Protos Security Adds VP Marketing and Director Digital Marketing
to Support Growing Portfolio

Alyssa Wilson named VP Marketing for Protos Security Alyssa has extensive knowledge in multichannel marketing. As a data-driven marketing leader with a proven history in organizational digital transformation, she is charged with building out Protos Security's marketing function. Alyssa holds degrees in Communications/Public Relations and Graphic Design from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.

Michelle Sell named Digital Marketing Director for Protos Security Michelle has developed industry leading skills including social media optimization, copywriting, thought leadership, advertising, and email marketing. She will exponentially enhance brand awareness for Protos Security from both a sales and recruitment marketing perspective. Michelle holds an MBA from Temple University with a concentration in Marketing. Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight below.

Axis Communications announces new 5-year warranty for its devices

New Axis warranty promises customers world-class quality, reliability and support at no extra cost.

Founded with quality as a hallmark of its brand, Axis Communications makes a significant commitment to its customers by announcing a new 5-year warranty. This increase from the previous 3-year warranty is a result of the company's continued dedication to providing high-quality products and cost-efficient, trouble-free ownership. Read More Here


Axis' new headquarters: A house where employees can thrive

When designing the new Axis head office in Lund, Sweden, sustainability and esthetics were vital. But most importantly, the primary focus was on employee health and well-being. And as the employees now are moving into their new workplace, the response is positive. See More Here

Protests & Violence

The U.S. is Arming Up
U.S. gun sales soar amid pandemic, social unrest, election fears
Surges in U.S. firearm sales have in recent decades been predictably driven by events sparking fears of impending gun-control legislation or a spate of mass shootings. Such surges came largely among the gun-industry's core base of white, male and politically conservative customers who often already owned one or multiple guns. That market is widening this year to include a new rush of first-time buyers, including many women, minorities and politically liberal buyers who once would not have considered gun ownership.

The number of first-time buyers has skyrocketed this year. Firearms neophytes accounted for about 40% of sales this year and "double the national average" in past years. 5 million people purchased firearms for the first time across the industry in the first seven months of the year.

'MORE GUNS IS MORE DEATH' said Harvard University professor David Hemenway.

The FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) - shows a 41% increase in activity during the first nine months of this year, compared to the same period in 2019, which was a record year. With 28.8 million background checks through the end of September, this year's surge has already surpassed last year's all-time high of 28.4 million.

Eight of the top 10 all-time weeks for background checks have happened this year, according to NICS data that goes back to 1998. The top week came in March, when the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus crisis a pandemic. The top month this year came in June, following the late-May killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.  reuters.com

Pinkerton security guard to face 2nd-degree murder charges
in Denver protest shooting: DA
The private security guard suspected of fatally shooting a man at the scene of tense protests in Denver last weekend will be charged with second-degree murder, the local district attorney announced Thursday.

Matthew Dolloff, 30 - who did not have a license to work as a guard in Denver, authorities say - faces a mandatory prison sentence of 16 to 48 years if convicted, according to the Denver district attorney's office. He is accused of shooting 49-year-old Lee Keltner, who went to a rally downtown to show support for law enforcement, according to Keltner's family.

The violence played out Saturday during a clash among demonstrators: Right-wing "patriots" and left-wing counterprotesters affiliating themselves with Black Lives Matter and antifa. But most people were dispersing when a shot rang out, authorities said, and police quickly sought to tamp down rumors about those involved, saying Sunday that investigators were "unaware of whether the suspect is personally affiliated with any political organization."

