In Case You Missed It
CLEAR Taps TalkLP to Execute its Annual Conference

CLEAR has selected TalkLP to execute its National Conference in Orlando November 8-10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

Nashville, TN, (January 18, 2022) - The Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR) selects TalkLP, a subsidiary of Calibration Group, to execute its 2022 National Conference. TalkLP will strategize and execute the CLEAR conference designed to provide a value-packed experience for both the attendees and solution provider partners. TalkLP responsibilities include coordinating on-site logistics, production, marketing, promotion, and emceeing the conference.

"CLEAR has seen incredible growth and success over the last few years with our Annual Conference," said Ben Dugan, President of CLEAR. "We believe TalkLP's skill in executing superior conference experiences will take CLEAR to the next level for both our attendees and valuable solution provider partners." Read more here


Hey Vendors, Solution Providers & Partners: Going to ISC West?
Let the Industry Know Your Booth # Please

Going to ISC West? Send us your booth number and we'll make sure the LP/AP and Cybersecurity communities see where you'll be & hopefully stop by your booth!

Get some extra free exposure!
 

US: 69.8M Cases - 880.9K Dead - 43.8M Recovered
Worldwide: 339.8M Cases - 5.5M Dead - 273.3M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 343   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 615
*Red indicates change in total deaths

The Virus is Here to Stay
COVID May Never Go Away But Public Health Emergency Could Be Over This Year
The COVID-19 virus may never end, but strict guidelines and vaccination requirements could lead to an end of lockdowns and hospitalizations. The head of emergencies at the World Health Organization (WHO) spoke about it on Tuesday during a panel discussion hosted by the World Economic Forum.

"We may never end the virus" because such pandemic viruses "end up becoming part of the ecosystem," Dr. Michael Ryan said. "[But] we have a chance to end the public health emergency this year if we do the things that we've been talking about."

Ryan said that the tragedy of the virus would continue if the vaccines and other tools were not shared fairly. The virus has killed more than 5.5 million people worldwide. The discussion also centered around vaccines, lockdown protocols and impact it has had on the economy.

While COVID-19 is highly unlikely to be eliminated, it could kill people at much lower levels, even if it becomes endemic and after, according to public health officials, the Associated Press reported.

For 2022, the goal of the WHO is to have 70 percent of the population in every country of the world vaccinated. newsweek.com

Nation Caught Unprepared For Tests & Results & White House Offered No Help
What happened to Operation Warp Speed? The Tortoise Won't Win Here

Omicron leaves testing labs overwhelmed, causing frustrating delays to get results
As the Omicron surge drives infection rates to record highs, testing has emerged as an essential tool for limiting its spread. But over the last month, laboratories and manufacturers have struggled to keep up with the demand.

In December, neighborhood pharmacies sold out of rapid antigen tests. Getting an appointment for the more sensitive and definitive PCR test took days, and results even longer. Once again, the pandemic had exposed a weakness in the country's healthcare system.

"I think that unfortunately, we are as unprepared for the type of surge we are experiencing - from a testing perspective - as we were a year ago,"

Free at-home coronavirus testing kits, now available to households around the country, promise to ease the bottlenecks, but questions over shortages and delays threaten to undermine confidence. Answers, however, lie in the numbers.

Lab Results Wave: "Labs have to go from a normal level of testing to three times or 10 times more in a surge," he said. "It is a very difficult ask. Everyone should have access to PCR tests that we can turn around in 24 hours. That is what a federal response should look like."

As healthcare experts predict new variants on the horizon, the need for such safeguards is more important than ever, Garner said. latimes.com

States Take Emergency Measures Amid Omicron Surge
GOP and Democratic governors reinstate Covid emergency orders to combat omicron surge
As Covid-19 cases surge across the nation, Republican and Democratic governors alike are issuing new or reinstated emergency health orders in an effort to slow the spread of the omicron variant and alleviate the strain on hospitals.

Officials from Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey, Kansas and California have all announced executive measures - some of which are renewals of emergency orders that are expiring or have been lifted - since the start of the month.

Instead of ordering lockdowns and business closures, which devastated the economy at the beginning of the pandemic, the fresh round of orders is designed to free up resources so state and local agencies can prepare for the onslaught of cases and potentially overwhelmed hospitals.

