Organized Retail Flash Mobs Surging in New Jersey
Bramnick wants gang-related shoplifters to spend minimum of one year in jail

N.J. state senator wants to end 'open stealing without fear of punishment'

In a bid to curb the increase in flash mobs organizing the looting of retail stores, a key New Jersey lawmaker wants gang members convicted of shoplifting to spend one year in a state prison.

State Sen. Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield) is introducing legislation that would create a mandatory one-year minimum sentence for gang shoplifting, ending the presumption of non-imprisonment for certain offender.

"The open stealing without fear of punishment is an issue," said Bramnick. Bramnick grew up in a family whose livelihood might have been threatened by gang shoplifting. The senator's father, Herb Bramnick, owned a small retail stationary store in Plainfield.

Under Bramnick's proposal, gang shoplifting would be a third degree crime with a prison sentence of 3 to 5 years and a fine of up to $15,000. There would be no eligibility for parole during the first year.

"We're seeing more and more instances where flash mobs of shoplifters have run through clothing stores, pharmacies, and even a 7-Eleven recently where they smash and grab anything that isn't bolted down," Bramnick said. "If people want to do these crimes, they need to get the message that their next flash mob will be in jail."

At the local level, an increase of shoplifting and auto thefts have become a top issue of concern for residents. According to the National Retail Federation, organized retail crime, sometimes known as smash-and-grab, has sometimes been tied to transnational crime rings.

CVS has reported a 300% increase in retail theft since the start of the pandemic, Axios has reported. newjerseyglobe.com
 
Security Officer Murders & Shootings
73 security officers murdered, 309 shot from January-August 2022
The violence that continues to overtake the private security industry leaving behind a trail of murdered security officers continues to go almost unnoticed by the media and surprisingly, even by the largest contract security services in the world including Allied Universal, now the largest global provider of contract security services.

Private Officer International reported that forty-six security officers were shot in August resulting in twelve homicides. From January through the end of August, three hundred and nine security officers have been shot and seventy-three have been victims of homicide.

In contrast, the National Fraternal Order of Police recently reported that at the end of August, there have been 234 officers shot so far in 2022. That is a 6% increase in numbers of officers shot from 2021 year-to-date (YTD) and a 7% increase over 2020 YTD. Of those shot this year, 45 were killed by gunfire

There have been 58 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers this year that have resulted in 86 officers shot, 22 of whom were killed.

"Make no mistake, we are experiencing a real crisis with the level of violence directed at law enforcement officers and private security personnel. This past year has been one of the most dangerous years for both security and law enforcement officers in recent history due to the increase of violence directed toward officers.

Rick McCann, Founder and President of Private Officer International, a private security and law enforcement organization said that each year, the number of security officers injured and murdered continues to increase and during the past four years, that increase has been in double digits. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Battling Theft with AI Tech
How can computer vision and AI aid retail loss prevention?
Reducing shrinkage is the primary objective of loss prevention systems. To keep an eye on goods and employees, many advancements in sales-floor surveillance have been achieved, including cameras, electronic article surveillance (EAS) warnings and radio frequency identification (RFID)-enabled loss prevention. However, they limit retailers' ability to react quickly.

Computer vision and AI can decrease checkout fraud and product loss

Retailers are investing in new technologies to combat retail shrink with stronger loss prevention strategies at the front of the store as a result of these growing issues. In order to help businesses fight shrink, lower theft, and improve inventory management, retail security professionals are utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision.

Integration of data from item-level tracking with computer vision and POS can help combat checkout fraud, including at manned registers and self-checkouts. Associates can spot fraud and take immediate action by comparing item-level counts to POS-generated counts. Retailers may improve checkout procedures by making them smarter with the aid of AI and computer vision, which lowers theft and enhances inventory control.

A system can be configured to send a dashboard, POS alert, or mobile alert to the staff member in charge as notification of potential theft or incorrect billing if the two numbers don't match. Before a transaction is processed, it allows store employees to step in and help, enabling the manager to process the transaction manually.

If an AI system flags a suspicious transaction, store staff can inform customers of the system error and give them the option to pay for the unscanned items. Ultimately, the process may help in behavioral change, resulting in reduced shrinkage and cost savings. securitymagazine.com

America's Gun Violence Epidemic
Mass shootings obscure daily U.S. gun toll
Homicide rates appear to be dropping in some major U.S. cities, such as New York and Chicago, but in others killings are on the rise, particularly from guns. In Portland, the homicide rate surged 207% since 2019 and there have been more than 800 shootings so far this year. In Phoenix, police Chief Jeri Williams said this week the gun violence was the worst she'd seen in 33 years on the job.

