4/22/21

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

New DOJ Ransomware Task Force
Ransomware Targeted by New Justice Department Task Force

After 'worst year ever' for the cyberattacks, department seeks to disrupt digital ecosystem that supports them

The Justice Department has formed a task force to curtail the proliferation of ransomware cyberattacks, in a bid to make the popular extortion schemes less lucrative by targeting the entire digital ecosystem that supports them.

In an internal memorandum issued this week, Acting Deputy Attorney General John Carlin said ransomware poses not just an economic threat to businesses but "jeopardizes the safety and health of Americans."

By identifying ransomware as a priority, the task force will increase training and dedicate more resources to the issue, seek to improve intelligence sharing across the department, and work to identify "links between criminal actors and nation-states," according to the memorandum.

"By any measure, 2020 was the worst year ever when it comes to ransomware and related extortion events," Mr. Carlin, who previously ran the Justice Department's national-security division during the Obama administration, told The Wall Street Journal. "And if we don't break the back of this cycle, a problem that's already bad is going to get worse."

Ransomware attacks, in which hackers cripple a software system until they receive a bounty, surged last year during the pandemic, along with financial demands, according to security experts and U.S. officials. The attacks have been around for decades but have flourished as society has become more dependent on technology.

Mr. Carlin said criminal hackers continue to demand ever greater sums of money from victims and reinvest those profits in cyber tools that enable more and better attacks.

The memo calls for developing a strategy that targets the entire criminal ecosystem around ransomware, including prosecutions, disruptions of ongoing attacks and curbs on services that support the attacks, such as online forums that advertise the sale of ransomware or hosting services that facilitate ransomware campaigns. wsj.com

$1.8B in BEC Costs
Business Email Compromise Costs Businesses More Than Ransomware

Ransomware gets the headlines, but business paid out $1.8 billion last year to resolve BEC issues, according to an FBI report.

If you live in the cybersecurity news cycle, you could be forgiven for thinking that ransomware is the only threat. There is always a report of another victim, a new approach, or a new crew. The FBI's 2020 "Internet Crime Report" tells a very different story, however, with reported ransomware payments being extremely low, at under $30 million, with other forms of cybercrime dwarfing this number.

It's likely that this is lower than reality, and a significant majority of the payments were paid via third parties or not reported - but it still pales beside business email compromise (BEC). Reported BEC numbers alone are over $1.8 billion for the US, and there's an additional $300 million in fraud that could be similarly attributed.

The good news is that extortionware now works like many other threats and moves through initial compromise, lateral movement, and privilege escalation. The actual encryption (and the associated data exfiltration and other pressure tactics) are simply the easy way to monetize a compromise. This means that organizations that build comprehensive strategies against modern extortionware are protected against many other potential compromises. Those that focus on only one aspect (recovering data, for instance) are left open to a classic data breach.

BEC, though, falls outside of this norm and requires a different focus. It is cyber-by-association - an attack against a person that is commonly delivered by electronic means and the focus is on creating action by deception. The attacks may involve payroll diversion, fake invoices to a supplier, efforts around mergers and acquisition, or many other techniques. The attack can be sourced from a spoofed email address or a compromised real address, or an attacker can insert themselves into a real conversation (switching to a different account) - and the attack may appear to (or be!) from another employee or a supplier. A compromised account is the most valuable because it will evade many protections by dint of being sourced on a legitimate and trusted email server. beta.darkreading.com

More Servers Linked to SolarWinds Espionage Campaign
SolarWinds hack analysis reveals 56% boost in command server footprint
A new analysis of the SolarWinds breach suggests that the attacker infrastructure behind the campaign is far larger than first believed.

The catastrophic SolarWinds security incident involved the compromise of the vendor's network and later the deployment of malicious SolarWinds Orion updates to clients that contained a backdoor called Sunburst.

On Thursday, RiskIQ researchers published a report on the network infrastructure footprint of SolarWinds-linked cyberattackers, labeling it as "significantly larger than previously identified."

Now, RiskIQ's Team Atlas has identified an additional 18 servers linked to the SolarWinds espionage campaign, a number the firm says represents a "56% increase in the size of the adversary's known command-and-control footprint." zdnet.com

Malware and ransomware gangs have found this new way to cover their tracks

This botnet is hunting for unpatched Microsoft Exchange servers

25K Illegal Cannabis Plants Worth $26M Seized in Canada
Thousands of cannabis plants seized in recent drug raids
According to Oxford County OPP, thousands of illegal cannabis plants were seized in a recent raid that resulted in 10 people being charged. According to a recent tweet by the Oxford County provincial police, officers searched a commercial address on Spruce Street in Tillsonburg on April 8.

Street crime units, including Brant, Middlesex, Haldimand-Norfolk OPP officers, the OPP West Region emergency response team and canine units were all involved in the investigation. As a result of the investigation and seizure, 10 people were charged with cultivating or harvesting cannabis at a place outside their residents, in contravention of the Cannabis Act.

The investigation is currently ongoing and more charges are pending. The individuals who were charged as part of the investigation will appear in Woodstock court at a later date.

