European Court of Justice of Irish Water

European Court of Justice (ECJ) the EU-Canada
agreement on the exchange of Passenger Name

Records (PNR) ... (PNR) to its eligibility to
fundamental
4
5
6
7
TTIP is classified as CONFIDENTIEL US, EU

As per the Article 8, comma 4, of the "EU Council Decision of
23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU
classified information":
Areas in which EUCI classified CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU
CONFIDENTIAL or above is stored shall be established as
Secured Areas in accordance with Annex II and approved by
the competent security authority
It is safe to assume that the "secure reading room" in which
politicans can read the text is a Secured Area, and thus that
the TTIP is classified as CONFIDENTIEL UE/EU
CONFIDENTIAL or above. This means that the unauthorized
disclosure of the TTIP would arguably harm the essential
interests of the European Union , rather than simply being
disadvantageous to the interests of the European Union.
Note that there is an Agreement between the USA and the EU
on the management of classified information (see
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES
OF AMERICA AND THE EUROPEAN UNION ON THE SECURITY OF
CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/105689.pdf
in which each Party recognizes the classification levels of the

other, which means that - at least from a legal standpoint - my
argument makes sense.
Clearly, we are talking about economical, financial, and/or
industrial interests of the European Union, but we can only
speculate about the reasons why the disclosure of the TTIP
would harm these interests. The United States are currently
discussing another, apparently similar, treaty: the Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP). According to the US Trading
Representative Ron Kirk:
[T]here's a practical reason [to not disclose the TPP], for our
ability both to preserve negotiating strength and to
encourage our partners to be willing to put issues on the
table they may not otherwise[...]
By the way, Wikileaks has disclosed part of the TPP
(specifically, the intellectual property chapter), and it is marked

as "TPP CONFIDENTIAL", so it is possible that the TTIP is
marked "TTIP CONFIDENTIAL". This would make the
situation a bit different, since "TTIP CONFIDENTIAL" could
refer to information that might harm the interests of the treaty
itself, rather than those of the Parties.
As a result, I think that the TTIP might include measures which
would not be welcomed by a part of the EU citizens and/or by
some organizations, but would probably benefit the US and
the EU as a whole, and that the resulting protests might put at
risk the signing of the Partnership.
UAWARE - ARCHIVE 2014
European parliament and the ... to 35 EU justice
measures - including the European ... European Court
of Justice (ECJ) made its ruling
POLICE RAIDS HIT "HIDDEN CRIME" OF DOMESTIC
ABUSE
(London Evening Standard, dated 23rd January 2014
author Mark Blunden)
www.standard.co.uk [Option 1]
Police today raided hundreds of addresses across London
in a mass crackdown on thugs and abusers engaged in
domestic violence.
More than 4,500 officers took part in the so-called
operation "Big Wing" against perpetrators suspected of
committing the "hidden crime" of domestic abuse. The
raids came as the number of reported abuse cases across
the capital soared by nine per cent to 37,349 - and 15 per
cent in some boroughs.
The Standard accompanied officers on raids at three
addresses in Islington. Raids today included one where the
boyfriend, a mechanic, 37, allegedly slapped his girlfriend,
but had disappeared from the Holloway property when
officers turned up.
At another address, officers went to arrest a stalker who
had been pursuing his victim for more than two decades,
despite her repeatedly moving home to evade him. One
officer said: "They went out for a few weeks 21 years ago,
broke up and he has been pursuing her ever since."

The Met's domestic violence chief, Commander Christine
Jones, said officers were now using policing techniques,
such as surveillance, more normally used to target robbers
and burglars. With offences such as common assault,
officers can even use as evidence things neighbours may
have heard through the thin party walls, CCTV footage and
the content of 999 background noise.
Commander Jones said: "Domestic abuse is not restricted
to any socio-economic group, any particular age. We now
record offending for 16 year olds and above as domestic
violence."
The increase in reported crimes was due to victim
confidence rather than the "no criming" of some offences
that was reported as happening in some sexual abuse
cases. "We've got very strict and very robust supervision
mechanisms to make sure we're flagging these crime
correctly," she added.
Senior officers said they were focusing on "dangerous and
prolific domestic abuse offenders" to help end the
suffering of victims.
Commander Jones said: "Today's action is a clear
statement from the Met that we will not tolerate domestic
abuse and will not allow it to remain hidden.
The majority of domestic abuse suspects arrested today
were men, said Commander Jones. Police are also focusing
on teenagers who are in abusive relationships.
'out and break the silence'
Mother-of-two Lisa Cabrera, 35, became involved in a
violent relationship after meeting a man on holiday in
Spain.
The successful businesswoman said that at first "it
seemed perfect. Then little things start to happen, it starts
with abusive language, then nothing happens for a while

and you get back to the perfect person again."
Ms Cabrera says she suffered broken bones and bruises
and was threatened with having her throat slashed and
her children killed. Police were called, often by worried
neighbours, and they put her in touch with help groups.
"Once you break that silence and reach out as say this is
happening to me, the support is immense," she said.
(29th January 2014)
PEERS CANNOT DENY OUR RIGHT TO VOTE ON THE
EU
author Michael Howard)
www.standard.co.uk
It is now almost 40 years since the people of Britain last
had the opportunity to vote on our membership of the
European Union.
Then, of course, it was the European Community, and it
has changed almost beyond recognition in the decades
that have since elapsed. What was once a six-nation
trading bloc has become a European Union of 28
countries.
But despite these changes, and despite the many
promises that have been made for a fresh vote, none has
taken place.
At the last election, the Liberal Democrats promised a
referendum on our membership and at times Labour have
done so, too. Even Peter Mandelson demanded an in-out
referendum only last year.
Now we have the opportunity to write into law David
Cameron's commitment to such a referendum after the
next election.
The Bill to achieve this has passed the House of Commons
despite the attempts of many Opposition members to

block it. In the end it was approved by a huge majority.
Now, incredibly, there are those in the unelected chamber
of our Parliament who are seeking to thwart the clearly
expressed view of the elected chamber.
It beggars belief that those who have not been elected
should try to deny the people of our country the right to
vote on this vital issue. Yet that is precisely what is about
to happen.
In the House of Lords, Labour and Liberal Democrat peers
plan to obstruct and defeat the Bill by weighing it down
with fanciful amendments. They have tabled more than 50
of these, which would slow, and potentially stop, its
passage. They range from the requirement for a petition
signed by a million people to having the question
translated into Cornish. Even Lord Foulkes, who has tabled
a majority of the amendments, said yesterday that he
didn't support most of them.
My colleague, Lord Trefgarne, remembers the last time a
Bill providing for a referendum on our membership came
to the Lords. It was in 1975 and it passed through
committee in a single day, without a vote.
There is no need for the committee stage of the current
Bill to take any longer. It is already as straightforward as it
can be - a legally requirement for a referendum before
2017, with a simple question: in or out.
And, of course, if by any unhappy chance the obstructive
efforts of the Opposition were to succeed, it would be
nothing short of an affront to the democratic process for
which the Parties concerned, and their leaders, would be
held to account.
In four years David Cameron has already achieved more in
Europe than Labour managed in the previous 13. He has
vetoed a treaty that would have harmed our interests. He
has secured the first ever EU budget cut, even when his
opponents said he couldn't. And we no longer contribute

to the bailout funds that saw the UK taxpayer foot the bill
for the crises in Europe. Labour signed us up but it is Mr
Cameron who is delivering real change.
These are all huge achievements but they are not enough.
The people of our country deserve a say on this vital
question. This Bill would provide it. The House of Lords
should not obstruct it.
(29th January 2014)
RED LIGHT FOR JAYWALKING AS NEW YORK MAYOR

GETS TOUGH
author Daniel Bates)
New York has launched a crackdown on jaywalking for the
first time in more than a decade, in a move that could lead
to tourists being hit with a 150 fine.
Police have begun arresting pedestrians - including an 84year-old man who was left with a bloodied face after they
pushed him up against a wall.
New York's new mayor Bill de Blasio has made road safety
a priority and seems set to take on the city's longstanding
disrespect for the rules.
Jaywalking - walking on the road outside of a crossing or
when a "Do Not Walk" sign is lit up, is a crime in New York
punishable by a fine of up to $250 (150). Tourists cite it
as one of their major concerns, yet when they arrive most
soon realise it is a badge of honour for the city's residents
to cross whenever they feel like it.
This appeared to change on Sunday at the junction of
West 96th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, when Kang

Wong was arrested for walking over a crossing when a
police officer told him to stop. Witnesses claimed the
elderly Korean did not understand the five officers who
surrounded him, forced him against the wall, handcuffed
him and hauled him away.
His furious son, who accompanied his father to hospital,
summed up the feelings of many when he said: "Oh great.
Beating up an 84-year-old man for jaywalking?" Emily
Skeggs, 23, handed a ticket at the same spot, added:
"Everyone does it. Heck, the cops do it."
Police were targeting the area because there had been
three road deaths in a week within a few blocks, including
a nine-year-old boy hit by a taxi.
When Alexander Shear, 73, was knocked down and killed
by a tour bus, pedestrian safety campaign group Right of
Way spray-painted the location with a crime-scene style
silhouette. Group member Charles Komanoff said it was to
"show outrage that drivers are killing pedestrians like it's
nothing".
After a 32-year-old woman was killed in Brooklyn when
she crossed despite a "Do Not Walk" sign, police put up
notices telling people they could face court if caught
jaywalking. Mr de Blasio has launched the "Vision Zero"
initiative to combat what he calls an "epidemic" of road
deaths - 173 pedestrians last year, up from 155 in 2012 with the aim of reducing the figure to zero.
The last attempt to stop jaywalking was in the Nineties
under mayor Rudy Giuliani's "zero tolerance" policing
policy. But even officers thought it was pointless levying
the $2 fine (1.20), and were seen to stand by mockingly
shouting: "Jaywalker! Jaywalker!"
(29th January 2014)
POLICE CHIEF : WE CAN COPE WITH WEAKER ANTITERROR RESTRICTIONS

(London Evening Standard, dated 24th January 2014
author Martin Bentham)
The Met's anti-terror chief today vowed to do "everything
within our power" to protect Londoners from potentially
dangerous suspects freed from "Tpim" restrictions.
At least six have been released from the Government's
curbs, which include curfews and regular reporting to
police, in recent days because of a controversial decision
by ministers to set a two-year time limit on the
restrictions, officially known as Terrorism Prevention and
Investigation Measures.
They include one man accused of planning a Mumbai-style
attack in Britain and another involved in a plot to blow up
transatlantic airliners, prompting Labour MPs and some
Tories to warn that the public is being placed at
unnecessary risk.
But Scotland Yard's head of counter-terrorism, Commander
Richard Walton, said police were ready to cope with the
threat and he was "confident" his officers could protect
Londoners.
He added: "London needs to be re-assured that we will do
everything within our power to keep London safe and I'm
quite confident that if the Government felt that we
needed additional powers then they would legislate
accordingly. I'm confident that we have the tools to do the
job. We are well resourced and we have had substantial
extra funds for more resources from the Home Secretary."
Commander Walton said those subject to Tpims were not
the only individuals posing a serious terror threat in the
capital.
"There are more than half a dozen people that we are

concerned about in London and we have lots of different
tools and legislative options to deal with them. It's not
confined just to Tpim subjects. Tpims is one of many tools
that we have to keep Llondon safe. There are many
others," he said.
Tpims were introduced in 2011 to replace the previous
control order system, under which more extensive curbs
could be applied for an indefinite period. The aim was to
balance national security with civil liberties concerns
about monitoring people who were not convicted.
Home Secretary Theresa May has defended the decision to
limit Tpims to two years and said extra funding had been
given to both police and MI5.
The Government's terrorism watchdog, QC David
Anderson, warned yesterday, however, that the freed
suspects would join a "pool of dangerous people" at large
in the community.
(29th January 2014)
FRAUDSTERS "USE CITY ADDRESSES AS FRONTS

FOR WOLF OF WALL STREET SCAMS"
Fraudsters are using unwitting City of London firms as
fronts to swindle millions of pounds from people through
fake investments in fine wines, gems and carbon credits.
Victims face the same "boiler room" tactics used by coldcalling salesmen in Leonardo Di?Caprio's film The Wolf Of
Wall Street, as they are pressurised with false promises of
high returns, according to trading standards.
Virtual office addresses and PO boxes are used to give the

veneer of respectability, officials said.
The victims, many of them elderly, have suffered marriage
breakdowns and mental health problems after being
swindled.
A report due to be presented to the City's port health and
environmental services committee on Tuesday states that
legitimate companies "may unwittingly be asked to
provide office services to such fraudsters". Trading
standards, the police and HM Revenue & Customs have
three live operations targeting the scams, which have at
least 90 victims. A fourth operation targets mail
forwarding firms.
The report states: "Many of (the victims) have lost
thousands, even tens of thousands of pounds??the total
of consumer detriment could run into millions of pounds."
After fake companies cease trading, victims often receive
calls, known as "recovery room" scams, offering the
chance to recoup investments and are swindled out of
more money.
In one of the most extreme cases, the report states that
"Mr Z has been a long term victim of fraud" and has seen
more than 1?million "disappear into the pockets of the
fraudsters".
"He is still trying to recoup at least some of his losses
having invested in everything from land, wine, rare earth
metals to, most recently, diamonds."
(29th January 2014)
FDA CALLS ON MEDICAL DEVICE MAKERS TO FOCUS

ON CYBERSECURITY
(Computer World, dated 13th June 2013 author Grant
Gross)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9240040/FDA_calls_on_
medical_device_makers_to_focus_on_cybersecurity?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2013-06-14
Medical device makers should take new steps to protect
their products from malware and cyberattacks or face the
possibility that U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
won't approve their devices for use, the FDA said.
The FDA issued new cybersecurity recommendations for
medical devices on Thursday, following reports that some
devices have been compromised.
Recent vulnerabilities involving Philips fetal monitors and
in Oracle software used in body fluid analysis machines
are among the incidents that prompted the FDA to issue
the recommendations, an FDA spokeswoman said.
In one case reported in October, malware slowed down
fetal monitors used on women with high-risk pregnancies
at a Boston hospital, and in another case, the FDA in
January issued a warning about Oracle software that could
allow remote access to the databases of Roche Cobra
analysis devices, she said.
Representatives of Philips and Oracle didn't immediately
respond to requests for comment on the FDA
recommendations.
"Many medical devices contain configurable embedded
computer systems that can be vulnerable to cybersecurity
breaches," the FDA said in its recommendations. "As
medical devices are increasingly interconnected, via the
Internet, hospital networks, other medical device, and
smartphones, there is an increased risk of cybersecurity
breaches, which could affect how a medical device
operates."
Under proposed rules issued by the FDA, the agency is
recommending that device makers provide it with their

plans for providing updates and patches, said Erica
Jefferson, an FDA spokeswoman.
"Once the guidance is finalized, the agency might consider
withholding marketing clearance or approval for medical
devices that fail to appropriately address cybersecurity
risks," she said.
The FDA is not aware of any patient injuries or deaths
associated with cybersecurity incidents, the agency said.
The agency doesn't have "any indication that any specific
devices or systems in clinical use have been purposely
targeted at this time," it said.
The FDA has seen medical devices infected or disabled by
malware, and the presence of malware on hospital
computers, smartphones and tablets, the agency said. The
agency has also found health care providers with
"uncontrolled distribution of passwords" and disabled
passwords in software designed to have limited access, it
said.
Other healthcare providers have failed to apply software
updates and patches in a timely manner, the agency said.
The agency wants medical device makers to "take
appropriate steps to limit the opportunities for
unauthorized access to medical devices," the FDA said in
its recommendations. Manufacturers should review their
cybersecurity practices to assure that appropriate
safeguards are in place to prevent unauthorized access,
the agency said.
Healthcare providers should also take steps to limit access
and to improve cybersecurity, the agency said.
uaware comment
A slightly "old in the tooth article", but I wonder if the NHS
and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE)
have similar controls ?
(29th January 2014)
MET POLICE HOPE PERSONAL CAMERAS CAN

RESTORE TRUST AFTER MARK DUGGAN KILLING
(The Guardian, dated 9th January 2014 author Alan Travis)
Full article : www.theguardian.com/uknews/2014/jan/09/metropolitan-police-cameras-markduggan
The introduction of body-worn video cameras for firearms
officers can't come soon enough for the Metropolitan
police commissioner, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who is
struggling to win the trust and confidence of black
Londoners after the Mark Duggan inquest verdict of lawful
killing.
These tiny oblong cameras, the size of a stubby cigar,
grabbed the attention of police forces around the world
when a 2012 trial in Rialto near Los Angeles suggested
that the use of force by officers fell by 60% and
complaints against them dropped 88% when they were
present."When you know you're being watched you
behave a little better. That's just human nature," said the
Rialto police chief. "As an officer you act a bit more
professional, follow the rules a bit better."
For the Met there are still some technical issues to be
overcome but a trial is due to begin this year. It will mean
that the actions of armed response officers and those with
whom they are dealing will be recorded and may be used
as evidence.That could prove extremely helpful, as it did
in the Lee Rigby case, in resolving some of the most
difficult arguments that arise in such cases and in the
length of time that it takes to do so.
Hogan-Howe is well aware that it is only one step that
needs to be taken after the breach of trust between
London's black communities and the Met, which he has

acknowledged took place after Duggan's death in 2011.
The Met commissioner faces an uphill struggle to tackle
the strong perception that black and other minority ethnic
Londoners are excessively targeted by the police. The
toxic legacy of more than 30 years of black Londoners
being disproportionately policed and over-represented at
nearly every stage of the criminal justice system - from
stop and search to prison - will take more than a lapel
camera to reverse.
-----------------------------------------------------BODY-WARN CAMERAS PUT POLICE EVIDENCE
BEYOND DOUBT
(New Scientist, dated 23rd October 2013 author Paul
Marks)
Full article:
www.newscientist.com/article/mg22029404.400bodyworn-cameras-put-police-evidence-beyonddoubt.html
WHEN a young man threatened to kill a police officer's
children and bite off his nose in A&E at a hospital in
Hampshire, UK, earlier this year, there was a chance his
behaviour would go unpunished. After all, it was just his
word against the officer's - except that the policeman was
wearing a video camera that captured every word. The
man was successfully prosecuted for threatening
behaviour.
Welcome to the new era of policing and surveillance. The
rise of body-worn video (BWV) is making life easier for
police officers - but it could make sure they toe the line
too. The camera used as evidence in this case was one of
450 that Hampshire police is now rolling out to its officers.
Footage from another BWV camera was also crucial when
villagers reported a serial drink-driver in their midst, says
Stephen Goodier, an inspector with Hampshire
Constabulary. In court, the suspect claimed he had never

been asked to take a breathalyser test, and so could not
have refused to take one, as an officer alleged. But BWV
footage clearly showed him refusing to take the test. "He
was banned from driving," Goodier says. "When it is one
person's word against that of another before a judge and
jury, the body-worn camera is an independent witness."
On 13 October, Staffordshire Police decided to equip 530
officers with BWV cameras from UK firm Reveal Media
after they'd been rolled out in Sweden, Germany,
Denmark and France. And in the US, police departments
coast-to-coast are acquiring BWV cameras from stun-gun
maker Taser International, plus CopTrax of Plano, Texas, as
well as Panasonic.
uaware comment
From The Telegraph article I have only included the
paragraphs that cover the reason for the implementation
of body camera's. The remainder of the article provides
some further background reasons as to the why.
One thing I cannot understand within the 21st Century is
how long it takes for any public body (that includes the
police) to take on new technology. Then when they do,
they ask for such ridiculous specifications that no
manufacturer actually produces it. Then the UK tax payer
has to foot the bill when a "special" has to be
manufactured at that "special" cost ! The Nimrod early
warning radar plane was an extreme example of that.
Another example was for CCTV in London Underground
some years ago. They requested tenders of interest to
supply CCTV camera's from UK suppliers and they
received interest. Then London Underground (as was)
dropped the bombshell, they wanted the camera's to work
underwater to so many atmospheres of pressure. Many of
the manufacturers dropped out of the tender process; the
remainder provided their "special" prices !
Anyway, back to the Police body camera's. Back in 2006/7
the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary carried out a trial of

body worn cameras on behalf of the Association of Chief
Police Officers (ACPO). The results of that trial were
reported back to ACPO (amongst other things) mid 2007 at
a hotel in Plymouth. There was a Met Police Chief
Constable present.
Six coming on seven years later, Thames Valley Police are
meant to be wearing body camera's along with a couple of
other constabularies. Gwent are currently carrying out a
trial. The Met Police are only now going to trial them; to
overcome technical issues (perhaps they are not
waterproof) !
(19th January 2014)
OVER 60 AND FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER

Health problems - should be dealt with Early, NHS says
(BBC News, dated 18th January 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-25777428
People with worries about their health, especially those
over 60, should seek help quickly, according to NHS
England.
A new eight-week campaign - called The Earlier, The
Better - is aimed at reducing "unnecessary" hospital stays.
Last year a review warned of a rise in avoidable
emergency hospital admissions and NHS England said too
many people simply "soldiered on".
The online, radio and poster campaign, launched on
Monday, will urge people to get help without going to
hospital.
It is being targeted at older people in particular because
they often present themselves later, when conditions are
more serious and are harder to treat.

Chronic conditions such as respiratory disorders can also
be made worse by immobility, the cold and viral illnesses.
To try to combat the issue, the campaign encourages over60s and their carers to use self-care information to deal
with minor health problems, such as a bad cough or sore
throat.
Greater use of the local pharmacy, and calling the NHS
111 advice line, is also being encouraged.
"We see in our hospitals so many people who have not
had or sought the help they need early enough," said Prof
Keith Willett, NHS England's director for acute care.
"We have to do better at helping people stay well, not just
picking up the pieces when they fall seriously ill."
He added: "Too many people make the mistake of
soldiering on, losing the opportunity to nip things in the
bud.
"Unfortunately this can lead to an unnecessary stay in
hospital, particularly for the more frail elderly, and those
with long-term conditions."
Clare Howard, the organisation's deputy chief
pharmaceutical officer, said: "Pharmacists and their teams
are well trained and well placed to be able to offer advice
to people seeking help.
"They can provide medicines' advice and support for
minor ailments, advise you about how to manage a longterm condition and tell you if something needs more
urgent medical attention from your GP, or even your local
hospital."
Campaign website : www.nhs.uk/asap
(19th January 2014)
COMMUNITIES "TAKING LAW INTO THEIR OWN

HANDS", SAYS POLICE CHIEF INSPECTOR
(The Guardian, dated 18th January 2014 author : Guardian
staff and agencies)
www.guardian.com [Option 1]
A row has broken out among senior police officers and
politicians over claims that parts of Britain are operating
their own forms of justice as some minority communities
take the law into their own hands.
The chief inspector of constabulary, Tom Winsor, said
some ethnic minority communities are turning their backs
on police and rarely, if ever, call them to deal with crimes
as serious as murder and sexual assaults against children,
instead dealing with them in their own way.
Winsor said police were never called to some
neighbourhoods because they "administer their own form
of justice", adding that this was not carried out by criminal
gangs but by "law-abiding people".
"There are some communities born under other skies who
will not involve police at all," he told the Times. "I am
reluctant to name the communities in question but there
are communities from other cultures who would prefer to
police themselves.
"There are cities in the Midlands where the police never go
because they are never called. They never hear of any
trouble because the community deals with that on its
own ... They just have their own form of community
justice."
Winsor said some chief constables receive "close to zero"
calls from some areas, and that police are not afraid to go
to such areas, but that they do not know what is going on
as communities do not tell them.
He said: "They don't know what injustices are being
perpetrated ... It's almost a closed book because we can't

go there so don't know. It could be anything from low-level
crime right up to murder... (honour killings) are the most
extreme example. That is murder. There is no honour in
it."
Winsor compared the situation in some parts of the UK to
Northern Ireland during the Troubles, but said the
difference now was that it was law-abiding citizens
operating their only system of law, rather than criminal
gangs.
He told the newspaper increased diversity in the police
across all ranks could help tackle the situation, though he
did not think there was "institutional racism" in the
Metropolitan police.
But Chris Sims, chief constable of West Midlands police,
told the paper there was "no evidence" of crimes being
under-reported in the region's minority communities.
Sims added: "The experience of West Midlands police's
officers and staff who actively work day in day out with
our communities could not be more different than
suggested by Mr Winsor, assuming he's referring to West
Midlands.
"There is no evidence to suggest that the under reporting
of crimes is a significant issue here in the West Midlands
and that some communities therefore feel compelled to
take the law into their own hands."
He added that areas with a high density of minority
communities accounted for high volumes of calls to his
force.
home affairs select committee chairman and Leicester MP
Keith Vaz said he was concerned by Winsor's claims. He
said: "I have represented an inner city Midlands
constituency, which is home to many diverse
communities, for 26 years and have not seen any
evidence to support the idea of a sub culture of secondary
justice.
"It is hazardous to suggest that some communities have
lost faith with the justice system of this country without
providing specific evidence.
"I hope that Mr Winsor will back up his statements in his
report. The home affairs select committee will also ask
Bob Jones, the police and crime commissioner for the West
Midlands, about this matter when he gives evidence to us
on Tuesday."
(19th January 2014)
WHAT IS CRIME ? WE CAN'T MEASURE IT BECAUSE

