D&D Daily Mobile Edition

The D&D Daily Mobile Edition
LP, AP & IT Security's #1 News Source

12/22/20

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2020 Moving Up Totals

277 New Senior LP's
- 178 Promotions - 99 Appointments

Click here to see all the LP leaders who 'moved up' in 2020

In Case You Missed It

December's Moving Ups

23 New Senior LP's - 11 Promotions - 12 Appointments

3xLOGIC named David Galante Senior Director of Global Product Management
3xLOGIC named Chinnette Cannida Senior Product Marketing Manager - North America
3xLOGIC named Brian Rumohr Regional Sales Manager - Western Canada
3xLOGIC named Bill Davis Regional Sales Manager - Mid-Atlantic region
Albertsons Companies named Alisa Dart GVP, Asset Protection
Amazon promoted Bobby Halliburton to Sr. Physical Security Program Manager
Appriss Retail promoted Cheryl Blake to Vice President, Global Client Success
Ascena Retail Group named Kristine Luansing-Lopez, MSCS Corporate Asset Protection Supervisor
Bloomingdale's named Liz Vulin Asset Protection Physical Security Project Manager
Chipotle Mexican Grill named Matt Roseberry Manager, Global Security Operations Center
Christian Dior Couture named Sha Kusuman Director of Asset Protection
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse promoted Linda Campbell, CFI to Director of Asset Protection
Nike promoted Corey May, CBCI to Senior Director, Security Intelligence
Nike promoted Doug McKendry, LPC to Director, North America Direct Loss Prevention - West
Nike promoted Jonathan Hsieh to North America Investigations & Intelligence Manager
Peloton Interactive promoted Jose Montoya to Senior Manager, Global Security Operations (Retail)
Raley’s named Matt Hilbrink Sr. Director of Enterprise Risk Management & Asset Protection
Raley’s promoted Ajla Gabela to Manager of Asset Protection
Shoppers Drug Mart promoted Jeff Yeats to Senior Director of Loss Prevention
T-Mobile promoted Shanna Ramirez, CFI to Senior Manager, Asset Protection
Tailored Brands named Christopher Dyess, LPC Manager, Field & Loss Prevention Analytics
Tractor Supply Company promoted Jason Gamber, CFI to Director, Loss Prevention
Vincente’s Supermarkets named Eric Burgess Director of Loss Prevention

Longtime LP Leader Alan Tague Announces Retirement

Alan Tague has announced his plan to retire effective 12/31/20 ending a decades long career in loss prevention, regulatory compliance and risk management. Alan’s journey started at Target stores back in 1976, leading to increasing leadership roles at Software Etc. (Gamestop), Tires Plus and eventually VP of Loss Prevention at Gander Mountain (Gander Outdoors). With the sale of Gander Outdoors, Alan transitioned to a Sr. Regional Manager at Dunham’s Sports where he finished his loss prevention career.

Through the years, Alan was an active member of the loss prevention community serving as Chair of the NRF Conferencing Planning Committee, Vice Chair of the Loss Prevention Council and as a charter member of the CFI/IAI Advisory Board.

Alan is looking forward to spending more time hunting, fishing and at his rural home in Minnesota, where he expects his 12 grandchildren will do their best to make sure there is never a dull moment!

Shanna Ramirez, CFI promoted to Senior Manager, Asset Protection for T-Mobile
Shanna has been with T-Mobile for more than 11 years, starting with the company in 2009 as Regional Loss Prevention Manager, a position she held for nearly eight years. Before her promotion to Senior Manager, Asset Protection, she spent more than three years as Senior Field Asset Protection Manager. Earlier in her career, she spent four years as Loss Prevention Manager for Kohl's. Congratulations, Shanna!

See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position

What a Year... Goodbye 2020!

2021 Retail Predictions

Forbes: Top Predictions For Retail 2021
The earliest projections have the country moving toward a post-COVID state in summer, which means that the first half of 2021 will only be more of the same for retail. By the time most of us are vaccinated, we’ll have been living in a COVID world for more than a year, and, unfortunately, a return to “normal” may never happen.

The muscle memory we shaped as a society will not be shed overnight, or perhaps ever. Retailers and brands need to prepare to hunker down some more, while simultaneously looking ahead to what the new post-COVID world might look like.

Here are key predictions for what the retail industry should expect in 2021:

1) There will be more bankruptcies across all sectors.
2) Apparel and footwear will come back strong, even sooner than we think.
3) Be prepared for many more innovative startups, brands and manufacturing models.
4) More Mergers & Acquisitions.
5) Consumer/Employee behavior will not return to the past ever again.
6) The Second Great Migration.
7) Micromarketing and Manufacturing.
8) Recycling Will Become A BIG Business.
9) Startup in National Delivery. In-Store Associates will Shift to Pickers, Packers and Drivers.