Last weekend's rampages - which included a heavily armed assailant who stormed a central Oregon supermarket, random shootings on Detroit streets and a Phoenix man who opened fire while wearing body armor - were shocking and scary, but they aren't representative of the broader toll gun violence is taking on American society, experts said.

Victims killed in mass shootings make up about 1% of all those killed in gun homicides nationwide, despite headlines that instill fear in many Americans, said James Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has created a database of mass killings stretching back to 2006 with The Associated Press and USA Today.

The pandemic and the social unrest it caused has also played a role. Eight million Americans became first-time gun owners between 2019 and 2021, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the research and evaluation center for the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at City University of New York.

"We already had 400 million guns in circulation. So when you bump that up and include a lot of first-timers in the population, you get accidents, you get precipitous behavior, you get people reacting to small insults and conflicts with their guns because they're in their pocket now," he said. pbs.org

Violent Labor Day Weekend
Spate of violence across US mars Labor Day weekend
At least nine mass shootings have taken place nationwide so far during Labor Day weekend, leaving at least 10 people dead, according to Gun Violence Archive.

The mass shootings, which the organization defines as incidents in which four or more people were shot or killed, not including the shooter, took place in cities including Norfolk, Va., Charleston, S.C., and Chicago, among others.

The deadliest shooting of the weekend so far, according to the group, took place in Saint Paul, Minn., where three people died and two others were injured on Sunday in the city's Payne-Phalen neighborhood.

"This unthinkable crime will not only affect the crime victims and their families, but it will affect the neighborhood where it occurred and our city as a whole," police spokesperson Sgt. Mike Ernster told KARE, adding that authorities had been called to the house at least 17 times in the last year. thehill.com

'Red flag' laws get little use even as mass shootings, gun deaths soar
U.S. states barely use the red flag laws touted as the most powerful tool to stop gun violence before it happens, a trend blamed on a lack of awareness of the laws and resistance by some authorities to enforce them even as shootings and gun deaths soar.

Labor Day Weekend Mass Shootings in VA & SC Kill Two and Injure at Least 10

Settlement: Police in Calif. City, County Can't Fire Projectiles into Crowds

US: 96.6M Cases - 1M Dead - 92.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 610.9M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 588.4M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 795
*Red indicates change in total deaths

The Pandemic Triggered a Tidal Wave of Changes in the Workplace
Quiet quitting, real quitting, unionizing - what else are American workers up to?
How we work, when we work, how much we work - it's all shifting on a scale not seen in decades. The pandemic left workplaces reimagined and workers changed. The number of job openings right now outnumbers people looking for work by almost two-to-one.

Last year saw a record exodus of workers, and companies say they are still struggling to hire. Millions have re-evaluated what type of work they were willing to do for what type of pay or benefits and in what type of environment.

Despite inflation and economic slowdown, the labor market remains tight. Employers kept adding jobs all summer, particularly in food and retail. Layoffs have been confined to pockets of the economy - the tech sector, cryptocurrency, home buying - and to select companies, like the beleaguered Bed Bath & Beyond.

Office culture, too, has changed. Just over a third of workers were going to offices in person at the end of August in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, according to Kastle Systems, which tracks office card swipes. At Apple, J.P. Morgan, the Washington Post and other companies, workers have pushed back on the notion that they have to return to offices to be productive.

From baristas to warehouse staff to frontline nurses, more workers are filing charges of unfair labor practices against their employers or staging walkouts and strikes. They're demanding not just higher wages, but improvements to safety and wellbeing: longer breaks, more paid leave, more control over their schedules.

Labor organizers declared mid-2022 the #hotlaborsummer. Petitions to form a union are up almost 60% compared to last year, continuing to reverse a long-running decline in union interest. Many of these workers are in food and retail, coffee shops and non-profits, media and tech. Labor experts say more women and particularly women of color are leading the charge. npr.org

Pharmacy Chains Prepare for New COVID Booster Rollout
New COVID-19 boosters set for pharmacies, clinics nationwide
The updated COVID-19 boosters, signed off on by the FDA and CDC last week, are shipping out to pharmacies and clinics across the country. These boosters are designed to target the original strain of COVID-19, as well as the omicron subvariants.

