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Violence, Crime & Unrest

State & Local Leaders Grapple with Rising Crime

Georgia Governor Asks Businesses to Help Fight Rising Crime
Kemp to Georgia biz community: It’s time to get tough on crime
Gov. Brian Kemp has vowed to leverage the state’s powers to crack down on rising crime rates. Now he’s telling Georgia’s business leaders it’s time for them to do their part.

The Republican used the Georgia Chamber’s annual congressional luncheon on Tuesday as a platform to urge the corporate community to join his administration’s efforts to crack down on crime.

He warned the executives who gathered in Columbus that “if crime is rampant on the streets of your local community, businesses will look elsewhere, workforces will leave, visitors won’t show up and investment will stop.” Kemp also called on the Georgia Chamber, the Metro Atlanta Chamber and local chapters to speak up and “work toward meaningful solutions — because, as leaders, we have a duty to act.”

The governor and other Republicans have focused on the rising crime rate in metro Atlanta as a political argument, outlining plans to boost law enforcement funding, toughen penalties for violent crimes and devote more resources to state crime-fighting initiatives. That’s on top of new efforts to crack down on human trafficking, gang violence and street racing.

The Republican-controlled Legislature also passed a law this year that prevents local governments from making steep cuts to law enforcement funding, even though there’s little evidence the “defund the police“ movement has gained any traction. And Kemp has asked lawmakers to take up new tough-on-crime proposals in a special legislative session later this year. ajc.com

Lawmakers Call Bail Reforms a "Failure" as Crime Surges
Republicans Want Emergency Legislative Session on Crime

Leading Republican state legislators are calling for immediate reforms to enhance sentences for violent crime and place new limitations on pre-trial release from jail.

Leading Republican state legislators are calling for immediate reforms to enhance sentences for violent crime and place new limitations on pre-trial release from jail in response to violent crime in Albuquerque.

The lawmakers urged Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham on Wednesday to call a special legislative session to “send a strong signal that criminals will be held responsible.”

A letter from House Republicans including minority leader James Townsend of Aztec and Rebecca Dow of Truth or Consequences calls for reconsideration of 11 GOP-sponsored bills on public safety that were rejected in 2020 and 2021 by the Democrat-led Legislature. The GOP legislators describe state bail reforms as a failure and call for a new move toward mandatory minimum sentencing.

On Monday, Lujan Grisham said she will open up the 30-day legislative session in early 2020 to consideration of criminal justice proposals that expand the number of law enforcement officers and increase penalties for crimes involving firearms.

Albuquerque has surpassed its annual homicide record already in 2021, having logged more than 80 killings with four months still go in the year. The previous record was set in 2019. usnews.com

'Safe Streets Baltimore'
Activist Group Shows Crime Plan To Senator Following Murder Of Two Teens
With two teens shot and killed in Baltimore City in the past week, Safe Streets Baltimore showed Senator Van Hollen Wednesday how they aim to stop the violence. “They work every night in the community,” Dante Johnson of Safe Streets told the Senator.

“Instead of them going out and shooting and killing them, they’ll get with us and we get them and give them resources out in the streets instead of them trying to hurt somebody,” added Lamont Holt, who also works with Safe Streets.

The Senator visited Baltimore to highlight the projects he is trying to secure more federal funding for, including Safe Streets. “Our idea is to provide funds that go to organizations at the local level,” the Senator (D-Maryland) said Wednesday.

And Safe Streets said they have seen some success with their program. baltimore.cbslocal.com

Op-Ed: Eliminating cash bail will make Kentucky increasingly soft on crime


Fallout from 2020 George Floyd Protests Continues

Feds Targeted BLM Activists to Disrupt & Discourage Protests
Report: Feds targeted BLM protesters with heavy-handed criminal prosecutions
The federal government deliberately targeted Black Lives Matter protesters via heavy-handed criminal prosecutions in an attempt to disrupt and discourage the global movement that swept the nation last summer in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd, according to a new report released Wednesday by The Movement for Black Lives.