Local outlet 9News says it contracted Dolloff through the firm Pinkerton to accompany a staffer at Saturday's protests. 9News says it told Pinkerton that the security guards protecting its employees should not be armed, adding to questions about Dolloff's qualifications and the contract that brought him to Denver's civic center. washingtonpost.com

Manhattan, NYC: Bicycle delivery workers rally for safety after string of robberies
Delivery workers protested at the intersection of 72nd Street and Broadway on Thursday, asking that more attention be paid to a series of e-bike thefts that have made it impossible to do their jobs. They rang bells and rode their bikes down to City Hall to continue the protest. "We are asking for safety. A lot of guys are being robbed," Melinda Gallpa, of the Worker's Justice project, told the Daily News. "Their bicycles are stolen, and some of them are almost $2,000. That's why they're here, why we organize." westsiderag.com

NYC's indie bookstores are 'boxing out' to protest shopping on Amazon
New York City bookstores have transformed their storefronts to look like cardboard boxes that you'd get in the mail from Amazon for Prime Day. Their papered windows serve as the backdrop to bold statements: "Don't let indie bookstores become a work of fiction," "Buy books from people who want to sell books, not colonize the moon," and "Books curated by real people, not a creepy algorithm." timeout.com

Oakland, Portland sue over use of federal agents at protests

ACLU, Protester File Complaint Against D.C. National Guard For Helicopter Tactic
 

ORC's Center Stage & Primary Push in CA's Prop 20
'Prop. 20 sparks debate over effects of criminal justice reform in California'
As much of the country weighs changes to the criminal justice system, California has had a head start, adopting a series of laws in the last decade that helped reduce the state's prison population by more than one-third, or 50,000 people.

Now a group of prosecutors and law enforcement leaders has placed Proposition 20 on the November statewide ballot, which would expand the list of felonies for which the convicted are ineligible for early parole; increase penalties for repeat shoplifters; and collect DNA samples from adults convicted of some misdemeanors.

Opponents of the measure, who include civil rights leaders, Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown, say it wrongly rolls back necessary criminal justice reforms as *crime has declined in recent years.

"California is ahead of the game - we've done so many great reforms," said Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove), a retired sheriff's captain and proponent of Proposition 20. "But there have been unintended consequences with these reforms."

Supporters of the initiative include the California Police Chiefs Assn., Orange County Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer, Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert and the union representing state prison guards.

Proposition 20 is also supported by retail chains including Albertsons and Kroger, who say shoplifting and stealing by organized theft rings have been increasing. Safeway and other stores said in 2016 that shoplifting had increased at least 15%.

The San Francisco-based Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, which advocates for reducing incarceration, estimates that, under Proposition 20, up to 9,900 arrests for theft-related offenses could be charged as felonies rather than misdemeanors each year.

A June 2018 study by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California found no evidence that violent crime increased because of Proposition 47, but some evidence that it affected property crime.

Editor's Note: The 'declining crime stats', referred to across the nation, almost universally, are based on inaccurate data collection and reporting, significantly reduced initial apprehensions, forced reduced charges, expedited plea bargains, rising felony thresholds, and an overall police apathy due to prosecutors public stance on not prosecuting shoplifting cases at all. As in the documented cases of San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia. Just some thoughts -Gus Downing

Study Showed Prop 47 Affected Property Crime

December 20, 2018: An analysis by the Marshall Project and the Los Angeles Times found that California's crime rates remain near historic lows, but overall crime spiked in both 2012 and 2015, the years that immediately followed two major statewide measures aimed at decreasing the number of people in prison. Those jumps were mainly driven by increases in property crimes, particularly thefts from motor vehicles.

California's property crime rate fell slightly in the last two years, but remains 2% higher than it was in 2014. By contrast, the rate of property crimes in the rest of the nation has dropped by 10% over the same period.

Two studies published this summer - one by a UC Irvine criminologist and another by the Public Policy Institute of California -found no link between Proposition 47 and increases in violent crime. Both noted a possible link between the initiative and increases in larceny, particularly thefts from motor vehicles, although the Irvine study found those links too tenuous to conclude Proposition 47 was to blame.

California's robbery rate jumped 14% from 2014 to 2017; the rest of the country saw a 7% drop. latimes.com


Every CEO in America Will Be Watching You & Your Teams Actions & Reactions
It's time to be viewed as a leader in DEI

Doug McMillon - Opinion contributor
Walmart CEO: Business Roundtable members have new plans to fight
historic racial injustice
The 208 members of the Business Roundtable have new proposals about what more we can do to move the weight of racism that presses on people of color.

