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7/8/21

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Greg Aucamp Joins Prosegur as New Head of Sales for North America Retail Solutions

Prosegur Security, a global leader in security technology, has named Greg Aucamp its new senior vice president of sales for retail solutions. In his new role, Aucamp will work to strengthen and expand relationships with retailers throughout North America, focusing on delivering new solutions for product protection and inventory visibility.

Prior to joining Prosegur, Aucamp held several senior leadership roles in both sales and operations at Sensormatic. He is a graduate of Florida State University, and is based in Jupiter, Florida, where he resides with his family. Read more here

Patrick McEvoy promoted to VP, Risk and Fraud for Saks OFF 5TH
Before his promotion to VP, Risk and Fraud, Patrick served as VP, Asset Protection for Saks OFF 5TH since August 2020. Prior to that, he held multiple AP roles with Hudson's Bay Company, including Sr. Director of AP Administration (3 years), Director - AP Systems & Technology (1.5 years), and Sr. Mgr. AP Systems & Technology (2 years). Earlier in his career, he held various AP and security roles with Saks Fifth Avenue. Congratulations, Patrick!

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Violence, Crime & Protests

Calling in the Feds as Violent Crime Surges
Chicago mayor asks Biden for help after bloody July 4 weekend
President Biden was met at O’Hare International Airport Wednesday by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot following a deadly Independence Day weekend in the Windy City.

The president was greeted by Lightfoot and Illinois’ Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker as he arrived in Chicago but he didn’t focus much time on the more than 100 shootings over the holiday as it was just a quick stop for him en route to suburban McHenry County for an event touting his Build Back Better initiative.

According to White House press secretary Jen Psaki, Biden reiterated his commitment to working with Lightfoot and city leaders to counter gun violence and added that the Department of Justice would soon be in touch about a recently announced strike force meant to crack down on gun trafficking in Chicago and four other cities — including New York.

According to The Chicago Tribune, at least 108 people were shot in the city — at least 17 of them fatally — between 5 p.m. Friday and 1 a.m. Tuesday. The 108 victims, whose number included two police officers, is the highest number recorded over a July 4 weekend, surpassing the previous mark of 103 in 2017.

The weekend violence was in keeping with what has been a bloody year so far in the Second City. Last week, police reported that there had been 332 homicides over the first six months of 2021, six fewer than in the first half of 2020 but a 35 percent increase over the 246 reported between January and June of 2019.

Chicago police Superintendent David Brown told reporters that 36 of his officers had been shot or shot at this year following Wednesday morning’s incident. nypost.com

Crime-Related Store Closures a 'Deathly Sign of Decline'
When Stores Close Due To Crime, Urban Blight Is Back & It Will Get Worse

We've gone down this path before for virtually the exact same bleeding-heart reasons, and we lived through the tremendous pain of the results.

Just as opening a retail business or a restaurant works to revitalize a neighborhood, a closure is a deathly sign of decline. While bright windows, visiting shoppers, and neighborhood jobs bring safety, vacant retail, with its boarded-up windows, graffiti, uncleaned sidewalks, and ugliness brings crime.

A University of Southern California study found that even with temporary closures, “The area immediately around a closed restaurant experienced an increase in property crime and theft from vehicles.”

More than 50 years later, over-credentialed activists and politicians once again say they know better, and tell us our neighborhoods will be more just and “equitable” if we don’t enforce laws. Now business owners are telling those politicians they’ll need to close their doors. Residents are left to feel the pain of both the crime and the closures. The boon of life and appreciation is suffocating.

Crime begets crime begets crime, and changes to enforcement and prosecution policies are entirely to blame. In nearby Oakland, where murder is up 90 percent in the past year and car-jackings up 88 percent while the city council continues to cut police, city leaders dismiss the surge in crime as “a bump in the road,” but for the people who live there, strive to work there, and try to not be murdered there, it’s more than that. As with Jane Jacobs, you don’t need a degree to know it.

Rising crime is a direct threat to our towns, our neighborhoods, and our families. Already in great American cities, urban blight is setting in. We’ve down this path before for virtually the exact same bleeding-heart reasons, and we lived through the tremendous pain it brought. We cannot let it happen again — unless we do. thefederalist.com

New Partnership to Combat ORC
City, AG announce effort targeting Albuquerque’s ‘organized retail crime’
The city of Albuquerque and New Mexico Attorney General’s Office are launching a partnership to combat “organized retail crime.” Calling it a “profitable industry” and a major revenue source behind drug crimes, human trafficking and theft, city and state officials outlined the problem during a news conference Tuesday.

Flanked by Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller and Police Chief Harold Medina, New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas said his office will be teaming up with Albuquerque Police and local retailers to identify and prosecute the “worst of the worst” retail criminals. Balderas also said the partnership would focus on improving communication with “front line officers” and large corporations to “build cases.”

“We’ve seen a level of increase of violence to families and consumers in New Mexico and the city of Albuquerque,” Balderas said. “This is not about shoplifting, this not about teenage delinquencies, this is about a very profitable industry that’s funneling and fueling other criminal activity like human trafficking and gang activity.”

Balderas also called on state lawmakers to “stop killing key important legislation” that has been introduced for “many years. The Attorney General mentioned the “Organized Criminal Retail Act,” a bill he says would toughen penalties surrounding the issue.

Matt Cramer, the district manager for Home Depot, said among the six stores in the area – including one in Los Lunas and one in Rio Rancho – merchandise is stolen multiple times a day. He said he’s noticed an uptick in frequency since the pandemic and the most popular items for people to steal are drills and batteries.