Read more here: forbes.com

The 800-Pound Gorilla in the Room
Security Industry December Poll: What About In-Person Events in 2021?
Will you attend any in-person events in 2021? – the industry seems uncertain, especially with effective vaccines on the way. Only 19 percent said “yes” they would attend an in-person event, with 50 percent saying “maybe,” showing the hesitance among security professionals at this point. Surprisingly, 31 percent have already decided that they are not ready to travel in 2021, which seems like a high percentage at this point.

“Too much has changed to go ‘back to normal,’” said one respondent, noting, “A vaccine will need to be widely deployed before any ‘in-person events’ will make sense.”

One reader pointed out, “I would possibly attend an outdoor in-person event. Really not interested in air travel at the moment though I realize not everyone shares that sentiment.”

Another added, “Until vaccinations reach a threshold of around 60-70 percent of population, it’s difficult to feel safe and normal again.” securitysystemsnews.com

The ONE Word that Will Ensure Your Success in 2021 and Beyond

By Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer

The impact of COVID-19 has delayed the arrival of the new roaring '20s projected at the start of the year and it is now setting up a very interesting 2021.

As the Economist asked in sharing their thoughts on the New Year, "do you feel lucky? The number 21 is connected with luck, risk, taking chances and rolling the dice. It’s the number of spots on a standard die, and the number of shillings in a guinea, the currency of wagers and horse-racing."

From a leadership point of view, I do feel lucky entering 2021, primarily because I have discovered the ONE word that will make the New Year successful. This one word is not complicated and you do not need a dictionary to understand its meaning. See if you can spot it as you read this year-end article.

Read More Here

*Catch up on Tony's latest episodes of the LPRC 'CrimeScience' podcast, which he does every week with Dr. Read Hayes of the Loss Prevention Research Council and Tom Meehan of CONTROLTEK. Listen Here

NRF: Retail in 2021: What will endure and what’s going to change?

Former Macy's CEO expects more store closures in 2021

2021 Retail Predictions From Today's Industry Experts

Experts Weigh in: Retail Predictions 2021

5 Holiday Wishes For Retail In 2021

6 Predictions For Amazon In 2021, And How They Will Play Out For Retail Brands

COVID Update

US: Over 18.5M Cases - 327K Dead - 10.8M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 78M Cases - 1.7M Dead - 54.8M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 247
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 171
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Vaccines Providing Light in a Dark Winter
Moderna’s COVID Vaccine Begins Arriving at Strained Hospitals Across the U.S.
Just one week after the first doses of a coronavirus vaccine were administered in the United States, a new batch of vaccines fanned out across the country on Monday, an urgently needed expansion of a vaccination effort that is expected to reach vulnerable populations and rural areas where hospitals are strained as soon as this week.

The vaccine, from Moderna, comes as the virus continues to spread virtually unabated: hospitalizations are over 115,000 for the first time, according to the Covid Tracking Project. Parts of California are down to their last I.C.U. beds and almost one-fifth of U.S. hospitals with intensive care units reported that at least 95 percent of their I.C.U. beds were full in the week ending Dec. 17. Nationwide, 78 percent of I.C.U. beds were full on average.

On Monday, confirmed cases in the country reached 18 million, just five days after surpassing 17 million on Dec. 16. The growth in cases appears to be leveling off: It took five days for the nation to go from 15 million to 16 million cases and then another four days to reach 17 million.

The total number of new cases on Monday was at least 201,720, with at least 1,960 new deaths. And with Christmas and New Year’s on the near horizon, health officials fear that more travel will push those numbers even higher. nytimes.com

CDC Prioritizes Some Retail Workers to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
Convenience-store, gas-station and foodservice workers should be prioritized to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the next phase of inoculations following the elderly and essential workers such as police officers and teachers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended on Dec. 20.

The committee released the prioritized list as guidance for state and local governments in planning their inoculation strategies. The federal recommendations do not set dates for when various demographic or industry groups can expect to get inoculated. Rather, the directive lists the order in which the recipients should be vaccinated.

