7/22/21

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

Auror adds Fran Wurster Jr as Director of Retail Solutions - North America

Fran Wurster Jr joined Auror in April 2021 as Director of Retail Solutions - North America. He has a background in accounting and finance, providing loss prevention solutions, and also building his own wedding entertainment company. Learn more about the proud father and entrepreneurial DJ extraordinaire on his journey with Auror so far.

Why Auror?
I was really excited about the product and I truly believe in how it empowers retailers to reduce loss, aggression, and crime in stores. I'm not a traditional sales guy. I could never position a product to my customers that I did not believe in. And I think there's a huge opportunity for retailers here in North America with Auror.

How do you think your previous experience is helping you in your current role?
My background is in selling security hardware - from antennas at the front of the store which beep when you steal things - and at my last company it was security stands for phones displayed in shops, amongst other things. So I've seen firsthand the opportunities to connect these and many other tools to a crime intelligence system like Auror to bring a lot more value to retailers.

Read more here, including:
- How Fran turned his love of music into a successful business
- How he adds a touch of magic to his work
- The effect COVID has had on his work
- The challenge he sees retailers facing in coming years

For the full article click here

Private Sector Leaders Heading to White House for Cybersecurity Talks
Biden to convene private sector leaders for cybersecurity talks in August
President Joe Biden and senior U.S. officials will meet private sector leaders on Aug. 25 to discuss ways to beef up cybersecurity, a White House spokesperson said on Wednesday, underscoring the need for collective action.

Members of Biden's national security team and officials from across the administration will meet business executives to "discuss how we can work together to collectively improve the nation's cybersecurity," the spokesperson for the White House National Security Council said.

No details were immediately available on which private sector executives would attend.

"Today more than ever, cybersecurity is an economic security and national security imperative, and both the federal government and the private sector play a critical role," the spokesperson said.

News about the meeting comes amid a surge in costly ransomware attacks and steps by the Biden administration to shore up the defense of critical infrastructure sectors, such as pipelines, against cyber attacks.

Next month's high-level meeting continues a big push by the Biden administration to engage with private companies on how to increase cybersecurity, including among small businesses. reuters.com

Executives' Phones Targeted by Hackers
Apple's iPhone has a 'major blinking red five-alarm-fire problem with iMessage security,' according to a cybersecurity researcher

Apple's iPhones are a lot less secure than Apple says, a new report said.

Apple's iPhone isn't as secure as Apple says it is, a bombshell new report from a group of media outlets and Amnesty International said.

"Apple has a MAJOR blinking red five-alarm-fire problem with iMessage security," Bill Marczak, a senior research fellow at Citizen Lab, said on Sunday.

Amnesty International said hackers were able to remotely access and replicate data from phones tied to 37 people, primarily reporters and executives, by using a software tool called Pegasus created by NSO Group.

The software is sold to governments and considered a military-grade hacking service. With Pegasus, hackers are able to infect phones with "zero-click" texts through iMessage, meaning the target user doesn't even have to interact with the text to have their phone breached.

Moreover, the report found that even the most up-to-date firmware and iPhone hardware could be breached by Pegasus. Forensic reports completed by Amnesty International and verified by Citizen Lab found that even iPhones running iOS 14.6, the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, were susceptible to hacking.

"All this indicates that NSO Group can break into the latest iPhones," Marczak said. businessinsider.com

'Widespread, Inexpensive Malware Variant'
Cybercriminals Rewrite Malware to Target MacOS

Researchers discover a widespread, inexpensive malware variant has been redesigned to target both macOS and Windows devices.

Cybercriminals are taking closer aim at Apple machines, as indicated in recent reports that describe multiple occurrences of Windows-focused malware rewritten to target macOS devices.

One of these variants, called XLoader, is a widespread and inexpensive form of malware that was originally written to infect Windows machines. XLoader stems from FormBook, which is among the most common types of malware and has been active for at least five years, Check Point researchers report. As of 2020, FormBook had affected 4% of organizations worldwide.