“We’re not looking for somebody who steals a $100 drill and there’s no violence,” Cramer said. “That’s the cost of doing business. We’re talking about these thieves that scheme, that are in a big organized group that fund larger things.” krqe.com abqjournal.com

San Francisco Locals Call for Action to Combat Retail Crime
Smashh & Grab Heist at San Fran Neiman Marcus Another Retail Theft Red Flag
The latest smash-and-grab heist targeting a high-end retail store in San Francisco’s Union Square has locals calling for action from authorities.

Neiman Marcus is one of the pillars of luxury shopping in San Francisco’s Union Square. Cell phone video of the robbery at the store early Monday evening showed the brazen pack of criminals fleeing the shop with armfuls of expensive merchandise.

The crime would be more shocking if the same exact thing hadn’t happened at the Neiman Marcus in Palo Alto in May. Smash-and-grab heists at high-end stores have become increasingly common.

But not holding people accountable may be why it’s happening. Some point a finger of blame at San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who has been open about his reluctance to prosecute people for retail theft.

Investigators believe the Neiman Marcus robbery was part of an organized crime operation that can sell the stolen items both domestically and internationally. On Tuesday, Supervisor Ahsha Safai said the Board has sent Boudin a letter of inquiry asking what coordinated strategy he may have to stop the thefts.

A statement from the DA’s office said they want to focus on the criminal networks that fence the stolen goods. Meanwhile, the response from the public is one of disgust.

Resident Robert LaCome has lived in SF for 71 years. He told KPIX he has never seen it as lawless as it is now. sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com

FBI Protester Watch List?
'I covered protests ... so the police put me on a list shared with the FBI'
New details have emerged about the Wauwatosa Police Department's (WPD) "protester list," the existence of which was first reported by the Wisconsin Examiner in January. The list, created early last summer as protests over police killings focused on the Milwaukee suburb, grew from about 40 people last June to nearly 200 people.

Attorney Kimberley Motley recently obtained the list as part of her ongoing lawsuits against the city over police actions. She told me I'd been put on the list, which WPD shared with other agencies. Sgt. Cory Wex, a WPD spokesperson, confirmed with Wisconsin Examiner that it was shared with the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD).

He stated the list was shared, "as a matter of situational awareness," as other communities, including Milwaukee, "were experiencing kind of the same protests and potential for criminal activity stemming from those protests." Shortly after Milwaukee's protests began late last May, several residents reported being visited by FBI agents asking about the demonstrations.

"This is a list of over 190 people who the Wauwatosa Police Department has arbitrarily determined are people that they need to put on this list," said Motley. "Whoever's on this list, you have a right to know that you're on this list." wisconsinexaminer.com

13 people shot, one dead in a violent 48 hours across New Orleans

COVID Update

331.6M Vaccinations Given

US: 34.6M Cases - 621.9K Dead - 29.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 185.9M Cases - 4M Dead - 170.1M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 281
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 316
*Red indicates change in total deaths

New Reported Cases Per Day

'We're Not in a Good Place'
WHO sounds alarm as global deaths top 4 million, delta spreads to 100 countries
World Health Organization officials issued stern warnings to nations planning to relax coronavirus restrictions as global deaths from the virus topped 4 million and the more virulent delta variant was spotted in more than 100 countries, including those with high vaccination rates.

Speaking at a briefing Wednesday, the officials cautioned that more contagious variants were “currently winning the race against vaccines,” as most of the world’s population has yet to be immunized.

Even the delta variant, which was first identified in India and is now tearing through unvaccinated populations around the world, “is itself mutating and will continue to do so,” said Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead at the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program.

“There are more than two dozen countries that have epidemic curves that are almost vertical right now,” she said. “We’re not in a good place.” washingtonpost.com

Walgreens' Post-COVID Transformation
Passport photos and makeup sales may help Walgreens drive sales beyond the Covid vaccination bump

Walgreens Boots Alliance said makeup, passport photos and Covid vaccines drove store traffic and sales in the fiscal third quarter.

As people emerge from their homes again, Walgreens Boots Alliance said they are ordering passport photos, refreshing makeup bags and rolling up their sleeves for Covid-19 shots.

Those three sales drivers contributed to higher-than-expected earnings in the fiscal third quarter. The drugstore chain raised its outlook for the year, saying it has more confidence after seeing rebounding sales and the uptake of Covid vaccines.

Global Chief Financial Officer James Kehoe said it has administered more than 25 million shots — with about 17 million given in the three-month period.

The drugstore chain’s shares fell Thursday on investors’ concerns that those vaccines provided a short-term lift to sales. The company is in the middle of a turnaround led by its new CEO Roz Brewer, the former chief operating officer of Starbucks, and some think the company’s transformation will take time.

But Kehoe said he sees encouraging signs for the months ahead such as the return of store traffic and discretionary spending. cnbc.com

Some Stores Already 'Back to 2019 Volumes'
Optimism in store: Mall owners see signs of post-COVID retail rebound
The future of the American shopping mall has looked bleak more than once over the last several years. The rise of e-commerce cast a shadow over brick-and-mortar retail in general, and malls in particular, as many traditional department stores that anchored malls went into decline.

Then the arrival of COVID-19 last year, which shut down shopping centers while locked-down consumers surfed Amazon, dealt malls another blow. But now that life is returning to something approaching normal, Providence Place, like other Southern New England malls that survived the last two years, is working on a comeback.

Despite the COVID carnage, a recent swing through Providence Place found only three vacant storefronts among the more than 100 retail spaces. The food court has a few more vacancies — not surprising, considering how the pandemic affected restaurants — but resembles its pre-COVID state.

