Friday, April 26, 2013   

Complete DHS Daily Report for April 26, 2013

Daily Report

Top Stories

 • The suspect believed to be the “Merrimack Valley Bandit,” responsible for 14 bank robberies in Massachusetts and Maine, was arrested. – Bangor Daily News

6. April 24, Bangor Daily News – (New Hampshire; Maine; Massachusetts) ‘Merrimack Valley Bandit’ caught after Maine bank robbery. A suspect believed to be the “Merrimack Valley Bandit” responsible for 14 bank robberies in Massachusetts and Maine was arrested April 23 in Salem, New Hampshire. Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/24/news/portland/merrimack-valley-bandit-caught-after-maine-bank-robbery/

 • Multiple explosions on gas barges in Alabama critically injured 3 people and created a situation so unstable that fire and rescue officials decided to let the fire burn for several hours. – Associated Press

10. April 25, Associated Press – (Alabama) 3 injured in Alabama barge explosions. Three people were critically injured with burns after multiple explosions on gas barges in an area of the Mobile River east of downtown Mobile, creating a situation so unstable that fire and rescue officials decided to let the fire burn. The U.S. Coast Guard established a one-nautical-mile safety around one barge as a precaution. Source: http://www.newser.com/story/166834/3-injured-in-alabama-barge-explosions.html

 • A former San Francisco University official and the owner of a waste disposal company were arrested and charged with 246 felony counts after authorities discovered they were part of a scheme that cost the school millions of dollars. – San Francisco Examiner (See item 27)
27. April 24, San Francisco Examiner – (California) Former S.F. State official accused of contract fraud. A former San Francisco University director and the owner of Chemical and HazMat Technology were arrested and charged with 246 felony counts after authorities discovered they were part of a scheme that cost the school millions of dollars based on the company’s exclusive contract with the university, during which, they both reaped the benefits. Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2013/04/former-sf-state-official-accused-contract-fraud

 • A report released by a U.S. Senator challenged the safety of more than 1,000 upstate New York dams, some of which do not have an emergency-action plan in case of a breakage. – Corning Leader

45. April 23, Corning Leader – (New York) Senator: Dam threat to Southern Tier. A report released by a U.S. Senator challenged the safety of more than 1,000 upstate New York dams and their communities, including two dozen dams, half of which do not have an emergency-action plan in case of a breakage. Source: http://www.steubencourier.com/topstories/x1641168242/Schumer-Dams-threat-to-Southern-Tier

Details

Banking and Finance Sector

5. April 25, U.S. Department of Justice – (Texas) Final defendant convicted in multi-million dollar mortgage fraud scheme. A Houston businessman pleaded guilty for his role in a $22 million dollar mortgage fraud scheme. His three co-conspirators were previously convicted. Source: http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/magnolia/news/final-defendant-convicted-in-multi-million-dollar-mortgage-fraud-scheme/article_aecb6b80-ad53-11e2-b4f7-001a4bcf887a.html

6. April 24, Bangor Daily News – (New Hampshire; Maine; Massachusetts) ‘Merrimack Valley Bandit’ caught after Maine bank robbery. A suspect believed to be the “Merrimack Valley Bandit” responsible for 14 bank robberies in Massachusetts and Maine was arrested April 23 in Salem, New Hampshire. Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2013/04/24/news/portland/merrimack-valley-bandit-caught-after-maine-bank-robbery/

7. April 24, Charlotte Observer – (North Carolina) 9 more defendants charged in Operation Wax House mortgage fraud case. Nine more individuals were indicted in the “Operation Wax House” mortgage fraud investigation targeting an alleged $75 million fraud scheme involving properties in Charlotte and Waxhaw. Source: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/04/24/4001760/nine-more-defendants-charged-in.html

8. April 24, Louisville Courier-Journal – (National) 5 people arrested in Clarksville accused of credit-card fraud. Five individuals from New York and North Carolina were arrested in Clarksville, Indiana, and charged with being part of a credit card fraud ring after authorities found more than 300 fraudulent cards, counterfeit cash, and unauthorized access devices in their possession. Source: http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130424/NEWS02/304240123/Credit-card-fraud-US-Attorney-Hogsett

9. April 24, Greensboro News-Record – (North Carolina) Coach’s ex-CFO pleads guilty in investment scandal. A business associate of a fraud-linked Greensboro basketball coach pleaded guilty to criminal charges for falsifying rental agreements with the aim of obstructing a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into the $8 million scheme. Source: http://www.news-record.com/home/1118377-63/stan-kowalewskis-ex-cfo-pleads-guilty

For another story, see item 37 below in the Information Technology Sector

Information Technology Sector

35. April 24, The H – (International) WordPress cache plugins enabled remote PHP execution. WordPress posted details of a previously-reported vulnerability in the WP Super Cache and W3 Total Cache plugins that allowed remote users to execute arbitrary PHP on servers. Source: http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/WordPress-cache-plugins-enabled-remote-PHP-execution-1848961.html

36. April 24, Softpedia – (International) Number of DDOS attacks increased by 200% in 2012, study shows. Akamai’s fourth quarter 2012 State of the Internet report found that distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack increased by 200% compared to 2011, and detailed other DDoS findings. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Number-of-DDOS-Attacks-Increased-by-200-in-2012-Study-Shows-348170.shtml

37. April 23, Forbes – (International) Researcher’s serial port scans find more than 100,000 hackable devices, including traffic lights and fuel pumps. A researcher from Rapid7 presented findings to the Infosec Southwest conference detailing how attackers could compromise various older devices that utilize serial ports connected to networking equipment. He found that devices set up in this manner had poor security and control varied operations including heating and cooling systems, point-of-sale (PoS) devices, and fuel pumps, among others. Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2013/04/23/researchers-serial-port-scans-find-more-than-100000-hackable-devices-including-traffic-lights-and-fuel-pumps/

Communications Sector

38. April 24, Associated Press – (Tennessee) Cell outage affects 911 calls near Chattanooga. A malfunction at a Verizon cell tower affected some Chattanooga area residents’ ability to dial 9-1-1 from their cell phones and prompted Verizon to dispatch crews. Source: http://www.fox17.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.tn/38eeb8f5-www.fox17.com.shtml

For another story, see item 37 above in the Information Technology Sector


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