4/21/21

LP, AP & IT Security's #1 News Source

Another SolarWinds?
Attackers Compromised Code-Checking Vendor's Tool for Two Months

A script used to upload sensitive reports-with access to credentials and datastores-likely sent information on hundreds, possibly thousands, of companies to attackers.

In a software supply-chain attack reminiscent of the SolarWinds compromise, unknown attackers used a vulnerable tool published by code checking firm Codecov for a little over two months to collect sensitive development information from the company's clients.

Codecov, which provides tools and services to check how well software tests are covering code under development, in a statement published on Friday warned that attackers had modified a command-line upload tools to also send sensitive information to the attackers. At-risk data includes credentials, software tokens, and keys-and the data and code that could be accessed with those secrets-as well as the remote repository information.

The firm recommended that clients use a script to create a list of credentials that could be accessed by its software and consider those credentials and secrets compromised.

A breach at a software supplier that could have impacted thousands of client firms puts the attack squarely on the level of the SolarWinds compromise, says Asaf Karas, co-founder and chief technology officer for Vdoo, an Internet-of-Things security platform. darkreading.com

Lessons from SolarWinds & Microsoft Cyber Attacks
White House: Here's what we've learned from tackling the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange server cyber incidents

Partnerships with private companies in dealing with aftermath of cyber attacks "sets precedent for future engagements on significant cyber incidents"

Lessons learned from responses to the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange cyber incidents will be used to coordinate action against future cybersecurity and hacking incidents, the White House has said.

Both incidents required the United States to react to cyber attacks by nation-state hacking operations affecting thousands of organisations across the country - Russian intelligence compromised SolarWinds in a supply chain attack, while Chinese operatives targeted Microsoft Exchange.

The campaigns aren't related, but both were able to gain access to a number of networks, with attackers remaining under the radar for a significant period of time before they were discovered.

The US administration convened two Unified Coordination Groups (UCGs) to drive the government response to the SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange incidents. Both are now being stood down due to the increase in security patches being applied to prevent the attacks and a reduction in the number of victims.

But the way they operated and what was learned will be used to guide future responses to additional cyber incidents in future. zdnet.com

Remote & Hybrid Work Driving Attacks?
Attackers Heavily Targeting VPN Vulnerabilities

Threat actors like attacking the technology because they provide a convenient entry point to enterprise networks.

Attacks on virtual private networks, like those this week targeting a trio of known vulnerabilities in Pulse Secure appliances, have intensified in recent months along with the increase in remote and hybrid work environments since the outbreak of COVID-19.

The trend requires organizations to patch VPN and other externally facing devices with the highest priority, says a new report from Digital Shadows.

The report, based on an analysis of vulnerability activity in first quarter of 2021, highlights other threats as well, including increased targeting of remote code execution (RCE) vulnerabilities such as one affecting Oracle WebLogic (CVE-2020-14882) and widespread attacks targeting the ProxyLogon flaws in Microsoft Exchange Server.

"[VPNs] continue to be targeted by a plethora of threat groups, which will almost certainly continue for the remainder of 2021," says Chris Morgan, senior cyber-threat intelligence analyst at Digital Shadows. "VPN devices, in addition to other remote access software, are often prioritized as a useful entry point that can provide threat groups with a stable foothold onto target networks."

The threat intelligence firm's analysis of vulnerability activity in the first quarter of this year shows cyber adversaries are actively targeting VPN vulnerabilities, more so than most other attack avenues, to break into enterprise networks. VPN accesses were among the top three access types listed for sale on cybercriminal forums last quarter, Digital Shadows says. darkreading.com

Cybersecurity only the tip of the iceberg for third-party risk management
Most companies are missing key risks at more than one stage of the vendor risk lifecycle, yet few are expanding their TPRM programs to address these risks, according to Prevalent.

COVID-19 was the biggest event of 2020, increasing organizational focus on third-party risk management for 83% of companies. Yet, only 40% of study respondents report expanding their TPRM programs as a result.

More concerning is that 44% of companies report not actively tracking supply chain risks, which were the primary pandemic-related third-party risk management impact.

More than 50% of respondents indicated the biggest challenge they face in third-party risk management is not having enough pre-contract due diligence to identify potential vendor risks.

