6/15/21

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Cyberattacks Now Considered an Act of War?
NATO: Series of cyberattacks could be seen as the same threat as armed attack

The age of ransomware raises questions over NATO's policies on state-sponsored cyberattacks and ransomware.

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) - the 30-nation military alliance between North America and Europe - issued a new communique at this week's Brussels summit outlining how it should respond to national security threats. One of them is cyberattacks, as spotted by The Register.

The new policy stance follows high-profile attacks on US fuel distribution network Colonial Pipeline - which paid $4 million to ransomware attackers, half of which was later seized by the FBI - and US meat packer JBS, which paid $11 million to ransomware attackers.

The tech world is also still reeling from the SolarWinds hack, which compromised the West's top cybersecurity firms, and was attributed to the Russian government. And not so long ago, Russia was blamed for the massive NotPetya ransomware outbreak, while North Korea was blamed for 2017's WannaCry ransomware attack.

In the wake of such attacks, NATO has endorsed its "Comprehensive Cyber Defence Policy", which will see the alliance treat cyberattacks on a "case-by-case basis" and may consider them the same as an armed attack.

"To face this evolving challenge, we have today endorsed NATO's Comprehensive Cyber Defence Policy, which will support NATO's three core tasks and overall deterrence and defence posture, and further enhance our resilience," the communique reads.

"We reaffirm that a decision as to when a cyber attack would lead to the invocation of Article 5 would be taken by the North Atlantic Council on a case-by-case basis. Allies recognise that the impact of significant malicious cumulative cyber activities might, in certain circumstances, be considered as amounting to an armed attack." NATO first updated its policies so that a cyberattack could lead to the invocation of Article 5, the collective defence rule, back in 2014 - as revealed by ZDNet at the time. zdnet.com

The Cybersecurity Impact of Digital Vaccine Passports
Vaccine passports challenged by data privacy and security implications
With the ongoing distribution of COVID-19 vaccines across the globe and the broader U.S. economy preparing to reopen, the question of international travel has become a topic of debate. Managing a safe return to travel has been top of mind for many, and as a result, apps that aim to verify travelers' vaccination status are quickly rolling out-and have already been adopted by some airlines.

These apps, coined "vaccination passports," refer to mobile apps used to confirm whether or not someone has received the COVID-19 vaccine. While White House officials have already stated there will be no federal mandate enforcing the use of vaccination passports, many private companies and state-run initiatives have emerged offering hundreds of vaccine apps for people to use.

While some think vaccine apps could be the key to lifting travel restrictions, challenges have arisen regarding data privacy and security implications. We surveyed 3,000 Americans to learn more about how they feel about vaccine passport apps and what they mean for the security of their data.

55.9% don't trust vaccine passports with their health data

We first asked participants if they would be comfortable with the security of their health data if it were required to be used to obtain a COVID vaccine passport. 55.9% of respondents reported they would not be comfortable with their data security, while 44.1% said they would.

While some people aren't concerned about the security of their data, the majority of people are. Questions about the type of information digital vaccine passports would collect are important to examine, especially considering the major uptick in cyberattacks that came about amid the pandemic-we saw ransomware groups increasingly targeting medical billing companies, COVID relief organizations, pharmaceutical companies and government institutions in April of 2020.

More importantly, when it comes to your personal information, medical records are some of the most private personal records you have. Based on our survey results, we can clearly see the hesitancy many Americans have to make those records accessible to private companies, airlines and other corporations. helpnetsecurity.com

Phishing is Top Consumer Cyber Safety Threat
Report reveals top threats to consumer cyber safety
Norton Labs revealed the top cybersecurity trends from January to March 2021. Phishing campaigns remained the number one threat to consumer cyber safety, with top scams relating to the pandemic, including vaccine-oriented, financial relief, and tech support scams.

"Our renowned Norton Labs group is at the forefront of identifying and analyzing the latest trends in cybercrime, and it's clear through their analysis that cybercriminals continue to find new ways to capitalize off of the pandemic," says Darren Shou, head of technology, NortonLifeLock.

"Over the next three months, we can expect scammers to tap into the gradual shift to a post-COVID state as people start to return to work, travel and engage in social activities."

