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CA-BUSINESS Summary - TSX rises as gold miners lone sore spot TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index rose on Friday as robust economic data helped drive gains in energy stocks and financial shares, offsetting weakness in gold producers. The materials sector, a major component of the S&P/TSX composite which includes gold miners, was the lone sector to finish in the red of ten main sectors, as the price of gold fell for a seventh straight session. ...

Exclusive: EU cites Chinese telecoms Huawei and ZTE for trade violations - By Daniel Bases NEW YORK (Reuters) - Europe's top trade official for the first time late on Friday officially cited Chinese mobile telecommunications equipment makers Huawei and ZTE Corp for violating anti-dumping and anti-subsidy guidelines. European Union Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said he was prepared to launch a formal investigation into anti-competitive behavior by these Chinese companies in order to protect a "strategic" sector of Europe's economy. ...

Syrian Electronic Army Adds Financial Times to Its Social Media Hacks - The Financial Times became the latest news agency to fall prey to the Syrian Electronic Army, the hacking group which has claimed the social media scalps of the AP, The Onion, the BBC, and NPR, perhaps signaling that news outlets should be more like The Onion and come clean about how they're getting hacked.

Syria government supporters hack Financial Times - By Jim Finkle and Jennifer Saba (Reuters) - The Financial Times' website and Twitter feeds were hacked on Friday, renewing questions about whether the popular social media service has done enough to tighten security as cyber-attacks on the news media intensify. The Syrian Electronic Army, an online group that supports Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, was behind the incident which followed a phishing attack on the company's email accounts, FT reported on its website. The attack is the latest in which hackers commandeered the Twitter account of a prominent news organization to push their ...

Syrian hackers compromise FT blog, Twitter feeds - LONDON (AP) — A clutch of Twitter accounts and a blog maintained by the Financial Times were hacked Friday, the latest in a series of cyberattacks claimed by the Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-government group which has regularly targeted media organizations it sees as sympathetic to the country's rebels.

Saudi Arabia says hackers sabotage government websites - RIYADH (Reuters) - Several government websites in Saudi Arabia were sabotaged in a series of heavy cyber attacks from abroad in recent days, disabling them briefly until the attacks were repelled, the government said. An investigation traced the "coordinated and simultaneous attacks" to hundreds of Internet protocol addresses in a number of countries, an unnamed source at the Saudi Interior Ministry told state news agency SPA. ...

Today in business: 5 things you need to know - Bill Gates reclaims "world's richest" title, hackers target Financial Times, and more

Syrian hackers compromise FT blogs, Twitter feeds - LONDON (AP) — A clutch of blogs and Twitter accounts maintained by the Financial Times were hacked Friday, the latest in a series of cyberattacks claimed by the Syrian Electronic Army, a pro-government group which often attacks media organizations it sees as sympathetic to the country's rebels.

Penitent Romanian hacker aims to protect world's ATMs - By Radu Marinas VASLUI, Romania (Reuters) - Valentin Boanta, sitting in his jail cell, proudly explains the device he has invented which, he says, could make the world's ATMs impregnable even to tech-savvy criminals like himself. Boanta, 33, is six months into a five-year sentence for supplying gadgets an organized crime gang used to conceal ATM skimmers, which can copy data from an unsuspecting ATM user's card so a clone can be created. He said he had started to make the devices for the sheer excitement of it and denies ever planning to use them himself, saying he only sold them to others. ...

LulzSec hackers sentenced for attacking Sony, News Corp and the CIA - A U.K. judge has sentenced four members of hacking collective LulzSec, an offshoot of hacking group Anonymous, for their role in taking down various corporate and government websites between February and September 2011, ZDNet reported. Judge Deborah Taylor sentenced 26-year old Ryan Ackroyd, 20-year old Jake Davis, 18-year old Mustafa al-Bassam and 21-year old Ryan Cleary in a London courtroom on Thursday. Ackroyd received a prison sentence of up to 32 months, of which he will be required to serve at least half, while Davis was sentenced to two years in a young offenders institution, which he must remain at for at least a year. Bassam, who was a minor at the time of the hackings, received a suspended sentence

