D&D Daily Mobile Edition

The D&D Daily Mobile Edition
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5/5/23

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Aaron C. Wichmann, MBA, CFI, LPC named Senior Corporate Investigations Manager for Hormel Foods

Before joining Hormel Foods as Senior Corporate Investigations Manager, Aaron served as an Investigator for The Integritus Group. Prior to that, he spent nearly three years as Asset Protection Manager at Lunds & Byerlys. Earlier in his career, he held LP roles with Signet Jewelers, The Sports Authority, Payless Cashways, Nordstrom, Kmart, Walmart, Shopko and Sears. Congratulations, Aaron!

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What Is The Intersection Of Security And Big Data?

Big Data is a persistent buzzword in the broader technology realm and in the physical security market. More every year, it seems we see a greater impact of the compilation of numerous data sources (Big Data) on our market. Smart leaders in the industry are looking at the vast opportunities that exist to leverage Big Data into greater intelligence and situational awareness. We asked this week's Expert Panel Roundtable: What is the intersection of the security market and "big data?"

Rob Muehlbauer - Senior Manager, Business Development, Axis Communications

Security and "big data" working together is nothing new - they share similar goals. "Big data" has always had the intended use of finding correlations and identifying patterns, no matter what those correlations or patterns may be, and the security market also relies on that kind of information to deploy protective measures accurately and quickly. One of the biggest use cases for security and data connectivity comes from what we consider to be classic security: security cameras and video surveillance. Data is a massive source of actionable information. Recent technological advancements in artificial intelligence leveraged by the security industry also mean that security cameras are now capable of processing deep learning analytics at the edge where only the metadata is transferred saving bandwidth and storage and making it that much more efficient to analyze that "big data" and act quickly upon the results of that analysis.

Charles Pitman - Product Marketing Manager, Genetec, Inc.

Security systems today collect an immense amount of data from cameras, sensors, and other connected devices. With the rise of data analytics, physical security system data can be used as more than just a tool to respond to a crime or a necessary expense to keep assets and people safe. It can become a core element in the digital transformation of organizational processes. Analytics can turn physical security data into smart, actionable insights that improve operations. But as the volume of data grows, it is increasingly challenging to make sense of it. A unified physical security platform centralizes data analytics to deliver a global view of your operations from a single interface. The insights can then be applied to automate and measure operational steps across a range of use cases. As a result, organizations have a common toolset to gain insights and make improvements to the things they do every day. securityinformed.com

Take action now against active shooter threats

How one retailer's proactive face matching led to ID, arrest without violence

Active shooter attacks spiked by 52.5 percent in 2021, according to the FBI. Most happened in "commerce" areas, such as shopping malls and grocery stores. In response, retailers are quickly adopting technologies, including face matching, that offer advance warning of threats.

Not all violence is preventable, but retailers can increase their chances of stopping attacks before they start. Here's how one retailer's fast, proactive reaction to a real-life threat led to an arrest with no violence or injuries-and most importantly, before the threatened attack happened.

The retailer became aware of a potential active shooter threat on a popular social media platform. An unknown and unverified individual made a direct threat of gun violence in his post, and he suggested that customers with children avoid the retailer's store.

Minutes after the threat was posted, the retailer ran the profile photo through the FaceFirst Visitor Search Investigation tool. Had the person of interest visited any of the retailer's stores in the past 45 days? Within seconds, the search revealed two face matches at two locations, one from two weeks back and another just one day prior.

The retailer's asset protection team reviewed the matched events and security camera video, then collaborated with local law enforcement. Officers confirmed the man was a known offender, with a record of violent crimes against another retailer and a history of mental illness. Using face matching technology, the retailer formed a threat profile for the man in less than two hours.

Eight days later, the man returned to the retailer's store. As he entered, the FaceFirst system matched his face and immediately generated a match notification. The store management team confirmed the notification and followed the retailer's policy on the notification: "Do not approach-call LE." Law enforcement officers responded quickly and arrested the man nearby. The incident was resolved without violence, and a restraining order was issued soon thereafter. The man has not returned to any of the retailer's stores since his arrest.

Calculate the risks of being caught unaware when a known offender enters your store. If you knew there was a proven solution to keep your valued customers, associates, and executive team safer from violent offenders, would you implement it? The real risk is answering no. FaceFirst's solution is fast, accurate, and ethical-take action today at facefirst.com.

The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

Is the Big City Pandemic Crime Surge Finally Fading?
New data shows COVID crime surge starting to recede - but Americans are still feeling less safe
"In 2020 and 2021, crime increased in urban areas, suburban areas and rural areas," says Abt. "It increased in red states and it increased in blue states. It increased in cities that were led by Republican mayors and cities that were led by Democratic mayors. It happened across the board. But when you overlay certain regions in certain states, you find that where there are more permissive gun laws, you see more gun violence."

Finally, as post-COVID normalcy returns, urban crime trends are increasingly diverging from the "war zone" caricature favored by GOP candidates.

According to Los Angeles Police Department data, homicides plummeted 28% from the first quarter of 2022 to the first quarter of 2023 - a decline that puts them back on par with the pre-pandemic numbers from 2019. Robberies fell 19% over the same period, putting them well below 2019 levels. Overall, violent crime in the city of L.A. through April 1 is down 11.7% compared with the same period last year.