Movement leaders and experts said the prosecution of protesters over the past year continues a century-long practice by the federal government, rooted in structural racism, to suppress Black social movements via the use of surveillance tactics and other mechanisms.

“The empirical data and findings in this report largely corroborate what Black organizers have long known intellectually, intuitively, and from lived experience about the federal government’s disparate policing and prosecution of racial justice protests and related activity,” the report stated.

The report, which was first shared with The Associated Press, argues that as the uprisings in the summer of 2020 increased, so did police presence, the deployment of federal agents and prosecution of protesters.

Titled “Struggle For Power: The Ongoing Persecution of Black Movement By The U.S. Government,” the report details how policing has been used historically as a major tool to deter Black people from engaging in their right to protest and weaken efforts to draw attention to issues impacting Black Americans. It also drew a comparison to how the government used Counterintelligence Program techniques to “disrupt the work of the Black Panther Party and other organizations fighting for Black liberation.” apnews.com

Massive New Police Training Center Triggers Protests
Protests come before Atlanta City Council vote on massive police training facility amid officer shortage
Dozens of protesters gathered Sunday, as the Atlanta City Council is expected to vote on a massive police training facility that supporters argue is necessary to train a new class of officers amid staffing shortages following a year of anti-police demonstrations in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

The proposal, first put forward by City Councilmember Joyce Sheperd, would grant the Atlanta Police Foundation, a nonprofit organization that funds high priority projects designed to fight and prevent crime in Atlanta neighborhoods, permission to build a state of the art public safety training campus to be used by the Atlanta Police Department on 381 acres in Dekalb County, Georgia.

Just 85 acres will be developed for the facility, amended down from the initial 150 acres to be leased to the nonprofit, after residents during listening sessions last week voiced concerns about preserving additional green space. Sheperd argued to Fox 5 Atlanta that the city was in dire need of such facility, as its police force faces a morale crisis, staffing shortages and an uptick in violent crime.

As the force is short at least 200 officers, she said residents in neighborhoods affected by violent crime want the facility to train more police. foxnews.com

Teenage activist found not guilty of charges stemming from protest against bills increasing protest-related penalties


May 2020 Protests & Riots: Criminal Justice System Still at Work

Federal Jury Convicts St. Paul Man in Target Headquarters Arson
MINNEAPOLIS – A federal jury found a St. Paul man guilty of arson and riot after looting, damaging, and burning businesses in downtown Minneapolis. Following a four-day trial before Judge Joan N. Ericksen, Victor Devon Edwards, 32, was convicted of one count of riot and one count of arson.

On the evening of August 26, 2020, Edwards joined a large crowd that had gathered in downtown Minneapolis following false rumors regarding police involvement in the death of a man on Nicollet Mall earlier that evening. Throughout the course of the evening, Edwards engaged in acts of rioting, looting, and other property damage. Beginning around 9:00 p.m., Edwards and his co-defendant Shador Tommie Cortez Jackson worked together to steal women’s purses and other items from Saks Off Fifth. Edwards sent text messages to various acquaintances telling them, “I got M[ichael] K[ors] purses.” In response to a text message from one acquaintance asking why he was downtown, Edwards simply replied, “Lootin.”

Shortly before 11:00 p.m., Edwards and Jackson were captured on video surveillance using a construction sign to break into the Target Corporation’s headquarters building. Once inside, Jackson started a fire inside the mailroom while Edwards added a liquid accelerant to fuel the fire. justice.gov

Kent, Washington man - looter during Seattle June 1, 2020 civil unrest gets 24 months

Illinois Man Gets 105 Months Prison for Arson of Minneapolis Sprint Store During Summer 2020 Civil Unrest

San Diego Man Gets 33 Months for Possessing Molotov Cocktails at La Mesa Protest at Protests May 30, 2020
 

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COVID Update

358.6M Vaccinations Given

US: 38M Cases - 641.3K Dead - 30.3M Recovered
Worldwide: 210.3M Cases - 4.4M Dead - 188.4M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 287  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 340
*Red indicates change in total deaths

New Cases, Hospitalization & Deaths Rising Amid Delta Surge

'Americans Are Flying Blind'
'Miserable' breakthrough COVID-19 cases are increasing, but experts aren't sure how common they are
Three studies released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention underscore the new reality: Breakthrough infections are occurring more frequently than previously reported.