Between January 2021 and March 2021, 49.6 million phishing attempts, 46.3 million file-based malware, 686,000 mobile-malware files and 536,137 ransomware detections were reported. During this time, the majority of scams were designed to trick consumers into sharing their personal and financial information in an attempt to steal their money. helpnetsecurity.com

Attacks Soar in the Remote Work Era
VPN attacks up nearly 2000% as companies embrace a hybrid workplace
"As companies return to a hybrid workplace, it's crucial that they are aware of the evolving threat landscape," said Craig Robinson, Program Director, Security Services at IDC. "The data highlighted in this threat report by Nuspire and Recorded Future shows that security leaders need to stay vigilant as threat actors see opportunity in the continued era of remote access."

Increase in VPN attacks

In Q1 2021, there was a 1,916% increase in attacks against Fortinet's SSL-VPN and a 1,527% increase in Pulse Connect Secure VPN. These vulnerabilities allow a threat actor to gain access to a network. Once they are in, they can exfiltrate information and deploy ransomware.

"2020 was the era of remote work and as the workforce adjusted, information technology professionals scrambled to support this level of remote activity by enabling a wide variety of remote connectivity methods," said J.R. Cunningham, CSO at Nuspire. "This added multiple new attack vectors that enabled threat actors to prey on organizations, which is what we started to see in Q1 and are continuing to see today."

Because of the significant increase in VPN and RDP vulnerabilities, the report discovers malware, botnet and exploitation activity are down compared to Q4, but threat actors are still on the prowl. helpnetsecurity.com

Cyber Analytics Database Exposed 5 Billion Records Online

In an ironic twist, Cognyte's data alerts customers to third-party data exposures.

A researcher recently discovered online an unsecured database operated by cybersecurity analytics firm Cognyte that left some 5 billion records collected from a range of data incidents exposed online - and accessible without authentication.

The stored data is part of Cognyte's cyber intelligence service, which is used to alert customers to third-party data exposures.

"Ironically, the database used to cross-check that personal information with known breaches was itself exposed. The information included names, passwords, email addresses, and the original source of the leak," Comparitech wrote in a report. darkreading.com

Cyber criminals are targeting digital artists

How to Use Sound Recognition on iPhone

Sound Recognition (first introduced in iOS 14) allows iPhone users with hearing loss to receive visual alerts when the iPhone detects certain sounds like smoke alarms, sirens, door knocks, a baby crying, and dogs barking, through onboard intelligence, so no network connection is required. Follow these steps to enable this functionality:

First, open "Settings" on your iPhone. In Settings, tap "Accessibility." In Accessibility, navigate to the "Hearing" section and tap "Sound Recognition," and then tap the switch beside "Sound Recognition" to turn it on. Then tap "Sounds" below that to choose which sounds to recognize. The next screen will have a long list of switches that correspond to different types of sound your iPhone can recognize, such as sirens and water running, etc. Tap the switch next each sound that you'd like for your iPhone to recognize. You can choose any combination of sounds, including all of them. After you're done, press "Back" once, then exit Settings.

Amazon Under Investigation for Unsafe Products
US regulators reviewing some AmazonBasics electronics over safety concerns

Customers have reported that some AmazonBasics items are prone to catching fire, exploding, or melting.

A US regulator is investigating the safety of several Amazon-branded products, CNN reported Monday.

At least eight AmazonBasics products - including a battery charger, surge protectors, phone charging cords, a patio heater, and a voice-controlled microwave - are being reviewed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the outlet said, citing interviews and public records.

An Amazon spokesperson declined to comment. A representative for the CPSC declined to confirm the existence of the investigation or say how many products are under review, telling Insider the agency cannot comment on investigations.

A September 2020 CNN investigation found that more than 70 AmazonBasics products had hundreds of reviews stating that they had caught fire, melted, began smoking, or exploded. Many of those products were still available to purchase at the time of CNN's report, despite the numerous reports that could pose a safety hazard.

In one incident, fire marshals determined that a 2017 housefire was sparked by an AmazonBasics USB cord. One customer told CNN that his surge protector began spewing flames and started a fire in his home in 2018. Amazon paid out a $1,500 settlement to cover the damages, but continued selling the product for nearly two years, despite other customers reporting that it was a fire hazard.