"Are we seeing a lot more foot traffic? Absolutely. Are we feeling happy? Absolutely," said general manager Domenic Schiavone. "Our stores are feeling more optimistic and people are more comfortable shopping. We are looking forward to back-to-school season, people on vacation. We have seen really great foot traffic."

While some retailers are still "playing catch-up," he said, others are back to 2019 volumes. providencejournal.com

The COVID-19 Backup: Factories Worldwide Shut Down Twice & Then Suez
Shortages of Everything from Bikes to Dishwashers to Couches & Lumber
Welcome to the Global Bike Boom, unlike any before it. By and large, retailers ran out of inventory a year ago. Their shop floors are still often bare. Shipments are delayed - or worse, cancelled. What they can get their hands on, there's already a buyer lined up.

It's been a stressful - and competitive - 15 months as manufacturers jostle for parts and factory space, while retailers try desperately to replenish their stock, right in the prime season for moving product.

It's an extreme version of what's happening in other industries - from vehicles and dishwashers to couches and lumber - in which supply chains are buckling under a COVID-19 pandemic combination of raging consumer demand, production hiccups and shipping delays.

After the pandemic recedes, there's a bust period, echoing one that followed a surge of sales in the 1970s fuel crisis. And there's no end in site until at least 2023. theglobeandmail.com

Self-Checkout Technology Soars
Retailers invest heavily in self-checkout tech amid Covid-19 outbreak

2020 saw a record year of investment in self-checkout technology, with shipments increasing by 25% globally, according to research from RBR.

Across Europe, there was a surge in activity with retailers rolling out units across their store networks. Grocery chains including Carrefour, Lidl and Kaufland went big on the technology, installing machines across the continent.

Mainstream grocers in North America, meanwhile, continue to expand their offerings, but the technology is also increasingly offered by other types of retailers, including discounters, convenience stores and pharmacy chains. Major firms deploying terminals include variety store chain Dollarama in Canada and CVS drugstores in the USA.

Increasingly, retailers are installing cashless self-checkout terminals, which represented 55% of global shipments last year. retailtechinnovationhub.com

Nearly 80% of Employers Call Hybrid Work a Requirement
Employers aren't ready for engagement paradigm shift, survey says
The demands of hybrid work have turned employers' attention to employee engagement — but many companies aren't ready for the changes this paradigm shift will require, according to a June report from Willis Towers Watson.

Ninety-four percent of employers surveyed said that improving the employee experience will be a priority at their organizations in the next three years, a jump from 54% who said the same prior to the pandemic. Additionally, many expected one quarter of workers to blend onsite and remote work in the near future.

Nearly 8 in 10 employers said that the new realities of the job market make hybrid work a requirement, but 52% of respondents are flexible about how and where work gets done, Willis Towers Watson said. Forty-nine percent are currently re-engineering career paths in response to the new way of work. hrdive.com

Back to the Office by Labor Day?

HR departments roll out hybrid, flexible, mandatory return-to-workplace plans

Based on its study of 10 major metropolitan areas, office access software provider Kastle Systems reported that 31.5 percent of employees returned to the office the week ending June 9, up from 29 percent the week prior and 28.1 percent for May 19.

Kastle also found that the legal industry is returning to the office at rates 10 percentage points higher than other businesses. The study is based on card swipes to enter commercial office buildings.

All of West Monroe's eight offices are open, Rooney said. The firm decided the best time to ask employees to come back to the office more regularly is toward the end of the summer, typically marked by Labor Day and the start of the school year. shrm.org

Delta variant most dominant in states with low vaccination rates

Free Samples Are Back, but With Safety in Mind

Great Portland leases five times more space as Covid restrictions ease

$4.5 Billion Opioids Settlement
15 States Reach a Deal With Purdue Pharma, Moving Toward a
$4.5 Billion Opioids Settlement

The states, including Massachusetts and New York, agreed to drop opposition to the bankruptcy organization plan of the company, the maker of OxyContin.

Fifteen states have reached an agreement with Purdue Pharma, the maker of the prescription painkiller OxyContin, that would pave the way toward a $4.5 billion settlement of thousands of opioid cases.

The states decided late Wednesday to drop their opposition to Purdue’s bankruptcy reorganization plan, in exchange for a release of millions of documents and an additional $50 million from members of the Sackler family, the company’s owners.

The agreement was contained in a late-night filing by a mediator in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in White Plains, N.Y.

The settlement extracts concessions that will be added to a comprehensive proposal now being voted upon by more than 3,000 plaintiffs, including cities, counties, tribes and states, who sought to hold Purdue and its owners responsible for their role in the opioid epidemic, during which more than 500,000 Americans have died from overdoses of prescription and illegal opioids.

Trials against other opioid manufacturers and drug distributors are underway.

Nearly two years ago, the Sacklers had proposed paying $3 billion in cash. Both the company and family members had resisted releasing the full trove of documents, including hundreds of thousands of work emails and communications with attorneys, reaching back decades. According to last night’s filing, Purdue and the Sacklers will now release some 33 million documents, and the money has risen to $4.5 billion, plus an additional $225 million in a civil settlement with the Department of Justice. nytimes.com

Businesses Sick of Waiting for Workers
Restaurants are starting to hire robots instead of people who are demanding higher pay

Businesses are tired of waiting for workers and are increasingly turning to automation instead.

Hiring issues have been widespread in the restaurant industry for several months, as Insider reported, with major firms like McDonald's struggling to contend with the national labor shortage. Many of them have begun turning to technology as a replacement to low-wage workers. For instance, Cracker Barrel rolled out a mobile app that lets customers pay for meals; McDonald's started testing automated drive-thru ordering at 10 Chicago locations; and Dave & Buster's plans to expand its contactless ordering.

