Tuesday, December 10, 2013



Complete DHS Daily Report for December 10, 2013

Daily Report

 • More than 225,000 homes and businesses in Texas and several other States were without power December 6 following severe ice storms December 5. – Reuters

4. December 6, Reuters – (National) Over 225,000 without power in Texas after ice storms. More than 225,000 homes and businesses in Texas and several other States were without power December 6 following severe ice storms December 5. Source: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/131206/over-225000-without-power-texas-after-ice-storms

 • A severe winter storm that affected several States within the U.S. caused more than 2,500 flight cancellations and delays, and numerous car accidents December 8-9 due to icy road conditions and freezing rain. – Associated Press

13. December 9, Associated Press – (National) Big storm dumps snow on east coast, travel dicey. A severe winter storm that affected several States within the U.S. caused more than 2,500 flight cancellations and delays, and numerous car accidents December 8-9 due to icy road conditions and freezing rain. Source: http://news.msn.com/us/big-storm-dumps-snow-on-east-coast-travel-dicey?app=1

 • Snow and icy conditions caused numerous accidents and forced the Arizona Highway Patrol to close Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge December 7, leaving an estimated 300 vehicles on the roadway. – St. George Daily Spectrum

19. December 8, St. George Daily Spectrum – (Utah; Arizona) Icy freeway reopens after hundreds spend night in Virgin River Gorge. Snow and icy conditions caused numerous accidents and forced the Arizona Highway Patrol to close Interstate 15 in the Virgin River Gorge December 7, leaving an estimated 300 vehicles on the roadway while emergency crews worked to evacuate many and bring food, blankets, and fuel to others. Source: http://www.thespectrum.com/article/20131208/NEWS/312080001/

 • A December 6 fire at the Indoor Flea Market complex in Halltown, West Virginia, that started in an auto repair shop displaced several families living in the complex’s apartments and caused more than $1 million in damages. – Associated Press

35. December 9, Associated Press – (West Virginia) Cause sought for flea market fire in Jefferson County, damage tops $1 million. A December 6 fire at the Indoor Flea Market complex in Halltown, West Virginia, that started in an auto repair shop displaced several families living in the complex’s apartments and caused more than $1 million in damages. The cause is under investigation. Source: http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/05a1ab0d1d174f1eb13e4263612f1a9b/WV--Flea-Market-Fire

Details

Financial Services Sector

9. December 9, Softpedia – (International) Man pleads guilty to role in $725,000/ €529,000 hacking and ID theft scheme. A Gladstone, Missouri man pleaded guilty the week of December 1 to his part in a $725,000 hacking and fraud scheme that used passwords stolen from businesses to make online purchases. The scheme ran between 2006 and 2009 and involved four co-conspirators that previously pleaded guilty. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Man-Pleads-Guilty-to-Role-in-725-000-529-000-Hacking-and-ID-Theft-Scheme-407290.shtml

10. December 7, Softpedia – (International) RBS website disrupted by DDoS attack. The Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) confirmed that its NatWest Web site was the target of a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack December 6, causing disruptions for customers. RBS was also recently targeted by a DDoS attack December 2. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/RBS-Website-Disrupted-with-DDOS-Attack-406953.shtml

11. December 6, Associated Press – (Florida) Florida lawyer found guilty in $800M insurance fraud scheme. An attorney from south Florida was found guilty December 4 for his part in the Mutual Benefits Corp., insurance fraud case. The company sold investments in life insurance policies that were fraudulent and lost investors around $830 million. Source: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southeast/2013/12/06/313250.htm

12. December 6, KCBS 2 Los Angeles – (California) ‘Valley Bandit’ linked to 8 bank heists since Dec. 2012. Authorities asked for the public’s assistance in identifying a suspect known as the “Valley Bandit,” believed to be responsible for eight bank robberies in the San Fernando Valley beginning in December 2012. The suspect’s most recent robbery was at a Wells Fargo bank branch December 4 in the West Hills area. Source: http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/12/06/valley-bandit-linked-to-8-bank-heists-since-dec-2012/

For another story, see item 31 below in the Information Technology Sector

Information Technology Sector

31. December 6, Softpedia – (International) Russian authorities prosecute BlackHole creator and 12 other suspects. Authorities in Russia announced charges against the alleged creator of the BlackHole exploit kit and 12 others for allegedly using BlackHole to distribute banking trojans and cause losses totaling $2.1 million. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Russian-Authorities-Prosecute-BlackHole-Creator-and-12-Other-Suspects-406627.shtml

For another story, see item 9 above in the Financial Services Sector

Communications Sector

Nothing to report