After months of falling case numbers, Covid infections resurged to unprecedented levels over the holidays due to the highly contagious omicron variant.

The U.S. has reported an average of more than 743,000 cases per day over the past week, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. That marks more than three times the level reported during last winter's previous record. cnbc.com

Apple's Vaccine Mandate a Model for the Industry?
Op-Ed: Apple's Covid-19 Booster Mandate Is the Best I've Seen Yet

It's a model for every business trying to balance workplace safety and employee needs.

Earlier this week, Apple told employees of both its corporate offices and its retail stores that it will require them to get a Covid-19 booster shoot. That's according to an internal email reported by The Verge.

Employees will be required to get the booster shot within four weeks of their eligibility, or they will be required to undergo frequent testing before they'll be allowed to enter Apple's retail stores or corporate offices. Unvaccinated employees will also have to provide negative test results prior to entering work, starting January 24.

Essentially, Apple is informing employees that "fully-vaccinated" now means getting a booster shot. Notably, Apple isn't threatening to fire unvaccinated employees--or bar them from coming into work--both of which are steps other companies have taken.

Apple's approach is important because of its size and influence. It has the ability to shape the way other companies respond to the changing conditions of the pandemic.

Over the past two years, Apple has served as one of the best indicators of how Covid-19 was affecting different communities. The company was aggressive in monitoring local conditions and didn't hesitate to close retail stores in areas when cases surged. inc.com

Starbucks Reverses Vax Mandate for Baristas After Supreme Court Ruling
Starbucks drops vaccine-or-test requirement; adds new COVID protocols
Starbucks has changed course on its vaccine mandate for employees following the decision last week by the Supreme Court to block the Biden administration's vaccine-or-test rule for large businesses.

In early January, Starbucks said its U.S. employees had to disclose their vaccination status by Jan. 10. It said that employees who choose not to be fully vaccinated by Feb. 9, when enforcement of the federal vaccine mandate for companies with 100 or more employees was scheduled to begin, would have to present a negative COVID-19 test and be tested weekly.

In his letter, Culver said Starbucks will still strongly encourage employees to get vaccinated and to disclose their vaccination status. More than 90% of workers have already disclosed if they have been vaccinated, and the "vast majority" have been fully vaccinated, according to Culver. The company will continue to offer two hours of paid time off for getting the shots.

Starbucks also announced several new Covid-19 safety protocols. Employees must wear a three-ply medical grade mask, including a N95, KN95 or KF94, at work. Cloth masks will no longer be allowed. chainstoreage.com  wsj.com

Using COVID Relief Dollars to Fund Law Enforcement
Arizona Gov. Ducey quietly approves $95M in virus cash to boost pay for troopers, prison guards and more
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey quietly tapped $95 million in federal coronavirus relief money in November to boost pay for state troopers, prison guards and workers in several other state departments deemed essential.

The Republican governor's office did not announce that he was using cash from President Joe Biden's American Rescue Plan Act to provide 20% pay boosts to the state's corrections officers, 15% increases to state troopers and 10% increases to workers at the departments of child safety, economic security, juvenile corrections, transportation and health services.

Using the money to provide premium pay for essential workers is allowed under terms of the virus relief law signed by the Democratic president last March. It allows state and local governments to boost pay by up to $13 per hour for essential workers and allows a maximum per-employee amount of $25,000.

Ducey is seeking similar permanent raises for troopers and at other agencies in the budget proposal he released on Friday. fox10phoenix.com

Two-thirds of COVID vaccine side-effects are just a placebo effect, study says

On-Demand Webinar
Enhance your security posture with Zero Trust Strategy featuring VF CORP
With increased adoption of digital technologies - such as cloud, IoT and Blockchain - and remote working becoming commonplace, network security is not the fortress it used to be. A truly secure organization can no longer trust anyone either inside or outside of its environment. The real challenge lies in securing a borderless perimeter.

Digital Trust, the foundation for digital transactions, has become the new security perimeter. And, Digital Identity is the vital component for achieving Digital Trust. Wipro's team of CyberSecurists Zero Trust strategy ensures that anything or anyone connecting to systems on the network is monitored, while providing continuous real-time access insights. It is a model that is data and identity centric.