Prepaid iPhone sales exploded in Q1 - A new report suggests that prepaid smartphones are becoming more popular among consumers. According to research from NPD Group, 32% of all smartphones sold in the first quarter were prepaid devices, up from 21% during the same period in 2012. Samsung was found to be the most popular vendor of prepaid smartphones, accounting for 32% of sales in the first quarter. Handsets from LG made up 22%, Huawei 11%, and Apple and HTC tied at 8%. Prepaid iPhone sales were found to have increased fourfold in Q1 though, while sales of LG smartphones doubled year-over-year. “Prepaid has proven to be a real winner for national retailers,” said Baker. “The easy purchase cycle and grab-and-go nature of the product play into the strength

LulzSec hackers who "wreaked havoc" at Sony jailed in UK - By Li-mei Hoang LONDON (Reuters) - A group of British hackers who "ran riot" causing millions of dollars of damage to computer networks run by Sony, the CIA and other agencies were sentenced to jail terms on Thursday. Police said four men, members of the hacking collective known as "LulzSec", put thousands of internet users' personal data at risk through their high-profile cyber attacks in 2011. ...

UK court jails 4 Lulzsec hackers for cyberattacks - LONDON (AP) — Four young computer hackers who masterminded cyberattacks on targets from the CIA to Sony Pictures and Rupert Murdoch's News International were sentenced to up to 32 months in prison on Thursday.

China threatens own trade action if EU opens telecoms case - By Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - China threatened on Thursday to retaliate if the European Union formally opens an investigation into alleged anti-competitive behavior by Chinese mobile telecom equipment companies. European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said on Wednesday he and fellow commissioners had agreed in principle to open an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy case against China, but would first seek to negotiate a solution with Chinese authorities. Although not mentioned in the statement, EU officials told Reuters the primary targets of the investigation would be world No. ...

LulzSec hackers "at cutting edge" of cyber crime, court told - By Estelle Shirbon LONDON (Reuters) - Four British hackers who took part in 2011 cyber-attacks on targets ranging from the CIA to Sony were audacious, arrogant men whose motivation was "anarchic self-amusement", a court heard on Wednesday. The men, who have pleaded guilty to a variety of offences, were members of the hacking collective LulzSec, which caused millions of dollars of damage to corporate and government computer networks during an online crime spree that they boasted about on Twitter. ...

EU warns China it is ready to launch telecoms dispute - By Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission has told China it is prepared to launch an investigation into anti-competitive behavior by producers of mobile telecoms equipment, opening a new front in a multi-billion-euro trade offensive against a critical partner. European Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht said he and fellow commissioners had agreed in principle to open an anti-dumping and anti-subsidy case against China, but would first seek to negotiate a solution with Chinese authorities. "The clock is ticking. ...

Experts: Smartphones another avenue for hackers - MIAMI (AP) — Smartphones are increasingly popular not only with consumers, but also with thieves who see the devices as another way to tap into bank accounts and other sensitive information, experts say.

Exclusive: EU threatens trade duties against China's Huawei, ZTE - sources - By Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission plans to send a formal warning to China that it is ready to levy trade duties against telecoms equipment makers Huawei Technologies Co Ltd and ZTE Corp over what it says are illegal subsidies, people close to the matter said. EU trade chief Karel De Gucht is set to win support from the bloc's executive on Wednesday to send the warning letter and show China's new president, Xi Jinping, that Brussels is serious about countering what it says is state support. ...

After ATM heist, India's IT sector again in unwelcome spotlight - By Swati Pandey and Harichandan Arakali MUMBAI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - A breach of security at two payment card processing companies in India that led to heists at cash machines around the world has reopened questions on the risks of outsourcing sensitive financial services to the Asian nation. Global banks that ship work to be processed in India, either in-house or to big IT services vendors, were already under pressure to step up oversight of back-office functions after a series of scandals last year. Last week, U.S. ...

U.S. attorney general says he didn't make AP phone records decision - By David Ingram and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Tuesday he did not make the controversial decision to secretly seize telephone records of the Associated Press but defended his department's actions in the investigation of what he called a "very, very serious leak." The decision to seek phone records of one of the world's largest news-gathering organizations was made by Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole, Holder said. ...

