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8/18/21	LP, AP & IT Security's #1 News Source	D-Ddaily.net

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NRF's Retail Security Survey 2021

Pandemic Led to Increase in Retail Security Threats, According to NRF Study

WASHINGTON, August 18, 2021 - Organized retail crime and numerous other security concerns evolved in 2020, and most retailers attribute the increase in criminal activity to the pandemic, according to the 2021 Retail Security Survey released today by the National Retail Federation.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the risk environment for retailers on several fronts. While more than two-thirds (69 percent) said the pandemic resulted in an increase in overall risk for their organization, respondents specifically mentioned the impact on workplace violence (61 percent) and organized retail crime (57 percent).

Mandated store shutdowns and other shopping restrictions that occurred throughout 2020 had an impact on where fraudulent activity occurred. More than one-third (39 percent) of respondents said they saw the greatest increase in fraud in multichannel sales channels such as buy online pick up in store, up from 19 percent the year before. In contrast, just 28 percent said the greatest increase in fraud came from in-store-only sales, down from 49 percent the year before. The percent of those who pointed to online-only sales fraud remained flat.

Apprehensions and prosecutions of dishonest employees are down compared with last year and with the five-year average. However, the cost per dishonest employee case is increasing. Half (50 percent) of respondents reported an average dollar loss of at least $1,000 compared with 29 percent in 2019.

Perhaps more concerning is the fact that a majority of retailers (65 percent) agree that ORC gangs are exhibiting higher levels of aggression and violence than they did the year before. Retailers cited COVID-19, policing and changes to sentencing guidelines, and the growth of online marketplaces as top reasons behind the increase in ORC activity.

The top five cities for ORC in the past year in order were Los Angeles, San Francisco/ Oakland, Chicago, New York and Miami.

With the size and scope of these threats continuing to grow, it is clear retailers need support from additional external resources, including lawmakers and law enforcement. A large majority of respondents (78 percent) believe a federal ORC law is needed to effectively combat these issues. Otherwise, retailers are left to address crimes that are often entangled between a patchwork of local jurisdictions.

The 2021 Retail Security Survey was conducted online among retail industry LP and AP professionals. The study was sponsored by Appriss Retail. Click here to view the report.

Violence, Crime & Unrest

Rising Crime is Becoming Top Issue Nationwide

Violent Crime Beats COVID as the #1 Fear in Chicago
Concern over violence rising, Chicago residents unhappy with Lightfoot, Foxx
With crime remaining the dominant issue facing Chicago today, residents are growing unhappy with Mayor Lori Lightfoot's performance in office, according to a new WGN-TV/Emerson College poll.

Also under water with Chicago residents, but by a much wider margin, is Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx. Just 34.7% of Chicagoans polled approve of the job the county's top prosecutor is doing overall, 47.7% disapprove and 15.9% are unsure or have no opinion.

Shootings across the city continued rise throughout the summer, and Chicago residents are taking notice. Sixty-two percent respondents say there is more crime now in Chicago than there was a year ago, while 24% feel that crime has stayed the same. Just 14% of residents think there is less crime since last year.

The surge in gun violence continues to dominate headlines. This past weekend 56 people were shot, seven of them fatally. The youngest victim was a 7-year-old girl killed in a shooting Sunday that also wounded her 6-year-old sister.

By an overwhelming number, Chicagoans still think crime is the number one issue facing the city. Of those asked, 44.2% said their top concern was crime - that's more than three times for any other issue. The city's handling of the deadly COVID-19 virus came in second at 12%, followed by education/schools at 7.8%, health care at 7.3% and police reform at 7.2%. wgntv.com

Rising Crime is a Top Issue in Calif.
Californians and their views on crime

Nearly all Californians say crime is an important issue, including more than two in three who consider it very important.

Californians were offered a range of potential policy prescriptions for what they'd like to see done to help prevent violent crime. (Ideas were not mutually exclusive so they could pick as many or as few as they wanted.)

Among the top-rated answers were increased economic opportunity and jobs. Closely following this was having more mental health services available. Large majorities would like to see these.

Almost half of Californians chose making fewer guns available as something that they think could help (49%) - and they pick that at three times the rate as those who thought making more guns available would help (14%). They selected the idea of more funding for police at a higher rate (48%) than the idea of less funding for police (13%), but many don't think either would help. A third of Californians thought having more racial diversity in neighborhoods would help. cbsnews.com

Calls to 'Defund the Police' Go Silent as Crime Surges

'Defund the Police' Movement is Fizzling Amid Crime Spikes
As murders surge, city leaders find a new message: Fund the police
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and many other Democratic city leaders are scrambling to boost police budgets and hire more officers amid the deadliest crime wave in two decades. Local and national Democrats are distancing themselves from "defund" politics and policies, a reflection of how deeply unpopular the concept has become among most voters - and how effective a weapon it can be for Republican candidates.

The crime wave has laid bare tensions between progressive Democrats, who still aim to overhaul U.S. policing, and mainstream Democrats now pushing traditional enforcement to combat crime.

The division has chilled efforts to reshape police departments and hold officers more accountable for excessive force. In New York, Atlanta and Seattle, Democratic city politicians have abandoned or scaled back police budget-cutting efforts and other proposals they touted amid the uproar over the 2020 death of George Floyd, a Black man killed by police in Minneapolis. In Congress, a policing bill named after Floyd - sponsored by Vice President Kamala Harris when she was still a senator - remains stalled more than a year later.

New York pivoted from slashing almost $1 billion in police funds last year to adding $200 million this year. Oakland, California, boosted its police budget in June by $38 million after last year setting a goal to cut it by $150 million. Austin, a liberal bastion in conservative Texas, this year passed its largest-ever police budget under pressure from state Republicans over rising crime. Last year, Austin had diverted $150 million in police funds to other priorities.

In Washington, Bowser asked the city council last month for $11 million to hire 170 new police officers after a series of shootings. The council agreed to fund 40 officers. wtvbam.com

More States & Cities Look to Boost Police Funding
Amid Michigan rise in violent crime, little appetite for defunding police
Just over a year after demands to defund the police, departments across Michigan are up against a different reality: A spike in violent crime amid a rising shortage of officers.

The combination has fueled efforts to increase police budgets and thrust public safety into the political arena, as candidates offer solutions ahead of what could be a volatile 2022 election cycle, most notably involving the race for Michigan governor.

In Flint, the mayor declared a state of emergency in July to combat rising gun violence, as homicides climbed by about a third compared to the same period in 2020. Detroit recorded its 186th homicide in late July, 16 more than at that time in 2020, when the city had 327 homicides, up 19 percent in 2019.