The weight that killed George Floyd also was the weight of history - 400 years of discrimination against Blacks in this country. Together, these forces conspired to crush him. That weight needs to be lifted.

For our part, 208 of the largest companies in America, members of Business Roundtable, have come together to join their efforts. As part of that work, in June, the Roundtable established a special committee to develop policy proposals and corporate initiatives designed to advance racial equity and justice.

Since June, the Roundtable has endorsed several policy recommendations for policing reform related to data collection and transparency, accountability, standards, training and community engagement.

Improve pandemic response - Lower barriers to employment

Business Roundtable members are now releasing a report on racial equity and justice that takes stock of what more business - in cooperation with government - can do to bring about greater change. usatoday.com


How Security Operations Center leaders can create a culture of growth

Julian Waits, General Manager of Cybersecurity at Business Unit at Devo, spoke with Security Magazine about how SOC leaders can create a culture of growth among their teams.

Why do SOC leaders need to create a culture of growth among their teams? How can this help mitigate analyst/security team's burnout?

Waits: Creating a culture of growth in the SOC helps leaders address two issues; one being that security talent is very scarce to find and hire, and two being that the analysts you do have in the SOC are getting burnt out. By creating a culture of growth - one where you're investing time, funds and energy into bettering the skills and career trajectory of analysts - you're both creating a more enticing environment for hiring candidates and establishing a culture for current employees that acknowledges their work, value and caring for an individual's growth.

How can they advocate on behalf of their team to the CEO and board to ensure the SOC is equipped with the right/best technologies to alleviate analyst pain?

Waits: Among SOC leaders, the CISO is the bridge between the SOC and the C-suite. While most CEOs and boards are becoming increasingly security conscience, it's up to the CISO to effectively communicate that security touches every part of the business and a SOC filled with burned-out analysts will compromise security and, in the long run, hurt the bottom line. Equipping your SOC with technology that automates and streamlines the repetitive aspects of analysts' workflow will benefit the entire organization. The board will also need clear understanding of security priorities, so be prepared to answer questions like, "what trends is the SOC teaching us?" "what are we learning? "what are the types of attacks we see most often in our environment?" "what have we done to mitigate those attacks?" and "are there things that we could do with the SOC to be more proactive about trying to catch this stuff sooner?" Read the full Q&A here

Only 45% Will Go To Malls - Down 30% From LY
Fewer U.S. shoppers say they're going to the mall this holiday season
Even with the changing behaviors, a majority of American holiday shoppers -- about eight in 10 -- said they will still spend in a physical store during the coming months.

Just 45% of U.S. consumers plan to go to a shopping mall this season, down from 64% who visited last November and December, according to an International Council of Shopping Centers survey released Friday.

The forecast is a fresh blow to American malls already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic - shifted spending habits and made people wary of crowded places.  dallasnews.com

September Retail Sales Graph
How key retail sales fared year over year
Retail sales in September as provided by the U.S. Department of Commerce and tracked by Retail Dive, rose 11.7% from last year, a result called "astonishing" by GlobalData Retail Managing Director Neil Saunders.

September 2020: Total monthly sales: $177.50B
"September was the month when retail sales seemingly defied gravity," Saunders said in emailed comments. But in a year when the COVID-19 pandemic has stifled demand and forced many retailers to close in the spring, September's rebound isn't entirely surprising.

e-commerce up 27.7%  retaildive.com

Is Your Company on the List?
Forbes 4th Annual List: THE WORLD'S BEST EMPLOYERS
We surveyed 160,000 full-time and part-time workers from 58 countries working for businesses with operations in multiple nations or regions. Surveys were conducted on a rolling basis from June to July, and participants were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their own employers to friends and family. They were also asked to rate their satisfaction with their employers' Covid-19 responses and score their employers on image, economic footprint, talent development, gender equality and social responsibility. The final list is composed of 750 multinational and large corporations headquartered in 45 countries.

