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Man Is Charged With Stabbing 4 at Ohio Building
St. Louis Today (03/16/2012) Welsh-Higgins, Andrew
Police in Columbus, Ohio, say that the multiple stabbings that took place at an office building in the city on Wednesday seem to have been random acts of violence. The stabbings were allegedly carried out by 37-year-old John W. Mallett, who brought three knives into the building that houses Miami-Jacobs Career College and a number of other offices. Mallett allegedly stabbed three people inside the admissions office of Miami-Jacobs Career College and one other person outside the building. Bystanders inside the office building tried to subdue Mallett and were able to take away a knife that he was using, though they did not realize that he was in possession of two other knives. By the time Mallett made it outside the building, Columbus police officers had responded to the scene and were forced to fire shots at the suspect in order to subdue him. In addition, a Columbus police officer used a stun gun on the suspect in order to bring him under control. Mallett's aunt said that her nephew suffers from a mental illness and that he had not been taking his medications. Mallett has been charged with four counts of felonious assault.
D.A.: Archdiocese CFO Stole 900G to Pay Debts
Philadelphia Inquirer (03/14/12) Dean, Mensah
The former chief financial officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia has been charged with stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the organization. Archdiocesan officials say they discovered last July that Anita Guzzardi had stolen more than $900,000 while working in other financial positions. The alleged theft was discovered when American Express noticed that Guzzardi had used nearly 200 archdiocesan checks to pay the balances on two of her personal accounts between 2005 and 2011. Guzzardi also allegedly used nearly 150 archdiocesan checks to pay her personal Chase credit card account. Guzzardi turned herself in on March 13. She has been charged with theft, forgery, illegal use of a computer, and other related crimes.
Yahoo! Suing Facebook Over Alleged Patent Infringement
Out-Law.com (03/14/12)
Yahoo has filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Facebook in a California court. The lawsuit accuses the social networking site of using 10 of Yahoo's patents without being given a proper license. Most of the patents are related to online advertising. For example, some of the patents deal with inventions related to "measures and systems" for Internet advertising, while others deal with click fraud prevention methods. Facebook is also accused of infringing upon patents for privacy measures and technology that enables Web pages to be customized for individual users. Yahoo claimed that the use of its online advertising patents allowed Facebook to improve its Internet advertising performance. Just two of the patents Facebook is accused of infringing are directly related to social networking technology. Despite the lawsuit, Yahoo said that it believes that it can still reach a licensing agreement with Facebook about the patents. The two companies had been in the midst of discussions about potential licensing agreements before the lawsuit was filed.
Moonlighting LAPD Officer Charged With Thefts From Luxury Hotel
Los Angeles Times (03/13/12) Blankstein, Andrew
A security guard at the Surf and Sand Resort in Laguna Beach, Calif., has been charged with stealing cash and other items from the hotel. Authorities say that Jeffry P. Quinton, who is also a member of the Los Angeles Police Department but was working at the Surf and Sand Resort part time, accessed the hotel's computerized lost and found system last October and changed records to show that hotel staff had recovered $2,000 from a room. Quinton also allegedly changed the entry in the lost and found system to make it seem that a gold watch had been recovered from the room and returned to its owner, even though such a watch had never been found. In addition, Quinton is accused of altering the record in the lost and found system by changing the room number where the cash was found. Over the next several months, Quinton allegedly stole more than $1600 from a safe at the hotel, as well as nearly $300 in bedding from a locked storage room. Quinton could face more than three years in jail if convicted. He has already been placed on paid administrative leave from the LAPD pending the outcome of his case.
Police Arrest Man in Orlando Restaurant Shooting
WESH NewsChannel 2 (Central Florida) (03/12/12)
A security guard was shot over the weekend while trying to break up a fight at the Senor Frogs restaurant in Orlando. Police investigators said the shooter was arrested after a foot-chase by deputies working at the eatery. According to police, Terence Lanar Rush has been charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and resisting arrest with violence. Authorities said a security officer approached Rush, who reportedly "shot at the male several times in the lower extremities." Nobody else was injured during the attack. Rush has a history of violent crimes in the state.
Afghan Man Who Crashed Truck Near Panetta Dies; Suspected Kandahar Shooter Moved to Kuwait
Washington Post (03/15/12) Jaffe, Greg; Londoño, Ernesto
A group of U.S. Marines at Camp Bastion, Afghanistan, was attacked by an Afghan interpreter at the base on Wednesday. The man used a stolen pickup truck to try to run over the Marines who were on the runway at Camp Bastion ahead of the arrival of Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. But instead of hitting the Marines, the driver crashed the pickup truck and appeared to set himself on fire. However, the man may have been trying to set the pickup truck ablaze using the fuel that he was carrying in the vehicle. The driver later died from the burn injuries he suffered. Lt. Gen. Curtis M. Scaparrotti, the second in command for American forces in Afghanistan, said that the driver's intention and motivation is not yet clear. Scaparrotti added that he did not believe that the attempted attack was related to the arrival of Secretary Panetta. Meanwhile, the U.S. Army soldier accused of carrying out the massacre in Kandahar on Sunday has been taken from Afghanistan to Kuwait. A spokesman for the U.S. military in Kabul said that the move is part of standard procedure when officials are preparing to charge a soldier. The soldier will likely be prosecuted at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state, which is where his unit is based, if charges are filed against him. An Army general who is in the soldier's chain of command will be given the authority to decide whether or not the soldier should be court martialed.