Early in the pandemic, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) designated convenience, retail fuel and foodservice workers as essential under its Essential Critical Infrastructure Workers Guidance and has recently renewed this guidance. cspdailynews.com

Retail Pharmacies Ramping Up Staffing
COVID-19 vaccine rollout sees hiring frenzy for pharmacists
The nation's drugstores and groceries are racing to hire thousands of pharmacists and technicians to administer COVID-19 vaccines to the masses. Pharmacies big and small were laying off pharmacists as recently as summer, as the profession's outlook grew dim. Now some of those same pharmacies and supermarkets are making public pleas, reaching out to retired workers and offering signing bonuses. Several retail pharmacy chains, including CVS Health Corp. and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., have agreed to work with the U.S. government to serve as Covid-19 vaccination sites. foxbusiness.com

'They could start taking up space': How vaccines could impact retail shipping
Vaccines are rolling out across the country — and some experts are questioning whether the logistics mobilization required to distribute them might impact other products. Logistics experts who spoke to Modern Retail did not express fears of mass delays and shortages on the scale of what the world saw in the spring. Retailers and logistics companies alike are far more prepared for the surge in vaccine capacity now than they were for the e-commerce rush in March. But for food products that — like the vaccines — require cold storage, smaller-scale shipping delays and price increases are not out of the question, especially for small and mid-sized businesses that might not have the resources to fight for their slot in the cold-storage chain. modernretail.co

Americans' readiness to take the COVID-19 vaccine spikes after the start of shots
Americans' willingness to take the coronavirus vaccine has jumped since the first two vaccines were authorized by the FDA and health care workers and nursing home residents began to receive the shots. That growing acceptance is a reassuring sign for public health experts who call distribution of the vaccine crucial to controlling the pandemic that has killed more than 318,000 people in the USA.

In a USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll Wednesday through Sunday, 46% say they will take the vaccine as soon as they can. That's close to double the 26% who were ready to get the shot as soon as possible in a USA TODAY poll in late October. In the new poll, 32% say they will wait for others to get the shots before they do so themselves. usatoday.com

UK's New COVID Strain Likely Already in the US
Governors impose new restrictions on travelers from Britain
as holiday travel ratchets up
Alarmed by the coronavirus variant spreading in Britain, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo of New York announced on Monday that British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Delta Air Lines have agreed to require a negative coronavirus test result from passengers boarding flights from Britain to New York.

Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington State ordered on Monday that travelers from Britain and South Africa undergo a 14-day quarantine. He said more countries may be added to the travel proclamation.

Mr. Inslee said he was hopeful that the rules would help limit the spread of the mutation and said acting quickly was needed to make the effort successful. Mr. Inslee said the virus mutation was a warning that the nation is perhaps months away from the worst of the pandemic being over. “It is a vivid reminder of the uncertainties and unpredictability of this pandemic,” Mr. Inslee said. nytimes.com

More nations close their doors to Britain as alarm grows over virus variant

‘I think this is already in the U.S.,’ Dr. Scott Gottlieb says of new UK Covid strain

The New Covid Variant in the UK: Questions and Answers

Violent Covid Protest in Oregon
Protesters clash with police, smash glass doors, disrupt lawmakers on 'unnerving' day at Oregon State Capitol in Salem
A special session of the Oregon Legislature was disrupted on Monday by protesters who appeared to oppose policies designed to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Protesters broke glass doors at the largely-empty Capitol building, tore tarps from the marble reliefs on the front steps and engaged in a brief standoff with Oregon State Police and Salem Police Department officers.

Police made at least four arrests during the six-hour rally that included more than 100 protesters, including members of the far-right Patriot Prayer group. A search is ongoing for another man who attacked two reporters and tried to break into the Capitol building, police said. usatoday.com

NRF: Retailers Welcome Passage of Bipartisan Fiscal Stimulus Deal
The National Retail Federation issued the following statement from President and CEO Matthew Shay in response to Congressional passage today of the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020.

“Retailers are encouraged by the passage of this economic relief package that will keep the economy open and moving in the right direction as the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The additional stimulus and extension of expired relief measures will help protect families, support health care providers and sustain small and independent businesses. The November retail sales report shows that consumers held back on spending, and more robust stimulus is needed to shore up our economy. These are trying times for many American families, and a strong stimulus bill is critical to the continued recovery of the economy and the retail industry, which creates employment for 52 million working Americans.” nrf.com

Coronavirus Retail Restrictions by State - Updated by NRF Daily @ 6pm ET

This state-by-state map outlines coronavirus-related laws, executive orders, regulations and guidance governing store operations for retailers.

This resource is a part of Operation Open Doors, which provides guidance and tools that NRF members can use as they navigate operating stores across the country during this international health crisis.

