Complete DHS Daily Report for November 12, 2013
Daily Report
Top Stories
• The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
charged a Royal Bank of Scotland subsidiary with misleading investors in a
residential mortgage-backed security offering, with the bank agreeing to pay a
$150 million settlement. – U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission See item 4 below in the Financial Services Sector
• An investigation revealed that the Federal
Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors failed to respond to red flags
of significant safety problems leading up to 4 tour bus and truck crashes that
killed 25 people. – Associated Press
17.
November 7, Associated Press –
(National) Interstate 84 bus crash: Federal safety inspectors failed to
respond to red flags, investigation shows. The National Transportation
Safety Board investigators found November 7 that Federal Motor Carrier Safety
Administration inspectors failed to respond to indicators of significant safety
problems on the part of bus and truck companies leading up to 4 tour bus and
truck crashes that killed 25 people and injured 83 others. Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2013/11/interstate_84_bus_crash_federa.html
• The Federal Aviation Administration released
a roadmap authorizing unmanned aircraft to share the skies with civilian
aircraft. – Politico
19.
November 7, Politico – (National) FAA
releases ‘road map’ on wider use of drones. The Federal Aviation Administration
released a plan November 7 that outlines a roadmap of regulations,
technologies, standards, and policies authorizing unmanned aircrafts to share
the skies with civilian aircrafts by 2015. Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/faa-drones-99527.html
• An inspector general’s report revealed that
the Internal Revenue Service issued $4 billion in fraudulent tax refunds in
2012 to identity thieves. – Associated Press
27.
November 7, Associated Press –
(International) IRS refunded $4 billion to identity thieves, says report. An
inspector general’s report released November 7 stated the Internal Revenue
Service issued $4 billion in fraudulent tax refunds in 2012 to people using
stolen identities, with some going to international addresses. For 2013, the
agency developed a computer program that helps spot when multiple refunds go to
the same address or bank account. Source: http://news.msn.com/us/irs-refunded-dollar4-billion-to-identity-thieves-says-report
Details
Financial Services Sector
4. November
7, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (International) SEC
charges Royal Bank of Scotland subsidiary with misleading investors in subprime
RMBS offering. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) November 7
charged a subsidiary of Royal Bank of Scotland plc (RBS) with misleading
investors in a 2007 residential mortgage-backed security offering. RBS agreed
to settle the SEC charges and pay more than $150 million, which will be used to
compensate investors harmed by RBS’s actions. Source: http://www.sec.gov/News/PressRelease/Detail/PressRelease/1370540300002#.Unz2z_mkrSl
5. November
7, Orange County Daily Pilot – (California) ‘Snowboarder
Bandit’ convicted in bank heists. A man known as the “Snowboarder Bandit”
pleaded guilty November 7 to robbing 10 banks in Orange County, California,
between December 2011 and March 2012. Source: http://www.dailypilot.com/news/tn-dpt-me-1108-snowboarder-bandit-convicted-20131107,0,2620222.story
6. November
7, KERO 23 Bakersfield – (California) Three plead guilty in $30
million Bakersfield mortgage fraud scheme. Two individuals from Bakersfield
pleaded guilty November 7 for their role in a $30 million mortgage fraud scheme
that operated between January 2004 and September 2007. A co-conspirator pleaded
guilty November 5. Source: http://www.turnto23.com/news/local-news/three-plead-guilty-in-30-million-bakersfield-mortgage-fraud-scheme-including-carl-cole-110713
7. November
7, Seattle Times – (Washington) Seattle investment advisor guilty of fraud in
$46M case. A Seattle investment advisor who ran investment firm The
Spangler Group was found guilty November 7 of 31 counts of fraud and money
laundering for defrauding clients by diverting $46 million of their money into
two risky startups that he had an ownership interest in. Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/businesstechnology/2022214917_spanglertrialxml.html
8. November
7, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission – (International) SEC
obtains final judgment against defendants charged with perpetuating $35 million
international boiler room scheme. The District Court for the Central
District of California entered a settled judgment against The Good One Inc.,
Kaleidoscope Real Estate Inc., and an individual for their roles in an international
$35 million market manipulation and boiler room scheme. The companies and
individual were ordered to pay more than $3 million and were barred from
participating in any offerings of penny stocks. Source: http://www.sec.gov/litigation/litreleases/2013/lr22865.htm
9. November
7, SC Magazine – (International) PCI council publishes updated payment
security standards. The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) published
a new version of the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and
Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS) for merchants to better
protect payment information. Merchants have until January 1, 2014 before the
requirements come into effect. Source: http://www.scmagazine.com//pci-council-publishes-updated-payment-security-standards/article/320036/
For
additional stories, see items 11 below and 27 above in the Top Stories
11. November 7, New York Daily News – (New York) MetroCard
glitch leaves subway riders unable to pay with credit, debit cards. An
outage because of technical problems in a Verizon communications network used
to process credit and debit card transactions left passengers at 126 subway
stations in New York unable to buy MetroCards with credit or debit cards for
several hours November 7. Source: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/metrocard-glitch-leaves-riders-unable-pay-cards-article-1.1510411
Information Technology Sector
31.
November 7, Computerworld –
(International) Fire at Internet Archive reaffirms need for an Internet
archive. The document scanning operations of The Internet Archive in San
Francisco suffered a fire November 6 that caused $600,000 in damages. Source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/110713-fire-at-internet-archive-reaffirms-275754.html
32.
November 7, CSO – (International) Automated
hacking tools swarm Web site login pages. Incapsula monitored access
attempts at the Web sites of 1,000 of its clients and found that malicious
automated tools accounted for 94 percent of access attempts. The tools can be
used to find weak passwords and other vulnerabilities. Source: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/110713-automated-hacking-tools-swarm-web-275723.html
Communications Sector
33.
November 7, Radio Survivor –
(National) FCC warns broadcasters against misuse of emergency alert tones. The
Federal Communications Commission announced an enforcement advisory the week of
November 4 reminding broadcasters about the guidelines for using the Emergency
Alert System (EAS) and attention signals prompted by recent violations, misuse,
and overuse of the EAS system. Source: http://radiosurvivor.com/2013/11/07/fcc-warns-broadcasters-against-misuse-of-emergency-alert-tones/
34.
November 7, KOSA 7 Odessa; Associated Press –
(National) Most cell phone 911 calls lack location info 11/7/13. The
Federal Communications Commission announced that more than two thirds of 911
calls coming from a cell phone are not as accurate at disclosing the location
of the call as it once used to be, and found the rate of Texas wireless
emergency calls with detailed location information has fallen by about half
since 2011, which is in violation of federal requirements. Source: http://www.cbs7kosa.com/news/details.asp?ID=50966
For
another story, see item 30 below:
30.
November 7, KVAL 13 Eugene – (Oregon) 911
service down in Dexter thanks to copper thieves. CenturyLink crews worked
to restore 9-1-1, phone, and Internet service in the Dexter area after thieves
cut a cable, knocking out service in order to steal copper. Source: http://www.kval.com/news/local/911-sevice-down-in-Dexter-thanks-to-copper-theives-231037241.html