Alleged Gunman Held in Texas Courthouse Shooting
Associated Press (03/15/12) Graczyk, Michael
One person was killed and three others were injured in a shooting at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Beaumont, Texas, on Wednesday. The alleged shooter, 41-year-old Bartholomew Granger, was a defendant in a trial dealing with a family dispute, and was at the courthouse for the continuation of those proceedings. Authorities said that Granger began shooting outside the courthouse, hitting an innocent bystander as she tried to run for cover. The bystander, a 79-year-old woman, was killed. Police then responded to the scene and traded fire with Granger. Granger tried to escape by driving away in his truck, running over his daughter--who had testified against him at his trial--in the process. Granger drove about three blocks and abandoned his truck, running into a construction business where 50 to 60 people were inside. The alleged gunman briefly took hostages inside the construction business, though some of the workers were able to disarm Granger and allow the SWAT team inside the building. Granger eventually surrendered to police.
Community Complains About WTC Site Security Plan
Associated Press (03/14/12)
World Trade Center area residents in New York City are expressing concern that an extensive police plan to safeguard the rebuilt site against vehicle-borne bombs with new checkpoints and barriers could stifle a growing community and complicate traffic. The plan, outlined in a draft document, would ban uninspected vehicles from accessing the 16-acre lower Manhattan site, which includes the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, five new skyscrapers, a performing arts center, and a major transportation hub. The goal of the plan is to protect the site while ensuring an open environment for residents and visitors, says police Deputy Commissioner of Counterterrorism Richard Daddario. Julie Menin, the chairwoman of the community board representing the neighborhood, says that no one is against the need for security at the site where terrorists used hijacked planes to destroy the twin towers and kill thousands of people on Sept. 11, 2001. "We want to make sure security is done in a way that recognizes the community that surrounds it," she says. It could take until 2019 to fully implement the plan, which would create a so-called standoff perimeter around the site to minimize the danger of collapsing buildings; institute a trusted access program for taxis, residents and delivery vans; and create a vehicular security center that would control access to the site's underground traffic network of loading docks and parking areas. There would be four points where vehicles could enter and exit the site.
'Azerbaijan Arrests 22 Over Terror Plot Against Israel, US'
Jerusalem Post (03/14/12)
Nearly two dozen people have been arrested by authorities in Azerbaijan for allegedly planning attacks against the U.S. and Israeli embassies there. All of the suspects are citizens of Azerbaijan, and they are believed to have ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards. The arrests come nearly a month after authorities in Azerbaijan arrested a number of people who were planning to attack foreign citizens in Azerbaijan. The suspects in that case were believed to have ties to Iran's intelligence agency and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. One of the suspects was also a member of the Quds Force. The plot had allegedly advanced to the point where the suspects had acquired firearms and explosives and had gathered intelligence about possible targets.
Taliban Vows Revenge Against 'American Savages' After US Soldier Allegedly Kills 16 Afghan Civilians
FoxNews.com (03/12/12)
The Taliban has issued a statement saying that it planned to take revenge against the U.S. for the shooting rampage carried out by an American soldier in Afghanistan on Sunday. The soldier, a U.S. Army staff sergeant based in Kandahar province, left the Army outpost and allegedly went house to house in a nearby village to shoot civilians inside. Some of the bodies of the 16 people who were killed were also burned. In addition to saying that it planned to take revenge against the U.S., the Taliban also claimed that the shooter is mentally ill and that the Americans in Afghanistan committed a "moral transgression" by "arming lunatics." In the aftermath of the attack, U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan have bolstered security and the U.S. Embassy has warned Americans in the country to be wary about the possibility of violence. Meanwhile, there are disagreements between Afghan civilians and U.S. officials about how the attacks took place. Some Afghan civilians have said that they do not believe that only one soldier could have carried out the shootings, given the large distance between some of the houses. Others have said that they saw two groups of soldiers and that they heard gunshots coming from a number of different directions. But Pentagon spokesman Capt. John Kirby has said that officials at the base where the soldier was stationed took account of everyone after the shooter was found to be missing, and noted that he was the only one who was gone. The suspect is currently being held in custody and is being questioned by officials probing the incident.
Microsoft Urges Firms to Focus on Severe RDP Flaw
InfoWorld (03/14/12) Lemos, Robert
Microsoft issued six patches on March 13 and included a stern warning to firms to quickly apply the patches, which fix a critical flaw that will likely be exploited soon by online criminals. The vulnerability could give an attacker the ability to remotely run code by exploiting the Remote Desktop Protocol, a Microsoft implement for remotely accessing Windows machines. The issue could enable a widespread attack because it impacts all versions if Windows and because it is common practice to let RDP traffic through the firewall. RDP and other remote access software has come under major security scrutiny following the source code theft of a similar program, Symantec's pcAnywhere, earlier in 2012. Symantec had cautioned users to not let Internet traffic communicate directly with the program, advising users to use additional security measures to keep attacks from reaching the software. Microsoft points out, however, that many users do let Internet traffic connect with their remote-access programs. In its blog post, the company implored users and administrators to apply the patch, and in cases where that was not possible, for computers with Windows Vista and newer systems to run Network Level Authentication to require authentication for outside computers before they are allowed to connect to a remote server. Microsoft noted that RDP is not on in the default setting, so most Windows systems should not be susceptible.