Enter the QR-code. This technology, which allows a short-staffed restaurant to save on having a person physically bringing a menu to a diner's table, is the canary in the coal mine of automation. Other signs of an automation revolution are cropping up.

The benefits are obvious. Automated solutions are often one-time investments, boost productivity, and don't require expensive solutions to fixing a staffing crisis like the signing bonuses also growing in popularity. businessinsider.com

Massive Recall Impacts Retailers & Restaurants
Tyson recalls 8.5 million pounds of chicken products due to possible listeria contamination
Tyson Foods Inc. is recalling nearly 8.5 million pounds of ready-to-eat chicken products because they may be contaminated with Listeria, the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service announced Saturday.

"The products subject to recall bear establishment number 'EST. P-7089' on the product bag or inside the USDA mark of inspection. These items were shipped nationwide to retailers and institutions, including hospitals, nursing facilities, restaurants, schools and Department of Defense locations," the statement said. cnn.com

How individualized mentorship can ease the re-entry process
Re-entry is top of mind for many people in the U.S., with HR professionals thrown into particularly challenging waters. Listings for human resources jobs are up 52.5% from their pre-pandemic baseline.

But as HR departments navigate the return to work, there appears to be no singular way to meet the demand - except by leading direct reports with inclusion and individualized mentorship at the forefront. hrdive.com

Bloomingdale’s to debut new small store concept
Bloomingdale’s New “Bloomie’s” Store Concept to Open August 26
Bloomingdale’s today announced the first location of its all-new store concept, “Bloomie’s”, will open on August 26, 2021 in Fairfax, Virginia. Bloomie’s brings the best of Bloomingdale’s to a smaller, highly curated, ever-evolving store concept filled with top brands, a new tech-enabled stylist service model, and a vibrant restaurant experience.

Located in the Mosaic District shopping center, the 22,000 square-foot Bloomie’s store will be a style and service destination featuring new store experience and design concepts, and a distinct assortment of advanced, contemporary and luxury brands across women’s and men’s fashion and beauty. macysinc.com

As employers struggle to fill jobs, teens come to the rescue

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LPRC Report:
Feedback and Trial Results of CIS Security Solutions' Tick-R-Tape Technology

Package tags and wraps are widely used to protect merchandise. However, as retail offenders adapt and learn techniques to defeat these technologies, solution providers must respond by developing new, more secure ways to protect products.

CIS Security Solutions Inc. developed and sought to test their Tick-R-Tape technology, a universal package tag designed to protect hard and soft merchandise.

In 2019, the Loss Prevention Research Council worked with a large department store chain to better understand the effects of implementing CIS' Tick-R-Tape in-store. The goals of the research were to:

1. Examine offender reactions to the Tick-R-Tape technology

2. Understand customer perceptions of CIS' Tick-R-Tape technology

3. Understand associate perceptions of CIS' Tick-R-Tape technology

4. Compare the Tick-R-Tape to traditional keeper boxes and spider-wraps by examining size differences and shelf availability between the technologies

Upcoming RH-ISAC Events

July 14 - Reach the Pinnacle: eCommerce campaign with Tala Security

July 19 - Reach the Pinnacle: eCommerce Campaign with Source Defense, Callaway, and Big5

July 21 - Reach the Pinnacle: eCommerce Campaign with PerimeterX

July 27 - Reach the Pinnacle: eCommerce Campaign with Security Scorecard

July 29 - Asia Pacific Regional Series Workshop Hosted by Target

August 4 - Reach the Pinnacle: eCommerce Campaign with The Media Trust

August 26 - Cyber Thursday: Securing Your Data Using Data

Sept. 28-29 - 2021 RH-ISAC Cyber Intelligence Summit

NRF Retail Converge Session
How to protect your company from cyberattacks

NRF Retail Converge: Former NSA director discusses disruptive cyber threats

In a session at NRF Retail Converge, Admiral Mike Rogers, former director of the National Security Agency, discussed cyber threats and risks with Matt Dunlop, chief information security officer at Under Armour.

Dunlop kicked off the session by noting that he hears about a cyberattack seemingly every day. Rogers agreed, saying that in the past few years, many U.S. companies have been the target of cyberattacks, often resulting in leaked data and hefty ransom payouts. With increased remote work during the pandemic, the frequency has only increased.

The more attacks that happen, the more media coverage they receive, which includes sharing the ransom payout the attackers received. That just incentivizes criminals to continue targeting large companies, Rogers pointed out. But despite these criminals receiving millions of dollars, only 8 percent of companies get their data back.

That loss of data is particularly potent for retailers, as their reputations and revenue can be impacted by a cyberattack. “As you look across the retail space,” Dunlop said, “if you can impact our ability to pick, pack, and ship, you can impact our revenue.”

While most companies are spending their money and efforts on a cyber defense system, Rogers said a focused adversary has a high probability of success no matter how much money is being spent on defense.

“Cybersecurity needs to include both cyber defense and cyber resiliency,” Rogers said, explaining that companies can not only prevent attacks but take action during them. nrf.com

Data-Leaking Security Flaw
Kaseya Left Customer Portal Vulnerable to 2015 Flaw in its Own Software
Last week cybercriminals deployed ransomware to 1,500 organizations that provide IT security and technical support to many other companies. The attackers exploited a vulnerability in software from Kaseya, a Miami-based company whose products help system administrators manage large networks remotely. Now it appears Kaseya’s customer service portal was left vulnerable until last week to a data-leaking security flaw that was first identified in the same software six years ago.

