Threats Without Borders - Issue 89
Matt's Newsletter, Week ending July 31, 2022
So, this isn’t Cy-Fi Crime related but hear me out – I have a theory (or maybe just an observation).
I work in a tourist town that has a large entertainment complex including a stadium used to host music concerts. Every summer the national touring acts come to town, and for a few hours I take off my cyber-financial cop hat and put on my drunk-and-disorderly cop hat. It’s no longer fun for me but it’s overtime pay and I have some kids to put through college.
These events result in my agency dealing with a lot of drunk teenagers and young adults, in fact, more than our fair share. I’d challenge that throughout a busy concert season we deal with just as many as any popular beach town.
Suffice to say I’ve observed countless numbers of drunks over the past 23 years. And I can’t remember ever seeing as many absolutely wrecked young females as we have seen over the past two seasons (and this season is only at the mid-point).
This trend seems to have risen along with the popularity of hard seltzer alcohol drinks.
These easy-to-consume drinks with moderate levels of alcohol appear to have significantly increased alcohol abuse among young females.
In the past, the methods to get rip-roaring drunk have been excessive consumption of beer or hard liquor.
Neither of these has been popular with most young females. It’s rare when you see a young girl in a sundress hammer down a sixer of Busch Lite. Or carrying around a bottle of Jack.
But throwing back five or six pre-concert White Claws? That’s not only easy to do, but it’s also enjoyable. These drinks taste great and at only 100 calories each is great for the waistline. They are also very palatable for inexperienced drinkers who have no stomach for beer or bourbon.
Here is my theory if anyone in the behavioral science field wants to expand upon it. Hard Seltzer drinks are extremely popular with young females which have caused an increase in alcohol abuse within this demographic leading to never before seen levels of underage drinking and public drunkenness.
Now back to cyber-financial crime.
Pay now…or really pay later
Organizations balk at security expenditures only to get compromised and pay out 10 times as much. T-Mobile lost the data of 76 Million customers and now has agreed to pay 350 Million Dollars to settle the resulting class action lawsuit. And they agreed to invest an additional 150 Million Dollars into security infrastructure. They probably should have invested that 150 mill a lot sooner. https://www.itechpost.com/articles/112376/20220723/t-mobile-agrees-to-pay-350-million-to-customers-over-data-breach-additional-150-million-to-strengthen-its-security.htm
Credit Unions will have 72 hours
The National Credit Union Association (NCUA) has proposed a new rule that requires member organizations to report cyberattacks and other compromises within 72 hours. The potential rule mandates credit unions to “provide the NCUA with prompt notification of any cyber incident that rises to the level of a reportable cyber incident”. The sticky part is going to be interpreting the meaning of “Cyber Incident” which the agency defines as “as an occurrence that actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, the integrity, confidentiality, or availability of information on an information system or actually or imminently jeopardizes, without lawful authority, an information system” Clear as mud. https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2022/07/27/2022-16013/cyber-incident-notification-requirements-for-federally-insured-credit-unions
Someone to someone…
PNC Bank issued a general news release warning users not to get phished. The company reminds us “Some cybercriminals have shifted their approach and are targeting consumers directly through known and trusted channels of communication”. Usually when a company issues such a generic message it’s because someone who’s important to someone - who’s important at the company - was victimized. The order flows downhill to “do something about this”. So the “do-something” manifests itself in a press release that makes everyone feel better. https://triblive.com/local/regional/fraudulent-text-email-messages-target-pnc-bank-customers/
Sold their privacy for a cup of coffee
Well, coffee and a donut. Fair enough. Canadian coffee chain Tim Horton’s has settled a class action lawsuit by offering every affected litigant a free cup of coffee and a donut. The companies smartphone application was tracking users without required permissions. https://www.thestar.com/business/2022/07/29/tim-hortons-reaches-proposed-settlement-in-class-action-lawsuit-involving-mobile-app.html?rf
The Rest…
Coveware reports the median ransom payment has fallen as fewer victims pay. https://www.coveware.com/blog/2022/7/27/fewer-ransomware-victims-pay-as-medium-ransom-falls-in-q2-2022
Delaware couple convicted of laundering over 1 million dollars in drug money. https://www.newarkpostonline.com/news/couple-from-bear-convicted-of-using-money-laundering-to-cover-up-drug-operation/article_b5fdf1b9-3b7e-5050-94cc-033d91535710.html
The former Chief Security Officer of Uber is facing wire fraud charges over allegations that he covered up a data breach that saw hackers steal the records of 57 million passengers and drivers. https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/ubers-former-head-of-security-faces-fraud-charges-after-allegedly-covering-up-data-breach/
Cool Job
Chief Candy Officer (taste tester) - Candy Funhouse https://candyfunhouse.ca/pages/careers
Senior Manager of Investigations - Lovesac (it’s a furniture company) https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=45513
Cool Tool
Find what is different - the easy way. https://www.diffchecker.com/
Irrelevant
Retail theft is fueling an absolutely flourishing black market in San Francisco. https://sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/how-san-francisco-black-market-thrives-off-retail-theft/
Thank You for opening this weeks email and giving my thoughts a few minutes of your time.
Matt
“If people make you feel bad about yourself, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you. It’s because they suck and they know it.” - someone more secure than me.