8/16/21

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

Lauren Jackson named Supervisor, Investigative Analytics for Victoria's Secret
Before being named Supervisor, Investigative Analytics for Victoria's Secret, Lauren spent more than four years with L Brands as Senior Asset Protection Investigative Analyst. Prior to that, she served as Asset Protection Manager & Corporate Investigator for Goodwill Columbus for more than two years. Earlier in her career, she held loss prevention roles with Sears Holdings Corporation, Kohl's Department Stores, and Macy's. Congratulations, Lauren!

Costco Store Opening Leads to Dangerous Threats
Florida officials reportedly threatened over a new Costco store opening

According to WPTV, one person asked locals to share home addresses for city commissioners on Facebook.

Local government officials were reportedly threatened in a Facebook post over plans to open a new Costco store in Stuart, Florida.

According to local Florida news channel WPTV, one resident urged people to share personal details of city commissioners in a private Facebook group, including photos of their children, car registration numbers, and home addresses. The post was made ahead of a meeting of officials last week, WPTV reported.

"Bring tar and feathers for the city commissioners? Post their home addresses, pictures of their home addresses, pictures of their cars, license plates, kids, family?" the Facebook user wrote, according to WPTV.

The newly approved Costco store, which is part of a larger development, has been the subject of debate for several years. While some residents are happy to have new jobs in the community, others petitioned against the development, saying that it could damage the local wetlands and make traffic worse.

"It is unacceptable to put that kind of rhetoric out there online. It puts people in danger and quite honestly, I'm outraged," he said.

According to WPTV, local police do not plan to launch a full investigation into this as the Facebook user who posted the comment did not share the commissioners' personal details. businessinsider.com

Security Company Fined $263,000 for Employing Unlicensed Workers
DA: Home security company fined for having unlicensed workers in Wichita
The district attorney's office says a security company has agreed to pay $263,000 in penalties after investigators discovered some of the company's technicians were not licensed as they worked in Sedgwick County.

District Attorney Marc Bennett says his office investigated DEFENDERS, LLC, doing business as Protect Your Home, after a Sedgwick County resident filed a complaint. The company is an Indiana-based seller and installer of home security services.

Bennett says City of Wichita records showed the business and several employees were not properly licensed for periods of time between 2017 and 2019. The DA's office said the gaps in licensing impacted 555 consumer installations.

In a consent judgment with the DA's office, the company denies the violations but agrees in the future to not sell alarm services or operate without having the appropriate licensure. Bennett said the company agreed not to operate alarm business services in Sedgwick County unless all technicians were properly vetted and licensed.

According to Bennett, the company will provide impacted consumers with one free month of service and terminate an impacted consumer's contract upon request. ksn.com

Millions Quitting Jobs in Search of More Flexibility & Work-Life Balance
Nearly a third of U.S. workers under 40 considered changing careers during the pandemic
Nearly 1 in 3 U.S. workers under 40 have thought about changing their occupation or field of work since the pandemic began, according to a Washington Post-Schar School poll, conducted July 6 to 21. About 1 in 5 workers overall have considered a professional shift, a signal that the pandemic has been a turning point for many, even those who did not contract the coronavirus.

Many people told The Post that the pandemic altered how they think about what is important in life and their careers. It has given them a heightened understanding that life is short and that now is the time to make the changes they have long dreamed of. The result is a great reassessment of work, as Americans fundamentally reimagine their relationships to their jobs.

It's playing out in record numbers of Americans quitting their jobs and a surge of retirements and people starting businesses.

Recruiters say they are hearing over and over again that people want more flexibility. They say workers are hesitant to return to jobs in industries such as retail, restaurants and manufacturing that require a fixed schedule with in-person work, often at odd hours. washingtonpost.com

Wage Hikes Are Working
After a coffee shop owner in Iowa raised wages to $15, he got nearly 50 applications in 2 weeks
Once the shop raised wages to $15 in June, owner Rich Osborne told Insider, "that kind of upended the entire narrative out there that people don't want to work after the pandemic anymore." It wasn't a drastic increase - Osborne said they were averaging about $12 an hour beforehand - but it still stood to put a good chunk of money in employees' pockets.