More alarming is that 59% indicate they are not actively assessing third-party risks during the offboarding stage of the vendor lifecycle. Organizations are missing critical risks at multiple stages of the third-party lifecycle. helpnetsecurity.com

Google issues Chrome update patching seven security vulnerabilities

Dept. of Energy Launches Plan to Protect Electric Grid from Cyberattack

Organized Crime Groups Cashing In?
Higher taxes will lead to more contraband cigarette sales, group says

Contraband cigarettes lucrative for organized crime groups and demand is high in northwestern Ontario

Higher taxes on cigarettes will only push more smokers to the black market, and lead to more money for organized crime groups, the National Coalition Against Contraband Tobacco (NCACT) said.

Northwestern Ontario is already a hotspot for contraband tobacco, with up to 65 per cent of cigarettes sold in the region being contraband, said Gary Grant, NCACT spokesperson.

Grant said a lack of enforcement activity, as well as ease of access, may be contributing to the region's high rates of contraband tobacco. And if the new federal Liberal budget is approved, it would increase taxes on cigarette cartons by $4, which, Grant said, would likely result in more people turning to the black market.

With most contraband cigarette manufacturing in Canada taking place in Ontario, that also means the region is a major corridor for smugglers trying to move the product further west, Grant said.

Organized crime groups are "making huge amounts of money," Grant said, adding it's estimated that Canada loses about $1 billion a year in tax revenue from the sale of contraband cigarettes, while Ontario loses about $750 million. cbc.ca

Canada's E-Commerce Boom
How Pickers, Packers, and Drivers Are More Important to the Brand Experience Than Ever in Canada
Despite the retail industry experiencing a drop in overall sales during the pandemic, online shopping continues to boom globally. This surge has created an entirely new landscape in the retail and transportation and logistics (T&L) sectors and will likely influence new trends far into the future for both.

One trend, however, is already here. As online sales surge, efficiency in the supply chain and reliable last-mile delivery are becoming even more critical to creating a positive shopping experience that consumers expect and now demand.

The increasing demand for online purchasing options has raised expectations for painless and seamless, delivery and return experiences. 38% of those surveyed in a recent SOTI study, From Bricks to Clicks: State of Mobility in Retail 2021 Report, said that they would look elsewhere if a retailer could not offer delivery in two days or less. Additionally, 63% said they would prefer an automated returns process, and 59% said they view an easy returns process as a major incentive to buy more product from a retailer. These expectations are having a serious influence on how consumers view brands and their loyalty to those brands in the future.

Warehouse Staff and Drivers Are Crucial - Better Technology to Meet Expectations retail-insider.com

Gap's Athleta is competing on Lululemon's home turf with first international stores

Feds to clamp down on credit card swipe fees, payday loans

(Update) Miller 'disgusted' by video of altercation between Indigenous woman and LP officer outside Saskatoon grocery store
Indigenous Services Minister Marc Miller said on Friday that he had seen the video of an altercation involving an Indigenous woman and a loss prevention officer outside a Saskatoon grocery store, saying he was "disgusted" and hoped the "full force" of the law was applied.

Saskatoon Police said they were called to the store last week where officers found a 30-year-old female being detained by a loss prevention officer. Police said an altercation between the two individuals had taken place, resulting in minor injuries to the loss prevention officer. Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents First Nations across the province, says the incident, which was captured on video, is just one instance of violence Indigenous women face. He said it's a symptom of a larger issue in the province. In a post on the store's Facebook page, management indicated they have ended the contract with the third-party security firm in question. While Cameron said that's a good first step, he says the security guard should be fired. cbc.ca globalnews.ca

   'Nothing justifies this level of force,' lawyer says following FreshCo incident

Winnipeg, MB: Canada Post mail carrier stole more than $40K worth of packages
A mail carrier spent a little too much time taking mail rather than delivering it along his Winnipeg route, police say. A 58-year-old Canada Post employee has been charged with the theft of parcels valued at more than $40,000. Canada Post investigators contacted the Winnipeg police in late March after an internal audit found many online orders that were supposed to be delivered along a route in the Kildonan Meadows neighbourhood had gone missing between Jan. 8 and Feb. 11, 2021. The value of the items was estimated at about $10,000.