“Recent data makes clear that protection against mild and moderate disease has decreased over time,” U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said during a Wednesday briefing. “This is likely due to both waning immunity and the strength of the widespread delta variant.”

There’s no way to know exactly how common breakthrough infections are across the country, for several reasons. Many cases are asymptomatic or mild enough for people to forgo testing, and the United States doesn't track post-vaccination infections in any organized way. Americans are flying blind.

Topol said breakthrough infections are a critical statistic for several reasons. In places that do a good job of tracking post-vaccination infections, such as his home county of San Diego, the data present a compelling picture of the vaccines' effectiveness.

Right now in San Diego County, the nation’s fifth-most populous, vaccinated people have a rate of infection about nine times less than the unvaccinated – and a rate of hospitalization that’s 35 times less. usatoday.com

Popular Tourism & Shopping Destination Becomes Top Hotspot
Gulf Coast’s beloved ‘Redneck Riviera’ now a virus hotspot
Tourists and servers alike dance atop tables and in the aisles at one restaurant on the “Redneck Riviera,” a beloved stretch of towns along the northern Gulf Coast where beaches, bars and stores are packed. Yet just a few miles away, a hospital is running out of critical care beds, its rooms full of unvaccinated people fighting for their lives.

On maps that show virus “hot spots” in red, this part of the U.S. coast is glowing like a bad sunburn. And a summer of booming tourism that followed the lockdowns and travel restrictions of 2020 is making the turn toward fall with only a few signs of slowing down.

Health officials believe the spike is due to a combination of some of the nation’s lowest vaccination rates, unabated tourism, a disregard for basic health precautions and the region’s carefree lifestyle, all combining at a time when the mutated virus is more contagious than ever and conservative states are balking at new health restrictions.

On a recent afternoon, one shopper after another walked through the mouth of a giant, fake shark into a Gulf Shores souvenir shop. Mini-golf courses, bars, go-kart tracks, hotels and condominium towers were full. The National Shrimp Festival, which draws as many as 250,000 people to the Alabama coast, is set for October despite the COVID-19 explosion. apnews.com

Businesses Take NYC to Court Over Vaccine Mandate
Restaurant owners sue NYC, hoping to block its ‘ridiculous’ vaccine mandate

The lawsuit argues that city officials are unfairly singling out restaurants, gyms and other businesses with overly rigid restrictions.

A group of small businesses is suing New York City, hoping to stop the city’s first-in-the-nation vaccine mandate for restaurants, gyms and other indoor public venues.

The city is requiring patrons and employees of restaurants and certain other businesses to show proof of vaccination. The plaintiffs say the city is unfairly targeting businesses that are struggling during the pandemic, and that there should be exemptions for people with certain medical conditions or religious beliefs.

“The executive order has rendered it impossible for anyone who chooses not to be vaccinated, for whatever reason, to work in the designated industries, wholly depriving them of their livelihood,” the lawsuit says.

Andrew Giuliani, a Republican who is running for governor, said he supported the lawsuit and that businesses should be able to set their own rules. The plaintiffs include Deluca’s Italian Restaurant in Staten Island, Pasticceria Rocco in Brooklyn and Staten Island Judo Jujitsu.

New York City’s mandate is similar to one approved in France last month that prompted large protests. Enforcement by city health officials will not start in New York until Sept. 13, the day when the city’s public schools are expected to reopen. nytimes.com

Updated List of Store Mask Rules
Masks are back: Stores revise COVID policies

As new information emerges, companies are making their decisions about how they’ll keep employees and customers safe moving forward.

