Official Press Release: The Senate's 'Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act'
Cortez Masto, Grassley Introduce Legislation to Bolster Federal Response to Organized Retail Theft
U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) introduced legislation to protect shops and retailers by targeting flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes. The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act establishes a coordinated multi-agency response and creates new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft.

"Law enforcement must have access to the tools they need to crack down on organized crime groups that target shops and retailers in Nevada and across the country" said Senator Cortez Masto. "My bipartisan legislation will do just that by going after large-scale criminal schemes and working with the retail industry to deter, detect, and prosecute these crimes."

The bipartisan Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act creates a unified government and industry collaboration to address this trend. The bill establishes a Center to Combat Organized Retail Crime at Homeland Security Investigations that combines expertise from state and local law enforcement agencies as well as retail industry representatives. It also creates new tools to assist in federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime, and help recover lost goods and proceeds.

The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act is supported by the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Innovating Commerce Serving Communities, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, and the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association.

"We applaud Senators Grassley and Cortez Masto for introducing the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2022. Organized Retail Crime (ORC) is a multibillion-dollar problem impacting the retail industry and jeopardizing the safety of associates and customers," said the NRF.  cortezmasto.senate.gov

   Legislative text is available HERE.

Tackling Theft at the Source - by Tightening Online Selling Regulations
Ca. Gov. Newsom Signs Bills to Crack Down on the Sale of Stolen Goods Online

SB 301 requires online sellers to provide key information and AB 1700 creates a reporting platform for the public to report suspected stolen items online

SACRAMENTO - With online marketplaces selling stolen merchandise, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed legislation to strengthen transparency rules for high-volume, third-party sellers and provide greater tools for law enforcement to identify stolen items, often taken from doorsteps or shoplifted at retail stores.

"We are tightening the spigot, reducing the sale of online illegal merchandise," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "By empowering consumers with the ability to identify stolen items for sale online and providing greater transparency for high-volume sellers, we are tackling this problem at the source."

Both SB 301 by state Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) and AB 1700 by Assemblymember Brian Maienschein (D-San Diego) work to address the online sale of stolen merchandise. SB 301 calls for online marketplaces to require high-volume third-party sellers to provide greater information to protect consumers. AB 1700 directs the Attorney General's Office to dedicate a section of its website for individuals to report items found on online marketplaces, identified as possible stolen goods.

The Governor also signed AB 2294 by Assemblymember Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer Sr. (D-Los Angeles), which gives law enforcement the ability to keep in custody individuals suspected of organized retail theft. Under the current process, an individual arrested for a misdemeanor is typically released with a written notice or citation. This bill will allow for law enforcement to keep in custody a person arrested for a misdemeanor if they have been convicted of theft from a store in the last six-months, or if there is probable cause that the individual is guilty of participating in organized retail theft. gov.ca.gov

Move Over COVID - Theft Surge is the Real Game-Changer
Retail Theft Is Changing The Customer Experience

As retail theft continues to be an issue across the country, many stores are developing new strategies to help avoid losses.

When shopping lately, consumers might see empty shelves, but that's not necessarily from supply chain issues. It's because the stores are locking up their merchandise to avoid being robbed. This comes from a Wall Street Journal report which found that this is happening in stores like Best Buy and Home Depot.

Home Depot executives have said that the store looks at which items are more likely to be stolen and lock them away in areas that are being targeted the most. Best Buy said it's not hiding more product overall than it did previously, but it's doing so where it's necessary.

Sometimes, however, the practice has positive results. For example, Scott Glenn, vice president of asset protection at Home Depot, said that sales will go up steadily after a high risk product is locked away because the stores can actually maintain their stock.

Retail theft spiked during COVID-19, and it's still higher than it was before the pandemic.

Policies like Proposition 47 in California decriminalized theft under $950 in 2014, and several progressive DA's around the country have shied away from prosecuting petty theft, especially since the death of George Floyd.

Workers and businesses around the country have fought back against theft on their own and taken the matter into their own hands. Some employees at Best Buy are even getting trained on how to stand nearby commonly stolen merchandise, likely as a deterrent.

A workers union in Colorado and Wyoming even brokered a contract that made sure employees have the right to self defense if a consumer comes after them. dailywire.com

Another San Francisco Progressive Dem Endorsed By Party for DA
Progressives Still in Control in the Bay

Outspoken Progressive Democrat Endorsed By Democrat Party Over Recently Appointed Moderate Dem. DA Jenkins in San Francisco
San Francisco District Attorney candidate John Hamasaki has nabbed an official endorsement from the city's Democratic Party, a potentially valuable boost in a race where one poll showed him more than 20 points behind incumbent Brooke Jenkins.

Jenkins, who was appointed the her post in July by Mayor London Breed, came into power after helping lead a successful recall against her former boss, District Attorney Chesa Boudin. Jenkins is viewed as perhaps the most moderate candidate in the pool, while Hamasaki, an outspoken progressive and former police commissioner, is courting the votes of the city's progressives, including those who supported Boudin.