For the full story and methodology, click here.

Coresight Research
Retail Store Tracker Week 42
8,007 2020 YTD Store Closures
3,379 202 YTD Store Openings

Ascena to sell Justice for $35M


Quarterly Results
Del Taco Q3 comp. owned comp's up 2%, franchise comp' up 6.5%, total revenue up 0.5%
MedMen Q4 net sales down 40% (non-essential retail), full yr. sales up 31%

 

Swing 2020 Has Gone Virtual!
The LPF Announces Bob MacLea Scholarship Opportunities

Although 2020 has been a challenging year and many of our industry's conferences have been cancelled, the Loss Prevention Foundation and our valued solution provider partners feel like there hasn't been a time where we needed to offer educational scholarships more. As such, and in the spirit of supporting our industry and its professionals, the Loss Prevention Foundation is proud to announce we will still be giving away Bob MacLea LPQ and LPC Course Scholarships in 2020. Thanks to the Swing for Certification sponsors, we will be accepting Bob MacLea Scholarship Applications now through the end of October. We will make the announcement for the winners the first week of November. Apply Now

Protos Security Adds VP Marketing and Director Digital
Marketing to Support Growing Portfolio

Security Services Holdings, LLC (dba Protos Security), the leading tech-enabled security services company in North America, announces an expansion of its marketing efforts with the hiring of Alyssa Wilson as Vice President of Marketing and Michelle Sell as Director of Digital Marketing. Protos Security provides integrated security guard and technology solutions to a broad spectrum of customers.

The team brings significant experience across many B2B markets and will allow Protos to better meet the demands of its rapidly growing portfolio. "Alyssa and Michelle are both experienced in the security industry and, with nearly two decades of combined marketing expertise, I'm confident that they will help further accelerate Protos' strategic growth," said Nathaniel Shaw, Protos Security CEO. "They are both savvy marketing practitioners who will exponentially develop our brand awareness, demand generation, and sales support initiatives."
 

	Alyssa Wilson, VP Marketing, has extensive knowledge in multichannel marketing. As a data-driven marketing leader with a proven history in organizational digital transformation, she is charged with building out Protos Security's marketing function. Alyssa holds degrees in Communications/Public Relations and Graphic Design from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania.
	Michelle Sell, Digital Marketing Director, has developed industry leading skills including social media optimization, copywriting, thought leadership, advertising, and email marketing. She will exponentially enhance brand awareness for Protos Security from both a sales and recruitment marketing perspective. Michelle holds an MBA from Temple University with a concentration in Marketing.

NRF and EuroCommerce agree to reinforce cooperation on data flows and privacy, successor to EU-U.S. Privacy Shield
How to legally transfer customer and employee data across the Atlantic now that the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield has been invalidated by the European Union's highest court was a key issue of discussion as EuroCommerce and the National Retail Federation held their latest Retailer Exchange Meeting this week.

At the meeting, NRF and EuroCommerce members agreed to continue and strengthen their cooperation in the coming year through joint work and dialogue focusing on a number of key issues with major implications for transatlantic data flows and for the retail sector, including:

The two organizations have worked together on data issues for the last five years and in 2018 jointly issued a Retail Approach to Implementing Critical Elements of the GDPR. nrf.com

From Russia With Love - Darkweb Bank Busted
U.S. DOJ Indicts 20 Inter. Cybercriminal Gang - Global Money Laundering Network
Laundering Tens of Millions of Euros in Stolen Funds Since 2016
Raiding 40 houses in 16 countries resulted in the arrest of 20 individuals suspected of belonging to the QQAAZZ criminal network which attempted to launder tens of millions of euros on behalf of the world's foremost cybercriminals.

