Detex Joins the National Shoplifting Prevention Coalition as a Founding Supporter
The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) and its Retail Advisory Committee welcome Detex as one of the first founding supporters of the National Shoplifting Prevention Coalition (NSPC). The addition of new members and supporters like Detex brings new expertise and diverse points of view in to the Coalition's collaborative effort to reduce shoplifter recidivism using education.

"By joining and supporting the Coalition, Detex is helping retailers and communities address the issues at the root of retail crime and theft. Their support will have a long-term impact on retail loss and will improve both store and community safety" noted NASP Executive Director Caroline Kochman. "Industry leading companies like Detex will bring significant value and offer new insight to the Coalition; adding to the strength already rooted in its veteran asset protection leaders."

"Joining and supporting the NSPC gives us an opportunity to truly partner long term with retailers on a project where we will be exponentially more effective as group than as individual companies," said Tim Shafer, Marketing Manager at Detex. "Through this initiative, we hope that our collective resources will result in significant social impact - for stores, for communities, for the human beings who are given a second-chance through education."
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Intellicheck and DealerSafeGuardSolutionS Collaborate to Protect Auto Dealers from Fraud
Intellicheck and DealerSafeGuardSolutionS are collaborating to put the brakes on the growing problem of fraudulent automobile purchases and leasing. Under the new cooperative agreement, DealerSafeGuardSolutionS will offer Intellicheck's Retail ID desktop and mobile app solution as part of its digital compliance enforcement platform to provide fraud protection to their more than 550 automobile dealerships' locations nationwide. businesswire.com

Register now for ECR's Self Checkout Workshop
Feb 11th & 12th in London
Heads of Front End & Checkouts, Heads of Store Operations & Loss Prevention, Retail Experience & Proposition leaders and Product Managers from 30+ retailers from across Europe and USA have already registered for this interactive retailer only workshop, with design, innovation and real world case study learning as the central themes.

As with all ECR meetings, there is no cost for retailers to participate. If your retail company would like to participate then please click here to see the agenda and to register.
 

Coronavirus Update

Coronavirus Live Updates:
Trump Praises China's Response to Outbreak as Death Toll Passes 600

Deaths in China surpass 636, and infections rise above 31,161

Many doctors believe that deaths and infections in China are undercounted because hospitals and laboratories are under severe strain to test for the virus.

W.H.O. says global supplies of masks and other equipment is running short. nytimes.com

Lifeblood of Amazon merchants threatened as coronavirus infects Chinese workers
Idled factories & product shortages could 'wipe out' online sellers

1 million-plus Amazon sellers depend on factory workers in China

Amazon.com sellers are bracing for product shortages as Chinese workers - worried about the fast-spreading coronavirus - may be unable or unwilling to return to idled factories.

Brandon Young, who pulls in more than $10 million in annual revenue from the online marketplace, has a 30-45 day supply of portable Apple Inc watch chargers that could be difficult to replenish because they are built from genuine Apple components that are exclusively made in China.

Plugable Technologies founder Bernie Thompson says he could run out of his top-selling triple display laptop docking station by the end of this month, even if factories open as planned next week.

The entrepreneurs are among the 1 million-plus Amazon sellers whose livelihoods depend on factory workers in China, where the coronavirus has sickened more than 30,000 and killed more than 600 people. Their predicament foreshadows the risk Amazon sellers face if China's fast-moving epidemic results in worker shortages or prolonged factory closures.

Running out of product on Amazon can wipe out a small business. Amazon's algorithm gives top billing to sellers with the briskest and most recent sales. That prominent placement helps drive even more sales.

In a post published here on its Chinese website on Saturday, Amazon advised Chinese sellers to avoid low inventory and shipping delays due to the coronavirus. Tips included delisting products and putting stores into inactive mode. reuters.com

Coronavirus: How to Plan and Protect

Pandemic Expert Regina Phelps Offers 10 Tips for Business Continuity

If 2% Mortality Rate Increases We'll See Widespread Impact

The coronavirus statistics are dizzying - as of Thursday, there were 28,000 reported infections in 25 countries, with about 560 deaths. But the key stat to watch is 2 percent, says pandemic expert Regina Phelps. That's the current mortality rate. And how that number grows or shrinks will dictate how business continuity leaders must respond.