On July 3, the REvil ransomware affiliate program began using a zero-day security hole (CVE-2021-30116) to deploy ransomware to hundreds of IT management companies running Kaseya’s remote management software — known as the Kaseya Virtual System Administrator (VSA).

According to this entry for CVE-2021-30116, the security flaw that powers that Kaseya VSA zero-day was assigned a vulnerability number on April 2, 2021, indicating Kaseya had roughly three months to address the bug before it was exploited in the wild.

Also on July 3, security incident response firm Mandiant notified Kaseya that their billing and customer support site —portal.kaseya.net — was vulnerable to CVE-2015-2862, a “directory traversal” vulnerability in Kaseya VSA that allows remote users to read any files on the server using nothing more than a Web browser.

As its name suggests, CVE-2015-2862 was issued in July 2015. Six years later, Kaseya’s customer portal was still exposed to the data-leaking weakness.

Mandiant notified Kaseya after hearing about it from Alex Holden, founder and chief technology officer of Milwaukee-based cyber intelligence firm Hold Security. Holden said the 2015 vulnerability was present on Kaseya’s customer portal until Friday afternoon, allowing him to download the site’s “web.config” file, a server component that often contains sensitive information such as usernames and passwords and the locations of key databases.

“It’s not like they forgot to patch something that Microsoft fixed years ago,” Holden said. “It’s a patch for their own software. And it’s not zero-day. It’s from 2015!” krebsonsecurity.com

Not as Damaging as Initially Feared
Kaseya Ransomware Attack: 'It Could Have Been Much Worse'

Michael Daniel of Cyber Threat Alliance on Impact of Latest Supply Chain Attack

It was stealthy, and it was widespread. But perhaps the Kaseya VSA ransomware attack wasn't quite as effective and damaging as initially feared, says Michael Daniel, president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance. He explains where defenses succeeded.

In a video interview with Information Security Media Group, Daniel discusses:

● The significance of the Kaseya attack;
● Why the attack might not have been as successful as initially believed;
● How U.S. ransomware defense needs to change - starting with disrupting the adversaries.

Daniel serves as the president and CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance, a nonprofit organization that enables high-quality cyberthreat information-sharing among cybersecurity organizations. He also works with the Aspen Cyber Group, the World Economic Forum and other organizations improving cybersecurity in the digital ecosystem. bankinfosecurity.com

Study Recommends Government & Industry Action
Cyber insurance failing to live up to expectations
A RUSI paper finds that the contribution of the insurance sector to improving cyber security practice is ‘more limited than policymakers and businesses might hope’, and recommends government and industry action.

Identified along climate change and pandemics as ‘one of the most challenging risks facing societies in the next five years’ by the World Economic Forum, cybercrime is a complex, rapidly growing and severe threat to both government and business. In 2020, cybercrime costs the world economy more than $1 trillion.

This rise is taking place at a time of rapid change in the online environment as organizations seek to digitalise, increase connectivity and accommodate increased remote working, heightening the need for protection. With both national infrastructure and economic security at risk, ‘one tool that has gained traction is cyber insurance’.

Not only is cyber insurance seen as a way for organizations to reduce the impact of cybercrime by transferring financial risk to insurers, but, as the market grows and matures, cyber insurers are seen as potentially able to fulfil the role played by insurers in other industries.

Being “well placed to incentivise better cyber security practices… they can reward ‘good’ risk management”, or offer financial benefits and specialist knowledge to organizations implementing higher security controls or standards. helpnetsecurity.com

Using A.I. to Find Bias in A.I.
More than a dozen start-ups and some of the biggest names in tech, offering tools and services designed to identify and remove bias from A.I. systems.

It is unclear how regulators might police bias. This past week, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a government research lab whose work often informs policy, released a proposal detailing how businesses can fight bias in A.I., including changes in the way technology is conceived and built.

Many in the tech industry believe businesses must start preparing for a crackdown. “Some sort of legislation or regulation is inevitable,”

Over the past several years, studies have shown that facial recognition services, health care systems and even talking digital assistants can be biased against women, people of color and other marginalized groups. Amid a growing chorus of complaints over the issue, some local regulators have already taken action.

But efforts to address the problem reached a tipping point this month when the Software Alliance offered a detailed framework for fighting bias in A.I., including the recognition that some automated technologies require regular oversight from humans. The trade group believes the document can help companies change their behavior and can show regulators and lawmakers how to control the problem.

Though they have been criticized for bias in their own systems, Amazon, IBM, Google and Microsoft also offer tools for fighting it. nytimes.com

Impersonation Becomes Top Phishing Technique

Cannabis Shops Vulnerable to Violent Crime
Increase in Dispensary Crime Just Reaffirms the Need for Cannabis Banking

Many legal cannabis businesses are forced to be cash-only, leaving them vulnerable to burglaries, robberies, and violent crimes.

Despite most states legalizing cannabis in some form, it is still federally illegal. So many banks, credit unions, and lenders refuse to conduct business with licensed cannabis companies out of fear of federal retaliation.

Responding to this, lawmakers have introduced the SAFE Banking Act as bipartisan legislation that would impede federal banking regulators from intervening in a financial institution's ability to conduct business with plant-touching cannabis companies and ancillary brands that service the industry. Legislators have attempted to pass various versions of the SAFE Banking Act over the past several years. In April 2021, the latest version passed in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support. It's now waiting to be passed in the Senate before being signed into law by President Biden.

But until the SAFE Banking Act is signed into law, many cannabis businesses and their employees cannot easily access banking services and rely on cash to operate, leaving them exposed to a variety of crimes.