"Once I wrote it down on a piece of paper in front of me and saw how little the numbers were, I mean, it was a no-brainer," Osborne said. "So I think people just have a knee-jerk reaction to $15: 'Oh my God, that's so much.' And it's not."

"I got like 50 in two weeks, and I think that's more I've gotten than the entire nine years we've been here," Osborne said. He said the coffee shop has "proved otherwise" the narrative that people don't want to work right now. businessinsider.com

Restaurant prices just had their biggest spike in 40 years

Gap's sales are up for the first time in decades

New Balance sues Michael Kors over 'N' mark shoes

7-Eleven will now deliver booze and Slurpees to your door


Last week's #1 article --

The Evolving Factors That Fuel C-Store Crime
The Changing Winds of Convenience-Store Crime
Retail-crime seasonality doesn't just stop at the literal seasons; cultural, political and technological factors heavily influence retail risk mitigation programs. And like the seasons, each can change on a large scale in a matter of months.

It's up to c-store leaders to adequately foresee these winds of change and invest in solutions to combat revolving-and evolving-crime waves.

States Divided

There are remarkably few retail crime statutes enforced on a federal level. Therefore, the vast majority of the burden falls to the state level. This leads retail brands to run into the challenging dynamic of dealing with different laws for different states.

In 2021, the pendulum in many states tends to swing toward the more lax enforcement option, resulting-at a very high level-in a generationally cyclical scenario. Just like rain, snow and cold keeps crime low, so, too, does a local government with strong retail crime enforcement laws.  cspdailynews.com

Supply Chain Cybersecurity Concerns
How to improve COVID-19 supply chain cybersecurity
COVID-19 supply chains have gained the attention of the general public, but also that of cybercriminals. Such bad actors are getting more skilled at finding and exploiting every potential threat surface in these crucial logistics networks.

No one defensive tool will prove adequate to meeting the threats. What is needed is a wide, coordinated approach across supply chains that combines endpoint security, identity and access management (IAM), data-driven patch management, privileged access management (PAM), and zero trust frameworks.

Cybersecurity Insider's 2020 State of Enterprise Security Posture Report finds that 60% of organizations are aware of fewer than 75% of the devices on their network, and only 58% of organizations say they could identify every vulnerable asset within their organization 24 hours after a critical exploit. Nine percent estimate it would take them one week or more.

Bad actors are adept at finding the most vulnerable endpoints using various automated and socially engineered campaigns to gain access. Three areas where endpoint breach attempts are thriving today are the following:

● Track-and-traceability that relies too much on manual updates. Many health care providers' supply networks rely on a mix of automated and manual supply chain workflows to get COVID-19 vaccines delivered to distribution points. Bad actors know the more manual the tracking and tracing of vaccine shipments, the greater the opportunity to redirect shipments, breach systems, and exfiltrate data. In addition, manual processes are prone to errors, slow, and lack audit history, all of which attract people looking for a vaccine supply chain to breach.

● Breach logistics providers with stolen privileged access credentials. Another favorite attack technique is impersonating logistics carriers with stolen privileged access credentials to redirect shipments and steal transaction data. As the COVID-19 vaccines were in development and pharma companies collaborated on shared intellectual property (IP), bad actors attempted to use a combination of social engineering, spear-phishing, ransomware, and other techniques to intercept privileged access credentials and steal valuable IP.

● Targeting the most vulnerable inbound logistics and distribution suppliers. Health care distribution networks and the suppliers they rely on have endpoint security gaps that make them soft targets. For example, ransomware attacks of supply chain companies occurred on average once every two months until 2020, at which time the rate of attacks tripled to two per month, according to a recent BlueVoyant survey. venturebeat.com

The Reasons for Rising Ransomware Attacks
Why Is There A Surge In Ransomware Attacks?
The U.S. is presently combating two pandemics--coronavirus and ransomware attacks. Both have partially shut down parts of the economy. However, in the case of cybersecurity, lax security measures allow hackers to have an easy way to rake in millions.