WE HAVEN'T DEFINED IT
(The Guardian, dated 16th January 2014 author Ally Fogg)
www.theguardian.com [Option 1]
Most crime happens out of the reach of statistics, to those
on the margins. There is no such thing as a definitive
measure
"Politics now, and the Office for National Statistics has
today published the latest crime statistics for England and
Wales, which show a marked decrease in the number of
crime estimates. The home secretary welcomed the latest
figures, saying: 'These statistics prove that while there is
some crime in England and Wales there is definitely less
crime now than there would have been had there been
more crime. It just goes to show that we have had great
success in ensuring the underlying trends on crime remain
in keeping with changes that have definitely happened
since this government came to power.' Now here's Tom
with the weather."
It was always easy to make fun of crime statistics, even
before the UK Statistics Authority announced this week
that it was formally dropping police recorded crime figures
as a gold standard measurement, citing repeated
allegations that some of the quarterly published figures

have been subject to "a degree of fiddling".
The decision is long overdue. Even if it were not the case
that police use a variety of tricks to keep recorded crime
figures low, this data would still represent an almost
meaningless measure of the extent of crime in society, for
the simple reason that a huge proportion of crimes (of
almost all sorts) have always gone unreported.
The better measure of crime trends is the Crime Survey of
England and Wales (CSEW), formerly the British Crime
Survey. This public survey, of about 50,000 households,
asks people whether they have experienced various types
of behaviour over the past year, including violent assault,
theft, burglary and other crimes.
Importantly, it counts offences even when they have not
been reported to police and/or even if the victim didn't
really think of them as crimes.
As has been widely noted, the CSEW has been showing
significant declines in most forms of crime since the mid1990s. Violent crime in particular would appear to have
tumbled back to the rates of the early 1980s.
Unlike the police-reported crime figures, the CSEW is a
serious and worthwhile data set. It provides useful
information for policymakers and social scientists as to
trends in certain behaviours. Ironically, however, the one
thing it does not do is tell us how much crime is
happening.
The sad truth is that most crime happens away from the
prying eyes of the crime survey pollsters.
It happens to those living on the margins, the homeless,
the mentally ill, those who are themselves in the criminal
justice system. The crime survey does not address drugs
crimes, so called vice crimes, financial fraud including
benefit and tax crimes, crimes of negligence or financial
exploitation. Other crimes happen online. The
criminologist Marian Fitzgerald has pointed out the extent

of online and plastic fraud, most of which goes unreported
- to the police or surveys. When our computers are hacked
and our financial details compromised, most of us tell our
banks or credit card companies, or even internet provider,
but rarely the police and few such crimes would be
mentioned to CSEW researchers.
At the heart of this is a large and difficult question: what
do we actually mean by crime? The reality is that crime is
everywhere, and always has been. Few of us would
question that a crime has been committed when a
teenager walks out of HMV with a stolen CD in his or her
bag, but what if the same teenager illegally downloads the
same album from the internet? Are we calling the police?
Not many people rob banks at gunpoint these days, but
how many rob them with a mouse and a spreadsheet? As
a general rule, the poor have criminal records, the middle
classes have skeletons in the closet and the rich have
excellent accountants. Functional definitions of crime often
fall back on social harm rather than mechanistic tallies of
lawbreaking. By any such definition, those who skirt the
rims of legality while playing roulette with the world's
economy for personal gain have more blood and human
misery on their hands than the entire population of
Wormwood Scrubs put together. One of the great ironies of
modern times is that the period of history characterised by
Steven Pinker as demonstrating the better angels of our
nature has coincided with a veritable wild west of grand
larceny around corporate boardrooms of the world.
There is no such thing as a definitive measure of crime,
because there is no such thing as a single definition of
crime. It is important to know if interpersonal violence,
muggings, burglary and so on are on the decline, because
those are real crimes that have real impacts upon real
people.
It is equally important to remember that those are not the
only crimes that devastate lives.
(19th January 2014)
JAIL FOR KENSAL GREEN BURGLAR CAUGHT BY

SMART WATER TECHNOLOGY
(Brent and Kilburn Times, dated 17th January 2014 author
Lorraine King)
www.kilburntimes.co.uk [option 1]
A burglary from Kensal Green who was splattered with an
invisible ink after breaking into a 'trap house' set up by the
police has been jailed.
Paul James McIntosh, of Earlsmead Road, had no idea he
had been sprayed with SmartWater when he stole a watch
which had been planted by officers in a sting operation.
When the 32-year-old broke into the property police
received an activation leading to his arrest and when he
was apprehended his jacket was found covered in the
special ink that shows up green under special light.
The timepiece, which was marked with the ink, was also
found in his possession.
Yesterday at Harrow Crown Court he was jailed for twoand-half years for burglary.
McIntosh asked for seven thefts from motor vehicles, one
attempted residential burglary and three residential
burglaries to be taken into consideration.
Detective Sergeant Madeline Ryder, Brent SmartWater
Project Lead, said: "This is yet another typical example of
work completed by Brent Officers. The SmartWater
technology in our trap houses and cars is so effective that
in less than 72 hours from the trap house being broken
into, McIntosh was arrested, interviewed, placed before
the Courts and pleaded guilty. In addition, the stolen
property was also recovered.
"The trap houses and cars forms part of an overall crime

reduction strategy used by Brent police to send a strong
message to thieves."Don't come to Brent - our trap cars
and trap houses are waiting for you."
Last October, Yafet Askale, of Harlesden Gardens,
Harlesden, was covered in SmartWater after breaking into
a trap car near his home.
The 28-year-old was sentenced to 49 hours of community
service and ordered to pay 400 costs.
(19th January 2014)
WILDLIFE POLICE UNIT HUNTING IVORY

TRAFFICKERS UNDER THREAT AS ITS FUNDING IS
SLASHED
(London Evening Standard, dated 2nd January 2013 author
Justin Davenport)
A police unit that investigates wildlife crime in London is
under threat, with funding from a charity due to run dry
next year.
Scotland Yard's Wildlife Crime Unit was saved from closure
when the World Society for the Protection of Animals
(WSPA) stepped in with a 100,000 annual grant.
But the donation, which funded two full-time posts for two
years, was only meant to be temporary and the charity
says it cannot continue after April. The respected head of
the unit, Sergeant Ian Knox, is also retiring, and insiders
say there are no plans to replace him.
Politicians fear the unit will be weakened or even closed,
and a letter signed by 10,000 of the charity's supporters
has been sent to Mayor Boris Johnson urging him to
continue funding. The National Wildlife Crime Unit is also
facing a funding crisis next year - raising the possibility

that the UK will lose all its specialist wildlife police officers.
The five-strong Met unit tackles a huge variety of crimes,
ranging from the trapping of wild birds in east London to
the international trade in ivory.
The unit is under threat despite David Cameron urging
China - the biggest market for illegal ivory - to attend an
international summit on elephant poaching in London next
month. Some 22,000 elephants were illegally killed in
Africa last year - one of the largest totals in recent years.
Experts warn the animals are now facing extinction.
London Assembly Green Party member Baroness Jones
said: "London is an international hub for criminals who
traffic wildlife as part of a trade worth an estimated 19
billion a year. The support from WSPA has been fantastic,
but we shouldn't expect charities to step in to enforce the
law. It is crazy this tiny unit is struggling to find money.
"This is not just about saving fluffy animals, it is about
investigating hardened criminals trafficking endangered
species along with drugs and guns." Robbie Marsland, UK
director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said:
"Our wildlife crime enforcers are at risk of becoming an
endangered species themselves."
A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing insisted
the Met's wildlife crime unit would not be disbanded. She
said: "We are exploring options for continuing and
enhancing its work." The 100,000 charity grant was
matched by a similar sum from the Met and the Standard
understands the force will continue that funding, but the
unit may be slimmed down with some roles being filled by
volunteers in future.
The Standard;s sister papers, The Independent, i and
Independent on Sunday, are running a campaign to save
elephants in Africa. Support the campaign here :
www.independent.co.uk/voices/campaigns/elephantcampaign/
----------------------------------UPDATE------------------------------YARD BACKS WILDLIFE CRIME UNTIT IN FIGHT
AGAINST TRAFFICKERS
author Justin Davenport)
Scotland Yard has pledged to continue funding its
specialist wildlife crime unit to tackle growing links with
organised gangs.
Senior officers say criminals are making huge profits from
trafficking the products of endangered species such as
powdered rhino horn, which is now said to be more
expensive than cocaine.
The future of the five-strong wildlife crime unit was in
doubt after an animal charity said it could no longer
continue with a 100,000 annual grant, which funds two
posts. The respected head of the unit, Sergeant Ian Knox,
is also retiring.
It tackles a variety of crimes, ranging from the trapping of
wild birds in east London to the international trade in
elephant ivory.
Commander Richard Martin, the Met's head of intelligence
and covert policing, said the force and the Mayor's Office
for Policing and Crime would continue to fund the unit.
He said: "The unit will remain a single unit but a lot of
work will be done by a wider group of analysts. We will
have the same number of people investigating wildlife
crime in the unit but if we identify wider crime networks
then we can use other Met assets to target them."
He added that research by the charity the World Society

for the Protection of Animals, which has funded the two
full-time posts in the unit for two years, had shown strong
links to organised crime.
Mr Martin said: "We know there are people profiting from
this crime and that is perhaps not surprising when
powdered rhino horn is being traded at 40,000 a kilo.
"When we know of people who are profiting in this way we
want to use the full range of assets that we have to target
them and take their profits away."
Mr Martin was speaking a month before 60 heads of state
are due to attend a global summit in London highlighting
the plight of endangered species.
Prince William, a strong supporter of animal charities, is
said to be making a speech at the event, which has been
organised by David Cameron and William Hague in
response to the growing threat to the tiger, elephant and
rhino.
19th January 2014)
BORDERS LIKE A SIEVE

(Daily Mail, dated 19th December 2013 author Jack Doyle)
www.dailymail.co.uk
[Option 1]
Britain's borders are 'like a sieve', a senior judge declared
yesterday as he warned Romanian criminals not to come
to Britain on January 1.
The Recorder of Lincoln, Judge Sean Morris, raised the
prospect that the courts could face a surge of foreign
offenders when controls on Romania and Bulgaria are
abandoned 13 days from now.
He expressed frustration at delays of six months and
longer to obtain criminal records from the Romanian
authorities and called on ministers to do something about

it. His comments came as he delayed sentencing of a
Romanian woman who was part of a gang which targeted
elderly men using cash machines.
He said he would not sentence Nicoleta Bala - who now
has a child born in Britain - until he received her criminal
history from her home country. He said any Romanian
criminals would 'languish' in prison awaiting sentence until
he knew what their criminal past was.
'You can get in and out of this country. The borders are like
a sieve,' he told Lincoln Crown Court.
'I do not deal with foreign criminals without knowing
whether they have been in trouble in their own country.
'If the fact is that people come over here from Romania to
commit crime they cannot complain.
'The message can go out that I will not deal with these
people until I have full knowledge about their background.
The lesson is - don't come here and commit crime.'
On the delays in obtaining records he added: 'It really is in
the political sphere. Something has to be done.
'I don't know if we are going to have a lot of new
customers. This is something that the police at a senior
level, the Home Office and the Ministry of Justice are
going to have to take up.'
Bala, 28, who lives in Leicester, was in a gang which stole
PINs and bank cards from elderly men using cash
machines in the Midlands.
She admitted two distraction thefts in Grantham and Stoke
on Trent in November 2008, only months after entering
Britain using a Romanian ID card. After committing the
crimes she left the country but was arrested on her return
at Folkestone.
Police requested her past convictions in September but do

not expect a response until the New Year, the court heard.
Both of Bala's theft victims have since died, prosecutor
Andrew Scott said.
He told the court: 'Unlike the East European Baltic states,
Romania is not one of the most efficient member states in
relation to bilateral co-operation.'
This week it emerged that British police travelled to
Romania to discourage young men from coming to this
country to commit crime.
Even those who arrive intending to work can find
themselves drawn in to petty crimes such as begging and
pick-pocketing.
Last week it emerged that Romanians are seven times
more likely to be arrested in London in Britons. They
account for more than 11 per cent of all foreign offenders,
despite making up just a tiny proportion of residents. Last
year, Romanians accounted for 49 per cent of all arrests
for begging and for 34 per cent of arrests for
pickpocketing in the capital.
-------------------------------------------------OPEN-WALLET POLICY SETS PRICE OF EU
CITIZENSHIP AT E1.15m
author Charlotte McDonald-Gibson)
What is the cost of becoming European ? Hundreds of
impoverished asylum-seekers have paid with their lives in
the choppy Mediterranean waters trying to reach Europes
shores in flimsy vessels.
For those with a generous bank balance, however, the
price is now set : with E1.15m, all of Europe becomes your
playground.
That is how much a Maltese passport will cost in a scheme
due to come into force next month to boost revenue and

investment in the small island, which happens to be one of
the destinations refugees aim for when they set sail from
North Africa.
When the passport plan was floated in November, it was
proposed that applicants should hand over E650,000. Such
was the outcry that the Maltese government made a few
tweaks, and now an extra E350,000 needs to be invested
in property and E150,000 in bonds or shares on the island.
A passport to live and work in Malta is a passport to live
and work in any of the 28 European Union member states.
Even though the millionaires taking up Malta's offer are
unlikely to be heading to Britain for unemployment
benefits, introducing more ways for people to live and
work legally in Europe is not exactly a popular policy at
the moment.
And although Malta insists there will be thorough
background checks, there are concerns that some more
unsavoury characters could buy passports with their illgotten gains.
This was the drift of the complaints from MEP's as the
European Parliament held a lively debate on the issue
yesterday. They willvote today on the resolution
condemning such schemes, but have little power to stop
it. Many other EU nations have similar programmes, albeit
with stricter residence and investment criteria; to be
Maltese, you barely need to set foot in Malta. And giving
Brussels the power to decide who can and cannot be a
citizen of a member state would be even more
inflammatory.
So in the end, yesterday's debate veered into the
philosophical, touching on what qualities made one
deserving of becoming a European. Living there was top of
the list, with an understanding of traditions and service to
the community also highly prized. There was one quality
EU Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding was quite certain
did not qualify people, and that was simply "the size of
someone's wallet or bank account.

--------------------------------------600,000 JOBLESS EU MIGRANTS IN UK
(London Evening Standard, dated 13th October 2013
A European Union survey has found there are more than
600,000 unemployed migrants from the EU living in the
UK, it has been reported.
The Sunday Telegraph said the report - commissioned by
the Brussels commissioner for employment and social
inclusion, Laszlo Andor - put the estimated annual cost to
the National Health Service at 1.5 billion.
The 291-page survey was said to have found that there
were 611,779 "non-active" EU migrants in the UK last year
compared with 431,687 in 2006 - a 42% increase.
The newspaper quoted the report as saying: "Between
2006 and 2012 there has been a steady increase of 42%
in the number of non-active EU migrants in the UK. While
between 2005 and 2006 the growth of non-active EU
migrants in the UK stagnated, since 2006 it has been
steadily rising.
"A particularly high increase can be noticed between 2009
and 2011. The number of jobseeking EU migrants
increased by 73% between 2008 and 2011, while the total
EU migrant population (active and non-active) increased
by only 28%."
(19th January 2014)
HODGE ATTACKS "PATHETIC" BID TO RETRIEVE

CRIME CASH
Britain's organised crime bosses are holding on to their

illegal profits because of the "rubbish" and "pathetic"
performance of law enforcement organisations, MPs have
warned Parliament.
The Commons Public Accounts Committee condemned the
enforcement of confiscation orders as appalling. It also
accused the Home Office's top civil servant of giving a
"nonsensical" defence of its performance.
MPs issued the rebuke at a parliamentary hearing, citing
Evening Standard reports on the way criminal "Mr Bigs"
are evading repayment of confiscation orders as evidence
of the Government's failure.
The hearing was prompted by a report from the National
Audit Office which concluded that only 26p in every 100
generated by crime is seized via the orders.
The auditors' report also revealed that 80 per cent of the
money owed by millionaire convicts has yet to be repaid,
even though some were convicted as far back as 1987.
The amount outstanding is 920 million.
In an attempt to gain an explanation, committee chairman
Margaret Hodge summoned the Home Office's top civil
servant Mark Sedwill, the Director of Public Prosecutions,
the head of the National Crime Agency and other senior
officials to Parliament for questioning. She told them the
public would be dismayed by their lack of success and
accused them of presiding over years of incompetent
failure.
"This is one of the worst reports that I have read for a long
time. We are losing billions and billions and you are just
not getting a grip," she said.
"You haven't got a strategy, you have no cooperation
between you, you don't prioritise things, you haven't got
the right information database. It's rubbish. The fact is
that you have collected hardly anything. It is pathetic."
Ms Hodge added that it was "appalling" that 100 million

had been spent enforcing confiscation orders with only
130 million recovered .
She asked Mr Sedwill whether he believed the results to
be value for money. He replied that calculating the amount
seized was not a good way of measuring success, but was
shot down by Ms Hodge for giving a "nonsensical"
response. Mr Sedwill added that ministers were preparing
a new strategy, including longer prison sentences .
But Mrs Hodge replied: "You can produce new strategies
until the cows come home but it won't change unless
implementation is better."
She said "Joe Public" thinks it is "really important that
criminals don't benefit from crime" and quoted revelations
in the Standard as further evidence of how taxpayers were
being let down.
"I've looked, as I am sure you did, at the Standard's
investigation of a whole lot of cases," she told Mr Sedwill
and the other witnesses.
"I just take one of those, Gerald Smith, that you all hailed
as a landmark success in seizing assets. He was given a
confiscation order of nearly 41 million. He was freed in
2010.
"Two million was spent looking for the assets. So far he's
only paid back 1.3 million and his debt when you add on
the interest is now worth 54.1 million. I can go on. All
those cases in the Standard were cases of massive
amounts, huge high value, and you've got nowhere."
Ms Hodge said the committee would call the witnesses
back before the general election, adding: "This is a sorry
tale of executive incompetence."
(19th January 2014)
POLICE CRIME FIGURES LOSE OFFICIAL STATUS

OVER CLAIMS OF FIDDLING
(The Guardian, dated 15th January 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.the guardian.co.uk [Option 1]
The gold-standard "national statistics" status has been
withdrawn from police recorded crime figures following
repeated allegations that some of the quarterly published
figures have been subject to "a degree of fiddling".
The UK Statistics Authority said it had taken the decision
as a result of "accumulating evidence" that the underlying
data on crimes recorded by the police may be unreliable.
It follows high-profile concerns over the integrity of the
police crime figures raised by the Commons home affairs
and public administration select committees. Her
Majesty's chief inspector of constabulary, Tom Winsor, who
is to report later this year on the issue, has said he
expects to find "a degree of fiddling, some of it owing to
dishonesty" among the 43 police forces in England and
Wales. Winsor, however, has ruled out "institutional
corruption" behind the inaccurate recording of crime by
the police.
The police recorded crime figures, which date back to the
19th century, are one of the two major measures of crime
in England and Wales. The second yardstick, the crime
survey for England and Wales, which dates back to 1981,
is unaffected by the allegations and has consistently
showed a fall in crime since 1995.
The Statistics Authority said the removal of the
designation of national statistics would remain until the
Office for National Statistics (ONS), working with the Home
Office, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and
others, was able to demonstrate that the quality of the
underlying crime data was sufficient to meet the needs of
users.
The allegations have included claims that the Metropolitan

police have understated sexual offences by as much as
25%. MPs have heard allegations that fiddling techniques
have included downgrading offences to less serious crimes
or persuading victims not to make a complaint, while in
some cases crimes were only recorded if they were solved.
Other incidents were kept completely off the books if an
offender could not be traced, they have been told.
Glen Watson, the ONS director general, said: "ONS
welcomes this very important UK Statistics Authority
report. We look forward to working closely with the Home
Office and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to
respond to all of its recommendations.
"We have already highlighted our concerns about the
quality of crime recording by the police, and the variations
in trends between recorded crime and our own crime
survey for England and Wales. I am pleased this has been
recognised by the authority."
uaware comment
Over the last few years we have been monitoring the
crime figures in one ward / sub -ward in one London
Borough. Over that period of time the demography of the
area has changed. Houses have been converted into flats,
houses have multiple occupancy and additional dwellings
have been built. But the crime figures have remained
virtually the same, apart from occasional surges in thefts
from cars within a retail park. The coupling of increases in
population and the decreasing size of the Police Safer
Neighbourhood Team does not equate to stagnant crime
levels. So it comes as no surprise that crime figures have
been massaged, but does it also extend to the Stop and
Search figures ?
(19th January 2014)
CRIMESTOPPERS LAUNCHS #PUTPOCKETS

CAMPAIGN TO RAISE AWARENESS OF PICK
POCKETING
(Crimestoppers)
Full article : https://crimestoppers-uk.org/misc/mediacentre/news-press-releases/crimestopperslaunches-'putpockets'-campaign-to-raise-awareness-ofpick-pocketing/
Independent crime-fighting charity Crimestoppers has
launched an innovative and imaginative campaign entitled
'#putpockets' to highlight the dangers and raise
awareness of pickpocketing across the UK.
The hard-hitting integrated campaign produced by
OgilvyOne UK, includes footage of sleight of hand experts,
including a former pickpocket and magician, sliding cards
into people's pockets and bags directing them to
www.putpockets.com, which outlines the dangers and
signs of lurking pickpockets.
The cards were shaped in the style of everyday items we
are likely to carry in our pockets or bags, including
smartphones, tablets and wallets, carrying the message
that if someone can get something into your bag, they can
also get something out
Stealth theft, where no force is used and the victim is
unaware of the crime, makes up around 70-80 per cent of
theft from the person incidents.
There are also strong links between rising 'theft from the
person' and increased ownership of smartphones, with
these being the most stolen item nationally (25% of
victims had their phone stolen).
Every day over 1,700 members of the public have
something taken from their bags or pockets. This is partly
due to the huge number of people now carrying valuable
items such as smartphones and tablets.
Traditionally posters have been used to highlight the issue

in the worst affected areas. However, research shows that
posters can actually make matters worse as we
subconsciously tap our bags and pockets to ensure our
valuables are still there - thus sending a clear signal to the
pickpockets who have learned to loiter nearby.
Easy to be a victim
Roger Critchell, Director of Operations for Crimestoppers,
said: "We want to highlight how easy it is for someone to
be a victim of crime without even knowing a crime against
them is taking place.
"This campaign is not intended to scare the public, but is
in fact designed to educate them about the dangers of
prowling pickpockets and ask them to ensure they are
vigilant when out and about."
Emma de la Fosse, Executive Creative Director at
OgilvyOne UK said: "By distributing leaflets in this way, we
actively created what scientists call a 'hot state', which is
conducive to lasting behavioural change. Exposing people
to the possibility of something, but without them being
directly affected, is proven to create greater resonance
and impact. This campaign highlights how easy it is for
someone to be a victim of crime, without any harm
actually taking place."
To see the video of the 'putpocketing' in action and the
response of some of the individuals in the film, please visit
www.putpockets.co.uk and use #putpockets on Twitter.
(19th January 2014)
UK PEADOPHILES PAY TO WATCH WEBCAM CHILD

SEX ABUSE IN PHILIPINES
(BBC News, dated 15th January 2014 author Angus
Crawford)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25729140
British paedophiles are paying to watch the abuse of

children in the Philippines via webcams, a BBC
investigation has found.
In one case, a British man organised the sexual abuse of
five children from the same family.
Charities believe tens of thousands of children are victims
of the trade.
On Thursday, Britain's National Crime Agency will reveal
how it is working with the American, Australian and
Philippine police to target abusers.
'Easy money'
Officer Denis Comunay, who regularly patrols the slum,
said: "You can get easy money from the cybersex."
He showed us a small house, with a corrugated iron roof. It
was almost empty inside apart from a dirty mattress on
the floor and electric sockets hanging from the ceiling. It
was what he calls a cybersex den.
"Fathers and mothers would bring their children here to
show, and would get paid by the owner of the house," he
said.
He explained the property owner forced her own children
to "perform" for foreigners using a webcam.
Other people in the community who heard there was
money to be made then brought their children too.
At a house nearby there were family photos on the walls,
washing still hanging on the line, but it was deserted.
It too was raided by police - a child of two was taken into
care.
Public morality
All of the neighbours said they were shocked to hear about

the cases but denied they knew what was going on.
One said: "How can I know when the house is closed and I
did not get inside and see what they are doing?"
But a recent survey indicated that 80 houses in the area
were involved in the trade.
Noemi Truya-Abarientos, who works for the Children's
Legal Bureau aiming to provide judicial help for abuse
victims, said: "It has become a cottage industry."
She blamed poverty and a breakdown in public morality
for the rise in the trade, explaining that local businessmen
rented out laptops and USB internet connections, so it was
easy for families to start.
Parents use internet chatrooms to find "clients" and
receive payment through international money transfers.
They justify what they do by claiming that foreign
paedophiles do not actually touch the children.
Noemi said this was a myth. "The client gives the
instruction to touch this and touch that."They even send
sex toys to these children."
In Angeles City in the north of the country there were two
houses in a slum area raided in 2012 by police from the
UK, the Philippines, Australia and the US, showing that law
enforcement around the world is starting to tackle the
problem.
One neighbour said: "They arrest this person and put them
in a van and they take the children away."
Twelve children aged between five and 15 were rescued
and several of their relatives were arrested.
'Growing demand'
The operation followed the arrest of British man Timothy

Ford, from Kettering, in Northamptonshire, the same year.
He is now serving an eight-and-a-half year sentence in a
UK prison.
When detectives analysed his laptop, they found obscene
images and records of money transfers to the parents - he
had paid to watch the abuse of five of the children. He
paid as little as 13 to watch what he called "a show".
Officers found he planned to buy property in the area and
set up an internet cafe.
Father Shay Cullen, who runs the Preda Foundation - a
charity that rescues victims in the nearby city of Olongapo
- said: "More and more parents are pushing their children
to get involved in this, to make big money.
"There's a huge growing demand and there's a growing
supply."
The Philippine government estimates that between 60,000
and 100,000 children are victims of sexual exploitation,
many of them in cybersex.
While some children are forced to take part by their own
family, others are made to work in cybersex dens by
pimps.
This is what happened to Lani when she was 15. "The
cybersex den is an evil kind of profession," she told us.
Her aunt promised her a job as a nanny, but when she got
to the house she was told she had to "chat" to foreigners.
The "chat" soon turned into demands for her to take off
her clothes and "perform" for the men watching on the
webcam.
"Perhaps when people hear about cybersex they think it
doesn't have any physical effect," she said.
"But it can do things to your core. It can take things from

you, your dignity and your purity."
Father Cullen warns that men in the West who pay to
watch abuse in poor countries may go on to commit other
offences.
"It's the warm-up for a sexual assault on a child," he said.
"And next time it's going to be a child in the UK."
(19th January 2014)
14,000 FINES ARE HANDED OUT IN CYCLE SAFETY

BLITZ
More than 14,000 motorists and cyclists in London got
fixed penalty notices in a road safety campaign after a
spate of cycling deaths.
Police issued drivers with 10,140 penalties for offences
including using a phone while driving and not wearing a
safety belt.
A total of 4,269 cyclists got tickets for offences such as
riding through red lights and cycling without lights.
The Met's Operation Safeway was launched in response to
the deaths of six cyclists in London in two weeks. From the
operation beginning on November 25 until its conclusion
last week no cyclists have died.
Detective Chief Superintendent Glyn Jones, of the Road
Traffic Unit, said he believed the operation had changed
people's attitudes to road safety.

