11/10/20

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

NIST - Taking Measure - Requesting Comments & Input
Developing an Exposure Notification System to Blunt the Spread
of COVID-19 and Future Pandemics
I am part of a grassroots effort at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) that is developing an exposure notification system for pandemics in general, though we hope it could be used in at least a limited fashion during the current COVID-19 pandemic. We are fortunate at NIST to have all the expertise required to tackle this multidisciplinary problem, solutions to which have the potential to save many lives and hasten economic recovery by helping to reopen our nation.

Contact tracing has been used to blunt the spread of pandemics since the 19th century. In its usual form, health workers conduct interviews with folks who have tested positive for the infectious disease to find out whom they have been in contact with during a certain period before testing. Continue Reading

Contact Tracing 2.0 - Focusing on Accuracy - A Tour de Force in Boulder - Paying Attention to Privacy Concerns - Putting It To the Test

If you have any questions about our blog, please contact us at takingmeasure@nist.gov.

EU's ENISA Releases IoT Supply Chain Guidelines
IoT security is a mess. These guidelines could help fix that
The supply chain around the Internet of Things (IoT) has become the weak link in cybersecurity, potentially leaving organizations open to cyber attacks via vulnerabilities they're not aware of. But a newly released set of guidelines aims to ensure that security forms part of the entire lifespan of IoT product development.

The Guidelines for Securing the IoT - Secure Supply Chain for IoT report from the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) sets out recommendations throughout the entire IoT supply chain to help keep organizations protected from vulnerabilities which can arise when building connected things.

One of the key recommendations is that cybersecurity expertise should be further integrated into all layers of organizations, including engineering, management, marketing and others so anyone involved in any part of the supply chain has the ability to identify potential risks - hopefully spotting and addressing them at an early stage of the product development cycle and preventing them from becoming a major issue.

It's also recommended that 'Security by Design' is adopted at every stage of the IoT development process, focusing on careful planning and risk management to ensure that any potential security issues with devices are caught early. zdnet.com

Holding Your Suppliers Accountable
Tough Pill to Swallow - Shutting Down Your #2 Provider

Apple Puts #2 Key Contractor on Probation Over Student Labor Abuses in China
Apple suspended future business with the iPhone assembler Pegatron pending corrective actions. The Taiwanese manufacturer broke rules limiting student employee work hours.

For years, Apple has worked, and at times struggled, to uphold labor standards across its vast electronics supply chain in China. The company said it had made the decision because the Taiwanese company, Pegatron, had violated its code of conduct by allowing student laborers to work night shifts and overtime and do work unrelated to their fields of study, and had then falsified documents to cover it up.

"The individuals at Pegatron responsible for the violations went to extraordinary lengths to evade our oversight mechanisms," Apple said in a statement.

To meet grueling deadlines, factories in China sometimes recruit labor from local technical schools. Strict guidelines are supposed to limit how long and when such employees can work, but in practice, rules are often ignored and other abuses are common.

Apple said it would not give the contractor any new business until it took corrective measures, and noted that a Pegatron executive in charge of the student employment program had already been fired.

In its 2019 supplier responsibility report, the company said it had removed 20 manufacturing facilities from its supply chain because of violations over the years. In general, however, it said it works with suppliers for 90 days to ensure corrective actions are taken. wsj.com

Ransomware Group Turns to Facebook Ads to Pressure Victims Payment

What's stopping job seekers from considering a career in cybersecurity?

Snap Map: A Quick Way to View Snapchat Posts Via the Web

Snap Map is a location sharing feature of Snapchat that lets you view "snaps" from all over the world without logging in or downloading the mobile app. When a user enables their location and submits a post to Snap Chat's 'Our Story', it is displayed with geographical location on the Snap Map. This is a quick and easy way for Loss Prevention professionals to see what is happening at specific locations, monitor high engagement, and identify potential threats.

To view Snap Maps via the web, visit https://map.snapchat.com/.

Insider Threat & From Russia With Love
1st U.S. Bitcoin Case With Tax Component

Former Microsoft software engineer gets 9 years prison
- stole $10M+ digital value - gift cards

Used accounts & passwords of other employees - sold online to pay for exotic car, waterfront home

Seattle - A former Microsoft software engineer was sentenced to nine years in prison for 18 federal felonies related to his scheme to defraud Microsoft of more than $10M.