It's pretty simple for hackers to gain financially, using malicious software to access and encrypt data and hold it hostage until the victim pays the ransom.

Cyber attacks are more frequent now because it is effortless for hackers to execute them. Further, the payment methods are now friendlier to them. In addition, businesses are willing to pay a ransom because of the growing reliance on digital infrastructure, giving hackers more incentives to attempt more breaches.

Bolder cybercriminals

They are bolder now because it is easy for them to buy ransomware software-as-a-service and learn hacking techniques from online video-sharing sites, like YouTube. Some cyber gangs are even offering their services for a business hacking set up for a fee, typically a share of the profits.

Cryptocurrency made the hackers bolder, as they can extort unlimited and anonymous cash payments. With the anonymity of bitcoin transfers, hackers found out they can demand higher amounts from their victims.

You can also blame the rise in cyberattacks on the behavior of some firms that are willing to pay millions of dollars in bitcoin. However, attacks will stop if firms and data security experts ensure that hacking will not be profitable anymore.

Are cyber attacks getting a higher profile or actually rising?

The answer to both questions is yes. Ransomware is becoming more common because it is straightforward to execute. Hackers use software to poke around security holes or by tricking network users using phishing scam tactics like sending malware that seem to come from a trusted source. In addition, some large companies have been lax with their network security protocols, which cybersecurity experts learned recently. thehackernews.com

Third Party Workers Leaving More Companies Vulnerable
Reliance on 3rd party workers making companies more vulnerable to cyberattacks
A survey from SecZetta revealed 83% of respondents agree that because organizations increasingly rely on contractors, freelancers, and other third party workers, their data systems have become more vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Further, 88% of people say organizations and government entities must have better data security systems in place to protect them from the increase in third party remote attacks. Of particular note, 53% of respondents lack confidence in the strength of the U.S. government's infrastructure to protect the American people from cyberattacks.

Recent high-profile breaches, including SolarWinds, Colonial Pipeline, and JBS Foods, have exposed how vulnerable organizations are to cybercrime and in particular ransomware attacks. Of note with recent attacks is how data breaches can quickly affect aspects of everyday life, such as the ability to fill a car with gasoline or buy meat at the grocery store. To rebuild consumer trust, survey respondents say organizations must invest in advanced technology systems that help proactively reduce their risk of third party-perpetrated cyberattacks.

"The surge in high-profile cyberattacks in recent months has shown how seemingly easy it is for bad actors - whether human or bots - to infiltrate an organization's data security infrastructure, creating chaos for the company and potential harm for consumers," said David Pignolet, CEO of SecZetta.

"Many of these attacks originated through weaknesses in these organizations' risk-based identity access and lifecycle strategies for non-employee populations." helpnetsecurity.com

Repeat Offenders in the Cyber World
50% of cybersecurity attacks are from repeat offenders
Lack of awareness and gaps in knowledge are a weak link for cybersecurity leadership who are responsible for strategic planning of cybersecurity defenses, leaving organizations exposed to risks, a Ponemon survey reveals.

In the new findings, half of the attacks on organizations that caused severe business disruption were by repeat offenders - and 61% of those victims said they were unable to remediate these compromises, leaving critical systems and data at risk. The survey reveals organizations acknowledge they are suffering, not just from disruptive cyberattacks, but from repeat offenders, and for many victim organizations, complete remediation has not been possible.

Only 35% of respondents said they were leveraging their security analysts effectively, indicating a lack of maturity with regards to threat hunting. Threat hunting, particularly external threat hunting, has empowered more sophisticated security organizations to identify and block impending attacks, augment threat detection, and achieve comprehensive remediation. Yet, the majority of respondents indicate that their organizations are not allocating enough resources to realize the full potential of their analyst teams and threat hunting.

