Wednesday, February 23, 2022
SOMETHING MORE TO WORRY ABOUT: Hospitals are Unsafe To Restrict Omnicon COVID TRANSMISSIONS
A record 4,734 patients were recorded as having caught Covid-19 in-house on Jan. 19.
COVID’s spread within hospitals hit all-time high amid omicron wave
Hospital risk was still relatively low, but surge speaks to omicron's transmissibility.
Spread of COVID-19 within US hospitals hit a record high in January, with more than 3,000 hospital-acquired infections each week during the month and a peak of over 4,300, according to an analysis of federal data by Politico.
The surge of hospital transmissions mirrored the towering wave of cases in the overall population driven by the ultratransmissible omicron variant. The previous record for hospital-transmission of COVID-19 occurred in January 2020 when federal data caught over 2,000 infections per week within hospitals.
Still the numbers overall are likely to be significant undercounts given that they only capture patients who spend 14 consecutive days in a hospital and become infected during their stay. The data does not account for shorter stays or people who test positive after discharge.
Politico noted that the data also does not indicate which hospitals had the highest transmission. And the data doesn't capture how the pandemic virus spread to patients within hospitals, i.e., how much was spread from health care workers to patients, patients to patients, or visitors to patients.
A variety of factors could have contributed to in-hospital spread, including limited availability of COVID testing and people spending long periods in crowded waiting rooms as some health care facilities became overwhelmed during the omicron surge. Lack of enforcement of masking in hospitals by patients and visitors may have also been a source of infection.
Another possibility is loosened guidance for infected health care workers
> Anonymous officials told Politico that the CDC is investigating the cause of the surge in hospital infections. But while there's room for improvement in transmission prevention measures, outside experts noted that the rate of infections within hospitals was very low relative to the rate of infections out in communities. Getting infections down to zero is almost impossible."
During the January Covid-19 surge a year ago, hospitals reported around 2,000 patients each week on average had contracted Covid during their stay, compared to roughly 3,000 this year.
> The total number of people who contract Covid-19 while in the hospital remains unclear because these figures only count patients who were in the hospital at least 14 consecutive days and don’t account for people who test positive after leaving.
>The government’s figures are likely a fraction of the total.
PHISHING: Hacking Attacks Vulnerability + Ransomware Demands | Bleeping Computer
OpenSea users lose $2 million worth of NFTs in phishing attack
The non-fungible token (NFT) marketplace OpenSea is investigating a phishing attack that left 17 of its users without more than 250 NFTs worth around $2 million.
NFTs represent data stored on a blockchain, Ethereum in this case, that declares ownership of digital files, typically media files of artwork.
Currently valued at $13.3 billion and considered one of the largest in the world, OpenSea is a peer-to-peer NFT marketplace that also enables trading rare digital items and crypto collectibles.
Exploiting a migration
Phishing actors are always looking for ways to take advantage of changes that require users to take action and the OpenSea NFT theft is no different.
Researchers at Check Point say in a report today that the phishing actors knew about OpenSea upgrading its smart contract system to purge old and inactive listings on the platform and prepared for the migration with emails and websites of their own.
OpenSea informed its users that they had to update their listings between February 18 - 25 if they wanted to continue using the platform.
Devious phishing method bypasses MFA using remote access software
A devious new phishing technique allows attackers to bypass MFA by secretly having victims log in to their accounts directly on attacker-controlled servers using VNC.
- February 22, 2022
- 04:57 PM
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Vulnerable Microsoft SQL Servers targeted with Cobalt Strike
Threat analysts have observed a new wave of attacks installing Cobalt Strike beacons on vulnerable Microsoft SQL Servers, leading to deeper infiltration and subsequent malware infections.
- February 22, 2022
- 01:08 PM
- 0
Police bust phishing group that used 40 sites to steal credit cards
The Ukrainian cyberpolice have arrested a group of phishing actors who managed to steal payment card data from at least 70,000 people after luring them to fake mobile service top up sites.
- February 22, 2022
- 04:49 AM
- 0
Expeditors shuts down global operations after likely ransomware attack
Seattle-based logistics and freight forwarding company Expeditors International has been targeted in a cyberattack over the weekend that forced the organization to shut down most of its operations worldwide.
- February 21, 2022
- 01:35 PM
- 0
Revamped CryptBot malware spread by pirated software sites
A new version of the CryptBot info stealer was seen in distribution via multiple websites that offer free downloads of cracks for games and pro-grade software.
- February 21, 2022
- 12:40 PM
- 0
Russia's National Interests are Non_Negotiable
Putin Says Russia's Interests 'Non-negotiable'
"Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Moscow was ready to look for "diplomatic solutions" amid raging tensions with the West over Ukraine but stressed that the country's interests were non-negotiable.
"Our country is always open for direct and honest dialogue, for the search for diplomatic solutions to the most complex problems," Putin said in a video address to mark the Defender of the Fatherland Day, a public holiday in Russia.
But he added: "The interests of Russia, the security of our citizens, are non-negotiable for us."
Putin spoke after parliament's upper house, the Federation Council, on Tuesday gave him unanimous approval to deploy "peacekeepers" to two breakaway Ukrainian regions now recognised by Moscow as independent, and potentially into other parts of Ukraine.