He said : "Our aim was to have a sharp and intense period
of enforcement and education which would quickly prompt
people to behave more safely on the roads. Eight weeks
ago we were stopping numerous pedestrians, cyclists,
motorists and motorcyclists every day because they were
acting in a way that could put their safety, or the safety of
others, at risk.
"Eight weeks on, I have seen first-hand that attitudes have
changed. This is reflected by the fact that we've had to
issue fewer fixed penalty notices as the operation has
progressed."
Around 2,500 officers were involved during the rush hour
at around 170 key junctions across London.
Cyclists were issued with fixed penalty notices or a
summons. This included 1,277 penalties for riding through
red lights, 1,608 for riding without lights at night and
1,057 for riding on the pavement.
Police said many of the tickets for riding without lights
were cancelled when cyclists attended rendezvous points
to show lights had later been fitted.
Motorists were fined, including 1,113 for using a mobile
phone while driving, 2,597 for failing to wear a seatbelt,
2,484 for driving without due care and 3,953 for other
offences such as driving without insurance or having faults
with a vehicle.
In addition, 225 people were arrested for more serious
offences including dangerous driving, driving while
disqualified, drink-driving and having an offensive weapon.
Police will continue to carry out spot checks at busy
junctions.
The Mayor's cycling commissioner, Andrew Gilligan, said:
"This operation has been hugely valuable, exposing and
deterring significant levels of law-breaking and dangerous
road use by all groups, and almost certainly saving life and
limb."
There were 13 cyclist deaths in the Met area last year, the
same as 2012. In 2011 there were 16.
(19th January 2014)
CYBER CRIME ROBS US OF 1 BILLION IN JUST A

YEAR
(Metro, dated 13th January 2014 author Daniel Binns)
http://metro.co.uk/
Cyber criminals have swiped more than 1billion from
British bank accounts in just a year, it has been revealed.
Almost one in five adults say they have lost at least 500
after falling victim to online scams or from shopping on
unsecure websites, government research shows.
Fake sites imitating popular brands like Amazon have been
blamed for tricking consumers into revealing their card
details, with thousands also falling victim to hackers who
intercept retailers' web pages.
'It's got progressively worse in the last few years. We're
now seeing about 30,000 websites getting infected every
day,' Sophos's head of security research James Lyne told
Metro.
Half of shoppers don't routinely check if a website is
secure before entering their bank account details, with 40
per cent of Britons saying they had experienced some
form of online crime in the last year.
'People can get lulled into a false sense of security with
online shopping - you wouldn't go into the middle of a
busy shop and start shouting out what your Pin number is,'
Mr Lyne said.
The figures were released as the government launches its

Cyber Streetwise campaign today to raise awareness and
offer advice on how to avoid such criminality.
(19th January 2014)
SPIES TO BE ALLOWED TO BREAK SPEED LIMIT
Spies are to be allowed to speed under changes to the UK
motoring laws.
MI5 and MI6 officers currently have to abide by the rules of
the road even if national security is threatened.
But they will be given the same exemptions as police
vehicles, ambulances and fire engines by transport
minister Robert Goodwill.
Vehicles used to carry organs for transplant, bomb
disposal units and mountain rescue teams are also likely
to be added to the list.
Under the proposals being announced on Monday,
intelligence officers will have to take a course in highspeed driving prior to being exempt from speed limits.
The changes come after a Department for Transport
consultation found that 93% of those who responded
backed extending the speeding exemption to those
involved in "the protection of life and limb or national
security".
(19th January 2014)
POLICE WOMAN "STOLE DETAILS OF ROAD VICTIMS

FOR LOVER'S CLAIMS FIRM"
(The Daily Telegraph, dated 8th January 2014 author "By
Agencies")
www.telegraph.co.uk [Option 1]
A policewoman stole details of thousands of road crash
victims from a force computer system so she could refer
them to ambulance chasing lawyers as part of a "criminal
enterprise" she ran with her married lover and his wife, a
jury heard.
Pc Sugra Hanif allegedly took down personal details of
people involved in car crashes, before pressurising them
to make claims so she and her co-accused could cash in
on the 700 referral fee.
The 27-year-old Thames Valley Police officer was having
an affair with married Raza Khan during the eight-month
scheme. However, the relationship came to an end after
an anonymous tip-off to police, the jury heard.
Prosecutors claim the scheme could have raked in "well
over 1 million pounds" if all 2,500 sets of details
allegedly stolen by Hanif had resulted in a referral.
Prosecutor Peter Asteris told the jury at Winchester Crown
Court that Khan set up a company called SR Auto Repairs
a month before the scheme began in April 2011, in order
to refer "clients" to solicitors.
A further two similar firms were started in the name of Mr
Khan's wife Paramjeet Kaur, who was also charged.
Mr Asteris told the jury: "The data Pc Hanif took information the Crown says she stole - was not data she
needed to access.
"It was not data related to incidents in which she had been
involved.
"It was just, the Crown says, to provide it to her lover - a
man she was having an affair with - to promote his
business interests."
Mr Asteris said the scheme collapsed when police received
an anonymous phone call tip-off that Pc Hanif was

misusing the police computer - sparking an internal police
probe to look through audit records of the Unique
Reference Numbers (URNs) Pc Hanif had downloaded from
the system.
"The results of that inquiry show Pc Hanif, between April 1
and December 9 2011, accessed a staggering 2,456
different URNs of different incidents on the computer,"
said Mr Asteris.
"Almost all of them, the Crown will show, had no
connection to her duties, no connection to her role as an
officer.
"She was simply stealing almost 2,500 people's data from
that system."
He continued: "The Crown says her activity amounts to
serious misuse of the police computer.
"In the case of Pc Hanif, who had a duty to the public as a
serving police officer, we say it is nothing short of
deliberate and cynical use of the privilege she had in
being allowed to use that computer in the first place."
The prosecutor claimed Hanif, Khan and his wife Kaur used
the personal data to make "pressure sales" to the crash
victims for them to make accident claims with solicitors.
"Each time they did that, they would get between 600
pounds and 700 pounds from solicitors who process
these claims," Mr Asteris said.
He added: "We can show at the very least a financial gain
from these referrals of 26,400.
"If all the data stolen had been converted in to referral
fees - had they carried on doing it - the value of these
referral fees clearly would have been well over 1million
pounds."
On March 16, 2011 - two weeks before Hanif allegedly

started stealing data - Khan established a company called
SR Auto Repairs Ltd.
The prosecutor claimed S stands for Hanif's first name,
Sugra, and the R stood for Khan's name, Raza.
Mr Asteris also stated that Advanced Accident and Injury
Management Ltd and V&R Recruitment Ltd were set up on
May 24 and October 11 2011 respectively in the name of
Khan's wife, Paramjeet Kaur.
Hanif, of Bretch Hill, Banbury, Oxon., denies obtaining
personal data from the Thames Valley Police control and
command system, and a charge of disclosing the personal
data.
Khan, of Ivy Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, West Mids.,
denies obtaining information from the Thames Valley
Police control and command system.
Kaur, also of Ivy Road, Handsworth, Khan and Hanif all
deny one count of conspiracy to commit misconduct in a
public office.
The case continues.
(19th January 2014)
HALF OF SEX ATTACKERS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND

BURGLARS AVOID JAIL
(The Telegraph, dated 8th January 2014 author Steven
Swinford)
Full article :
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10557272/Half-of-sexattackers-violent-criminals-and-burglars-avoid-jail.html
Half of convicted sex attackers, violent criminals and
burglars are avoiding prison despite government pledges
to end "soft" sentences, official figures have revealed.

More than 65,000 serious criminals walked free despite
being convicted of a range of offences including rape,
sexual assault, manslaughter, grievous bodily harm and
robbery.
Just 53 per cent of convicted paedophiles who abused
children under the age of 13 were jailed in 2012, while half
of drug dealers also escaped jail. Overall, just one in four
criminals were sent to prison when lesser sentences were
taken into account.
The figures are likely to embarrass the Conservatives.
Chris Grayling, the justice secretary who has positioned
himself as a Tory traditionalist on law and order in contrast
to Ken Clarke, his more liberal predecessor.
One senior Tory backbencher said the figures demonstrate
that there is a "malaise" at the heart of the criminal justice
system, while Labour described the number of offenders
avoiding prison is an "insult" to victims of crime.
Sadiq Khan, the shadow justice secretary who obtained
the statistics in a parliamentary answer, said that
government cuts are undermining the justice system.
He said: "Some of these crimes are so serious and violent
that members of the public rightly expect them to lead to
a prison sentence.
"One of the concerns is that this is being done in order to
save money. Justice done on the cheap like this risks
prisoners reoffending rather than being reformed which
means more victims and misery.
"This will be an insult to many victims of crime who want
to see those who committed crimes against them properly
punished and rehabilitated."
Mr Grayling, the justice secretary, said that the
government is overhauling guidelines to ensure criminals
receive tougher sentences in future.

He said: "Since 2010 those who break the law are more
likely to go to prison for longer and we are continuing to
overhaul sentencing to ensure that the toughest
sentencing measures are available to the courts.
"I'll take no lessons from a Labour party that let thousands
of criminals out of prison early because they hadn't
provided enough places, who let thousands of offenders
off with a slap on the wrist caution instead of proper
punishment, and who failed to get any money from
prisoners' earnings for their victims.
"Under Labour's watch, reoffending rates simply remained
the same, and they had no idea what they were going to
do about it. Our reforms will help criminals [move] away
from a life of crime - and help them stay away from it."
According to the figures, a total of 49 per cent of people
convicted for sexual assault, equivalent to 2,324
offenders, did not receive a custodial sentence. Only 262
of those convicted were given jail terms lasting more than
four years.
More than 300 paedophiles who abused children under the
age of 16 were not given an immediate custodial
sentence, while 107 offenders who abused children aged
13 or under - equivalent to almost half - avoided prison.
A total of 11,000 burglars, equivalent to 49 per cent of
offenders, did not receive immediate custodial sentences
while 5,000 people convicted of robbery, equivalent to 40
per cent, also escaped jail.
Just one in eight offenders convicted of common assault
were jailed, while less than a quarter of those convicted of
cruelty or neglect to children were imprisoned.
Douglas Carswell, a Tory MP, said: "There is a malaise at
the heart of the criminal justice system. The Public
prosecutors are ineffective and bureaucratic, the judiciary
are unaccountable and the offender managers seem to

work more in the interest of offenders than victims.
"The system seems to be run by a clique of officials who
are not working in the interest of justice. It is a dangerous
situation. Ordinary, law abiding people are beginning to
doubt whether it can administer justice effectively."
In November last year Lord Neuberger, the president of
the Supreme Court, said that short jail sentences are
ineffective because they are "disruptive" to criminals' jobs
and family life.
However David Green, the director of Civitas, a rightleaning think tank, said: "It is a failure by the system to
protect the public adequately. People who are serious and
very often persistent offenders are simply not in custody
when they should be.
"The government is anxious to say it is tough on crime,
but these figures suggest it is not. They don't feel the
need to punish adequately people who have committed
serious crimes."
The latest figures disclose that more than 144,000
convicted offenders will be entitled to vote in elections
because they have not been jailed.
The figures also disclose that more than 10,000 offenders
were given sentences of less than six months. They
include 13 paedophiles, 125 sex offenders, 7,000 violent
criminals and 3,000 burglars.
Last year, a parliamentary committee recommended that
prisoners serving sentences of less than six months should
be given the vote.
Mr Grayling has pledged to ban automatic early release
from prison for serious criminals such as child rapists,
terrorists and hardened criminals.
He has also pledged to drive through a "rehabilitation
revolution" under which community sentences will include

compulsory punishments forcing offenders to pay fines,
clear litter or keep to a curfew.
Criminals who avoid jail face being tracked by satellite 24
hours a day and banned from some areas or activities
such as drinking alcohol. For the first time, magistrates
will be able to consider criminals' possessions, such as
cars and homes, when deciding on a fine.
(19th January 2014)
FOREIGN DRUG DEALER WINS HUMAN RIGHTS CASE
(The Telegraph, dated 7th January 2014 author David
Barrett)
Full article :
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10556711
/Foreign-drug-dealer-wins-human-rights-case.html
A Jamaican crack dealer who was jailed and banned from
an entire London borough because of his crimes has used
human rights laws to overturn a Home Office bid to deport
him.
Keno Forbes, 35, who operated under the street name
"Blood", was convicted of 11 counts of supplying Class A
drugs on a housing estate in Islington, north London, in
2011.
The judges' decision means Forbes will be able to stay in
this country indefinitely.
He would commute from Stevenage, Herts, to deal drugs
on a daily basis in the 1960s-built Bemerton Estate in
Islington.
Forbes was jailed for three years at Blackfriars Crown
Court and handed a 10 year anti-social behaviour order
which prevented him from entering the borough of
Islington.
The Home Office tried to have Forbes sent back to his

home country on the grounds that any foreign criminal
jailed for more than 12 months is eligible for automatic
deportation.
Forbes's lawyers lodged an appeal under Article 8 of the
European Convention on Human Rights - which sets out
the right to "private and family life" - and said removing
him would damage his relationship with his wife and
children.
The drug dealer won his case at the immigration and
asylum tribunal and the Home Office lodged an appeal,
claiming the court had failed to give adequate reasons
why it ruled Forbes was in a "subsisting relationship" with
his wife.
The Home Office also claimed the court was wrong to say
that Forbes' relationship with his children outweighed the
public interest in him being removed from Britain.
But an appeal heard by Mr Justice McCloskey, the
president of the Immigration and Asylum Chamber Upper
Tribunal, upheld the earlier decision.
In his ruling, Mr Justice McCloskey said the lower court had
said it was a "borderline case" but the balance "swung
narrowly in favour" of Forbes and his family.
The case will reignite the row over the way courts have
interpreted measures introduced by Theresa May, the
Home Secretary, in 2012 which won unanimous backing
from the House of Commons.
Mrs May changed immigration rules to make clear that
foreign criminals should only be allowed to avoid
deportation in exceptional cases.
But judges have repeatedly granted appeals and critics
claim they have ignored the criteria set out by Parliament.
Forbes had been convicted of two previous offences of

possessing Class A drugs in 2009, when he was given
community orders.
He was then arrested as part of an operation, code-named
Amargosa, in April 2011 which targeted drug-dealing in
the Caledonian Road area of the borough.
Forbes was arrested on July 14 that year after he was
identified as a major supplier.
When police officers searched an address used by Forbes
in Rufford Street, Islington, they discovered drug
paraphernalia including scales, a chopping board covered
in white powder, cling film and a razor blade.
A Home Office spokesman said: "We are disappointed by
the tribunal's decision and are now considering our
options in this case. We firmly believe foreign nationals
who break the law should be deported.
"We are starting the deportation process earlier and
removing foreign criminals quicker than ever. Since 2010,
the Home Office has removed or deported more than
17,000 foreign national offenders, including 4,765 in 2012.
"Through our Immigration Bill we will reduce the 17 rights
of appeal to four and those with no right to be here will
not be able to prevent deportation simply by dragging out
the appeals process.
"The Bill will also give the full force of primary legislation
to our policy that foreign criminals should ordinarily be
deported despite their claim to a family life."
(19th January 2014)
MET POLICE WILL HAVE WATER CANNON BY THIS
SUMMER IF BORIS JOHNSON HAS HIS WAY
(The Independent, dated 8th January 2014 author Jamie
Merrill)
www.independent.co.uk
[Option 1]
This summer could see water cannons deployed on the

streets of mainland Britain for the first time ever,
according to official letters between the Mayor of London
and the Home Office.
Senior officers at the country's biggest police force are
seeking to take delivery of the controversial crowd
dispersal weapon within months to deal with possible
outbreaks of disorder similar to the riots that hit London in
the summer of 2011, sparked by the police shooting of
Mark Duggan.
In a letter sent on Monday by Boris Johnson to Home
Secretary Theresa the Mayor of London confirmed that the
move by the Metropolitan Police came as a direct result of
the riots, and that there be "short period of engagement"
over the introduction of water cannons before a formal
decision is made next month.
Until now water cannon have only been made available to
police in Northern Ireland where they were introduced to
quell public disorder during the Troubles and six vehicles
are still used to tackle crowds using blast bombs and
throwing missile.
In his letter Johnson writes to his fellow Conservative:
"Following the disorder in August 2011, both the
Metropolitan police service and Her Majesty's Inspectorate
of Constabulary stated that there are some circumstances
where water cannon may be of use in future."
He added the Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe, has made assurances that water
cannon would be "rarely used and rarely seen".
The decision to authorise the use of water cannon on the
British mainland rest with the Home Secretary, who is
facing calls from critics to halt steps towards the
militarisation of the police and halt a slide towards the
stifling of the democratic right to protest.
It is not known how many vehicles the Metropolitan Police

is seeking to introduce but each water cannon is
understood to cost in the region 1.3m and require a
dedicated staff of 20 as well as 180 further specially
trained officers,
However the letter confirmed that a request for
Government funds for the equipment has been rejected by
May, leading the Mayor's office to confirm that the water
cannon will funded by an allocation from the Mayor's office
and be solely for the use of the Metropolitan Police.
Jenny Jones, a London Assembly Member for the Green
Party said, "Allowing water cannon on the streets of
London is a step in the wrong direction towards arming our
police like a military force, and it goes against our great
tradition of an unarmed police service. People have a
democratic right to protest and my fear is that once the
Mayor allows these weapons onto our streets we will see
them being used against people exercising their legal right
to protest."
A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing and
Crime said: "Since the riots in August 2011 the police and
the independent Inspectorate of Constabulary have
argued that water cannon should be available as one of a
range of tools to respond to serious public disorder.
"This is supported by the vast majority of the public.
MOPAC will now be undertaking a period of public
engagement to get the views of Londoners, prior to any
final decision to purchase water cannon."
A Home Office spokesperson said: "We will ensure forces
have the tools and powers they need to maintain order on
our streets. We are currently providing advice to the police
as they build the case for the use of water cannon."
(19th January 2014)
POLICE DID ALTER CRIME FIGURES, SAYS MET CHIEF

(London Evening Standard, dated 8th January 2014 author
Martin Bentham)
A whistleblower's claims that the Met manipulated crime
figures to meet its performance targets are at least
partially true, Scotland Yard chief admitted today.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told MPs that the preliminary
results of an internal inquiry had already indicated that
some of the allegations by Met Pc James Patrick that
crimes such as burglary and rape had been wrongly
downgraded or written off were accurate.
Sir Bernard's admission came during a tense appearance
in front of the Commons Public Administration Committee
during which he also admitted to inadvertently misquoting
a report he had written himself.
Today's hearing was called in response to earlier testimony
to the MPs from Pc Patrick in which he alleged that sexual
offences had been understated in official figures by up to
25 per cent and that there had been similar mis-recording
of burglary and other crimes.
The constable, who is currently facing disciplinary hearing,
said that the figures were being fixed to meet a crime
reduction target of 20 per cent set by the London deputy
mayor and added that he had come to MPs after being
blocked from speaking out by the Met.
Sir Bernard said the allegations were a matter of serious
concern and that an inquiry was still continuing.
Early findings had suggested that some of Pc Patrick's
claims were inaccurate, but that the remainder of his
allegations had some vailidity.
"I think on the whole there is a truth there that we need to
hear," Sir Bernard told the committee.
The Commissioner said the Met had yet to speak directly

to Pc Patrick, partly because of his pending misconduct
hearing, and that its inquiry was likely to take three to six
months before reaching final conclusions.
He said suggested that the complexity of crime recording
rules and problems with technology were partly to blame
for flaws in crime figure data, but insisted that he was
determined to ensure the integrity of crime figures.
He added that HM Inspectorate of Constabulary would
begin a separate independent probe next month in a
further attempt to establish the facts.
Sir Bernard also faced embarrassment when he was forced
to admit that, during a previous appearance before MPS,
he had cited a report that he had written in 2011 while
working in the police inspectorate as evidence in support
of the force's crime recording methods.
In fact, the report said there was "some cause for
concern". Sir Bernard said he had forgotten that he had
written the report and had quoted from the executive
summary, which was broadly favourable, without
reminded himself of the full text when he made the
evidence.
Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin told the
Commissioner that every officer he had spoken to believed
that crime figure manipulation occurred.
(19th January 2014)
IRANIAN CROOK CAN'T BE DEPORTED AS IT WOULD
BREACH HIS HUMAN RIGHTS
Benedict Moore-Bridger)
An Iranian criminal jailed for laundering 11million in
drugs money cannot be deported from Britain because it
would breach his human rights, a judge has ruled.

Mahmood Koorangi, 62, was sentenced to seven years in
prison in 2004 after he admitted working for drug barons
in Iran.
Police raided his home in Brent Cross and found a cashcounting machine, fax machine and files which showed he
had laundered more than 11million over a six-month
period.
He was released after serving only three years of his
sentence, and the UK Border Agency tried to have him
deported. But he has now won his fight to stay after
claiming he would face persecution in his homeland.
An immigration court ruled his expulsion would flout the
European Human Rights Act. A judge said: "The authorities
would want information from him to investigate the Iranian
end of the operation."
The methods used in such questioning "amounted to
treatment that breached Article 3 of the Human Rights
Act", the judge added. Article 3 relates to torture or
degrading treatment.
Koorangi, who arrived in the UK in November 2000 and
studied English in Bradford, told the Daily Mirror: "I'm
staying in Britain. It's better here - Iran has been bad ever
since the revolution. What I did in the past was a mistake
but if I go back home they'll kill me. I have left behind my
criminal life. I don't do that any more. I now work parttime as a fashion designer.
"I don't want to go back to Iran because my situation over
there is very complicated." At his original trial, a court
heard he laundered the cash through complex financial
transactions in the UK. He was caught after police
discovered he had received 21,500 from a convicted drug
dealer.
At the time Judge Nicholas Loraine-Smith told Koorangi:
"You pleaded guilty to agreeing to assist in the laundering
of vast sums of money which were the proceeds of drug

trafficking You were the essential cog in this
sophisticated operation."
(19th January 2014)
LAW EXPERTS WILL EXAMINE HUNDREDS OF RAPE
CASES THAT YARD DISMISSES
Martin Bentham)
Hundreds of rape allegations dismissed by police will be
examined by law experts in a new Scotland Yard bid to
catch more offenders and encourage victims to come
forward.
The move will apply to all future rape cases written off as
"no crime" incidents and is intended to ensure that
investigations are not wrongly called to a halt.
It is part of a new five-pronged strategy that the Met will
deploy for such cases and follows an earlier scandal in
which rape allegations were rejected in one London
borough in a bid to improve their performance figures.
Other changes include a new system under which every
decision to "no crime" a rape allegation will have to be
scrutinised by a detective chief inspector, a special
Scotland Yard unit and a Met commander before the case
is abandoned.
There will also be a new interpretation of official Home
Office crime recording rules, under which rape claims will
only be written off in future if there is evidence "beyond all
reasonable doubt" - the standard used in criminal trials that the alleged attack did not take place.
Scotland Yard chiefs say the aim of the overhaul, which
will begin immediately, is to improve public confidence
and convince victims that reports of sex attacks will be

thoroughly followed up.
The changes come as the number of rape offences
reported in London continues to rise sharply, with 2,911
attacks recorded between the start of April last year and
the end of December - an increase of 26.8 per cent on the
comparable period 12 months earlier.
They also follow recent claims by a Met whistleblower, Pc
James Patrick, that officers had been routinely dismissing
rape allegations to improve performance figures, and an
earlier scandal over cases in Southwark wrongly written
off as "no crime" during 2008 and 2009.
The Met had already responded to the Southwark
controversy by scrapping the unit involved and making
other reforms, but has now decided to go further to
prevent repetition.
Announcing the changes, Commander Graham McNulty,
the Met's head of specialist crime investigation, said the
force was determined to show victims that their claims
would be treated seriously and investigated as thoroughly
as possible.
He added: "We need to change the way that we approach
'no crime' because probably only 15 per cent of rapes in
London are reported and we want to encourage more
victims to come forward.
"We want to instil in people that they will be believed and
that if someone reports a rape, then there has been a rape
unless we have real and compelling evidence that there
hasn't been.
"I want to... send the message that every incident will be
taken seriously and investigated."
Met figures show that there were 423 rape allegations
classified as "no crime" in the 12 months between April
2012 and the end of March last year. Another 278 were
recorded during the remainder of 2013.

Some cases involve allegations made in London in which
the incident took place outside the capital, written off on
Met records after being transferred to other forces for
investigation.
Other reports were designated "no crime" to avoid double
counting after it was discovered the cases were already on
police books.
A small number of further cases have been similarly
removed from the rape statistics after it emerged that the
complaints related to other crimes and were wrongly
keyed in as sex attacks on the Met's computer systems.
But 295 of the cases deemed to be "no crime" during the
past financial year related to incidents in which the Met
officers concerned cited "additional verifiable information"
that the incident had not occurred.
Commander McNulty said this definition, which is used to
comply with Home Office crime recording rules, was
"subjective" and that in future the Met would use the
higher burden of proof of "beyond all reasonable doubt"
before writing off a case. He said all potential "no crime"
cases would also now be referred first to a detective chief
inspector and then to Scotland Yard's "crime management
unit" and himself before the classification was authorised.
As a final safeguard, a panel of three law professors will
meet every three months, starting from this spring, to
provide independent scrutiny of the Met's decisions. Any
cases that they judge to have been wrongly classed as "no
crime" will be re-examined.
The latest figures show around 20 per cent of reported
rapes in London result in charges, with a total of 1,033
prosecutions over the past two years.
The Met believes the rise in rape allegations reflects
greater willingness among victims to come forward, rather
than a rise in offending.