VOLODYMYR KVASHUK, 26, a Ukrainian citizen residing in Renton, Washington, worked first as a contractor at Microsoft and then as an employee from August 2016 until he was fired in June 2018.  In February 2020, KVASHUK was convicted by a jury of five counts of wire fraud, six counts of money laundering, two counts of aggravated identity theft, two counts of filing false tax returns, and one count each of mail fraud, access device fraud, and access to a protected computer in furtherance of fraud.

KVASHUK was involved in the testing of Microsoft's online retail sales platform and used that testing access to steal "currency stored value" (CSV) such as digital gift cards. KVASHUK resold the value on the internet, using the proceeds to purchase a $1.6 million dollar lakefront home and a $160,000 Tesla vehicle. Initially, KVASHUK stole smaller amounts totaling about $12,000 in value using his own account access. As the thefts escalated into millions of dollars of value, KVASHUK used test email accounts associated with other employees.

In all, over the seven months of KVASHUK's illegal activity, approximately $2.8 million in bitcoin were transferred to his bank and investment accounts. KVASHUK then filed fake tax return forms, claiming the bitcoin had been a gift from a relative.

The trial marked a big win for IRS-CI and the federal cybercrimes team. As it was the nation's first Bitcoin case that has a tax component to it.

KVASHUK was ordered to pay $8,344,586 in restitution. He may be deported following his prison term. justice.gov

Tampa Gift Card King Sentenced To Prison for $10M in 2nd Hand Gift Cards
Stephen H. McIntyre (51, Tampa) to five years and three months in federal prison for conspiring to commit money laundering. The court also ordered McIntyre to forfeit more than $690,000, a 2014 Cadillac Escalade, and other funds that are traceable to the proceeds of the money laundering conspiracy.

From March 2014 through February 2019, McIntyre operated SHM Gulf Enterprises, LLC, doing business as Tampa Gift Card King ("GCK"). Located in Tampa, GCK was a secondhand dealer where individuals sold their unused, or partially used, returned merchandise cards and retail gift cards, some of which were procured via theft or fraud, for a percentage of the cards' face value in exchange for cash. Thereafter, McIntyre and his co-conspirators resold the returned merchandise cards and gift cards even though they knew some of the cards had been obtained via theft or fraud. McIntyre and his co-conspirators also conducted other illicit transactions involving the cards and used the proceeds for their personal enrichment.
 
McIntyre and his co-conspirators resold most of the merchandise and gift cards via online commercial platforms, direct internet sales, and other means. McIntyre generated more than $10 million in proceeds from the resales of the cards to unwitting third-party purchasers via online commercial platforms including Raise.com and CardCash.

McIntyre and co-conspirator Brandy Fuller later used the card numbers and PINs of some of the previously sold cards in order to identify residual balances on the cards. They then stole the residual balances, aggregated them, and used the proceeds to purchase new gift cards.

McIntyre and his co-conspirators used the proceeds of this fraud scheme to purchase and renovate real properties, acquire vehicles, finance business operations, and otherwise for their personal enrichment.

Fuller previously pleaded guilty to her role in this case. She was sentenced to 36 months' probation and was ordered to pay $25,925 in restitution. justice.gov

Verizon & Apple Global Security Teams Led the Case
Fraudsters Living the High Life Off Verizon & Apple

Miami Couple Charged in $3.3M Scheme to Defraud Verizon Wireless
According to the Indictment and information presented to the court, Johnson, Debrosse, and others conspired to defraud Verizon Wireless by fraudulently obtaining new, in-box cellular devices and reselling them on the illicit market. Through various means, Johnson was able to compromise existing Verizon accounts and charge the various devices to them. Johnson also created fraudulent accounts and charged devices to those as well. Afterwards, Johnson, Debrosse, and other others would retrieve the purloined devices from various Apple Stores and other third-party vendors, located throughout the United States. Johnson, Debrosse, and others would then resell them.

The two-count Indictment, returned on September 23, 2020, named Samuel T. Johnson, 31, and Daphne Debrosse, 30, as defendants.