● APPLE - Requiring masks for all employees and customers in most U.S. stores.
● COSTCO - Will follow the face mask regulations of the applicable state and local jurisdictions.
● CVS - Requiring employees to wear a mask . Customers are encouraged to wear a mask.
● GIANT EAGLE - Requiring all employees to wear masks and encouraging all customers to do the same.
● GOOGLE - Google is requiring all employees to be vaccinated before its offices fully reopen in October.
● HOME DEPOT - All employees required to wear masks indoors. Guests asked to wear masks as well.
● KOHL’S - Require employees in high-risk counties to wear masks. Masks encouraged for customers.
● KROGER - The guidelines require unvaccinated customers and employees to wear them.
● LOWE’S - Requires all employees to wear masks indoors and asking customers to do the same.
● MCDONALD’S - Requiring crew and customers to wear masks inside in areas with high transmission.
● SAM’S CLUB - Fully vaccinated people to wear masks in areas of substantial or high transmission.
● TARGET - All employees are required to wear masks. The company is not mandating masks for guests.
● WALMART - Employees get vaccinated by October. Employees required to wear masks. Customers encouraged
● WALGREENS - Requiring masks for all of its employees. Masks  encouraged for all customers. fox8.com

Updated OSHA Mask Guidance for Vaccinated Employees
OSHA recommends masks for many vaccinated workers
Vaccinated workers in areas of substantial or high community transmission should wear masks to protect unvaccinated workers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration said in guidance updated Aug. 13.

Additionally, vaccinated workers who come into close contact with people with coronavirus should wear masks for up to 14 days unless they have a negative coronavirus test at least three to five days after the contact, according to OSHA.

The agency's updated guidance also included recommendations for manufacturing, meat and poultry processing, seafood processing and agricultural processing employers.

OSHA's guidance may be particularly notable as the delta variant surges throughout the U.S. At press time, the CDC's transmission map showed that most of the nation's counties had "substantial" or "high" transmission, making them subject to OSHA's recommendation.

For employers that choose to require masks, it's crucial to devise a clear, written policy and enforce it consistently, an attorney previously told HR Dive. hrdive.com

Top Health & Safety Challenges for Businesses
The Biggest Challenge COVID-19 Poses to Your Organization

It’s clear that there is no shortage of challenges that have been brought about or exacerbated by COVID-19.

It’s clear that there is no shortage of challenges that have been brought about or exacerbated by COVID-19. Even those challenges that didn’t pertain to the pandemic, such as getting people to attend monthly safety meetings, could have experienced a different reality had more employees attended those meetings and heeded your advice for creating a safer workplace.

And while you all have done tremendous work to keep the doors open, it’s clear there’s more work to be done—and that you need more participation, budget and hours in the day.

We pulled a sample of answers from more than 900 respondents as part of our National Safety & Salary Survey 2021:

● Mass confusion
● Complying with various and ever-changing federal and local mandates
● Employee health and well-being
● Lost focus on basic safety measures as we moved to COVID-19 protection
● Staff burnout
● Inability to perform on-site EHS support services, including needing to conduct site audits remotely
● Obtaining the proper-fitting PPE at a reasonable cost ehstoday.com

Covid-19 Boosters Are Coming: Here’s What to Know
The Biden administration announced that Americans who have been fully vaccinated with a two-dose regimen against Covid-19 should receive a booster, citing the threat from the highly contagious Delta variant. WSJ breaks down what you need to know. wsj.com

Florida, Texas Turn to Antibody Treatments as Covid-19 Surges

Texas faces tipping point as COVID-19 spreads

Maryland's 7-day positivity rate surpasses 5% for the first time since April
 

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Former LP Exec Marvin Ellison Continues to Make Headlines as Lowe's CEO
Lowe’s CEO says profitability will rise as retailer speeds up fridge, washing machine deliveries

Lowe’s expects to grow sales and boost profitability thanks to an initiative to reform its home delivery operations, CEO Marvin Ellison told CNBC on Wednesday.

Lowe’s CEO Marvin Ellison told CNBC on Wednesday the retailer expects to grow sales and boost profitability thanks to an initiative to reform how it delivers bulk items like appliances to customer’s homes.

Ellison detailed the large-scale effort called “market delivery” in a “Mad Money” interview after the company earlier in the day reported better-than-expected earnings per share and revenue. Lowe’s shares rose more than 9% in the session.