"If we continue on a 2 percent fatality rate, or it drops even lower, I think we will not see a major impact on business," says Phelps, founder of Emergency Management & Safety Solutions. "If, however, that fatality rate increases, then I think you will see a lot of widespread impact," including to the global business supply chain."

• Myths and realities about the outbreak;

• What business continuity/disaster recovery leaders should be doing now in preparation;

• Ten tips for how to address issues such as business continuity, supply chain concerns and fraud scams already emerging from the crisis.

Phelps, RN, BSN, MPA, CEM, is an internationally recognized expert in the field of emergency management and continuity planning. govinfosecurity.com

Coronavirus fears drive shortages of respiratory masks, sanitizers

"The news coverage is clearly affecting consumer behavior"

Americans are much more worried about the coronavirus than their local pharmacists, according to a national survey, conducted by the National Community Pharmacists Association. The survey was based on 124 responses sent to 8,000 pharmacy owners/managers Feb. 3-5.

Sixty-three percent of local pharmacists say their customers are buying surgical masks as a precaution, while a staggering 96% say they're selling them faster than they can restock. Nearly 40% say they can't get enough respirator masks. Many are reporting shortages of hand sanitizers, surface sanitizers, and gloves as well. drugstorenews.com

Philly Area Businesses Feeling the Sting of Coronavirus Outbreak
 

Organized Cybercrime: Not Your Grandfather's Mafia

New Michigan State University Study

Does the common stereotype for "organized crime" hold up for organizations of hackers? Research from Michigan State University is one of the first to identify common attributes of cybercrime networks, revealing how these groups function and work together to cause an estimated $445-600 billion of harm globally per year.

"It's not the 'Tony Soprano mob boss type' who's ordering cybercrime against financial institutions," said Thomas Holt, MSU professor of criminal justice and co-author of the study. "Certainly, there are different nation states and groups engaging in cybercrime, but the ones causing the most damage are loose groups of individuals who come together to do one thing, do it really well - and even for a period of time - then disappear."

In cases like New York City's "Five Families," organized crime networks have historic validity, and are documented and traceable. In the online space, however, it's a very difficult trail to follow, Holt said.

"We found that these cybercriminals work in organizations, but those organizations differ depending on the offense," Holt said. "They may have relationships with each other, but they're not multi-year, multi-generation, sophisticated groups that you associate with other organized crime networks."

"Many of these criminals connected online, at least initially, in order to communicate to find one another," Holt said. "In some of the bigger cases that we had, there's a core group of actors who know one another really well, who then develop an ancillary network of people who they can use for money muling or for converting the information that they obtained into actual cash."

The research, published in International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, also debunks common misconceptions that sophisticated organized criminal networks - such as the Russian mafia - are the ones creating cybercrime.

"As things move to the dark web and use cryptocurrencies and other avenues for payment, hacker behaviors change and become harder to fully identify, it's going to become harder to understand some of these relational networks," Holt said. "We hope to see better relationships between law enforcement and academia, better information sharing, and sourcing so we can better understand actor behaviors." homelandsecuritynewswire.com

Valley Murder Victim's Family Suing Walmart For Lacks Store Security

Allowing Killer Unfettered Access to Ammunition He Stole

Trump Included Rocky's Story in SOTU Address

In December 2018 36-year-old Gustavo Garcia allegedly stole unsecured ammo from a Tulare Walmart's shelves and used it in a deadly crime spree.

Rocky Jones, 51, was killed by Garcia outside a Visalia AM-PM. Garcia was on a rampage which included carjacking, armed robbery, two murders and a shootout with law enforcement.

The Jones family alleges the bullets used in the killing were the same ones Garcia stole from the Tulare Walmart.

"Walmart violated state law by having their ammunition unsecured unlocked and not behind a counter where there was a salesperson to assist you," Wagner said.

The family is pushing for legislation to hold them accountable for weakening criminal laws.

Wagner said he's not scared to take on Walmart in fact, two years ago he won a $74-million lawsuit against the company.

Jody Jones, Rocky's brother, drew national attention as President Donald Trump's State of the Union guest. Trump shared Rocky's story - one the family said will not be in vain. yourcentralvalley.com

Civil unrest on the rise globally: Report
Civil unrest is rising globally, according to the most recent Civil Unrest Index from Verisk Maplecroft, part of Verisk Analytics Inc.

