Friday, November 22, 2013



Complete DHS Daily Report for November 22, 2013

Daily Report

Top Stories

 • Cabot Corporation agreed to spend over $84 million on state-of-the-art technology to control harmful air pollution at facilities in Texas and Louisiana and to resolve multiple violations of the Clean Air Act. – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

3. November 19, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – (Texas; Louisiana) Cabot Corporation agrees to spend over $84 million to control harmful air pollution at Texas, Louisiana facilities. In a settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Cabot Corporation of Boston will pay a $975,000 civil penalty and an estimated $84 million on state-of-the-art technology to control harmful air pollution to resolve alleged violations of the New Source Review provisions of the Clean Air Act at three carbon black facilities in Louisiana and Texas between 2003 and 2009. Source: http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/

 • A survey of mining companies found that 41 percent reported increased external threats, including cyberattacks, and found that sensors and safety systems increasingly linked to the Internet provide new external pathways for attackers to gain access to systems. – IDG News Service

4. November 20, IDG News Service – (International) Mining companies caught flat-footed by cyberattacks. A survey of 39 mining companies conducted by Ernst & Young found that 41 percent reported increased external threats, including cybercriminals’ attempts to steal information and disrupt operations, and found that sensors and safety systems increasingly linked to the Internet provide new external pathways for attackers to gain access to systems Source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/112113-mining-companies-caught-flat-footed-by-276200.html

 • The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced that beginning in November 2016 all new tour buses and intercity buses will require seat belts. – Associated Press

8. November 21, Associated Press – (National) Seat belts to be required on large buses by 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced November 20 that beginning in November 2016 all new tour buses and intercity buses must be equipped by manufacturers with three-point lap-shoulder seat belts. Source: http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/national_world&id=9334315

 • New analysis found that an earlier version of the Stuxnet industrial control systems malware could potentially have conducted much more physically destructive attacks. – Dark Reading See item 35 below in the Information Technology Sector

Details

Financial Services Sector

5. November 21, KGW 8 Portland – (Oregon; California) 3 arrested in Portland for $150K in fake cards. Three suspects were arrested in Portland November 19 and charged with allegedly making around $150,000 in purchases using fraudulent credit cards in Oregon and California. Source: http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Trio-arrested-in-Portland-for-150K-in-fake-credit-card-purchases--232762261.html

6. November 20, Softpedia– (International) i2Ninja financial malware uses I2P to maintain secure communications. Researchers at Trusteer discovered a piece of financial malware dubbed i2Ninja that uses the Invisible Internet Project (I2P) networking layer to hide and secure its communications with its command and control servers. The malware is capable of stealing information from most browsers and FTP clients, injecting HTML code, stealing information from popular poker clients, scheduling tasks, and allowing users to search for specific files on a compromised system. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/i2Ninja-Financial-Malware-Uses-I2P-to-Maintain-Secure-Communications-402144.shtml

7. November 20, KSDK 5 St. Louis – (Missouri) Police: Debit card skimming likely linked to gas pumps. Police from several jurisdictions around Lake St. Louis are investigating reports of around 300 instances of credit card fraud believed to be related to skimming devices placed inside gas station pumps. Source: http://www.ksdk.com/story/news/crime/2013/11/20/debit-card-skimming-gas-station-pumps/3659457/

For another story, see item 34 below in the Information Technology Sector

Information Technology Sector

32. November 21, Softpedia – (International) Apache Tomcat servers targeted by self-replicating malware. Symantec researchers identified a self-replicating worm that acts as a Java Servelet and infects Apache Tomcat servers, and appears to be intended for use in distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. Command and control servers were identified in Taiwan and Luxembourg. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Apache-Tomcat-Servers-Targeted-by-Self-Replicating-Malware-402549.shtml

33. November 21, Help Net Security – (International) SAP trojan based partially on Carberp code. Microsoft researchers analyzed the Gamker trojan targeting SAP enterprise software and found that at least part of its source code is based on that of the Carberp banking trojan. Source: http://www.net-security.org/malware_news.php?id=2632

34. November 21, Help Net Security – (International) A look at security effectiveness by industry. A BitSight analysis of security ratings at more than 70 Fortune 200 companies between October 2012 and September 2013 looked at the energy, retail, technology, and financial sectors and found that the financial industry rated highest of the four in cybersecurity, while the technology industry had the lowest security scores, among other findings. Source: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=15991

35. November 20, Dark Reading – (International) Stuxnet’s earlier version much more powerful and dangerous, new analysis finds. A researcher at The Langner Group analyzed the Stuxnet industrial control systems malware and discovered that an earlier version of Stuxnet existed dating back to 2005, and that the earlier version could potentially have conducted much more physically destructive attacks. Source: http://www.darkreading.com/attacks-breaches/stuxnets-earlier-version-much-more-power/240164120

36. November 20, SC Magazine – (International) Bugs hit global payment company PayPal. Researchers with Vulnerability Lab reported finding several vulnerabilities in PayPal’s software that could be used by cybercriminals to hijack customers’ accounts and perform other actions. The vulnerabilities were submitted to PayPal’s bug bounty program. Source: http://www.scmagazineuk.com/bugs-hit-global-payment-company-paypal/article/321828/

For another story, see item 6 in the Financial Services Sector

Communications Sector

37. November 20, Radio World – (Texas) Encino Broadcasting faces $18,000 fine. Encino Broadcasting, the owner of three Texas radio stations, received an $18,000 proposed fine from the Federal Communications Commission for being late in filing for a license renewal. Paperwork filed in August is currently under review as any operations after August 1 are unauthorized. Source: http://www.radioworld.com/article/encino-broadcasting-faces--fine/222401