Grand Rapids recorded 38 homicides in 2020, an all-time high. For the first six months this year, assaults with guns climbed 72 percent compared to the same period in 2020. Kalamazoo had 15 homicides in 2020, the most in at least a quarter century.

For the moment at least, these urgent public safety concerns appear to have muted proposals for deep cuts to police departments, sentiments sparked by the May 2020 murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis officer Derek Chauvin. Indeed, contrary to any radical makeover, many large Michigan cities are hiking their police budget. bridgemi.com

   Mother of son killed in NYC deli blames 'defund police' movement for murder

   Can Democrats defuse 'Defund the Police'?

Massive Data Loss Forces Police to Set Criminals Free
Dallas PD Loses 8 Terabytes of Crime Data, Throwing Court Cases Into Chaos
The Dallas Police Department has announced that a city employee accidentally deleted eight terabytes of its data-an incident that has now endangered an unknown amount of court cases that relied upon the data as evidence.

The lost files, which included "images, video, audio, case notes or other items collected by DPD personnel in the course of their routine daily duties," have now thrown numerous court cases into jeopardy.

According to the DPD, the data was lost during a routine data migration that occurred in early April. The city IT employee tasked with handling the process "failed to follow proper, established procedures," which resulted "in the deletion of the data files," the agency said, in a statement shared with Gizmodo.

DA Creuzot has further stated that his office is still assessing how much damage the incident has caused: "At this time, it is too soon to estimate how many cases will be affected and what the impact will be on those individual cases."

The Associated Press reports that a Texas man, Jonathan Pitts, was supposed to be on trial for murder this week but has now been ordered released on bond because authorities are worried that evidence germane to his case may have been in the trove of expunged data. Pitts, who is accused of shooting another man to death in 2019, will be released while prosecutors work with the police department to determine whether any data related to his case has been lost, the outlet reports. gizmodo.com

Hate Crime Spree Targeting Chinese-Owned Shops in SF
SF man charged with hate crimes allegedly shattered Chinese shop windows with slingshot, DA says
The San Francisco District Attorney's Office has announced hate crime charges for a man who allegedly targeted shops he believed were Chinese-owned.

Derik Barreto is being charged with 27 counts of vandalism, four counts of second-degree robbery and counts of possession of burglary tools and concealed weapons. Thirty-one of these counts were enhanced with hate crime charges.

Barreto allegedly shattered the windows of 20 businesses throughout San Francisco, riding a scooter through the city streets and using a slingshot, hammer or other weapon to smash windows of businesses he believed were Chinese-owned, the District Attorney's Office said. These businesses were along Ocean Avenue, in Chinatown and in the Mission.

Hon's Wun-Tun House and Bow Hon Restaurant were among the restaurants affected by vandalism, KTVU reported. Barreto also took cash and other items from the shops he broke into, the District Attorney's Office said.

He allegedly told police during detainment that he was "motivated by the perceived race and nationality of the victims," according to a statement issued by District Attorney Chesa Boudin's office. sfgate.com

   Crime causes closure of branch of Niagara Falls' iconic DiCamillo Bakery

COVID Update

357.8M Vaccinations Given

US: 37.8M Cases - 640K Dead - 30.2M Recovered
Worldwide: 209.5M Cases - 4.3M Dead - 187.8M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 287 Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 337
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Transmission Map Shows Delta Ravaging the U.S.

46 States See Double-Digit Spikes in COVID Hospitalizations
The delta variant is putting America's hospitals back in crisis mode
With only about half of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, hospitals across the country are straining to respond to a deadly fourth surge of infections driven by the delta variant.

Doctors say the nationwide outbreak overwhelming hospitals could have been avoided had more people been immunized. In the week ending Tuesday, 46 of the 50 states experienced double-digit growth in covid-19 hospitalizations, according to an analysis by The Washington Post. Eight states, including California and New York, which for most of the summer had not seen many serious cases, added more than 400 new inpatients in that time.

"It's absolutely due to delta; it's absolutely due to unvaccinated people," said David Wohl, a specialist in infectious diseases at the University of North Carolina. "There is an incredible increase in hospitalizations across the spectrum, from just needing oxygen and some care to needing serious interventions to keep people alive. If everyone was vaccinated, our hospitals would be not anywhere where we are," Wohl said. washingtonpost.com

Retailers Fear Customer Vaccine Mandates Would Lead to Store Violence
Why big chains aren't requiring vaccines for customers
The Delta variant of Covid-19 is spreading across the United States, but stores and restaurants that people walk into on a daily basis aren't requiring vaccines for customers.

Representatives for retailers and restaurants and HR consultants who work with companies say it's too risky for frontline staff to be put in the position of enforcing vaccine rules for customers. Half of the US population has been fully vaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and pockets of Americans remain resistant or fiercely opposed to getting the shots. There's also the risk that such requirements would alienate customers.

Requiring customers to mask up throughout the pandemic has led to confrontations between customers who oppose mask wearing and store staff. Mandating vaccines would be even more challenging for businesses and jeopardize worker safety, industry trade groups say.

Instead, large chains are taking different approaches. McDonald's is requiring its workers to mask up in high-risk areas and that customers do so as well. Walmart, Target and others are requiring workers to wear masks but only recommending that customers do, too, in high-risk areas. Walmart, Walgreens and Gap are requiring corporate employees to be vaccinated as they seek to bring people back to the office, but not frontline staff in stores. Walmart, the largest private US employer, has said it hopes that requiring corporate staff to be vaccinated will convince more retail workers to get the shots.

"We want to stick with the message that strongly encourages everybody to get vaccinated, but don't want to create a situation where employees basically have a risk of physical assault, because it happened last year," said Larry Lynch, senior vice president of science and industry for the National Restaurant Association. "That's our biggest fear."

David French, senior vice president of government relations at the National Retail Federation, doesn't believe vaccine mandates for customers are the "right step" for retail chains, and they would be unable to enforce such mandates. cnn.com

Delta Surge Hitting Retail
Apple decides to postpone its return of in-store classes and increases COVID-19 testing for employees

A day after the plans were revealed, they were scrapped.

Yesterday, it was reported that the company informed its retail staff in both the United States and Canada that in-store classes would resume on August 30. Customers were even able to start reserving in-store sessions online.

As reported by Bloomberg, the company is suspending the return of in-store classes in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico. The company informed retail staff in a memo. In-store Today at Apple sessions are still planned to return in Europe.