These updates are provided in partnership with PwC Advisory Services and Salesforce. NRF Resource

Latest Covid Restrictions Mean There’s a Line for Everything
Businesses limit capacity, creating a velvet-rope feel even at your local gym. Shoppers feel under pressure to get in and out; ‘I’m not a lookyloo.’

Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker imposes new COVID-19 restrictions, gathering limits

Coronavirus stay-home orders likely to be extended in Southern California

California builds field hospitals and considers rationing care as virus spreads unabated

Apple temporarily closes one-quarter of global stores

Amazon shuts New Jersey facility till Dec. 26 on virus spike among workers

Fauci, other top health officials receive Moderna Covid-19 vaccine on camera

U.S. Sues Walmart, Alleging Role in Fueling Opioid Crisis

Justice Department accuses retail giant of ignoring warnings from its own pharmacists; complaint follows company’s suit to fight allegations pre-emptively

The Trump administration sued Walmart Tuesday, accusing the retail giant of helping to fuel the nation’s opioid crisis by inadequately screening for questionable prescriptions despite repeated warnings from its own pharmacists.

The Justice Department’s lawsuit claims that Walmart sought to boost profits by understaffing its pharmacies and pressuring employees to fill prescriptions quickly. That made it difficult for pharmacists to reject invalid prescriptions, enabling widespread drug abuse nationwide, the suit alleges.

The country’s largest retailer by revenue, Walmart has been expecting this complaint and sued the federal government in October to fight the allegations pre-emptively.

In its suit, Walmart accuses the Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration of attempting to scapegoat the company for what it says are the federal government’s own regulatory and enforcement shortcomings. wsj.com

FTC: New toolkit for retailers to help stop gift card scams
In many ways, gift cards ushered in a win-win era. Better gift-giving (and getting) for consumers and increased sales for retailers. But leave it to scammers to try to mess up a good thing. According to an FTC Data Spotlight, gift cards are now the top method of payment favored by many fraudsters. For years, the FTC has warned consumers about gift card grifters. Now there’s a new Stop Gift Card Scams Toolkit to help retailers do their part to prevent this form of fraud.

Back in the olden days – say, four or five years ago – wire transfers were con artists’ favorite. Many still use that method, but according to the Data Spotlight, since 2018, people have reported losing almost $245 million to gift card scams, with a median individual loss of $840.

Why should retailers join the fight against gift card scams? Because you care about your customers and want to help protect them from this form of fraud. If you work for a local or national retailer, a retailer association, or a state or local law enforcement agency – or maybe you’re a public-spirited business person interested in sharing information in your community – join us by using the downloadable resources in the Stop Gift Card Scams Toolkit. ftc.gov

Retail Violence & Abuse Spike 40% Since Pandemic
UK: New probe into violence and abuse against store staff
The police response to incidents of violence and abuse experienced by retail workers is to be subject to a new inquiry by a cross-party group of MPs, it was announced today.

The Home Affairs Committee has also launched a public survey to give people who have experienced these incidents the opportunity to explain what happened after an incident was reported.

A 2019 survey by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) found 83% of workers had been subject to some form of verbal abuse; and a survey from the Usdaw trade union found the average shopworker was assaulted, threatened or abused once a week.

There are also concerns that the number of incidents has increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Figures from the ACS Covid Impact Survey conducted during the first lockdown showed that 40% of retailers had experienced an increase in violence and abuse since the start of the pandemic.

The inquiry will examine barriers to the reporting of incidents of violence or abuse and look at how satisfied victims are with the action taken by police and employers after an incident is reported. talkingretail.com

A violent year at metro Atlanta shopping centers includes shootings, fights
The Atlanta area is known for its wide range of popular malls and shopping centers. This year, some of the retail spots have become crime scenes. Lenox Square, in the heart of Buckhead, has been the site of numerous shooting incidents this year. The Atlanta Police Department has a mini-precinct inside the mall, which has increased security in recent months. Here's a look at the year in shopping center violence: ajc.com

2020 the Deadliest Year in Over Four Decades for Police Officers
288 officers have died in the line of duty so far in 2020, including 171 Covid deaths
Facing a global pandemic that has nearly doubled the total number of line of duty deaths nationally from last year, we've worked hard to ensure that Officer Down Memorial Page (ODMP) is fulfilling our mission to honor fallen officers. odmp.org

Analysis Lags Behind Massive Implementation
Body Worn Camera Recordings of Police-Community Interactions & Procedural Justice
Although the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) has expanded rapidly, the capacity to efficiently analyze the enormous amount of data collected by BWCs lags far behind. As a result, the wider potential of BWCs to improve practices and outcomes of policing has gone largely unrealized. With funding from the National Institute of Justice, the National Police Foundation will conduct a new study entitled: “Multi-Modal Analysis of Body Worn Camera Recordings: Evaluating Novel Methods for Measuring Police Implementation of Procedural Justice.”