New York is similar, with year-over-year declines in shooting incidents (-23.1%), murder (-6.6%), rape (-7.9%), robbery (-2.6%) and burglary (-7.9%).

Not every major U.S. metropolis is showing such consistent progress; while violent crime fell 7% in Washington, D.C., from 2021 to 2022, it has increased by 7% so far in 2023. Certain categories of crime - such as motor-vehicle theft - continue to trend upward. And overall violent crime rates still have a way to go before they return to pre-pandemic levels.

None of which means that public safety isn't a real, or valid, concern. Nearly 7 in 10 Americans (68%) now believe violent crime is increasing across the U.S., according to the latest Yahoo News/YouGov poll (up from 63% in late October 2022). Just 7% think violent crime is decreasing, while 18% venture that it's staying the same. A full 59% also believe violent crime is higher now "than it was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-2021."

The fact that these perceptions diverge from actual crime trends - and from the lower, less pessimistic numbers that prevail when poll respondents are asked about crime in their "own community" - is nothing new, experts say. Historically, Americans almost always tell pollsters that crime is going up nationwide regardless of whether it is or isn't. news.yahoo.com

San Francisco Feels 'Post-Apocalyptic' as Retailers Flee Over Crime
Elon Musk says San Francisco feels 'post-apocalyptic' as crime shutters stores

Musk says 'the philosophy that led to this bleak outcome will be the end of civilization'

Twitter CEO Elon Musk lamented that San Francisco's downtown feels "post-apocalyptic" now that businesses have fled because of rampant crime.

Early Thursday morning, Musk replied to a Twitter thread discussing Nordstrom's closure of two stores in San Francisco at the Westfield Mall. The mall's owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, said in a statement major stores like Nordstrom, Whole Foods and Walgreens have fled the downtown area because of "unsafe conditions" caused by "lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity."

"So many stores shuttered in downtown SF. Feels post-apocalyptic," Musk tweeted.

Statistics show that San Francisco ranks below other major U.S. cities for homicides, with about 6.9 homicides per 100,000 people. That is fewer than St. Louis, Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Atlanta, Chicago, Oakland, Minneapolis, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Austin and Washington, D.C.

Other forms of violent crime such as rapes and assaults have also remained relatively stable in San Francisco over the last four years, the data shows, while murders have ticked up slightly. Property crimes, on the other hand, have risen sharply since 2019.

"Crime is worse than the data shows," Stimson told Fox News Digital last month. "People do not report these crimes because when you have a DA who's pro criminal and not going to enforce the law, the cops aren't going to go out and arrest somebody when they know the case is going to be no papered."

Stimson harshly criticized former San Francisco District Attorneys George Gascón and Chesa Boudin, who between 2011 and 2022 stopped prosecuting retail thefts under $1,000. Boudin was ousted in a July 2022 recall election while Gascón went on to be elected district attorney of Los Angeles County.

With crimes going unpunished, customers, businesses and employees have reported feeling unsafe in San Francisco. Before the Whole Foods store on Market Street closed its doors in April, workers reported being threatened with weapons and made more than 560 emergency calls for incidents involving vagrants, drug use and violence, the New York Times reported. foxbusiness.com

RELATED: Crime Wave Forces Nordstrom to Shutter its Last 2 San Francisco Stores

Retailers Implement Anti-Theft Measures Amid Shoplifting Surge
More stores are going into lockdown mode as crime surges

DC Giant Food store closes some entrances, exits to combat shoplifting
On Wednesday during the day, both entrances to the Giant Food supermarket on Brentwood Road Northeast, D.C. were open. But nowadays, sometimes they're not, prompting one customer to tweet out pictures of the closed entrance and a placard from the president of the company.

"I've had to kick carts over," one security guard at the Brentwood Giant Food told us. He said thieves have several times tried to rush past him with a cart full of stolen merchandise. It was the only way to stop them. According to him, shoplifters are almost never arrested. The focus is on recovering the merchandise, even if-is as the case with some food items-it has to then be thrown away.

He estimated that he stopped four to 12 thefts per shift. He said you can almost spot a shoplifter by body language. They're always looking you in the eye, he said. The National Retail Federation said theft costs retailers $100 billion a year.

"These acts are occurring more openly. Thieves have become more brazen in their efforts to steal merchandise," said David Johnston, Vice President, Asset Protection & Retail Operations at the NRF.

The Brentwood Giant Food shares a shopping center with many other retailers, among them Judy's Beauty Store next door. Judy's Beauty Store Manager Jeremiah Delora said shoplifting is a daily crime.

"Mostly teenagers," she said. "We catch them sometimes, we recover the merchandise...sometimes we don't. " She added that basically, people get away with it most of the time.

We asked whether she had discussed the theft problem with neighboring retailers. She said 'no,' but she'd seen people running out of DTLR, a sporting shoe and apparel store next door with stolen items and jumping into waiting cars. She said she also saw a flash mob attack the DTLR store and run out. wjla.com

RELATED VIDEO: Stores Boosting Security Measures Amid Increased Theft in DC Area

Police ORC Units Already Paying Dividends
Boise Police return $10,000 in stolen merchandise to retailers
Boise Police Department's (BPD) Organized Retail Crime Unit (ORC) is returning around $10,000 in merchandise that was stolen from local retailers.

ORC detectives were able to identify and arrest a suspect who was connected to multiple crimes in Boise on Thursday, the suspect is facing multiple felony charges.