Anika Steig, a campaign consultant for Jenkins said "They opposed the Boudin recall and just endorsed a candidate who has called for de-funding the District Attorney's Office he's running for." "They don't represent a focus on public safety that the majority of San Franciscans are asking for." sfchronicle.com

Organized retail theft leads to 'Wall of Shame' at local business

New Zealand: Police update on action to address retail crime


NYC's Crime Crisis Continues

Burglary Up 70%, Robbery Up 15% in NYC Financial District
NYC's Financial District now blighted with spiking crime, vagrants

Emboldened crooks and vagrants have been robbing and assaulting locals without restraint while businesses are regularly looted by brazen shoplifters.

"It's gotten more outlandish," Keith Ruiz, 29, a concierge at 71 Broadway, said about criminal activity in the neighborhood. Perps "come down to Wall Street because they know where the money is. ... It's all money-driven crime."

NYPD data for the 1st Precinct, which includes the Financial District, shows major crimes have increased 50% this year, compared to 33% citywide. Burglary is up 70%, robbery 15%, felony assault 16%, and rape 55%.

"I'm hoping that the new mayor can do something more for the police, but it seems that nothing's moved yet," Silvio said. Even some luxe buildings have become hotbeds of drug deals and other unseemly activity.

At the TJ Maxx on Wall Street, where racks can be stocked with $250 Balmain t-shirts and $600 Gucci sweaters, one employee complained about a surge in merchandise theft during the pandemic, often by the same crooks. Police data shows 911 calls to the location are up to 40 through Sept. 22, compared to 20 in 2021 and 14 in 2019.

Lawyer Thomas Kenniff, a Republican who ran and lost against soft-on-crime Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg last November, attributed the spike in crime to lower foot traffic in the neighborhood alongside lax bail laws. nypost.com

Random Attacks Surging in NYC
Violent, unprovoked attacks have New Yorkers on edge
"There's something profoundly wrong with New York," said Mary Hassler, 66, an Astoria resident and cosmetics sales person. "The number of these attacks are growing. There seems to be more and more all the time. ... It's every New Yorker's fear."

The NYPD reports an uptick so far this year in 911 calls involving emotionally disturbed people. Through Sept. 29, police cited an 8% hike with the latest numbers at 131,199 - roughly 500 per day, up from 128,488 over the same stretch of 2021.

And in a year when the NYPD reported a nearly 12% drop in homicides, there was also a citywide 37% jump in robberies and a 43% increase in grand larceny as New Yorkers expressed their fears about the ongoing situation.

"You hear of these attacks daily," said Lucia Constantine, 46, as she passed the spot where 61-year-old FDNY EMS Lt. Alison Russo was inexplicably killed on a September afternoon. "They have been more and more, and there's no consequences. These people are out here with rap sheets as long as their arms." nydailynews.com

Greenwich Village block held hostage by lunchtime rowdies
A band of foul-mouthed, toy gun-waving, pot-puffing high school hooligans are keeping residents of West 13th off 6th Avenue hostage in their own tony homes, terrified denizens told The Post.

US: 98.2M Cases - 1M Dead - 95.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 623.5M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 603.5M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 802

Officer Down Memorial Reports: 792 COVID19 LOD Deaths Last Three Years
Police Officers Line of Duty Deaths in 2022 - 181 Down 63% From 2021's 644
COVID19 - The Leading Cause of Death for Police Officers 'Line of Duty Deaths' Three Years Running

ODMP reports that COVID19 has been the leading cause of police officers 'Line of Duty' deaths three years running.

With COVID19 causing 502 deaths in 2021, and driving a 52% increase in total deaths over 2020. And caused 277 in 2020 which drove an increase of 169% over 2019.

COVID19 made a historical and lasting mark on the law enforcement community. Resulting in the largest spike in LOD deaths of police officers in history.

Of interesting note is that Texas ranks in the top five categories in the Daily's Retail Crime reports - ranking either #1 or #2 in the Daily's Violent Fatalities Report six years running.

Law enforcement continues to be one of the most dangerous professions in America. odmp.org



The Return of Masks?
9 New York Counties Back at 'High' Risk, Masking Advised Amid COVID Uptick
For the first time in months, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending masks in Central New York because of an uptick in COVID-19 cases and patients hospitalized with the virus.

As of Thursday, the CDC identified nine counties in New York state that met the criteria, which is based on new cases per 100,000 population, new hospital admissions per 100,000 population, and a rolling average percentage of hospital beds being used for COVID patients.