In the video address, Putin congratulated the country's men and said he was certain of the "professionalism" of the Russian military and that they will stand up for the country's national interests.
He praised the battle-readiness of the Russian army and said the country would continue to develop state-of-the-art weapons.
"We will continue to develop advanced weapon systems, including hypersonic and those based on new physical principles, and expand the use of advanced digital technologies and elements of artificial intelligence," the Kremlin strongman added. "Such complexes are truly the weapons of the future, which significantly increase the combat potential of our armed forces."
Western officials have been warning for weeks the Russian leader has been preparing an all-out invasion of Ukraine.
On Tuesday, US President Joe Biden announced tough new sanctions against Russia for "beginning" an invasion of Ukraine but said there was still time to avoid war."
TRAFFIC CONTROL / CHECKPOINTS USA: Disrupting "Freedom Convoys" in A State of Heightened Alerts
Remark: Growing militarization
National guard troops to be deployed in DC as trucker convoy protests loom
US protest to follow Canadian truckers’ demonstration against pandemic restrictions
The Pentagon is expected to approve the deployment of 700 to 800 unarmed national guard troops to the nation’s capital, a US official said on Tuesday, in the face of trucker convoys that are planning protests against pandemic restrictions beginning next week.
The District of Columbia government and the US Capitol police are requesting the national guard assistance. The troops would be used largely to help control traffic and are expected to come from the district’s national guard and three states, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss aid not yet formally approved.
Modeled after recent trucker protests in Canada, separate truck convoys have been planned through online forums with names like the People’s Convoy and the American Truckers Freedom Fund – all with different starting points, departure dates and routes. Some are scheduled to arrive in time for Joe Biden’s State of the Union address next Tuesday, 1 March, though others may arrive afterward.
John Kirby, the Pentagon press secretary, said the DC government and Capitol police had requested national guard personnel “to provide support at traffic control points in and around the district” and stand ready in case of “possible disruptions at key traffic arteries”. He too said no formal decision on the requests had been made. . .
The convoys follow the recent Canadian truckers’ protest that shut down the busiest US Canadian border crossing and besieged the streets of the capital, Ottawa, for weeks to protest government pandemic restrictions. The multiple blockades were broken up by police last week, with more than 100 arrests.
It remains to be seen if any of the US convoys would seek to actively shut down Washington’s streets, the way their Canadian counterparts did in Ottawa. Some convoy organizers have spoken of plans to briefly roll through the city, then focus on shutting down the Beltway, which encircles the capital. . ."
Ref >> https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/22/national-guard-deployed-dc-trucker-convoy
SHARING THE WEALTH AT A FASTER RATE THAN ANYONE IN HISTORY
Refreshing It’s the latest multi-million-dollar donation by Scott made public this year, as she continues to give away her fortune at a faster rate than anyone in history.
MacKenzie Scott Pledges $50 Million To 4-H Youth Programs
Billionaires
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—whose ex-husband Jeff Bezos founded Amazon—has pledged to donate a record $50 million to the National 4-H Council, an agriculturally focused youth organization that serves six million children nationwide
Topline
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott—whose ex-husband Jeff Bezos founded Amazon—has pledged to donate a record $50 million to the National 4-H Council, an agriculturally focused youth organization that serves six million children nationwide.
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Key Background
Scott received 25% of Bezos’ Amazon stake after the pair divorced in 2019 following 25 years of marriage, and is worth $44.8 billion, according to Forbes’ real-time wealth tracker. Scott later signed the Giving Pledge alongside billionaires like Elon Musk, Warren Buffett, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates, and vowed to give away at least half of her wealth within her lifetime. So far this month, she has pledged over $200 million in donations, including $133.5 million to Communities In Schools, a nonprofit that works to keep kids from dropping out. Also this month, Scott donated to the National Council on Aging ($8 million), pro-choice think tank the Guttmacher Institute ($15 million), mental health nonprofit the Jed Foundation ($15 million) and teacher professional development organization Leading Educators ($10 million). Scott also donated to two organizations that aim to fight addiction this month: $5 million to Shatterproof and $3 million to Young People in Recovery.
Tangent
4-H is the youth development arm of the Cooperative Extension System, a federal program that supports American agriculture. Some form of 4-H program is available in every county and parish in the country, according to the organization. While 4-H’s after-school agricultural programs are well-known, it also offers programming in STEM, health and civic engagement.
Further Reading
Here’s Who MacKenzie Scott Donated To So Far In February (Forbes)
MacKenzie Scott Gives $133.5 Million To Keep Kids In School (Forbes)
America’s Top Givers 2022: The 25 Most Philanthropic Billionaires (Forbes)
MacKenzie Scott Makes A U-Turn On Transparency, Keeps Latest Philanthropy Donations Secret (Forbes)
The Giving Pledge Gains 14 New Members—Here Are The Super-Rich Vowing To Donate Most Of Their Wealth (Forbes)
DERAILMENT IN COOLIDGE AZ: Union Pacific Railroad ,,,Hazmat Chemical Released
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