Detectives recovered multiple truckloads of stolen merchandise from the suspect's home that included grills, tools, toys, and other high-cost items. The ORC unit works closely with local businesses to stop merchandise theft, which eventually consumers pay for.

BPD reminds people to be careful when purchasing second-hand items on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist as well as discounted brand-new items that are being sold. These items might be stolen and not buying the items helps the police stop thieves from getting away with these crimes. idahonews.com

694 Retail Violent Fatalities in 2022 - Up 17% Over Previous Year
Video: The D&D Daily's Q4 & 2022 Retail Violent Fatalities Report Featured in Tony D'Onofrio's Hottest Chart Series

In 2022, USA retail had 694 retail fatalities which was up 17% on the previous year and up over 80% since 2016 when the data started getting tracked.

Have Mass Shootings Become Routine for Most Americans?
'This is how people are expected to live now' in America's mass shooting reality

Mass shootings become routine for many Americans not yet directly affected.

Another city goes into lockdown. Millions of smartphones flash with news of the latest horror. Video shows police storming into another building and snaking lines of survivors being rushed to safety. Soon, muted TVs playing cable news in tire shops, bars and airports nationwide show speeding ambulances and white-coated hospital spokespeople briefing on trauma injuries. It may be a day before the family snapshots of the victims emerge.

Mass shootings end lives in a senseless instant. Survivors may take months to recover, if they ever do. And the agony of those close to the victims will never end. But for most of the rest of the country, life goes on, because there's no other way.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens warned Thursday that this new reality must not be allowed to prevail.

"We cannot accept mass shootings as normal in our country," Dickens wrote in an open letter to his city. "While we respect the rights conveyed by the 2nd Amendment, we also need more actions to protect the rights of our citizens to go about their lives - to go to a doctor's office, a supermarket, a gas station, their school - without the threat of being gunned down." cnn.com

The View from the Left: 'Please, Everyone, Calm Your Faces About Shoplifting'

Milwaukee prosecutors allege crime ring members targeting mail carriers

Kroger paying $68 million to settle WV opioid suit
West Virginia settles with Kroger, opioid money now tops $1B
West Virginia has settled with Kroger for $68 million over its role in distributing highly addictive prescription painkillers into the U.S. state that has lost more lives to opioid overdoses per capita than any other.

That brings West Virginia's total opioid litigation dollars up to more than $1 billion, more than any other state per capita, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said at a press conference at the state Capitol in Charleston.

"Let this be a warning to others: We fight hard for those affected the most by the opioid epidemic and will stop at nothing in getting justice for them," he said.

Kroger was the last remaining defendant in a lawsuit involving Walgreens, Walmart, CVS and Rite Aid. The state had been scheduled to go to trial with the pharmacy chain in June.

The settlement with Kroger resolves the lawsuit that alleged the pharmacy chain failed to maintain effective controls as an opioid distributer in the state, contributing to oversupply that helped fuel a crisis that has claimed the lives of thousands of residents.

The money won't bring back the lives that have been lost from "the opioid menace," Morrisey said. "Our hope is that the money would provide significant help to those affected the most by this crisis in the state."

Over the past four years, drug manufacturers, distribution companies, pharmacies and other companies with roles in the opioid business have reached settlements totaling more than $50 billion with governments.

While the biggest amounts are in nationwide settlements, West Virginia - perhaps the state hardest hit by the prescription drug overdose crisis - has been aggressive in bringing its own lawsuits and reaching more than a dozen settlements.

Last year, Kroger settled an opioid claim brought by New Mexico for $58.5 million. cincinnati.com

Retailers Have Cut 36,000 Jobs This Year
US Retailers Cut Most Number of Jobs in April -Report
U.S. retailers replaced technology firms in cutting the most number of jobs in April, as companies show little signs of easing their belt-tightening drive in an uncertain economy.

Higher interest rates to counter the impact of inflation have muddied the outlook for the U.S. economy, forcing Corporate America to undertake stringent measures to protect itself from any fallout from a potential recession.

The sector has cut 36,000 jobs this year, which is still well below the 114,000 jobs cut by technology companies, including Meta Platforms Inc and Amazon.com Inc, according to a report by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc.

"Retailers and Consumer Goods Manufacturers are preparing for a tightening in consumer spending, particularly with the Fed's hike to interest rates in an attempt to control inflation," said Andrew Challenger, senior vice president at the firm.

So far this year, major retail and consumer companies including Gap Inc and Walmart have announced job cuts. The report also said job cuts last month fell 25% to about 67,000 - the lowest so far in the year, taking total layoffs to around 337,000 jobs since the start of the year. money.usnews.com

Workplace Injuries Continue to be a Hot Topic
Tyson processing plants accounted for nearly 60% of ammonia-related injuries reported to the EPA between 2012 and 2021, investigation finds

Tyson plants reported ammonia leaks and injuries at higher rates than other companies between 2012 and 2021, CNN reported.

Meat processing facilities owned by Tyson Foods accounted for almost 60% of ammonia-related injuries reported to the Environmental Protection Agency between 2012 and 2021, a new report found.

Nearly 150 workers were injured in at least 47 different ammonia leaks reported to the EPA over that time span, according to an investigation from CNN. Ammonia is an inexpensive chemical commonly used in refrigeration systems, but it can also be toxic and damage respiratory systems, skin, and eyes, CNN reported.

