Honda has had to halt production at some of its facilities as a result of a cyberattack.
Honda’s car factories in Ohio and Turkey, and its motorcycle plants in South America and India, have been forced to stop production because of what appears to be the SNAKE ransomware, reports Bloomberg.
This particular variant seems targeted specifically at Honda. According to Bleeping Computer, “a security researcher named Milkream has found a sample of the SNAKE (EKANS) ransomware submitted to VirusTotal today that checks for the internal Honda network name of “mds.honda.com”.
In good news for the company, its Japanese facilities were not impacted. What’s more, it does not appear there was an information breach, nor does any personal information appear to have been accessed.
While the impact to Honda will likely be minimal, this latest attack illustrates the ongoing battle against ransomware. It’s estimated ransomware cost some $7.5 billion in 2019 alone. Needless to say, Honda and countless other companies will continue to be prime targets.
Back on November 5th, Discovery Channel uploaded a video titled “Eaten Alive Sneak Peek”, which glimpsed at the promising voyage of a man seeking to be eaten alive by an anaconda.
“We’re gonna get me inside of a snake,” said Paul Rosolie, a naturalist and wild life filmmaker dressed in some type of Tron-like jungle bomb-suit (it’s a custom-built snake-proof suit) that looks strikingly similar to the protagonist’s outfit in Dead Space.
The modern day “Jonah & The Whale” experiment premiered Sunday, December 7th at 9/8 central, but before viewers got to see the spectacle, voices and concerns questioned Rosolie and the Discovery Channel:
A Change.org petition titled “STOP THE AIRING OF “EATEN ALIVE” – BOYCOTT DISCOVERY CHANNEL” launched the same day the sneak peek video did. It wound up with 38,364 signatures out of 50,000.
Renowned zoologist Frank Indiviglio called out Discovery Channel’s bluff (after all, they did air a “documentary” on mermaids), saying that it was impossible for a human to enter and emerge from the belly of a giant snake unharmed.
In the first 70 minutes of the two-hour program, we see Rosolie and his crew venturing in Peru’s Amazon jungle, searching for a 25-foot-long anaconda. This was no ordinary anaconda, as Rosolie said he once saw it before.
Finally, the team found a 20-foot 250 lb. green anaconda, which, debatably, might have been a captive snake planted in the jungle by Discovery’s stunt team, according to PEOPLE magazine.
With only 20 minutes left of the show, Rosolie slipped into his crush-resistant, pig-blood covered suit and offered his body to the snake.
The anaconda took some time to warm up before it coiled around and constricted Rosolie.
The moment we’d all been waiting for began with the anaconda opening its jaws widely enough to pierce a few of its fangs on Rosolie’s helmet, then the stunt stopped.
“My arms torqueing, this thing is gonna break! I’m calling it, I need help!” Rosolie told his crew through a microphone in his suit.
The two-hour long program promising a man being eaten by an anaconda turned out to be about eight minutes of Rosolie struggling to unwind with his team rushing to save him.
According to ABCNews, the show garnered 4.1 million views.
Viewers were disappointed.
The #EatenAlive hash tag exploded on Twitter, with many accusing Discovery of misleading audiences with it’s promise of a man being eaten alive by a snake.
What kind of a world do we live in where the promise of a man getting #EatenAlive by an anaconda on TV goes unfulfilled? — Aaron Sagers (@aaronsagers) December 8, 2014
There have been recent reports that a giant snake is living in Lake Hopatcong in New Jersey. According to several witnesses who say they have seen the snake, it is between 15 and 20 feet long.
Animal control services have been called to locate and remove the snake from the lake, but many of them are not sure what kind of snake they are looking for. Some people claim the snake is a boa constrictor and others say it is an anaconda.
How the snake got into the lake is a mystery as well, but it is not uncommon for pet owners to release unwanted animals into the wild or for them to escape on their own.
One animal control expert who is searching for the snake says that the snake is a gigantic green anaconda. He also says he was told not to reveal the type of snake it was because officials were afraid it would cause a panic.
“It’s a green anaconda,” Reptile specialist Gerald Andrejcak said. “I’ve known its species (since last week), but I was sworn to keep my mouth shut by local officials to avoid causing a panic. Now that there’s a panic, I’m going on the record.”
