S. financial institution in history, in furtherance of their securities fraud, Sharon and Orenstein will now face prosecution in a U.S. court."

US prosecutors have said that Coin.mx skirted money services rules by mis-marking credit card purchases for bitcoin and effectively taking control of a New Jersey credit union to route international transactions. A pastor and former executive of the credit union was later charged for taking bribes in exchange for facilitating that arrangement.

Sunday, June 5, 2016

FBI Claims They Breached Tor Security Without Malware

 

 

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has announced the tools they used to get PlayPen members convicted was not malware. After refusing to disclose the methods use when ordered to by a judge, a lot of the FBI’s evidence was thrown out. Despite all of that, law enforcement officials continue to deny their network investigative technique uses malware.

FBI STILL REFUSES TO PROVIDE PROOF

The issues between the FBI and PlayPen convicts is far from resolved, as judges continue to offer contradicting rulings. One judge in Virginia ruled how the case against PlayPen member Edward Mathis should stand, regardless of how the evidence was gathered. Not too long ago, a different judge ruled against using FBI evidence in a similar case; the law enforcement agency refused to disclose details.

 

But the FBI is still not proving any insights as to how their network investigative technique works. One spokesperson told the media on Wednesday how they are not using malware, yet failed to provide any evidence to back up these claims. While no one is asking them to explain everything from a to z, some insights would be more than welcome.

 

Mathis, who will not have the case against him dismissed, felt he was being coerced into signing a statement detailing his crimes. However, the Virginia judge ruled there was no evidence to support these claims. However, there is the question of how the FBI obtained the evidence against this person, as well as the 134 other PlayPen members.

 

Revealing the true IP address of a Tor user is next to impossible with an exploit or malware. The FBI’s network investigation technique managed to do exactly that, albeit many feel the warrant for taking down PlayPen did not give them the legal right to use the malicious or illegal software.

 

This investigation may come around to bite the law enforcement agency in the rear, though. In a previous case, the FBI revealed the source code of their NIT tool. While this software does not alter security settings of target computers, the lines are blurring as to which part of that explanation suddenly makes it alright to deliberately infect consumer devices.

 

Friday, April 15, 2016

EDCAB will Ensure Fair Bitcoin and Blockchain Regulation in Europe

 
The creation of EDCAB signals industry’s commitment to work with policymakers over the long term to achieve positive outcomes for the sector and the European citizens it serves.
There is no denying European policymakers are keeping a very close eye on the blockchain ecosystem. So much even that a new trade body has been established, which goes by the name of EDCAB. Exciting times are ahead for blockchain innovation in Europe, assuming policymakers can keep up with the trends.


Although digital currency and blockchain technology have gone entirely unregulated for quite some in Europe, things are coming to a change in the not-so-distant future. Now that the European Virtual Currency industry has formed a new trade body, the policy on digital currencies and distributed ledger technology will be in the balance.

It has to be said, though, the creation of the EDCAB will [hopefully] be a positive move for the legitimization of the virtual currency ecosystem. Both Bitcoin and blockchain are often referred to as the “Wild West” since there are no rules, and the creation of the EDCAB will change that. Plus, they seem to be taking the right approach by ensuring the policy platform is public, rather than holding meetings behind closed doors.

Few people are aware of how the European Union Council has put virtual currencies at the top of their priority list. This is one financial area evolving at a rapid pace, and legislation is expected to be tabled by the end of June 2016.

EDCAB, or European Digital Currency & Blockchain Technology Forum as it is officially called, wants to create a sound and fair regulatory and legislative framework for distributed ledger technology and digital currencies in Europe. Industry members can engage with EU policymakers, regulators, law enforcement, and legislators, and open discussion is encouraged.

Comprehending the broad scope of digital currency and blockchain technology is not an easy task. Without the proper knowledge, it will be all but impossible to create a viable regulatory framework. EDCAB Will act as a platform to highlight best practice, respond to policy developments, and provide thought leadership regarding these matters.

To kick things off, a major EDCAB event on virtual currencies and blockchain will be held in Brussels, at the European Parliament building. Several roundtables will be held, and there will be a vast selection of financial experts, blockchain leaders, and other interested parties. Exciting times are ahead for Bitcoin and blockchain enthusiasts in Europe, by the look of things.