Tyson, one of the largest meat companies in the country, owns five of the 20 facilities that reported the most chemical-related injuries, and five of its largest competitors reported just 37 injuries total, about a quarter of the number reported by Tyson, per CNN.

A Tyson spokesperson said in a statement to Insider the company often goes "beyond the requirements" to report instances that aren't legally required to be, and therefore it is "not accurate" to compare companies. businessinsider.com

Solution to the Labor Crisis?
How to prevent the Great People Shortage
The United States is already running low on critical positions such as nurses, home-health aides, farmworkers, and truckers. And there are fewer young people on the way to make up the difference: The National Bureau of Economic Research found that birth rates in the US have declined by nearly 20% since 2007, while the fertility rate has been below the replacement level for decades.

That means that unless people start having a lot more kids, the US population could eventually start to shrink - just like China's population has. The problem, though, isn't just a smaller population, but an aging one. With fewer people to pay into Social Security to support the growing number of retirees and fewer workers in critical industries, including healthcare and agriculture, a declining population would have devastating consequences for the American economy.

The labor imbalance is already here, and the economy needs more workers now. That's why a growing number of demographers, economists, and business executives support letting more immigrants into the US as a more immediate way to fill in the gaps. President Joe Biden's economic advisors even said in March that more legal immigration is needed to boost the economy. And while immigration is a politically touchy solution, the quickly aging US economy is running out of options to keep itself afloat.

"The only solution is more workers," Pritchett said. businessinsider.com

Young People Fueling the Union Push
Why Are So Many Young People Joining Labor Unions?

For May Day, we talked to young workers-in tech, retail, food service, and more-about what brought them to the labor movement.

Agrowing number of young people are joining and forming labor unions. Some call them "Generation U." The New York Times dubbed the phenomenon the "Revolt of the College-Educated Working Class."

Coming of age during the Great Recession, Occupy, and Bernie Sanders's presidential campaigns, those under 35 overwhelmingly approve of organized labor-77 percent, according to a Gallup poll. Coinciding with a more supportive National Labor Relations Board, this wave has had tremendous consequences, with over 2,500 union petitions filed in 2022 alone. thenation.com

Starbucks Attempting to Decertify Union Vote
Unionized Starbucks store to vote on whether to decertify the union
A Starbucks in Buffalo, NY, has filed paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board to decertify the union at one of its stores in Buffalo, NY. The store, one the first to vote for a union, can decertify if most of the 14 workers at the location vote for it. The union says the petition is part of Starbucks' effort to quash union activity, including reducing the hours of union workers, firing them and denying them raises and perks given to non-union employees. Starbucks says its role in the petition "is to ensure partners can trust their voice is heard and the process is fair." buffalonews.com

The End of an Era
WHO says Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency
Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency, the World Health Organization said on Friday. WHO's International Health Regulations Emergency Committee discussed the pandemic on Thursday at its 15th meeting on Covid-19, and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus concurred that the public health emergency of international concern, or PHEIC, declaration should end.

"For more than a year the pandemic has been on a downward trend," Tedros said at a news conference Friday. "This trend has allowed most countries to return to life as we knew it before Covid-19 ... "Yesterday, the emergency committee met for the 15th time and recommended to me that I declare an end to the public health emergency of international concern. I have accepted that advice." cnn.com

Carl's Jr. and Hardee's to roll out A.I. drive-thru ordering nationwide
CKE Restaurants, the parent company of Carl's Jr. and Hardee's, is working to bring automated drive-thru ordering to its restaurants nationwide.

Aldi plans to open 120 new stores this year

Updated list of major US companies making job cuts this year

US labor market heats back up, adding 253,000 jobs in April

Bud Light controversy led to only a 1% drop in global sales volume, CEO says

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Fight Organized Retail Crime with ALL TAG Box Seals, Overlays, and Q Guards

The video above highlights some of ALL-TAG's latest innovations such as the AM or RF Q-Guard, Overlay, Box Seal, and Non-EAS Box Seal. All of these solutions can be fully customized with store logos, deterrent messages, if found elsewhere, please call messages, store numbers, and much more.

ALL-TAG's Q-Guard will be completely new to shoplifters, and they will quickly learn that it cannot be removed from a product without irreparably damaging the packaging, and thus significantly reducing the resale value of the product. This, of course, will deter Organized Retail Crime attempts. The Q-Guard will also be very effective against common theft, as the RF or AM label underneath is very well protected. The Q-Guard does not have an unlocking or removal mechanism like those of hard tags, spider wraps, and keepers. Therefore, shoplifters cannot use magnetic detachers they bought online to remove a Q-Guard. The Q-Guard allows retailers to openly display the well protected merchandise, it does not require additional shelf space, and it will not interfere with the shopping experience. The Q-Guard does not need to be removed at the point of sale, so regular checkout and self-checkout processes are quick and easy.

ALL-TAG's Overlays allow RF and AM labels to do their job by protecting them from being removed from merchandise inside retail stores. The Overlays are built with a combination of unique material and aggressive adhesive that makes them the most tamper resistant Overlays on the market.

ALL-TAG's Box Seals offer the same benefits as the Overlays, but they also seal both ends of the product packaging. Shoplifters cannot remove the product from the package, or insert additional or more expensive products inside of the packaging.