In response to the September report, US lawmakers called on Amazon to recall any potentially dangerous products. businessinsider.com

Worker Safety Robots Hit Amazon Warehouses
Amazon details new warehouse robots, 'Ernie' and 'Bert'

Amazon shared details on four of its new warehouse robots it's testing to improve worker safety.

Amazon warehouse workers could soon be joined by a couple new co-workers: Ernie and Bert. Those are the names of the new robots Amazon is testing with the goal of reducing strenuous movements for workers.

While the introduction of robots to the workplace often raises questions about whether human jobs will be replaced, Amazon argues they simply allow workers to focus on tasks that most need their attention while minimizing their potential for injury. Amazon said it's added over a million jobs around the world since it began using robotics in its facilities in 2012.

In May, Amazon announced a goal of reducing recordable incident rates by 50% by 2025. It plans to invest over $300 million into safety projects this year.

Amazon described in a blog post Sunday four robots it's testing to move items across its fulfillment centers and closer to workers.

Ernie helps remove items from a robotic shelf so employees don't have to. The process doesn't save time, Amazon said in the post, but testing has so far indicated it could make work safer for employees.

Bert is one of Amazon's first Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), made to navigate facilities independently, even while workers are moving around. Unlike other robots, Bert would not need to remain in a restricted space, meaning workers could ask it to take items across a facility. Amazon said Bert could eventually move heavier items.

Scooter and Kermit are two other AMRs under development that transport carts. Amazon said these types of robots could take over workers' tasks of moving empty packages across facilities so they can focus on activities requiring critical thinking skills and reduce physically strenuous work. cnbc.com

Pandemic-Fueled E-Commerce Growth Created A Need For Warehouse Space

San Francisco, CA: Guy on a bicycle robbing Walgreens and security guard filming the Robbery
Cell phone video taken Monday shows some of the brazen crime that has been driving retailers out of San Francisco. The video shows that three people used their cellphones to record a man filling a garbage bag with items in a San Francisco Walgreens. But the recordings didn't discourage the theft, nor did the security guard's attempt at grabbing the bag. The man got away with everything on a Lyft bike that he rode down the aisle and out the front door. "Seventeen Walgreens over the last five years, almost every Gap retail outlet is gone, CVS is under assault," said San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai. Last month, Safai held a hearing on organized retail theft and says the DA and police department need a much more coordinated response. Safai says San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and SFPD have until mid-July to respond to his letter of inquiry on organized retail theft. abc7.com

Suffolk County, NY: Security Guard Injured During Altercation with 4 would-be Shoplifters at Walmart
Four women are facing charges on Long Island after allegedly attempting to steal groceries from Walmart and assaulting a security guard who attempted to intervene, police said. Four women were caught at the Walmart Grocery Express Self-Checkout on Green Acres Road shortly before 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 13 in Valley Stream allegedly improperly scanning their merchandise. Police said that a security guard approached the four women, who proceeded to pack up their merchandise and exit the store without making an attempt to pay for their merchandise.

As they attempted to leave without paying, police said that a security guard approached them, at which point the four women "became enraged refusing to comply." It is alleged that two of the women then punched the security guard in the face before fleeing the store. Police said the 51-year-old security guard was transported to a local hospital for treatment after suffering pain and swelling. Brooklyn residents Sada Stricklin, 25, Fantasia Hall, 23, Michelle Freeman, 28, and Shariel Stith, 27, were all charged with second-degree robbery. Stricklin and Hall were also charged with third-degree assault. Following their arrests, police said that all four women were scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Mineola on Monday, June 14. dailyvoice.com

North Las Vegas, NV: Man accused of stealing copper from 5 Lowe's stores
A North Las Vegas man was arrested after authorities accused him of repeatedly stealing copper products from Lowe's stores in the valley, then pawning the goods at area recycling centers. Jeremy Allen Jones, 25, was booked at the Clark County Detention Center on five counts of burglary of a business and a single count of participating in a retail theft ring. An arrest report for Jones states that he was arrested after a man repeatedly stole copper items from Lowe's stores from April 30 until June 7. Lowe's locations targeted were outlets on West Washington Avenue, West Charleston Boulevard, South Boulder Highway, East Craig Road and West Craig Road. Police said that on four occasions a man walked into the stores, filled his cart with copper-related products and walked out without paying for them.