FormBook was designed as an information stealer to steal credentials from different Web browsers, collect screenshots, monitor and log keystrokes, and download and execute files according to instructions from an attacker's command-and-control server. While different FormBook subscriptions sold for different prices, they were all relatively cheap: Its developer, referred to as ng-Coder, charged as little as $29 per week.

However, criminals quickly noticed FormBook could be used for more than keylogging and turned the malware into a globally used tool employed in massive spam campaigns. darkreading.com

Microsoft doubles down on cybersecurity with CloudKnox acquisition
Microsoft today announced that it acquired CloudKnox Security, a platform designed to protect resources and identities across multicloud and hybrid cloud environments. With the purchase, the terms of which weren't disclosed, Microsoft says that Azure customers will be able to right-size permissions and enforce least-privilege principles, employing continuous analytics to help prevent security breaches.

Sunnyvale, California-based CloudKnox, which was cofounded in 2015 by former VMWare engineer Balaji Parimi and Rao Cherukuri, provides a service that leverages activity-based authorization APIs to detect and remediate over-privileged machines and users. The company emerged from stealth in 2017 and launched its permissions management product for hybrid and multicloud infrastructures the following year, in 2018. It claims to have invented technology to manage entitlements of any identity - human or non-human, irrespective of their origin - across any cloud infrastructure with the same operating model.

CloudKnox reveals who has access to multicloud environments and endpoints, workspaces, and workflows across Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, active directories, and VPNs. Built-in tools monitor users and digital identity actions on resources across clouds for anomalies. And an identity management component spots suspicious changes in geolocation and client type. venturebeat.com

Hackers seek millions of dollars from City of Clearfield in cybersecurity breach

TSA issues new cybersecurity rules for pipeline companies
 

Register Now for the 2021 RH-ISAC Summit - September 28-29

Hey LP/AP senior: If your retailer is a member you might want to consider attending yourself or sending one of your team members who works with cybersecurity on investigations or e-commerce fraud.

Especially now with the increased ransomware attacks and data beaches and the corresponding increased attention from law enforcement. Cross pollinating and building those relationships could pay off long term.  Register here

Black Market Marijuana - Mexican Cartels - US Gang Wars - Guns - Guns - Guns
Throughout North America Legalizing the Cannabis Market Hasn't Reduced Crime - It's Actually Increased Crime - Especially Violent Gun Crimes
And we'll prove it over a period of time in this column.

You can't just take away billions of sales from well established businesses and expect them to just roll-over and not do anything. Fact is no one was discussing what the Cartels would do in retaliation and how they'd fight to maintain the revenue. While everyone was celebrating the gradual voting booth victories. With more coming.

The gruesome story below represents drastic measures they're taking to protect and even grow their business and market share. The Cartels are openly operating massive grows and executing dozens of workers at will and in the U.S. And we aren't shutting them down.

Part 2 of this story next week. -Gus Downing

Essential California: Illegal pot farms upend desert life
California's Marijuana Business Hasn't Gone As Planned
The legalization of marijuana has not gone as California planned. Tax revenues have not hit anywhere close to the levels officials expected. It's so bad the state is considering a $100-million bailout of the industry. Illegal marijuana operations remain a huge problem and a source of violence and crime.  latimes.com

Mass Murder - Cartels Sending a Message?
7 bodies, nothing stolen: Were killings at Riverside marijuana grow 'a message'?
ANZA, Calif. - The boy knew how his mother made a living. He also knew the danger inherent in it. As recently as two months ago, he had stayed at a property in Aguanga, a small community in rural Riverside County, where his mother, helped by recent immigrants from Laos, grew marijuana.

Though he did not think his mother growing marijuana made her a bad person, the 16-year-old recalled an unease, the sense that violence could at any moment intrude on that dusty, far-flung property. "It's drugs," he said. "And anything can happen when you're dealing drugs."

7 Workers Executed by the Cartel

Half an hour after midnight on Sept. 7, Riverside sheriff's deputies were called to the property, where they found a woman badly shot and in the last hours of her life. She would die at a local hospital. Elsewhere on the site, the deputies found the bodies of six people, all of them shot to death. The boy's mother, Phone Chankhamany, was among the dead.