The purpose of this project is two-fold: (1) develop novel techniques to automate analysis of BWC recordings of police-community interactions and evaluate officers’ adherence to principles of procedural justice and; (2) use a randomized controlled trial to assess the accuracy of those techniques by systematically comparing them to evaluations of BWCs recordings done manually by human raters under conditions of high and low procedural justice. policefoundation.org

Deloitte: Holiday spending mostly flat to date

Increased e-commerce activity and larger transaction values are helping retailers maintain holiday spending levels from 2019.

According to the Deloitte December Spending Pulse, consumer spending increased 4% year-over-year in October and 1% year-over-year in November. More November spending occurred earlier in the month as retailers offered extended promotions and focused less on Black Friday as a singular event.

In addition, although Deloitte analysis indicates Thanksgiving week saw an increase in visits to stores, digital traffic consistently rose throughout the month, continuing the larger trend of a digital shift which has been occurring throughout 2020. In fact, significant year-over-year growth in retail online spend during October (+35%) and November (+30%) offset losses in brick-and-mortar retail spend during those months (-8% and -11%, respectively). chainstoreage.com

Holiday Shipping's Mad Dash to the Finish Line
Millions of Christmas presents may arrive late because of Postal Service delays

Unprecedented package volume has paralyzed the agency, leading managers to divert vast shipments of mail across the country

Competing crises are slamming the U.S. Postal Service just days before Christmas, imperiling the delivery of millions of packages, as the agency contends with spiking coronavirus cases in its workforce, unprecedented volumes of e-commerce orders and the continuing fallout from a hobbled cost-cutting program launched by the postmaster general.

Nearly 19,000 of the agency’s 644,000 workers have called in sick or are isolating because of the virus, according to the American Postal Workers Union. Meanwhile, packages have stacked up inside some postal facilities, leading employees to push them aside to create narrow walkways on shop floors. washingtonpost.com

Best Buy moves ahead with ESL rollout
Best Buy will continue its ongoing implementation of electronic shelf labels (ESLs) in 2021. The consumer electronics giant intends to deploy the ESL solution from Sweden-based digital shelf edge solutions provider Pricer in 119 stores. Best Buy has placed a roughly $13 million order with Pricer to begin implementing ESLs during the second quarter of 2021 and complete the rollout before the end of 2021. chainstoreage.com

Wawa Opens First Drive-Through Store, Standalone Location to Follow
Wawa announced the opening of its first drive-through in Westampton, N.J., with its first standalone drive-through scheduled to open on Jan. 8 in Falls Township, Pa. The Westampton, N.J., store is a traditional full-service format with fuel, equipped with a custom drive-thru experience of two-lanes, separate order points with digital menu boards including a QR scan menu option and one point of pay and pick up window. cstoredecisions.com

Editor's Note: This is the first major retailer to roll this out. Does it take off with other chains?

Express Hires Investment Bank to Get Through COVID

Holly Springs, NC: Police thwart real-life Grinch during Shop-With-A-Cop

The scalpers who stole Christmas

Ripping Off the Boss: 33 Surprising Employee Theft Statistics

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Sennco partners with Trustonic to secure its revenue and deliver an enhanced customer experience

London, United Kingdom – Trustonic, the company powering trust in technology with embedded security, today announces its partnership with Sennco, the global leader of innovative asset protection, to create a new joint market proposition. Trustonic will provide Sennco with market leading locking technology to enable a secured supply chain and new device financing capabilities, creating increased profit opportunities and return on investment. This will enable Sennco to create a digital tether for its products which remains connected beyond the four walls of its customers’ stores.

Smartphones are ever more expensive, meaning device financing plans are increasingly needed to attract and retain new customers. Currently, it is estimated that between 30-70% of potential new customers in some markets are rejected based on credit ratings, using current algorithmswhen applying for device financing on the latest smartphone. Retailers need a way to balance the potential risk of payment delinquency and device theft, for them to drive sales and maintain strong revenue.

This partnership empowers Sennco to remain competitive and mitigate the potential risks by integrating an efficient, cost-effective, easy-to-deploy solution into the smartphones being sold. Having a trusted solution integrated into the device allows Sennco’s partners to grow revenues by accepting more customers onto device financing plans. Remote locking of the smartphone if it is stolen removes the incentive for theft. Stolen mobile devices have an estimated annual impact on mobile operators of at least US$10bn per annum.