This international sweep follows a complex investigation led by the Portuguese Judicial Police together with the United States Attorney Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and the FBI's Pittsburgh Field Office, alongside law enforcement authorities from numerous countries with coordinated efforts led by Europol.

The QQAAZZ network opened and maintained hundreds of corporate and personal bank accounts at financial institutions throughout the world to receive money from cybercriminals who stole it from accounts of victims. The funds were then transferred to other QQAAZZ-controlled bank accounts and sometimes converted to cryptocurrency using 'tumbling' services designed to hide the original source of the funds. After taking a fee of up to 50-percent, QQAAZZ returned the balance of the stolen funds to their cybercriminal clientele.

The criminal gangs behind some of the world's most harmful malware families (e.g.: Dridex, Trickbot, GozNym, etc.) feature among those having benefited from the services provided by QQAAZZ. QQAAZZ advertised its services as a "global, complicit bank drops service" on Russian-speaking online cybercriminal forums where cybercriminals gather to offer or seek specialized skills or services needed to engage in a variety of cybercriminal activities.

One of the leaders, a Russian national charged by criminal complaint and arrested in late March 2020 while visiting the United States is Maksim Boiko, aka "Maxim Boyko" aka "gangass," 30, of Russia.

U.S. victims had funds stolen from their online bank accounts (including from banks headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and destined for QQAAZZ-controlled bank accounts overseas.

Follow the Money - Where do they go now to launder their stolen funds?
justice.gov darkreading.com europa.eu

See the money movement infographic from Europol

25% of BEC Criminal Gangs Are Based in US
US Now Second to Nigeria for Business Email Compromise Fraudsters
Business email compromise scams continue to proliferate around the globe, with the U.S. now second only to Nigeria as a home base for the cybercriminal organizations waging the campaigns, according to a study by security firm Agari.

Agari, which examined approximately 9,000 suspected BEC schemes between May 2019 and July, found these criminal gangs are now operating in 50 countries, including newer locations that include Eastern Europe and Russia (see: Russian BEC Gang Targets Hundreds of Multinational Companies).

The report notes about half the world's BEC criminal gangs operate from Nigeria. Criminal groups waging BEC campaigns, including one called SilverTerrier, are now using increasingly sophisticated malware, such as Trojans and information stealers, to assist in their activities (see: Nigerian BEC Scammers Increase Proficiency: Report).

US Activity
Agari determined that about 25% of BEC groups now work in the U.S., especially in these five states: California, Georgia, Florida, Texas and New York.

"In recent years, pressure from law enforcement has spurred an exodus of some BEC actors out of Nigeria to other countries," the Agari report states. "Additionally, cybercriminals around the world have recognized the significant ROI in BEC attacks and have started vying for a piece of the action."

Role of Money Mules | Proliferation of BEC Scams | govinfosecurity.com

Register NOW for 'Securing New Ground'
The Security Industry's Executive Conference - Oct. 21-22

Don't Miss the Magic of Securing New Ground! Last Chance to Register.

This is what you will miss if you're not there:

1. The Right People With Real Insights.
SNG is where CSOs, CEOs, and our lineup of industry experts open up about security strategies and their plans for future investments, putting the industry's growth opportunities and challenges in perspective.

2. The Business Topics That Matter.
SNG is filled with don't-miss sessions like "The Why of Security" featuring Starbucks CSO Cheryl Steele and our signature "View from the Top" executive panel that will discuss perspectives on trends, challenges, and major shifts occurring in the global world of security, and how to strategically navigate these changes.

3. The Conversations That Matter.
SNG's past attendees always tell us: It's the relationships they create and cultivate that bring them career-long value and new business partners. After you register for this virtual event, you will receive the opportunity to be personally introduced to two others attending the conference virtually.

Explore the agenda and register now!

$60M Lesson Learned - Hardware Risks
OCC Fines Morgan Stanley $60M for Improper Disposal of Decommissioned Hardware
 - Customer Data

New York Calls for Federal Regulation of Social Media

All Zoom users get end-to-end encryption (E2EE) option next week