Earlier in January, the Chatham-Kent Police Intelligence Unit has seized over 25,000 illegal cannabis plants worth $25.5 million in the past six months. According to the Chatham-Kent Police police service, they had located, investigated and dismantled four illegal cannabis grow operations in the community. datac.ca

Diversity in Cannabis Security
Inclusion & Diversity Are Key to Effective Cannabis Security
While almost every industry stresses their importance, inclusion and diversity in cannabis security is vital to the enforcement of an effective security plan. Inclusion and diversity in the workplace are not only beneficial to the employee, but also to the business and the surrounding community. Diversity produces more effective security, helps score points in certain state cannabis business applications, and aids a business in being well-received by their community.

Diversity in cannabis security does not stop after hiring because maintaining diversity in any workplace requires an environment of inclusion. Creating a positive and inclusive employee experience ensures diverse professionals feel accepted and stay with the company.

More Effective Security Team

Diversity is especially important in the security sector because modern businesses face a multitude of varying and evolving risks. A diverse security team is better equipped to protect against these risks because members are able to pull from different backgrounds and utilize their individual perspectives. As the risks faced by cannabis businesses become more diverse, so must the security teams tasked with defending against them.

A strong security team that can protect against diversion, theft, and loss is vital to any successful cannabis business. Diversion can occur in many forms, so it is important to instill a diverse security team capable of countering increasingly creative criminals. A diverse security team is not only able to pull from unique experiences to prevent diversion, but may also use this experience to respond to crimes in progress too.

Application Points

In competitive markets where only a few cannabis businesses are allowed to open, earning every possible point in the application process is crucial. Choosing to prioritize social equity points in the application process could be the difference in a cannabis business obtaining a license. sapphirerisk.com

Lawmakers Use 4/20 to Push Legalization
The Country's Evolving Marijuana Debate

Democrats at the national level increasingly see the drug as a unity issue.

Democrats at the national level are increasingly seeing marijuana as a unity issue, as more than two-thirds of Americans now support legalizing pot, according to various polls - including at least about half of Republicans.

Senator Chuck Schumer, the majority leader, took to the Senate floor today to reaffirm his support for legalizing recreational marijuana nationwide, and talked up a bill he's drafting with Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden that would do exactly that. "Today is what you might call a very unofficial American holiday: 4/20," Mr. Schumer said with a grin.

"It's as appropriate a time as any to take a hard look at our laws that have over-criminalized the use of marijuana and put it on par with heroin, LSD and other narcotics that bear little or no resemblance in their effects either on individuals or on society more broadly," he added.

Last year, he encouraged Democratic candidates to run in support of legalization, seeing it as catnip for the party's young and progressive base but also popular with moderates and independents.

It's also a racial equity issue, as Mr. Schumer detailed in his floor speech today. "The war on drugs has too often been a war on people, particularly people of color," he said. nytimes.com

New Mexico marijuana legalization poses a serious threat to Colorado's lucrative border-town pot shops
When Colorado legalized the retail sale of marijuana in 2012, savvy entrepreneurs saw an opportunity beyond setting up shop in population centers like Denver and Boulder.

They realized if they opened cannabis businesses in small towns along the state's borders, they could attract customers from Kansas, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, Utah and Wyoming, where pot remained against the law but was still plenty popular.

But the border business model soon will be tested. New Mexico this month legalized recreational cannabis, threatening not only the livelihoods of the rural Colorado shop owners and employees but also local governments that have come to rely on cannabis tax revenue to pad their coffers. cannabisbusinessexecutive.com

Weed delivery will happen in Denver starting this summer

Michigan governor joins call for federal marijuana legalization on 4/20

Birmingham to pardon 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana convictions

Cannabis in the Workplace: How to Deal with Employee Consumption

Ohio plans to more than double number of medical marijuana dispensaries

Upper Macungie Township, PA: Suspected gunman among 2 dead after
shooting at Wawa
A man is dead after authorities said he opened fire on several people, killing one and injuring another, in the parking lot of a Wawa in Upper Macungie Township Wednesday morning before turning the gun on himself. The suspect has since been identified by authorities as Za Uk Lian, a 45-year-old man. Investigators said just before 5 a.m. Lian was behind the wheel of a white Toyota Carolla when fired a single gunshot at another vehicle driven by a woman on Route 22. The woman was not injured and did not even realize her car had been hit until she pulled into the Wawa on Schantz Road, Martin said.