Many people have spotted the snake over the last few weeks. Several boaters, fishermen and people who live near the lake have called animal control to report a large snake swimming in the lake.
Andrejcak said that the snake is not likely to attack people unless they threaten it. Anacondas are members of the boa constrictor family and squeeze their pray to kill it before they eat it. He suggests that anyone who sees the snake should avoid getting too close to it or trying to capture it themselves. Instead, they should call the police or animal control.
Do you think there is really an anaconda swimming in the New Jersey lake?
A green anaconda is loose in Lake Hopatcong in Jefferson Township, situated in northern New Jersey, and reptile expert Gerald Andrejcak revealed that state wildlife authorities told him to “keep his mouth shut” regarding the actual species of the snake.
The snake was initially described as a boa, which a green anaconda technically is, but state officials wanted to avoid causing a panic in the area. “I was sworn to keep my mouth shut by local officials to avoid causing a panic,” Andrejcak commented, adding, “Now that there’s a panic, I’m going on the record.”
Andrejack positively identified the snake on Thursday as a 16-foot-long green anaconda, after spotting it by the lake. The snake had vanished by the time animal care workers arrived to attempt to wrangle it.
The green anaconda, or Eunectes murinus, is native to South America, and has been confirmed to grow to more than 22 feet long, and can weigh over 215 pounds. Though, a $50,000 reward stands for anyone who can capture a green anaconda measuring 30 feet long, and historical records indicate that the snake, which lives in remote areas of rain forests, can grow to 40 feet long, and weigh over 550 pounds.
The green anaconda’s only known predator is man, and can take down large prey including deer and cattle.
As a side note, behold Jon Voight’s continuous mean-mugging from the 1997 J.Lo thriller Anaconda:
Andrejack, an employee of Common Sense for Animals, remarked that he is frustrated by the lack of response from wildlife officials, and hopes to find the snake before someone kills it.
Tony Colantonio, who lives by the lake, commented, “If someone can kill it and get out of here, that’s fine. I want proof that it’s gone.”
Here is a video Colantonio captured of the snake:
Colantonio added, “There’s kids swimming in the lake, there’s going to be people in the water this weekend, and my kids can’t go in their backyard. It’s a green anaconda, a predator, hunting all day every day. It’s not a python that lives 80 percent of its life on land and only needs to eat once a month. It’s one of the most aggressive snakes out there. It’s been two weeks and (the township and state) have done nothing. Everybody I call just blows me off.”
What would you do if you walked in your bathroom and encountered a 12-foot African python? Tough question right? Well, this is exactly what happened to Veronica Rodriguez.
Veronica, who lives in College Station, Texas, was having a day like any other, when she heard something thrashing around making tons of noise. “I was on the phone with my mom and I kept hearing noises in the back,” she said. She walked through her house and checked the bedrooms, but found nothing. The noises continued and she finally decided to check the bathroom, where she had bathed her daughter’s pet guinea pigs earlier that day.
When she flipped on the light, Veronica was absolutely horrified at what she saw … a 12-foot python slithering into her bathtub. “As soon as I turned on the light, that’s when I saw it. It was crawling into my tub. It was a huge scare,” Veronica said, and then added that she was still shaken up over a week later.
So, how did the snake get into her house? Veronica, a single mother, was home alone while her daughter was at work, when she decided to give their three guinea pigs a bath. After bathing each one, Veronica said she would take them outside to dry off in a pinned in area, and would leave the door open afterwards for two to three minutes.
After finding the snake, Veronica slammed the door and ran outside. She called 911 and officer Tony Gonzales arrived shortly after. “When the officer showed up, he came with a brown paper sack,” she explained. “I told him, ‘you’re going to need a bigger sack than that.’”
Gonzales said that he had been called out for snakes before, but never one that large. “When I opened her bathroom door, there was a 12-foot python,” Gonzales said. “I didn’t know what I was going to do with a snake that large.”
Gonzales called for back up and two more officers, including an animal control officer, arrived. The three officers managed to get the snake into a city trash can, but noted that it was very aggressive and did not want to go in. The snake was left near the side of Veronica’s home until the next morning when animal control picked it up.
The snake was transported to a reptile rescue facility and was later claimed by its owner.
Onlookers witnessed a frightening scene in Australia on Monday, as a ten-foot snake, believed to be a python, won a lengthy battle with a crocodile.