Seventh New York defendant pleads not guilty in cyber heist - By Jessica Dye NEW YORK (Reuters) - A seventh defendant pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to charges he participated in a global ATM heist that stole $45 million from two Middle East banks. Elvis Rodriguez, 24, was accused of being a member of a "casher" crew that withdrew hundreds of thousands of dollars in New York as part of the heist. Six other members of the New York crew pleaded not guilty last week. An eighth person, Alberto Lajud-Pena, 23, described by prosecutors as the leader of the crew, was murdered in the Dominican Republic on April 27, police there said. U.S. ...

Is the 'Press Photo of the Year' Actually Photoshop Art? - Swedish photographer Paul Hansen is fighting back against claims—from hackers calling his work a composite, bloggers calling it a "fake," and still others questioning the meaning of news photography in a digital age—that his winning image for the "World Press Photo of the Year" contest is nothing but a computer-aided forgery. Even the World Press judges are doing some forensic second-guessing.

Exclusive: EU to warn China it may levy duties against Huawei - sources - By Ethan Bilby BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission plans to send a formal warning to China that it is ready to levy sanctions against telecoms equipment makers Huawei and ZTE Corp over illegal subsidies, people close to the matter said. EU trade chief Karel De Gucht is set to win support from the bloc's executive on Wednesday to send the warning letter and show China's new president, Xi Jinping, that Brussels is serious about countering what it says is state support. ...

BlackBerry and the fateful Q5 pricing question - When BlackBerry really began its tailspin in the summer of 2011, the reason was clear. Handsets in the new Bold lineup were too expensive for emerging markets and the cheap Curve phones were suddenly slammed by cheap Android competition. BlackBerry has known for years that its real problem is pricing. It was the Latin American demand shift for low-end Android phones that broke the company’s back two years ago. This is why it’s so puzzling that BlackBerry had chosen to kick off its comeback with two very expensive devices, the Z10 and the Q10. This in turn means that the vendor’s first budget device, the Q5, is absolutely crucial for BlackBerry’s future. BlackBerry has refused to address the changing smartphone pricing

FBI says more cooperation with banks key to probe of cyber attacks - By Joseph Menn WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The FBI last month gave temporary security clearances to scores of U.S. bank executives to brief them on the investigation into the cyber attacks that have repeatedly disrupted online banking websites for most of a year. Bank security officers and others were brought to more than 40 field offices around the country to join a classified video conference on "who was behind the keyboards," Federal Bureau of Investigation Executive Assistant Director Richard McFeely told the Reuters Cybersecurity Summit on Monday. ...

Exclusive: Indian firm in global ATM heist admits system breached - By Kaustubh Kulkarni PUNE, India (Reuters) - An Indian payment card processing company acknowledged on Monday that hackers breached its security to increase the limits on some pre-paid card accounts in a global ATM heist in December. ElectraCard Services said no customer data was stolen from it and any tampering of ATM cards occurred elsewhere. "To withdraw money from a pre-paid card, one needs an ATM card that has a magnetic strip, which has encoded data. You also need a PIN. ...

Ala-based firm to combat cyberattacks - A new company is being launched in Birmingham to combat computer-based attacks. The University of Alabama at Birmingham is starting an intelligence company called Malcovery in a public-private partnership. ...

Singapore begins inquiry into US worker's death - The girlfriend of a U.S. software engineer whose parents insist he was murdered in Singapore said at a coroner's inquest Monday that he had been unhappy at work and feared "heavy hands coming after ...

Top U.S. admiral puts cyber security on the Navy's radar - By John O'Callaghan SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Cyber security and warfare are on par with a credible nuclear deterrent in the defense priorities of the United States, the U.S. Navy's top admiral said on Monday, after the Pentagon accused China of trying to hack into its computer networks. Admiral Jonathan Greenert, the chief of naval operations, told Reuters the defense department's cyber program had continued unabated despite the political gridlock about the U.S. budget deficit and enforced spending cuts in other areas. ...