The updated doses are known as "bivalent" vaccines. According to the FDA, they "contain two messenger RNA (mRNA) components of SARS-CoV-2 virus: one of the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and the other one in common between the BA.4 and BA.5 lineages of the omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2."

Moderna's updated booster is authorized for use in people ages 18 and older. Pfizer's is for people ages 12 and older. According to CDC guidelines, a single booster dose can be administered at least two months after a person's most recent COVID-19 vaccine. clickorlando.com

Wanted: Business leaders with soft skills like empathy in post-Covid workplace
Employees are increasingly seeking out bosses who show empathy and compassion in the workplace. Additionally, 61% say soft skills in the workplace are just as important as hard skills.

Walgreens Now Offering Appointments for Updated COVID-19 Boosters

Amid US retail gloom, Uniqlo shines on COVID-triggered revamp

The 10 most in-demand work-from-anywhere jobs companies are hiring for in 2022

Bed Bath & Beyond CFO Jumped From 18th Floor of His NYC Apartment
Bed Bath & Beyond CFO was subject of insider trading and fraud lawsuit just before death, documents show
The death of Bed Bath & Beyond Inc.'s chief financial officer comes as the retailer has lost several members of its finance team and senior executives who could temporarily step into the role for the holiday season.

Shares of the company tumbled about 15% in premarket trading Tuesday after Gustavo Arnal's death was ruled a suicide.

A Wall Street Journal article points out that the loss of its CFO, COO and CSO follows the departures of former CEO Mark Tritton and chief merchandising officer Joel Hartsig on June 29.

It's clear that he was under a great deal of pressure, Business Insider reports. His death came less that two weeks after he was named in a federal class-action lawsuit for insider trading. The lawsuit claims he and activist investor and GameStop chairman Ryan Cohen "collaborated" in a "pump and dump" scheme to artificially inflate the price of Bed Bath & Beyond's stock up before selling their shares in the company.

On August 18, both Mr. Arnal sold more than 42,000 shares with an estimated value of more than $1 million. Mr. Cohen announced plans to sell his entire 9.8 percent stake in Bed Bath & Beyond.

The suit, filed in United States District Court for the District of Columbia on August 23, claims that Cohen and Arnal provided "materially false statements regarding the financial condition and holding situation" of Bed Bath & Beyond for their financial benefit. The lead plaintiff is investor Pengcheng Si.

The lawsuit further notes Cohen's involvement in similar plans, such as elevating GameStop to "meme stock" status. businessinsider.com wsj.com

   Read Bed Bath & Beyond's statement here

   Bed Bath & Beyond names interim CFO following executive's death

Governor Newsom Signs Major Fast Food Bill Into Law
California governor signs fast food bill into law that could raise minimum wage for workers in the state to $22 an hour by next year

An industry trade group says the bill could raise costs for fast food restaurants by $3 billion.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the FAST Recovery Act, unprecedented legislation that gives fast food workers a say on hourly pay and working conditions, including giving them the power to raise the minimum wage next year to $22 an hour.

AB 257 , which Newsom signed on Labor Day, creates a 10-member council of fast food workers, franchisees, franchisors, advocates for fast food employees, and representatives from the governor's office. The council will establish minimum standards on wages, working hours, and other working conditions related to the health and safety of workers. The law applies to food chains with more than 100 locations, including Starbucks, Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's.

The industry's trade organization, National Restaurant Association, and chains such as McDonald's, have denounced the bill. They maintain it will hurt small business owners, including fast food franchisees who own one or two restaurants.

The FAST Recovery Act impacts about 550,000 fast-food workers in California. Many have fought for years for increases in the state's minimum wage, which is currently $15 an hour for employers with 26 or more employees.

Mary Kay Henry, the president of the Service Employees International Union President, said she expects fast-food workers battling McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King for fair wages in other states to ask their lawmakers to propose similar legislation like AB 257. businessinsider.com

   Read the D&D Daily's initial reporting about the legislation here

Labor Day Union Protests
Union organizers target Amazon and Starbucks execs in Labor Day rally
Labor activists rallied Monday afternoon in front of the Greenwich Village residence of Howard Schultz, the interim CEO of Starbucks, before marching up Fifth Avenue to gather outside the penthouse owned by Jeff Bezos, the founder and executive chairman of Amazon. They called on the executives to recognize and negotiate with the unions that have formed at their companies and to stop seeking to deter organizing efforts.