The company is also increasing its at-home testing program for both its corporate and retail staff. Apple will begin to send enough test kits for two tests per week, according to the memo.

Apple had originally planned to return its corporate teams back to the office in September, but that plan was changed once the Delta variant began to take hold internationally. The company currently hopes to return staff to the office in October, but that will also change as needed. imore.com

Consumers Resume Panic Buying as Delta Spreads
Costco shoppers say some stores are out of toilet paper and water

The chain is also limiting the purchase of some products, several customers said.

Costco shoppers say some stores are out of toilet paper and water, as research indicates that US consumers are considering stocking up on essentials amid the spread of the Delta variant.

Dozens of Costco shoppers have complained on Twitter about product shortages and restrictions on the number of products they can buy. Grocery stores imposed restrictions early in the pandemic to stop people from panic buying and depleting stock.

"Did we not learn from last year at all? I pulled up to Costco and they are out of toilet paper and water. These people never learn," one customer from Nevada said. One customer from California said that these shortages could be a "sign of the times to come."

Other customers pointed out that the warehouse club is placing limits on the number of packages of toilet paper that each person can buy, preventing people from stockpiling. businessinsider.com

COVID + Inflation Driving Retail Sales Drop
COVID surge might not be the main factor in retail sales drop
Retail sales numbers were down by 1.1% in July, the U.S. Census Bureau reported Tuesday, a much bigger drop than economists expected. Spending fell on almost everything.

The obvious explanation for this drop in sales would seem to be the coronavirus delta variant and the idea that it's making people stay home again to protect themselves.

Ted Rossman at CreditCards.com is not convinced. "I'm not sure that the delta variant is really the biggest reason here," he said.

The retail sales report included sales at bars and restaurants, "and they actually grew a little bit from June to July, not as fast as they had been growing previously, but still, people are getting out there," Rossman said.

A bigger culprit is likely inflation, Rossman said. "Consumer demand is not unlimited," he said. "It does seem, and a lot of this is anecdotal, but it does seem that when people are faced with higher prices, something has to give." marketplace.org

Will Delta Surge Hamper Back-to-School Shopping?
Walmart saw more back-to-school shoppers in stores. Will this change amid rise in COVID cases?
Walmart officials said Tuesday they are monitoring changes across the country related to the pandemic and the highly transmissible COVID-19 delta variant.

During the retail giant's quarterly earnings, the company said more shoppers returned to Walmart for back-to-school shopping and fewer shopped online during the fiscal quarter that ended July 30 as the COVID-19 variant was starting to intensify.

The world's largest retailer reported that sales at stores opened at least a year rose 5.2%, a bit of a slowdown from the 6% increase in the first quarter. The earnings of $4.27 billion, or $1.52 per share, were a nickel better per share than Wall Street had expected, according to a survey by FactSet.

Sales in the most recent quarter rose 2.2% to $139.87 billion, also better than the $137.02 billion industry analysts expected. usatoday.com

COVID Booster Shots for All Americans Coming Next Month
Biden administration to offer booster shot for all Americans starting Sept. 20
The Biden administration on Wednesday unveiled plans to begin offering COVID-19 booster shots this fall for all Americans who received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, eight months after they become fully vaccinated, as cases of the delta variant continue to spread across the country.

Americans who are eligible can receive a third shot beginning Sept. 20, pending authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services and other administration medical experts.

The initial doses will go to those who were fully vaccinated earliest in the vaccine rollout, including health care providers, nursing home residents and other seniors. The administration plans to also begin delivering booster shots directly to residents of long-term facilities, according to the statement. usatoday.com

Another Mask Shortage Hits COVID Hot Spots
Masks are selling out in some COVID-19 hot spots with the delta variant surging and new mask mandates

Covid-19 Booster Shot to Be Offered to People Fully Vaccinated With Pfizer, Moderna

Georgia hits milestone 1 million COVID-19 cases since start of the pandemic

Amazon Dethrones Walmart as #1 Retail Seller
People Now Spend More at Amazon Than at Walmart

Proof that the online future has arrived: The biggest e-commerce company outside China has unseated the biggest brick-and-mortar seller.

Amazon has eclipsed Walmart to become the world's largest retail seller outside China, according to corporate and industry data, a milestone in the shift from brick-and-mortar to online shopping that has changed how people buy everything from Teddy Grahams to teddy bears.

Propelled in part by surging demand during the pandemic, people spent more than $610 billion on Amazon over the 12 months ending in June, according to Wall Street estimates compiled by the financial research firm FactSet. Walmart on Tuesday posted sales of $566 billion for the 12 months ending in July.

In racing past Walmart, Amazon has dethroned one of the most successful - and feared - companies of recent decades. Walmart perfected a thriving big-box model of retailing that squeezed every possible penny out of its costs, which drove down prices and vanquished competitors.

But even with all of that efficiency and power, the quest to dominate today's retail environment is being won on the internet. And no company has taken better advantage of that than Amazon. Indeed, the company's delivery (many items land on doorsteps in a day or two) and wide selection first drew customers to online shopping, and it has kept them buying more there ever since. It has also made Jeff Bezos, the company's founder, one of the richest people in the world.

"It is a historic moment," said Juozas Kaziukenas, founder of the Marketplace Pulse, a research company. "Walmart has been around for so long, and now Amazon comes around with a different model and replaces them as a No. 1." nytimes.com

Dozens of Retailers Make List of Top Brands
The 100 Best Brands, According to Customers
They rated companies on six main factors: quality of the product or service, customer service, ROI, overall satisfaction with the company, loyalty, and how likely they are to recommend the company to a friend. Companies needed to be rated by more than 100 people in each of those areas to be included in the final list.

The 100 best brands include fast-food chains, gaming and entertainment companies, social media giants, fashion and beauty brands, and financial services, among others.

Here are the retail brands that made the list:

3. Costco
4. Chick-fil-A
5. Amazon
8. Target
11. Trader Joe's
15. In-N-Out Burger
19. REI
25. American Eagle Outfitters
30. Uniqlo
33. Starbucks
40. Bath & Body Works
43. Dunkin'

45. Chipotle Mexican Grill
54. Tiffany & Co.
59. Sephora
68. Whole Foods Market
74. MAC Cosmetics
84. McDonald's
85. The Home Depot
86. Baskin-Robbins
92. 7-Eleven
96. Nordstrom
99. Foot Locker
100. Best Buy

Complaint Filed After Home Depot Forced Out Employee Wearing BLM Logo
Home Depot told an employee to remove a BLM logo or quit, according to a labor board complaint

Home Depot suspended a worker who refused to remove a Black Lives Matter logo, a labor agency said.

