Wednesday, August 8, 2012 


Daily Report

Top Stories

 • A mammoth fire that shut the second-largest refinery in California and sent hundreds of people to hospitals with respiratory problems was extinguished August 7 as fears of a months-long closure caused a 25-cent spike in area gasoline prices. – Reuters

1. August 7, Reuters – (California) Blaze out at Chevron Bay Area refinery; gasoline spikes. A fire that shut Chevron Corp’s Richmond plant, the second-largest refinery in California, was extinguished August 7 as fears of a months-long closure caused a 25-cent spike in regional gasoline prices. The fire that spewed flames and a column of smoke high above the densely populated industrial suburb of east San Francisco Bay started late the afternoon of August 6 and was contained 5 hours later, then extinguished, Chevron said. Officials allowed a small controlled burn to continue, the firm said. The 245,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) plant, which accounts for one-eighth of California’s refining capacity, was partially shut down. An order for more than 100,000 nearby residents to remain indoors was lifted, and local transit stations reopened, authorities said. About 200 people sought medical help, complaining of respiratory problems, the San Pablo, California-based Doctors Medical Center said. The Kaiser Permanente Richmond Medical Center said it saw about 150 people with similar concerns but had no admissions. The fire started in the No. 4 crude unit, the only one at the plant, Chevron said. As the leak grew, workers were evacuated. The company said there had been only one injury, which it described as minor, among workers. The extent of damage was not clear. Any lengthy disruption in production could affect the supply of fuel on the West Coast, particularly gasoline, due to the difficulty in meeting California’s super-clean specifications. The region also has few alternative supply sources. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/07/us-chevron-refinery-idUSBRE8760MK20120807?feedType=RSS&feedName=domesticNews

 • Clean-up continued August 7, 1 day after a train transporting liquid petroleum gas in Cramerton, North Carolina, derailed and forced many people to evacuate homes. – WSOC 9 Charlotte

14. August 7, WSOC 9 Charlotte – (North Carolina) Cleanup continues after train derails in Cramerton. People who were evacuated after the August 6 derailment of a train transporting liquid petroleum gas in Cramerton, North Carolina, were allowed back home. August 7, crews had removed most of the damaged cars and were working to replace damaged tracks. The incident happened along 8th Avenue. There were 3 locomotives and 121 cars, 19 of which derailed. There were four tank cars containing liquid petroleum among the derailed, but officials said there was no leak. The train was headed from Linwood, North Carolina, to Macon, Georgia. The tracks go right through neighborhoods. Crews used heavy equipment to clear and fix the tracks, cutting through some of the damaged line, August 6 and 7. About a quarter-mile of track that was damaged during the derailment will have to be replaced. Some of the damaged cars have been moved off the track and onto the side. One of the two lines along the stretch was back up and running. Source: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/train-partially-derails-cramerton/nQCDq/

• Forty people in eight States have been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis from ground beef, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said August 

6. – Food Safety News

23. August 6, Food Safety News – (National) CDC: 40 sick in multistate Salmonella ground beef outbreak. Forty people in eight States have now been linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Enteritidis from ground beef, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said August 6. The number of victims in the outbreak is up from 33 people in 7 States as of July 23. According to the CDC, the States with reported illnesses are Maine (1), Massachusetts (3), New Hampshire (2), New York (18), Rhode Island (2), Vermont (11), Virginia (2), and West Virginia (1). CDC said a multi-agency investigation has implicated ground beef produced by Cargill Meat Solutions at a single facility is the likely source. July 22, Cargill Meat Solutions recalled 29,339 pounds of fresh ground beef. Cargill said it does not test for Salmonella Enteritidis in beef: ―This particular strain of Salmonella Enteritidis in beef has not been linked to a public health problem before, and no validated test for it in fresh beef is commercially available.‖ Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/08/cdc-40-sick-in-multistate-salmonella-ground-beef-outbreak/#.UCEQg6D6fEU

• The president of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, declared a state of emergency August 7 due to a salt wedge moving north up the Mississippi River, threatening the parish’s drinking water supply. – WWL 4 New Orleans

26. August 7, WWL 4 New Orleans – (Louisiana) Plaquemines Parish calls state of emergency for drinking water as salt moves up Miss. River. The president of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, declared a state of emergency August 7 due to a salt wedge moving north up the Mississippi River, threatening the parish’s drinking water supply. The wedge is moving due to low water levels in the river. The state of emergency is a precautionary measure to insure a plan is in place if the need for fresh water arises because it must be transported via barge to Port Sulphur and the east bank. The parish has three fresh water intake valves and officials did not plan on closing the valves in the immediate future. If the salinity of the water becomes too high, Jefferson Parish will allow the parish to take fresh water to the lower parts of Plaquemines Parish. Plaquemines Parish officials were working closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, and the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board. Source: http://www.wwltv.com/news/Plaquemines-Parish-keeping-eye-on-drinking-water-quality-as-salt-moves-up-Miss-River-165195766.html

