Tuesday, November 25, 2014



Complete DHS Report for November 25, 2014

Daily Report

Top Stories

 • XPLOR Energy SPV-1, Inc., agreed to pay a $3.1 million fine and serve a 3-year probation term after pleading guilty to knowingly violating the Clean Water Act by discharging oily wastewater into the Breton Sound and the Gulf of Mexico off Louisiana. – Associated Press
1.     November 21, Associated Press – (Louisiana) XPLOR Energy pleads to Clean Water Act Violation. XPLOR Energy SPV-1, Inc., an Oklahoma-based oil company agreed to pay a $3.1 million fine and serve a 3-year probation term after pleading guilty for knowingly violating the federal Clean Water Act by discharging oily wastewater into the Breton Sound and the Gulf of Mexico from an offshore facility off Louisiana. Source: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/nov/21/xplor-energy-pleads-to-clean-water-act-violation/

 • A tour bus traveling from Los Angeles to Pasco, Washington, crashed in northern California November 23 killing 1 passenger and injuring 28 others when the bus drifted off Interstate 5 and overturned into an embankment. – Los Angeles Times
4. November 23, Los Angeles Times – (California) One dead, dozens hurt in Northern California bus crash. A tour bus traveling from Los Angeles to Pasco, Washington, crashed in northern California November 23 killing 1 passenger and injuring 28 others, with 11 in serious or critical conditions when the bus drifted off Interstate 5 and overturned into an embankment. The same bus was reportedly involved in an earlier minor crash at a Denny’s restaurant in Red Bluff, California, but no injuries were reported. Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bus-crash-story.html

 • Symantec researchers reported the discovery of a piece of sophisticated cyber espionage malware that works as a backdoor to steal information from compromised systems and appears to have been created by a nation-state actor. – Securityweek See item 21 below in the Information Technology Sector

 • The former general manager of the Sleep Inn hotel in Allendale, Michigan, was charged November 21 for allegedly stealing more than $872,929 by directing credit card payments to personal accounts. – Grand Rapids Press
29. November 22, Grand Rapids Press – (Michigan) Hotel general manager accused of stealing nearly $900,000 in credit card scheme. The former general manager of the Sleep Inn hotel in Allendale was charged with wire fraud and money laundering according to an indictment unsealed November 21 for allegedly stealing more than $872,929 by directing credit card payments to personal accounts through the form of fraudulent customer refunds between October 2006 and April 2013. Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/11/hotel_general_manager_accused.html

Financial Services Sector

2. November 24, Securityweek – (International) Fraud service uses charity websites to validate stolen credit card data. Researchers with PhishLabs reported November 21 that it had found online fraudsters using a bot and an IRC channel to conduct transactions on the Web sites of charity or non-profit organizations in order to test the validity of stolen payment card information and related personal information. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/fraud-service-uses-charity-websites-validate-stolen-credit-card-data

3.     November 21, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (New York) SEC charges CEO and close friend with insider trading ahead of company sale. Two New York City men, including one who served as CEO and a member of the board directors for GenTek Inc., agreed to pay a total of $324,000 to resolve U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that the former CEO passed on nonpublic information to the second man, who used it to engage in insider trading and make $164,260 in illicit profits ahead of GenTek’s sale to American Securities. Source: http://www.sec.gov/News/PressRelease/Detail/PressRelease/1370543516329

For another story, see item 29 above in Top Stories

Information Technology Sector

21. November 24, Securityweek – (International) Symantec uncovers stealthy nation-state cyber attack platform. Symantec researchers reported the discovery of a piece of sophisticated cyber espionage malware dubbed Regin that works as a backdoor to steal information from compromised systems and appears to have been created by a nation-state actor. The malware is modular in design and has predominantly targeted small businesses, individuals, and telecoms companies, as well as the hospitality, energy, and airline industries and research organizations. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/symantec-uncovers-stealthy-nation-state-cyber-attack-platform

22. November 24, The Register – (International) Sony quietly POODLE-proofs Playstations. Sony released a patch for its Playstation 3 and Playstation 4 gaming consoles that adds Transport Layer Security to the consoles’ apps and browsers and removes the use of SSL 3.0 to protect against POODLE attacks. Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/24/sony_playstation_update_spells_death_knell_for_poodle/

23. November 21, Softpedia – (International) Facebook bug remains unpatched, risk is partially mitigated. A researcher who reported a flaw in Facebook that could allow posting to a user’s timeline without permission in 2013 reported that the proof-of-concept for the attack still works in some cases where certain third-party Facebook apps do not implement the new content share model Facebook developed to address the issue. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Facebook-Bug-Remains-Unpatched-Risk-Is-Partially-Mitigated-465611.shtml

Communications Sector 

See item 21 above in the Information Technology Sector