(19th January 2014)
WILDLIFE POLICE UNIT HUNTING IVORY

TRAFFICKERS UNDER THREAT AS ITS FUNDING IS
SLASHED
(London Evening Standard, dated 2nd January 2013 author
Justin Davenport)
A police unit that investigates wildlife crime in London is
under threat, with funding from a charity due to run dry
next year.
Scotland Yard's Wildlife Crime Unit was saved from closure
when the World Society for the Protection of Animals
(WSPA) stepped in with a 100,000 annual grant.
But the donation, which funded two full-time posts for two
years, was only meant to be temporary and the charity
says it cannot continue after April. The respected head of
the unit, Sergeant Ian Knox, is also retiring, and insiders
say there are no plans to replace him.
Politicians fear the unit will be weakened or even closed,
and a letter signed by 10,000 of the charity's supporters
has been sent to Mayor Boris Johnson urging him to
continue funding. The National Wildlife Crime Unit is also
facing a funding crisis next year - raising the possibility
that the UK will lose all its specialist wildlife police officers.
The five-strong Met unit tackles a huge variety of crimes,
ranging from the trapping of wild birds in east London to
the international trade in ivory.
The unit is under threat despite David Cameron urging
China - the biggest market for illegal ivory - to attend an
international summit on elephant poaching in London next

month. Some 22,000 elephants were illegally killed in
Africa last year - one of the largest totals in recent years.
Experts warn the animals are now facing extinction.
London Assembly Green Party member Baroness Jones
said: "London is an international hub for criminals who
traffic wildlife as part of a trade worth an estimated 19
billion a year. The support from WSPA has been fantastic,
but we shouldn't expect charities to step in to enforce the
law. It is crazy this tiny unit is struggling to find money.
"This is not just about saving fluffy animals, it is about
investigating hardened criminals trafficking endangered
species along with drugs and guns." Robbie Marsland, UK
director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, said:
"Our wildlife crime enforcers are at risk of becoming an
endangered species themselves."
A spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office for Policing insisted
the Met's wildlife crime unit would not be disbanded. She
said: "We are exploring options for continuing and
enhancing its work." The 100,000 charity grant was
matched by a similar sum from the Met and the Standard
understands the force will continue that funding, but the
unit may be slimmed down with some roles being filled by
volunteers in future.
The Standard;s sister papers, The Independent, i and
Independent on Sunday, are running a campaign to save
elephants in Africa. Support the campaign here :
www.independent.co.uk/voices/campaigns/elephantcampaign/
----------------------------------UPDATE------------------------------YARD BACKS WILDLIFE CRIME UNTIT IN FIGHT
AGAINST TRAFFICKERS

Scotland Yard has pledged to continue funding its
specialist wildlife crime unit to tackle growing links with
organised gangs.
Senior officers say criminals are making huge profits from
trafficking the products of endangered species such as
powdered rhino horn, which is now said to be more
expensive than cocaine.
The future of the five-strong wildlife crime unit was in
doubt after an animal charity said it could no longer
continue with a 100,000 annual grant, which funds two
posts. The respected head of the unit, Sergeant Ian Knox,
is also retiring.
It tackles a variety of crimes, ranging from the trapping of
wild birds in east London to the international trade in
elephant ivory.
Commander Richard Martin, the Met's head of intelligence
and covert policing, said the force and the Mayor's Office
for Policing and Crime would continue to fund the unit.
He said: "The unit will remain a single unit but a lot of
work will be done by a wider group of analysts. We will
have the same number of people investigating wildlife
crime in the unit but if we identify wider crime networks
then we can use other Met assets to target them."
He added that research by the charity the World Society
for the Protection of Animals, which has funded the two
full-time posts in the unit for two years, had shown strong
links to organised crime.
Mr Martin said: "We know there are people profiting from
this crime and that is perhaps not surprising when
powdered rhino horn is being traded at 40,000 a kilo.
"When we know of people who are profiting in this way we

want to use the full range of assets that we have to target
them and take their profits away."
Mr Martin was speaking a month before 60 heads of state
are due to attend a global summit in London highlighting
the plight of endangered species.
Prince William, a strong supporter of animal charities, is
said to be making a speech at the event, which has been
organised by David Cameron and William Hague in
response to the growing threat to the tiger, elephant and
rhino.
(19th January 2014)
TRAVEL INSURER STAYSURE WARNS CUSTOMERS

OVER IT HACK
(BBC News, dated 4th January 2014 author Bob Howard)
www.bbc.co.uk
The travel insurer Staysure has warned customers that
some of their sensitive bank card details may have been
stolen after its IT security was breached.
Some 93,000 people who bought policies prior to May
2012 may be at risk, it said.
Staysure said it believed hackers may have stolen the
three digit Card Verification Value (CVV) numbers of some
policy holders.
It has apologised to customers, urging them to check their
accounts.
'Used fraudulently'
In a letter written to customers, the company said it had
become aware of the breach on 14 November.
It said: "While the payment card number you provided was

encrypted, some of the other personal data that you
provided to us, including the 3 digit CVV number on the
back of the card, may have been accessed.
"Although you will understand that this cannot be used
without the payment card number, there is still a risk that
by using our records combined with data obtained from
elsewhere, it may be possible for your card to be used
fraudulently."
One customer, Francine Collison from London, told the
BBC she had received a letter on 19 December from
Staysure warning her of the breach, which it said it
believed had happened at the end of October.
Ms Collison said she was angry about the way her details
had been kept.
"[The firm's explanation] suggests that the CVV number
had been stored and had not been encrypted. That's a
security code and I'm astonished that they kept it and in
an unencrypted form."
She added: "I can't understand why I wasn't informed
earlier. They'd [Staysure] clearly been in contact with the
Financial Conduct Authority, the Information Commissioner
and the police, and it seems to me as a victim I was the
last person to find out about it."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Financial Fraud Action UK,
representing the bank card industry, said: "The holding
and storage of the three-digit Card Verification Code data
(also known as the Card Security Code) by merchants and
payment intermediaries is expressly prohibited under card
schemes rules."
Ryan Howsam, chief executive of Staysure, apologised to
customers and said those affected were being offered a
free subscription to a credit agency data monitoring
service.
He said: "We did act as fast as we could. We locked down

our systems. We deleted all of the card data from our live
systems and brought in forensic IT specialists."
Mr Howsam also insisted customers' CVV numbers were
no longer kept by the firm.
"These were legacy systems. We initially stored [them] to
help customers with their renewal process."
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) said it was
making enquiries into the incident.
It said the law did not require firms to notify customers
following a breach.
Sir Alan Beith, MP for Berwick on Tweed and chair of the
House of Commons Justice Select Committee which
monitors the ICO, said companies needed to react quickly
to let people know when security breaches took place.
"I think customers are entitled to be informed as soon as a
company knows and that should be much clearer. This
raises questions which I'd like to pursue with the
Information Commissioner."
(19th January 2014)
BRITAIN MUST STOP GIVING SANCTUARY TO
FOREIGN CRIMINALS
(London Evening Standard, dated 13th February 2014
author Nicholas Cecil)
Britain must not be a "sanctuary" for people suspected of
genocide, torture and other serious crimes abroad, a
senior MP warned today.
Keith Vaz urged Home Secretary Theresa May to "justify"
why 49 individuals accused of such crimes and reportedly
living in Britain have not been handed to international
courts.
It is believed the suspects have been allowed to remain in

the UK because deporting them to their home country
may put them at risk of harm or death.
But Mr Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs
committee, told the Standard: "I'm amazed at this figure.
It seems bizarre Britain should be giving sanctuary to
those accused of some of the most serious crimes a
person can commit."
He stressed human rights legislation should not be used to
avoid justice.
The suspected offenders are understood to have been
allowed to stay in the UK, after being refused asylum, on
"restricted" leave to remain. A suspected former Taliban
deputy commander accused of attacking Nato forces in
Afghanistan, which he denies, has benefited from such
treatment and has been living in Britain since 2007.
It was not clear if he is one of the 49 mentioned in a
freedom of information request for the BBC. Other
suspects in the UK include people from Iraq, Sri Lanka,
Eritrea and Zimbabwe.
Since a new monitoring system was brought in three years
ago, one person has reportedly been deported.
The Home Office said: "The Government is determined the
UK should not become a refuge for those who commit
crimes against humanity. Those accused of these crimes
should be put on trial in their home country and we will
always seek to return them to face justice."
But Christopher Cole, chairman of the Law Society's
immigration law committee, said individuals on restricted
leave were in a "legal limbo".
He added: "Unless there is a fundamental change in
countries of origin there is no realistic prospect of many of
these people being removed."
(26th February 2014)

JAYWALKING : HOW THE CAR INDUSTRY OUTLAWED
CROSSING THE ROAD
(BBC News, dated 12th January 2014 author Aidan Lewis)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26073797
The idea of being fined for crossing the road at the wrong
place can bemuse foreign visitors to the US, where the
origins of so-called jaywalking lie in a propaganda
campaign by the motor industry in the 1920s.
The California Vehicle Code states: "No pedestrian shall
start crossing in direction of a flashing or steady "DON'T
WALK" or upraised hand symbol." It also forbids crossing
between controlled intersections, or "jaywalking".
Late last year, police began a concerted effort to enforce
the rules in central Los Angeles. Pedestrians had been
"impeding traffic and causing too many accidents and
deaths", one traffic police official said. Fines range from
$190-$250 (115-152).
Then in New York officials responded to several pedestrian
deaths last month by issuing a flurry of tickets for
jaywalking. The campaign quickly ran into controversy
when an 84-year-old Chinese immigrant who had been
stopped for jaywalking suffered a gash to his head during
an altercation with the police.
Enforcement of anti-jaywalking laws in the US is sporadic,
often only triggered by repeated complaints from drivers
about pedestrian behaviour in a particular place. But
jaywalking remains illegal across the country, and has
been for many decades.
The first known reference to it dates to December 1913,
says Peter Norton, a history professor at the University of
Virginia and author of Fighting Traffic - The Dawn of the
Motor Age in the American City. That month a department
store in Syracuse hired a Santa Claus who stood on the

street with a megaphone, bellowing at people who didn't
cross properly and calling them jaywalkers.
A key moment, in the US was a petition signed by 42,000
people in Cincinnati in 1923 to limit the speed of cars
mechanically to 25mph (40kph). Though the petition
failed, an alarmed auto industry scrambled to shift the
blame for pedestrian casualties from drivers to walkers.
Local car firms got boy scouts to hand out cards to
pedestrians explaining jaywalking. "These kids would be
posted on sidewalks and when they saw someone starting
to jaywalk they'd hand them one of these cards," says
Norton. "It would tell them that it was dangerous and old
fashioned and that it's a new era and we can't cross
streets that way."
Elsewhere, in Cairo say, or Calcutta, a lack of rules,
enforcement and pedestrian infrastructure mean that the
only way to cross the road is often by launching oneself
into the oncoming traffic.
The UK is among those countries where jaywalking is not
an offence. But the rate of pedestrian deaths is half that of
the US, at 0.736 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011
compared to 1.422 per 100,000 in America.
Even in Singapore, where repeated jaywalking offences
can lead to a $1,000 fine or a six month jail term, rules are
routinely flouted.
Advocates for walking say drivers are most often to blame
for pedestrian deaths and injuries, and that there is no
evidence to prove that anti-jaywalking campaigns are
effective.
That rings true for John Moffat, a former commander of
Seattle's traffic police.
Seattle was known for being especially strict on
jaywalking, and Moffat calculated that some 500,000
tickets had been issued there between the 1930s and the
1980s. But he oversaw a change of policy in 1988 after a
study in the city showed that the most vulnerable
pedestrians were the elderly, children and drunks - not
jaywalkers. "Are they the ones ending up in the morgue or
in hospital?" he says. "The answer is no, and the reason is
that most of them are pretty fleet of foot and agile."
Some think that the success of several projects to make
US cities more walkable is a sign of hope for pedestrians.
But there is little experimentation with more radical
projects such as shared space, which aims to reduce traffic
speed by removing the distinction between streets and
pavements. And fines for jaywalking look set to continue,
says Ray Thomas, a lawyer in Portland, Oregon, who
specialises in pedestrian and bicycle law.
"People in law-enforcement tend to identify with a
motorist's perspective", he says. Wherever there's a push
to protect the rights of pedestrians, officials feel they also
need to enforce limits on them.
"It's their version of being fair," he says. "The difference is
that no jaywalking pedestrian ever ran down and killed a
driver, and by sheer survival strategy most pedestrians
don't jaywalk in front of cars."
Countries where jaywalkers are fined
US, Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Philippines,
Singapore
Breakdown of all trips made in the US
-
Driving : 83%
Walking : 10.4%
Other (including cycling) : 4.2%
Public transport : 1.9%
FIVE ARRESTED IN UTOPIA DARK NET MARKETPLACE

CRACKDOWN
(BBC News, dated 12th February 2014 author Leo Kelion)
www.bbc.co.uk
Dutch and German police have arrested five people and
shut down a "dark net" website as part of an investigation
into online criminal marketplaces.
Utopia had been used to trade drugs, stolen credit cards
and weapons among other illegal goods, the Dutch public
prosecution service said.
The site's pages had been hidden to the public unless they
accessed Tor - an otherwise invisible layer of the net.
Police also seized 900 bitcoins, worth about 363,000 or
$610,900.
The virtual currency is sometimes used to make it hard to
track online transactions.
The announcement follows the FBI's seizure of Silk Road another dark net marketplace - in October.
The Dutch authorities said their operation - codenamed
Commodore - sent out a message that no-one was
"untouchable" on Tor.
However, one journalist who covers the sector said dozens
of illicit marketplaces remained online.
Seized site
Utopia had only launched nine days ago. The DeepDotWeb
news site posted screenshots at the time that showed
guns, hacking kits, cocaine and counterfeit goods being
offered for sale.
By the time Utopia went offline on Tuesday there were
more than 13,000 listings on its pages, with many of the
traders offering to ship their goods worldwide.

Prices were quoted in euros, but purchases could by made
via the virtual currency Bitcoin to help keep the
transactions anonymous.
Visitors to the site are now greeted by the Dutch police
force's logo and a message saying: "This hidden service
has been seized."
Two Dutch men, aged 30 and 31, alleged to have run the
service had also been involved in another dark net site,
Black Market Reloaded, which had closed towards the end
of 2013, said prosecutors.
The other suspects arrested on Friday are:
- a 29-year-old from Utrecht, who the prosecutors said
they believed had been involved in several other unnamed
black market marketplaces in addition to Utopia
- a 46-year-old Dutch national accused of illegal trade over
the internet and an attempt to incite murder
- a 21-year-old German, arrested in Bad Nauheim near
Frankfurt, accused of selling hard drugs and weapons
Assassination deposit
As part of Operation Commodore, prosecutors said,
undercover agents had bought thousands of ecstasy pills,
raw MDMA and dozens of grams of cocaine.
During their undercover work, it is alleged one of the
suspects hired them to commit an assassination and paid
a deposit for the job.
Searches of the men's homes led to the confiscation of
external hard drives and USB sticks, suggesting the
potential for follow-up arrests.
This is not the first time the Dutch authorities have
targeted a Tor-based service.
In 2011, the police infiltrated sites used to distribute about

10,000 photographs showing child sex abuse. Amsterdambased care worker Robert Mikelsons was subsequently
sentenced to 18 years in prison for abusing dozens of
youngsters.
While it is not yet known if any arrests have been made in
the latest case, DeepDotWeb told the BBC there were still
several other Tor sites promoting the sale of illegal goods.
"We just counted about 29 active markets, including
specific vendor shops but excluding some others that have
not yet been verified or are still under construction," said
the news site's owner, who asked to remain anonymous.
What is Tor ?
Invented by the US Naval Research Laboratory to help
people use the web without being traced, Tor (The Onion
Router) aids anonymity in two ways.
First, it can be used to browse the world wide web
anonymously. It does this by routing traffic through many
separate encrypted layers to hide the data identifiers that
prove useful in police investigations.
Second, there are hidden sites on Tor that use the .onion
domain suffix. These are effectively websites but, as they
sit on Tor, are almost impervious to investigation.
Journalists and whistle-blowers use Tor to communicate
with each other.
However, documents leaked by the whistle-blower Edward
Snowden indicate the US authorities are concerned that
terrorists and criminals are also using Tor to stay hidden.
The papers indicate that as a result the NSA has
developed ways to track at least some of the people using
the service.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE EXPERIENCED BY 30% OF

FEMALE POPULATION, SURVEY SHOWS
(The Guardian, dated 13th February 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.theguardian.co.uk [Option 1]
More than 1.1 million or 7% of women and 720,000 or 4%
of men have been victims of some kind of domestic abuse
in the past year, official crime figures reveal.
The full scale of the hidden world of sexual assault, family
abuse and stalking is revealed in official figures that show
that nearly 5 million women or 30% of the adult female
population have experienced some form of domestic
abuse since age 16.
The latest figures from the Crime Survey for England and
Wales also reveal that there were an estimated 406,000
victims of sexual assaults last year and nearly one million
victims of stalkers. More than two-thirds of these were
women.
The annual survey of people's experience of crime also
reveals that a startling 10% of the public think that it is
"mostly or sometimes" acceptable to hit or slap their
partner in response to them having an affair. This rises to
16% of older teenagers, with little difference in attitude
between men and women.
This previously hidden scale of domestic abuse in England
and Wales has been revealed as headline rates of violence
continue to fall.
The murder rate in England and Wales stood at 551
homicides recorded by the police in 2012/13. This is a
slight increase since 2011/12, when 530 homicides were
recorded, but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said
these continue a general downward trend and are the
lowest levels since 1989, when there were 521 homicides.

The most likely murder victim is a child of either sex under
the age of 12 months. Men account for two-thirds of
murder victims and are most likely to have been killed by
a friend or acquaintance, while women are far more likely
to be killed by a current or former partner.
The statisticians point out that more people were killed as
a result of falls (3,790), intentional self-harm (3,671), and
transport accidents (1,662) than were murdered in the last
year. But only 193 people died in fires and 196 drowned.
The decline in the murder rate was more than matched by
further 15% falls last year in both gun crime and knife
crime. Gun crime fell to 8,135 offences and 29 people
were killed in shootings, the lowest number since 1980.
Knife crime fell to 26,340. This was twice the 7% fall in
violent crime recorded by the police in 2012/13.
The statisticians say the chance of becoming a victim of
violent crime in England and Wales is now less than half
what it was when violent crime was at its peak in 1995.
Violent crime against adults in England and Wales has
fallen from an estimated 4.2m incidents a year in 1995 to
1.9m in 2012/13, according to the crime survey.
The ONS said that while the official "badge" of national
statistics had been withdrawn from the police recorded
crime figures, the crime survey results continued to meet
that standard and that it would continue to publish and
provide commentary on both sets of figures.
The statisticians discounted a 17% rise in the latest policerecorded crime figures for sexual offences, attributing it to
a 'Yewtree effect' - increased reporting of alleged sexual
abuse in the wake of publicity about Jimmy Savile. They
say a decline in sexual offences as measured by the
official crime survey reinforces this conclusion.
The crime prevention minister, Norman Baker, said it was
good to see violent crime continuing to fall: "The
independent crime survey for England and Wales for

2012/13 shows the number of violent crimes at its lowest
level since 1981. Police recorded crime statistics show
firearms offences fell by 15% in the last financial year,
knife crimes dropped by 15% and there were 13% fewer
robberies, but we want to do even better," he said.
"We are continuing to work to stamp out gang violence,
tackle domestic abuse and protect vulnerable women and
girls from sexual exploitation."
CYBER-THIEVES "GRAB VIDEO OF VICTIMS" TO
STEAL BANK CASH
(BBC News, dated 13th February 2014 author Mark Ward)
www.bbc.co.uk
Cyber-thieves are increasingly grabbing video of how
victims use their computer, to better steal from online
bank accounts, a security firm reveals.
The report, from Dell Secureworks, details the activities of
the top eight bank crime networks.
Five out of the top eight bank botnets can constantly grab
images to build movies of user activity.
They also manipulate data passing between users and
banks to grab logins and hide thefts.
Cashing out
"We see continuous evolution of the code and continued
sophistication," said Dr Brett Stone-Gross, a senior
researcher at Dell who helped write the report.
One trick getting more popular was the use of video
capture to help criminals build up a portrait of the way a
particular person used their computer, he said.
Thieves slipped past checks that looked for unusual
behaviour by snooping on how users started their browser,

found a bank website and entered data or by spying on
use of screen-based security tools, he said.
The videos could also show thieves how to negotiate
through the various steps required to move money around
commercial banking networks that aid the biggest thefts,
he said.
"They can measure where the mouse is and how long it
takes to enter data that goes into the banks' automated
transfer systems," he said
Cheap storage and higher-bandwidth net links helped the
thieves' attempts to extract image streams, added Dr
Stone-Gross.
Some of the networks detailed in the report first emerged
in 2006-07 and have survived regular repeated attempts
to shut them down.
"Their longevity is a testament to how much money is
involved and how lucrative they are," said Dr Stone-Gross.
Tens of millions of dollars had been stolen by the gangs
behind these networks, he added.
Customers of more than 900 banks and other financial
institutions in more than 65 nations had been targeted by
the largest banking botnets, said the report.
Primarily the thieves sought credentials for online bank
websites, said Dr Stone-Gross, but they were increasingly
seeking out people who had access to commercial banking
and payroll systems.
People fell victim by either clicking on a booby-trapped
email attachment, visiting a site that had been
compromised or was displaying adverts seeded with
malicious code, he said, adding that each network had
managed to ensnare tens of thousands of victims.
An "arms race" was under way as bank security teams
sought to thwart thieves and the criminals tried to find

ways around novel defences, he said.
"They are always monitoring and seeing what the banks
are doing," said Dr Stone-Gross.
When thieves were ready to steal cash, they used other
tactics, such as bombarding a bank web server with data,
to cover their tracks, he said.
"They create a diversion so the security staff are all
worried about the availability of the website and at the
same time the victim whose account is being
compromised cannot login and check their balance," he
said. "They do whatever is necessary to succeed."
Biggest banking botnets
Zeus
IceIX
Citadel
Gameover Zeus
Shylock
Bugat
Gozi
Torpig
CONVICTS WILL NOT NEED TO CONFESS TO

CRIMINAL PAST
Thousands of former offenders in the capital, including
burglars and thieves, will no longer have to declare their
criminal convictions in a move intended to boost their job
prospects, ministers said today.
Under reforms that come into force next month, freed
prisoners who were sentenced to six months or less will

have to include their criminal history on application forms
for only two years, instead of seven as at present.
More serious offenders will also see a dramatic cut in the
length of time they are required to declare their
convictions. It means thousands of former convicts who
would previously have had to reveal their background
when seeking work will be able to apply with a clean
record instead.
Critics are likely to argue it could prevent employers from
gaining an accurate picture of prospective staff.
But justice minister Simon Hughes said the change would
be a vital support for people who want to turn their back
on crime and rebuild their lives.
"This is the biggest change to the Rehabilitation of
Offenders Act since the current system began in the
Seventies," he said.
"The aim is to ensure that people who made a mistake
early in life are not punished indefinitely and are given the
chance to contribute to society by getting an honest job
and putting their offending behind them.
"We all pay a lot of money to keep offenders in prison and
a lot of money if they they're then on the dole and not
paying taxes. So it's in everyone's interest to help people
who have proved they can go clean.
"I think this change will mean the number of people who
get back into work will significantly improve."
Offenders sentenced to between six and 30 months will
see the period during which they must declare their
conviction fall from 10 to four years. Those jailed for
between 30 months and four years, who were previously
required to disclose the offence throughout their lifetime,
will now only have to reveal it for seven years. Offenders
given non-custodial sentences will also see the disclosure
period reduced.
Mr Hughes, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bermondsey and
Old Southwark, said safeguards would still exist for the
most serious and dangerous offenders. Any convict
applying to work in a school, hospital or other place
containing "vulnerable" people will have to disclose their
crime.
The convictions of those jailed for more than four years
will never become spent - these will have to be declared
whenever they apply for work.
Mr Hughes said it struck a balance between public
protection and giving a "fair chance" to those who want to
abandon crime.
Research has shown convicts who gain work are less likely
to reoffend. In, 2012 a total of 91,000 offenders received a
sentence of four years or less. Each will benefit from the
reforms.
Under the new system, the number of years during which
offenders will have to declare their convictions will begin
from the end of their sentence, rather than the beginning
as at present. That means that a criminal jailed for two
and a half years will now have to disclose their conviction
for a further four years after their release. making it a total
of six and a half years since the start of their sentence.
That is significantly shorter than under the existing system
which would require such an offender to declare their
offence for ten years from the moment their sentence
begins.
WHERE IS IT ILLEGAL TO BE GAY ?

(BBC News, dated 10th February 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-25927595

Millions of people continue to live in places that outlaw
same-sex relationships and prosecute people for being
gay. In five countries and in parts of two others,
homosexuality is still punishable with the death penalty,
while a further 70 imprison citizens because of their
sexual orientation.
Even where homosexuality is legal, many countries treat
those in same-sex relationships differently, such as having
an unequal age of consent or a ban on marriage. In Russia,
host of the Sochi Winter Olympics, a law banning the
promotion of "non-traditional" sexuality to under-18s was
introduced last year.
So, where is it illegal to be gay? Which countries allow
same-sex marriages? Explore the map of UN member
states below to find out. Countries are coloured and
categorised by their most anti-gay or pro-equality laws.
Legal status of same-sex relationships
The legal status of people in same-sex relationships
depends very much on where they live. At one end of the
spectrum there are those countries that punish
homosexuality with the death penalty - Iran, Mauritania,
Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen - as well as in parts of
Nigeria and Somalia. At the other end, there are those
countries where gay couples have the same marriage
rights as heterosexual couples.
However, the categorisation of countries according to their
approach to gay rights is not without problems. Some
states have conflicting laws on same-sex relationships,
simultaneously having laws that punish and protect, while
other countries have different laws in different regions.
THE FULL ARTICLE HAS A MAP OF THESE REGIONS
Decriminalising being gay
During the last 200 years, an increasing number of

countries have decriminalised same-sex relationships.
After a period of criminalisation before the French
Revolution in 1789, the trend towards decriminalisation
gathered pace - particularly in the 1960s and 1970s.
However, some countries are moving in the opposite
direction, introducing punitive new laws and strengthening
existing penalties. Last year, India reinstated a 153-yearold colonial-era law criminalising gay sex. Nigeria, which
already bans gay relationships, also recently outlawed
same-sex marriages, gay groups and shows of same-sex
public affection.
Olympic host Russia also introduced controversial
legislation in June that prescribes fines for anyone giving
information about homosexuality to people under 18.
HUGE HACK "UGLY SIGN OF FUTURE" FOR INTERNET

THREATS
(BBC News, dated 11th February 2014 author Dave Lee)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26136774
A massive attack that exploited a key vulnerability in the
infrastructure of the internet is the "start of ugly things to
come", it has been warned.
Online security specialists Cloudflare said it recorded the
"biggest" attack of its kind on Monday.
Hackers used weaknesses in the Network Time Protocol
(NTP), a system used to synchronise computer clocks, to
flood servers with huge amounts of data.
The technique could potentially be used to force popular
services offline.
Several experts had predicted that the NTP would be used

for malicious purposes.
The target of this latest onslaught is unknown, but it was
directed at servers in Europe, Cloudflare said.
Attackers used a well-known method to bring down a
system known as Denial of Service (DoS) - in which huge
amounts of data are forced on a target, causing it to fall
over.
Cloudflare chief executive Matthew Prince said his firm
had measured the "very big" attack at about 400 gigabits
per second (Gbps), 100Gbps larger than an attack on antispam service Spamhaus last year.
Predicted attack
In a report published three months ago, Cloudflare warned
that attacks on the NTP were on the horizon and gave
details of how web hosts could best try to protect their
customers.
NTP servers, of which there are thousands around the
world, are designed to keep computers synchronised to
the same time.
The fundamentals of the NTP began operating in 1985.
While there have been changes to the system since then,
it still operates in much the same way.
A computer needing to synchronise time with the NTP will
send a small amount of data to make the request. The NTP
will then reply by sending data back.
The vulnerability lies with two weaknesses. Firstly, the
amount of data the NTP sends back is bigger than the
amount it receives, meaning an attack is instantly
amplified.
Secondly, the original computer's location can be
"spoofed", tricking the NTP into sending the information
back to somewhere else.
In this attack, it is likely that many machines were used to

make requests to the NTP. Hackers spoofed their location
so that the massive amounts of data from the NTP were
diverted to a single target.
"Amplification attacks like that result in an attacker
turning a small amount of bandwidth coming from a small
number of machines into a massive traffic load hitting a
victim from around the internet," Cloudfare explained in a
blog outlining the vulnerability, posted last month.
'Ugly future'
The NTP is one of several protocols used within the
infrastructure of the internet to keep things running
smoothly.
Unfortunately, despite being vital components, most of
these protocols were designed and implemented at a time
when the prospect of malicious activity was not
considered.
"A lot of these protocols are essential, but they're not
secure," explained Prof Alan Woodward, an independent
cyber-security consultant, who had also raised concerns
over NTP last year.
"All you can really do is try and mitigate the denial of
service attacks. There are technologies around to do it."
Most effective, Prof Woodward suggested, was technology
that was able to spot when a large amount of data was
heading for one destination - and shutting off the
connection.
Cloudflare's Mr Prince said that while his firm had been
able to mitigate the attack, it was a worrying sign for the
future.
"Someone's got a big, new cannon," he tweeted. "Start of
ugly things to come."