• Police in Florida were trying to solve a mystery surrounding a man arrested with an enormous stash of fake military, law enforcement, and medical paraphernalia including federal badges, police radios, and a full NASA flight suit and helmet. – CNN

38. August 7, CNN – (Florida) Fake IDs part of ‘fantasy life,’ Florida man tells police. A man arrested with a stash of fake military, law enforcement, and medical paraphernalia — including badges and uniforms — told investigators he ―lives in a fantasy world,‖ police officials in Florida said August 7. However, authorities still are not convinced the man is telling the truth, the New Port Richey police chief said. Police arrested the man in New Port Richey August 1 for a traffic offense and parole violation. An officer noticed the identification card he provided seemed strange and had plastic where it should not have been. That launched the investigation that led to the stash. The materials found in the man’s two homes and car included diplomatic license plates and dozens of fake identification cards from DHS, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Defense, CIA, and NASA. The suspect also had access badges to hospitals around Florida, doctor and nurse scrubs, a respiratory technician badge, police blue lights, and access stickers to Coast Guard bases around Florida, the police chief said. During questioning, the man admitted he fabricated most of the credentials and items police seized, the chief said. Since a news conference August 6 about the man’s arrest, authorities received more than 100 tips, the police chief said. Many came them from residents who said they had encounters with the suspect passing himself off as a law enforcement officer or member of the military. Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/justice/florida-fake-ids/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

• A man was arrested at a Regal Cinemas in Westlake, Ohio, August 4 after he was discovered to be in possession of multiple weapons while sitting in an empty theater waiting for the show to start. – New York Daily News

47. August 7, New York Daily News – (Ohio) ‘Dark Knight’ copycat arrested at Ohio movie. A man was arrested at a Regal Cinemas in Westlake, Ohio, August 4 after he was discovered to be in possession of multiple weapons while sitting in an empty theater waiting for the show to start, the New York Daily News reported August 7. The suspect carried a satchel that raised suspicion when he entered the theater. After the suspect took a seat, an off-duty Westlake police officer who was providing security to the theater asked to search the bag. The officer found a loaded 9mm Glock handgun, multiple loaded magazines, and three knives inside, a Westlake police spokesman said. An additional knife was found underneath his clothes. The police added that being in the back row prevented anybody from being able to come up from behind the suspect, giving him a ―tactical advantage. Police searched his truck in the parking lot and found a tactical vest, the station reported. Cops searched the suspect’s home August 6 and found an additional arsenal of six to eight pistols, rifles, shotguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Officers also discovered prescription medication in the home that may have prevented him from being able to own firearms. The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives have assisted with the investigation, but only State charges have been filed. Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/dark-knight-copycat-arrested-ohio-movie-theater-article-1.1130755

• A mosque outside Joplin, Missouri, burned to the ground August 6 in the second fire to hit the Islamic center in little more than a month, as investigators searched for evidence of arson. – Associated Press

49. August 7, Associated Press – (Missouri) Fire destroys Mo. mosque; officials seek arson clues. A mosque outside Joplin, Missouri, burned to the ground August 6 in the second fire to hit the Islamic center in little more than a month, and investigators searched through the wreckage for evidence of arson. The Islamic Society of Joplin’s building was a total loss after the fire, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said. Investigators from the sheriff’s office, the FBI, and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were at the scene August 6. A fire July 4 was determined to be arson, but no charges were filed. The FBI released a video of a suspect caught on surveillance video and offered a $15,000 reward for information leading to an arrest in that fire. The FBI said it was too early to say if there was surveillance video available from the August 6 fire. The sheriff’s office said the video equipment was destroyed. The FBI encouraged anyone with information about either fire to call authorities. A Jasper County sheriff said patrols at the mosque were stepped up after the July 4 fire was found to be arson. Source: http://azstarnet.com/news/national/fire-destroys-mo-mosque-officials-seek-arson-clues/article_d5624df1-2ca3-5271-82d0-4cb871d32434.html