For retail stores that aren't currently equipped with EAS technology, we recommend using Non-EAS Box Seals to keep packages completed sealed.

To find out more about ALL-TAG's solutions, please visit https://all-tag.com/.

Using Bluetooth Devices to Stalk People
Apple and Google team up to curb stalking and unwanted tracking enabled by AirTags and other Bluetooth devices

Apple and Google released a proposal with software fixes to unwanted tracking by Bluetooth devices.

Apple and Google are combining forces to stop the use of Bluetooth tracking devices like AirTags for stalking people without their consent.

The two tech giants released a proposal Tuesday outlining standards to ensure products like the Apple AirTag and similar tech gadgets aren't misused for stalking and unwanted tracking. The proposal is also backed by Samsung and the companies that produce other popular tracking brands including Tile, Chipolo, and Pebblebee, the companies said in a press release.

The proposal comes in response to an uptick in reports of nefarious uses of the tags, which were designed to help users keep track of personal items items like wallets or luggage. In addition to reports of stalking, in one March incident in Texas a man used an AirTag to track his stolen truck and fatally shot the man who he believed had stolen it.

The companies said they plan to create software that will send an alert to a user's phone when it detects a nearby tracker that has been "separated from the owner's device," and help them find and disable it.

The trackers would be required to be able to make a sound when it is separated from its owner's device, or when a "non-owner" has been notified of its presence and is trying to find it, according to the proposal. Manufacturers would also have to provide instructions or a visual guide on how to disable a tracker once a non-owner finds it.

"Unwanted surveillance is an all too common tactic of abuse and it's imperative for advocates and technology companies to work together on solutions to minimize the opportunities for misuse," Olsen said. "These draft standards to allow detection of unwanted trackers is a significant step forward in the work to increase safety and privacy." businessinsider.com

Using ChatGPT to Carry Out Attacks on Businesses
ChatGPT and other AI-themed lures used to deliver malicious software
"Since the beginning of 2023 until the end of April, out of 13,296 new domains created related to ChatGPT or OpenAI, 1 out of every 25 new domains were either malicious or potentially malicious," Check Point researchers have shared on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, Meta said that, since March 2023, they've blocked 1,000+ malicious links leveraging ChatGPT as a lure from being shared across their technologies (Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.).

Impersonating ChatGPT

Threat actors generally disguise malware within innocuous-looking files and offer non-existent ChatGPT desktop and mobile apps or browser extensions available in official app stores.

Fake ChatGPT Chrome extensions that steal Facebook session cookies to compromise personal and business Facebook accounts are not unusual.

"To target businesses, malicious groups often first go after the personal accounts of people who manage or are connected to business pages and advertising accounts," Nathaniel Gleicher, Head of Security Policy and Ryan Victory, Malware Discovery and Detection Engineer at Meta, explained.

To help users of their own plaftorms fight these threats, Meta is:

• Launching a new support tool that guides people step-by-step through how to identify and remove malware

• Rolled out an ability for businesses to have more visibility and control over administrator changes in Business Manager

• Expanded authorization requirements for sensitive business account actions. helpnetsecurity.com

It Will Take More Than Federal Intervention to Fight Cybercrime
The key to making the US cyber strategy work: boots on the ground

Prioritizing work with academic institutions, localities and skilled volunteers is the best way of advancing America's cybersecurity needs.

We have seen more federal resources, action and coordinated strategies around improving nationwide cybersecurity in the past four years than in the last 40 combined. The FBI and the Department of Justice are prosecuting cybercriminals, disrupting criminal networks and seizing stolen funds. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, handed the mighty mission to defend and secure cyberspace just four years ago, is set to receive more than $3 billion in funding for 2024.

Most recently, the Office of the National Cyber Director, a two-year-old office leading the Biden Administration's cyber agenda, released the much-anticipated National Cybersecurity Strategy, an astonishing document with a vision of securing "the full benefits of a safe and secure digital ecosystem for all Americans." This strategy, built on the recent cyber executive orders out of the Biden administration, is an ambitious move by the White House to stay ahead of the curve on cyberdefense, seeking to both prevent cybercrime and actively disrupt criminal operations.

The strategy could not have come at a better time. Despite years of growing political willpower and resources at the federal level, critical local organizations are still regularly getting hit with common cyberattacks such as ransomware. Municipalities, food banks, hospitals, school districts and other local organizations are at risk of becoming incapacitated within minutes of a ransomware attack, affecting the critical services that entire populations rely on. Tribal territories are often included in the umbrella of the "SLTT" acronym but rarely receive similar resources and attention as their municipal counterparts and are also at risk for debilitating cyberattacks.

Ultimately, federal intervention will never be enough, on its own, to address all cybercrime in every locality. It will take a whole-of-nation effort to protect local communities from cyberattacks, and local organizations can provide critical "boots on the ground" services and support directly to the organizations at risk of cybercrime. And in the current challenging economic climate, it will take out-of-the-box thinking by nontraditional groups to provide these resources to those in need. cyberscoop.com

Filling the Cybersecurity Labor Shortage
Google Launches Cybersecurity Career Certificate Program

Google's new program aims to offer accessible training to fill 750K open cybersecurity jobs with diverse array of talent.

Google has added a new certification program aimed at training a new generation of cybersecurity professionals under its existing Google Career Certificates initiative.