DETECTIVES INVESTIGATE RISE IN "MERCY
KILLINGS" BY RELATIVES
Scotland Yard is examining a worrying increase in "mercy
killings" in London last year.
Senior detectives say they are concerned about a rise in
the number of homicides within families - particularly
involving people with fatal illnesses. The total number of
murders in the capital fell again last year, to just 96 - the
lowest total in decades.
But officers are reviewing evidence around "four or five"
cases where people have killed partners with long-term
illnesses, as well as cases where children have killed their
parents or parents their children. The issue of "right-todie" was highlighted by a recent storyline in Coronation
Street, in which character Hayley Cropper killed herself,
with the knowledge of husband Roy, after being diagnosed
with terminal cancer.
In June last year, Myrna Holman, 76, who had terminal
pancreatic cancer, was found dead at her home in
Plaistow. She had been suffocated. In December her son
Roland, 55, pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds
of diminished responsibility and was jailed for 18 months.
The Old Bailey heard how he dialled 999 and said: "My
mum has had cancer and I've just stopped everything and
I've killed her ... She asked me to put an end to it and I
did."
Last November, the bodies of Douglas Morton, 61, and
wife Carol French, 73, were found by police at their
Wandsworth home. Mr Morton had apparently strangled
his wife in their bedroom before stabbing himself.

Not long before, Mrs French had returned from hospital
after suffering a stroke, though friends said she was
recovering well and there was no suggestion she was
terminally ill.
Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Duthie, head of the
Met's homicide squad, said : "We have seen some really
tragic cases where people have killed partners who have
been terminally ill. There were four or five cases. Why this
has gone up slightly we do not know.
"We have seen a slight rise in domestic murders, some
where children killed their parents and one where parents
killed their son. We are looking into what could be the
causes of that." He emphasised that the overall murder
rate in London had fallen for five or six years running and
the capital had fewer homicides per thousand people than
most similar capital cities.
But there was a rise in the number of teenage murders,
from eight in 2012 to 12 last year. The number of killings
involving knives remained the same.
Mr Duthie said the fall in the overall rate could be due to
factors including faster intervention by doctors and
paramedics. He added: "There is also education and
perhaps the threat of sentences with a starting point of 35
years for firearms murder.
"Our intelligence systems are good and we are able to act
before things happen to take guns off the street. Every
murder is tragic and there is a terrible story behind each.
But we solve 95 per cent of cases and convict around 85
per cent of those who stand trial."
THE NAZI MURDER LAW THAT STILL EXISTS
(BBC News, dated 6th February 2014, author Stephen

Evans)
www.bbc.co.uk
The long arm of Nazi law reaches down even to our own
times. The Third Reich might have been destroyed but its
legislation on murder remains in force. Some of Germany's
most eminent lawyers say it perpetuates injustice, and
must be scrubbed out.
A surviving statute from 1941 means that women who kill
their abusive husbands are more likely to be jailed for
murder than husbands who beat their wives to death.
According to the German Association of Lawyers, the Nazis
decided that a murderer was someone who killed
"treacherously" or "sneakily" - "heimtueckisch" is the word
in the law and it remains there today.
This means that a man who beats his wife over many
years, finally killing her, is less likely to be convicted of
murder, with a mandatory life sentence, than to be
convicted of manslaughter, which may mean only five
years in jail. The argument is that there was nothing
"sneaky" or "treacherous" about the killing - it was frontal
and direct and might have been expected.
Dr Stefan Koenig, a Berlin defence lawyer who chairs the
Association of Lawyers' penal committee, says the Nazis
defined murder in the light of their belief that some people
were inherently weak-minded. It was about defining a
murderer as someone treacherous rather than looking at
the circumstances of each individual crime.
East Germany had a different law, closer to the idea in the
UK and many other countries, that murder was about an
intention to kill or cause serious injury. But with the
unification of Germany in 1990, the law of West Germany
became the law of the land.
The Nazi law favoured - and still favours - the strong who
murder the weak, Koenig argues.
"I found that battered women were more often convicted

of murder than violent men," the author of one such
study, Prof Dagmar Oberlies, wrote. "Women who suffered
violence for many years premeditated the killing of their
partner. Violent men, who did not have to fear anything,
simply battered their wives until they were found dead."
Lawyers like Koenig, who want the law changed to bring it
into line with countries such as the UK and US, cite the
case of Marianne Bachmeier.
On 6 March 1981, she took a gun into the court where the
killer of her seven-year-old daughter was standing trial.
She went up to him and shot him. When she had done so,
she said: "Hopefully, he's dead." He was. She then lowered
her gun, without any attempt to flee.
The German legal system decided that this could not be
manslaughter, despite the trauma caused to Bachmeier by
the death and abuse of her daughter. It had to be murder
because the victim couldn't have expected the attack - he
was, after all, in a court room.
There was a national uproar. Programmes were aired with
the title "I'd have shot him too". In the end, but only after
four weeks of convoluted legal argument, the murder
charge was dropped but the principle still stands - killing a
person who doesn't expect it must be murder.
Advocates of a change in the law also cite another
controversial case.
In 2001, one Armin Meiwes posted an advert on the
Cannibal Cafe website for a "well-built 18 to 30-year-old to
be slaughtered and then consumed".
Many responded but only one didn't back out - Bernd
Juergen Armando Brandes, an engineer from Berlin. The
two met on 21 March and, true to his word, Meiwes killed
Brandes and ate parts of him. None of this is in dispute. A
video was made. Meiwes fried the victim's penis in butter
with salt, pepper, wine and garlic.

The killer's defence was that his victim had consented to
the death. The law accepted that it couldn't be murder since the victim had consented to his death there couldn't
be anything "treacherous" or "sneaky" about the killing.
Meiwes was sentenced to eight years in prison for
manslaughter.
Again there was uproar, with much arguing of the fine
points by lawyers, and a retrial was ordered. The second
court decided that it was, indeed, murder. There may have
been no sneakiness involved but Meiwes had acted to
satisfy his sexual depravity - another clause in the Nazi
law which distinguishes murder from manslaughter.
He remains in prison. For that he can thank the fact that
not all Nazi law continues. Most was repealed - including
the death penalty.
MAYOR "BREAKS ELECTION PLEDGE" AS MET

STRENGTH DROPS TO 30,000
author Pippa Crerar)
www.standard.co.uk
The Metropolitan police has lost more than 3,000 officers
since the last general election, figures show today.
Scotland Yard had 30,085 officers in December - the
lowest level since spring 2004 - despite Boris Johnson's
claims that police numbers were not being cut. Labour
accused the Mayor of failing to live up to his re-election
pledge to keep to about 32,000 officers.
Deputy mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh said last
year that it would be a "doomsday scenario" for policing if
the figure dipped below 31,000.
But the latest figures, published on the Mayor's London

Datastore website, show the Met has lost 3,062 officers
since May 2010 when national police spending priorities
changed.
Mr Greenhalgh said police numbers had fallen because
recruitment was paused during 2012 and it took time to
hire and train new officers.
He added: "However, the current total is as low as I expect
it to go, and from next month police numbers will start to
rise again in line with the Mayor's budget to get us back
up to 31,000 officers in the next few months and 32,000
by next spring. The Met is now hiring 5,000 police
constables and that means London is going to see
hundreds of new cops hitting the streets every month - a
scenario most other forces could only dream of."
More officers were lost through natural wastage, and were
not replaced, during an earlier two-year hiring freeze. The
Met has also faced funding cuts from central government.
Labour Assembly member Joanne McCartney accused the
Mayor of an "erosion of policing", saying he had also
halved the number of PCSOs. "The Met police is now the
third least visible on the streets compared to other areas
of the country," she said.
Mr Johnson told the London Assembly last week: "When I
go around, I certainly feel I see a good number of police
everywhere."
BLUECHIP HACKING INVESTIGATION REACHES
CRITICAL STAGE
(The telegraph, dated 6th February 2014 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk
Investigators have uncovered evidence of potential illegal

activity by 11 clients on the secret "bluechip hacking" list
who allegedly used rogue private investigators, a
watchdog has disclosed.
Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said
an inquiry into the activities of 102 individuals and
companies will reach a critical new stage next week.
He revealed that from Monday his investigators, working
with officers from the National Crime Agency (NCA), will
begin issuing legal letters to 11 clients which will demand
access to their files.
If the clients fail to co-operate Mr Graham said his teams
would obtain search warrants to seize information.
It opens the prospect of the first "hacking" prosecutions
not involving national newspapers as the clients of corrupt
private detectives who broke the law to obtain confidential
information.
The original bluechip hacking list has never been
published but it is known to feature 22 law firms alongside
several insurance companies, financial services groups
and two celebrities, among others.
It was drawn up during an investigation by the nowdefunct Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca),
codenamed Operation Millipede, which led to the
conviction of four private detectives for fraud.
In a letter to the Commons' home affairs select
committee, Mr Graham said: "Nineteen clients are active
and there is evidence of a criminal breach and civil breach
of the Data Protection Act.
"However, eight of these are based outside of our
jurisdiction."
He added: "The documentary evidence we hold in relation
to these clients is considered significant and this gives us
the best opportunity of instigating criminal proceedings."

Inquiries are continuing into 42 other clients who are not
thought to have committed a criminal breach of the
legislation, but more work is needed to establish if their
activities amounted to a civil breach, he added.
The first four "demand for access notices" will be sent to
clients from Monday, with search warrants as a back-up
plan if they refuse to comply, Mr Graham said.
Soca had held the bluechip hacking list since 2009 and a
report was submitted to the Leveson Inquiry into Press
standards.
However, it was not highlighted by Lord Justice Leveson
who refused to admit the document because it was
outside his narrow terms of reference.
Keith Vaz MP, the chairman of the home affairs select
committee, said: "The Information Commissioner's
findings clearly reveal significant evidence of criminal
wrongdoing by clients in data which was held by Soca for
so many years.
"The commissioner has been refreshingly proactive in his
approach to this investigation, in direct contrast to what
went before.
"It is important that this approach continues and those
who have broken the law are brought to justice."
He added: "The committee will be looking to ascertain a
timetable for the further investigation and potential
prosecutions when the commissioner appears before it on
Tuesday. It is vital that the victims are not forgotten and
justice prevails."
GP's REVOLT ON PATIENT RECORDS
(Daily Mail, dated 5th February 2014 author Sophie

Borland)
Full article :
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2552651/GPs-revoltpatient-records-Growing-anger-NHS-plan-harvest-privatedata.html [Option 1]
Growing numbers of GPs are joining a rebellion against an
NHS scheme to harvest millions of medical records.
Unless patients object, officials will start to extract
confidential data from their files next month.
The information will be used to improve care and assist
research work, health chiefs say. But some family doctors
fear the data will be misused by insurers and businesses.
At least four GPs - with thousands of patients between
them - are defying orders to hand over their patients'
records. Many more are known to share their concerns.
Gordon Gancz, who has a practice in Oxford, had been told
by NHS officials his decision not to co-operate may cost
him his job.
In an article in today's Mail, he compares these 'bullying'
tactics to those used by camp guards in Stalinist Russia.
'What I am vehemently opposed to is that the medical
records of every man, woman and child in the country will
be passed on automatically,' he says.
Another GP, John McCormack, from South Woodham
Ferrers in Essex, has written to his 2,800 patients to ask
them if they are happy for their data to be used. Nearly all
said no and Dr McCormack has handed over only the files
of those who gave consent.
Another GP in central London and one in the North West
have taken a similar stance. Neither wishes to be named
for fear of reprisals from NHS bosses.

The doctors believe patients may refuse to reveal
sensitive information about their lifestyle - drinking habits
or smoking - if there is a chance it will be sold on and
potentially used against them.
And if patients do not reveal what is wrong with them,
such as lumps or aches, doctors will find it harder to
diagnose conditions such as cancer.
NHS England insists the data - stored on a massive,
central database accessed by officials - will mainly used
mainly to improve care by identifying areas with long
waiting times, poor services or substandard treatment.
But it has admitted the data could be passed on to private
organisations - including insurers - who may use it to hike
up premiums for certain patients.
The way in which patients can object to the plans differs
between surgeries. Some practices have told them they
must do so in writing - by a letter or email - while others
are allowing them to phone up or tell their doctor during a
routine appointment.
But millions are simply receiving leaflets by post which
some doctors say are confusing and easy to dismiss as
junk mail.
Neil Bhatia, a GP from Yateley in Hampshire, said: 'Many
patients will be very angry in a few months when they
realised their information has been handed out to
organisations for purposes they are not happy about.'
Despite his objections, Dr Bhatia has stopped short of
opting out all of his patients automatically as he fears he
will be breaking the law.
Instead, he is making it as easy as possible for them to
object and has been distributing simple forms they can fill
in to avoid having to come to the surgery. Last month a
poll of 400 GPs by Pulse magazine found that 40 per cent

planned to opt out of the scheme individually.
An electronic marker is inserted on to files of those who
object - telling officials not to mine the data.
Dr Matthew Stead, 57, who runs a practice with 11,000
patients in Bodmin, Cornwall, said the cash-strapped NHS
would end up selling the data.
He added: 'Patient consent is the crunch point for me.
Where you have got a patient's own clinical details being
used for something not directly associated with their own
clinical care then that patient should have the right to say:
"Yes, I want this to happen".
'Five years ago the CIA would have said: "Don't worry, we
are completely happy - there's no chance our security
could be breached". Then we had the Wikileaks incident.'
A spokesman for NHS England said GPs who did not hand
over patients' data would be in breach of the Health and
Social Care Act.
But they confirmed no action would be taken against these
doctors until the project gets under way next month.
APPLE USERS IN SECURITY WARNING

www.bbc.co.uk
Users of Apple's OS X operating system are being warned
to take care when browsing online as they wait for a
solution to a security flaw.
A software update was released last week to owners of
iPhones, iPads and iPods to protect users from "an
attacker" who may "capture or modify data".
It was later discovered that the problem also existed on

Apple laptops and desktop computers running OS X.
A security fix has not yet been issued.
The problem was first spotted on Apple's mobile devices
which run the iOS 7 operating system. It relates to the way
secure connections are made between Apple's safari
browser and websites, including banking sites, Google and
Facebook.
These sites have digital security certificates that allow an
encrypted connection to be established between a user's
computer and the website. This means any data that is
sent over the connection should be secure.
Dropped the ball
However, a vulnerability in the code for Apple's iOS and
OS X operating systems meant the security certificates
were not being checked properly. This meant hackers
could impersonate a website and capture the data that
was being sent over the connection before letting it
continue its journey to the real website.
Apple released a fix for mobile devices running iOS 7 last
week but a spokesperson issued the following statement
about OS X: "We are aware of this issue and already have
a software fix that will be released very soon."
According to researchers the security flaw had existed for
months but no-one had reported it publicly.
Graham Cluley, a security analyst, said it was a failing by
the company that it had not been identified earlier.
"It's pretty bad what Apple have done, they've seriously
dropped the ball. How much the problem has been
exploited is hard to say. Hackers may now be trying to
take advantage while users wait for the security fix."
He advised users to take care when using the web and

consider using an alternative browser to Safari until the
problem was fixed.
He also urged users of Apple's mobile devices to upgrade
to the latest iOS version as soon as possible and for OS X
users to keep their eyes open for a security update and to
implement it as soon as it was available.
CHILD SEX ABUSE FEARS AS NUMBER OF YOUNG

RUNAWAYS IN LONDON RISES TO 16,000 EACH YEAR
author Sophie Goodchild)
Full article: www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/child-sexabuse-fears-as-number-of-young-runaways-in-london-risesto-16000-each-year-9109289.html
The number of child runaways has risen dramatically, with
many falling victim to sex abuse and exploitation.
New Metropolitan Police figures show that nearly 16,000
under-16s in London have gone missing from home or
care, a rise of more than 1,500 in four years. The charity
Railway Children warned that this was probably an underestimate and said as many as seven in 10 children are not
reported as missing by families or care homes.
Andy McCullough, its head of UK policy, said there was a
serious lack of service provision for these "forgotten"
children. He called for projects creating a "network of
safety" before, during and after a child goes missing. "The
police would agree these figures are the tip of the iceberg,
as local authorities often don't record cases" he added.
"If they don't look for them they don't find them. And the
problem will become more acute because of the recession.
Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are over-
represented but this cuts across all sorts of backgrounds,

including affluent ones. When children don't feel loved
they look to other places. All recent cases of sexual
exploitation that have come to court involve issues with
missing young people."
The latest Met figures show that 15,999 children went
missing in the capital in 2012, compared with 13,361 in
2008.
Railway stations are a draw for vulnerable runaways. New
Horizon youth centre near Euston works with Railway
Children, offering advice and support to 1,000 "missing"
children a year.
Peter Middleton, an outreach worker with the youth centre,
said he had dealt with children as young as 10, adding:
"They hide in crowds around Leicester Square, for
example, and stations. At night they're vulnerable and can
get picked up by paedophiles.
"There's no point just scooping them up and sending them
home especially if they've been abused. They will just hide
away. It's about working with these children to win their
confidence and find a solution to their problem."
An estimated 100,000 children in the UK go missing every
year, the equivalent of one every five minutes.
Last month the Government announced reforms aimed at
tackling the issue. These include offering all runaways an
interview with a trained expert within 72 hours of their
return - a bid to protect them from sexual exploitation.
Met Commander Alison Newcomb said: "The welfare of a
missing person remains paramount in our investigations
and we do everything in our control to work toward their
safe return."
BANKS TOLD TO BOLSTER DEFENCES IN BATTLE

AGAINST CYBER CRIME
author Nick Goodway)
www.standard.co.uk
City firms were today told they need to act more quickly
and report to regulators in more detail if they become
subject to cyber attacks from criminal gangs or terrorists.
The Bank of England - which in November conducted a
massive three-day exercise dubbed Waking Shark II to
simulate an attack on the City - said it had shown that
banks had made considerable progress in the last two
years but more could be done.
The detailed review of the Waking Shark II exercise was
revealed as Business Secretary Vince Cable hosted a
summit of regulators for the financial, water, energy,
communications and transport sectors, together with
ministers and top officials from the security and
intelligence agencies, to discuss working in partnership to
address cyber threats to the country's essential services.
Andrew Bailey, the Bank's Deputy Governor and head of
the Prudential Regulation Authority, stated: "It's essential
that the UK financial system and its infrastructure
continues to improve its ability to withstand cyberattacks."
The Bank said that Waking Shark II had worked but that it
would now consider creating a single co-ordinating body
across the industry to manage how banks, firms and
regulators communicate with each other in a cyber attack
crisis. It said it aims to strengthen the Cyber Security
Information Sharing Partnership, set up in March last year,
which connects firms and Government agencies.
The Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership is
complemented by a 'Fusion Cell' supported on the
government side by the Security Service, GCHQ and the
National Crime Agency, and by industry analysts from a

variety of sectors.
The Bank also warned banks and firms that they needed
to be much faster in reporting criminal attacks to the
police and, if necessary, other law enforcement agencies.
It said that it would also make it clearer to firms which are
regulated by both the PRA and the Financial Conduct
Authority how and to whom they should report incidents.
Bailey said: "The role that regulators such as the Bank of
England and Ofcom are already taking to embed cyber
security in their sectors is vital, as set out in a joint
communique outlining steps that government and
regulators agree to undertake to help manage cyber risk
across each sector."
Cable said: "Cyber attacks are a serious and growing
threat to British businesses, but it is particularly important
that those industries providing essential services such as
power, telecommunications and banking are adequately
protected to avoid disruption to our everyday lives."
-----------------------------------------------------WAKE UP TO THE SHARK ATTACK
author James Ashton)
www.standard.co.uk
For all the talk of the internal threats that the City faces from overreaching bank bosses to dodgy traders - the
results of this test are a stark reminder that the external
threats are far larger.
A breach to the IT defences of any Square Mile institution
is something that keeps bosses awake at night. Unlike the
physical threat posed by regulators, politicians and
overseas competitors, terrorist hackers cannot be
compartmentalised.
The heavy irony is that cyber worries are top of mind for
an industry that has been lax at investing in its computer
systems. Those familiar service disruptions that see
customers unable to make payments or withdraw cash are
an SOS signal that profit has been put ahead of
performance for too long.
Pulling together to defend the reputation of the City in the
wake of the financial crisis was a slow progress. To tackle
this faceless enemy, institutions must be far more nimble.
BATTERIES ON PLANES POSE "INCREASED FIRE

RISK"
(BBC News, dated 4th February 2014 author Richard
Westcott)
www.bbc.co.uk
In June last year, police at San Diego International Airport
noticed a passenger's bag was smoking as it journeyed
around the carousel.
Inside, a lithium-ion battery had touched a screwdriver
and both had melted.
In September 2012, a flight attendant and two passengers
were burned when they handled a mobile phone and spare
battery that overheated during a flight.
In April 2012 a lithium battery inside someone's personal
air purifier caught fire at 28,000ft.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) report says "a
flight attendant described a shooting fire from a
passenger's device at about the same time that the
captain felt a small thud".
The battery lay burning in the aisle until the quick-thinking

flight attendant put it out with wet towels then shoved it
into a cup of water to cool it down.
And all that is just on American aircraft.
'Significant risk'
A recent estimate said that the average small plane
carrying 100 passengers could have 500 lithium batteries
on board when you tot up all the watches, laptops,
cameras, e-readers, tablet computers and suchlike.
Now the UK's safety regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority
(CAA), has told the BBC that the huge growth in people
carrying lithium batteries on aircraft poses a growing fire
risk.
Geoff Leach, the manager of the CAA's Dangerous Goods
Office, told me that batteries bought from respectable
retailers are regulated and safe, as long as you pack them
in your bag properly (see box).
But he is very worried about cheap, copycat batteries
bought from dubious sources online, batteries that could
develop a fault with dramatic consequences.
Explosive
Lithium batteries look harmless enough, but they pack a
hell of a punch if they overheat.
We have been filming at a place called the "Burn Lab",
which belongs to the Building Research Establishment
(BRE).
No prizes for guessing what happens in the Burn Lab, by
the way.
They set up a test for us, to create deliberately a fault in a
number of batteries by heating them up to 300C.
Clearly, we were forcing them to fail so you don't need to

worry that your legitimately bought battery will suddenly
combust, but the results were explosive. Literally. Just look
at the film.
Sizzling mess
A tiny camera battery no bigger than a box of matches
made us all jump out of our skins as it went bang, then
flew 5m across the lab.
We cleared out of the building for the laptop battery test.
It exploded several times, leaving a sizzling mess behind.
The CAA has been working with its US counterpart, the
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), to produce a series
of videos showing aviation professionals and the public
how to pack batteries safely and what to do if they happen
to smoulder or even catch fire.
The films will eventually go online, to be watched by cabin
crew, luggage handlers, members of the public and people
sending things in the post (don't forget that a lot of post
goes on aircraft, even within the UK, so ask at the Post
Office if you are sending a device with a lithium battery
inside).
Rare
Many airlines already train their staff on how to put out
lithium battery fires.
The CAA aren't the only ones to have voiced concerns
over lithium batteries. Earlier this year the highly
respected Royal Aeronautical Society produced a report
that talked about the risks from batteries bought from
questionable sources on the "grey market".
At the end it concludes: "The risk of future fire-related
incidents or accidents has increased due to the
proliferation of lithium batteries and other risks."
I would like to stress that lithium battery fires on aircraft

are a very rare event, when you think how many billions of
them are flown around every year. But one fire is one too
many. Talk to pilots and many will say that fire and smoke
are their biggest fears.
No-one is suggesting that the authorities ban lithium
batteries from aircraft.
In fact, the European Union is slowly paving the way for
passengers to access the internet during flights, a move
that is sure to increase the number of phones, and tablets
on board.
Plus, many pilots now use electronic tablets instead of big
thick paper books on the flight deck.
But regulators, along with the Royal Aeronautical Society
do want to raise awareness across the industry and among
the public, spreading the message that lithium batteries
are powerful and you need to be careful about where you
store them and where you buy them, especially if you are
getting on an aeroplane.
How to avoid battery blow-up
- Carry batteries where you can get to them - in your hand
luggage, not your hold luggage
- Put a tape over the metal terminal of any spares or wrap
in a plastic bag
- Keep them away from other metallic objects
- Be careful where you buy them in the first place - if
they're a lot cheaper, there may well be a reason
THERE ARE NO CORRUPTION-FREE ZONES IN

EUROPE, COMMISSIONER CLAIMS
(The Guardian, dated 3rd February 2014 author Ian
Traynor)
Corruption in the 28 countries of the EU is costing
European taxpayers about 120bn (100bn) a year, or the
equivalent of the union's annual budget, Brussels
announced on Monday.
In its first attempt to gauge the scale of sleaze not in the
EU apparatus but in the countries of Europe, the European
commission found different levels applied in different
countries, but that nowhere was clean.
"There are no corruption-free zones in Europe," said
Cecilia Malmstrom, the commissioner for home affairs.
"We are not doing enough. That's true for all member
states."
The 41-page commission report as well as two opinion
polls showed that more than half of people (56%) thought
corruption was growing in recent years in their countries
while three out of four saw sleaze as widespread.
The report was purely advisory and analytical. Corruption
prevention and prosecution for criminal cases are the
remit of national governments.
"We do not propose any sanctions at all. Or laws," said
Malmstrom.While generally praising efforts to combat
corruption across Europe, the report complained:
"Declared intentions are still too distant from concrete
results. Genuine political will to eradicate corruption often
appears to be missing."
Britain appeared relatively clean among its EU peers. Only
five out of 1,115 people questioned in Britain expected to
have to pay a bribe. Nonetheless, two out of three Britons
thought corruption was rife in the country.
"In the United Kingdom, petty corruption does not appear
to pose a challenge," the report said. "Moreover, the UK
has made strides in encouraging its companies to refrain
from bribing officials abroad, through stringent legislation
and detailed guidelines. Traditionally, the UK promotes

high ethical standards of public service."
The report singled out the UK as among the countries with
the strongest anti-bribery rules in the world. But it also
called for a bigger crackdown on UK firms bribing their
way into contracts abroad.
The commission has, though, called for caps on election
campaign spending and on political party donations in the
UK.The report devoted large tracts to highlighting what
the commission itself was doing to counter corruption,
although it has minimal powers.
Scandinavia, Britain and Luxembourg emerged as the
most bribery-free zones in the EU, whereas southern
Europe - Greece, Italy and Spain - and parts of eastern
Europe were found to be the most vulnerable.
About one in 12 Europeans (8%) said they had
experienced or witnessed a case of corruption in the past
12 months. The report focused on political sleaze, on
malpractice in business and on corruption in public
procurement, which takes up a fifth of the EU gross
domestic product, and was especially dirty, according to
the report, with up to half the cost of public contracts
being due to corruption.
But the overall report declined to name names and was
generally vague in its findings.
"Vote-buying and other forms of undue influence of the
electorate were also noted in a number of member
states," it said, without supplying details.
Almost half of companies across the EU felt corruption was
a problem for doing business. The building and telecoms
sectors were singled out as especially prone.
Health services, building and urban development are
sectors where corruption vulnerabilities are usually high
across the EU, the report said.