The stolen merchandise included electronics, makeup and clothing still in their original mailing packages, police said. Most of the items have been returned to the proper owners, police said. The investigation continues and further charges could be laid. cbc.ca

(Update) N.S. shop owner hopeful stolen jewelry will be found after charges laid in $55,000 break-in
A Nova Scotia business owner who lost more than $55,000 worth of jewelry during a recent break-in is holding out hope her stolen merchandise will be recovered now that charges have been laid. Amherst police have since charged two men with break and enter into a business, as well as conspiracy to commit an indictable offence. A third man is charged with possession of stolen property. cbc.ca

New Westminster, BC: Suspect arrested after store security guard threatened
with a knife
One person is in custody after allegedly threatening a store security guard with a knife. New Westminster Police Department officers were called out on April 14 at 5:30 p.m. to a retail store on Boyd Street for a report of a man brandishing a knife at a security guard. The man allegedly brandished a knife when he was stopped by the security guard for trying to leave the store with unpaid merchandise, said a news release from the NWPD. Once police arrived on scene, they located a man matching the suspect description who was in possession of two knives. The suspect was safely taken into custody, police said. newwestrecord.ca

Mississauga, ON: Charges laid after alleged 'hate-motivated crime' at
hardware store
Peel Regional Police say a man and a woman have been charged after a "hate-motivated crime" at a Mississauga hardware store last month. Officers said two suspects got into a verbal argument with two victims over parking. "The argument escalated to the point where the male suspect retrieved a weapon from the trunk of his vehicle and uttered threats towards the victims while using racial slurs targeting the Black community," police said. globalnews.ca

OPP arrest duo after high-end perfume theft at Orangeville Shoppers

Milton, ON: Police investigating armed robbery at pharmacy

Vancouver security guards allegedly bear sprayed twice while chasing liquor thief

London, ON: Police looking for suspect in convenience store robbery

Airdrie RCMP investigating armed robbery at East Lake Petro-Canada

Back-to-back shoplifting incidents at Real Canadian Superstore

OPP issues public appeal in Carleton Place armed robbery

View Canadian Connections Archives
 

West Hempstead, Nassau County, NY: 1 killed, 2 wounded in shooting at Long Island grocery store; Employee in custody
The Stop & Shop supermarket on Cherry Valley Road in West Hempstead remains a crime scene this morning, after an employee opened fire, killing one person and wounding two others. 31-year-old Gabriel Dewitt Wilson, who authorities say has a history of mental illness, was taken into custody Tuesday afternoon. He will be arraigned later this morning. It was Tuesday at about 11:20 a.m. when police say Wilson walked into supermarket filled with customers, went upstairs to the office and started shooting. Witnesses heard six shots.

"I was in the store in the produce department, minding my business, doing my weekly shopping, and I heard what sounded like gun shots, but I never thought that anything like that would happen in the store, so I assumed it was something that just fell over in the service area," one shopper said. When it was over, a 49-year-old store manager was dead and another man and woman in offices upstairs wounded. The suspect then fled the scene. Tips from the public led police to him three hours later in an apartment complex about a mile from the supermarket. "The suspect tried to flee down the first floor and was apprehended by Hempstead and Bureau of Special Operations in the police department," Nassau Police commissioner Patrick Ryder said. He was taken into custody without incident. A gun was recovered. Wilson was employed as a cart handler at the Stop & Shop. abc7ny.com

Salt Lake City, UT: 15 years old accused of shooting, killing C-Store employee could face more charges, state says
The 15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting an Ogden grocer in February could face additional charges based on further investigation of the gun police believe he used, a prosecutor said Tuesday. "We won't know one way or the other until the investigation is complete," Deputy Weber County attorney Letitia Toombs said in Ogden's 2nd District Juvenile Court. The boy is accused of walking into the Super Grocery convenience store, 675 N. Monroe Blvd., and shooting 65-year-old Satnam Singh. Prosecutors allege the teenager said, 'this is a stickup' before firing four times, striking Singh twice just before midnight on Feb. 28. Weber County Attorney Chris Allred has said the evidence points to a robbery that turned deadly but not a hate crime. The office is also waiting on a medical examiner's report. Defense attorney Ron Nichols said Tuesday the prospect of further potential charges was new to him but he has received other sorts of evidence from the state. ksl.com