What We Can Expect from Google's New Mobile Game Hub - Are you an Android user who's been hoping for a service similar to the iOs GameCenter or XBox Live on your phone? Fear not, your wishes may be granted sooner than you think. The intrepid hackers at Android Police got their hands on an advanced copy of a new Google Play build. Games were the glaring omission when Google Play launched last year. But they discovered something very interesting when they stripped the code down to its bare bones: evidence that Google Play Games is on its way. The big reveals include: 

India IT watchdog investigating breach in ATM heist - By Swati Pandey and Supantha Mukherjee MUMBAI/BANGALORE (Reuters) - The Indian government's cyber watchdog is investigating how security at two companies that are part of the country's vast IT services industry was breached in a global ATM heist that saw $45 million stolen from two banks in the Middle East. EnStage Inc, which operates from Bangalore, and ElectraCard Services, based in the Indian city of Pune, processed card payments for the two banks that were hit in the theft, several people familiar with the situation said. ...

For banks in cyber heist, how to get their money back? - By Joseph Ax NEW YORK (Reuters) - Because the sums were large and such attacks are relatively new, the two Middle East banks hit in a $45 million ATM heist face an uncertain path in trying to recover their losses, financial, insurance and legal experts say. Oman-based Bank of Muscat lost $40 million and United Arab Emirates-based National Bank of Ras Al Khaimah PSC (RAKBANK) lost $5 million in the global heist, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday. Computer hackers broke into third-party companies that processed transactions for prepaid debit cards issued by the banks, the prosecutors said. ...

Bank Muscat says mulling options to recover card fraud money - DUBAI (Reuters) - Bank Muscat , the main victim of a $45 million global cyber heist, is examining all options to recover the money it lost in an unprecedented fraud brought to light by U.S. authorities. In a globally coordinated campaign, hackers broke into two unidentified payment processing companies in India that handled the prepaid debit cards for two Middle Eastern banks, including Bank Muscat, U.S. prosecutors said on Thursday. The payment processing firms were EnStage Inc, which operates from Bangalore, and ElectraCard Services, which is based in Pune, several sources told Reuters. ...

Indian companies at center of global cyber heist - By Dinesh Nair and Jim Finkle DUBAI/BOSTON (Reuters) - Two companies with major operations in India were the weak links that opened the door to a $45 million global cyber heist brought to light by U.S. authorities this week. EnStage Inc, which operates from Bangalore, and ElectraCard Services, which is based in Pune, processed card payments for the two Middle Eastern banks that were hit in the theft, according to several people familiar with the situation. U.S. ...

How to Pull Off a $45 Million Global ATM Heist - Want to pull off your own $45 million worldwide ATM heist? It might not be that easy, experts say.

World grapples with rise in cyber crime - LONDON (AP) — International law enforcement agencies say the recent $45 million dollar ATM heist is just one of many scams they're fighting in an unprecedented wave of sophisticated cyberattacks.

Alleged Dominican head of New York ATM thefts was shot dead - By Manuel Jimenez SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - An alleged leader of the New York arm of a global cyber crime ring, which stole $45 million from two Middle Eastern banks, was shot dead during an attempted robbery in the Dominican Republic last month, Dominican police said on Friday. Alberto Lajud-Pena, 23, was killed on April 27 in a house in the city of San Francisco de Macoris about 100 miles northeast of the capital, Santo Domingo, according to police. ...

Prepaid debit cards: a weak link in bank security - By Emily Flitter and Tanya Agrawal (Reuters) - A brazen gang of cyber criminals, who stole $45 million from bank ATMs in 27 countries, exposes an Achilles heel in the global financial industry: prepaid debit cards. Cyber security experts and industry analysts say the burgeoning use of prepaid debit cards for everything from gift certificates to disaster relief handouts is making it easier for hackers to withdraw large amounts of money before detection. Prepaid cards have fewer controls on them than on regular credit and debit cards issued by banks. ...

Germany arrests two Dutch citizens in cyber bank heist - By Alexander Hübner FRANKFURT (Reuters) - German prosecutors said on Friday they had arrested two Dutch citizens suspected of taking part in a $45 million global cyber heist unveiled the previous day by U.S. authorities. A 35-year-old man and a 56-year-old woman were caught on February 19 withdrawing 170,000 euros ($220,500) in Düsseldorf using Bank of Muscat credit cards. In total, $2.4 million dollars was withdrawn in seven German cities, the prosecutors said. On Thursday, U.S. ...