GCHQ DEFENCE CHIEF TO HEAD CYBER SECURITY
START-UP DARKTRACE
(The Independent, dated 31st January 2014 author Oscar
Williams-Grut)
www.independent.co.uk [option 1]
The man charged with protecting the Government from
cyber-attacks has become the latest member of the
intelligence community to join a Cambridge cyber security
start-up.
Andrew France, OBE, has left a senior position at GCHQ to
become chief executive of Darktrace.
France spent thirty years at the Government spying
agency, rising to the position of Deputy Director of Cyber
Defence Operations. In that role, which he left at
Christmas, France was charged with protecting
Government data and critical national infrastructure from
cyber-attacks.
France was introduced to Darktrace by the company's
then managing director Stephen Huxter, another former
senior figure within the Government's cyber defence team.
The company's executive committee boasts several other
civil service veterans with experience in cyber defence
and former MI5 director-general Sir Jonathan Evans also
sits on Darktrace's board.
GCHQ has been at the heart of the Edward Snowden leaks
and been widely criticised for spying on internet activity,
but France denied that his new role was an example of
'poacher-turned-gamekeeper'.
"What people don't realise is GCHQ has got two arms,"
France said. "There are the people who collect the
intelligence and the people who protect it, and that's
where I come from. I'm poacher turned poacher.

Commenting on the recent revelations about GCHQ,
France said: "I don't believe people appreciate how much
scrutiny GCHQ is under already. Is it enough? There's
public debate to be had about that. A balance has to be
struck, but in my view I think the UK has got it about
right."
Darktrace, founded last September, plants 'honey pots' in
networks that allow it to detect and monitor intrusions
rather than simply trying to block them out. The
company's software is based on mathematical research
carried out at Cambridge University and Autonomy
founder Mike Lynch has invested $20 million in the
company through his Invoke Capital fund.
France called Darktrace's technology a "ground breaking,
gear-shift moment", adding: "The traditional cyber security
industry have all got hammers and they're all looking for
nails to hit - that just doesn't work in 2014."
France said he would not exploit his Government links to
win business for Darktrace, saying: "Government will be
interested for obvious reasons, but we're going where the
problem is and the problem is with enterprises, who've got
compromised networks that they've never been able to
clean up.
"The interest from the commercial world is outpacing us we don't have to go chasing a government contract."
France said companies were facing growing threats from
cybercrime, nation states and hacktivists, and said at
GCHQ he had seen "the damage being done to the country
on an economic level from cyber attacks".
"If you look at the UK, our national wealth isn't in the
things that we make, it's in the data we hold, i.e. financial
markets and things like that."
Darktrace currently looks at internet traffic, but France
said it would soon be moving into industrial systems, a

form of cyber-attack synonymous with the Stuxnet attack
that targeted Iran's nuclear programme in 2010.
Further information
Darktrace (extract)
(The Times, dated 31st January 2014 author Nic Fildes)
They do not sell software or filtering kit designed to
protect corporate networks from attack because it
believes that it is impossible to build an impenetrable
cyber-wall. "you can't sit in a Cellophane bubble and hope
you won't get infected," he (Andy France) said. "It is
impossible to keep people out. It's like carrying wate rin
your hands and it is a myth that you can be protected."
Darktrace uses complex algorithms, to set up a radar
system of the company's network. It establishes an
intricate model of normal patterns of behaviour on the
network that can then identify unusual activity...random
laptop logins, tapped wifi and abnormal data
transmissions.
uaware comment
Is the base problem that software manufacturers with new
generation employee's are not in fact employing software
programmers, but software developers. These
"developers" are "bolting" together readily available
software modules from multiple sources to provide a fast
solution for their company's clients. These modules may
be "open source" (free pieces of software available on the
internet with no pedigree or provenance) that the
developer feels will save them time. When these modules
are combined the overall outcome may not be fully
understood; somewhat analogous to symptoms created by
medication cocktails. Some symptoms can be contrived to
provide "backdoors" allowing criminals to hack a piece of
software and the company where it is operating. You may
think, well, so what if a PC game doen't work; or that a
wordprocessor types an incorrect letter. What about if it
allows someone to access your bank acount, medical

records or tax history ?
We currently use security software (anti-virus, fire walls
etc) to protect our information on our PC's. Multinational IT
companies just use more sophisticated versions of these
options to protect their clients. So where are the people
who monitor these security facilities ? They are normally in
countries who do not have the same data protection laws
we take for granted in the UK and EU.
If the clients software has a built in security error which is
seen as normal operation, how will "radar" highlight a
threat ?
In addition, who will monitor the warnings from the
Darktrace "radar" ?
(3rd February 2014)
POLICE FAILING TO STAMP OUT "HONOUR CRIMES"

(Extract)
(The Times, dated 31st January 2014 author Sean O'Neal)
www.thetimes.co.uk [Option 1]
Police face a national inquiry into their handling of socalled honour crimes in minority communities, ranging
from domestic violence and forced marriage to female
genital mutilation and murder.
The initiative comes amid concern that the true extent of
such crimes is hidden and many incidents are dealt with
by informal community forums that bypass the police and
criminal justice system.
Female genital mutilation, or FGM, has been a criminal
offence in Britain since 1985 but there has not been a
single prosecution.
Police chiefs said that any inquiry should also examine

what other authorities, including health, education and
social services, could do to combat honour crimes.
The call for an inspection comes from Tom Winsor, Chief
Inspector of Constabulary, who has also claimed that there
are British cities where "communities from other cultures
would prefer to police themselves".
In a consultation paper on his inspection programme for
2014-15, Mr Winsor says that police acknowledge underreporting of honour-based violence and "that there is still
much to be achieved if victims are to feel empowered to
come forward
and seek help".
The document says that the inspectorate "proposes
conducting and inspection to examine this complex and
sensitive area of under-reported serious crime, how far the
police are aware of it and how well they are tackling it".
Diana Nammi, of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights
Organisation, said :" Honour-based violence is an
organised, serious crime which often involves muliple
potential perpetrators, including contract killers, who may
be spread across the UK and may not be known to the
victim.
"It is therefore essential that we have a national, coordinated approach to honour-based violence across the
police and all frontline services. It is imperative that
victims know that they can trust that the police properly
understand honour-based violence and that they will not
endanger them by negotiating with their family or
community.
"There may be only one opportunity for the police to
prevent an honour killing. All officers, from the telephone
operators to those who have face to face contact with
victims must receive thorough training."
The Karma Nirvana charity said that its helpline had taken
734 calls this month about "honour" crimes, including

many from police officers who said that they had received
almost no training.
Further information
Karma Nirvana website : www.karmanirvana.org.uk
Check out Useful Resources / Keep Safe on the website for
instructions on how to remove your search information
from your computer.
Karma Nirvana Helpline : 0800 5 999 247
Other sources of information :
http://safe.met.police.uk/crimes_of_honour/other_help_and
_advice.html
Level of Honour Crime
Without a doubt this seems to be a hidden crime. After
searching the internet for approximately an hour the only
statistics I managed to discover is shown below. Based on
how the police sub-categorise every crime for statistical
purposes, implies that honour crimes are either underrecorded or not seperately categorised.
- The Government admits it does not know the true scale
of the abuse. The latest survey of police statistics show
that 2,823 honour crimes were reported in 2010.
(Quoted in Daily Mail dated 16th March 2012)
- In December 2009, the Metropolitan Police reported that
there had been a huge rise in recorded incidents
motivated by "honour." They said 211 incidents had been
reported in London - 129 of which were criminal offences between April and October.
(Quoted by BBC)
- Among the 12 forces that gave figures for 2009 and
2010, the number of incidents rose from 938 to 1,381. In
London, reported incidents rose from 235 to 495; in
Greater Manchester, from 105 to 189.
(The Guardian, dated 11th December 2011)
- 378 reported in the West Midlands, 350 in West Yorkshire,

227 in Lancashire.Cleveland recorded 153, while Suffolk
and Bedfordshire saw 118 and 117 respectively. (Daily
Mail, dated 2011)
- 5000 honour killings internationally per year, 1000
honour killings occur in India, 1000 honour killings occur in
Pakistan, 12 honour killings per year in UK. (Honour based
Violence Awareness Network website : http://hbvawareness.com)
(3rd February 2014)
POLICE "CULTURE OF DISBELIEF" OVER RAPE CLAIMS

ALARMS OFFICIAL MONITORING GROUP
(The Guardian, dated 31st January 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.guardian.com
[Option 1]
Official concern over a "culture of disbelief" in rape cases
has been raised as new figures show that some police
forces are writing off up to a third of all allegations
reported to them.
A report by the high-powered joint government and police
rape monitoring group confirms that a postcode lottery is
operating in the way the 43 forces in England and Wales
deal with rape allegations.
The figures show that the "no crime" rate for adult rape the rate at which forces dismiss allegations initially
recorded as a crime because of later details that emerge
about the case - varies from only 3% in Cumbria to 33% in
Lincolnshire.
Seven forces have a "no crime" rate for adult rape of 20%
or more: Lincolnshire, Leicestershire (29%), Hertfordshire
(21%) and the West Midlands (21%), Cleveland (20%),
Derbyshire (20%) and Northumbria (20%). The national
average "no crime" rate in adult rape cases is 12%,

compared with 2% for all victim-based crime recorded by
the police.
Dru Sharpling, HM Inspector of Constabulary (HMIC), who
chairs the rape monitoring group, said the figures raised
serious questions about whether a culture of disbelief
persisted in some police forces when it comes to women
making rape allegations. The police watchdog's recent
report on the Jimmy Savile affair detailed the difficulties
encountered by rape victims in going to the police,
including lack of confidence, she said. She added that
there might be a range of other explanations for the
disparities between forces, but questions over disbelief
had to be raised.
Rape Crisis of England and Wales said it was extremely
concerned by the persistently high levels of "no criming"
revealed by the data and the huge disparities between
forces. The figures suggested there had been only limited
improvement in police practice since a major report in
February 2012. "This leaves us wondering how many more
reports it will take before we see a marked improvement
in criminal justice for rape survivors."
Liz Kelly, chair of End Violence Against Women, said: "Our
member organisations know how deep disbelief and
victim-blaming goes on in institutions and communities.
But the police play a critical role enabling rape survivors to
access justice, so these disparities and attitudes must be
urgently tackled."
The report, published by HMIC on behalf of the rape
monitoring group - which brings together senior police
officers, crown prosecutors, law officers and officials from
the Home Office and Ministry of Justice - collates all the
official data on the problem for the first time. It comes six
years after an official watchdog first warned that some
reports of rape were being wrongly classified by police
forces.
The report shows that despite a steady increase in the
number of recorded rapes of adults and children, about

80% of those who are raped or sexually assaulted still do
not report it to the police.
In the 12 months to March 2013 there were about 10,000
recorded rapes of adults in England and Wales, and about
6,000 recorded rapes of children. These figures have risen
from 6,000 adult rapes and 5,000 child rapes recorded by
the police in 2008-09.
Only 1,820 (18%) of those recorded rape allegations led to
a "sanction detection" in which an offender was charged
or cautioned for the offence, and 1,423 (12%) of cases
were "no crimed" - which meant the original allegations
were classified as no crime had happened.
In the Metropolitan police, where an internal review first
established the scale of the problem in 2009, the "no
crime" rate has nearly halved over the past five years to
13%. It now requires a senior officer to review all "no
crime" decisions, which have to be at the standard of
"beyond reasonable doubt". An external panel of
academics will also carry out a quarterly review of all
those allegations that have been dismissed in this way.
The figures show a postcode lottery in the rape detection
rate. Durham police have the highest sanction detection
rate at 32% but in Warwickshire it is only 6%.
Northamptonshire had the highest rate of recorded rapes
at 34.8 per 100,000 adults in the year to March 2013 while
Durham had the lowest at 9.8. For child rapes,
Humberside has the highest recorded rate at 106 per
100,000 children and Hertfordshire the lowest at 28. The
average for the 43 forces is 59.5 per 100,000.
Jeff Farrar, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said:
"To build people's confidence in the way the police deal
with sexual offences, it is my view that allegations of rape
should be recorded as a crime when it is reported without
question or challenge. This will help provide a consistent
approach across the country that is supportive and victimcentred."
Martin Hewitt, the Met's deputy assistant commissioner,

who is on the rape monitoring group, said it was a cause
for concern that only about 20% of those who are raped or
sexually assaulted report it. "This means that we are
working from an incomplete picture of the offending and
the majority of victims have no opportunity to access
justice. As importantly, it means that rapists are avoiding
arrest and conviction," he said. "One factor affecting
reporting levels is the degree of confidence that victims
have in the police response and how they believe they will
be treated in the wider criminal justice system. It is clear
from the data published today that there are
inconsistencies between forces in the way that they deal
with rape. This has the potential to affect victim
confidence."
Helen Hopwood of the College of Policing said new
guidance on investigating sexual offences would go out to
consultation in April. "The datasets that have been
published today highlight inconsistencies between forces
about the outcome of rape investigations. This must be
tackled."
Additional Information
Vanishing Crimes
(Extract from Daily Mail article dated 31st January 2014)
Police forces with highest proportion of rapes reclassified
as "no crime"
Source of data : HMIC 2012/13
Suffolk : 19%
Wiltshire : 16%
Lancashire : 14%
(1st February 2014)
MINORITY REPORT POLICE SOFTWARE TO TARGET

GANGS
www.standard.co.uk
About 3,500 gang members in London are to be targeted
by the Met via a new Minority Report-style computer
system that will predict where and when offenders will
strike next.
"Predictive analytics" software will use police data on
"harmful individuals" to map gang activity and
membership in each of the capital's 32 boroughs.
It will also reveal "hotspots" of gang offending, predict the
frequency with which members are likely to offend and
use a "severity assessment" to work out which mobs pose
most danger.
The aim is to let police target their anti-gang efforts more
effectively. It is also intended to allow "improved social
media monitoring" as a further way of combating gang
offending. Details of the scheme, approved by deputy
mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh, are set out in a
City Hall report which says it may play a key role in cutting
crime.
It says there are now 3,500 "active gang members" in the
city and adds: "These are complex criminal networks,
responsible for a high proportion of the crime in London
and therefore a significant negative impact on public
confidence. This has an obvious drain on police resources
and those of the wider criminal justice group."
The report says a reduction in such offending is likely to
have a "major effect" on meeting the Met's target of
cutting both crime and its spending by 20 per cent by
2015 and to improve public confidence by the same
figure.
System software will be provided free by consultancy firm
Accenture in a 33-week pilot. A decision will then be made

on whether to adopt it permanently.
Such technology, which resembles the "pre-crime"
analysis seen in the film Minority Report, has already been
used by the Met to tackle burglary and is said to have
produced positive results.
(3rd February 2014)
US AND BRITISH SPIES "GET PERSONAL DATA FROM

ANGRY BIRDS"
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada25922569
US and British spy agencies routinely try to gain access to
personal data from Angry Birds and other mobile
applications, a report says.
A National Security Agency (NSA) document shows
location, websites visited and contacts are among the data
targeted from mobile applications.
It is the latest revelation from documents leaked by
Edward Snowden.
In a statement, the NSA said it was not interested in data
beyond "valid foreign intelligence targets".
"Any implication that NSA's foreign intelligence collection
is focused on the smartphone or social media
communications of everyday Americans is not true," the
statement said.
'Golden nugget'
The report, published by the New York Times, ProPublica
and the Guardian, says the NSA and Britain's GCHQ have
worked together since 2007 to develop ways to gain

access to information from applications for mobile phones
and tablets.
The scale of data gathering is unclear.
But the reports suggest data is gained from a variety of
mapping, gaming and social networking applications,
using techniques similar to the ones used to intercept
mobile internet traffic and text message data.
The documents also reveal the two agencies are
increasingly convinced of the importance of mobile
applications data.
The joint spying programme "effectively means that
anyone using Google Maps on a smartphone is working in
support of a GCHQ system" one 2008 document from the
British intelligence agency is quoted as saying.
Another GCHQ report, in 2012, laid out how to extract
information from Angry Birds user information from
phones on the Android operating system. The game has
been downloaded 1.7 billion times across the world.
The British spy agency said it would not comment on
intelligence matters, but insisted that all of its activities
were "authorised, necessary and proportionate".
Another NSA document described a "golden nugget" - a
perfect scenario where NSA analysts could get broad
selections of information from the applications, including
networks the phone had connected to, documents
downloaded, websites visited and "buddy lists".
Other applications mentioned by the documents include
the photo-sharing site Flickr, movie-based social network
Flixster and applications that connect to Facebook.
Developers are responsible for the information generated
from each application, but there was no suggestion firms
were actively agreeing to give the spy agencies data.
Two-year rule
On Monday, the justice department announced it had
reached agreement with five major internet firms over
their request to share information about how they
responded to orders from the NSA and other agencies.
Google, Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook and LinkedIn had
previously sued the US government over being able to
disclose to the public more information on what they have
released to intelligence agencies.
Under the compromise announced, the firms will be able
to release:
- the number of criminal-related orders from the
government
- the number of secret national security-related orders
from government investigators, rounded to the nearest
thousand
- how many national security-related orders came from the
foreign service intelligence and the number of customers
those orders affected
- whether those orders were for just email addresses or
covered additional information
- alternatively they can opt to issue a report that provides
less detail but lets them state the number of national
security and intelligence orders in batches of 250
- As part of the deal, the firms will delay releases of the
number of national security orders by six months.
But tech firms cannot reveal government surveillance of
new technology or new ways to communicate that they
create for up to two years.
This caveat has been criticised by Ladar Levison - the
founder of Lavabit, the secure email service that Edward
Snowden used - who said the provision would undermine
confidence in start-ups.
"While our courts are allowed to keep ethically dubious
court order secret, it will remain impossible to trust private

data to American companies," he told the New York Times.
Apple was quick to take advantage of the new rules.
It has revealed that it received between zero and 249
national security orders between 1 January and 30 June
affecting between zero and 249 accounts.
-------------------------------------------------------------------"SPIES COULD TARGET" DAVID CAMERON'S ANGRY
BIRDS APP
www.standard.co.uk
David Cameron was at the centre of an Angry Birds spying
riddle today amid claims foreign intelligence agents can
snoop on people through their playing of computer games.
Mr Cameron is said to play the game on his iPad. But
latest documents allegedly leaked by Edward Snowden, a
former agency worker at the US National Security Agency,
suggest it may have the capability to glean information
through computer games.
Keith Vaz, chairman of the Commons home affairs
committee, said: "I realise Angry Birds is a favourite of the
Prime Minister but it would be a sorry state of affairs if his
relaxation technique after a busy Cabinet meeting should
result in anyone being able to spy on him."
Downing Street sources played down any security threat,
stressing that Mr Cameron's communications equipment
was heavily protected.
GCHQ, the government's listening post, and the US
National Security Agency (NSA) are using smartphone
applications to gather private details such as age, gender
and location, as well as contacts and websites visited.
Some applications can even share sensitive information,

such as sexual orientation, marital status and income, it
was claimed.
The disclosure comes in the latest round of classified
documents provided by whistleblower Snowden, published
in the Guardian, the New York Times and ProPublica.
The reports suggest data is gleaned through mapping,
gaming and social networking applications, using
techniques similar to those used to intercept text message
data and mobile internet traffic.
GCHQ told the newspaper its activities were proportional
and complied with UK law.
A spokesman said: "It is a longstanding policy that we do
not comment of intelligence matters. All of GCHQ's work is
carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy
framework which ensures that our activities are
authorised, necessary and proportionate, and that there is
rigorous oversight."
------------------------------------------------------------------ANGRY BIRD WEBSITE HACKED AFTER NSA-GCHQ
LEAKS
(BBC News, dated 29th Janaury 2014)
Video game developer Rovio has confirmed that hackers
defaced its Angry Birds site with an image entitled Spying
Birds, featuring an NSA logo.
The attack followed the publication of leaks that indicated
the US spy agency and its British counterpart GCHQ had
obtained data released by at least one of the Finnish firm's
games.
The company said it did not "collaborate or collude" with
any government spy agency.

It added it had quickly fixed its site.
"The defacement was caught in minutes and corrected
immediately," said marketing manager Saara Bergstrom.
"The end user data was in no risk at any point. Due to how
the internet name resolution works, for most areas it was
not visible at all, but some areas take time for the correct
information to be updated.
"This attack looks to be similar to the New York Times
attacks from last year."
The Syrian Electronic Army (SEA) - a group supporting
Syrian president Bashar al-Assad - said it carried out an
attack on the New York Times last August.
After Tuesday's attack, a Twitter account associated with
the group posted a link to a saved copy of the spoof Angry
Birds image and the message: "A friend hacked and
defaced @Angrybirds website after reports confirms its
spying on people. The attack was by 'Anti-NSA' Hacker, He
sent an email to our official email with the link of the
hacked website."
Ad networks
On Monday, the New York Times, ProPublica and the
Guardian all posted copies of documents obtained from
whistle-blower Edward Snowden that suggested the NSA
and Britain's GCHQ had worked together since 2007 to
develop ways to gain access to information from
applications for mobile phones and tablets.
They said that a GCHQ report, dated 2012, had specifically
referred to their ability to snatch details about a user if
they had installed Angry Birds on to an Android device.
The report said that the data could include information
about the owner's age, sex, location and even if they were
currently listening to music or making a call. It added that

the range of information depended in part on which online
advertising network Rovio sent the details to.
Following the news, Rovio posted a blog saying it would
now reconsider how it shared data with its partners.
"As the alleged surveillance might be happening through
third-party advertising networks, the most important
conversation to be had is how to ensure user privacy is
protected while preventing the negative impact on the
whole advertising industry and the countless mobile apps
that rely on ad networks," said Mikael Hed, Rovio's chief
executive.
"In order to protect our end users, we will, like all other
companies using third-party advertising networks, have to
re-evaluate working with these networks if they are being
used for spying purposes."
(3rd February 2014)
BETTER INFORMATION MEANS BETTER CARE

The following is a copy of the NHS leaflet that was
distributed to UK households during January 2014. The
purpose of its inclusion on this website is to highlight that
it is important that households understand the leaflets
content.
This leaflet contains important information about your
health records. You, and everyone who lives with you,
should read this leaflet carefully. It is important
thateveryone knows how we share, protect and use
information about their health.
You have a choice.
Introduction
We want to improve the quality of care and health services

for all. By using information about the care you have
received, those involved in providing care and health
services can see how well they are doing, and where
improvements need to be made.
NHS organisations share information about the care you
receive with those who plan health and social care
services, as well as with approved researchers and
organisations outside the NHS, if this will benefit patient
care. As a patient, you may receive care and treatment
from a number of places such as your GP practice,
hospitals and community services.
By bringing this information together from all the different
places, we can compare the care provided in one area with
the care provided in another, so we can see what worked
best.
We will use information such as your postcode and NHS
number to link your records from these different places.
Records are linked in a secure system so your identity is
protected. Details that could identify you will be removed
before your information is made available to others, such
as those planning NHS services and approved researchers.
We sometimes release confidential information to
approved researchers, if this is allowed by law and meets
the strict rules that are in place to protect your privacy.
What are the benefits of sharing my information ?
Sharing information about the care you have received
helps us understand the health needs of everyone and the
quality of the treatment and care provided. It also helps
reseachers by supporting studies that identify patterns in
diseases, responses to different treatments, and the
effectiveness of different services.
Your choice will not affect the care you receive.
Information will also help us to :

- find more effective ways of preventing, treating and
managing illneses.
- make sure that any changes or improvements to services
refelct the needs of local patients.
- understand who is most at risk of particular diseases and
conditions, so those who plan care can provide
preventative services.
- improve your understanding of the outcomes of care,
giving you greater confidence in health and social care
services.
- guide decisions about how to manage NHS resources so
that they can best support the treatment and care of all
patients.
- identify who could be at risk of a condition or would
benefit from a particular treatment.
- make sure that NHS organisations receive the correct
payments for the services they provide.
What will we do with the information ?
We will only use the minimum information needed to
improve patient care and services.
We are very careful with the information and how we
follow strict rules about how it is stored and used, and
have a thorough process that must be followed before any
information can be shared.
When we share information we will make sure we do so in
line with the law, national guidance and best practice.
Information that we publish will never identify a particular
person.
What choice do I have ?

We have explained how useful information about you is,
and the steps that we take to protect your privacy.
However, you may want to confidential information about
you from being shared or used for any purpose other that
providing your care (except in special circumstances
allowed by law, such as when there is a public-health
emergency).
If you do not want information that identifies you to be
shared outside your GP practice, please ask the practice to
make a note of this in your medical record. This note will
prevent your confidential information from being used
other than in special circumstances.
Information from other places where you receive care,
such as hospitals and community services, is collected
nationally. You should also let your GP practice know if you
want to prevent the information from those places being
shared.
The practice will make a separate note of this in your
medical record.
You may have already asked for information about you not
to be shared with otheres, such as you medical record
being shared for your care. You still need to let your GP
practice know if you have concerns about your information
being shared for the purposes described in this leaflet.
Do I need to do anything ?
If you are happy for your information to be shared you do
not need to do anything. There is no form to fill in and
nothing to sign. And you can change your mind at any
time.
If you have any questions or are not happy for information
about you to be shared, speak to your GP practice.
Where can I get more information ?