The episode took place at Lake Moondarra and was captured on camera by local residents. The snake can be seen fighting with the crocodile, and then later moving him to the land and swallowing him whole.
Tiffany Corlis witnessed the whole incident, and was able to snap several pictures of the snake and crocodile. “It was amazing,” she explained to the BBC. “We saw the snake fighting with the crocodile – it would roll the crocodile around to get a better grip, and coil its body around the crocodile’s legs to hold it tight.”
Apparently, the snake coiled so tightly around the crocodile that he was no longer able to move, and could be seen trying to hold his head out of the water. “The fight began in the water – the crocodile was trying to hold its head out of the water at one time, and the snake was constricting it,” Corlis continued.
“After the crocodile had died, the snake uncoiled itself, came around to the front, and started to eat the crocodile, face-first.”
Tiffany’s husband Travis explained that snakes and crocodiles are very common in the area, however he had never seen them fighting like this before.
Depending on who you are and what you believe, this story may either be darkly hilarious or a true testament to one’s unyielding connection to their faith.
Rev. Jamie Coots, known as a “snake preacher” died due to receiving a snake bite on his hand during a church service at the Full Gospel Tabernacle in Jesus Name.
A member of the Middlesboro, KY congregation called 9-1-1 to report the bite, but by the time an ambulance arrived, Coots had already left. Emergency personnel found Coots at his home.
His wound was examined and he was notified of the risks associated with a poisonous snake bite, the biggest one being death. Coots was offered medical assistance and a ride to the local hospital. Coots refused any medical attention according to a statement by Middlesboro Police Chief Jeff Sharpe.
An hour after emergency response workers left his home, law enforcement officials, emergency personnel and a coroner returned to find Coots dead.
He absolutely should have prosecuted back in 98. Faith or not he got someone killed. http://t.co/F7QMF5sLvu
Coots was the co-star of a reality show based on his unconventional snake handling religion. The belief in handling poisonous snakes comes from a literalist interpretation of passage Mark Chapter 16, Verses 17 to 18:
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
In other words, all one needs to believe is that poisonous snakes will cease to be poisonous and faith alone is enough to neutralize the poison. This is very likely the logic that was at the heart of Coots refusing medical treatment.
As it turns out, Coots had two similar brushes with death when bitten by snakes back in the 90s. This time Coots was not so lucky.
An 18-foot python found in the Florida Everglades almost tied in size with the state’s record setting snake.
The Miami Herald reported that the massive Burmese beast was captured on Tuesday by python control on the L-28 levee, roughly 5 miles north of Tamiami Trail. Engineers came across the creature while inspecting levees in the Everglades. South Florida Water Management District spokesman, Randy Smith, said, “It looks to be about 18 feet,” adding, “It could very well be a state record.”
That was almost the case. Burmese pythons typically reach about 20 feet in their natural habitat of Southeast Asia. The current state record for a snake found in Florida reportedly was measured to be 18 feet, 8 inches and weighed in at 128 pounds when snake collector Jason Leon killed it. The python captured by Hill this past Tuesday met the same fate before its corpse was sent to the University of Florida to also be measured and weighed.
At 18 feet 2 inches, the female serpent fell short of the existing record by merely half a foot, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
The cold-blooded creatures spend their days atop the leaves, doing what Floridians do: sunning themselves for hours on end. However, this species is currently being battled due to a rising concern that they could alter the ecosystem in a detrimental way. The southern state’s reptile residents have reportedly grown to a population comprising upwards of 150,000 in the Everglades and have been consistently consuming the indigenous species as their main source of food.
But who is truly to blame for the python proliferation? This colossal species of snake – the largest in the world – is reported to have found a home in the Everglades following the use of the wetlands as a convenient dumping ground by pet owners.
A Long Island animal control officer was found keeping about 850 snakes in his home on Thursday, two of which were 6-foot Burmese pythons – all part of an illegal reptile sales operation. The snakes were all housed in the two garages of Richard Parinello, 44, of Shirley, New York.
The Burmese pythons, which can grow to 30 feet long, are illegal in New York state. Suffolk County SPCA Chief Roy Gross called the snakes “an accident waiting to happen,” and stated that “there is a reason why Burmese pythons are illegal”, while relating the deaths of two young boys in Canada, who were recently suffocated by an African rock python, as they’d slept.
