Hacker “Bentley” indicted; China weaponizing vulnerabilities; Journalists suspect poisoning; Breakfast on the Verge of the Apocalypse; Free WIFI in China comes with a cost; Disinformation wins a round

What We’re Reading, Hearing and Watching -- September 7, 2023

Russian “Bentley” and “Ferrari” Hackers 

Hackers using Trickbot and Conti malware have stolen and attempted to extort funds from victims that included US health and public safety entities and the entire country of Costa Rica.

Massive leaks of data by Twitter handles @contiLeaks on February 28, 2022 and @trickLeaks in March 2022 have allowed researchers to analyze these well-organized groups. 

Authorities in multiple countries have sought to hobble these cybercrime groups through take-downs of servers and other infrastructure in 2020 and prosecutions of Alla Witte, Vladimir Dunayev and other alleged participants. In February 2023, a US court unsealed a 2012 indictment in absentia against Vitaliy Nikolayevich Kovalev, nicknamed “Bentley,” for bank fraud allegedly committed in 2009-2010, before the emergence of Trickbot. The US and UK also issued sanctions against Kovalev and others for Trickbot activity.

On August 30, Wired magazine, citing research into @trickleaks data by US-based threat …