While large, multi-state operators (MSOs) and other big players can afford heavy security, such as armored vans to transport cash and armed guards to protect their stores; smaller shops cannot afford the same protections. Without access to traditional business loans, some retailers have no way to recover from the damages incurred by burglaries and robberies.

Even if a dispensary is banked, they still cannot legally accept credit or debit cards as forms of payment, constraining them to accept cash only. Coupled with the fact that bad actors can resell their products at much higher rates on the illicit market in non-legal states, dispensaries are an easy and obvious target.

The ever-increasing occurrence of violent incidents has sparked more conversation about whether pot shops should allow their employees to carry weapons. Those in favor of this added level of protection cite the daily threats that dispensary workers face. greenentrepreneur.com

The Future of the Cannabis Industry
What Will the Cannabis Industry Look Like In Ten Years?
For a variety of reasons, I recently found myself inside a legal marijuana dispensary for the first time. I wasn’t sure exactly what I expected the retail experience to be like — a liquor store? a coffee shop? a used car lot? the paraphrenelia shops I first checked out as a teenager? — but I was nevertheless surprised.

The closest analogy I can think of is a jewelry store. There was pretty decent security, including a whole separate room for customers to check in, and everything was presented in a secure display case. A salesperson walked you through the samples to answer questions, guide you in one direction or another, and take your order, while the order itself was filled in a secure area away from the showroom. The other shopping experience I’ve had that’s similar was buying medical equipment, which makes some sense given the origin of a lot of retail dispensaries in the medical marijuana era. You could also say it’s a little like a pharmacy (which again, is probably unsurprising).

Some of the setup of dispensaries is a function of legal regulations (do you need to check IDs and differentiate between medical and recreational customers?) and some of it solves some practical problems (weed is expensive and there’s still a viable aftermarket, so you are in principle a target for theft).

But it’s also a question of culture: who’s involved in the transaction as a seller and as a buyer, and what are their assumptions and competencies that they’re bringing to the party (so to speak)?

Someone with more than a passing acquaintance with these shops and their alternatives will have to do the full anthropology. But it does seem to me that with the legalization of marijuana, we are in the process of changing more than who is allowed to get high and who is allowed to get paid without being punished. kottke.org

Coming to a Neighborhood Near You: Cannabis 'Coffee Shops'
Cannabis Lounge: Restaurant or Dispensary?
The idea of a cannabis “coffee shop” has been around for decades: a place where a person of legal age can go to consume cannabis while on-site in a relaxing environment, free from judgment. While the same base desires for a similar space still exist within the average cannabis consumer, the level of expectation and innovation for the fulfilment of those desires by the consumer is exceedingly complicated to bring to fruition. The amount of regulations around cannabis consumption are either very complicated, or do not exist at the level that allows for licensing/providing for public consumption spaces. In fact, one of the only crimes that has increased in states that allow for recreational cannabis is consuming illegally in a public space.

The desire for places to legally consume cannabis outside of a private residence needs to be accounted for in regulations, and normalized within the states that have legal cannabis. Beyond that, running a consumption lounge is a feat in-and-of itself: complying with regulations, intersecting hospitality and the traditional dispensary model, “turning tables,” monitoring consumption, allowing for and monitoring “takeaway” product, all underscoring the main goal of trying to create the best customer experience and journey possible. sapphirerisk.com

Medical marijuana gets broad approval in first vote by North Carolina lawmakers

Connecticut launches new website dedicated to recreational marijuana updates

Opportunities in the Texas Cannabis Market

Amazon Price Gouging Lawsuit
Class-action lawsuit accuses Amazon of 'exploiting consumers in their most vulnerable hour' during the pandemic

A lawsuit filed in California says Amazon hiked up prices by as much as 1,000% during the pandemic.

A lawsuit accuses Amazon of "exploiting consumers in their most vulnerable hour" by hiking up prices on medical items, cleaning products, canned food and other necessary supplies during the coronavirus pandemic.

The class-action lawsuit has now expanded to potentially include all Amazon shoppers across the US who purchased such products, the law firm Hagens Berman said on Friday.

The lawsuit says American consumers turned to Amazon and other online retailers at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020, when stay-at-home orders and the threat of the disease made it difficult to purchase much-needed food and supplies.

"In this environment—consistent with the directions of government and public health officials—consumers have understandably turned to online purchasing, and Amazon in particular, to fulfill their essential needs," the lawsuit says. "Without venturing into public and risking exposure to themselves and others, with just a few clicks Americans can purchase consumer goods from Amazon that will be delivered to their homes."

Amazon did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Insider asking about the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges the e-commerce giant significantly hiked up prices of various goods. The cost of face masks, for example, jumped 500%, the lawsuit alleges, from $20 to $120. Disinfectant cost went up by 100%, the lawsuit says, while the cost of an ordinary staple pantry item like black beans went up by 672%. Among other items whose costs drastically went up on Amazon were pain relievers, flour, and cold remedies, according to the lawsuit.

The complaint, first filed in April 2020 in California's Northern District Court, says some items went up by as much as 1,000%. businessinsider.com

New Online Tech Helps Retailers Solve the 'Fitting-Room Dilemma'
Shuttered fitting rooms anger shoppers and drive up online returns

With the health crisis serving as a wake-up call, retailers including the biggest in the country, Walmart, are looking for ways to fix the fitting-room dilemma.

The headaches for consumers are somewhat obvious: Not being able to try on items in stores means potentially stocking up on extra sizes, like Hearden did, to later see what works at home. Shoppers tend to employ a similar strategy when looking for clothes or shoes online — they’ll buy a dress in two or even three sizes — which has increasingly happened over the course of the health crisis. For businesses, this chain of events sends return rates skyrocketing. And that comes with a cost. With the Covid pandemic serving as somewhat of a wake-up call, retailers including the biggest in the country, Walmart, are looking for ways to solve the fitting-room dilemma.