A Minneapolis Home Depot employee who wore a Black Lives Matter logo on his apron and spoke to other workers about racial discrimination was suspended after he refused to remove the logo, according to a labor board complaint.

The Minneapolis branch of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) said in the complaint that the worker started wearing the "BLM" lettering on his apron in August 2020. Sometime this year, the company told the employee to either remove the logo or leave the store, the complaint said. This led to him being suspended, it said.

The Home Depot store then gave the worker an ultimatum: stop wearing the logo or quit, the complaint said. In a statement on August 18, The NLRB accused the hardware giant of constructive discharge because the employee eventually left his job. Home Depot "unlawfully enforced its otherwise lawful dress code" and "threatened employees not to engage in activity regarding racial harassment," it said.

Home Depot told Insider that the complaint "misrepresents the relevant facts." businessinsider.com

Target Sales Increase as Shoppers Return to Stores

Furniture store sales dip 0.6% in July, performing better than overall retail

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T-Mobile's 'Massive Data Breach'
New information uncovered by the investigation
In the wake of the recent claims that T-Mobile U.S. has suffered a massive data breach and the consequent industry reactions, the company has shared additional information its internal investigation has uncovered.

"Yesterday, we were able to verify that a subset of T-Mobile data had been accessed by unauthorized individuals. We also began coordination with law enforcement as our forensic investigation continued," T-Mobile explained.

They confirmed that data stolen from their systems did include some personal information, but there is no indication that the data contained in the stolen files included customer financial or payment information.

The stolen files contain approximately 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customer accounts' information and over 40 million records of former or prospective customers who had previously applied for credit with T-Mobile. These files do not include phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, passwords, or financial information.

"At this time, we have also been able to confirm approximately 850,000 active T-Mobile prepaid customer names, phone numbers and account PINs were also exposed. We have already proactively reset ALL of the PINs on these accounts to help protect these customers, and we will be notifying accordingly right away. No Metro by T-Mobile, former Sprint prepaid, or Boost customers had their names or PINs exposed," they added.

"We have also confirmed that there was some additional information from inactive prepaid accounts accessed through prepaid billing files. No customer financial information, credit card information, debit or other payment information or SSN was in this inactive file."

These are only the initial findings, and the extent of the data compromise could end up being wider. In the meantime, affected individuals will receive 2 years of free identity protection services. helpnetsecurity.com

Stopping Ransomware Attacks in Real Time
Contain a Ransomware Attack Before It Spreads

While ransomware attacks can be difficult to proactively prevent, enterprises can stop them from spreading and avoid extensive damage by implementing several key defensive measures.

Detection and Protection Challenges

The first big challenge is detecting what the ransomware is doing: using compromised credentials to perform a standard authentication with another machine. While this activity is malicious, it looks identical to any legitimate authentication in the environment. The identity provider will approve the connection because it cannot distinguish between legitimate authentications and malicious ones.

Obviously, the second big challenge is finding a way to block malicious authentications in real time.

Keys to Defeating Ransomware

Here are some guidelines for implementing defensive measures that prevent ransomware from moving laterally within your environment:

-Continuous Monitoring
This functionality should review and analyze all user account authentication and access attempts, creating precise behavior profiles of the normal activities of users and their machines. The goal: to identify abnormal behavior and block ransomware authentication attempts.

-Risk Analysis
A risk engine is essential to preventing automated propagation, which launches numerous login attempts in real time from a single machine and user account. A risk engine should automatically flag such anomalous behavior and increase the risk score of both the user account and the machine.

-Dynamic Access Policy Enforcement
This capability would enable security personnel to change an access policy based on real-time risk scores - and step up authentication with MFA or even to block access. In the event of an automated ransomware propagation, the policy would require MFA wherever a user account's risk score is high. The policy would apply to all access interfaces. By enforcing a policy based on real-time risk scoring, propagation can be prevented, limiting attacks to a single endpoint. darkreading.com

Cybersecurity is the #1 Priority
Cybersecurity is top priority for enterprises as they shift to digital-first
operating models
90% of enterprises are yet to achieve their digital-first goals with 49% admitting that cybersecurity is the top most priority for their business, a Tata Communications report reveals.

It also brings to light, 45% of enterprises lost productivity during the crisis due to problems of connectivity and 41% enterprises attribute the shift to digital-first operating models for maintaining market share during the course of the pandemic.

Top priority to a digital-first business is cybersecurity and trust

49% enterprises affirm cybersecurity to be the most important aspect of their digital strategy to continually improve and 34% enterprises rate themselves poorly at delivering an agile operating model. This is a stumbling block on their ability to innovate and adapt faster than their competition.

As cyber threats and regulatory demands gain centre stage in the new world enterprises must continue to win trust, businesses must stay vigilant and invest proactively to safeguard all stakeholders.

As the report states, the current shift to digital-first operating models is a defining moment in the evolution of businesses and rethinking the new world. A digital-first strategy enables secure, connected and digital experiences. The sooner organizations start to accelerate their digital transformation journeys up the digital maturity curve, the more likely they are to empower themselves for the new digital era. helpnetsecurity.com

Amazon Sidewalk Application Undermines Risk Assessment
Houdini malware returns, enterprise risk assessment compromised by Amazon Sidewalk
Cato Networks announced the results of its analysis of 263 billion enterprise network flows between April and June 2021. Researchers showed a novel use of Houdini malware to promote the spoofing of a device.

The report also documents how Amazon Sidewalk and other consumer applications operate on many enterprise networks, undermining effective risk assessment.

"Cybersecurity risk assessment is based on visibility to threats as much as visibility to what is happening in the organization's network," says Etay Maor, senior director of security strategy at Cato Networks.

"With lines blurring between the home office and the corporate network - more devices and applications find their way to the organization's network but not necessarily to the organization's risk assessment." helpnetsecurity.com

Critical bug allows remote compromise, control of millions of IoT devices

COVID Update

Afraid to Work Near Unvaccinated Customers & Colleagues
Retail Workers are Concerned About Returning to Work with Unvaccinated Co-Workers and Customers
With case counts rising across the country and with the more transmissible and deadlier Delta variant, retailers can no longer dodge the issue of vaccination standards.