One month later, Riverside County's worst mass killing in recent memory remains cloaked in mystery. The authorities have not said if they've turned up a motive or narrowed in on any suspects. The Riverside Sheriff's Department has declined requests for interviews and placed security holds on the coroner's reports, blocking their disclosure.

Yet what facts have emerged illustrate a brutal point: Violence haunts California's illegal marijuana market, which, law enforcement authorities concede, dwarfs its fledgling, legal counterpart and comprises a sweeping array of players, from mom-and-pop grows to sophisticated drug trafficking organizations. latimes.com

California offers $100 million to rescue its struggling legal marijuana industry
SACRAMENTO - The California Legislature on Monday approved a $100-million plan to bolster California's legal marijuana industry, which continues to struggle to compete with the large illicit pot market nearly five years after voters approved sales for recreational use.  latimes.com

Now, a new Times investigation looks at how illegal marijuana is transforming the Mojave Desert in troubling ways. The desert, with its remote location and sun, is now a pot-growing hot spot. Among the findings:

Illegal pot invades California's deserts, bringing violence, fear, ecological destruction
Before his corpse was dumped in a shallow grave 50 miles north of Los Angeles, Mauricio Ismael Gonzalez-Ramirez was held prisoner at one of the hundreds of black-market pot farms that have exploded across California's high desert in the last several years, authorities say.

He worked in what has become California's newest illegal marijuana haven: the Mojave Desert. A world away from the lush forest groves of the "Emerald Triangle" of Northern California, this hot, dry, unforgiving climate has attracted more than a thousand marijuana plantations that fill the arid expanse between the Antelope Valley and the Colorado River.

It's an unprecedented siege that has upended life in the remote desert communities and vast tract developments that overlook Joshua trees and scrub. Authorities say the boom has led to forced labor, violence, water theft and the destruction of fragile desert habitat and wildlife.

Longtime residents say they feel less safe, claiming black-market growers act with impunity by carrying weapons, trading gunfire with rivals and threatening those who wander too close to their farms.

The suspects, according to court documents, were said to be "affiliated with the Jalisco cartel."

Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies within the last few months have counted 500 such illegal grow sites from the air - a huge jump from the 150 tallied last year. In San Bernardino County, sheriff's deputies have come across 860 illegal sites. The farms have become so numerous that one outraged resident posted drone footage of one greenhouse after another filling a one-mile stretch of desert in Twentynine Palms.

The spread has coincided with an increase in violence. Though there is no official tally of homicides, The Times found at least five Mojave Desert slayings in 2020 and 2021 that investigators said were related to pot farming, as well as one attempted murder.

Biggest Bust in California's History Worth $1 Billion

In one recent eradication sweep, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said, authorities seized 373,000 pot plants and more than 16 tons of harvested marijuana with a street value of more than $1 billion - the largest such operation in the department's history.

Cannabis cultivators began moving out of California's redwood forests and into the sun-scorched desert in 2018, two years after voters passed Proposition 64, which reduced the penalty for growing and selling pot from a felony to a misdemeanor.

Many of the illegal grows are run by Mexican, Chinese, Russian, Armenian and Laotian criminal organizations, said Bodner, a 30-year veteran of the agency. latimes.com
 

Parking Lot Safety & Security at Cannabis Businesses
Securing Cannabis Business Parking Areas
Since the parking lots of any business can become a target for crime, cannabis and other high-risk businesses must take special care to secure these areas. Parking areas are one of the most common areas where crime occurs and they are often difficult to secure. While some cannabis businesses, such as cultivation facilities and laboratories, may be able to control access to the parking area by fencing the perimeter and using a gate, most retailers will not have this option. Where access to the parking area is more accessible, cannabis businesses should focus on proactive security and safety measures to guard the premises. Regardless of business type, securing cannabis business parking areas is an important step in ensuring the success of the business.