Bloodless bank heist impressed cybercrime experts - NEW YORK (AP) — A bloodless bank heist that netted more than $45 million has left even cybercrime experts impressed by the technical sophistication, if not the virtue, of the con artists who pulled off a remarkable internationally organized attack.

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Future Firefox takes tougher stance on mixed content - Mozilla might be fine with mixed company, but it's not fond of mixed content. A new tool to block unsecured content on secure sites makes its debut in the latest update to Firefox Aurora.

Google security: You (still) are the weakest link - At its I/O conference, two of Google's top-level security experts say the company is intensely focused on the issue, but passwords remain a thorny problem.

Google Glass spurs privacy questions from Congress - Several congressional members send a letter to Google CEO Larry Page about concerns such as whether Google will use facial recognition technology with Glass.

New Mac spyware found in the Oslo Freedom Forum - One surprise is that the new spyware found on Oslo Freedom Forum members' systems has a valid Apple Developer ID.

LulzSec case in U.K. brings sentences for 4 men - Core members of LulzSec have been sentenced for their campaigns -- and according to the defense, some of the victims were "thoroughly deserving" of what happened to them.

Apple, Samsung, others urged to help thwart mobile phone thefts - The New York State attorney general is asking Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, and Microsoft what they're doing to crack down on the costly and sometimes violent thefts of mobile phones.

Bloomberg reporters had access to certain client data - The editor in chief of Bloomberg News has admitted that reporters were able to access limited client information, an error he calls "inexcusable."

Bloomberg: Yes, reporters had access to client data - The editor in chief of Bloomberg News has admitted that reporters were able to access limited client information via Bloomberg terminals, an error he calls "inexcusable."

Microsoft warns of new Trojan hijacking Facebook accounts - Malware focusing on the social network's users in Brazil masquerades as a legitimate Google Chrome extension and Firefox add-on.

U.S. charges 8 in $45M global cybercrime scheme - New York-based cell used information gleaned from two hacks to create bogus debit cards to quickly steal millions from bank machines in Manhattan.

Senators propose law to go after foreign cybercriminals - After a slew of U.S. companies' Web sites were hacked, a group of bi-partisan senators is looking at getting a new law passed that combats cyber-theft by foreign governments and hackers.

Apple ordered by German court to change its privacy rules - The iPhone maker can no longer ask for "global consent" to use customer information or tap in to location-based data. But the court ruling applies only to Germany.

How hackable is your password? McAfee offers password tips - The security vendor is out with a few rules and reminders for creating strong passwords designed to thwart the bad guys.

U.S. says Chinese government behind cyberespionage - Annual report to Congress alleges a steady campaign of hacking designed to acquire information about the U.S. government's foreign policy and military plans.

Google's Schmidt: Don't worry too much about 'Big Brother' - The executive chairman of Google says that even though everyone will be using wearable computing devices someday, companies won't be tracking peoples' every move because it's bad business.

Google's Schmidt: The Internet needs a delete button - Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt says mistakes people make when young can haunt them forever.

Traces of malware activity detected in App Store game - A suspicious iframe link has been detected in an App Store program. Here's why you shouldn't worry.

Samsung Galaxy S4 earns Pentagon security nod - The Pentagon gives official approval to any Samsung device protected by the Knox security software, which for now includes just the Galaxy S4.

Samsung Galaxy S4 wins Pentagon security approval - The Pentagon has given the official nod to any Samsung device protected by the Knox security software, which for now includes just the Galaxy S4.

Smartphone safety lagging, Consumer Reports finds - The magazine releases its annual "State of the Net" report, and some findings offer a rude awakening for smartphone users.

Apple, Verizon earn poor marks in EFF privacy report - They're among a number of companies that disappoint with their privacy practices, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation -- which likes what it sees from Twitter and others.

Airbnb starts verifying user profiles - The company that matches property owners to travelers looking for a place to stay now tags vetted users with verified ID badges.

Twitter warns of additional hacks, threats - Company says the "attacks will continue," particularly against high-profile media companies.

See how beautiful a DDoS attack can look - Using the Web app Logstalgia, a developer has managed to capture on video a visual impression of what happens during a DDoS attack.

Startups, programmers rally against SOPA in SF (photos) - Hundreds gather in front of City Hall in San Francisco to protest the Stop Online Piracy Act.