Starbucks and Amazon union organizers from across New York state and from other parts of the country were joined by supporters who came to show solidarity with them on Labor Day. Elected officials including State Sen. Jessica Ramos and Councilmember Tiffany Caban were also in attendance at the demonstration, which eventually made its way to Times Square.

Both companies have pushed back against the fresh wave of union organizing they have seen over the past couple of years. gothamist.com

New biometrics standards on the way

New standards related to biometrics and online transactions are coming from NIST

NIST is advancing towards the publication of a standard for the quality of images used in face biometrics. The standard is expected to be in place by the end of the year, and Idemia North America's Donnie Scott says meeting it could end up becoming a requirement for government contracts.

The onset of the pandemic raised the question of how well facial recognition would work with masked faces. The latest answer is that even masks custom-made by Privacy International to defeat biometric algorithms may not be successful.

The CHIPS and Science Act, signed into American law, creates a new NSF directorate for machine learning and tasks NIST with establishing standards for identity verification and attribute validation. biometricupdaate.com

What Will Be The Impact Of 'Hot Desking' On The Security Marketplace?
With fewer employees working in the office, and more of them working from home, it is no longer necessary for each employee to have their 'own' desk. Rather, desks may be used by various people at different times, as needed on an ad hoc basis. This arrangement, known as 'hot desking,' maximises space efficiency and reduces unneeded office space.

The move to 'hot desking' and hybrid working in general will see a lot more movement of people, which has obvious implications for security. For example, the use of lockers and cabinets to store valuables and confidential materials will become even more important, which is an ideal application for wireless locks. Occupancy management is another security facet that is essential for this hybrid working environment.
It will also be essential that security and access control be fully integrated with the IT infrastructure (such as Active Directory) to ensure sign-on access to these systems as well as physical access to a facility. This is also where the use of smartphone credentials will be invaluable, as facilities become increasingly automated, and tokens/cards become less practical to deploy and use.

'Hot desking' requires that access control and occupancy be monitored more closely. Technology features of various security systems contribute to a successful approach to optimize utilization of physical and real estate assets. Full integration of security and access control systems with the IT infrastructure also enables a 'hot desking' approach. securityinformed.com

Top Reason (85%) For Higher Budget Increases - Wage War
2023 Salary Budgets Projected to Stay at 20-Year High but Trail Inflation

Total rewards professionals expect pay budgets to rise 4.1% on average

Salary increase budgets in the U.S. are projected to grow, on average, just over 4 percent for 2023, less than half of the current annual inflation rate of 8.5 percent, according to new survey data.

WorldatWork's Salary Budget Survey shows that salary increase budgets in the U.S. rose to an average of 4.1 percent in 2022, a 20-year high and much larger than the average 3.3 percent increase that last year's survey of total rewards professionals projected in August 2021.

Forecast for Merit Increases

Compensation survey and consulting firm Empsight's 2022 Policies, Practices & Merit Survey report, which includes 2023 forecasts, shows that of 259 U.S. companies reporting a merit increase forecast for 2023:

● Approximately 35 percent are budgeting 3 percent.
● Approximately 40 percent are forecasting 4 percent or higher.

The survey was conducted between April and July 2022.

"The rapid rise in salary increase budgets over the past couple years, combined with today's volatile economic environment, challenges HR pros to leverage data and think strategically as they formulate 2023 compensation budget recommendations and negotiate with CFOs." shrm.org

Retailers Added 44,000 Jobs in August
Labor market added 315,000 jobs in August, a bright spot in the economy
The U.S. labor market added 315,000 jobs last month, hitting a 20-month streak in strong job growth that's powering an economy through ominously high inflation.

The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 3.7 percent, according to a monthly jobs report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. Some 344,000 more people were unemployed than in July, partly because more workers rejoined the labor force, newly looking for work.