“We’re in the process of rolling this out over the next 18-plus months around the company. We think it’s going to give us improved turns, improved profitability and improved sales,” Ellison told host Jim Cramer.

In the past, Lowe’s workers had to “physically ensure” a product such as a washing machine was in stock at a store if a customer wanted to buy it, Ellison said. Then, he said, a second employee would later on have to call the customer to schedule home delivery. “That’s a very inefficient and a very prehistoric process,” he said.

“What market delivery does for us, it takes all of the inventory for appliances, as an example, [and] puts it in a centralized distribution center. The associate now can go online, has real-time visibility of the inventory,” which then can make its to customers’ residences “often times next day” without ever going to the store, Ellison said. cnbc.com

Massive $57M Supply Chain Fraud Impacting Tens of Thousands of Consumers
Suburban Chicago Prescription Drug Wholesaler Indicted for Allegedly Re-Selling Diverted Drugs to Pharmacies
The owner of a suburban Chicago prescription drug wholesale distribution company purchased more than $57 million worth of diverted, unregulated prescription drugs and re-sold them to unsuspecting pharmacies and other wholesalers, according to a federal indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago.

GURUCHARAN DUA used his Plainfield, Ill.-based distribution company to knowingly obtain wholesale amounts of the diverted prescription drugs at discounted prices from unlicensed suppliers, the indictment states. Upon receipt of the diverted drugs, Dua directed his employees to clean the bottles to fraudulently make the drugs appear to be from a regulated prescription drug distribution chain, the indictment states. Dua then knowingly sold the diverted prescription drugs to unsuspecting pharmacies and other wholesalers, falsely representing to them that his company had acquired the prescription drugs from a licensed source in a regulated supply chain, the indictment states.

The charges allege that from 2011 to 2017, Dua purchased approximately $57.2 million worth of diverted prescription drugs that he later re-sold to the pharmacies and wholesalers. Some of the pharmacies were located in Chicago, Joliet, Ill., and Springfield, Mass., the indictment states.

“Prescription drugs that are not in the legitimate supply chain can present a serious health risk to those who buy and use these diverted drugs,” said FDA SAC Burdelik.

The indictment charges Dua, 50, of Naperville, Ill., with six counts of mail fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and three counts of money laundering. Each count of mail fraud and wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while each money laundering count is punishable by up to ten years. justice.gov

Only Takes One Disgruntled Employee
Access Management Mistake Costs Hundreds of Thousands of $$$

HR Head Convicted for Two Day 'Rampage' After Termination
Florida Woman Convicted Of Damaging Former Employer’s Computers Faces 15 Yrs
MEDGHYNE CALONGE, on one count of intentionally causing damage to a protected computer, and one count of accessing a protected computer and recklessly causing damage. Both counts relate to CALONGE’s deletion of tens of thousands of human resources records of her former employer (“Employer-1”).

While she was being terminated, and just before she was escorted from the building, CALONGE was observed by two employees of Employee-1 repeatedly hitting the delete key on her desktop computer. Several hours later, CALONGE logged into a system (“System-1”) used by Employer‑1 to receive and manage applications for employment with the company, which the company had invested two years and over $100,000 to build. During the next two days, CALONGE rampaged through System-1, deleting over 17,000 job applications and resumes, and leaving messages with profanities inside the system. Ultimately, CALONGE completely destroyed all of Employer-1’s data in System-1. Employer-1 subsequently spent over $100,000 to investigate and respond to the incident and to rebuild System-1. To this day, Employer-1 has been unable to recover all of its data.

CALONGE, 41, of Tampa, Florida, was convicted of one count of intentionally damaging computers, which carries a maximum prison term of 10 years, and one count of recklessly damaging computers, which carries a maximum prison term of five years. justice.gov

Selling Counterfeit-Branded Products to Retailers & Wholesalers
Four Defendants Arrested in Multi-Million-Dollar Counterfeit Goods Trafficking Scheme
A 14-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging seven defendants with participating in a counterfeit goods scheme in which they imported generic goods into the United States from China, applied brand labels to those goods in workshops, some of which were controlled by the defendants, and then sold those counterfeit-branded goods to retail and wholesale purchasers.

