Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Daily Report
Top Stories
• Lightning sparked a fire at a chemical plant
in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, triggering hundreds of evacuations, road
closures, and a shutdown of marine traffic on the Mississippi River. – New
Orleans Times-Picayune
6. August
18, New Orleans Times-Picayune – (Louisiana) Belle Chasse
evacuation order is lifted. A mandatory evacuation order issued August 17
as a result of a chemical release at the Sun Drilling Products Corp. plant in
the Belle Chasse community of Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana, was lifted and
hundreds of residents were allowed to return home August 18. Lightning
apparently struck a storage tank the afternoon of August 17, sparking a fire
that sent what officials feared was hazardous smoke over the community and
triggering mandatory evacuations, road closures, and a shutdown of marine
traffic on the Mississippi River. The strike occurred near the Belle Chasse
ferry landing. The U.S. Coast Guard identified the burning material as
divinylbenzene. Ferry service was halted and Louisiana 23, Plaquemines Parish’s
main thoroughfare, was closed. A 4-mile stretch of the Mississippi River, from
mile marker 74 to mile marker 78, was closed to marine traffic the night of
August 17. Source: http://www.nola.com/traffic/index.ssf/2012/08/belle_chasse_evacuation_order.html
• The Securities and
Exchange Commission announced fraud charges against a company they said bilked
more than 1 million investors out of $600 million in an Internet Ponzi scheme.
– CNNMoney See
item 14 below in the Banking and Finance Sector
• The U.S. Coast
Guard said responders rescued 72 people on a sightseeing vessel that began
taking on water in Alaska’s Glacier Bay after reportedly striking a rock. – Associated
Press
15.
August 20, Associated Press – (Alaska)
Crews rescue 72 when Alaska sightseeing vessel takes on water. The U.S.
Coast Guard said responders rescued 72 people on a sightseeing vessel that
began taking on water in Alaska’s Glacier Bay after reportedly striking a rock.
A Coast Guard spokesman said there were reports of minor injuries in the
incident August 19, which involved the 79-foot Baranof Wind. The Coast Guard
said the flooding was contained and there were no immediate reports of
pollution. Seventy people were transferred to the Holland America cruise ship
Volendam, which was expected to transport them to Bartlett Cover. From there,
another vessel took them to Juneau. Two others were taken aboard a National
Park Service boat, and four crew members remained on board the Baranof Wind.
Source: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/08/19/crews-rescue-72-when-alaska-sightseeing-takes-on-water/
• A multistate
outbreak of Salmonella linked to cantaloupes grown in southwestern Indiana has
killed two people in Kentucky and sickened 141 people in 20 States, state and federal
health officials said. – Food Safety News
24.
August 18, Food Safety News –
(National) Multistate Salmonella outbreak linked to Indiana cantaloupes. A
multistate outbreak of Salmonella Typhimurium linked to cantaloupes grown in
southwestern Indiana has killed two people in Kentucky and sickened 141 people
nationwide, the Kentucky Department for Public Health and the Indiana State
Department of Health confirmed to Food Safety News. Thirty-one people have been
hospitalized, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). A total
of 20 States have been affected by the outbreak, FDA reported. Illnesses by
State are as follows: Alabama (7), Arkansas (3), California, (2), Georgia (1),
Illinois (17), Indiana (13), Iowa (7), Kentucky (50), Michigan (6), Minnesota
(3), Missouri (9), Mississippi (2), New Jersey (1), North Carolina (3), Ohio
(3), Pennsylvania (2), South Carolina (3), Tennessee (6), Texas (1), and
Wisconsin (2). Illnesses began in early July, with new cases still likely to be
reported in the coming weeks. The 22 percent victim hospitalization rate is
unusually high for Salmonella. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) was collaborating with State health departments. A state
laboratory in Kentucky genetically matched Salmonella found in cantaloupes from
a southern Indiana farm to cases of Salmonella infection in Kentucky. August
18, Walmart Stores, Inc. instructed outlet managers to pull cantaloupes grown
in Indiana from its shelves, Bloomberg reported. Source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2012/08/multistate-salmonella-outbreak-linked-to-cantaloupe-from-indiana/#.UDIrRaC6TlY
• At least some of
the seven people arrested in a fatal shootout with Louisiana deputies have been
linked to violent anarchists on the FBI’s domestic terrorism watch lists, a
sheriff said. – Associated Press
37.