Chris Marszalek, President at Sennco said: “Our customers need a solution that will enable them to grow revenues without increasing commercial risks, working with Trustonic will allow us to provide exactly that. Once a phone leaves the retailer’s store, the seller has little control over whether they will receive a return on that investment. Using Trustonic’s best-in-class technology, we will be able to help our customers grow their financing portfolio with the peace of mind knowing that their assets and revenue streams are secure.”

Dion Price, CEO of Trustonic said: “Working with Sennco Solutions is a fantastic opportunity to jointly bring device financing and locking capabilities to US-based retailers and distributors. With device financing trends increasing across America, it’s an exciting time to work with an innovative partner like Sennco and empower the mobile industry to manage the entire smartphone lifecycle. We look forward to our work with Sennco and the new opportunities it will bring to the US mobile market.”

Read More Here

International Cyber Sweep - Major Global Takedown
Cybercriminals’ favourite VPNs taken down in global action

The three VPN services provided safe haven for cybercriminals to carry out ransomware attacks, web skimming operations, spearphishing, and account takeovers.

Law enforcement agencies from the US, Germany, France, Switzerland, and the Netherlands have seized this week the web domains and server infrastructure of three VPN services that provided a safe haven for cybercriminals to attack their victims.

The three services were active at insorg.org [2014 snapshot], safe-inet.com [2013 snapshot], and safe-inet.net before the domains were seized and replaced with law enforcement banners on Monday.

The servers were taken down, and a splash page prepared by Europol was put up online after the domain seizures. This coordinated takedown was carried out in the framework of the European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT).

Turning the table on the criminals
According to the US Department of Justice and Europol, the three companies' servers were often used to mask the real identities of ransomware gangs, web skimmer (Magecart) groups, online phishers, and hackers involved in account takeovers, allowing them to operate from behind a proxy network up to five layers deep.

This VPN service was sold at a high price to the criminal underworld as one of the best tools available to avoid law enforcement interception, offering up to 5 layers of anonymous VPN connections.

Law enforcement were able to identify some 250 companies worldwide which were being spied on by the criminals using this VPN. These companies were subsequently warned of an imminent ransomware attack against their systems, allowing them to take measures to protect themselves against such an attack.
The service has now been rendered inaccessible.

International cyber sweep
International police cooperation was central to the success of this investigation as the critical infrastructure was scattered across the world. Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) supported the investigation from the onset, bringing together all the involved countries to establish a joint strategy and to organise the intensive exchange of information and evidence needed to prepare for the final phase of the takedown. europol.europa.eu zdnet.com justice.gov

U.S. Law Enforcement Part of the International Effort: DOJ Press Release

New Taskforce to Deal with Ransomware Attacks
Microsoft and McAfee headline newly-formed 'Ransomware Task Force'

The newly-founded Ransomware Task Force will work to put together a standard framework for dealing with ransomware attacks.

A group made up of 19 security firms, tech companies, and non-profits, headlined by big names such as Microsoft and McAfee, have announced on Monday plans to form a new coalition to deal with the rising threat of ransomware.

Named the Ransomware Task Force (RTF), the new group will focus on assessing existing technical solutions that provide protections during a ransomware attack.

The RTF will commission expert papers on the topic, engage stakeholders across industries, identify gaps in current solutions, and then work on a common roadmap to have issues addressed among all members.

The end result should be a standardized framework for dealing with ransomware attacks across verticals, one based on an industry consensus rather than individual advice received from lone contractors. zdnet.com

Burn & Rebuild
Hacked networks will need to be burned ‘down to the ground’
It’s going to take months to kick elite hackers widely believed to be Russian out of the U.S. government networks they have been quietly rifling through since as far back as March in Washington’s worst cyberespionage failure on record.

Experts say there simply are not enough skilled threat-hunting teams to duly identify all the government and private-sector systems that may have been hacked. FireEye, the cybersecurity company that discovered the intrusion into U.S. agencies and was among the victims, has already tallied dozens of casualties. It’s racing to identify more.

“We have a serious problem. We don’t know what networks they are in, how deep they are, what access they have, what tools they left,” said Bruce Schneier, a prominent security expert and Harvard fellow.