Retailers are now turning to smaller start-ups that have been working on technology, for years, to fix this very issue.

3DLook, a mobile body-measuring technology business, recently debuted a new platform, called “YourFit,” that it plans to offer to more apparel retailers. It allows shoppers to virtually try on clothes and will make sizing recommendations based on user data. The technology aims to show customers exactly how the clothing will look on them, in a virtual experience online or on a smartphone. cnbc.com

Amazon launches at-home COVID-19 test kit for $39.99

Benicia, CA: Rite Aid Shoplifter arrested, wanted for Attempted Murder
The arrest of two Benicia shoplifting suspects resulted in one suspect also being charged with attempted murder in a case from another county, police said Wednesday. Benicia police said officers were called to a report of theft at a Rite Aid store on Solano Square in city’s downtown area on July 4. One officer spotted a vehicle matching the description and stopped it along westbound Interstate Highway 780 at the E. 2nd St. exit, according to a police log. Inside the vehicle, officers recovered the stolen goods and found more items that appeared to have been stolen from another Benicia drug store, police said. The two men in the car were arrested. One was identified as 18-year-old Giovanni Wiggins, who was discovered to have an arrest warrant out of Atwater in Merced County for attempted murder, robbery and discharging a firearm into an occupied dwelling or vehicle. sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com

Bloomington, MN: Dash across freeway wasn’t enough to avoid arrest
A group attempting to steal approximately $1,800 worth of merchandise from the Bloomington Kohl’s store appeared to have an orchestrated plan, but the call for improvisation fell flat. Police officers were dispatched to Kohl’s at approximately 4:15 p.m. June 24, after the store’s loss prevention staff reported that the foursome was attempting to conceal and steal merchandise. That conclusion was based upon the actions of the lone woman in the group, who exited the store with concealed merchandise and stashed it in a parked vehicle, according to Bloomington Police Cmdr. Mike Utecht.

While under surveillance, the woman went to a parked vehicle without license plates, placed the merchandise inside and walked away. Officers responding to the incident located the vehicle, but could not locate the woman in the vicinity, Utecht said.

Three other men were still inside the store when officers arrived at Kohl’s. An officer stayed with the vehicle while another officer went to confront the suspects as they exited the store. When the trio exited, they saw the officer and took off running, initially toward their parked vehicle, Utecht explained. All three men were arrested on suspicion of felony theft and fleeing a police officer on foot. And all three had outstanding warrants at the time of their arrest. The 32-year-old Minneapolis man and 29-year-old Sandstone man were also booked for giving false information to a police officer. hometownsource.com

Wiltshire, England: Perfume Smash & Grab pair jailed
A man and a woman who stole more than $20,000 worth of perfume in a ram raid have been jailed. Wearing balaclavas, the Bristol pair caused over $18,000 worth of damage by driving a Ford Fiesta into a store in Trowbridge at 03:am on 23 June. Michael Denyer, 33, of Millground Road, was jailed for three years for burglary and criminal damage. Christina Colton, 44, of Briscoes Avenue, got two years, nine months for burglary and criminal damage. Colton's sentence also included twice failing to surrender to custody. bbc.com

Vancouver, Canada: Police nab 16 shoplifters at Victoria store during pilot project
Victoria police say 16 would-be shoplifters were arrested over a three-day period last week through a new pilot program aimed at supporting downtown businesses. The alleged shoplifters were arrested between June 28 and June 30 at a single store in the Bay Centre mall. Out of the 16 arrested, police say five people were already wanted on other warrants, including one person who was wanted on 12 outstanding warrants.
Police say that pilot project will expand to other businesses around the downtown core in the months to come. vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca

Fairview Park, OH: Car smashes store front door, $7,300 worth of tobacco product stolen

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Shootings & Deaths

Hopewell, VA: Investigation underway after man shot to death outside Hopewell convenience store
A homicide investigation is underway in Hopewell after a man was shot to death outside a convenience store Wednesday night. Around 9:30 p.m., Hopewell Police and EMS responded to reports of a person shot near the gas pumps at the Quick Express Store on S. 15th Avenue. Upon their arrival, they found a man unresponsive with life-threatening gunshot wounds. wric.com

Bellevue, WA: Man shot, killed in Factoria Mall parking lot
Bellevue police are searching for a gunman after a fatal shooting in the parking lot of the AMC theater at Factoria Mall on Wednesday night. Witnesses found the man in his 20s in the parking lot and began rendering aid until police arrived. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center, where he later died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. The Bellevue Police Department tweeted around 9:30 p.m. that this is now a homicide investigation. mynorthwest.com

Decatur, GA: Grandmother begs for answers after 19-year-old gunned down at convenience store
Police are searching for a gunman in a deadly shooting outside of a DeKalb County food mart Wednesday night. Now the 19-year-old victim's grandmother is speaking out about her loss. Johnnie Jones described her grandson Jakare McKellar as a "loveable kid." The 19-year-old was outside a Food Mart on 3800 block of Flat Shoals Parkway, just outside of Interstate 285, when he was gunned down late that night. Police on the scene didn't say much about the investigation. McKellar's family tells us a car drove up and someone started, killing the young man. No arrests have been made. fox5atlanta.com

Update: Mason, MI: Gun store reforms policies in response to lawsuit on 2018 murder-suicide
A Mason gun store and range has agreed to implement policy reforms in response to a lawsuit filed by the mother of a woman killed by her ex-boyfriend with a gun he rented, then stole, from the store, according to the mother's lawyer. Rachel Duncan, a 25-year-old Charlotte woman, was shot and killed by her ex-boyfriend, Timothy Olin, in March 2018, after Olin rented a semi-automatic handgun at Total Firearms in Mason and walked out with the gun after target practice, police said in 2018. lansingstatejournal.com

Noble County, IN: Kendallville Gas Station shooting suspect to seek insanity defense in murder trial
The man accused of wounding two people and killing one more at a Kendallville gas station appeared in court to face charges Wednesday. Matthew Rodriguez, 24, is now back in Noble County after he was captured in Ohio last week. He is accused of fatally shooting Justin Smead inside the Gallops Party store and gas station, while leaving Blake Lewis and Alyssa Jefferies wounded.