Employment in health care rose by 48,000 jobs, with notable additions in doctors' offices, hospitals, and nursing and residential-care facilities. Retail trade added 44,000 jobs, and manufacturing continued to trend up by 22,000 positions. washingtonpost.com

LPF Announces LPC & LPQ Professionals for August
The Loss Prevention Foundation would like to recognize and congratulate the following individuals who successfully completed all of the requirements set forth by the board of directors to be LPQualified (LPQ) and/or LPCertified (LPC). View Full List Here

NYC sues Starbucks after company allegedly fired barista for union organizing
"Starbucks continues to wrongfully fire pro-union workers nationwide in retaliation for union organizing," the fired employee said in a statement.

Meijer to launch new store concept

Starbucks names former PepsiCo executive as new CEO
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Job Reposted
Director LP & Analytics job posted for Dollar Tree in Chesapeake, VA
The Director of Analytics and Support for Protection measures the effectiveness of asset prevention programs for the enterprise and delivers valuable insights to support the successful operations of the company as it relates to loss reduction. The Director possesses a high degree of knowledge and experience in Asset Protection that is vital to the business operation. The Director must foster good working relationships with corporate work groups to develop and support programs based on data, observations and recommendations to improve inventory shrinkage and operations.  sjobs.brassring.com

Director of Global Corporate Safety & Security job posted for Edible Arrangements in Atlanta, GA
The Director of Global Security has oversight for several global security functions that positively impact the protection of associates, visitors, facilities, and assets. This global role is both strategic and operational. Responsible for department vision, strategy, structure, talent, objectives, priorities, and policies. Oversee the development, review, maintenance and delivery of training, policies, procedures and more. indeed.com

Sr Director, Information Security job posted for Valvoline (Remote)
Valvoline has a rewarding opportunity as a Sr Director of Information Security. We whole-heartedly adopt a 'never idle' mindset. We also know that outstanding service begins and ends with our employees. So, we're looking for good people to join our team. You bring your skills, talents and drive. We will give you a great place to work, a competitive salary and benefits, and the resources and support to develop and advance within our global company. jobs.valvoline.com
 

Last week's #1 article --

Safeway Shooter Was Former Employee
Oregon Safeway shooter wrote manifesto planning 'national tragedy'
The deranged mass shooter who killed two men in an Oregon supermarket appears to have written a disturbing online manifesto bragging about his plans to commit a "national tragedy" - initially planning a school slaughter "inspired" by Columbine.

Ethan Blair Miller, 20, was named by police Monday as the gunman who killed an 84-year-old customer as well as a heroic 66-year-old employee who tackled him as he sprayed shots through the Safeway in Bend late Sunday.

Miller - who was carrying an AR-15 and a shotgun and had weapons and bombs in his car - shot himself dead before he could be arrested, police said. He previously worked at the store, but had no known criminal record, and police said they had no evidence of prior contact with him. nypost.com

Death Blow for American Data Privacy and Protection Act?
Congress mulls data privacy bill that would void California's tougher protections
key congressional committee is pushing a federal bill to bolster protections for consumers' online data privacy, but California lawmakers have launched an aggressive bid to amend or block the legislation because it would unravel the state's own tougher protections.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) delivered a potential death knell for the American Data Privacy and Protection Act late last week when she said it should not be allowed to override California's law.

Pelosi's public opposition, which echoes concerns from Gov. Gavin Newsom and the California Privacy Protection Agency, marks an escalation in the standoff between California lawmakers and a large bipartisan group of supporters.

In an apparent attempt to appease the state, the bill was updated to grant the state privacy agency authority to enforce the federal law, but it is unclear whether Congress has the legal authority to grant a state agency such power.

The bill attempts to limit the ways in which tech companies can collect, share or sell consumers' personal information, such as location tracking, health data and private messages.

The legislation is widely supported by the tech industry. But skeptics say industry leaders are trying to push the federal bill to block the California law before it takes full effect and prevent a patchwork of varying state standards. Enforcement of the state law begins in July.

The federal bill "is weaker than the California law," said Ashkan Soltani, executive director of the California Privacy Protection Agency, created by the 2018 California Consumer Privacy Act and its accompanying 2020 proposition, to enforce the law. "This is a false choice. Congress does not need to preempt the California law in order to give the country effective privacy enforcement."

He cited the California law's ability to allow consumers to opt out of programs that use artificial intelligence to create a profile based on their personal data. That benefit would be lost if the federal law can preempt state law. latimes.com

BEC Schemes Cost Businesses $43B Since 2016
CISO strategies for banks combatting business email compromise
Business email compromise (BEC) can pose both cyber and financial risks to an organization. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), BEC cost $43 billion globally between June 2016 and December 2021.