Google estimates there are currently more than 750,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the US alone, while meanwhile the rate of cyberattacks increased 38% globally. The new Google Cybersecurity Certificate program will offer affordable, accessible information security training on identifying and mitigating threats, as well as hands-on experience with tools including Python, Linux, and Security Information and Event Management Systems (SIEM), the company said in a post today.

Google said the program also offers an opportunity to reach a more diverse pool of candidates for cybersecurity jobs, including women and workers of color currently underrepresented in the field.

"Part of our broader Google commitment to developing the cybersecurity workforce, the Certificate is designed and taught by Google's cybersecurity experts," Google's announcement said. "It will prepare learners for entry-level jobs in cybersecurity in less than six months with no prior experience required, create greater opportunities for people around the world and help fill the growing number of open cyber roles." darkreading.com

Microsoft Patches Serious Azure Cloud Security Flaws

Dallas City Systems Taken Down by Royal Ransomware

The Pandemic & Social Media Fueled Online Fakes
Inside the Delirious Rise of ‘Superfake’ Handbags

Can you tell the difference between a $10,000 Chanel bag and a $200 knockoff? Almost nobody can, and it’s turning luxury fashion upside down.

It was early 2021 when, thrown into sensory overload by grisly pandemic headlines, I found my gaze drifting guiltily to an advertisement in the right margin of a news site, where the model Kaia Gerber arched her arms lovingly around a Celine Triomphe — a plain, itty-bitty rectangular prism that in no universe could possibly be worth, as further research informed me, $2,200. I shut the tab, horrified.

In the past decade or so, a new breed of knockoff purses has come onto the scene from China — boasting shockingly good quality and slipping through customs gates like sand through a sieve. And, as many an angry resale buyer can attest, they’re able to fool even the most well-trained eye. “It’s a pervasive, tremendous problem,” Bob Barchiesi, president of the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition, told me. Hunter Thompson, who oversees the authentication process at the luxury consignment site the RealReal, elaborated: “It’s gotten to the point that you can see something in season replicated within that season.”

In the pandemic, superfakes went supernova: A killer combo of quarantine malaise, frenzied stimulus-check hobby spending and the rise of sales via social-media sites like Instagram has propelled consumers’ awareness of — and fervor for — these hyperrealistic copycats to new heights. Now especially, in the face of rampant inflation, consumers coveting a $10,000 handbag who are advertised a $100 copycat hardly need an extra push.

Chinese authorities have little to no incentive to shut down these operations, given their contributions to local economies, the potential embarrassment to local ministers and the steady fraying of China’s political ties with the Western nations where savvy online buyers clamor for the goods. “They avoid taxes,” Lewin says. “The working conditions are terrible. But all of that goes to turning out a very high-quality fake at very low cost.” nytimes.com

ChatGPT Coming to Amazon?
Amazon plans to rework Alexa in the age of ChatGPT

Amazon’s plan to make more money from Alexa could lean into more generalized large language models like the ones behind ChatGPT and Bard.

Amazon is looking to add new AI chatbot technology to Alexa, reports Insider based on leaked documents. The voice assistant needs reanimation in a world now seemingly infatuated with generative AI like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Bard.

One example in the document describes Alexa generating a bedtime story after an eight-year-old asks it to tell a story about a “cat and a moon.” And in true ChatGPT-style, it makes up a whole story about “Mittens, the first cat to ever go to the moon.” It also describes the use of an Echo Show camera that sees the child holding an Olaf toy, so it incorporates the character into the story.

Disney is just one of several partnership opportunities that Amazon is imagining alongside Lego and others. theverge.com

Shopify laying off 20 percent of staff, selling logistics division

Etsy Earnings Top Estimates As E-Commerce Growth Slows

Update: Seattle, WA: Feds indict pair accused of renting equipment from WA home-improvement stores, selling it
A man and woman accused of leading a retail-theft scheme and stealing more than $800,000 in merchandise, including from home improvement stores in Western Washington, were indicted Wednesday. The two are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 10 counts of wire fraud and/or aiding and abetting wire fraud. Jalen Amir Thomas, 27, and Armia Ta’Jae Timmons, 25, victimized 190 stores across 23 states, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington. The two are from southern California but are alleged to have stolen equipment from stores in Tacoma, Federal Way, Vancouver, Covington, Longview, Bothell, Everett, Redmond, and Seattle.

Brown said that the co-conspirators allegedly hatched a plan to rent high-value construction equipment but not return it. The pair then sold the equipment at high discounts on e-commerce sites such as OfferUp and Facebook Marketplace, according to the news release. The plot to steal home improvement goods began as early as March 2022, according to the release. Thomas and Timmons reportedly headed a group of thieves who traveled the United States to rent items. They primarily targeted jumping jack tampers and vibratory plate compactors, which typically cost between $1,500 to $2,000 each. The group used fake IDs and phone numbers to steal around 480 separate pieces of equipment in total, the news release states. tri-cityherald.com

Banning, CA: $500,000 Cross-County Cellphone Store Robbery Ring Yields Multiple Arrests
A total of 17 suspects— ten adults and seven juveniles— were arrested this week on suspicion of committing a series of cellular phone store robberies over several months in Riverside, San Bernardino and Los Angeles counties. The suspects were thought to have stolen over $500,000 in cellular phones, tablets and smartwatches, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department investigators. It was the arrests made after a series of thefts in Lake Elsinore and Jurupa Valley that ultimately cracked the case, according to Sgt. Jonathan Bodnar. Multiple law enforcement agencies coordinated a large-scale investigation into the series, said Sgt. Jonathan Bodnar of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department. As a result of the investigation following the March arrests, officers served multiple search warrants in Adelanto, San Bernardino and Rialto and placed ten adults and seven juveniles under arrest on suspicion of committing the crimes, Bodnar said. patch.com