According to the agency's community level maps, those nine counties are Albany, Columbia, Fulton, Jefferson, Montgomery, Onondaga, Orange, Oswego, and Rensselaer. Only 13 counties remain at "low" risk, while the majority of the state is holding at "medium." nbcnewyork.com

Permanent Uptake of COVID-era Flexi-Work Models Could Improve Mental Health
Practices implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as flexible working arrangements and teleworking, could help to reduce work-related mental health challenges, according to a first-ever set of Guidelines on Mental Health at Work released Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO).  healthpolicy-watch.news

How the CDC's communication failures during Covid tarnished the agency

Covid-19: How to prepare for a possible winter wave

Business Continuity/Crisis Management
Proactive - Reactive

Hurricane Ian Aftermath

(section sponsored by Genetec)

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October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month Follow along all month, starting tomorrow, as we choose a weekly cybersecurity topic that is key to 'Cybersecurity Awareness' This year's campaign theme - "See Yourself in Cyber" - demonstrates that while cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, ultimately, it's really all about people . This October will focus on the "people" part of cybersecurity, providing information and resources to help educate CISA partners and the public, and ensure all individuals and organizations make smart decisions whether on the job, at home or at school - now and in the future. Learn more here

Lawmakers Call on FTC & DOJ to Step Up Cyber Efforts
Schumer urges FTC and DOJ to increase protections against cybersecurity hacks
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday urged federal officials to increase their efforts to protect consumers from cybersecurity breaches and investigate those responsible for such hacks.

"I am calling on the Federal Trade Commission, first, to ensure that companies do everything they can to protect consumer data, and on the Department of Justice to fully investigate and go after the hackers that aim to harm Americans," Schumer, a New York Democrat, said at a news conference.

Schumer cited a handful of recent data breaches at private and public organizations, including a hack at Uber that the company disclosed in September. Shortly after the disclosure, Uber said the hackers accessed invoice-related data and company Slack messages.

American Airlines confirmed a data breach last month, according to Schumer's office. An unauthorized actor gained access to personal information of a small number of customers and employees through a phishing campaign, his office said in a release.

"We want to know who took (private data), what they did with it, and what consumers need to do to protect themselves, and the responsibility is with the Federal Trade Commission, the FTC, and the Department of Justice, and we're asking them to make - to redouble their efforts to answer all of these," he said.

Schumer said he wants a stricter requirement for companies to report data breaches to make as many consumers as possible aware of any possible exposure.

"The law requires a company when it is hacked, or a government agency to notify the federal authorities, but not much more," he said. cnn.com

REvil Insider Helped Law Enforcement
'Disgruntled insider' shared REvil info with researchers, helped law enforcement
The sender turned out to be a "disgruntled internal source" upset with how other hackers boasted about earnings while they hadn't been paid. The insider went on to help researchers understand the inner workings of the group that became known as REvil, whose antics and crimes made headlines after attacking beef producer JBS.

John Fokker, head of threat intelligence at Trellix - and formerly of McAfee ATR - revealed the interactions with the insider in new research on Thursday. He notes that the source shared screenshots of REvil's back end pane that helped confirm earlier theories from Fokker's team about how REvil tracked its associates. It also shows in minute detail how the operations worked.

The source also shared "TTPs, internal relationships, information on the group's operations," Fokker wrote. "The tools, tactics and techniques they used ranged from infostealer logs, RDPBrute, ADFind, Mimikatz, WinPEAS, Cobalt Strike and PowerShell scripts."

The interactions also revealed where affiliates would access the actual panel via Tor, which led Fokker's team to be able to find the actual IP address of the panel.

The revelation comes amid signs that REvil, or someone with access to REvil infrastructure, is back at extorting victims for money after being forced offline in October 2021 after reportedly being targeted by U.S. Cyber Command and a foreign government, according to The Washington Post.  cyberscoop.com

Selling U.S. Cyber Secrets
Ex-NSA employee charged with violating Espionage Act, selling U.S. cyber secrets
A former National Security Agency employee appeared in federal court Thursday on charges that he attempted to transmit classified "national defense information" to an FBI agent he believed was a Russian operative in exchange for $85,000, according to the Justice Department.

The former employee, Jareh Sebastian Dalke, allegedly told the undercover agent that he had access to information "relating to foreign targeting of U.S. systems and information on cyber operations," according to the affidavit.

The affidavit alleges that between August and September 2022, Dalke used an encrypted email account to "transmit excerpts of three classified documents he had obtained during his employment to an individual Dalke believed to be working for a foreign government."

The affidavit is cryptic about which government Dalke believed the agent was purporting to work for. But a footnote in the document references the fact that in trying to confirm the person he was speaking with was a Russian agent, Dalke reached out through "multiple published channels to gain a response." This included "submission to the SVR TOR site," the affidavit says. cyberscoop.com

Video: Embedded IoT security threats and challenges
IoT embedded systems combine hardware, firmware, and internet connectivity to carry out particular functions. These devices transfer real-time data via the internet for various purposes, including tracking, monitoring, and analysis.

In this Help Net Security video, Hubertus Grobbel, VP of Security Solutions at Swissbit, discusses the insecurity of IoT devices and offers tips on how to secure them. helpnetsecurity.com

Capital One Phish Showcases Growing Bank-Brand Targeting Trend
A recent phishing campaign exploits Capital One's new partnership with verification service Authentify, sending thousands of scam emails to the bank's customers to try and trick them into uploading images of their identification cards.

Hudson's Bay Company centralizes data protection

Microsoft Releases Guidance on Zero-Day Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Exchange Server

Microsoft Confirms Pair of Blindsiding Exchange Zero-Days, No Patch Yet