- Visit the NHS Choices website at :
www.nhs.uk/caredata
for more information, a list of common questions, or
another format of this leaflet.
- Speak to staff at your GP practice.
- Call our dedicated patient information information line on
:
0300 456 3531
This line also offers translation and text phone services.
More details about how we look after confidential
information and how it may be used can be found on the
website at :
www.hscic.gov.uk/patientconf
(29th January 2014)
THE POTHOLE DETECTIVE

(Daily Mail, dated 14th January 2014 author John Stevens)
www.dailymail.co.uk
When Frank Cattrall damaged his car driving over a
pothole, he decided that the council should foot the repair
bill.
But rather than admit fault, officials said they knew
nothing of the hole and said his poor driving must have
been to blame.
They dismissed the 62-year-old grandfather's claim that
they should pay the 500 bill to fix the wrecked
suspension on his Renault Espace.
But Mr Cattrall suspected he was being fobbed off and
resolved to find out whether the council was telling him
the truth.
Using a Freedom of Information request, he found out that
a council worker had reported the 18in by 6in hole during
an inspection three months earlier - but the council had
ignored it.
The hole was even recorded as a priority case that should
be repaired within 28 days, but it was never fixed.
He thought that this evidence should be enough to force
the council to soften its stance.
But even after Mr Cattrall, a retired BT project manager,
told Essex County Council of his findings, it still refused to
pay up - and the disagreement went to the small claims
court.
At a hearing at Colchester County Court, a judge ruled in
favour of Mr Cattrall and ordered the council to refund him
500, plus costs of 115.
Mr Cattrall, who has been nicknamed 'Mr Pothole' by his
friends, last night told the Mail he hopes his win will inspire
other drivers to make claims.
His ordeal began when he struck the unfilled hole around
a mile from his home in Colchester one rainy night last
April.
'I think the council works on the basis that a lot of drivers
will just throw their hands up in despair at all the obstacles
which are put in their way and just forget about it as
people just don't want the hassle,' he said.

'I have had phone calls and texts saying "well done" since
I won the court case and hopefully more people will now
do the same.'
He said the council had claimed the road was in a
'reasonable condition - but I knew different and anybody
who had driven on the road knew the truth'.
Mr Cattrall, who is married to Yvonne, 62 and has three
grown-up children, said he would now try to find out how
much money the council spent fighting the case instead of
just paying up.
'On the night it happened, it was pitch black and it was
raining so the potholes were full of water - I did not have a
chance. I heard the bang and realised there might be a
problem as the car was not right,' he said.
'My garage gave me the bad news that I had a broken
suspension arm so it was a major repair job.
'Had it been a cyclist or motorcyclist who went down into
that pothole, they could have been killed.'
An Essex County Council spokesman said: 'We felt we had
a valid statutory defence to the claim, but the court
disagreed and found for the claimant.'
In November last year, the council faced embarrassment
after the councillor responsible for highways admitted he
himself had applied for compensation three years earlier
from the authority after his car hit a pothole.
Rodney Bass, who took up his role in May last year, paid
250 for repairs after the exhaust clamp broke off his
Jaguar XK convertible, but his claim for compensation was
rejected.
There are currently thought to be around 200,000 potholes
in need of attention across British roads but the recent
severe wet weather and freezing conditions are expected

to make the problem worse.
Insurance company Warranty Direct this week estimated
that the annual repair bill for damage caused by potholes
has increased by 150 per cent in the past three years to
730million.
(29th January 2014)
TESCO CLUBCARD : ARE YOUR POINTS SAFE ?

(Telegraph, dated 25th January 2014 author Richard
Dyson)
When Tracy Farrington wanted to buy an iPad in Tesco two
days before Christmas, she intended to use the 132
worth of points she had carefully built up on her Tesco
Clubcard.
But when she handed her card over at the checkout of her
local Southampton branch, the assistant told her she had
no points. Like an unknown number of other Clubcard
customers her account had been hacked into and the
points stolen.
Ms Farrington's case might be a more recent Clubcard
fraud to come to light - but it is far from the first. The fact
that fraud was being perpetrated on a "small proportion"
of the 16 million Clubcard accounts was first admitted by
Tesco in February 2013, when it called in the police. Tesco
says the police investigation is ongoing.
Ms Farrington - whose Clubcard account had been
interfered with previously - early last year, called Clubcard
helpline from the supermarket on December 23,
immediately after the discovery of the theft. She was
promised a swift refund. In fact she heard nothing more
until Your Money contacted Tesco last week, since when
she has been promised a return of the points to her
account, plus an additional 132 of vouchers.

But, almost a year after it was first detected, the Clubcard
fraud has left a sour taste for Ms Farrington - because she
is at a loss to how it happened once, let alone twice.
Clubcard fraud: the background
Points on cards have always been vulnerable to theft. They
are posted in voucher form to customers on a quarterly
basis, putting them at risk of being intercepted
somewhere between printing and arriving at the
customer's front door - just as if they were cash. To use
the vouchers customers don't need to prove their identity,
they just hand them over.
Even now, Tesco says it does not require customers to
produce their Clubcard when cashing vouchers. Tesco says
this is because it realises families like to share points
between themselves, and it is not always convenient to
have to show the card.
The management of Clubcard accounts online allows
customers to print off their own vouchers. This opened up
the prospect of another form of fraud: an impostor could
hack into a cardholder's account, print off the vouchers
and use them.
Until October 2013, all that was required to log in was an
email address and a password. Since October, as an
additional protection, Tesco requires account holders to
include their Clubcard number.
What Tesco says
Tesco has maintained that after noting the evidence of
fraud it conducted a "thorough investigation", that
revealed no weakness nor any sign that its systems were
compromised or breached. To account for the fraud
against its customers, Tesco believes criminals must have
obtained lists of consumers' email addresses and
passwords from somewhere else. Tesco then reckoned
those customers who used the same passwords on their

Clubcard accounts were vulnerable to chance attacks with the result that some lost their points.
But Ms Farrington, who works in the financial industry and
is very conscious of security and the dangers of fraud, is
sceptical. She said she uses "strong" passwords, different
for all of her accounts, and insists she has never
responded to a "phishing" email, whereby impostors
posing as banks or other organisations elicit passwords
and email addresses from random members of the public.
She said: "Tesco can blame it on me till the cows come
home but I can categorically say, hand on heart, I delete
such emails immediately and am very aware of the risks."
Ms Farrington said she changed her password after her
account was hacked the first time and added that Tesco
was the only company where she had experienced fraud.
In a written statement, Tesco told Your Money: "We are
committed to ensuring that none of our customers miss
out as a result of this, and we're really sorry to hear that
Ms Farrington had this experience. We have apologised
and issued replacement vouchers, as well as a gesture of
goodwill. We remind all of our customers to always use
different passwords to be as secure as possible online and
to contact our Clubcard customer service team if they
have any questions."
On the wider subject of the fraud it said: "Last year our
security systems identified some irregular activity
connected to a small proportion of Clubcard accounts. We
immediately referred the matter to the police and their
investigation is ongoing"
What Tesco doesn't say
It will not say how many accounts have been hacked. But
the numerous reports of the fraud - most from the first half
of 2013 - included several where victims have lost money
more than once and where, as with Ms Farrington, they
changed their passwords after the first attack.

In the case of Ms Farrington, it seemed the fraud on her
account was perpetrated between February (when Tesco
had announced the involvement of the police) and
October 2013 - when it strengthened its systems by
requiring customers' card numbers to be entered. Tesco
refused to say why it had taken six months to implement
the change.
It is also unclear whether accounts are still being attacked.
As many people choose to cash their points in the run-up
to Christmas or at only one point in the year, it is possible
those who report fraud now may have fallen victim many
months ago.
Mum's the word
The Clubcard fraud cases highlight the risk of using the
same email and password combination for more than one
account. The theory is that if criminals obtain both an
email address and a linked password, they can bombard
many businesses where a customer might have an
account in an attempt to log in. These could include
obvious institutions like banks or other financial sites, such
as PayPal - but as importantly could give access to social
sites like Facebook or email accounts, where more
information might be gleaned with which to commit fraud.
Fraudsters operating online build - and swap - password
"dictionaries" where computers try to match millions of
known email addresses with password information
obtained illegally from businesses that haven't guarded
their data carefully enough. Using different email and
password combinations for every relationship reduces this
risk, security experts say.
They also warn against the use of "weak" passwords
incorporating names or dates. "Strong" passwords are
those with a random character incorporating - where the
website's systems allow - a mix of digits, symbols and
letters in both upper and lower cases.
And what responsibility lies with businesses to safeguard

customers' passwords?
This falls under one of the provisions of the Data
Protection Act which is enforced by the Information
Commissioner's Office. "The Act has a broad requirement
that personal information must be kept secure - but there
are no hard-and-fast rules," a spokesman said.
(29th January 2014)
AWARD FOR QUEEN'S ANTI-STALKER TEAM

A specialist police squad set up to guard the Queen and
other Royals from potentially violent stalkers has won a
top award.
The Fixated Threat Assessment Team, the only unit of its
kind in the UK, monitors the activities of individuals
obsessed with the Royal Family, visiting VIPS such as the
Pope, ministers and MPs.
The squad of police officers, NHS nurses and psychiatrists
was one of 20 winners of the Met Police Commissioner's
Excellence in Total Policing Awards.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Frank Farnham said the unit
dealt with people who had untreated mental illnesses who
became fixated on members of the Royal Family and
politicians.
He said most people focused on The Queen in the
mistaken belief she could solve their problems but the
younger Royals such Prince Harry and Prince William were
also targets.
The people the team help might bombard a public figure
with letters or turn up at sensitive sites such as the royal
palaces.
Dr Farnham said: "We have a significant number of people
who believe they are the Queen or in a love relationship
with Prince William or Prince Charles. Their risk of violence
is quite low but their risk of persistence is high because
they're mentally ill.
"They can get themselves into difficult situations if they're
desperate to get into the palace and start running at
armed officers, that sort of thing.
"Some people are extremely persistent and pursue their
cause over a number of years. They are quite ingenious
with the ways they want to get their message over. It
might involving making multiple phone calls, writing up
thousands of letters, blocking (email) systems."
The nine strong unit, which won the diversity award, deals
with 120 cases at any one time, only a small number of
which involve threats of violence.
Other winners included Sergeant Steve Brown, 35, based
in Islington, who was commended for outstanding bravery
after a public vote. He tackled a man with a Samurai
sword who had just stabbed an innocent member of the
public.
Response officer Pc Anthony Morgan, 41, from
Hammersmith and Fulham, was crowned as Best Thief
Taker and Police Officer of the Year for making 212 arrests
in just 11 months - an average of more than two per shift,
and 80% of which ended with a caution or punishment.
He said: "I just seem to come across things. I have made
arrests for shop-lifting, drugs, rape and murder."
Gang unit Trident was given the Special Operational Team
of the Year Award, and the Detective and Investigator of

the Year gong went to Detective Sergeant Tammy
Dempsey.
The officer, from Waltham Forest, led an investigation into
the mistreatment of elderly dementia patients that ended
in three convictions.
Siblings Pc David Whitwell and Detective Constable
Pamela Whitwell were also commended for overcoming
adversity, when Miss Whitwell donated a kidney to her
brother last autumn after he was diagnosed with kidney
disease.
Another officer who received the same award was Pc
Phillip Griffiths, who returned to public order policing after
having his left arm amputated above the elbow.
Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "Remarkable
acts of professionalism and selfless acts of bravery are
often carried out in the Metropolitan Police Service, but
rarely remarked upon.
"These awards give us the opportunity to celebrate the
professionalism of our officers, staff and volunteers who
deliver an outstanding service day in day out and
recognise the courage of some of our officers, in saving
lives and tackling armed and dangerous criminals."
(29th January 2014)
WATER CANNON : A BETTER, SAFER SOLUTION TO
REDUCE THE RISK FROM RIOT
author Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe)
On Saturday 6th August 2011, I was in the Met's
operations room and saw the helicopter footage showing
the riots developing in Haringey.
I watched people terrified by the indiscriminate violence
and fires being set all around them and our officers being
attacked for hour-upon-hour with missiles.

The police were trapped, unable to advance because they
were heavily outnumbered and unable to move back
because they would leave fire-fighters unprotected.
We needed to keep the missile throwers on the move but
we could not. We needed alternatives.
Water cannon were available in theory, but in practice
they could not be deployed. Not only were they needed in
Northern Ireland where they were based but we had no
trained officers to use them.
Had we been able to stamp out the violence that night, it
may not have spread across London and the UK.
I met with some of those officers I had watched being
attacked over many hours. One had been hit by a brick
which had smashed his helmet apart and left him with a
concussion but he continued to stand his ground. I felt he
and his colleagues deserved my support.
When law and order breaks down, like it did that weekend,
we are all in very real danger. People died during the riots,
many people were injured and robbed and there was
widespread destruction. I remain grateful but surprised
that more people were not killed.
I was determined to do all I could to prevent it happening
again.
We learnt many lessons about improving intelligence,
faster mobilisation and needing new tactics and training.
We also concluded that in a small number of situations
water cannon could provide a vitally useful tactic.
We first made this case in March 2012 and whilst we have
no specific information that suggests major disorder this
year, we had none in 2011 either. I don't want to delay the
strengthening of our capability to protect London.
The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime agreed that it is

an option worth serious consideration and on Friday, a
public consultation with Londoners closes.
The results will be considered and then a decision will be
made by the Home Secretary as to whether to authorise
the use of water cannon.
Some have argued that water cannon may be used to
silence or discourage peaceful protest. I can categorically
state that this will not happen. We will not see water
cannon posted on Whitehall for any protest.
Protest is a part of our democracy. We police hundreds
every year and almost all are peaceful.
Nevertheless, there are a few occasions when violent
disorder is threatened and violence is quite distinct from
legitimate protest.
Our options for dealing with this can range from going toeto-toe with batons and shields, deploying dogs or horses,
CS spray and Tasers or ultimately using baton rounds and
even firearms. None of these are desirable, all carry a risk
of serious injury or worse. So, while some say water
cannon is a serious escalation of violence I argue it
prevents more brutal alternatives.
Water cannon would only ever be deployed in serious
public disorder situations where there is potential for loss
of life, serious injury or widespread destruction.
They would be used only when conventional methods had
failed or where it is very unlikely that they would succeed
and we will learn from Northern Ireland which has used
water cannon successfully with no reported injuries.
I stress again, water cannon are not a tactic for policing
protest. Nor is it a panacea for dealing with violence
disorder. However, it can be part of the answer and it can
be a better and safer solution to the alternatives.
Ultimately, water cannon would be rarely seen and rarely

used but I strongly believe that they could help us, as one
part of a full range of policing tactics, to reduce the very
real risks from riots.
It is right that the decision on making water cannon
available should be one for elected representatives, and
their operational deployment will always be a call made by
the police.
Baton rounds have been available in the UK since the
early 1980s and never been fired on the mainland in
public disorder. Water cannon - like baton rounds - is a
tactic the British police can be trusted with.
(9th March 2014)
ANTI-TERROR LAWS TO BLOCK FOREIGN CRIME

BOSSES
Counter-terrorism powers are to be used to stop foreign
offenders coming to Britain after new evidence showing a
quarter of organised criminals in London are from
overseas.
The move will see exclusion orders, which are already
used to keep extremists, rapists and other "undesirables"
out of the country, deployed against crime bosses and
their associates.
Countries outside the EU which will be targeted include
Albania, which is regarded as a key source of organised
criminality such as people trafficking, prostitution and
drug smuggling.
Nigeria and other West African countries are also expected
to be included in the campaign, as well as Far Eastern
nations like Vietnam and China.

Travel to Britain by criminals from Romania, Bulgaria and
Poland will also be blocked using special provisions
allowing the EU's principle of free movement to be
overridden.
The decision to step up efforts to stop crime gangs coming
to this country follows a confidential analysis by the Home
Office and other law enforcement organisations, including
the National Crime Agency.
It has found that around 25 per cent of organised crime in
London is carried out by foreign offenders in a statistic
described as "very striking" by one senior official. He said:
"Our counter-terrorism strategy is to go upstream to stop
people coming here because it's much harder dealing with
them when they are here.
"But we haven't had a strategy for stopping foreign
criminals. That's what we want to change." As well as
preventing offending in this country, the new policy has
been prompted by concern about the time and expense
required to remove foreign criminals once they are here.
Some manage to avoid deportation by using human rights
laws.
One obstacle to blocking entry is the absence of accurate
criminal records in some overseas countries.
Home Office and law enforcement staff here plan to
address that byseeking better intelligence links with key
target countries. Other assistance to improve the
information on serious criminals living overseas will also
be provided.
Immigration laws enacted in Parliament allow citizens of
the European Economic Area - which covers EU states plus
other countries such as Switzerland - to be excluded from
the UK if the Home Secretary decides there are "public
security", health or other "public policy" grounds.
Residents of non-EEA countries require visas, to which

they have no automatic entitlement, making it relatively
easy to block leading criminals once they are identified.
The use of exclusion to block extremists has already been
expanded significantly as part of the Government's
"Prevent" counter-terrorism strategy.
A Parliamentary report in 2012 said the measures included
"changes to pre-departure checks to better identify people
who pose a terrorist threat" and stop them flying to the
UK.
Some foreigners given British passports have had their
citizenship revoked because of involvement in terrorism.
(5th March 2014)
IF YOU TROLL, EXPECT A KNOCK ON THE DOOR
(Metro, dated 27th February 2014 author Nicole Le Marie)
http://metro.co.uk
[Option 1]
Internet trolls were yesterday warned there was no hiding
place from justice
They were told to expect arrest if they threatened or
abused people on social media sites.
Culture secretary Maria Miller said there was a
'straightforward principle' that rules which applied offline
would also be applied online.
'The internet isn't a ''Second Life'',' she said, 'It isn't
something where different rules apply, where different
behaviour is acceptable - it isn't the wild west.'
Addressing the Oxford Media Convention, she said:
'Whether it is images of child abuse or terrorist material
we will use the full force of the law, national and
international, to take down that content and pursue the
perpetrators.
'If you vilely insulted, or threatened to attack someone in

person on the street, you do so expecting to be arrested
and charged. The same already applies on social media.'
Referring to the recent jailing of a man and a woman who
subjected feminist campaigner Caroline Criado-Perez to
online abuse, Ms Miller said 'being online does not mean
the law doesn't apply to you'. She added: 'Last year, 2,000
people were prosecuted for sending electronic
communications that were grossly offensive or menacing.'
Ms Miller told the audience 'the veil of anonymity the
internet provides may be valuable but does not give
licence to insult, cheat or exploit.'
Taking aim at illegal downloads, she added: 'If you wanted
to see a film or listen to a CD, you wouldn't sneak into a
shop and steal it off the shelf, so why do the online
equivalent and download it illegally?
'It's about good citizenship as well as what's legal and
what's not.'
(2nd March 2014)
LANDMARK CRACKDOWN ON FAKE SHARES

FRAUDSTERS
(BBC News, dated 28th February 2014 author Danny
Shaw)
www.bbc.co.uk
Criminal gangs who trick people into investing in worthless
shares have been targeted by police in the biggest ever
international crackdown on the fraud.
The operation resulted in 110 arrests - mostly in Spain and
the UK.
Police targeted the masterminds and facilitators of the
"boiler room" fraud - so-called because of the cramped

conditions they work from.
There are 850 confirmed victims of the gangs in the UK,
but the real figure is likely to be in the "multi-thousands".
Detectives say the aim of the two-year investigation,
codenamed Operation Rico, is to "decimate" boiler room
fraud in Europe.
They believe it is the biggest ever operation against the
crime.
Operation Rico, which culminated in a series of raids this
week, was led by City of London Police.
Commander Steve Head, who is the national economic
crime co-ordinator, said: "It is our most important
investigation ever, targeting people we believe are at the
top of an organised crime network that has been
facilitating boiler rooms across Europe and which is
suspected of being responsible for millions of pounds of
investment fraud."
Among those under investigation were 10 "tier one
criminals" with alleged links to organised crime and drugs,
detectives said. Nine of them are British; one is South
African.
The operation - supported by Spanish police - involved the
UK's National Crime Agency and the US Secret Service.
"This is a landmark both from an investigative perspective
and in terms of our close working partnership with other
law enforcement agencies, most notably the Polica
Nacional," said Commander Head.
Eighty-four arrests were made in Spain - where most of the
boiler rooms are believed to be based - in raids involving
300 police officers, 40 of them from the UK.
Twenty people were detained in Britain, two in the US, four
in Serbia.
Police released photographs of a Ferrari and a Ford
Mustang seized in Marbella, and an Aston Martin
recovered in Barcelona.
Detective Inspector James Clancey, from City of London
Police, who was based in Spain for the operation, said:
"This is us seeking to decimate a crime type."
Police say victims of the boiler room gangs have lost sums
ranging from 2,000 to 500,000.
Those who are targeted are usually vulnerable or have a
history of share investment, particularly in privatised
utilities in the 1980s and 90s.
Most of them are aged 40 and over, with many in their 70s
and 80s. Police say some killed themselves because of the
financial problems they got into.
Fraudsters cold-call their victims, applying "high-pressure
sales techniques" and "confidence tricks" to persuade
them to part with their money.
They are offered returns of 10 to 20% per year, directed to
authentic-looking websites and glossy brochures and
asked to invest in bonds in well-known firms or in other
companies that are officially registered.
Initially, they may receive "dividends" to give them
confidence their investment is paying off but never
receive any more or get their money back.
One of the victims, a woman in her late 70s, invested
23,000 in carbon credits.
She was then persuaded by another salesman to borrow
money to buy 140,000 of shares in gold. She never
recovered the money.
"I foolishly trusted him," she told BBC News, adding: "My
generation is not very streetwise - because we never had

to be."
Another victim, a 72-year-old man from the Midlands, said
he and his wife had been "scammed out of our entire life
savings".
He said that, in the weeks after realising what had
happened, "we hardly slept or ate".
"It is still very raw to us both and we both have bad days
when it is all we can think about," he added.
The Financial Conduct Authority has estimated that as
much as 200m is lost to boiler room frauds in Britain
every year.
The biggest individual loss recorded by police was 6
million.
Officers say the fraudsters spend their proceeds on Rolex
watches, Armani suits, fast cars and flashy apartments.
Some are involved in drug dealing and attend drugs
parties.
Avoiding detection
Each boiler room network is believed to have an
accountant, money launderer and lawyer, as well as
people who do the "sales".
These tend to be university students or travellers who
speak English, including some from Scandinavia, who have
answered adverts for salespeople.
They use false names and build up a "legend" - a cover
story and false history.
"They're young people who want to earn good commission
and want to drink themselves into the ground," said DI
Clancey.
Operation Rico is the first time there has been a multiagency and cross-border investigation against different
networks of boiler room fraudsters. Previously there was
more of a piecemeal approach.
However, despite some successes, criminals had become
adept at avoiding detection by frequently moving offices
and wiping computers.
DI Clancey said the Spanish authorities were fully behind
the operation. "The Spanish want to drive it out of Spain it's tainting them," he said.
Detectives acknowledge that boiler room fraudsters will
not disappear but they are more likely to operate in future
in the more "hostile" environments of Thailand, Indonesia
and the United Arab Emirates.
Police have urged anyone who may have been scammed
to call the Action Fraud line on 0300 123 2040.
Anyone with any information about these crimes can call
Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
(2nd March 2014)
CRIME-HIT SHOP OWNERS FEEL LET DOWN BY MET

POLICE RESPONSE
The majority of shops hit by crime in London found the
police unhelpful when they filed a report, it was claimed
today.
London Assembly Tories said a study showed that 64 per
cent of shop owners felt the police had not taken their
claim seriously and in future would not bother reporting
crimes. Researchers found there was a "lack of faith"

across the capital in the Met's ability to deliver justice for
small businesses.
The report, High Street Blues, revealed there were 28,889
reported robberies and thefts, including shoplifting,
against London's businesses last year - the equivalent of
80 every day.
Westminster topped the list of incidents with 3,044,
followed by Croydon on 1,247 and Hammersmith and
Fulham, with 1,236. The boroughs with the lowest retail
crime levels were Richmond on 488, Harrow with 501 and
Barking and Dagenham on 573 last year. The Tory
research, involving in-depth interviews with 32 small
businesses across the capital as well as Met police data,
found that 94 per cent of shop owners had been affected
by crime in the past year.
Almost half of those interviewed had been victims of
severe crimes such as burglary, verbal and physical
assault.
Tory Assembly member Roger Evans suggested the police
should hand out DNA sprays, as part of crime prevention
kits, to shop owners which would cover criminals with
solution for days afterwards.
His report also called for a digital crime-mapping
database, which would identify crime trends and hotspots,
ultimately helping police gather evidence and target their
resources.
Mr Evans said: "Shopkeepers and traders across London
tell me that they don't have faith in the police's ability to
deliver justice, if they fall victim to crime." Met police data
shows that crimes listed as business robbery have seen a
drop of 48 per cent since 2010. Theft from shops has also
seen a fall of 66 per cent in the same period.
A spokesman for the Met said: "The MPS is committed to
tackling crime against London's business communities and
works closely with MOPAC [the Mayor's Office for Policing

and Crime] and businesses across the capital to reduce
crime.
"In spring 2014, the first MPS Business Crime Strategy will
be published, which aims to build on and further improve
engagement, information sharing and interaction between
police and business communities.
"We recognise the need to reduce under reporting so that
there is a more accurate picture of business crime, and we
are working on improving the way we receive intelligence
and information from businesses."
ELECTRIC CHAIR HAUNTS US FORMER EXECUTION