Although cannabis regulations vary by state and locality, parking area safety and security is a frequent concern. Regulations regarding parking lot cameras, lighting, and signage are common, as well as prohibitions against loitering and consumption in parking areas. While many of the requirements may seem commonsense, cannabis business owners should adhere to them to ensure the compliance and success of their business. sapphirerisk.com

California Establishes the Department of Cannabis Control

Online Shopping & Retail Pollution
Walmart, Target, and Amazon are among the biggest corporate polluters thanks to overseas shipping

Retail giants Walmart, Target, Ikea, and Amazon are among the top 10 maritime polluters.

A new report from Pacific Environment and Stand.earth reveals 15 major corporations that emit as much climate pollution from overseas shipping as 1.5 million American homes.

Retail giants Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Ikea, Amazon, and Nike are among the worst polluters, according to the report. Walmart tops the list, generating more greenhouse gas than a coal plant would in a year, The Verge first reported.

Right now, Americans are buying so many imported goods that shipping companies are racing to build more boats and brands are paying ten times typical shipping prices, Insider reported in July.

Last year, Walmart said it will eliminate its carbon footprint by 2040. This goal does not encompass Walmart's entire supply chain, and therefore does not calculate emissions released by overseas shipping.

Similarly, Amazon has pledged to be net-zero carbon across its business by 2040. An Amazon spokesperson told Insider that the company includes indirect emissions such as cargo shipping into its carbon footprint calculations, which are published online.

Target's sustainability goals do take its entire supply chain into account - the company also aims to be net-zero by 2040. businessinsider.com

Backlash After Bezos Flies to Space
Bezos thanks Amazon workers & customers for his wealth, prompting backlash
From groceries and streaming subscriptions to web servers and Alexa, Amazon has become one of the most powerful economic forces in the world. And after Jeff Bezos returned from his brief flight to space on Tuesday in a rocket built by his private space company, Blue Origin, he made remarks that drew attention to the vast wealth the company had created for him.

"I also want to thank every Amazon employee and every Amazon customer because you guys paid for all of this," Mr. Bezos said during a news conference after his spaceflight.

Mr. Bezos' comment prompted swift critical reactions, including from a member of the House of Representatives who serves on the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

"Space travel isn't a tax-free holiday for the wealthy," said Representative Earl Blumenauer, Democrat of Oregon. "We pay taxes on plane tickets. Billionaires flying into space - producing no scientific value - should do the same, and then some!" nytimes.com

TikTok's Plan? Conquer E-Commerce, Gaming and Everything Else

Baltimore, MD: Family of man killed inside Giant calls for Security Guard to be charged in his death
The family of the man killed inside of a Giant grocery store last week in Northwest Baltimore is demanding justice as they call for murder charges against the security guard who shot him. The shooting claimed the life of Nicholas Lee, 24, a young father who's been described as a talented singer and guitarist. Lee's cousin Patricia Watson also said he devoted his time at local mosque to help lead young black men on the right path. Watson said Lee was non-confrontational and the type of person who did not seek trouble.

It's why their family can't understand why the armed security guard chose to shoot and kill him after a dispute she says started over a t-shirt. "He was putting on his shirt. The security guard I guess wanted him to put it on faster and that wasn't enough for him...from all the accounts we are hearing, the security guard followed him to the back of the store and just engaging." Baltimore Police said there was a physical altercation that led up to the shooting which ended with the guard shooting Lee and his girlfriend. She also said it happened in front of his young child. "The baby's stroller was literally covered in blood," Watson said.

Eight days after Lee's death, the family is still searching for definitive answers on what happened. So far, Watson said they've had to rely on his girlfriend and other people who witnessed the shooting because police have not released additional details surrounding his death. Watson said she was told the security guard worked for the bank inside the store. She said the deadly shooting could have easily been avoided and believes the guard should be arrested and charged for his role in Lee's death. "For it to happen in the back of the store, that means you decided to follow him and continue whatever was going on. [The security guard] could have stopped," she said. Watson also said security companies need to make policy changes to ensure their employees receive better training. By doing so, she said this tragedy could have been prevented. wmar2news.com

Reedley, CA: Suspect in deadly C-Store shooting in Reedley appears in court
David Cedeno was in a Fresno County courtroom Wednesday, six weeks after Missouri police caught up with him following his disappearance in the wake of a fatal shooting in Reedley. "We pled not guilty, denied any priors or enhancements and requested discovery," says Defense Attorney Steve Smith. Cedeno is accused of fatally shooting Elizandro Diaz Jr. back on April 13th.