Details

Banking and Finance Sector

10. August 7, Bloomberg News – (International) SEC freezes another $6 million in Nexen insider trading case. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) obtained a second emergency court order to freeze assets of traders who allegedly profited from insider knowledge of Cnooc Ltd.’s bid for Nexen Inc., Bloomberg News reported August 7. The second order relates to $6 million held by unknown traders, who the SEC alleges reaped $2.3 million by trading illegally ahead of Cnooc Ltd.’s announcement that it would buy the Canadian oil company. The SEC said the traders opened a U.S. brokerage account through Hong Kong-based CSI Capital Management Ltd. a week before the the Cnooc-Nexen deal. The SEC first announced July 27 that it suspected insider trading on the deal with a court order to freeze the assets of traders who allegedly reaped more than $13 million from illegal trading. Hong Kong-based Well Advantage Ltd. and unknown traders had bought Nexen stock based on ―nonpublic information‖ and made an illegal profit of $13 million, the SEC said in a statement. The latest court order swelled the assets frozen in connection with the insider trading charges to more than $44 million. Source: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-08-07/sec-freezes-another-6-million-in-nexen-insider-trading-case

11. August 7, Reuters – (International) Ex-Lloyds bank security chief admits $3.9 mln fraud. A former Lloyds Banking Group anti-fraud chief August 7 admitted cheating the England-based bank of $3.9 million in what prosecutors called a ―huge breach of trust‖ against her employer. The employee, who served as the U.K. government-backed bank’s interim head of fraud and security for digital banking, pleaded guilty to fraud and money laundering. She submitted false invoices to claim the money between late 2007 and December 2011, using some of the illicit money to buy property in France. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/07/lloyds-fraud-idUSL6E8J77OL20120807

12. August 7, Annapolis Capital Gazette – (Maryland) Fire at Severna Park bank causes $750,000 in damage. A fire caused an estimated $750,000 in damage to a Severna Park, Maryland bank August 5, county fire officials said. Fire and rescue personnel were called to an M&T Bank and found heavy smoke coming from the one-story building. Firefighters had to force their way inside the bank, a fire department spokesman said. The bank was closed and unoccupied at the time of the fire. Source: http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/for_the_record/fire-at-severna-park-bank-causes-in-damage/article_1c63264e-c6b4-587f-8232-6f836156a2d7.html

Information Technology Sector

43. August 7, The H – (International) iCloud attack began with Amazon hack. In an article in Wired, a journalist who recently had several of his electronic accounts hacked explains how the attackers used flaws in Amazon’s and Apple’s customer service lines to expose his iCloud password. iCloud customer support requires a user’s residential address and the last four digits of the registered credit card to generate a new password. The hackers obtained the journalist’s residential address from records for a personal domain he registered. The last four digits of the credit card were obtained through Amazon. Apple told the New York Times it made a mistake when resetting the password, and protocols were not completely followed. However, the journalist said a colleague at Wired was able to reset a different Apple ID by replicating the same process the hackers used. Source: http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/iCloud-attack-began-with-Amazon-hack-1661646.html

44. August 7, Help Net Security – (International) Quantum cryptography theory has a proven security defect. Researchers at Tamagawa University, Quantum ICT Research Institute, announced August 7 that they proved the incompleteness and limit of the security theory in quantum key distribution. They showed the present theory cannot guarantee unconditional security. Until now, the majority of researchers in quantum information science believed quantum cryptography (quantum key distribution) can provide unconditional security. The guarantee of its unconditional security is given by the trace distance, which is a quantum version of the evaluation of a mathematical cipher. Source: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=13383&utm

45. August 6, Threatpost – (International) Attackers go phishing for payroll workers with Java CVE-2012-1723 exploit. Java flaw CVE-2012-1723 that Oracle patched in June has been the target of several pieces of malware and Web-based attacks recently. Now researchers indicate there is a phishing scam targeting payroll and HR employees that involves an exploit for the Java bug as well. The latest version of this kind of attack is using a scare tactic, telling recipients of the phishing email the certificate they use to access their payroll system is about to expire and needs to be renewed. If the user clicks on the embedded link, they will end up on a site serving a variety of exploits, including one for the Java flaw. Source: http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/attackers-go-phishing-payroll-workers-java-cve-2012-1723-exploit-080612

Communications Sector

46. August 7, Fort Dodge Messenger – (Iowa) Mediacom explains intermittent outages. Intermittent outages in services provided by Mediacom over the last month have frustrated many, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported August 7. According to the Mediacom director of communications in Des Moines, Iowa, the outages have been caused by the intense July heat. The nodes serve as many as 400 customers in a single area, she said. When they become burned out by the heat, it is usually replaced by a technician within 2 hours. The process takes longer at night, when a technician has to be called in. Another issue is power loss or damage to power lines. According to the Mediacom director of communications a MidAmerican Energy line went down August 4, burning Mediacom cable lines. The lines were promptly repaired, she said. The damage affected only 40 to 50 customers, as opposed to the impact of a damaged node. Another cause of intermittent outages was Mediacom upgrading and fine-tuning its technology. Source: http://www.messengernews.net/page/content.detail/id/550156/Mediacom-explains-intermittent-outages.html?nav=5010