BEC and phishing attacks have targeted funds by exploiting social engineering tactics to have victims initiate bank transfers to cybercriminals. In an FBI public service announcement, the organization shared that the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has viewed an uptick in BEC complaints involving cryptocurrency. The banking industry made up 11% of targets for phishing attacks in 2021, and other financial sector players remained top targets as well, with e-commerce making up 17% of phishing targets.

How to defend against business email compromise

"Banks and banking customers are high-value targets for hackers," said Chip Gibbons, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Thrive Network. Gibbons shared tips for CISOs and security leaders in the financial sector who are combatting phishing attacks and business email compromise.

Cybersecurity tools

Multi-factor authentication and spam filtering should be implemented across banks and financial organizations as standard practices, according to Gibbons.

Employee awareness training

Along with cybersecurity tools, security professionals can institute employee security awareness training to reduce instances of successful BEC. He recommends monthly or quarterly trainings that last between five and 10 minutes "to keep it fresh and top of mind with employees without losing their interest."

Responding to a successful business email compromise

Prevention is key to combatting business email compromise, but "everyone can and will make a mistake at one point in time," said Gibbons. Cybersecurity leaders must be prepared to act in the aftermath of a successful phishing or BEC attack.  securitymagazine.com

Four Defendants Face Federal Charges in Over $4M of Business Email Compromise Schemes
Baltimore, Maryland -According to the allegations in the eight-count indictment, from April 2016 to May 2019, the defendants allegedly executed a business email compromise scheme ("BEC scheme"). The defendants compromised email accounts of individual and business victims, which they used to send fraudulent payment instructions to financial institutions or business associates to misappropriate funds.

If convicted, the defendants face a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank fraud, a maximum of 30 years in prison for bank fraud, and a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in federal prison consecutive to any other sentenced imposed for aggravated identity theft. justice.gov

Round Rock Man Gets 10 Yrs Prison for Money Laundering & BEC Fraud Schemes
Austin - Okanlawon Azeez Egerongbe, aka Tony Kunle, Alex Tohee, 37, of Round Rock to 120 months in prison and to pay $633,520 in restitution for his role in a money laundering scheme.

Egerongbe knowingly laundered millions of dollars from victims that he obtained through various fraud schemes. The frauds included romance, business email compromise (BEC), unemployment insurance, and investment scams all designed to trick innocent victims through false pretenses. The amount of attempted and actual loss from the conspiracy was at least $3.5 million. justice.gov

Request for Comments: PTS POI Modular Security Requirements v6.2 
From 1 September to 30 September 2022, eligible PCI SSC stakeholders are invited to review and provide feedback on the PTS POI Modular Security Requirements v6.2 draft during a 30-day request for comments (RFC) period. The full list of stakeholders eligible to participate can be found on the PCI SSC RFC webpage. 

The RFC will be available to primary contacts through the PCI SSC portal, including instructions on how to access the document and submit feedback. Eligible stakeholders will also receive instructions via email. As a reminder, participants are required to accept a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) to download the document. Please review the RFC Process Guide for more information.   blog.pcisecuritystandards.org

Ransomware attacks on Linux to surge
Jon Clay, VP of threat intelligence for Trend Micro, said: "New and emerging threat groups continue to evolve their business model, focusing their attacks with even greater precision. That's why it's essential that organizations get better at mapping, understanding, and protecting their expanding digital attack surface. A single, unified cybersecurity platform is the best place to start."  helpnetsecurity.com

Researchers Spot Snowballing BianLian Ransomware Gang Activity

Google says it cut off Russian disinformation sites from its vast ad display network

Livingston Parish, LA: Man arrested in string of Ulta Beauty thefts in Lafayette, other Louisiana cities
A man wanted in a rash of thefts at Ulta Beauty storefronts in Lafayette and across south Louisiana has been arrested. Antonio Potier, 25, of Breaux Bridge, was arrested in Livingston Parish on Thursday and booked into the Livingston Parish Detention Center on charges including 10 counts of felony theft and one count of misdemeanor theft stemming from Lafayette, Lafayette Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Robin Green said in a statement. Potier is accused of stealing from Ulta Beauty locations in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Gonzales and Denham Springs, she said. Ulta Beauty storefronts have been targeted for retail theft nationwide, as perpetrators enter the stores and grab high dollar items, often perfume, before quickly fleeing the store. Potier is accused of stealing from Ulta Beauty locations in Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Hammond, Gonzales and Denham Springs, she said. Ulta Beauty storefronts have been targeted for retail theft nationwide, as perpetrators enter the stores and grab high dollar items, often perfume, before quickly fleeing the store. theadvocate.com