Diaz was on a break from work when he stopped at the Oaks Mini Mart to get some snacks. That's when store security cameras caught the two in a verbal argument just before the gun violence. Police say following the altercation, Cedeno got into his vehicle and followed Diaz back to the parking lot of Bravante Produce. Cedeno, according to investigators, then fired multiple rounds, striking Diaz in the lower torso. Diaz was taken to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. abc30.com
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Victorville, CA: Big Lots employee Run Over by robbery suspect
A female Big Lots employee in Victorville was run over during an attempted robbery on Tuesday, officials said. It happened at about 10:08 am, on July 20, 2021, in the parking lot located on La Paz Drive. Sheriff's officials said deputies received an assault call reporting an unknown person had run over an employee while attempting to leave with stolen merchandise. "Upon arrival, deputies learned the victim followed the suspect out of the store after seeing him leave without paying for a television and bedding he had in his possession," stated a sheriff's news release. "After placing the items in his car, the suspect began to drive away. The vehicle hit the victim in the process, causing her to fall to the ground. She suffered an injury to her head and wrist and was transported to a hospital for treatment." At approximately 3:28 pm, Deputy J. Ortega saw the suspect vehicle. He conducted a traffic stop and detained the suspect, later identified as 50-year-old Kenneth Deshon Berry, a resident of Hesperia. vvng.com

Baltimore, MD: Man pleads guilty to zip-tying employees in 3 area armed robberies
A Baltimore man faces up to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to three violent commercial robberies, where victims were zip-tied, in 2019. Two of the robberies happened at a Parkville Taco Bell and a Dollar General in Millersville; the third was a CVS on Harford Road near the Baltimore City/County line, according to the federal indictment. foxbaltimore.com

Bloomington, IL: Man pleads guilty to Burglary at Walmart in Normal, IL
A Bloomington man pleaded guilty to burglary Wednesday after mob action and looting charges were dismissed under a plea agreement. Prosecutors said Dennis R. Davis, 27, was among a mob May 31, 2020, at the Normal Walmart and looted merchandise, as several stores across Bloomington-Normal suffered looting and property damage following civil unrest in response to George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police. Walmart surveillance video showed Davis smash a glass case in the electronics department and take merchandise. He also stole items from the automotive department, prosecutors said. Under the plea agreement, the McLean County state's attorney's office is capping its sentencing recommendation to four years in the Illinois Department of Corrections. pantagraph.com

Sacramento, CA: Crime Cancels Christmas: Old Sacramento Holiday-Themed Store Closing After String Of Thefts
A longtime family-owned Christmas store in Old Sacramento is being forced to close as it's been overwhelmed by shoplifters. The thieves have stolen more than just holiday spirit from the business that's been in the city for decades. Clearance signs saying "Everything must go" are not how William Glen's two boutiques-Christmas and Co. and Chef Mercantile-wanted to leave Sacramento. "We have been here fighting this fight for 11 years with our neighbors," explained owner, Mark Snyder. The two stores have been nestled in busy Old Sacramento for 11 years, but have been spreading Christmas cheer for nearly six decades in the city. Snyder said grifting grinches have made it impossible to stay open. "We are moving strictly online to prevent the loss of merchandise. That loss has increased $15,000 a month," he explained. gooddaysacramento.cbslocal.com