On a fifth occasion the same man walked into Lowe's, grabbed a trash can for sale and filled it with copper items but only paid for the trash can before fleeing when questioned by a store employee. Police said they also were investigating two other similar thefts from Lowe's stores in North Las Vegas. Police said in Jones' arrest report that they could prove that Jones pawned all of the stolen copper goods, valued at more than $12,000, at recycling centers in Henderson, North Las Vegas and Las Vegas for pennies on the dollar. reviewjournal.com

UK: London: Shocking moment masked raiders smash into celeb optician Tom Davies' Sloane Square shop and steal hundreds of frames worth $700,000
Masked thieves have been caught on camera smashing into a Sloane Square optician owned by celebrity eyewear designer Tom Davies and stealing £500,000 worth of frames. The thieves even stole glasses designed for the new Disney movie Cruella from the high-end eyewear store in west London. CCTV footage shows the thieves using a concrete block to smash their way into the store before helping themselves to hundreds of frames. With the burglar alarm blaring away, the pair unceremoniously sweep hundreds of pairs of frames into a shopping bag and managed to seize six bespoke frames made especially for Cruella. Despite dropping several pairs of glasses on the floor, they were in and out within 50 seconds and scarpered before police were able to respond. Mr Davies, 46, intended to auction the frames for charity before discovering they were missing after the 2am raid last week. dailymail.co.uk

DeKalb County, GA: Argument over mask at supermarket ends in fatal shooting
An argument over a mask at a Georgia supermarket Monday ended with a suspect opening fire inside the shop, killing a cashier and wounding a sheriff's deputy, authorities said. The suspect, Victor Lee Tucker, 30, will likely face murder charges, DeKalb County Sheriff Melody Maddox told reporters. The officer and cashier were not immediately identified. A second grocery store employee who was grazed by a bullet also was not identified.

The shooting occurred at the Big Bear Supermarket in DeKalb County, southeast of Atlanta, around 1 p.m., the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said in a statement. Tucker was checking out when the argument occurred, the statement said. He left without making his purchase, then immediately returned with a handgun and allegedly shot the cashier, the agency said. She was pronounced dead at a local hospital.

The deputy, a 30-year veteran of the DeKalb County Police Department and a reserve officer with sheriff's office who was working at the supermarket, then fired at Tucker, Maddox said. Tucker allegedly returned fire, striking the deputy twice, Maddox said. The officer was in stable condition at a local hospital. Two responding officers arrested Tucker while attempting to crawl out of the supermarket's front door, the agency said. He was taken to a local hospital and is in stable condition. nbcnews.com

Phoenix, AZ: Man pointing gun at Shoplifters before being shot by off-duty
Phoenix officer dies
A man who was pointing a gun at shoplifters moments before being shot by an off-duty Phoenix police officer nearly two weeks ago has died. He was identified as 39-year-old William Brookins, Phoenix police spokesperson Sgt. Andy Williams confirmed for The Arizona Republic on Monday. Phoenix police initially said Brookins was in stable condition and expected to survive after being shot by an off-duty Phoenix police officer on the evening of June 3 near 15th Avenue and Camelback Road.

The officer, who while in full uniform was directing traffic in the area, observed Brookins pointing a gun at two other people and intervened, Phoenix police previously said. He commanded Brookins to drop the gun multiple times, however, police said Brookins ignored those commands. The officer then shot Brookins, according to police. Brookins was taken to a hospital but died on June 8, Williams told The Republic on Monday. Phoenix police previously stated that once Brookins was released from the hospital he would face multiple criminal charges, however, did not provide specifics.

Phoenix police said the incident appeared to have stemmed from a shoplifting that occurred at a business in the area. They later said Brookins was pointing a gun at individuals believed to have shoplifted from the business. Police also noted that Brookins was not an employee of the business nor was the business a victim of a robbery. No one else was injured during the shooting. The officer who shot Brookins has only been identified by Phoenix police as having been with the department for about four years. azcentral.com