Retail is eager to open fully. Retail workers are eager to get back to work except 68% of them are worried about returning to work with unvaccinated co-workers and customers. It's such a big issue many are delaying making themselves available for rehire and retailers are in a near panic to find staff. It really isn't the availability of CERB type funding and a laziness to work. The core issue is fear. The longer this pandemic goes on, the more resistant people are to accept front-line jobs.

How Do Employers Cope with This New Reality?

The law says employers have to provide a safe environment in every way, but it has stopped short of demanding vaccination proof. As more and more jurisdictions globally are implementing mandatory proof of vaccination for public facing jobs, Canada is stuck in limbo with a fear of igniting political strife over the issue. We have New York City jumping right in: no vaccination = no entry to restaurants, clubs, theatres, or any other public arena.

We have Alberta tossing open the doors with its 'let's see what happens' policies. We have British Columbia only slightly more restricted while we have Quebec leading the charge with vaccination passports. What's missing is leadership at the Federal and Provincial level that is consistent across the country about vaccination status.

How Does This Translate Overall?

Nearly every poll from every source indicates that the Canadian public wants protection from COVID-19. They want to know they are safe inside stores. They want vaccinated staff. The public wants it even more than the workers want it. The weak job gain in July of only 94,000 positions isn't no jobs. It is people refusing to return to work.

Retail cannot avoid the policy issue any longer. The law will say you can't force people to get vaccinated. Fine. However, what are the rules on terminating people who are unvaccinated? It's a tough call. The obvious solution is to implement a policy of 100% vaccinated for all new hires and give existing staff a window to comply as well.

Could a business get sued? Possibly. Is it likely? Not really. COVID is changing so rapidly by the time a wrongful termination case gets to court, we may well have mandatory vaccination rules in place. retail-insider.com

4th Wave Could Be a Death Blow for Some Canadian Retailers
Pandemic 'Fourth Wave' Would be Devastating to Retailers and Businesses in Canada Trying to Come Back from a Year and a Half of Restrictions
A potential 'fourth wave' of the COVID-19 pandemic would be devastating and lead to many business closures across the country, particularly for businesses that have been hanging by a thread through the economic turmoil of the past year and a half.

According to a recent survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, more than 80 per cent of small businesses have not fully recovered from the pandemic with that share rising above 90 per cent for hard hit sectors like arts and recreation (95 per cent) and hospitality (96 per cent). And businesses that have not recovered say it will take them an average of 23 months to get back to normal.

Corinne Pohlmann, Senior Vice-President, National Affairs and Partnerships for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said another shutdown in the country would be "pretty devastating."

"A fourth wave is not welcome at all. We're trying to pressure governments to think about how do we stay open even if things start getting worse again. What can we do? We have more tools in our toolbox that we can work with whether it's rapid testing, vaccinations, other tools, we know about mask wearing, and other things that can be done in order to sort of minimize the need to actually go into full lockdown because that would probably kill even more companies because of just not having been able to make revenues. They need to be able to be sustainable for more than just two or three months at a time. They need to be able to stay open a lot longer than that." retail-insider.com

Retail Growth Depends on Latest COVID Wave
Economists Optimistic for a Better Second Half of 2021 for Retailers in Canada Pending Severity of Pandemic's Fourth Wave
"We're fairly optimistic about retail over the coming months," he says. "And optimism around retail performance continues to grow. The second half of the year is going to look a lot better for the economy than the first half. Right now, there's really only one major headwind to growth, and it's comprised of virus spread and containment measures."

He contnued, "But, if impacts of the fourth wave of the virus can be minimized, we've perhaps seen the worst of the pandemic and associated lockdowns. And if we take away that headwind completely, it seems that there are opportunities for the industry to bounce back. Government supports have been larger than normal for households that have lost work, and spending options have been severely limited. As a result, households have accumulated a lot of savings. The spending power is already there. The only question is when households will feel comfortable going out and spending again." retail-insider.com

False COVID Documents
2 travelers to Canada who gave false COVID-19 vaccination information each fined almost $20K

COVID-related restrictions to enter Canada could last for years

Canada plans to require air travelers, cruise passengers to have COVID vaccine

Shifting Retail Business Model
Hudson's Bay Shifting Canadian Department Store Model by Separating Physical Stores and Online Business
Canadian department store retailer Hudson's Bay is shifting its business model by separating its physical retail store business from its online business. It's part of a move by the retailer to focus on e-commerce and is the latest significant move indicating the retailer's shift away from relying on its physical stores at a challenging time during the pandemic.

The separated businesses will have different names. The e-commerce business will be called 'The Bay', which is a nod to the name the retail chain formerly held prior to the renaming of the department stores as 'Hudson's Bay' in 2013. The 86 physical stores that the retailer operates will continue to be called Hudson's Bay.

The e-commerce business 'The Bay' will be responsible for brand direction, marketing, buying, planning and technology for both businesses according to the company. Iain Nairn, who has led the retailer as President and CEO since early 2020, will lead The Bay e-commerce business as President & CEO. Wayne Drummond, who formerly led the now-shuttered Hudson's Bay stores in The Netherlands and was most recently Chief Merchant of Hudson's Bay, has been appointed President of the physical stores business. The run of Hudson's Bay stores in The Netherlands was ultimately unsuccessful and all 15 stores shut in late 2019.

The move to segregate physical and online stores is said to be part of a growth strategy for Hudson's Bay in Canada, which operates the now-86 standalone stores as well as a robust e-commerce business. "This new operating model structures the organization to materially accelerate the biggest growth opportunities for each business, with dedicated leadership focus for each," Hudson's Bay said in a statement. retail-insider.com

648% Increase in Canada's Legal Cannabis Market
Changes in Canada's cannabis retail market two years after legalization
A recent study by public health researchers published in Drug and Alcohol Review documents the rapid expansion of the cannabis retail market in Canada in the two years following legalization.

The researchers found that the legal cannabis market increased from 158 stores (0.5 stores per 100,000 individuals) one month after legalization to 1,183 stores (3.7 stores per 100,000 individuals) two years after legalization-a 648% increase.

Similar to the team's previous study 6 months after legalization, they found there were twice as many cannabis stores concentrated in low-income neighborhoods compared to high-income neighborhoods.

There was also enormous variation in market maturity between provinces and territories. For example, Alberta and the Yukon had 24 times more cannabis stores per capita than Quebec two years after legalization.