FISMA Continues to Challenge
Federal Computer Week (03/14/12) Tuutti, Camille
The U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released a report that examines federal agencies' compliance with the requirements of the Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA). During its audit, OMB asked agency inspectors general to assess 11 aspects of their information security programs, such as risk management, security training, and contingency planning. Inspectors general also were asked to look at whether their agencies had implemented programs that met FISMA requirements for safeguarding government systems and information. The study found that the National Science Foundation (NSF) had the highest compliance score with 98.8 percent in fiscal year 2011, though was down modestly from its score the previous fiscal year. The Social Security Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency also were among the top three agencies when it came to FISMA compliance, though like the NSF they too saw declines in their scores from the preceding year. On the opposite end of the spectrum was the Department of Agriculture, whose 32.5 percent score was the lowest among the agencies that were looked at. The study found that the weakest compliance among all agencies was in the areas of continuous monitoring management, configuration management, and identity management. Information Technology & Innovation Foundation analyst Daniel Castro notes that the findings indicate a general problem with public sector management. He says that while federal agencies have incentives to meet expectations, they have little or no incentives for exceeding those expectations.
Symantec: Finders Will Try to Access Lost Smartphones
eWeek (03/12/12) Burt, Jeffrey
Nearly everyone who finds a lost smartphone will try to access the information on it, and only 50 percent of finders will attempt to contact the owner, according to a recent Symantec survey. The poll also found that even those who try to return devices most likely look at the information on them first. Symantec says this highlights the importance of making sure data stored on a phone is as secure as possible. In Symantec's seven-day study, researchers intentionally lost 50 smartphones around Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, New York City, the San Francisco Bay area, and Ottawa, Canada. No security software or features, such as passwords, were enabled on the phones, and they were loaded with tracking software so the researchers could see what applications were being viewed. The study found that 96 percent of lost smartphones were viewed by people finding the device. Eighty-nine percent of finders accessed personal apps and information, while another 83 percent looked for corporate-related data. Fifty percent of the finders contacted the smartphone owners and gave them their own contact data. The phones were loaded with fabricated corporate data apps, and 45 percent of the finders tried to access the email client, 53 percent tried to open the HR Salaries app, and 49 percent tried to access an app called Remote Admin. In addition, 72 percent of the finders tried to access private pictures, 43 percent attempted to get into the online banking app, and 63 percent of the finders tried to reset the passwords or log-ins.
Twitter Being Used by Malware Developers
eWeek (03/12/12) Burt, Jeffrey
Cyber criminals are increasingly using Twitter to attract mobile device users to their malware, according to Symantec security researchers. Symantec's Joji Hamada says users can run across Android.Opfake software if they search for tweets on topics such as software, mobile devices, pornography, and dieting, among other topics. Android.Opfake is not available on the Android Market, Hamada points out, and such tweets direct users to infected Web sites developed for the Opfake application. These tweets typically contain short URLs and are usually written in Russian with some English mixed in, and lead users to a site where they are prompted to download malicious software. The individual tactics vary between cyber criminals, but Hamada shares some common characteristics of malicious tweets, such as similar tweets being sent out constantly that have no followers and users that do not have content in their profiles, which makes it difficult to determine if a link is malicious without clicking on it. Symantec says there are malware operations that are operating continuously, and Hamada cites one recent scheme that ran for eight hours and generated more than 130,000 tweets from roughly 100 accounts before it stopped. Hamada commends Twitter for responding swiftly to Symantec's reports of malicious tweets, and for offering a place for users to report other users who appear to be nothing more than spam. He says smartphone users should especially be aware of links that they click on from friends on Twitter, and he recommends that users only follow tweets from users they trust.
Ransom Trojans Spreading Beyond Russian Heartland
CSO Online (03/11/12) Dunn, John E.
Trend Micro's recent findings show that random malware has extended outside its traditional Russian market and is starting to become a measurable nuisance in the United States and Germany. Trend Micro says the U.S. tops the list with more than 2,000 infections, ahead of Germany at 1,203 and Hungary at 561. Although the volume of ransomware is not large compared with other types of malware, this type of attack is not designed to hit a large number of people at one time but is instead meant to hit smaller numbers using below-the-radar attacks, drawing large volumes of information from each victim. One example of this is a ransom trojan targeting U.K. users that impersonated the Metropolitan Police to persuade users that porn had been found on their computers, requiring a payment from the user. Trend Micro says a major driving force behind the growth in ransomware attacks is the crackdown on purveyors of fake antivirus software, which has forced attackers to use payment channels that depend less on credit cards, which leave a trail.
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