Complete DHS Report for February
4, 2015
Daily Report
Top Stories
· Interstate
75/85 in Atlanta was closed for almost 3 hours February 2 while authorities
investigated a suspicious package taped to the outside of a bridge, which was
later rendered a non-explosive device. – WXIA 11 Atlanta
6. February
3, WXIA 11 Atlanta – (Georgia) Downtown Connector reopens after
package detonated. Interstate 75/85 in Atlanta, known as the Downtown
Connector, was closed for almost 3 hours February 2 while authorities
investigated a suspicious package that was taped to the outside of the 14th
Street Bridge. A bomb squad responded to the scene and detonated the object
that police later determined was not an explosive device. Source: http://www.11alive.com/story/news/local/downtown/2015/02/02/downtown-connector-suspicious-package/22754551/
· A
gastrointestinal illness sickened 193 guests and 9 crew members aboard a Royal
Caribbean cruise ship that returned to its port in Baltimore one day early
February 2 due to an unspecified medical emergency. – WBAL 11 Baltimore
7. February
3, WBAL 11 Baltimore – (Maryland) Royal Caribbean cruise ship returns early to
Baltimore. A Royal Caribbean vessel, the Grandeur of the Seas, returned to the
Port of Baltimore one day earlier than scheduled February 2 due to a medical
emergency that required the transport of a passenger to a land-based hospital,
while a gastrointestinal illness affected about 193 guests and 9 crew members
aboard the ship. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will
conduct an assessment to evaluate possible causes of the outbreak, and the ship
was ordered to undergo a deep cleaning after the guests debarked. Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/royal-caribbean-cruise-ship-returns-early-to-baltimore/31053844
· School
districts in Illinois, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan were closed
February 2 due to Winter Storm Linus that caused several deaths, over 1,300
flight cancellations, and several traffic accidents in the Midwest after
dumping several inches of snow on the ground. – Weather.com
19. February
2, Weather.com – (National) Winter Storm Linus clobbers Midwest;
several weather-related deaths in region. School districts in Illinois,
Nebraska, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Michigan were closed February 2 due to Winter
Storm Linus that caused several deaths, over 1,300 flight cancellations, and
several traffic accidents in the Midwest after dumping several inches of snow
on the ground. Source: http://www.weather.com/storms/winter/news/winter-storm-linus-chicago-great-lakes-midwest-impacts
· Firefighters
continued February 2 to battle a 7-alarm fire that broke out January 31 at the
Citistorage building in the Brooklyn area of New York City, while investigators
worked to determine the source of the blaze. –WPIX 11 New York City
27. February
2, WPIX 11 New York City – (New York) Security of confidential
docs called into question after Williamsburg storage facility fire. Firefighters
continued February 2 to battle a 7-alarm fire that broke out January 31 at the
Citistorage building in the Brooklyn area of New York City, while investigators
worked to determine the source of the blaze. Officials are investigating if
thousands of confidential documents, including legal and medical records that
were held inside the storage facility may have been exposed during the
incident, possibly compromising the personal information of an unknown number
of individuals. Source: http://pix11.com/2015/02/02/security-of-confidential-docs-called-into-question-after-williamsburg-storage-facility-fire/
Financial Services Sector
3. February
2, Birmingham News – (Alabama) Former nonprofit CEO arrested,
charged in $14 million health care fraud case. A former CEO of a Birmingham
nonprofit was arrested and charged February 2 for his involvement in a scheme
that included bank fraud, money laundering, and conspiracy in connection to his
employment or involvement with Birmingham Health Care, Central Alabama
Comprehensive Health, Birmingham Financial Credit Union, and several for-profit
businesses known as Synergy Entities based on allegations that he diverted $14
million in funds to his private businesses over 6 years. Source: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/02/former_ceo_of_nonprofits_to_ai.html
4. February
2, Reuters – (New Jersey; California) Financial adviser pleads
guilty in California to investment scheme. A New Jersey financial adviser
to professional athletes and entertainers pleaded guilty February 2 to charges
of wire fraud in connection to presenting a scheme to an undercover FBI agent
to exaggerate the costs of Burger King franchises to investors in San Diego by
planning on telling investors that the franchises would be purchased for $37
million, more than double their actual cost. The financial advisor planned to
fraudulently take a 50 percent ownership stake, and hoped to take millions of
dollars “off the top” of the deal. Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/02/03/us-usa-crime-california-idUSKBN0L702M20150203
5. February
2, Securityweek – (International) Dyre banking trojan uses worm
to spread via Microsoft Outlook. Researchers at Trend Micro discovered a
new variant of the Dyre (Dyreza) malware in the form of a spam email containing
the Upatre downloader that propagates itself via a worm that uses Microsoft
Outlook to send emails to targets, including 355 sites belonging primarily to
banks and Bitcoin wallets. Source: http://www.securityweek.com/dyre-banking-trojan-uses-worm-spread-microsoft-outlook
Information Technology Sector
24. February
3, Softpedia – (International) Security flaws in SerVision HVG video gateway
grant access to the web interface. Researchers with the Computer Emergency
Response Team Coordination Center at Carnegie Mellon University (CERT/CC)
reported that two high-severity vulnerabilities in SerVision’s HVG video
gateway product series which could allow unauthorized access to the unit’s web
interface and enable users to log into the web interface with administrative
rights were resolved in the latest revision of the firmware. The privilege
elevation danger has yet to be mitigated. Source: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Security-Flaws-in-SerVision-HVG-Video-Gateway-Grant-Access-to-the-Web-Interface-471998.shtml
For another
story, see item 5 above in the Financial Services Sector and
item
8
below from the Transportation Systems Sector
8. February 2, Associated Press – (National) Computer
outage plagues Delta Air Lines’ flights. An unspecified number of Delta Air
Lines custumers nationwide were unable to check in for flights using the
airline’s Web site, mobile app, and airport kiosks February 2 due to a network
malfunction that caused intermittent service delays and outages. A Delta
spokesperson stated that the disruption was not system-wide and that the
computer problem only caused a small number of delayed departures. Source: http://www.sltrib.com/home/2132748-155/computer-outage-plagues-delta-air-lines
Communications Sector
Nothing to report