Jurisdictions with private retail models (where cannabis stores are privately owned and operated) had more stores and saw a 913% increase in store growth over time, compared to public models (where stores are owned and operated by the government) which saw a 75% increase in store growth. medicalxpress.com

H&M to launch C2C resale platform in Canada

Mall Evacuated After Shooting
Etobicoke, ON: Shots fired inside Sherway Gardens mall following fight near Starbucks
Patrons and staff were evacuated from CF Sherway Gardens in Etobicoke on Friday afternoon after shots were fired inside. Police and paramedics were called to the mall at 2:40 p.m. for a reported shooting.

Interim Police Chief James Ramer told reporters at the scene that there was some sort of physical altercation that broke out between several individuals near the Starbucks inside the mall and that one of them ultimately pulled out a firearm and opened fire. He said that investigators have located blood on the ground in the vicinity of where the shooting took place but at this point do not believe that it is the result of a gunshot wound.

"We believe there may have been some injuries as a result of a physical confrontation but not by gunfire at this point," he said. "This is just absolutely brazen and it's just total disregard for other members of the public and public safety. It is ridiculous. But the reality is we're going to find them (the suspects) shortly. There is outstanding video, lots of witnesses and I suspect you will see us make some arrests soon." cp24.com

Saint-Hyacinthe, QC: Woman fatally stabbed inside Saint-Hyacinthe jewelry store
A 54-year-old woman has died after being stabbed Wednesday morning in a jewelry store in Quebec's Montérégie region. At around 10:15 a.m., the woman was attacked at the store in the Galeries Saint-Hyacinthe shopping centre, about 50 km southeast of Montreal. She was transported to hospital in critical condition. Her death was confirmed Wednesday afternoon.

Quebec provincial police say a male suspect left the scene in a vehicle. Local police were involved in a "short pursuit," and a vehicle matching its description was later stopped and its driver was questioned, said Sûreté du Québec Sgt. Audrey-Anne-Bilodeau. The SQ says the 43-year-old suspect is from Montreal and known to police. SQ Sgt. Valérie Beauchamp said preliminary evidence gathered by investigators does not show any link between the man and the victim. cbc.ca

Surrey, BC: Man injured as Ferrari riddled with bullets at Surrey strip mall

New Glasgow police searching for suspect after c-store robbed at knifepoint

Greenwood gas bar and convenience store robbery sparks police investigation

Windsor police seek store robbery suspect

Chatham, Ont., man charged for allegedly stealing $90 of chocolate from dollar store

View Canadian Connections Archives

Amazon's Executive Exodus
Amazon loses another VP, who served as Jeff Bezos's last 'shadow' advisor, as executive exodus continues

Wei Gao, Amazon's VP of grocery tech, product, and supply chain is leaving the company.

Amazon is losing another high-profile executive, as the e-commerce giant continues to go through the biggest leadership upheaval in company history.

Wei Gao, VP of grocery tech, product, and supply chain, is leaving Amazon, Insider has learned. Her last day is Sept. 17. Amazon's spokesperson confirmed her departure.

During her 16 year tenure at Amazon, Gao filled various positions, including VP of forecasting and senior positions on the Kindle e-reader team.

Gao is best known for serving as Jeff Bezos's last "shadow" advisor, a highly coveted position within Amazon that entails following the founder CEO's every meeting. Gao was Bezos's shadow advisor - officially called Technical Advisor to CEO - for nearly two years from 2018 to early 2020. She was also one of only two female executives to have ever been appointed to this role.

The shadow position is particularly attractive because most former shadow advisors go on to hold important roles at Amazon. For example, Amazon's new CEO Andy Jassy, SVP of Amazon India Amit Agarwal, and VP of Amazon Go Dilip Kumar were all former shadows.

It's unclear why Gao is leaving now, or where she is headed.

Gao's departure is part of a growing list of executive losses at Amazon, which includes roughly 50 VPs in less than two years, as Insider previously reported. The VP exodus comes at a time when Amazon is undergoing the biggest leadership change in its history, including Bezos stepping down as CEO, and the departures of retail CEO Jeff Wilke and SVP of physical stores Steve Kessel. Just last week, Charlie Bell, a 23-year veteran of Amazon Web Services, left. businessinsider.com

Following Amazon's Lead on Crypto
Walmart looks for a cryptocurrency strategy leader

Walmart is seeking a leader for digital and cryptocurrency products, according to a recent job post.

From Prime Day to pharmaceutical discounts, Walmart and Amazon are often in sync as the rivals dance around each other and compete for dominance over the unknowable future of retail.

As noted by MarketWatch, which previously reported on Walmart's job post for a crypto lead, the retailer follows Amazon in seeking a candidate for an almost identical role.

In its post, Amazon said it was looking for someone to "leverage your domain expertise in Blockchain, Distributed Ledger, Central Bank Digital Currencies and Cryptocurrency to develop the case for the capabilities which should be developed, drive overall vision and product strategy, and gain leadership buy-in and investment for new capabilities."

Amazon's post led to an 11% upswing in Bitcoin's value, according to MarketWatch. Walmart's post led to a more modest 3% bump in Bitcoin's value and 16% surge in dogecoin's value. retaildive.com

Walmart Continues to Grow; Expects E-commerce Revenues to Reach $75 Billion

Howard County, MD: Police charge four men after theft from Lowe's; one man was shot by police after hitting police car while fleeing
Tuesday, Howard County police charged four men in connection with a theft from a Lowe's store in Elkridge and an altercation that ended with one of them shot by police. Online court records show three of the men - Donte Bernard Shaw, Taquan Neal and Percy Brown - had been charged in a string of recent thefts in Carroll, Charles and Frederick counties. Neal, for instance, was charged in an Aug. 1 theft from a Charles County Homes Depot, according to a spokesman for the county police department. In that case, he fled in a car with other individuals and had a polymer handgun in the vehicle, the spokesperson said.

After the alleged theft in Elkridge, around 3 p.m. Monday, police say the four men fled in two cars to a storage facility in Jessup, where police officers confronted them. Police said one of the drivers, Shaw, 31, of Washington, D.C., was attempting to flee the area in a vehicle and struck a police car. A police officer shot and injured Shaw, who has been charged with two counts each of first-degree assault and second-degree assault against a law enforcement officer. No other shots were fired at the scene. Shaw, who was taken to Shock Trauma, is now being held without bond at the Howard County Detention Center. Two officers sustained minor injuries in Monday's incident, including Police Officer First Class Brian Meekins, who shot Shaw.