St Lucie County, FL: Shoplifters from South Florida arrested in Walgreens, CVS thefts in St. Lucie County
Police said they've arrested two women in connection with numerous thefts from Walgreens and CVS pharmacies in St. Lucie County. In a Facebook post on Thursday, Port St. Lucie police said they caught Asia Philmore, 27 and Jacquilla Morris, 26, shoplifting from the Walgreens at 692 SW Prima Vista Blvd this week. According to police, the suspects had already made one trip to their vehicle with tote bags filled with stolen merchandise, when they returned inside to steal more items. Police said over $15,000 of medicine, beauty products and toiletries stolen from multiple Walgreens and CVS locations on Monday were found in the suspects' rental car. wptv.com

Springfield, VA: Masked men steal over 50 long guns, handguns from Fairfax County gun store
Authorities say masked robbers stole over 50 long guns and handguns from a Fairfax County gun store. The burglary happened Saturday between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. at Dominion Defense on Fullerton Road in Springfield. Police say the men were captured on security footage breaking into the business through a small opening above the door. Investigators says 53 firearms, which were a combination of long guns and handguns were stolen. fox5dc.com

Madisonville, TN: Man used ‘lifelike’ baby doll in stroller as he stole from Walmart
At 8pm Delta Patrol Shift Officers were dispatch to the Madisonville Walmart for a male shoplifter running from the store with a baby stroller. The male subject was caught in a nearby parking lot and detained for further investigation. Officers determined during their investigation that the baby stroller with lifelike baby doll inside and already made baby bottle was used as a disguise to hide stolen merchandise. The suspect found to be Alexander Owen Manina from Florida had previously been caught at 4 different Walmarts shoplifting within the State of Florida. Alexander was found to be in possession of over $1,000 in stolen merchandise as well as drug paraphernalia. Alexander is currently being held at the Monroe County Justice Center on a NO BOND for Burglary, Felony Theft of Property, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. yahoo.com

Red Bluff, CA: Police capture suspect in felony Walmart electronics theft

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Shootings & Deaths

Broward County, FL: Florida Walmart worker charged with murdering customer who tried to stop fight
An off-duty Walmart worker from Florida has been charged with murder for allegedly shooting and killing a customer in front of his family as he bravely tried to protect a female store employee during a brawl, officials said. Tironie Sterling, 22, has been arrested for Tuesday afternoon’s shooting at a suburban Fort Lauderdale Walmart, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said. According to investigators, Sterling was off the clock when went to the Lauderdale Lakes store at 2 p.m. to meet with a female colleague.

The pair got into a verbal argument that escalated into a fight in the frozen food section of the store, with Sterling dropping a handgun onto the floor and allegedly trying to snatch the woman’s phone from her hands.
Sterling was demanding to access to the woman’s text messages, but she refused, according to an arrest report.

Sterling then allegedly proceeded to shove the woman into the shelves. The victim called for help, but none of her colleagues came to her aid, according to the report. Seeing that the woman was being attacked and that no one was there to protect her, a male customer, identified by family members as 41-year-old Thierry Bastien, stepped in to help, and he and Sterling got into a tussle. During the fight, investigators said Sterling grabbed his gun and shot the good Samaritan multiple times, hitting him in the chest, back and lower extremities. nypost.com

Update: Greensboro, NC: Man sentenced to 25 years in connection to Four Seasons Mall shooting and drug trafficking
A Greensboro man was sentenced Thursday to 25 years in prison, after pleading guilty to firearms charges connected to two Greensboro shootings and drug trafficking in the Middle District of North Carolina (MDNC), announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston. Judge Hairston said 36-year-old Lajauren Damitri Wimbush pleaded guilty on November 10, 2022, in a combined plea agreement to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of felon in possession of a firearm.

Court documents show that Greensboro police responded to reports of a shooting at the Four Seasons Mall in Greensboro during the holiday rush, on December 21, 2021, where they found a victim who had been shot multiple times. Mall security footage showed the exchange between the victim and the Wimbush in the parking lot of the mall. Several 911 calls paint the scene of what happened outside of JCPenney in the parking lot of the mall just days before Christmas. You may remember the one WFMY News 2 viewer who told us they saw a woman throw three kids under a truck to take cover.

On January 6, 2022, an officer with GPD responded to reports of an aggravated assault at Motel 6 and found a victim who had been shot multiple times and beaten by Wimbush. Surveillance footage from the motel confirmed the victim’s account of events and showed Wimbush shooting at and attacking the victim. wfmynews2.com

Charleston, SC: Victims of Northwoods Mall shooting file lawsuit against Mall and Security
More than two years after a shooting in the Northwoods Mall parking lot, two victims are suing and claiming their life-altering injuries could have been prevented. A shooter opened fire in the mall’s parking lot on Feb. 14, 2021, hurting three people. Two of the victims are suing the mall, its corporate owner, the mall manager and the security company. The lawsuits allege there wasn’t proper security, surveillance or patrol on the property. They also claim the defendants did not remove dangerous people from the premises. One of the victims, who was shot in the thigh and hand, is represented by Warren Lokey of the Lokey Law Firm. The lawsuit states a bullet remains in the victim’s leg to this day, causing ongoing medical complications and bills in addition to anxiety and trauma challenges requiring treatment.