Gulfport, MS: Suspect surrenders after fatal shooting at O'Reilly's Auto
Gulfport man accused in the shooting death of a man after an argument outside an auto parts store in Orange Grove surrendered Monday night, police said. Demonte Levell Williams, of Gulfport, is facing a charge of first-degree murder in the killing of Brent Mandel Jones Jr., 27, of Gulfport. Williams' bond has been set at $1 million, his attorney Michael Crosby said. Gulfport police began investigating after responding to a call shortly before 9 a.m. about a man, since identified as Jones, shot to death in the parking lot of O'Reilly's Auto Parts on Dedeaux Road. Jones died of multiple gunshot wounds in the driver's side seat of his white SUV. An autopsy is pending, Harrison County Coroner Brian Switzer said. Gulfport Deputy Chief Craig Peterson told the Sun Herald the shooting happened after Williams and Jones got into an argument outside the store. The shooting happened around 9 a.m. Monday. The two men knew one another, police said. sunherald.com

Springfield, MA: Police investigating One Stop Plaza fatal shooting, 2nd in a year
Developing news Monday evening, one person is dead after a shooting in a convenience store in Springfield earlier Monday morning. Western Mass News is now digging deeper into the location of the murder. This was not the first shooting to happen at One Stop Plaza on Central Street. Police said one man was killed earlier Monday morning, and Western Mass News has learned just last year in the same plaza, another man was also killed. westernmassnews.com
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Knoxville, TN: Two arrested at O'Reilly's after employee wouldn't accept return
Knoxville Police arrested two people after officers responded to a situation at the O'Reilly Auto Parts on Clinton Highway. According to a police report Ryan Evans went to the store to return some items on Sunday. He reportedly became agitated with employees when he couldn't make those returns. That's when he allegedly went to his vehicle and came back. At some point. according to employees, Evans had his hand on a 9mm handgun. They told officers they feared for their lives. Evans was charged with aggravated assault, being a convicted felon in possession of a handgun, and simple possession. Jarius Smith, another person who was at the store at the time, faces drug charges. Smith also had an outstanding warrant for misdemeanor theft. A third person was cited for simple possession. wate.com

Manhattan, NY: Manager of NYC Shake Shack falsely accused of spiking cops' milkshakes with bleach files defamation lawsuit
The manager of a downtown Manhattan Shake Shack falsely accused of serving three NYPD cops poison milkshakes has filed a federal defamation lawsuit against the city, several cops and two police unions. Marcus Gilliam, 28, the manager of the Fulton Center Shake Shack, alleges he was falsely arrested and grilled for hours while leaders of the police and detectives' unions claimed on social media that three cops were fed bleach-dosed milkshakes on June 15, 2020. The NYPD announced the next day the fast food joint had done nothing criminal, and a police source told the Daily News the milkshake machine simply hadn't been thoroughly cleaned. Before that, however, NYPD investigators and the two unions subjected Gilliam and his staff to a string of false accusations about what happened, according to a lawsuit filed Monday in Manhattan Federal Court. nydailynews.com

Convicted felon's armed purse theft at mall costs him more than 8 years in jail
According to information presented in court, on Sep. 24, Beaumont police officers responded to a call regarding a theft and aggravated assault at Parkdale Mall in Beaumont. Derionte Chrishaun Thomas, aka, Shug, 25, pleaded guilty Feb. 24 to being a felon in possession of a firearm and was sentenced Monday to 100 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale. panews.com

Chicago , IL: Police warn South Side Business Owners of Rock Throwing Burglars
22nd District Chicago Police are alerting businesses in the South Side Washington Heights and Roseland communities of recent commercial burglaries. All the burglaries occurred during the overnight hours. patch.com

Wilkes-Barre Township, PA: Officer injured when attacked inside Walmart Supercenter

Philadelphia, PA: Police arrest serial burglar accused of breaking into 20 c-stores

Ocala, FL: 30 years in prison for man found guilty of robbing Dollar General in Marion Oaks

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	Area Loss Prevention Manager Sacramento, CA - posted April 20 Our Area Loss Prevention Managers ensure safe and secure stores through the objective identification of loss and risk opportunities. Our Area Loss Prevention Managers plan and prioritize to provide an optimal customer experience to their portfolio of stores. They thrive on supporting and building high performance teams that execute with excellence...
	Corporate Security Manager Calabasas, CA - posted April 6 The Corporate Security Manager will, among other things, (a) be responsible for ensuring a safe and secure environment for our employees, vendors, and visitors, (b) develop, manage, execute and continuously improve corporate security processes and protocols, and (c) lead a team of security specialists at our corporate offices...

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