The incident began when police learned a group of suspects, some with arrest warrants, had stolen a large quantity of power tools and other merchandise from the Lowe's store. Police followed the suspects to the Life Storage in the 8200 block of Washington Blvd., and saw them with the stolen goods. news.yahoo.com

Pharmacist arrested for allegedly selling Covid-19 vaccination cards on eBay
A licensed pharmacist was arrested in Chicago on Tuesday for allegedly selling dozens of authentic Covid-19 vaccination cards on eBay, the Justice Department said in a news release. Tangtang Zhao, 34, allegedly sold 125 Covid-19 vaccination cards from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to 11 different buyers for about $10 a card in March and April, the department said.

Zhao, who worked as a pharmacist during that time, was indicted on 12 counts of theft of government property, the release added. A Covid-19 vaccine record card is seen here at the Florida Memorial University Vaccination Site in Miami Gardens, Florida in April 2021 "Knowingly selling COVID vaccination cards to unvaccinated individuals puts millions of Americans at risk of serious injury or death," Special Agent in Charge Emmerson Buie Jr., with the FBI's Chicago Field Office, said in a statement. "To put such a small price on the safety of our nation is not only an insult to those who are doing their part in the fight to stop COVID-19, but a federal crime with serious consequences." Zhao's defense attorney, Gal Pissetzky, entered a not guilty plea on his client's behalf during a Tuesday arraignment. Zhao's biggest sale was $176.70 on April 2 to a buyer who paid for 17 cards, according to the indictment. In total, Zhao made more than $1,200 between March and April, the indictment shows. cnn.com

Columbus, OH: 4 shoplifting suspects in custody after stolen vehicle crashes during pursuit
Authorities say four suspects are in custody after a stolen car crashed in north Columbus Monday night following a police pursuit. Tracy Whited with the Delaware County Sheriff's Office says the pursuit started at the Tanger Outlets around 8 p.m. A Delaware County sheriff's deputy ran a license plate on a suspicious vehicle. A check of the license plate showed that the vehicle was stolen, according to Whited. When the deputy went to approach the vehicle, it rammed into the deputy's cruiser and took off. The deputy was not hurt. The vehicle traveled south into Franklin County, where it crashed into multiple vehicles at a gas station in the area of Sancus Boulevard and Lazelle Road. Police say speeds reached up to 120 mph during the pursuit. Stolen merchandise was found inside the vehicle, according to police. Columbus police believe that all of the suspects involved in the incident were juveniles. 10tv.com

UK: 'Brazen and prolific': Professional shoplifter carried out thefts at Boots, B&M, Co-op, Marks and Spencer and Sainsbury's stores in Leeds to fund her £100-a-day drug addiction
Claire Kirk was caught on camera on multiple occasions as she stripped shelves of products during the year-long spree of offending. The 39-year-old mum managed to steal more than $4,100 worth of items on a single occasion from a Boots store. Kirk, of Ramshead Grove, Seacroft, appeared before Leeds Crown Court where she pleaded guilty to 14 offences of theft and four offences of possession of a class C drug. The offences, carried out between March 2020 and June 2021, were outlined at Leeds Crown Court by the prosecutor, James Houlding. Kirk was arrested at her home where police found large quantities of medicines and healthcare products in the property. When interviewed she said she stole to fund her £100-a-day addiction to heroin and crack cocaine. The total value of the offending was worth $10,000. Mr Holding said Boots staff had described Kirk's offending as "a big problem, due to her brazen and prolific approach to shoplifting." yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk

Glen Rock, NJ: Duo Identified, Charged In $3,000 Liquor Store Thefts

Gloucester, VA: Woman stole over $700 worth of merchandise from Walmart

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Shootings & Deaths

Arvada, CO: Police shoot dead a female Armed Robbery suspect; had allegedly robbed a Target store using a knife
A woman allegedly armed with a knife was shot dead Tuesday afternoon by Arvada police. The shooting followed a report of a menacing robbery in a nearby Target store. The shooting happened in the area of Kipling Street and West Interstate 70 Frontage Road North, police said in a 1:07 p.m. Twitter post. Police were called at about 12:20 p.m. to Target, 5071 Kipling St., on a report of a menacing robbery and a suspect brandishing a knife, said Dave Snelling, an Arvada police spokesman. The suspect had fled the store, and officers encountered her near the American Motel, 10101 W. I-70 Frontage Road North, inside a van and the suspect was shot during an "altercation," Snelling said. The shooting is under investigation by the Jefferson County Critical Incident Response Team, and officers involved have been place on administrative leave per department policy. The suspect died at the scene. denverpost.com

Atlanta, GA: 1 dead, 1 injured in shooting outside Sandy Springs Kroger
One person has died and another was injured in a shooting outside of a Kroger in Sandy Springs Tuesday afternoon. Few details were immediately released, but more than a dozen officers descended on the Orchard Park Shopping Center along Dunwoody Club Drive just before 6 p.m. Video filmed by Channel 2 Action News appeared to show crime scene tape surrounding at least four rows of cars in the parking lot. Initially, Sandy Springs police Sgt. Sal Ortega said at least one person was shot. Police later confirmed that a second person was dead, Channel 2 reported. Police have not released any updates about the person who was injured.
It's unclear what led to the shooting or whether it happened inside or outside the store. No additional details were released. ajc.com

Oklahoma City, OK: Man Killed In Shooting Outside Of SW OKC Dispensary
Police said one man is dead after an overnight shooting outside of an American Cannabis store. Western Avenue was blocked until around 5 a.m. from 66th down to 64th as investigators observed the scene. What we know so far: Police received a shots fired call around 11 p.m. Tuesday. When officers arrived on scene, they found one man with a gunshot wound. He was taken to a local hospital where he later died. Police said there were several cars in the parking lot that witnessed the shooting and left. news9.com

Anaheim, CA: Man Charged with Using Car to Kill Victim outside 7-Eleven
A 32-year-old man suspected of running over a man in the parking lot of a convenience store in Anaheim was charged Tuesday with murder, according to court records. Joshua Michael Petro is accused of killing 36-year-old Stephen McGuire of El Monte early Saturday, according to Anaheim Police Department Sgt. Shane Carringer. Police were called to the 7-Eleven store at 107 W. Ball Road, near Anaheim Boulevard, at 12:38 a.m. Saturday regarding a traffic accident, Carringer said. When officers arrived they found the victim, who was rushed to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Carringer said. Further investigation revealed the victim was purposefully run over by a car, Carringer said. Police later tracked down Petro at a motel in the city and arrested him, Carringer said. Police would not reveal what relationship the two had or what prompted the attack, Carringer said. mynewsla.com