Survey results indicate that the average 2021 budget for the respondents' organizations for IT operations is $117 million. An average of 19% of this is allocated to IT security and of that an average of 22% is allocated to analyst activities and threat intelligence. helpnetsecurity.com

Microsoft 365: This new one-click button lets businesses report scam emails

65 vendors affected by severe vulnerabilities in Realtek chips
 

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

Respect, Rapport and Autonomy

Rapport is a heavily researched fundamental as it applies to the development of relationships during communication and has several founding principles and contributing factors. The initiation and maintenance of rapport are essential as it relates to creating a comfortable and supportive environment for the subject to provide actionable information to the interviewer. One of the core essentials to establishing rapport through respect and transparency is by providing the subject with autonomy throughout the conversation. Informing the subject of their freedom to leave and thanking them for taking time to talk with you may seem counterintuitive, but truth be told, these statements are important in projecting autonomy to the subject.

Read more here

Tracking Amazon Employees
Amazon reportedly wants to track its customer service employees by their keyboard strokes and mouse movements

Amazon has previously turned to other methods of surveilling its workforce to evaluate performance.

Amazon will closely watch its customer service workers - specifically through their keyboard strokes and mouse movements, according to Vice. The e-commerce giant plans to implement this oversight technology to prevent rogue workers, impostors, and hackers from accessing confidential customer data, Vice Motherboard's Joseph Cox reported on Thursday.

Amazon's security, finance, and legal teams have apparently agreed to use a behavioral biometric system from cybersecurity company BehavioSec, Vice reported.

According a confidential document obtained and verified by Motherboard, the proposed solution would entail using algorithms to generate a profile of a worker's inherent keyboard and mouse activity. It would then continuously verify the individual's "biometric footprint," making sure that it is in fact the same person using their device at a given time.

For privacy reasons, the system wouldn't record what apps or sites workers type or click on, and it wouldn't monitor worker communications, the report said. The document also detailed several successful attempts where malicious actors posed as Amazon customer service employees to gain access to privileged customer information, Vice reported.

Decreased security capabilities for Amazon customer service agents working from home because of COVID-19 and more customer service jobs outsourced to foreign countries with less stringent security measures has forced the company to invest in data security measures.

Amazon did not directly comment on the Motherboard report. "Maintaining the security and privacy of customer and employee data is among our highest priorities," Kelly Nantel, National Media Relations Director at Amazon, told Insider. businessinsider.com

New E-Commerce Partnership
You Can Now Shop for Abercrombie & Fitch at Zappos - And the New Partners Are Launching Shoes
Abercrombie & Fitch has teamed up with Zappos. Beginning today, the e-tailer will be Abercrombie's exclusive U.S. e-commerce partner.

Customers will now be able to shop denim and tops on Zappos.com. In addition, Abercrombie & Fitch is launching its first-ever footwear collection in collaboration with Zappos. The exclusive capsule was designed with Zappos as a consultant and features eight styles, including an ankle boot, stovepipe boot, court sneaker and strappy heel. footwearnews.com

FedEx Deploys new AI-Robotics E-Commerce Fulfilment System

San Antonio, TX: Man hit, killed by vehicle driven by carjacking suspect at gas station
A man attempting to change his tire at a gas station on the South Side was carjacked and then killed, according to San Antonio police. The incident happened around 10:52 p.m., Saturday, at a Texaco gas station in the 2400 block of Palo Alto. Police said the 65-year-old man was changing a flat tire on his vehicle when the suspect, Jose Gonzales, 36, approached him. Gonzales eventually left the scene but came back a short time later and got into the passenger side of the man's vehicle, according to authorities. Officials said Gonzales put the vehicle in reverse as the man walked from the driver's side to the passenger side in front of the vehicle. That's when Gonzales hit the gas and turned the vehicle into the man's direction, fatally striking him. Gonzales crashed the vehicle into the side of the gas station before going inside of the store, stripping down to his underwear, damaging several items and grabbing money from the cash register when he was confronted by officers, SAPD said. ksat.com