Prosecutors charged him with murder and attempted murder in connection to the crime. An attorney representing Rodriguez filed a notice of defense of mental disease or defect commonly referred to as the insanity defense Wednesday. The attorney also asked that his client undergo a psychological evaluation. The judge ordered him to be checked out by two mental health doctors, and they will determine his competency to stand trial. wpta21.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Nashville, TN: Man arrested in gas station clerk stabbing
Metro Police have arrested and charged a man with especially aggravated robbery after they say he stabbed a gas station clerk on Sunday. The stabbing at the Sam's Express on East Thompson Lane sent the clerk to the hospital and kicked off a search to identify the man captured on surveillance video. Police say the suspect, 46-year-old Arrick Darnell Fields, walked into the Sam's Express to buy chips. When he went to the counter to pay for his chips, the cashier opened the register, and Fields reportedly attempted to come around the counter. Police say surveillance video shows the ensuing fight between Fields and the clerk, which ended with Fields stabbing the clerk with a sharp object multiple times. wsmv.com

Davenport, IA: Iowa State University employee accused of mishandling $115K in credit card fraud
An Iowa State University employee is accused of mishandling the school's money. Investigators say 25-year-old Miranda Richmann put more than $115,000 on a credit card shared between certain employees. She is accused of using that card at several banks, Target, Venmo and Walmart. It's issued to be used only for work-related items. When police contacted her, she admitted to using the card to pay her attorney fees and other debt. She was arrested and charged with three counts of unauthorized use of credit card and has since bonded out of the Story County Jail. According to the university's website, Richmann is a secretary in the Human Development and Family Studies Department. kcci.com

Gillette, NJ: A Family Falsely Accused Of Shoplifting in a TJ Maxx
A Family Falsely Accused Of Shoplifting At A TJ Maxx in Gillette, NJ. The women tell the officer he doesn’t understand how embarrassing it is to be accused of shoplifting after spending almost $300. A three-part series of TikTok videos documenting three Black women being suspected of shoplifting at a T.J. Maxx in Gilette, New Jersey, has gone viral and sparked accusations of racial profiling. The first video featuring the incident garnered more than 1 million views, with people weighing in on the apparent inconsistencies in the security officer’s story and his accusatory questions. The officer initially tells the three women he received a call from a Black man for possible shoplifting. Later in the videos, the officer says he talked to the man in person.

According to a study on the experience of Black shoppers in retail stores, 80% of Black shoppers reported experiencing racial stigma and stereotypes while shopping, and 59% reported being perceived as a shoplifter. The 55 middle-class Black shoppers interviewed in the study reported being followed around the store, ignored, and informed of the sale section without asking. dailydot.com

Atlanta, GA: Shaq's historic Krispy Kreme doughnut shop in Atlanta catches fire for second time less than five months after arson attack
Firefighters were called to the Atlanta landmark on Wednesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blaze, investigations are ongoing to determine cause. It is the second fire this year at the doughnut shop, which was hit by arson in Feb. It has yet to reopen following extensive damage sustained in the earlier blaze. Basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal bought the building in 2016 The store has stood on the same site for more than 60 years and donated 150 dozen doughnuts to mourners at Atlanta churches following MLK's funeral. dailymail.co.uk

Pecos, NM: Dollar General shoplifter accused of pointing gun at New Mexico State Police Officer
New Mexico State Police say a call turned into a dangerous situation for an officer. Last Wednesday, NMSP were called to the Dollar General in Pecos when Officer Ray Montoya arrived, and a man identified as Isaac Valencia, 39, and two women, one identified at Josephine Vigil, was walking out of the store suspected of shoplifting. When Officer Montoya tried to stop them, police say Valencia pointed a gun at the officer’s face. NMSP says they began to wrestle for control of the gun during which Officer Montoya was able to convince Valencia to let go. He was eventually arrested and faces charges including aggravated assault on a police officer. krqe.com

Abilene, TX: Man admits to robbing 3 convenience stores at gunpoint

Peoria, IL: Gun store burglary suspect now in custody

Brazilian iPhone thieves reveal trick to 'hack' devices with shocking ease

Alexandria, VA: Man arrested five months after DNA links to 7-Eleven break-in

Los Angeles, CA: Gardena Man Charged in Indictment Alleging Five-Day Armed Robbery Spree of Donut Shops, Pet Clinic, and Other Businesses

Miami, FL: Serial Armed Robber Pleads Guilty in Ft. Lauderdale Federal Court

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Speed Kills! As the old expression goes, so does the pace of today's world. With technology leashing us forward and mobile coming at the speed of light, no one can slow down. The problem then becomes focus and concentration. Multitasking, while impossible to avoid, leads to a reduction in quality and quality is what every senior executive must be focused on. So the next time you're running fast, just take one second and think, was the service you just delivered quality service.

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