Colorado Springs, CO: Pueblo Robbery Suspect Chase Ends In Shooting On I-25 In Colorado Springs
A Police officer is on leave this morning after shooting a suspect. And as of this morning, we don't know how that man is doing. Colorado State Patrol says it happened yesterday at about 5:30 on northbound I-25 near the academy exit. Several law enforcement agencies were chasing a vehicle involved in a robbery investigation in Pueblo. State patrol used stop sticks to try to end that chase. And once it was over, a Fountain police officer fired a weapon, hitting the suspect. The man was taken to the hospital, and a passenger was taken into custody. news.yahoo.com
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Pittsburgh, PA: Three brothers plead guilty to attempted gun shop burglaries during George Floyd protests
Three brothers from Spring Hill have all admitted in federal court that they conspired to break into gun dealerships on the night of widespread protests over the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Jerquay, Jamir and Jerwahn Atkins, all in their 20s, pleaded guilty this week and last week to conspiracy in relation to attempted burglaries in Moon and Bethel Park. A federal grand jury indicted all three in September. Two accused accomplices, Haliston Este and Jasmine Greenlee, were charged separately. Greenlee was the first to plead, admitting in October to being the getaway driver. The case against Mr. Este is pending.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the group tried to break into Allegheny Arms in Bethel Park on the night of May 30 and National Armory in Moon on May 31. They weren't able to steal any guns, but agents said the attempts were related to several other break-ins at businesses across the region on the night of May 30 and early morning of May 31 at a time of widespread protests in the Pittsburgh region and around the country over the death of Floyd.

The U.S. attorney's office said the gang tried to use a crowbar to smash their way into Allegheny Arms but the alarm went off and they fled. Greenlee then drove them to National Armory, where they again tried to use a crowbar but were again thwarted. ATF and local police said the same group later broke into a Verizon store in Mt. Lebanon and another Verizon store in Green Tree. Allegheny County detectives and Pittsburgh police arrested the Atkins brothers on June 5. Jerwahn Atkins pleaded guilty to conspiracy on Friday, Jerquay on Monday and Jamir on Tuesday, all before U.S. District Judge W. Scott Hardy The judge set sentencing for all in August. post-gazette.com

Rockford, IL: Man charged after May 30 unrest, jewelry store burglary
Almost 11 months after a protest an unrest in Rockford, police are searching for a Rockford man who they say broke into a jewelry store that night. Protesters and police clashed on the lawn of Rockford Police District 1 on May 30, 2020. After, police say multiple people broke into storefronts in the Forest City, one of them was Clodius & Co. Jewelers. Police also responded to several reports of looting to businesses throughout the city, including calls for service to Levels Clothing Store on Auburn Street and Cricket Wireless, also on Auburn Street. Police say five people broke into Clodius & Co. near the corner of Mulford and East State Street around 11:15 that night and stole jewelry from cases inside the store. Now, police say they identified Marcus Dandridge as one of the men inside. Dandridge is charged with burglary, police are still looking for him. wrex.com

Madison, MS: Mississippi officer dragged by vehicle fleeing traffic stop
A Mississippi police officer was injured after being dragged along the highway during a traffic stop. Jackson news sources report that a Madison police officer was conducting a traffic stop on Highway 463 between Highland Colony Parkway and Interstate 55. The vehicle was suspected of being involved in a previous felony shoplifting incident. During the traffic stop, the driver of the vehicle reportedly drove off while dragging the officer with the vehicle. The officer was able to free himself as the vehicle turned onto the nearby I-55 onramp. Other officers pursued the vehicle. The chase ended in Ridgeland when the vehicle slammed into a concrete guard rail, causing two police vehicles to crash. The driver was taken into custody. magnoliastatelive.com

Elizabeth City Man Gets More Than 13 Years in Prison for String of Armed Robberies

Silver Springs, MD: Suspect accused of smash and grab burglaries at 2 businesses

Virginia Beach, VA: Man pleads guilty in string of robberies around Shore Drive

Fresno, CA: Chinatown bike shop broken into for third time

Theft of catalytic converters now a felony in Indiana

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