The only way to be sure a network is clean is “to burn it down to the ground and rebuild it,” Schneier said. Imagine a computer network as a mansion you inhabit, and you are certain a serial killer as been there. “You don’t know if he’s gone. How do you get work done? You kind of just hope for the best,” he said. apnews.com

FireEye: SolarWinds Hack 'Genuinely Impacted' 50 Victims
Hackers who infiltrated government and business networks via a stealthy software update appear to have "genuinely impacted" about 50 organizations, says FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia. Speaking of the supply chain attack that implanted a backdoor in the Orion network monitoring software built by Texas-based SolarWinds, and which was pushed to 18,000 of the firm's customers, Mandia noted that, while many have been referring to it as "potentially the biggest intrusion in our history," the focus of the apparent cyberespionage campaign was much more targeted. bankinfosecurity.com

CISA updates emergency directive for SolarWinds Orion compromise

Need Some Good News? NIST’s 2020 Highlights
2020 has been a challenging year, but we at NIST have worked as hard as we can to fulfill our mission for the American people: to promote U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness by advancing measurement science, standards, and technology in ways that enhance economic security and improve our quality of life.

We’re proud that we have been able to continue to contribute to the health and prosperity of the nation in these trying times. Please join us as we look back on what’s been happening at NIST this past year.

Fighting COVID-19
Just as NIST has risen to meet challenges to the country in times of war, NIST joined the scientific community in the battle against COVID-19. Some of NIST’s work that has been featured prominently has been that of mechanical engineer Matt Staymates, who set up a specialized camera system, called a schlieren camera, in his home workshop to visualize the movement of air when a person is wearing and not wearing a mask.

NIST Releases Privacy Framework
Back in January, NIST released Version 1.0 of its Privacy Framework.

Read more highlights here: nist.gov

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'Two Years of E-Commerce Growth Crammed Into One'
Online shopping rush is great for e-commerce & bad for last-minute shoppers

Sales are expected to grow 32 percent this year, straining delivery times

The rush to finish holiday shopping is on, only this time instead of filling up malls, people are filling up online carts. That has resulted in delays, earlier shipping cutoffs and shoppers testing their understanding while they wait for deliveries.

That’s on top of what retail analysts say is more than two years of e-commerce growth crammed into a year, causing major growing pains as shipping networks, warehouses and supply chains rushed to keep up with demand. Adding to the crunch, the companies were scrambling to figure out how to try to keep workers safe and socially distanced, slowing things down.

The problems became apparent as early as March, when orders were delayed at times by weeks because of the surge in online shopping and coronavirus restrictions. And the scramble is happening again during the important holiday season, when online sales surge far beyond the usual even in a normal year.

Retailers and brands including Costco, Target and Abercrombie and Fitch all warned of potential shipping delays in recent weeks. Shipping giants UPS and FedEx have been controlling volume from retailers and turning down requests for additional deliveries beyond what was decided months ago. That has put even more strain on the U.S. Postal Service to pick up the slack. washingtonpost.com

Addressing Online Return Headaches
Walmart is attempting to solve one of the biggest pain-points of online shopping

The retailer announced Monday that it will pick up items shipped and sold by Walmart.com from customers' homes through a new partnership with FedEx. Walmart said the "incredibly convenient" option is free and will remain in place beyond the busy holiday shopping season.

To use the new service, called "Carrier Pickup by FedEx," customers have the initiate return process on Walmart's website or app, schedule a date for pickup and print a label. Then it will be picked up by a FedEx employee.

For those that don't have a printer, customers can also make a return at any of the roughly 2,000 US FedEx Office locations by getting a QR code from Walmart's website and a FedEx employee will print a free return label and ship it back — a similar service that is already offered by Amazon and UPS.

The new shipping options comes as Walmart's US online sales soared 79% in the most recent quarter, signaling that it's in the midst of another strong holiday season especially as people shift their habits online during the pandemic. weny.com

Salesforce: Digital sales up 45% post-Cyber Week

Retailers should brace for tidal wave of returns

Pandemic-fueled embrace of e-commerce will accelerate in 2021

Snapshots from NRF's 2020 ORC Report

Top Cities Affected by ORC

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Naples, FL: 3 accused of stealing at least $15K in perfume from Ulta Beauty
The Collier County Sheriff’s Office says Donta Bradshaw, 23, of Miami, and Derrick Trannon, 23, of Sunrise, went into the Ulta Beauty store at Mercato on Friday and made off with designer perfumes that included Chanel and Dior, with an estimated total worth of more than $15,000. The CCSO report states that the pair were seen on video filling pillowcases with boxes of perfume before they left and got into a waiting car driven by Eugene Merrell, 22, of Miami. The car, identified by witnesses, was later pulled over by a Florida Highway Patrol trooper on I-75 near mile marker 88. The report states that boxes of high-dollar perfume were found inside the car, and the suspects were also believed to have stolen items from Ulta stores in Hillsborough County a few hours earlier. Deputies say the total amount of stolen merchandise could reach $20,000 or more. winknews.com