NYPD body cam captures pointblank Bronx gun battle between cops and suspect
Dramatic video released by the NYPD Tuesday shows a Bronx cop exchanging fire with a gunman from no more than three feet away. Officer Lewellyn Alvarez somehow avoided getting struck in the May 19 incident. Suspect Calvin Peterkin, 39, got away despite three gunshot wounds. Peterkin, who has served state prison time for robbery, was later nabbed and charged with attempted murder, gun possession and menacing. Alvarez and his partner, Officer Imran Alli, both in uniform, confronted Peterkin after someone called 911 to report a man with a gun inside a Boost Mobile store on E. 174th St. and Vyse Ave. in Morrisania, police said Tuesday Video from inside the shop shows Peterkin minutes earlier threatening an employee with a gun, with the employee trying to calm him down. When the cops arrived Peterkin came to the store entranceway asking what he had done. The interaction was captured on the officers' body-worn cameras. news.yahoo.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Dayton, OH: Retired Dayton police officer arrested, accused of assaulting woman while working as store security
A retired Dayton police sergeant was arrested after he was accused of assaulting a woman while he was working as a security officer at the All-In-One on James H. McGee Boulevard Saturday morning. Charles Anderson III, 62, was booked into jail on a misdemeanor charge of assault and was no longer listed as an inmate on Monday. Police responded to the convenience store at 119 N. James H. McGee Blvd. around 3 a.m. on what was described as a disturbance. "The on-scene investigation indicated that there was an altercation in the store between two females and a store employee. At that time, a store security officer intervened and attempted to eject the females from the establishment," a Dayton police spokeswoman said. "It was during these efforts the security officer, a retired Dayton Police department employee, struck the female in the face causing an injury." whio.com

Frankfort, KY: Kohl's employee allegedly steals $12,500 in money bag, flees
A Frankfort man was arrested Monday for allegedly stealing a money bag from the safe at Kohl's and fleeing the store. Dispatch received a call at 4:20 p.m. reporting that a store employee entered a locked security room then left out the back door with approximately $12,500. The employee, identified by Frankfort Police as Zachary Spradlin, 22, left Kohl's. According to the dispatch report, Kohl's provided officers with video footage of the alleged theft and he was arrested at 9:30 p.m. in the Kroger West parking lot near Applebee's. Spradlin reportedly told police that after leaving Kohl's he went to three different locations putting different amounts on MoneyPak cards. MoneyPak allows users to send cash to prepaid and bank debit cards issued in the U.S. Spradlin is charged with theft by unlawful taking (more than $10,000 but less than $1 million), a Class C felony. state-journal.com

Philadelphia, PA: Former U.S. Golf Association Employee Charged With Embezzling Over $3 Million in U.S. Open Tickets Over Seven Years; The defendant re-sold the stolen tickets to brokers and pocketed over $1 Million
Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Robert Fryer, 39, of Perkasie, PA, was charged by Information with one count of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, four counts of mail fraud, and 10 counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to embezzle and pocket fraudulent proceeds from the unauthorized sale of United States Open Championship ("U.S. Open") tickets, one of four major championships for golf.

The filed Information alleges that the defendant was employed by the United States Golf Association ("USGA") in its Admissions Office. Beginning in advance of the 2013 U.S. Open held at the Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, PA, and continuing through the 2019 U.S. Open held at the Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, CA, Fryer abused his position in the USGA Admissions Office in order to steal more than 23,000 U.S. Open admission tickets, all without the knowledge and consent of the USGA. The defendant then sold those stolen tickets to third-party ticket brokers in return for payments totaling more than $1 million, which was paid to Fryer mostly in the form of cash and PayPal transfers. According to the Information, the face value of the tickets that the defendant stole was more the $3 million. justice.gov

Florida man faces up to 40 years for serial robberies targeting Truck Drivers
A Fort Lauderdale resident is facing decades behind bars for allegedly using "force and fear" to rob truck drivers as they attempted to deliver products. On August 16, a federal magistrate judge denied bond for 39 year old Denorio Humes, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice. Humes is accused of acting as part of a crew that targeted truck drivers who were delivering cigarettes and other tobacco products to gas stations and other stores in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Collier counties from April 2020 to March 2021. cdllife.com

St Croix, US Virgin Islands: Police searching for an Armed Robber who climbed through a window and stole cash from a McDonald's employee at gunpoint

Counterfeit

Indianapolis, IN: 213 Collegiate & Professional Championship Rings Seized by CBP
Since May of this year U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers in Indianapolis have seized 991 counterfeit championship rings from all the major sports leagues as well as collegiate championship rings. On August 15, CBP officers in Indianapolis added 213 more rings to their collection bringing their total to 1,204 counterfeit championship rings in four months.

CBP officers at our Express Consignment Operations hub in Indianapolis detained a shipment arriving from a company in China on July 21. Officers inspected the package to determine the admissibility of the merchandise and found various rings bearing the names and logos of professional and collegiate sports teams. An Import Specialist was able to determine the 213 rings to be counterfeit and CBP seized the rings. If the items were genuine, the total Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for this shipment would have been worth over $240K.

The shipment of counterfeits included: 14 Chicago Cub World Series rings, 11 Houston Astros World Series rings, 4 San Francisco Giants World Series rings, 2 Kansas City Royals World Series rings, 24 Green Bay Packers Superbowl rings, 12 Philadelphia Super Bowl rings, 5 Dallas Cowboys Super Bowl rings, 28 Chicago Bulls NBA championship rings, 24 Boston Celtics NBA championship rings, 24 Dallas Stars NHL championship rings, 29 Nebraska Corn Huskers collegiate championship rings, 32 Nebraska Corn Huskers Michael Booker 1997 championship rings, and 4 Notre Dame collegiate championship rings. Editor's Note: No Cleveland Brown's Super Bowl Rings were recovered. cbp.gov

Daily Totals:
• 15 robberies
• 3 burglaries
• 1 shooting
• 1 killed

Click to enlarge map

None to report.

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	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...

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"Keep It Simple." What a phrase that we've all heard a million times and, quite frankly, most of us don't take it seriously enough. So many tend to over think and over do that, at times, we just don't get things done. Ken Blanchard said in one of his books that if you expect or even want perfection, you'll never get anything done. We all tend to over think and in our desire to do what's best, we can get lost in details and stand in the way of moving forward - most of which is as a result of just plainly not having enough confidence in one's self to just risk it and go for it. Hesitation is human nature and wanting to make sure you get things exactly perfect - well somebody's going to pass you by with the answer - that's simple, but brilliant. So keep it simple and have faith in the bird on your shoulder.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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