According to information presented in court, the conspiracy illegally obtained approximately 2,941 devices worth approximately $3,398,394.21. The devices were purchased in the names of various aliases. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at the apartment Johnson and Debrosse shared, they recovered currency totaling $619,184.00, which was seized. Law enforcement also initiated forfeiture proceedings against a 2019 Lamborghini Urus that Johnson had purchased on the grounds that it had been bought with illegal proceeds.

The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of $6,796,788.00 or both.

The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of Verizon Global Corporate Security Solutions and Apple Global Security Loss Prevention, conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. justice.com

Trio accused of Walmart2Walmart money transfer $400k fraud scheme
in Youngstown and Akron, OH areas
Federal grand jury sitting in Cleveland has returned a 20-count indictment charging John Lee Watkins, age 31, of Stow; Valerie Marie Masongsong, age 29, of Henderson, Nevada and Terrell Tomlin, age 32, of Ogden, Utah with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.

The defendants are alleged to have used either their real name of a false identity to initiate a Walmart2Walmart transfer using a bank card to another co-defendant, co-conspirator, or fictitious person. The person initiating the transfer would then contact his or her bank stating that the transfer was fraudulent and seek a refund for the transfer. The defendant or co-conspirators would then collect the transfer at the second Walmart location and withdraw the money from their bank account before the bank could complete an investigation into the fraudulent activity and reverse the charges, states the indictment.

The defendants executed their scheme using Walmart locations in Youngstown, Poland, Austintown, Stow, Streetsboro, Kent, Canton and elsewhere outside of the Northern District of Ohio. A total loss of more than $400,000 was incurred as a result of the alleged scheme. justice.gov

West Virginia Woman Pleads Guilty $95K Coupon Fraud Scheme
Targeting Kmart Stores in 25 States
Tanya Thompson a/k/a Tanya Wetzel, 38, pleaded guilty to one count in Federal court today. Between June 2017 and December 2017, Thompson possessed and used fraudulent mobile device coupons at numerous Kmart stores in approximately 25 states. Thompson used the fraudulent coupons to purchase third party gift cards and prepaid credit cards. The total loss to Kmart was approximately $94,977.50.

Scheduled sentencing for April 14, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. The law provides for a total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. justice.gov

Theft Ring Leader - Hit 4 Gun Stores
Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than Five Years
In Connection With Firearms Theft Conspiracy
Jamarius Tillie (28, Jacksonville) to five years and eight months in federal prison for aiding and abetting the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers and conspiring to steal firearms from such dealers.

From about June 2017 through on or about August 2017, members of Tillie's theft ring stole more than 10 firearms from at least 4 licensed firearms dealers in Jacksonville. While Tillie and others distracted the sales staff in these stores, another member of the ring would sneak behind counters and steal firearms. Tillie kept some guns for himself, but sold the majority of them to a local drug dealer. In exchange for assisting Tillie, members of the theft ring were sometimes paid with crack cocaine. justice.gov

Gun-Smuggling Family
Father, Son, And Daughter Sentenced To Prison
In Firearms Straw Purchasing Scheme
Fort Myers, FL., Jesus Robin Suarez (48, Naples), Kevin Robin Suarez (25, Naples), and Andrea Joselin Suarez (28, Naples) to federal prison for their roles in a firearms straw purchasing conspiracy. Jesus Suarez was sentenced to six years and six months in prison. His son, Kevin Suarez, was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment. Jesus Suarez's daughter, Andrea Suarez, was sentenced to four years and three months' in federal prison. All three had pleaded guilty earlier this year to conspiring to falsify records relating to firearms purchases.

Jesus Suarez directed his adult children to recruit their friends and acquaintances to make straw purchases of AK-47 rifles from Naples and Fort Myers-area licensed gun stores. In exchange for cash from the Suarez family, the straw purchasers fraudulently certified to the gun stores that they were buying the firearms for themselves, when in truth they were actually buying the guns for Jesus Suarez and his children. According to evidence presented at the sentencing hearings, these straw-purchased firearms were thereafter unlawfully exported by Jesus Suarez to his native Bolivia. justice.gov

Lady Lake, FL: Two men nabbed in attempt to steal more than $7,000 worth of purses at Belk in The Villages
A loss prevention officer spotted 22-year-old Javontae Holton and 26-year-old Tarques Williams, at about 3 p.m. Sunday in the designer handbag section of the La Plaza Grande store, according to an arrest report from the Lady Lake Police Department. They selected numerous handbags and put them into shopping carts and then concealed them in Belk shopping bags. Police arrived on the scene and Holton and Williams began running from the store, dropping the bags they had been carrying. They were captured near the parking lot of Wendy's restaurant on Bichara Boulevard. The handbags had a total combined value of $7,565. villages-news.com