Riverside County, CA: Smash-and-grab robbers steal $80,000 of jewelry from business in California market
Two men armed with blunt objects stole upwards of $80,000 of jewelry in a smash-and-grab robbery at a business inside a Moreno Valley market on Friday, Sept. 2. Just before 3 p.m., the suspects entered the business in the Cardenas Market in the 25000 block of Sunnymead Boulevard, off Perris Boulevard and south of the 60 Freeway. The suspects carried hammers or similar objects to break open a display case, said Riverside County Sheriff's Sgt. Edward Soto. The business is not a jewelry store, but had a case containing jewelry, Soto said. There were no injuries reported, and neither of the suspects were seen carrying guns.
Cardenas Markets in Riverside, Murrieta and Fontana have also been similarly hit since July. Thieves made off with about $100,000 from the Cardenas Market on La Sierra Avenue in Riverside, according to Javier Cabrera, a Police Department spokesman. He and police in Fontana said detectives in the region are comparing notes to determine whether the same robbers hit the stores. eastbaytimes.com

ORC couple Out-on-Bail Enhancement from Lulumeon Thefts Charged in Beating Death of Toddler
North Hollywood man arrested in March for alleged organized retail theft and subsequently released on bail was recently charged in the March 22 beating death of his 14-month-old son.

Cabrera and Samantha Emseralda Melaraurbina, 18, were also accused of stealing $6,000 worth of Lululemon apparel on two separate occasions in January and again in February in January and again in February.

The 20-year-old was arrested in March and charged with three counts of burglary and one count of organized retail theft, county records show.

They both posted bail - $100,000 for Melaraurbina and $120,000 for Cabrera - in March.

The alleged assault against Cabrera's toddler took place on March 22.

"The physical abuse suffered by this young boy is horrifying. That the alleged perpetrator is the child's father is unconscionable," the district attorney said in a statement last week. "The harm inflicted in this case warrants that special allegations be filed.  msn.com

Houston, TX: Armed men steal over $50K worth of frames at eyewear store in Tanglewood, second incident in a month
Owners of ProOptix tell FOX 26 about the recent burglary and armed robbery at their store, where armed gunmen were caught on camera stealing $50,000 worth of merchandise. yahoo.com

Chesterfield, VA: Weapons stolen in burglary at Chesterfield sporting goods store
Chesterfield Police are investigating after several weapons were stolen from Pats Sporting Goods store. Police responded to a breaking and entering call at the store on Route 1 around 5:20 a.m. Sunday. Police said several black powder rifles, crossbows and ammunition were taken from the business. nbc12.com

Wright City, MO: Stolen car used in smash-and-grab theft at gun store; 8 people involved
Bold and brazen thieves were caught smashing a car into an area gun store. Their tactics gave them time, space, and opportunity to swipe weapons from the Osage County Gun Store in Wright City. The crime happened in the middle of the night Saturday, something that leaves neighbor Don Puckett uneasy. The video reveals three cars pulled up to the storefront Saturday morning. One of the cars pulls up to the front door, wedges itself between two blockade posts, and then accelerates through the store's front door at 1:47 AM. A crowd of as many as eight people runs inside - a motion that sets off an alert on General Manager John Dawson's smartphone. kmov.com

Eureka, CA: Two suspects wanted for theft and assault in Pacific Outfitters
The Eureka Police Department is looking for two suspects after a theft and assault incident at Pacific Outfitters in Eureka. The incident happened earlier in the afternoon on Sept. 5. with surveillance capturing the two suspects. Owners in a Facebook post alleged that the two stole over $1000 of Patagonia apparel and left in a 1989 Nissan Pathfinder with a getaway driver. krcrtv.com

Mount Pleasant, WI: Habitual Pick 'n Save thief accused of stealing nearly $1,500 worth of alcohol

Deer Park, IL: Two charged with stealing drones from Apple store

Denville Township, NJ: Police seeking suspect in nearly $1000 theft of Razors from CVS and Walgreens