As alleged in the indictment, between October 2019 and July 2021, the defendants participated in an international scheme to traffic counterfeit goods. The defendants first imported the goods in generic form from China into the Port of New York and New Jersey. The goods were then delivered to workshops and storage facilities controlled by some of the defendants in Queens and on Long Island. In those workshops, insignias, emblems, trademarks and other brand signifiers were applied to the generic goods, converting them into purported brand name merchandise. These counterfeit goods were then sold as a part of the scheme directly to consumers and to wholesale buyers. The estimated retail value of the counterfeit-branded goods, had they been genuine, was in excess of $130 million. justice.gov

Here They Come Full Speed
Amazon Plans to Open Large Retail Locations Akin to Department Stores

Wants a larger retail presence to sell clothing and household items and facilitate exchanges

Plans to open several large physical retail locations in the U.S. that will operate akin to department stores, a step to help the tech company extend its reach in sales of clothing, household items, electronics and other areas, people familiar with the matter said.

Some of the first Amazon department stores are expected to be located in Ohio and California, the people said. The new retail spaces will be around 30,000 square feet, smaller than most department stores, which typically occupy about 100,000 square feet, and will offer items from top consumer brands. The Amazon stores will dwarf many of the company’s other physical retail spaces and will have a footprint similar to scaled-down formats that Bloomingdale’s Inc., Nordstrom and other department-store chains have begun opening, the people said.

The company’s private-label goods are expected to feature prominently, the people said. wsj.com

Kroger launches nationwide frontline training initiative with Axonify
Through the Fresh Start with Axonify app, associates can access personalized training quickly and easily.

The solution is being launched in a phased approach across Kroger’s business. With continual learning performed in less than five minutes per shift, each associate’s training experience is tailored to their individual needs and knowledge gaps via the app using gamification.

Senchal Murphy, Kroger’s senior director of training and onboarding commented; “Fresh Start with Axonify helps us deliver a more personalized, digital experience for associates through purposeful, bite-sized training that enables them to learn and grow in a fun and engaging way.” supermarketnews.com

Aldi to add over 20,000 U.S. workers in hiring push


Quarterly Results
Target Q2 comp's up 8.7%, digital comp's up 10%, sales up 8.9%

Walmart Q2 U.S. comp's up 5.2%, eCommerce comp's up 6%, Int'l net sales down 15.2% ($8.9 in retail divestitures), Total Walmart net sales up 2.4%
   Sam's Club comp up 7.7%, eCommerce comp's up 27%

Talk About Recruiting & It Could Be Your People
Ransomware Attacker Offers Employees a Cut if They Install DemonWare on Their Organization's Systems
Researchers went undercover and posed as willing "insider threats" to expose and study an unusual hybrid BEC-style social engineering-ransomware scheme.

Researchers masqueraded as a rogue employee to engage with a ransomware operator soliciting insiders to plant ransomware on their own organization's servers in exchange for a portion of the ransom money. Their ploy gave them a front-row seat in a rare ransomware threat — one that comes with a bold social engineering twist.

The attack goes like this: The employee receives an email offering $1 million in Bitcoin, or 40% of a $2.5 million ransom bounty, if he or she installs DemonWare ransomware — either physically or remotely — on their company's Windows server or other computer. If the employee wants to take them up on it, he or she contacts the attacker via their Outlook email address or Telegram account provided in the initial email. darkreading.com

New DHS Guidance on Ransomware Attacks
CISA Release: Protecting Sensitive and Personal Information from Ransomware-Caused Data Breaches
After several months of disruptive and headline-making ransomware attacks on large businesses in the United States, the DHS' Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has released a list of recommendations for preventing and responding to these kinds of incidents.

The fact sheet, titled Protecting Sensitive and Personal Information from Ransomware-Caused Data Breaches, includes several suggestions such as maintaining offline, encrypted backups and implementing a basic incident response and communications plan. The document also urges readers not to pay a ransom if hit with an attack.