August 18, Associated Press –
(Louisiana) Suspects in deputy killings linked to extremists. At least
some of the seven people arrested in a fatal shootout with Louisiana deputies
have been linked to violent anarchists on the FBI’s domestic terrorism watch
lists, a sheriff said August 18. Detectives had been monitoring the group
before the August 16 shootout in Laplace in which two deputies were killed and
two more wounded, said the DeSoto Parish sheriff. His detectives and other law
enforcement discovered the suspects were heavily armed adherents to an ideology
known as the “sovereign citizens” movement. The seven suspects have been
charged in the shooting of a deputy, who survived. But authorities have said
murder charges are pending. Arrested were the group’s apparent leader, his
wife, and his two sons. Also arrested were the girlfriend of one of the sons, a
man, and a woman living with him. The Gage County, Nebraska, Sheriff’s Office
Web site listed one of the men among its most wanted fugitives, saying he is
accused of making “terroristic threats” to patrons of a Nebraska bar and law
enforcement officials. Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suspects-deputy-killings-linked-extremists-005244499.html
• Wildfires in
California, Idaho, and Washington consumed dozens of square miles of public and
private land, forced thousands of people to evacuate, destroyed many homes, and
closed some roads. – Associated Press
49.
August 20, Associated Press –
(California; Idaho; Washington) Northern California blaze forces thousands
to flee. Thousands of people were told to leave their homes as a wildfire
burning August 19 in thick forest threatened rural communities in far northern
California, the Associated Press reported August 20. The fire that sparked
August 18 destroyed 4 homes and consumed nearly 19 square miles near the towns
of Manton, Shingleton, and Viola, said a fire spokesman. About 3,500 homes
spread out across a rural area along the border of Tehama and Shasta counties
were threatened as the fire continued to expand, he said. Officials said the
fire started after a series of lightning strikes. The Shasta County Sheriff’s
Department declared a state of emergency, with evacuations expected to continue
through August 19. The agency also closed some local roads. Another wildfire
that started August 18 consumed about 1.5 square miles east of the Mendocino
County community of Covelo. A third new fire scorched about half a square mile
in a remote area of Shasta County. A wildfire in Lassen Volcanic National Park
was 51 percent contained after consuming more than 43 square miles. Officials
expected firefighters would have the blaze contained by August 21. In Idaho, about
1,100 firefighters worked to protect some 350 homes in the Featherville area
under a mandatory evacuation as the Trinity Ridge Fire continued a slow
approach toward the community. In Washington State, the Taylor Bridge fire
burned across more than 23,000 acres in rural areas, but firefighters gained
ground on the blaze that has scorched dozens of homes near Cle Elum, about 75
miles east of Seattle. In Utah, evacuation orders were lifted east of Park City
as firefighters made progress on a wildfire near Jordanelle State Park. Source:
http://www.news-leader.com/viewart/20120820/NEWS07/308200042/Northern-California-blaze-forces-thousands-to-flee
Details
Banking and Finance Sector
12. August
18, Associated Press – (California) FBI seeks bandit linked to LA-area bank heists. The
FBI is seeking a bank robber dubbed the “make it quick bandit” suspected of
holding up banks inside grocery stores in the greater Los Angeles area, the
Associated Press reported August 18. The FBI said the suspect has been linked
to eight bank robberies since 2009 in the area south of Los Angeles. His modus
operandi is to wander the aisles of the grocery store before holding up the
bank teller. The robber advises the teller that people are waiting for him
outside the store. The suspect’s most recent heist was a bank in Torrance, his
second in 2012. He is also suspected in five holdups in 2011, and one in 2009.
Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/08/18/4737351/fbi-seeks-bandit-linked-to-la.html
13. August
17, azfamily.com – (Arizona) ‘Color Me Bad Bandit’ wanted in 4 bank robberies. The
FBI’s Bank Robbery Task Force is asking for the public’s help in identifying
the “Color Me Bad Bandit,” who is suspected in the robberies of four credit
unions in Mesa and Tempe, Arizona, azfamily.com reported August 17. Authorities
said the female suspect has robbed four credit unions in July and August.
During each incident, the suspect entered the credit union with a large bag and
used a note to demand money and threaten employees. She then fled on foot. She
consistently attempts to conceal her identity by wearing large scarves or hats
and sunglasses. She has been dubbed the “Color Me Bad Bandit” due to her colorful
disguises. Source: http://www.azfamily.com/news/Color-Me-Bad-Bandit-wanted-in-4-bank-robberies-166596996.html
14. August
17, CNNMoney – (International) SEC shuts down alleged $600 million Ponzi
scheme. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced fraud
charges August 17 against a company they said was operating a $600 million
Internet Ponzi scheme “on the verge of collapse.” The SEC accused
ZeekRewards.com, its parent company, Rex Venture Group, and Rex Venture’s
leader of luring more than 1 million investors worldwide into the scheme, which
began in early 2011. ZeekRewards is a companion to the penny auction site
Zeekler.com. Visitors to the ZeekRewards site were told that by paying
subscription fees and becoming “affiliates,” they could share in the company’s
profits. In fact, the SEC said, the payouts the firm made came from the funds
of new investors. The SEC said it froze the roughly $225 million in investor
funds that remain in the company’s bank accounts. So far, the agency said,
ZeekRewards has paid out some $375 million to investors, while the company’s
leader allegedly siphoned off millions for himself in the process. He agreed to
settle the SEC case without admitting or denying wrongdoing, paying a $4
million penalty and forfeiting his stake in the firm, though he could still
face further charges from subsequent criminal investigations. Source: http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/17/technology/zeek-rewards-ponzi-scheme/index.html
Information Technology Sector
39.
August 20, SecurityWeek –
(International) AMD’s blog defaced and breached. The weekend of August
18, a group known as R00tbeer targeted chipmaker AMD’s WordPress installation
and managed to deface the domain as well as steal the SQL file used to manage
the content management system. In addition to the defacement, the group
published an SQL file with 185 accounts, complete with username, hashed
password, and email. One of the accounts appeared to belong to AMD’s technology
group’s general manager. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/amd%E2%80%99s-blog-defaced-and-breached
40.
August 17, InformationWeek –
(International) Security researcher uncovers Apple iOS SMS bug. An Apple
iOS security researcher discovered a vulnerability in Apple’s iOS platform. The
bug is present in all versions of iOS up to and including iOS 6 beta 4. The bug
allows hackers to spoof the reply-to number in a text message, which could
allow them to send phishing messages via SMS. In one case, a person could
receive a message that would appear to come from their bank, requesting
information or sending them to a Web site. The researcher also explained that
hackers could send spoofed messages to a user’s device that would appear to
have come from the user themselves. This could allow hackers to plant false
evidence on someone’s iPhone. Source: http://www.informationweek.com/security/mobile/security-researcher-uncovers-apple-ios-s/240005758
41.
August 17, SecurityWeek – (International)
Microsoft releases update that forces minimum certificate key length of 1024
bits. August 14, Microsoft announced the availability of an update to
Windows that restricts the use of any certificates with RSA keys less than
1,024 bits in length, SecurityWeek reported August 17. The reason for the
change, Microsoft explained, is because weak certificates with keys less than
1,024 bits in length can be derived with few resources relatively quickly and
could allow an attacker to duplicate the certificates and use them fraudulently
to spoof content, perform phishing attacks, or perform man-in-the-middle
attacks. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/microsoft-releases-update-forces-minimum-certificate-key-length-1024-bits
Communications Sector
See
item 40 above in the Information Technology Sector