Friday, March 8, 2013


Daily Report

Top Stories

• Over 135,000 residents lost power in Virginia after a snow storm left some areas with close to 20 inches of snow. – Associated Press

2. March 7, Associated Press – (Virginia) More than 135,000 in Va. still without power. Over 135,000 residents lost power in Virginia after a snow storm left some areas with close to 20 inches of snow. Electric companies were working to restore power to customers. Source: http://www.newsleader.com/viewart/20130307/NEWS01/303070003/More-than-135-000-Va-still-without-power

 • Two individuals from Katy, Texas and one from Las Vegas were indicted on federal charges of running a mortgage fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $30 million. – Houston Chronicle See item 9 below in the Banking and Finance Sector

 • Icy conditions led to several crashes on Interstate 84 near Union and Tolland, causing highway closures and delays from morning into afternoon March 7. – Hartford Daily Courant

15. March 7, Hartford Daily Courant – (Connecticut) Dozens of wreckers called to crashes on I-84 in Tolland, Union. Icy conditions led to several crashes on Interstate 84 near Union and Tolland, causing highway closures and delays from morning into afternoon March 7. Source: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-i-84-crash-ice-0308-20130307,0,6583280.story

 • Woodcliff Lake-based Par Pharmaceutical Cos. will pay $45 million in fines for coercing physicians to write unapproved prescriptions to their elderly clients, illegally charging Medicare and Medicaid programs, and filing false claims. – Associated Press

26. March 5, Associated Press – (New Jersey) NJ drugmaker pleads guilty to criminal charges. Woodcliff Lake-based Par Pharmaceutical Cos. entered a guilty plea March 5 for wrongfully marketing their weight-gaining drug to weak seniors who are susceptible to its side effects. The company will pay $45 million in fines for coercing physicians to write unapproved prescriptions to their elderly clients, illegally charging Medicare and Medicaid programs, and filing false claims. Source: http://www.necn.com/03/05/13/NJ-drugmaker-pleads-to-criminal-charges/landing_nation.html?&apID=efaeb8f780514224ad0da33ec2133fc8

Details

Banking and Finance Sector

8. March 6, Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel – (Florida) Fort Lauderdale man pleads guilty to running Ponzi scheme. An investment advisor pleaded guilty to charges of running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded Wilton Manors investors of nearly $10 million. Source: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2013-03-06/news/fl-george-elia-plea-ponzi-20130306_1_george-elia-wilton-manors-gay-community-ponzi-scheme

9. March 6, Houston Chronicle – (Texas) Katy couple indicted in $30 million mortgage fraud scheme. Two individuals from Katy and one from Las Vegas were indicted on federal charges of running a mortgage fraud scheme that caused losses of more than $30 million. Source: http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Katy-couple-indicted-in-30-million-mortgage-4334575.php

10. March 6, WIWB 13 Topeka – (Kansas) Former Schmidt Builders CFO indicted on bank fraud charge. The former chief financial officer of a Topeka building supply company was charged with bank fraud and money laundering for allegedly obtaining a $15.2 million loan based on fraudulent information. Source: http://www.wibw.com/home/localnews/headlines/Former-Schmidt-Builders-CFO-Indicted-On-Bank-Fraud-Charge-195788261.html

11. March 6, Threatpost – (International) Bank DDoS attacks resume. The Web sites of several U.S. banks were hit with distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks March 6, after a hacktivist group that previously targeted banks announced the start of a new round of attacks. Source: http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/bank-ddos-attacks-resume-030613

12. March 5, Associated Press – (South Dakota; New Jersey) SD, NJ men accused in hedge fund investment scam. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission accused two individuals involved with RAHFCO Hedge Funds of creating false account statements to conceal $10 million in investor losses. Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/AP1cfb0b22e62a448083ecfad0d975c791.html

For additional stories, see items 37, 38 below in the Information Technology Sector

Information Technology

34. March 7, Softpedia – (International) Major browsers, Java hacked on the first day of Pwn2Own 2013. Researchers participating in the first day of Pwn2Own 2013 discovered security vulnerabilities in Firefox, Chrome, and Internet Explorer 10 Web browsers, as well as in Java. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Major-Browsers-Java-Hacked-on-the-First-Day-of-Pwn2Own-2013-335279.shtml

35. March 7, Softpedia – (International) Flaw in Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 leads to remote freeze. A security researcher released a proof-of-concept highlighting a vulnerability in Kaspersky Internet Security 2013 that could allow the operating system to be frozen remotely. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Flaw-in-Kaspersky-Internet-Security-2013-Leads-to-Remotely-Freeze-335212.shtml

36. March 7, The Register – (International) Malware-flingers can pwn your mobile with OVER-THE-AIR updates. Researchers found that baseband processors in a variety of mobile devices can be manipulated with over-the-air updates to cause problems and potentially deliver malware. Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/03/07/baseband_processor_mobile_hack_threat/

37. March 6, Dark Reading – (International) Cybercriminals likely to expand use of browser proxies. A technique used to capture and redirect browser traffic seen in attacks in Brazil is likely to be used more widely, security researchers warned. Source: http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/attacks-breaches/240150191/cybercriminals-likely-to-expand-use-of-browser-proxies.html

38. March 6, Krebs on Security – (International) Mobile malcoders pay to (Google) Play. Users on underground forums have been observed offering to buy verified Google Play developer accounts to spread malware. Source: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/03/mobile-malcoders-pay-to-google-play/

Communications Sector

39. March 6, Jackson County Floridan – (Florida) Copper theft knocks WJAQ off the air. An alert officer helped apprehend a copper thief who stole an important part of a copper cable aiding in WJAQ 100.9 FM Marianna, WTOT 980 AM Marianna, and WTOT FM 101.7 FM Graceville’s broadcasting capability. The cost to repair the damage is $20,000. Source: http://www.jcfloridan.com/news/crime_courts/article_e2fbb40a-86b1-11e2-8672-001a4bcf6878.html