Tune in to Wipro's on-demand webinar, brought to you by Wipro's CyberSecurists.

Hear information security leaders from across the Americas discuss why Zero Trust framework should be vital to securing networks for a successful digital transformation journey.

Key takeaways:

● Getting started with Zero Trust in your organization by choosing the right technology partner
● Understanding, assessing, and implementing the Zero Trust solutions successfully
● How to overcome the challenges encountered along the way
● Future and trends in Zero Trust security

Watch Now

New Kind of Online Shopping Fraud
How Buy Now, Pay Later is being targeted by fraudsters
Consumers are increasingly utilising Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) payment options to make online purchases. Indeed, several e-commerce companies reported huge uptakes in sales, via BNPL, over the festive period, most notably around 2021's Black Friday and Cyber Monday retail peaks.

PayPal reported an increase of nearly 400% of consumers using its new BNPL payment option, and Klarna reported a 141% increase in US sales over the period, compared to Black Friday 2020. As a result, BNPL is currently the fastest growing e-commerce payment solution of recent years, now accounting for 2.6% of global e-commerce sales (excluding China).

BNPL has been labelled the younger generations credit card due to its popularity amongst millennials and Gen Z shoppers. However, with this increase in activity, the fraud rate has also increased - current data shows that fraud rose by 66% in 2021 compared to 2020.

So, while companies offering BNPL are seeing an increase in purchases and revenue, the payment option is also attracting fraudsters, who are always on the lookout for loopholes in payment systems and often target new systems to make a profit at a retailers' expense.

There is currently no regulated system in BNPL products to carry out credit checks on a customer's personal financial circumstances. As a result, fraudsters are masquerading as genuine customers and setting up fake accounts when they make their first purchase, paying one instalment, then closing the account once they have received their goods.

Another more well-known type of fraud that is affecting BNPL is account takeover fraud (ATO). Fraudsters gain access to genuine customer accounts and use their cards to make payments, or to test stolen cards. It has been reported that attempted ATOs nearly tripled over Black Friday and Cyber Monday last year (2021). New companies and payment platforms are attractive targets because they have less fraud knowledge and historical data to combat many instances of ATO, which are unlikely to be picked up by new systems. helpnetsecurity.com

Pay Frustrations Surge at Amazon
Amazon employee angst over low pay reaches crisis levels, driving attrition higher across senior ranks, insiders say

Some Amazon employees and executives are frustrated with what they perceive as below-market pay.

A growing number of Amazon employees, including senior staff, are more aggressively pushing for better compensation, disenchanted with what they perceive as below-market pay.

"The pay issue is absolutely a big concern," a senior manager at Amazon said. "Amazon is a demanding place to work, but tied in with pay, that makes it a very difficult place to stick around." This person, as well as many others who talked to Insider, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive topics.

The rancor over pay is leading to higher attrition. At least 50 vice presidents left Amazon last year, a turnover rate of more than 10% at that level, according to people familiar with the matter and Insider's analysis. That's rare for a company known for the loyalty and long employment history of valued senior leaders.

"I've seen more people exit out of there in the last year and a half than I've ever seen before," one former executive, who said attrition across the company was typically 6 to 8% a year, said. A senior employee at Amazon Web Services said a bigger exodus was expected at the cloud unit once staff learned about their latest compensation packages in February. businessinsider.com

Shopify steps up China expansion through tie-up with e-commerce giant JD.com

Using Boosters They Sold Over $3M of Stolen Goods on eBay
Former Rochester Pawn Shop Owner Pleads Guilty To Selling Stolen Goods
Devin Tribunella, 37, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to transportation of stolen goods in interstate commerce. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Tribunella owned and operated Royal Crown Pawn & Jewelry on Dewey Avenue in Rochester. Tribunella and his employee, Wade Shadders, purchased stolen goods and merchandise from individuals, commonly referred to as "boosters," who shoplifted the goods and merchandise from Rochester area retail stores. Tribunella routinely advised the boosters what type of merchandise to steal from the retail stores, such as Lowes, Home Depot, Target, and Walmart. Tribunella listed the stolen goods for sale on eBay, advertising the goods as "New" or "New-In-Box" and priced below retail value. Between January 2017, and November 2019, Tribunella sold and shipped (or caused to be shipped) approximately $3,248,426 worth of those stolen goods to buyers located outside of New York State.