Lian then pulled into the southside of the Wawa parking lot and shot a man who was sitting inside a Jeep resulting in non-life-threatening injuries, according to detectives. Investigators say Lian also shot and killed, 31-year-old Ramon Ramirez, the driver of a tractor who was pumping gas at the station. Lian then ran from the Wawa and fatally shot himself in the hand and the chest, according to investigators. "It appears the three shootings I described were indiscriminate and unrelated," Martin said. fox29.com

Yonkers, NY: Clothing store owner killed over $30 hat
A dispute over a stolen hat led to the deadly stabbing of a man outside his clothing store in Westchester County. Within 24 hours, police had made an arrest. Investigators located 21-year-old Tyrese L. Shubrick in the village of Elmsford Wednesday morning and placed him into custody without incident. It happened in broad daylight, surveillance video captured part of the confrontation. Ruben Martinez, 47, lost his life over the theft of a $30 baseball hat. The deadly confrontation began inside Premier Fashion, the store Martinez opened on New Main Street in Yonkers with his son last month, a location they moved to after years at a nearby location. Ruben's son, Chris, did not want to speak on camera and employees were visibly upset over the killing. In the video, the suspect casually walks out of the store while donning the cap and then doubles back towards Martinez, at one point you can see an object being swung. abc7ny.com

Update: Boulder, CO: 43 More Charges Filed Against King Soopers Shooting Suspect
Boulder's District Attorney, Michael Dougherty, announced dozens of new charges he plans to file against the suspect in the King Soopers shooting nearly one month ago. Ten people died on March 22 after investigators say the suspect, Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, opened fire in the middle of the day. Until now, the suspect faced 10 counts of first degree murder, one count for each victim: 20-year-old Denny Stong; 23-year-old Neven Stanisic; 25-year-old Rikki Olds; 49-year-old Tralona Bartkowiak; 51-year-old Teri Leiker; 51-year-old Eric Talley; 59-year-old Suzanne Fountain; 61-year-old Kevin Mahoney; 62-year-old Lynn Murray; and 65-year-old Jody Waters. Dougherty's office says it will file 43 more charges, including 20 counts of attempted murder for other victims in the store and in the parking lot and 10 counts of having a prohibited large capacity magazine. patch.com

Oklahoma City, OK: Police arrest Shyanne Tucker, 19, for involvement in Penn Square mall shooting
The Oklahoma City FBI, Dallas FBI, and the Dallas Police Department assisted OKCPD in the investigation. One woman was shot at the parking garage of the Penn Square Mall Saturday night. Police say the woman is in critical condition and able to tell police the name of the person that shot her. okcfox.com

Charlotte, NC: One shot in Food Lion Parking Lot during Robbery

Scottsdale, AZ: 2 more arrested in connection to Fashion Square looting last May
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Bronx, New York: Video shows group violently rob people at Bronx McDonald's
Seven people are wanted in a violent robbery inside a McDonald's in the Bronx. Surveillance video from inside the fast-food restaurant appears to show the group kicking one of the victims. It happened on Monday, March 8 at 4:16 p.m. on 3rd Avenue in the Melrose section. Police say a 22-year-old victim was hit in the face and body before the suspect took her purse. She was taken to NYC Health and Hospitals/Lincoln in stable condition. The purse of a 50-year-old woman was also taken after she tried to prevent the assault. Two of the men had knives. abc7ny.com

Houston, TX: 3 men, 1 woman wanted for aggravated robbery of convenience store
Houston police are looking for four suspects involved in an aggravated robbery in east Houston. Investigators said around 9:30 p.m., three men and one woman entered a convenience store, located at the 12000 block of East Freeway, on April 5. Houston police said two of the men pulled out handguns and pointed them at the clerk's head. The other suspects removed the money from the registers and took cigarettes from the display case. Police said the suspects fled the scene in a dark-colored Dodge Journey. HPD said the suspects are between 17 and 26 years old. click2houston.com

Youngstown, OH: Burger King Employees testify they heard familiar voice during robbery
The three employees working at the Burger King on McCartney Road in Campbell the night it was robbed Oct. 28, 2018, testified Wednesday they recognized the voice of one of the robbers as former restaurant shift manager Israel Graham. Each took the witness stand and gave much the same answer: The man's face was not visible, but the man spoke to them or near them, and they recognized his voice. Graham left the restaurant's employment two weeks earlier. Graham, 23, is charged with aggravated robbery, robbing a safe and three counts of kidnapping. He is accused of being one of two men who arrived just before closing and robbed the restaurant of about $2,000. vindy.com

Chandler, AZ: Man accused of using stun gun to steal $2,000 in jewelry arrested following standoff
Police officials announced on April 21 that they have arrested a man following a robbery incident earlier in the week. The robbery incident, according to investigators, happened on the afternoon of April 19, when Chandler Police officers were sent to a business near Ray Road and Arizona Avenue for a report of a robbery. Investigators say the suspect, identified as Octavio Ortega, entered a business in the area, selected some clothes, and then headed to the jewelry counter. "A female employee assisted the male suspect, who looked at several items of jewelry," read a portion of the court documents released by Chandler Police officials. "The male suspect suddenly grabs a gold necklace and gold pendant, which were valued at over $2,200, and quickly fled from the store with the items." Investigators say a manager gave chase into the parking lot, where he confronted Ortega. "The male suspect was getting into a vehicle, but stopped and produced what the manager described as a taser," read a portion of the court documents. "The male suspect pointed the item towards the manager, who backed up in fear of the weapon." fox10phoenix.com

Edmonton, Alberta, CN: 'Shoot him, shoot him': Surveillance video shows Armed Robbery at Edmonton pharmacy

Longwood, FL: 2 men using skimmers spotted at Longwood gas station

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