Salt Lake, UT: Man allegedly bought hundreds of stolen items cheap, sold them for over $150K
A man is facing felony charges after he allegedly took in over $150,000 by selling hundreds of stolen items through various internet sites. Tejpal Bhatia, 33, has been charged with theft by receiving stolen property and money laundering, both third-degree felonies. Bhatia was taken into custody Thursday, Dec. 17, by an officer with the State Bureau of Investigation. A probable cause affidavit filed in 3rd District Court in Salt Lake County states that “Bhatia purchased stolen merchandise from various sellers at severely discounted rates sold said items on ebay, OfferUp and KSL.com.” In the past year, the affidavit states, Bhatia made over 500 sales through ebay and earned over $150,000, according to ebay records. gephardtdaily.com

Edmonton, AB, CN: $100K in merchandise stolen from High End Clothing store
A local business is reeling after thieves made off with more than $100,000 in merchandise. Mr. Derk has been selling high end suits in Edmonton for generations. The company opened a new location near Whyte Avenue less than a month ago. Now, they’re in cleanup mode. They broke doors and busted through drywall. It happened around 3 a.m. on Sunday, and it was partially caught on camera. edmonton.ctvnews.ca

Madison, WI: Three men flee with $5,000 of clothing from High End Consignment store
According to police, the thieves targeted Gucci purses and Chanel clothing in the heist. The employee did not suffer serious injuries. A search for the suspects was not successful. Police say the reported value of the items stolen is more than $5,000. capitolhillseattle.com

Waterloo man arrested following chase with $1,550 in stolen goods from Walmart; drove into corn field

Longmont, CO: Woman stole more than $1100 by not scanning items in self-checkout

Rome, GA: Woman Arrested After Trying to Return Stolen Merchandise at Walmart; prior trespass notice

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Shootings & Deaths

Columbia, SC: Update: Deputies identify suspect in connection with convenience store double homicide
The Richland County Sheriff’s Department (RCSD) is seeking the public’s help in finding a suspect wanted in connection with a double homicide that took place on Dec. 19, RCSD officials say. James Jamar Toatley, 31, is wanted for shooting three men at the Motor City Market on Fairfield Road on Saturday around 2:45 a.m. Two of the men died from their injuries. RCSD officials say Toatley should not be approached and should be considered as armed and dangerous. wach.com

Hazelwood, MO: Update: Suspect charged in mini mart murder
Police say argument turned to gunfire at Smart Mart. A Hazelwood man faces second-degree murder and armed criminal action counts after a fatal shooting at the Smart Mart convenience store on Howdershell Sunday night. Police say they found a man lying on the floor, unresponsive after responding to reports of gun shots. 23-year-old Alec James Harris of Hazelwood was taken into custody at the scene. Investigators say the two men were acquaintances and got into an argument inside the store. The charges were issued Monday after the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney was presented the case by investigators. radio.com

St Louis, MO: Wendy’s employee shot due to dipping sauce debacle
A “dipping sauce dispute” led to the shooting of a fast-food worker Tuesday at about 1:00 a.m. It happened at the Wendy’s on Natural Bridge Avenue at Union Boulevard. Workers told FOX 2 a man in the drive-thru asked for extra dipping sauce with his order and when he didn’t get what he wanted, he shot into the store. A bullet hit a worker in the back. He is expected to recover. fox2now.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

West Jordan, UT: Store clerk run over by suspected shoplifter; critical condition
A Utah store clerk was critically injured Monday when he was run over by a car driven by a suspected shoplifter. According to West Jordan police, the clerk at Smokeys Discount Cigarettes followed a man he believed had stolen something from the store. The clerk confronted the man in the parking lot, and the two began to fight. The man got in his car and ran over the clerk, who was transported to a hospital in critical condition. sltrib.com

UK: Manchester, England: Shoplifter who left 76-year-old man with broken ankle & barely able to walk after crashing into him when fleeing a perfume store jailed for 23 months

Memphis, TN: Serial robbery suspect accused of pulling gun in latest heist at Kroger

Albuquerque, NM: FBI: Man Charged With Five Armed Robberies; including McDonald’s at Gunpoint

Spencer, IA: Man pleads not guilty to staging $3,000 robbery of Casey's store

Houston, TX: Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, Constable Mark Herman, hold annual holiday patrol initiative

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