College Station, TX: Kroger employee arrested for allegedly stealing over $150,000 from store
A man has been arrested after College Station police said he confirmed stealing over $150,000 while working at Kroger. Richard Wang, 20, has been charged with Theft of Property. On July 20, a CSPD officer responded to a theft report from a Kroger located on Longmire Drive. According to arrest records, a fellow Kroger employee provided security footage showing the theft. Police said Wang admitted to taking the money over the course of three months. Wang is currently being held at the Brazos County Jail on a $8,000 bond. kxxv.com

Nashville, TN: Woman Bites Police Officer Multiple Times After Resisting Arrest At Kroger
A Tennessee woman who was suspected of having shoplifted from a grocery store reportedly bit a police officer several times while resisting arrest at a Nashville grocery store Monday afternoon. The police officer, who had been working security at the Kroger grocery store located in North Nashville, was notified that the woman had reportedly tucked away items into her purse and proceeded to pepper-spray the woman after she resisted arrest, WKRN reported. After being placed into handcuffs, the woman reportedly bit the officer several times, leaving cuts on the officer's hand, according to an arrest warrant. dailycaller.com

Valencia, CA: Deputies called to Ulta Beauty for the third time this week
The Wednesday report came in at 2:12 p.m. on the 24000 block of Magic Mountain Parkway and was initially reported as a grand theft, according to Sgt. Curt Messerschmidt of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. signalscv.com

Flagstaff, AZ: Man sentenced 28 years for attempted Flagstaff jewelry heist

St Paul, MN: Man pleads guilty to setting fire to Health store during 2020 riots

Attempted credit card fraud up nearly 33% in Brazil in first half of the year

Philadelphia, PA: U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Seizes Nearly $300k in Counterfeit Auto Parts from China

Submit Your New Hires/Promotions or New Position

Featured Job Spotlights
 

Help Your Colleagues By Referring the Best Refer the Best & Build the Best
	Regional Manager LP, Audit & Firearms Compliance Indianapolis, IN - posted July 21 The Central Regional Loss Prevention Manager is responsible for the control and reduction of shrinkage at the stores in their Territory and the company's Distribution Centers. Investigate and resolves all matters that jeopardize or cause a loss to the company's assets...
	Senior AP Operations Manager, Supply Chain Albany, OR - posted July 14 As a Senior Assets Protection Operations Manager (SAPOM), you'll manage a multi-level team comprised of both exempt AP leaders and non-exempt AP Security Specialists responsible for the execution of Assets Protection routines and initiatives to support secure environments and protect Target's profitability...
	Field Loss Prevention Manager Chicago, IL - posted July 9 Manages and coordinates Loss Prevention and Safety Programs intended to protect Staples assets and ensure a safe work environment within Staples Retail locations. Conducts investigations in conjunction with Human resources involving Workplace violence and Ethics...
	Asset Protection Coordinator Rochester, NH - posted June 17 Preventing and deterring theft and limiting the loss of company assets in the stores through best-in-class service, healthy business partnerships, profit analysis, and investigations. Oversee and complete Asset Protection Department responsibilities including but not limited to internal theft investigations, external theft investigations, and physical security...
	Asset Protection Coordinator York, ME - posted June 17 Preventing and deterring theft and limiting the loss of company assets in the stores through best-in-class service, healthy business partnerships, profit analysis, and investigations. Oversee and complete Asset Protection Department responsibilities including but not limited to internal theft investigations, external theft investigations, and physical security...
	Asset Protection Coordinator Dover, NH - posted June 17 Preventing and deterring theft and limiting the loss of company assets in the stores through best-in-class service, healthy business partnerships, profit analysis, and investigations. Oversee and complete Asset Protection Department responsibilities including but not limited to internal theft investigations, external theft investigations, and physical security...

Featured Jobs

To apply to any of today's Featured Jobs, Click Here

View Featured Jobs   |   Post Your Job
 

We want to post your tips or advice... Click here

Not getting the Daily? Is it ending up in your spam folder?
Please make sure to add d-ddaily@downing-downing.com to your contact list, address book, trusted sender list, and/or company whitelist to ensure you receive our newsletter. 
Want to know how? Read Here

FEEDBACK    /    downing-downing.com    /    Advertise with The D&D Daily