Complete DHS Report for February 4, 2014
Daily Report
• California water officials announced that
they will not send water from the State’s reservoir system to local agencies
starting this spring, which will affect 25 million people and the irrigation of
1 million acres of farmland. – Fox News; Associated Press
23.
February 2, Fox News; Associated Press – (California) California cuts
off water to agencies serving millions amid drought. In order to increase
their efforts to promote water conservation, California water officials announced
January 31 that they will not send any more water from the State’s reservoir
system to local agencies starting this spring. The move will affect 25 million
people and the irrigation of 1 million acres of farmland. Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/02/02/california-cuts-off-water-to-agencies-serving-millions-amid-drought/
•The last 2 of 19 people were convicted for
participating in a $154 million medical fraud scheme, in which hundreds of
healthy patients had unnecessary surgical procedures performed in order to
fraudulently bill insurance companies. – Associated Press
28.
January 31, Associated Press – (California) 2 convicted in $154M
medical insurance fraud that had patients undergo unnecessary surgery. A
southern California doctor and an attorney were the last of 19 people connected
to Unity Surgical Outpatient Center in Buena Park to be convicted for
participating in a $154 million medical fraud scheme, in which hundreds of
healthy patients had unnecessary surgical procedures to fraudulently bill
insurance companies. Source: http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/health/242957201.html
• Several schools across 7 States were closed
while roughly 2,000 flights were delayed and1,500 flights were cancelled
nationwide in preparation of a winter storm expected to bringseveral inches of
snow along the east coast. – Associated Press
30. February 3, Associated Press – (National) Winter
storm hits East, disrupts Super Bowl travel. Some schools across 7 States
were closed February 3 while roughly 2,000 flights were delayed and 1,500
flights were cancelled nationwide in preparation of a winter storm expected to
bring several inches of snow along the east coast. Source: http://news.msn.com/us/winter-storm-takes-aim-at-east-closes-schools
• Police are searching for a convicted murderer
after he was discovered missing from the Ionia Correctional Facility in
Michigan. The inmate abducted a woman using a weapon before the woman escaped
and called authorities. – Associated Press
35. February 3, Associated Press – (Michigan; Indiana) Convicted
murderer escapes Mich. Prison. Police are searching for a convicted
murderer after he was discovered missing February 2 from the Ionia Correctional
Facility in Michigan. The inmate abducted a woman using a weapon and drove to
Elkhart County, Indiana, where the woman escaped and called authorities.
Source: http://news.msn.com/crime-justice/officials-convicted-murderer-escapes-mich-prison
Details
Financial Services Sector
13. February 3, InformationWeek – (National) Hotel
company investigates data breach, card fraud. Hospitality company White
Lodging Services announced that it is investigating reports of a data breach
between March 2013 and late December 2013 that may have exposed customers’
payment card information. The company manages 168 hotels in 21 States under
franchises including Hilton, Sheraton, Marriott, and Westin. Source: http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks-and-breaches/hotel-company-investigates-data-breach-card-fraud/d/d-id/1113671
14. February 1, Associated Press – (California) LA men
charged in connection with $33M bank fraud. Two Los Angeles men were
indicted January 30 for allegedly altering financial records in order to obtain
lines of credit that caused banks to lose over $33 million. The two men fled to
Israel and have arrest warrants issued for them. Source: http://www.modbee.com/2014/02/01/3165168/la-men-charged-in-connection-with.html
15. January 1, Aberdeen News – (South Dakota) Broker
found guilty of fraud. A Sioux Falls broker who represented RAHFCO Management
Group and other similarly-named companies was found guilty the week of January
27 for defrauding over 100 investors of more than $20 million in a Ponzi-like
scheme between 2006 and 2011. Source: http://www.aberdeennews.com/news/local/broker-found-guilty-of-fraud/article_984a94ea-21b0-5d8a-a6cc-dab52ee33e35.html
16. February 1, KNSD 39 San Diego – (California) ‘El
Chaparrito’ bandit sought in 8 bank robberies. A suspect known as the “El
Chaparrito” bandit is being sought by police in connection to at least eight
bank robberies in San Diego County, with the most recent taking place at a Bank
of America branch January 29. Source: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/San-Diego-FBI-Seeks-Short-El-Chaparrito-Bank-Bandit-243101491.html
Information Technology Sector
36.
February 3, Softpedia – (International) PayPal and eBay websites
defaced by Syrian Electronic Army. Attackers claiming affiliation with the
Syrian Electronic Army hacktivist group defaced several pages belonging to eBay
and PayPal. Affected PayPal pages included pages from the service’s French,
British, and Indian sites. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/PayPal-and-eBay-Websites-Defaced-by-Syrian-Electronic-Army-423075.shtml
37.
January 31, Threatpost – (International) DailyMotion still infected,
serving fake AV malware. Researchers at Invincea reported that the
DailyMotion video-sharing Web site continued to be compromised more than 3
weeks after malicious ads were first found on the site and reported. Source: http://threatpost.com/dailymotion-still-infected-serving-fake-av-malware/104003
Communications Sector
38.
February 1, Associated Press – (West Virginia) 3 killed, 2 hurt in W.
Va. cell phone tower collapse. A 300-foot cell phone tower fell and killed
two S&S Communications’ contractors while a second collapsing tower killed
a responding firefighter February 1 during maintenance on the tower. Two other
workers were also injured in the incident. Source: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2014/02/01/3-killed-2-hurt-in-w-va-cell-phone-tower-collapse/