Kennewick, GA: Repeat Hoverboard Thief Floats Out of Walmart with Multiple Boards
Kennewick Police are seeking to ID and locate this woman, accused of strolling out of the Kennewick Walmart with three hoverboards she didn't pay for. Authorities say this isn't the first time she's been captured shoplifting. Police say on a previous occasion she was also seen leaving with 'multiple' items. Given that multiple means at least two, and she has three in this cart, that's 5. A quick search shows these units are priced as low as $109.00 ( at least on Walmart.com) so she's likely facing a felony charge because the value is over $500. newstalk870.am

Wichita Falls, TX: Indictments: Theft ring of six operated in Wichita Falls
Police have zeroed in on a theft ring of six people working together to steal computers, electronics, groceries, hygiene items, sporting goods and more this year, according to court records. Davon Ramon Blue, Keelan Michael Carter and Ethan Cole Ashley have been charged with engaging in organized criminal activity-theft in connection with a theft ring suspected of stealing about $5,000 of merchandise from a local Walmart, according to court records. timesrecordnews.com

Bethel Park, PA: Man, Woman Arrested For Allegedly Stealing Over $2,500 In Merchandise From Dick's Warehouse
Police arrested two people accused of stealing over $2,500 worth of merchandise from the Dick's Warehouse at Village Square. Bethel Park police say 23-year-old Alaya Porter and 25-year-old Brandon Wheeler were arrested for the alleged theft. Police say they were apprehended with the help of the Castle Shannon and Pittsburgh police departments. According to police, Porter and Wheeler have several retail theft convictions. Porter also had two active warrants from local departments, Bethel Park police say. The two were taken to the Allegheny County Jail, charged with felony retail theft and criminal conspiracy. cbslocal.com

Hermitage, PA: Police arrest Baby Formula thieves
On Oct. 28, a deputy was flagged down for a possible shoplift at a grocery store. Employees reported people inside the store filling up bags with baby formula. Deputies contacted the person with the bags inside the store and prevented the theft. Deputies further contacted a car idling outside the store with no license plates that was determined to be associated with the suspect in the store. Deputies located the license plate for the vehicle, interviewed the suspects, and took photos for dissemination to other law enforcement agencies. nwnews.com

Submit Your New Hires/Promotions or New Position

Featured Job Spotlights
 

	Manager, Asset Protection Glendale, CA - posted November 5 The Manager, Loss Prevention is responsible for the development and execution of all training, awareness programs and Guidelines & Procedures related to Loss Prevention and Safety initiatives within Disney Store North America. Additionally, they will support the LP team and be trained in all facets of Loss Prevention and Safety to support special projects, daily incident response and field initiatives, as needed...
	Field Loss Prevention Manager Framingham, MA - posted November 5 Staples is focused on our customer and our community. As a Field Loss Prevention Manager for Staples, you will manage and coordinate Loss Prevention and Safety Programs intended to protect Staples assets and ensure a safe work environment within Staples Retail locations...
	Asset & Profit Protection Investigations Analyst San Francisco, CA - posted September 24 You should have strong analytical skills, be a quick learner, and drive to innovate with both technology and processes. They will be personable, open to learning, collaborating with others, and apt to saying "yes" or "I'll find a way", rather than "no" or "that's impossible"...
	Area Loss Prevention Manager Pittsburgh, PA - posted September 10 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...
	Customer Success Specialists Multiple Locations - posted October 9 The role of the Customer Success Specialist is to engage, empower, and excite our community. As a Customer Success Specialist, your primary responsibility is to ensure both retailers and law enforcement, who make up our community, have great experiences and achieve real crime reduction outcomes from using our platform. Apply Here
	Sales Representatives NuTech National - posted October 13 NuTech National, an established and rapidly growing 40+ year electronic security company is expanding our National Sales Team. Seeking motivated, driven and successful sales reps to expand our national retail and governmental vertical markets. Top pay, benefits and signing bonus available. Please apply to melissa@nutechnational.com

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