The risk consultant's Political Outlook 2020 identifies 47 jurisdictions that over the past year have witnessed a significant uptick in protests, a trend that intensified during the last quarter of 2019, the report said. Troubled spots included locations as diverse as Hong Kong, Chile, Nigeria, Sudan, Haiti and Lebanon.

Verisk Maplecroft projects that 75 out of the 125 countries in its forecasting database will on average see an increase in civil unrest during the next six months, the report said.

China-U.S tensions also remain a focus and are expected to worsen this year. businessinsurance.com

Men Plead Guilty to Employment Fraud Scheme, Defrauding Goodwill
Two Alexandria men pleaded guilty today and agreed to forfeit approximately $3.9 million for unlawfully employing unauthorized immigrants over several years and defrauding Goodwill of Greater Washington.

According to court documents, Alaa Nimr Garada, 57, and Rafik Moheyeldin, 65, operated a business known as WTC2, Inc. This business specialized in purchasing and reselling used goods, including clothing and shoes. WTC2 contracted with charities, including Goodwill of Greater Washington, which operated clothing donation centers. In particular, WTC2 contracted with several charities to set up donation bins with the charities' logos, and WTC2 was then permitted to keep the goods collected in those bins. WTC2 primarily collected used clothing and then resold the clothing in bulk lots to customers along the United States-Mexico border and also exported items to customers in Africa, Asia, and South America.

From 2012 until 2016, the WTC2 workforce was composed primarily of unauthorized immigrants for whom no payroll taxes were remitted, and no employment benefits, such as unemployment and/or worker's compensation insurance, were available or paid to any eligible beneficiary. justice.gov

7-Eleven Going Amazon-Go
Over the next few years the industry with be Go-ing
During the pilot, the 700-square-foot non-traditional store is available to 7-Eleven employees. Just like Amazon did.

"Retail technology is evolving at a rapid pace and customer expectations are driving the evolution," said 7-Eleven President and CEO Joe DePinto. "Our team is dedicated to continuing 7-Eleven's legacy of innovation with industry-leading digital solutions. Most recently that has included our award winning 7Rewards loyalty platform, 7NOW on-demand delivery, mobile checkout, and now our new cashierless store."

A proprietary mixture of algorithms and predictive technology enables the store system to separate individual customers and their purchases from others in the store. The concept store offers an assortment of the most popular products sold in 7-Eleven® stores, including beverages, snacks, food, groceries, over-the-counter drugs and non-food items. The product mix will continue to be refined.

Shopping in the new cashierless 7-Eleven store is simple. To test the store, employees download an app, sign up, check in at the store, enter the store, shop and exit. A detailed receipt appears in the app automatically after the customer exits.

The cashierless prototype is not the first for the 7-Eleven brand. The Japanese-owned chain began testing a similar concept in Tokyo in 2018 as a result of a severe labor shortage in the country. retailwire.com prnewswire.com

Editor's Note: Over the next decade, we're going to see this in the majority of developed retailers that can afford the technology. The key is figuring out the model for big boxes and developing an LP program that minimizes the huge shrink numbers we're now seeing.

Retailers say 'radical' labor bill would put rights of unions ahead of workers and employers
The National Retail Federation asked the House to reject legislation set for a vote today that would bring together a wide range of long-debated measures intended to expand the power of labor unions.

"The PRO Act seeks to fundamentally redefine labor relations by codifying radical proposals that have been rejected by the courts, the agencies charged with administering them, and/or Congress," NRF Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said. "Extreme provisions included in this bill overturn well-established law and put the interests of labor unions before the rights of employees and employers." nrf.com
 

Quarterly Results
Sketchers Q4 comps up 9.9%, domestic up 10.3%, international up 8.8%, sales up 23.1%
Sketchers full yr domestic sales up 3.3%, international sales up 20.2%, total sales up 12.5%
Ingles Markets Q1 comp's up 2.4 excluding gas, total sales up 1.6%
Canada's Indigo Books & Music Q3 comp's down 10.5%, sales down 9.9%

 

The Top 20 Cybersecurity Conferences to Attend in 2020
A 2019 Fortinet survey asked chief information security officers (CISOs) to comment on how the expanding complexity of cybersecurity impacts their ability to fulfill their responsibilities. CISOs said there is an increased need for learning and development for security team members. Other concerns included risk management and cybersecurity and strategy awareness.

Enter cybersecurity conferences. Taking place across the U.S. and the world, cybersecurity conferences can offer unique opportunities for cybersecurity professionals, such as hands-on workshops, networking and certifications.