Shirley spokesman Jack Krieger stated that Parinello has worked unsteadily as an animal control officer since 1988, and that authorities found the snakes while checking to see if Parinello was working while on disability leave. The snakes were kept in a very orderly fashion, under the right conditions, and no signs of animal cruelty were evident. The pythons were transferred to a sanctuary in Massachusetts.
Parinello’s snake business had a website at snakemanexotics.com, which has since been taken down, and he faces several charges, including harboring the pythons, and running a business out of his home without a permit.
In related news, 40 pythons were recently found in a Canadian hotel room, and a record-setting python was captured in Miami.
The Burmese python has been classified as an invasive species in the Florida Everglades, as a breeding colony had been established there in the late 1970’s. the pythons are popular pets, and would get loose – they’ve since thrived in the Floridian environment. The snakes now number anywhere between 5,000 and 180,000 in the Everglades, and the National Park Service created a policy to remove and euthanize them immediately.
Metal Gear Solid fans went a little nuts earlier this year when it was revealed that long time Snake voice actor David Hayter would not be reprising his role in Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. Soon after, speculation ran rampant with some even thinking this was yet another moment of Kojima trolling his fans.
During its pre-E3 briefing today, Hideo Kojima announced that Keifer Sutherland will be playing the role of Snake in Metal Gear Solid V. The decision was made after Kojima spoke to personal friend Avi Arad about his troubles in finding an actor who could portray an older Snake. Arad introduced Kojma to Sutherland, and the rest is history.
So, what does Hayter think about being replaced by Sutherland?
Ah well,Can’t fault @realkieferGreat actor, good man.The game will probably still be excellent.Like New Coke!
Unfortunately, Kojima didn’t provide any details regarding launch date or platforms for Metal Gear Solid V. Early material said it was a PS3 and PS3 game, but there have been some murmurings about it coming to next-gen consoles as well. As for the launch, we’re still probably at least a year away.
He was making a cargo delivery, but he had no idea the cargo included a dangerous hop-on.
Sounds like a line from a cheesy movie, but Australian pilot Braden Bennerhassett says that’s exactly what happened to him on Tuesday when a snake peeked out at him from behind the instrument panel of his twin-engine Beechcraft Baron during a solo flight to an Aboriginal settlement. He immediately made radio contact with air traffic control:
“I’m going to have to return to Darwin. I’ve got a snake on board the plane,” he said coolly.
Bennerhassett insists that despite his calm tone, his heart rate and blood pressure were steadily climbing, and it only got worse when the snake actually crawled up his leg as he began his landing at Darwin.
The pilot landed safely and the snake slithered away aboard the plane. It was spotted later but still hasn’t been caught, and Bennerhassett has been grounded since. Based on the description he gave authorities, the creature is believed to be a golden tree snake, which is non-venomous. But Bennerhassett had no way of knowing he wasn’t in any immediate danger and still managed to keep his wits about him, which is commendable.
Do you remember Snake, the oddly addicting cellphone game introduced on Nokia phones? The game turned 15-years-old today.
Nokia Connects has a list of 10 Snake facts to celebrate the event.
Snake first appeared on a Nokia device in 1997 on the Nokia 6110. It was adapted for Nokia devices by Taneli Armanto, a design engineer in user interface software.
Snake was one of three games introduced in 1997, with the others being Logic and Memory. I remember playing Memory far more than Snake, but that was because I was bad at it. Logic was just stupid, but that’s because it was far too complicated for my 8-year-old mind.
The game is on over 400 million mobile phones and is now on its ninth version.
A fun fact is that Nokia 7110 players could play multiplayer Snake via the phones’ infra-red connections.
The most interesting fact, for me at least, is the maximum number of points on level one is 312 and on level nine is 2008. Nokia Connects lays out the scoring formula as: “bits on screen (212) X level (1 through to 9) + 100 bonus points for completing the level.”
A nice tribute is that Windows Phone now has a Snake ‘97 app that emulates the original game perfectly for those feeling up for a nostalgia bomb today.
I remember asking to see the family cellphone just so I could play Snake on long rides to see family. I didn’t realize it until today, but Snake is pretty influential on gaming as a whole. It started the mobile gaming craze that’s focused on simple, easy to understand games.
We at WebProNews tip our hats off to Snake for the many hours of fun its provided us and for the many more hours of fun it will provide to countless other people.