"CISA strongly discourages paying a ransom to criminal actors," the sheet reads. "Paying a ransom may embolden adversaries to target additional organizations, encourage other criminal actors to engage in the distribution of ransomware, and/or may fund illicit activities. Paying the ransom also does not guarantee that a victim’s files will be recovered."

The full data sheet can be read here. darkreading.com

New Information Revealed in Connection to T-Mobile Data Breach
More Than 47M Affected in T-Mobile Breach

T-Mobile has confirmed stolen records included account information for 7.8 million current customers and 40 million former or prospective customers.

Nearly 48 million current, former, and prospective T-Mobile customers were compromised in a data breach that is still under investigation, the company confirmed late yesterday.

The investigation began last week, when T-Mobile learned of claims made in an online forum stating an attacker had compromised its systems. While the forum posts did not specifically call out T-Mobile, the seller reportedly told Motherboard they had accessed data related to more than 100 million people from the company's servers.

T-Mobile confirmed unauthorized access to its data on Aug. 16; one day later, it shared the results of its preliminary analysis: Approximately 7.8 million current T-Mobile postpaid customer accounts' information appears to be in the stolen files, in addition to just over 40 million records of former or prospective customers who had applied for credit with T-Mobile.

The stolen data did include some personal information, the company says. Some of the data accessed included customers' first and last names, birthdate, Social Security number, and driver's license/ID information for a subset of current and former postpay customers as well as prospective T-Mobile customers.

So far, there is no indication that the data in stolen files included customers' financial data, credit or debit card information, or other payment data. T-Mobile reports no phone numbers, account numbers, PINs, or passwords were compromised in affected files related to current postpaid customers or former or prospective customers. darkreading.com

Hackers stole millions of Social Security numbers from T-Mobile. What should you do?

Ransomware-as-a-Service Operator Re-Emerges
Security Vendors Sound the Alarm on LockBit Ransomware's Return

Threat group claims version 2.0 of malware can encrypt 100 gigabytes of data twice as fast as its rivals.

The operators of LockBit, a ransomware-as-a-service outfit that first surfaced in 2019, have re-emerged with a vengeance, touting an improved version of their malware as well as an aggressive new campaign to recruit affiliates from the Dark Web and — ominously — from within target organizations themselves.

In recent days, several security vendors have reported observing a sharp increase in threat activity involving LockBit by groups likely looking to cash in on the opportunity created by the exit of major ransomware operators such as REvil and DarkSide over the past few months. One of the most notable incidents was last week's attack on consulting giant Accenture that reportedly resulted in the theft of several terabytes worth of data and a subsequent ransom demand of $50 million.

In a report this week, Trend Micro says that between July 1 and Aug. 15, its researchers observed attack attempts involving LockBit that targeted organizations in the UK, Italy, Taiwan, and Chile. The attacks featured a new version of the ransomware, LockBit 2.0, which, among other things, is capable of automatically encrypting devices across Windows domains using Active Directory (AD) group policies. The tactic has made LockBit one of the fastest ransomware strains on the market.

While it's possible that the group may have ramped up activity recently in response to the exit of some groups, it's equally likely they were simply ready to start again. In addition to operating on its own, the group has been recruiting affiliates who have expertise targeting specific organizations, Clay says. darkreading.com

Demand for Cybersecurity Professionals is Soaring
9 Tips for Hiring (and Keeping) Top Security Talent

Demand for security professionals continues to skyrocket. Here’s what organizations need to do to give themselves an edge in hiring and retaining the best talent out there.

Here are some tips for organizations to consider in order to attract cyber-warriors to join your team – after they have a realistic grasp of the skills required and a better job description.

1. Higher pay, better benefits
2. Stock options plus an upgrade
3. A “ride or die” credo
4. Missions that matter
5. Freedom to roll
6. Don’t stuff new duties into old company roles
7. R&R as needed
8. Access to ample resources
9. Create opportunities to level up darkreading.com

7 steps to protect against ransomware-related lawsuits

How Much Cybersecurity Can $1.9 Billion Buy?

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