As part of his plea, Tribunella will forfeit over $200,000 cash, four luxury vehicles, and will be required to pay a $1,600,000 money judgement. Wade Shadders was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing. justice.gov

California authorities recover over $200k in stolen items from Louis Vuitton and Lululemon
The California Highway Patrol has recovered more than $200,000 in stolen items from "smash-and-grab" robberies across the state. In a tweet posted on Wednesday, the California Highway Patrol announced that its Organized Retail Crime Task Force conducted an operation in the Bay Area on Sunday, which led to the arrest of a "known fencing suspect." According to the law enforcement agency, the operation resulted in the recovery of an estimated $185,000 in merchandise stolen from "numerous retailers," including Louis Vuitton in San Francisco. foxnews.com

Encino, CA: 3 charged in cellphone store robbery may be linked to dozens more such thefts
Three defendants are facing a federal charge stemming from the smash-and-grab robbery of a T-Mobile store in Encino last weekend, prosecutors announced Wednesday. Rayford Newsome, 22, Tony Tyron Lee Stewart, 21, and Jerome Gregory Belser, 20, each face one federal count of obstructing commerce by means of robbery, according to a criminal complaint filed Tuesday in Los Angeles federal court. The three could be linked to as many as 50 cellphone store robberies throughout the Southland between Nov. 11, 2021, and last Saturday, according to a Los Angeles Police Department detective who wrote the sworn affidavit in the case.

The defendants were arrested on Saturday hours after the heist at the T-Mobile on Ventura Blvd. Surveillance and cellphone video of the robbery showed three suspects carrying distinctive looking hammers walking into the store during store hours, smashing display cases and taking Apple iPhones and other merchandise, according to the complaint. Law enforcement received reports of similar robberies the same day at cellphone stores in Inglewood, Long Beach and Woodland Hills, the complaint states. Federal prosecutors allege that GPS location data for phones belonging to Newsome and Stewart, and a blue Kia Optima they were arrested in, showed that the phones and the car were in the vicinity of the robberies around the time they occurred. sbsun.com

Los Angeles, CA: Update: 4 arrested in smash-and-grab at Studio City Lululemon, $72K in items recovered: CHP
Four people were arrested and about $72,000 in stolen merchandise recovered after a smash-and-grab at a Lululemon store in Studio City, authorities said Wednesday. The burglary was reported a day earlier in the 12100 block of Ventura Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Two men and two women entered the location and made off with a large amount of merchandise from the athletic apparel retailer's store, police said. LAPD tracked their vehicle to the 5 Freeway in the Santa Clarita Valley and chased them until the California Highway Patrol took over the pursuit, officials said. Officers were following the car northbound on the 5 when the vehicle crashed in the Fort Tejon area, according to CHP. Four people identified as the suspects in the Lululemon theft were subsequently located and arrested, the Highway Patrol tweeted Wednesday. Officers recovered an estimated $72,000 worth of stolen items, they said. ktla.com

Biloxi, MS: Police searching for man accused of stealing Saints gear
Police are looking for a man who they suspect of stealing $1,700 in Saints gear from a store at Edgewater Mall. The man is accused of stealing multiple New Orleans Saints jerseys and other clothing items valued at more than $1,000 on October 17. He then returned to the store on December 22 and allegedly took 10 black Saints hoodies, valued at more than $700 and ran from the store without paying. wxxv25.com

Canberra City Centre, Australia: ACT Policing arrest boy in connection to Canberra Centre Apple Store $60,000 burglary
ACT Policing arrested a teenager on Wednesday evening in connection to an alleged burglary where $60,000 worth of Apple products was stolen. Police allege that about 4am on Wednesday, the 16-year-old boy and another man broke into the Canberra Centre and a short time later gained entry to the Apple Store. Security staff were alerted to the alleged burglary by an alarm and attended as the offenders were fleeing with about $60,000 worth of electronic devices. Police said the offenders dropped a bag of stolen Apple products while fleeing. canberratimes.com.au

Jamaica: Two Security Guards charged in Red Stripe Beer warehouse robbery