The Goldilocks principle for zero trust fraud prevention
According to Wikipedia, "zero trust is an information security framework which states that organizations should not trust any entity inside or outside of their perimeter at any time."

In the Identity and Access Management (IAM) world, zero trust is all the buzz. If you are in enterprise security, you are being bombarded with the phrase at conferences and from marketing materials. It's inescapable. Having recently received just such a bombardment at one of the larger IAM conferences, I was curious at how well zero trust applies to fraud prevention.

Although the zero trust framework is gaining momentum in the enterprise, its basic concepts have been the mainstay of fraud prevention in industries like insurance, finance and retail for a very long time. At its core, zero trust identifies the level of risk based on a combination of the origin device, the destination system and the action being performed.

What fraud prevention seems to miss is the holistic view taken by the zero trust framework in which every interaction is evaluated for risk. For example, many e-commerce sites require a customer to log in to complete a transaction rather than the zero trust approach of determining the amount of risk displayed by that transaction and then deciding if there needs to be stepped up authentication (logging in).

The zero trust framework says that every action is evaluated in the same fashion with the same systems: collect data points about the requester and the request, run the data points against a rules engine, and require authentication that provides the correct amount of friction to protect the system without placing undue stress on the user experience. This probably sounds quite the opposite to the common assumption that with zero trust walls are put up at the risk of the user experience, impacting both revenue and productivity. When done right, zero trust security can minimize both risk and friction. helpnetsecurity.com

Leader of Fraud Ring Sentenced

$120M BEC Fraud - Facebook - Google Case

DOJ Press Release

A leader of an international criminal network that stole millions of dollars from two American businesses while pretending to be a legitimate vendor is now in prison.

Evaldas Rimasauskas was one of the orchestrators of the Lithuania-based business email compromise (BEC) scheme. Beginning in 2013, his employees regularly called the victim companies' customer service numbers to glean as much information as they could about the companies. They asked for details like names of key employees and their contact information.

They also sent phishing emails that gave them access to the companies' email systems-giving the fraudsters an even bigger trove of information about the victim companies.

"It was a big, sophisticated research effort," said Special Agent Jonathan Polonitza, who investigated this case out of the FBI's New York Field Office.

Armed with these details and two years of research, one of the fraudsters simply called the companies pretending to be a vendor. The caller told each company to change their bank account information for an upcoming payment.

The two companies wired several payments to the fraudulent accounts, adding up to more than $120 million.

Luckily, the companies notified the FBI of the email intrusions. Investigators froze some of the funds before Rimasauskas and his associates could move the money. Rimasaukas had created a vast paper trail, including contracts, invoices, and other documents to try to make the transactions look legitimate.

BEC is a growing crime-with a staggering price tag. Between 2013 and 2019, the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received complaints of more than $10 billion in losses from the crime. fbi.gov

90% of CISOs Would Cut Pay for Better Work-Life Balance
CISOs are willing to sacrifice an average of $9,642, or 7.76% of their salaries, for better work-life balance - an elusive goal among those whose employers demand more of their time and effort.

In a study conducted by Vanson Bourne and commissioned by Nominet, researchers interviewed 400 CISOs and 400 C-suite executives to learn more about the toll of continued stress on the mental health and personal lives of security leaders, who have increasingly reported poor work-life balance and little board-level support. They discovered most (88%) CISOs they surveyed are moderately or tremendously stressed, slightly down from 91% in 2019.

Nearly half (48%) of CISOs say work stress has had a detrimental effect on their mental health, nearly double the 27% who said the same last year. Thirty-one percent report the stress has affected their physical health, 40% say it has affected relationships with partners and children, and almost one-third say it has affected their ability to do their jobs. Ninety percent of CISOs would take a pay cut if it meant they could have a more even work-life balance. darkreading.com

Senior Job
Director, Enterprise Security for U.S. Cellular in Chicago, IL
The Director of Enterprise Security is responsible for ensuring the overall security of Enterprise Information Systems, Assets, and Resources. This is accomplished by translating business needs into policies, procedures, and controls into a cohesive security program that appropriately accounts for the rapidly changing threat landscape. This position will be looked at as U.S. Cellular's Enterprise Security technology expert.

​​​​​​With more than 5.1 million customers, U.S. Cellular® is one of the nation's largest wireless service carriers. uscellular.jobs

How IoT devices open a portal for chaos across the network