“And I think it’s caused her a lot of grief and I think she’s gone through some major or had some major issues as a result of this psychological and otherwise, it’s not really something you bounce back from,” Lokey says. The plaintiff’s “capacity to live, enjoy life, function normally at home, work and all over public arenas was restricted and diminished as a result of the conduct of the Defendants,” the lawsuit reads.

Another lawsuit was filed in early 2023 as well, on behalf of another victim by Brian Mickelsen of Mickelsen Dalton LLC. The suit includes a list of hundreds of crimes that were committed on mall property between 2016 and 2021. Lokey noticed the same trends when making his case. “Based on the history of crimes that had been committed on this property, it’s about as foreseeable as it could be. But to the general public, I don’t think they would know this right off the bat because I think Northwoods mall looks like a very pleasant you know, normal mall. But the but the truth is, is that it’s a hotbed and has been a hotbed of criminal activity for a long time,” Lokey says. live5news.com

Baltimore, MD: 'It's just not safe' - Baltimore shop owner to close after fighting off armed robber
In Highlandtown, Jody Rosoff sits inside ‘Docs Smoke Shop,’ the business she’s owned for more than 40 years here in Baltimore. Her mind is on the 23-year-old T-Mobile employee, identified as Fabin Sanchez-Gonzalez, who investigators say died of his injuries after he was shot during an armed robbery at the cell phone store in Canton this past Sunday. “I’m sad for him. I'm sad for his family,” said Rosoff, her eyes filled with tears. “The PTSD that it's bringing back to me. It's crazy.” Back in March Rosoff’s shop was robbed at gunpoint. She says it was the second time in six months. foxbaltimore.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Man charged with driving over 4 people in Chicago restaurant parking lot after argument
A man is facing charges after allegedly driving into a crowd of people in a parking lot last September in the Montclare neighborhood. Renato Salazar, 29, is accused ramming his car into four people on Sept. 10, 2022 outside Las Islas Marias in Bricktown Square, 6550 W. Fullerton Ave., according to police. Those injured were a 27-year-old woman, a 36-year-old woman, a 42-year-old man and a 61-year-old man. Family members said an argument started inside the restaurant and spilled outside where Salazar, who was driving a black Tahoe, ran over the four victims and drove off. fox32chicago.com

Chicago, IL: 2 men accused of taking $1.1M during armored truck robbery tracked down using Apple AirTag
Investigators tracked down two suspects accused in connection with an armored truck robbery Tuesday, thanks to the help of a hidden Apple AirTag inside a bin of stolen money, court documents show. In a criminal complaint filed Wednesday in federal court, authorities recommended Devonte Davis, 26, and Darrell Singleton, 18, be charged with armed robbery. Singleton was already wanted by the FBI for his alleged involvement in another armed robbery of a Brink’s truck last October, a spokesperson for the Federal Bureau of Investigation Chicago Field Office confirmed. According to authorities, the robbery happened at approximately 9:25 a.m. Tuesday outside Jewel-Osco on 183rd Street in south suburban Homewood. Brink’s records show the robbers took approximately $1.1 million, court documents reveal. The criminal complaint alleges two guards exited the armored truck and went into the store. When one returned, he was approached by a suspect, identified by federal authorities as Singleton, who reportedly pistol-whipped him in the head with a gun. Court documents show the suspected robbers removed seven plastic bins, each of which contained about $100,000 in cash, and stole approximately 10 deposit bags, each containing about $50,000. wgntv.com

Colorado Springs, CO: Suspect of three Family Dollar store robberies arrested
A man allegedly involved in a series of robberies was arrested Thursday afternoon on May 4, according to the Colorado Springs Police Department. Shortly after 1:10 p.m., 20-year-old William Marshall was arrested in Fort Carson. He is facing charges of six counts of Second Degree Kidnapping (Level 2 Felony) and three counts of aggravated Robbery (Level 3 Felony), according to CSPD. During April and early May, officers were called to robberies at three Family Dollar stores in Colorado Springs. The suspect, later identified as Marshall, had taken an undisclosed amount of money, per CSPD. fox21news.com

Somerset, NJ: Police ask for help after Franklin jewelry store targeted in smash-and-grab armed robbery

Joliet, IL: Man arrested after fleeing police in handcuffs following 7- Eleven Armed Robbery

Washington D.C. Man Charged for Spree of C-Store Armed Robberies in Prince George’s County

Duplin County, NC: Man accused of breaking into dozens of stores in multiple counties facing more charges

Brampton, Ontario, Canada: 5 men charged in connection with attempted robbery at Brampton jewelry store

Fort Myers, FL: Woman Pepper-Sprays Publix Employee and Steals Phone in Attempted Robbery

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This position pays $67,725 - $75,000 per year: The LP Analyst protects the company’s assets from internal theft by using investigative resources (i.e., exception-based reporting (EBR), micros reporting, inventory reporting, CCTV, etc.). The primary responsibility of the LP Analyst is to identify potential loss prevention issues such as employee theft in SSP America’s operation across North America...

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