According to BleepingComputer.Com, “On Wednesday, ARRL revealed that it had indeed paid the attackers a [$1 million] ransom not to prevent stolen data from being leaked online but to obtain a decryption tool to restore systems impacted during the attack on the morning of May 15.”

A member bulletin detailing the situation was sent to members on Wednesday, August 21. The text of this bulletin can be read online.

Las Vegas hacker convention attendees complain of harassment by Resorts World staff

The hotel of Resorts World Las Vegas played host to many attendees of the convention this year, which ran from Thursday to Sunday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and attendees of the cybersecurity conference complained that they were being treated like criminals by security.

In notices from Resorts World shared on social media, the casino-hotel warned guests of “room checks on all stay over rooms” in the block reserved for DEF CON attendees. Guests have also shared their own personal stories to social media, complaining of harassment by overzealous security staff with the intention to intimidate.

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Some DEF CON attendees shared their negative experiences on forums, such as Hacker News. One, known by the username FickleRaptor, said security demanded their ID and threatened to have them arrested for trespassing. “The issue was that my colleague was one of the amateur radio VEs for the Ham Radio Village and happened to have his handheld with him,” they explained, adding that the guard was “aggressive, entitled, and arrogant.”

…read more

OM80SNP celebrates 80th anniversary of Slovak National Uprising

While listening to the August 21, 2024 podcast of Radio Slovakia International’s daily English show, I was surprised to hear a report on OM80SNP, a special event station commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising (Slovenské Národné Povstanie).

This station has been operating since August 1 and will continue through August 31, 2024.  A special QSL card is available.

Being Slovak-American, I wish I’d known about this sooner. I still have a chance to work them and get a QSL card, though.