Wrens, GA: Family Dollar employee shot and wounded, suspect at large
The GBI says they're investigating a shooting at the Family Dollar in Wrens off of North Main Street. At approximately 8:55am this morning, an individual entered the Family Dollar in Wrens, produced a handgun from his pocket, and fired multiple shots at the store clerk, striking them at least once, according to the GBI. Upon officers arriving on scene, the victim was alert and talking and was transported to an Augusta area Medical Facility for treatment. wrdw.com
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Grand Rapids, MI: Guilty Plea from suspect in multiple Target Burglaries
Sentencing is set this week for a Grand Rapids man who pleaded guilty to breaking into a big box store last year and leading police on a chase into Livingston County. 18-year-old Kquazay Vinson of Grand Rapids pleaded guilty as charged last month in Livingston County Circuit Court to three counts of resisting and obstructing police. Court records show that in exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to recommend that Vinson be sentenced to time served with no probation. He also entered a plea to a breaking and entering charge in Genesee County for the incident that began on January 13th of 2020 when he and a co-defendant, 18-year-old Jamone Carter of Kentwood, broke into the Target store in Fenton and led police on a chase into Livingston County, where Carter, Vinson and a 16-year-old fled on foot. The subsequent manhunt, which involved both K9 units and drones, took several hours before they were all taken into custody.

Carter previously pleaded guilty to two counts of resisting and obstructing police and was sentenced to 144 days in jail. Authorities say all are members of a Grand Rapids group called the "Young Money Gang" which is responsible for nearly a dozen similar robberies, including the smash and grab robbery of the Brighton Target store in December of 2019. Vinson will be sentenced on Thursday by Livingston County Circuit Court Judge Suzanne Geddis. Sentencing is set for September 7th on the Genesee County charge. whmi.com

Lee County, FL: Suspects sought in North Fort Myers Dollar General armed robbery
Lee County deputies are looking for two men they say robbed a Dollar General in North Fort Myers at gunpoint late Saturday. Employees closed the store at 4055 Hancock Bridge Pkwy., shortly after 10 p.m. As they were walking to their cars in front of the building, two men armed with handguns approached them. Deputies say one employee was restrained outside the store by one of the suspects while the second employee was forced to unlock the store and provide access to the store's cash. After grabbing an undisclosed amount of money, the two suspects fled. winknews.com

West Chester, PA: Suspects in Jewelry Store Burglary dined at restaurant across the street
Police in West Chester, Pennsylvania are searching for multiple suspects wanted in connection with a burglary at a jewelry store on Friday night. It happened around 9 p.m. at Big Jewelers located on the unit block of West Gay Street. Surveillance video captured images of the suspects. The store is across the street from Kildare's Irish Pub where Jessica Blair works. The server told Action News she believes the men dined at the pub before the burglary. 6abc.com

Williston, VT: Police investigate string of thefts at REI
A string of thefts at a Williston business has police on the lookout. Police say early Saturday morning, a man used an object to break through REI's door then stole more than $2,000 in merchandise. But this isn't the first time, they say on July 20, 24 and 28, an unknown male, who is believed to be connected, again stole a total of more than $2,000 in merchandise. wcax.com

Philadelphia, PA: Man Charged In String Of Armed Bank, Pharmacy Robberies in Glenside, Wyncote, Elkins Park, and Philadelphia back in 2018

Submit Your New Hires/Promotions or New Position

Featured Job Spotlights
 

Help Your Colleagues By Referring the Best Refer the Best & Build the Best
	Seasonal Asset Protection Associate Charlotte, NC - posted August 10 The Asset Protection Associate (APA) is responsible for the detection, apprehension, or deterrence of customer and associate activity that could result in a loss to Ralph Lauren. APAs are also responsible for ensuring a safe environment for all customers, associates, and vendors...
	Corporate Security Manager Calabasas, CA - posted August 13 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...
	Area Loss Prevention Manager Pittsburgh, PA and/or Cleveland, OH - posted July 30 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...
	District Loss Prevention Manager Chicago South / Illinois Central - posted July 28 The District Loss Prevention Manager develops and implements the Loss Prevention program for 6 -15 selling locations. The DLPM is responsible for driving results through achievement of goals related to inventory shortage, budget lines, cash variance and operational compliance...
	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...

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