CHIEF
(BBC News, dated 23rd February 2014 author Stephen
Sackur)
Warning: This article reports a racist term in the section
headed Racial intimidation.
Most guests come into the HARDtalk studio with their
guard up, their defences prepared. Dr Allen Ault simply
faced the cameras and bared his soul.
His account of supervising executions in the US state of
Georgia was one of the most painful, searingly honest and
courageous testimonies I have ever heard.
Dr Ault is a soft-spoken Midwesterner with steel-grey hair
and a steady gaze.
As he spoke about his years as corrections commissioner
for the US state of Georgia, he appeared to forget the
artifice of the TV studio and relive his experiences in the
execution chamber.
"I still have nightmares," he told me.
"It's the most premeditated form of murder you can
possibly imagine and it stays in your psyche for ever."
"Murder" - an extraordinary word to come from the lips of
a man who administered America's ultimate punishment
on five occasions.
What happened to Allen Ault? What turned him from a
loyal servant of the judicial system to a passionate
campaigner against capital punishment?
His painful journey began with a promotion. Dr Ault was a
psychologist who worked in the diagnostic and
classification centre of the Georgia prison service.
The centre was chosen to house Georgia's execution
chamber and Dr Ault became its warden. Without ever
closely examining his own feelings about the death
penalty, he found himself in charge of the machinery of
death.
In Georgia's case, it was the electric chair. Mr Ault
remembers every detail of every execution he oversaw.
Perhaps the most troubling was that of Christopher Burger,
who as a 17-year-old juvenile with borderline mental
impairment had been involved in a brutal rape and
murder.
Burger spent 17 years on death row. Dr Ault saw him
change. The troubled youth got an education, his brain
developed and matured.
Yes, he was guilty of a terrible crime. He was also
desperately contrite.
When Dr Ault described Burger's execution to me, his
words were powerful, the agonised silences even more so.
Two decades have done little to ease Dr Ault's burden of

remorse and guilt.
"His last words to me were, 'Please forgive me'.
"I could see the jolt of electricity running through his body.
It snapped his head back and then there was just total
silence... and I knew I had killed another human being."
Racial intimidation
Each execution that Dr Ault supervised deepened his
misgivings.
William Henry Hance was a black man convicted, by a
majority white jury, of murdering three women.
One black member of the jury later described an
atmosphere of racial intimidation. A white juror had said
execution would leave "one less n***** to breed".
Hance's IQ was so low that some experts believed he was
not competent to file a plea. Nonetheless, he was
convicted and it fell to Allen Ault to supervise his
electrocution.
"Why didn't you walk away?" I asked Dr Ault on HARDtalk.
"Eventually I did," he breathed. "But it was too late?"
"Yes And I've spent a lifetime regretting every moment
and every killing."
Dr Ault left his post as Georgia's corrections chief in 1995.
In the years since, he has received counselling to try to
come to terms with his overwhelming sense of guilt.
He has also become a high-profile campaigner against
America's use of the death penalty. He rejects the idea
that the prospect of execution has any significant
deterrent effect.
And there's the racial element to the application of the
ultimate punishment.
"Kill somebody white and you're three times more likely to

get the death penalty than if you kill a black person," he
says.
There is now a small cadre of former death row wardens
and corrections chiefs who have joined Dr Ault's campaign
against the death penalty.
And their message is striking a chord.
Some 28 US states have declared their opposition to
capital punishment, and the number of executions has
fallen dramatically. There were 43 in 2012, while in the
1990s the total was in the hundreds.
But opinion polls show a majority of Americans still believe
in the utility and justice of killing those convicted of the
most heinous crimes.
So Allen Ault continues to bare his soul to change his
country's mind.
"No-one has the right to ask a public servant to take on a
life-long sentence of nagging doubt, shame and guilt," he
concludes.
This is not a rhetorical point. He's talking about himself.
uaware Comment
In the UK you always hear the rhetoric "bring back the
death penalty". It normally happens after heinous crimes
towards children. But if society is meant to be or become
more civilised how can we set an example by legally killing
the culprits, rather than a lifetime of incarcerated
rehabilitation ?
This maybe seems the words of a lilly-livered person, but
each time I hear of another murder the same rhetoric also
goes through my mind.
We see the death penalty as the ultimate solution, but
there are side affects of the death penalty as described
above. That of the troubled minds of people involved in its

administration. That list is much longer than just prison
officials, it also includes - Judges, Jurers, court officials,
appeal court Judges, Lawyers and Barristers; the list goes
on.
Would you or could you do the deed ?
SCAMS TAKE SPARKLE FROM DIAMOND DEALS
authors Laura Chesters and Benedict Moore-Bridger)
Investors looking to make money through buying
diamonds are increasingly at risk from con artists, experts
warned today.
The trade body that regulates the market said London is
facing a spate of scams as investment in diamonds
becomes more popular.
Hatton Garden-based London Diamond Bourse, set up in
1940 as a trade association to regulate the market, urged
those thinking about investing to carry out extra checks. It
said demand had moved from jewellery-buying to
investing - just as gold had been a favourite - but that
investors were at risk from a growing number of
fraudsters.
Last year, four diamond dealers were jailed after making
1 million by duping investors into buying stones at
hugely inflated prices, using a "sucker list" to source
unwitting victims, promising them sky-high returns.
Victoria McKay, chief operating officer at the Bourse, said:
"Typically, diamond investment scams are where smoothtalking salespeople contact unwitting victims, cold-calling
and promising low risk investments and huge returns.
From time to time, internet-based 'boiler rooms' surface,

with a serviced office as a front. These are not bonafide,
cease trading, and disappear leaving no trace of your
money or diamonds.
"A good diamond dealer will be well established, know
their market and be happy to be transparent."
Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Bradford, head of crime
at the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, operating at City
police, said there have been reports of diamonds being
marked up by 17 times their value. Officers are conducting
a number of fraud investigations. He added: "The
fraudsters take people's money on the promise of high
investment returns, but the only people who gain are the
criminals.
"I can only imagine how awful it must feel for people to
discover the savings they've accumulated in their working
lives have vanished overnight as a result of this despicable
criminal activity."
The London Diamond Bourse recommends checking
whether a seller is a member of the bourse or the World
Federation of Diamond Bourses.
SIX CHARGED IN CONNECTION WITH ALLLEGED

INTERNET DATING SCAM
(The Guardian, dated 21st February 2014)
Five men and a woman have been charged in connection
with an alleged scam involving an internet dating site.
Hampshire police arrested the suspects following a
"lengthy investigation" into the alleged fraud, which
involved women being asked to give "significant" amounts

of money after meeting men on the Match.com site.
Detective Constable Darrin Carey said: "These charges
come following a lengthy investigation into an alleged
scam where women are asked to hand over significant
amounts of cash after meeting men on the Match.com
dating website. Alleged victims in this case are from the
Basingstoke area, across Hampshire and England. If you
have any information which may assist this investigation,
please contact me on 101."
The suspects charged with conspiracy to commit fraud are
Emmanuel Oko, 29, of Waverley Grove, Southsea,
Hampshire; Brooke Boston, 28, of Chelsea Road, Southsea;
Monty Emu, 28, of Frencham Road, Southsea; Eberechi
Ekpo, 26, of Adair Road, Southsea; Chukwuka Ugwu, 28, of
Somers Road, Southsea, and Adewunmi Nusi, 26, of
Bomford Close, Hermitage, Berkshire. They are all due to
appear later at Basingstoke magistrates court.
Match.com offers the following safety advice: "Criminals
should not get away with scams whether on dating sites,
over the internet or in any walk of life. While the
authorities and dating sites work closely together to
ensure a safe environment on the internet, we encourage
everyone to apply the same caution when meeting people
online as they would meeting through friends or in a bar.
"Never give money to anyone just as you would never give
money to someone you recently met in a pub or cafe.
Don't share personal contact details off the site. If in
doubt, use the highly visible 'report a concern' button
which flags issues to our care team."
SECURITY FAILINGS IN HOME ROUTERS EXPOSED

(BBC News, dated 21st February 2014)
www.bbc.co.uk
Serious security failings in home routers are getting more

attention from both attackers and researchers.
In recent weeks, attacks have been mounted on Linksys
and Asus routers via loopholes that thieves could exploit.
In Poland, reports suggest one gang has successfully
adjusted router settings in a bid to steal cash.
A separate study found many of the routers sold online
have bugs that attackers could easily exploit.
This week the Internet Storm Center (ISC) warned about a
continuing attempt to exploit a vulnerability in 23
separate models of Linksys routers.
The virus, a self-replicating program or worm called The
Moon, takes control of the router and then uses it to scan
for other vulnerable systems.
So far, wrote ISC researcher Johannes Ullrich, it is not clear
why the routers are being compromised and what might
be done with them. There are hints in the exploit code that
the routers will at some point be gathered together into a
network of compromised machines, he said in a blogpost.
Currently, he added, all the worm was doing was
spreading to other Linksys routers.
Benevolent hacking
In a statement, Linksys said it was aware of the Moon
malware and said it took hold on hardware only if a
Remote Management Access feature was turned on.
Turning the router off and disabling the remote
management system should clear out the worm, it added.
Linksys has also published technical advice about how to
update the core software for vulnerable routers and how
to turn off the remote management feature.
Earlier this month, many users of Asus routers who
remotely connect via the gadget to hard drives in their

homes, perhaps to watch DVDs they have ripped, found
that someone had used the same feature to upload a text
file urging them to do more to make the device safe.
The letter is thought to have been left on the hard drives
by benevolent hackers who exploited a loophole on the
Asus routers first discovered in mid-2013. Ten separate
models of Asus router are believed to be vulnerable to the
same exploit.
Asus released a software update last week to close the
loophole.
The two incidents come soon after Poland's Computer
Emergency Response Team reported a large-scale attack
on home routers by thieves seeking log-in names and
passwords for online bank accounts. That attack infected
vulnerable routers with software that snooped on traffic
before passing it on to the bank sites people were trying
to reach.
A separate study by security firm Tripwire has found that
80% of the 25 best-selling routers available on Amazon
are vulnerable to compromise.
Security researcher Craig Young from Tripwire said exploits
had been publicly discussed and published for more than
one-third of these devices.
The past 12 months have seen a flurry of interest in
routers by security researchers keen to find bugs and
loopholes. One project detailing their findings now lists
hundreds of exploits for routers from 36 separate
manufacturers.
"In recent years, the computing power of the average
home router has increased substantially to support
features like streaming media and file or print sharing,"
said Mr Young. "These additional features offer new attack
surface while the additional computing power creates new
possibilities for what an attacker can do with a
compromised device."
Further information
EE Router problems : www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology25809208
D-Link Router problems : www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology24519307
MORE THAN 750 FOREIGN CRIMINALS ROAMING

BRITAINS STREETS
(The Telegraph, dated 24th February 2014 author Miranda
Prynne)
Britain is home to more than 750 foreign criminals
including killers and rapists who have gone on the run
after being granted bail before they could be deported,
new figures reveal.
The offenders were due to be deported at the end of their
prison sentences but delays meant they were released
onto Britain's streets under human rights laws, then
disappeared.
Among the 752 criminals from overseas who remain on
the loose in Britain, at least one was guilty of conspiracy
to murder while others had committed manslaughter,
according to the Home Office.
The figures, released after a Freedom of Information
request by the Daily Mail, revealed there were also 11
rapists, several child abusers and arsonists, six burglars,
26 robbers and 76 drug dealers at large.
Human rights roles mean foreign offenders whose
deportation hits difficulties, due to complications such as

obtaining travel documents or overcoming legal
challenges, cannot be locked up indefinitely.
They can only be detained while there is a reasonable
prospect of deportation in the near future.
But human rights laws can also be used to prevent their
return to their home country while others can delay the
process by destroying their travel documents so officials
have to obtain a new passport for them.
Delays in the system mean judges are forced to release
dangerous offenders on bail.
The new figures show 16 foreign offenders have been on
the run for more than 10 years while 158 absconded
between five and ten years ago.
A further 310 have been at large for between two and five
years and 191 disappeared between one and two years
ago.
Just 77 have been on the run for less than a year.
Tory MP Nick de Bois said: "It is deeply worrying that so
many dangerous foreign criminals are walking the streets
and urgent action must be taken to find them.
"The British public are losing patience with so-called
human right claims putting them at risk.
"These criminals should by rights have been thrown out of
this country and put
back in jail in their country of origin."
The figures will pile more pressure on David Cameron to
stick to his promise to send more foreign criminals home.
The Home Office refused to identify the criminals by name
because this would breach their right to privacy.
Officials also claimed disclosing what countries the

offenders were from risked undermining its ability to
negotiate deportation agreements with foreign
governments.
A Home Office spokesman said: "We believe foreign
nationals who break our rules should be removed from the
UK at earliest opportunity.
"Last year we removed more than 4,500 foreign national
offenders.
"Where individuals abscond from our controls, we work
closely with the police and probation services and employ
specialist trace teams to return these individuals to prison.
"Absconders are circulated on the Police National
Computer and are added to our watch lists in case those
who have left the country seek to re-enter."
MAY TAKES ON "UNTOUCHABLE" CRIME LORDS

(London Evening Standard, dated 21st February 2014
A new criminal offence of directing organised crime is to
be introduced by ministers, as part of a wide-ranging drive
to punish the "untouchables" of the criminal underworld.
It will allow police to charge gangland bosses on the basis
that they are part of a group set up to make a criminal
profit - even if it cannot be proved that they were directly
involved in any other specific crime.
The new offence is a response to concerns that some of
the country's worst "Mr Bigs" are avoiding prosecution by
"keeping their hands clean" while others carry out

offences for them.
It will be modelled on existing Scottish powers that carry a
14-year sentence.
Confirming the new legislation, a senior Whitehall official
said it would be among a range of measures to fight
organised crime set to be implemented by Home
Secretary Theresa May. It will be announced in the next
Queen's Speech.
"There will be a new offence of directing organised crime.
It will target people who stand off and don't get their
hands dirty," he said.
Other changes to be set out by Mrs May include longer
"default" sentences for convicted crime bosses who fail to
pay back their illicit profits.
New legislation will also seek to stop "tactical divorces",
and spurious "third party" claims - techniques used by
jailed criminals to cut the amount of assets that they have
to hand back.
Further moves will be made to speed up asset-freezing
when criminals are arrested. Police training will be
improved, as will coordination between police and other
organisations such as HM Revenue and Customs,
government departments, and councils.
New legal agreements and closer cooperation will be
sought with Spain and the United Arab Emirates - two
countries in which 200 million of British criminal assets
are estimated to be held. There will be similar deals with
West African governments and other nations such as
Pakistan.
Reports in the Evening Standard have highlighted the
authorities' lack of success in ensuring that Britain's worst
crime bosses pay back their illicit profits.
The problem was also exposed by the National Audit

Office, which warned recently that more than 80 per cent
of the 920 million owed by convicted millionaire criminals
is yet to be repaid - even though some were first ordered
to hand back the money as long ago as 1987.
The auditors' report said that nearly 500 million more is
owed by other offenders.
A Home Office assessment last year found that an
estimated 5,500 organised crime gangs operate in this
country, threatening national security and costing a total
of 24 billion a year.
SAVILE'S VICTIMS WERE IGNORED AND ACCUSED OF

LYING, NSPCC REPORT SAYS
(The Telegraph, dated 23rd February 2014 author Tim
Ross)
Jimmy Savile's victims were ignored and accused of lying
when they tried to tell adults they had been sexually
assaulted, a report will say this week.
Many of the children and young people who were targeted
by the celebrity were simply too young to understand the
full implications of what had happened to them.
When they were old enough to realise the seriousness of
their experiences, some decided it would be better to try
to forget than to complain to the police.
Those victims who did want to talk to their teachers or
parents about their experiences now say they were often
dismissed or told to stop inventing stories.
The findings are contained in a report, to be published by
the NSPCC children's charity on Monday, which is based on

in-depth discussions with 28 of Savile's victims.
The television and radio presenter, who died in 2011, is
believed to have abused hundreds of children and
teenagers during a prolific career as a sex offender
spanning 50 years. Many of his attacks are said to have
taken place on BBC property or in children's homes and
hospitals.
When the revelations first became public two years ago,
the NSPCC was inundated with calls from victims who
wanted to talk about their experiences.
The charity completed a joint report last year with the
Metropolitan Police which documented statements of
possible abuse relating to Savile from 450 people.
There have been claims in recent months that there could
be up to 1,000 victims of Savile's sexual abuse but the
true extent may never be known.
The NSPCC was commissioned to explore the experiences
of victims by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary, which was
concerned that so many victims felt unable to come
forward while Savile was still alive.
The charity conducted in-depth focus group research with
28 of Savile's victims who had contacted its helpline and
were happy to discuss their experiences.
The NSPCC's report is not expected to contain major new
recommendations for police or other agencies, or
significant findings relating to the Savile scandal.
However, it is likely to highlight the difficulties which
Savile's child victims faced in asking for help from
teachers and, in some cases, their own family members. In
the focus groups, victims also described how Savile
behaved and what he said to them when they met him.
NUMBER OF UK-BORN CHILDREN TRAFFICKED FOR

SEXUAL ABUSE SOARS
(The Guardian, dated 18th February 2014 author
Alexandra Topping)
The number of UK-born children identified as being
trafficked for sexual abuse showed a sharp increase last
year, according to figures published on Tuesday by the
National Crime Agency (NCA).
The NCA said 56 children from the UK were identified as
potential victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation in
2013, an increase of 155% on the previous year. The
number of foreign children at risk also rose by 11%, to 88.
The NCA's national referral mechanism (NRM) - which is
used to flag up potential trafficking cases to the
authorities - also saw an overall increase, with 1,746
people from 112 different countries highlighted as
potential victims, up 47% on the previous year.
The increase could be a result of greater awareness of the
NRM and the issue of trafficking after a series of highprofile cases, particularly of young vulnerable girls being
trafficked around the UK by exploitative gangs, said Liam
Vernon, head of the NCA's UK human trafficking centre.
"We know that this is a crime which affects some of
society's most vulnerable people, and some victims will
remain undetected. Equally, some of those referred to the
NRM may not ultimately be classified as victims of human
trafficking," he said. "The NCA is committed to relentlessly
disrupting what is a criminal trade in human misery."
The number of cases involving UK nationals rose 173% to
90. Around two thirds of potential victims were female
(1,122) and around a quarter (450) were children.
Of the children flagged as potential victims of trafficking,
as well as the 144 trafficked for sexual abuse, 45 were

identified as being at risk of being used as servants (up
2% on 2012), 123 for labour exploitation (up 24%) and
138 were unknown (up 9%). Among adults, the largest
increase was seen in labour exploitation. The NRM
identified 511 potential victims of labour exploitation - an
89% rise - while 581 people were at risk from sexual
exploitation (53% rise); 141 people from being exploited
as servants (up 18%) and 62 unknown (up 44%).
Albania was the most common nationality or country of
origin for all referrals, followed by Nigeria and Vietnam.
The modern slavery and organised crime minister, Karen
Bradley, said the cases were unlikely to show the full
picture of modern slavery, and welcomed the progression
of the modern slavery bill through parliament.
"The Bill will send the strongest possible message to
criminals that if you are involved in this disgusting trade in
human beings, you will be arrested, you will be prosecuted
and you will be locked up," she said.
JUDGES BACK "LIFE MEANS LIFE" PRISON

SENTENCES
author Paul Cheston)
Britain's most notorious murderers must stay behind bars
for the rest of their lives after a landmark ruling by senior
judges today.
They rejected an attempt to give serial killers the hope of
release from whole life sentences by using European
human rights laws.
As a result mass murderers such as Rosemary West and

Ian Brady will still have no hope of release and will die in
prison.
The Islamic extremists who murdered drummer Lee Rigby
in Woolwich are also likely now to receive "life means life"
sentences.
Michael Adebowale and Michael Adebolajo were convicted
before Christmas but their sentencing was delayed
pending today's decision in the Appeal Court.
This judgement directly contradicts a ruling last year in
the European Court of Human Rights in an appeal by mass
murderer Jeremy Bamber and two other killers.
The Euro judges ruled that the whole life sentences
imposed on these three killers amounted to "inhuman and
degrading treatment".
The Prime Minister's spokesman welcomed today's ruling.
"We have been clear that our courts should be able to
send brutal murderers to jail for the rest of their lives, and
that life can mean life.
"We welcome the act that the Court of Appeal has upheld
the law that the United Kingdom Parliament has passed."
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said: "This is a timely and
welcome decision. Our courts should be able to send the
most brutal murderers to jail for the rest of their lives.
"I think people in Britain will be glad that our courts have
disagreed with the European Court of Human Rights, and
upheld the law that the UK Parliament has passed."
The Grand Chamber of the Strasbourg based court said
that whole lifers should be entitled to a review of their
sentence 25 years into their term at the very least.
In January the Appeal Court was asked to rule on this
decision which could have affected all 51 of Britain's most
heinous killers who currently serving life means life

sentences.
In particular they examined the cases of triple killer Ian
McLoughlin, who was sentenced to 40 years because of
the European Court ruling, and Lee Newell who did receive
a whole life tariff.
Other cases including Mark Bridger, who killed schoolgirl
April Jones, were originally put forward too but were
dropped before the hearing.
Today the five judges - the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas,
Sir Brian Leveson, Lady Justice Hallett, Lord Justice Treacy
and Mr Justice Burnett, gave their ruling.
Lord Thomas said that the whole life orders "are entirely
compatible" with the European Court of Human Rights.
"Judges should therefore continue as they have done to
impose whole life orders in the rare and exceptional
circumstances that fall within the statutory scheme," he
said.
"The Secretary of State (Theresa May) has the power to
release a prisoner on licence if she feels satisfied that
exceptional circumstances exist that justify the release on
compassionate grounds."
As a result McLoughlin's 40 year sentence was replaced
with a full life term and Newell's appeal was rejected.
The Attorney General Dominic Grieve had referred the
case on the grounds that the original sentence had been
"unduly lenient".
The AG's counsel James Eadie had told the judges that the
European decision "does not render the imposition of a
whole life order manifestly excessive or wrong in
principle."
McLoughlin who had killed twice before he released on
licence and killed 'Good Samariatan' Graham Buck in Little

Gaddesden, Hertfordshire, last July did not contest the
hearing to avoid further distress to his victim's family.
Newell's QC Joe Stone said that even a 40 year sentence
would allow the double killer the "flickering possibility that
one day when he is 85 he will be released from prison."
Newell, who was already serving a life sentence for a 1988
murder, killed child murder Subhan Anwar in his cell at
Long Lartin prison, Worcestershire in 2012.
----------------------------------------------AN ASSERTION OF AUTHORITY BUT WE MUST STILL
OBEY EUROPE
commentary Martin Bentham)
Today's ruling that British courts are entitled to impose
"whole life" sentences on the most heinous murderers is
based on an assessment that judges in Strasbourg
wrongly interpreted our laws.
In a highly controversial verdict last year, the European
Court of Human Rights stated that the "whole life" terms
were an unlawful breach of human rights legislation
barring "inhuman punishment" because offenders had no
right to have their sentence reviewed and no chance of
release.
The Court of Appeal said today, however, that the
Strasbourg judges were mistaken and that, because our
law does permit the "possible exceptional release of whole
life prisoners", such sentences are legal.
The decision will avert a storm at Westminster, where
politicians from all sides had denounced the Strasbourg
ruling, and prove popular with much of the public.
But what the Court of Appeal's ruling will not prevent is
further controversial rulings by European human rights
judges being imposed on this country.

That is because today's judgment does not declare that
our judges can override the provisions of the European
Convention on Human Rights.
Instead, it argues that our law on "whole life" terms
actually complies with the convention - even though
Strasbourg's top judges thought otherwise.
So although our judges have sent a timely reminder that
they, rather than their counterparts in Strasbourg, might
be more skilled at interpreting the law, the key point
remains that our courts must continue to obey European
human rights legislation.
That means that despite today's assertion of British
judicial authority, further disputes over future European
rulings remain likely.
DONT DEPLOY WATER CANNON

(Daily Mail, dated 18th February 2014 author Rebecca
Camber)
www.dailymail.co.uk
[Option 1]
A pensioner who was blinded by a police water cannon
flew to Britain to confront police over plans to bring in the
controversial weapon last night.
Dietrich Wagner, 69, was left with just five per cent vision
in both eyes after being blasted at close range by water
cannon during an environmental protest in his hometown
of Stuttgart, Germany about a train station development.
The force of the jet of water fired from just 15 feet away
tore his eyelids, irreparably damaging his eyes and
fracturing the orbital bone around the eye.
Mr Wagner said of the incident on September 30, 2010: 'It

was like a punch in the face.
'The punch was crammed with pain.
'I can remember falling over backwards. It went very quiet
and I lost consciousness.
'When I came around all I could see was black. I remember
screaming, "help me I can't open my eyes".'
Surgeons battled to save the retired engineer's sight but
after six operations to reconstruct his eye socket, he can
now only make out dim shapes.
Yesterday he flew from Germany to London to address a
public meeting debating the use of the tactic in Britain.
He said: 'Water cannon are dangerous and they cannot
solve social issues.
'They are costly and unnecessary. I worry that people like
me could be injured like me.
'It is my duty to make the people of London aware of how
lethal these weapons are.
'Before my injury, I had no idea of the damage they could
cause.
'I am lucky to be alive. Doctors said that if it went on for a
minute more, the force of the water would have caused
brain damage.'
He added: 'The police also need to know what this will
mean for their relationship with the public.
'They used to be respected and seen as a force for good in
Stuttgart. But since 2010, this relationship has been
damaged beyond repair, and there is now a deep mistrust
and hostility towards the police by most people in the city.
'The use of water cannon is akin to the breakdown of the

democratic process. I strongly urge the Mayor of London,
Theresa May and London's police not to introduce this
weapon.' London Mayor Boris Johnson wants Britain's
biggest police force to be armed with the fearsome
weapon by the Summer.
In the wake of the riots of August 2011, Scotland Yard boss
Bernard Hogan-Howe has been calling for officers to have
access to the high-pressured cannon to quell possible
future outbreaks of disorder.
But the Home Secretary Theresa May has refused to fund
it as a 'national asset' for forces.
Now Boris Johnson is pressing ahead with a public
consultation on the scheme, telling the Home Secretary he
is happy to fund the machines after receiving assurances
from the Met Commissioner that they will be 'rarely used
and rarely seen' only in the most extreme circumstances.
More than 35,000 people have signed a petition against
the plans and last week the London Assembly voted
against the Mayor's proposal to spend 200,000 on three
second-hand German water cannon.
Among those who voted against the scheme last Friday
were four key Conservative members including Kit
Malthouse, the former deputy mayor for policing and
James Cleverly, the chairman of the London fire authority.
DATA PROTECTION - ANGELA MERKEL PROPOSES
EUROPE NETWORK
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26210053
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is proposing building up
a European communications network to help improve data
protection.
It would avoid emails and other data automatically
passing through the United States.
In her weekly podcast, she said she would raise the issue
on Wednesday with French President Francois Hollande.
Revelations of mass surveillance by the US National
Security Agency (NSA) have prompted huge concern in
Europe.
Disclosures by the US whistleblower Edward Snowden
suggested even the mobile phones of US allies, such as
Mrs Merkel, had been monitored by American spies.
Classified NSA documents revealed that large amounts of
personal data are collected from the internet by US and
British surveillance.
Mrs Merkel criticised the fact that Facebook and Google
can be based in countries with low levels of data
protection while carrying out business in nations that offer
more rigorous safeguards.
"Above all, we'll talk about European providers that offer
security for our citizens, so that one shouldn't have to
send emails and other information across the Atlantic,"
she said.
"Rather, one could build up a communication network
inside Europe."
Sensitive
There was no doubt that Europe had to do more in the
realm of data protection, she said.
A French official was quoted by Reuters news agency as
saying that the government in Paris planned to take up the
German initiative.
Personal privacy is a sensitive issue in Germany where

extensive surveillance was carried out under the Nazis and
in communist East Germany.
A foreign policy spokesman for Mrs Merkel's Christian
Democrats, Philipp Missfelder, recently said revelations
about US spying had helped bring relations with
Washington down to their worst level since the US-led
invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Germany has been trying to persuade Washington to
agree to a "no-spy" agreement but without success.
CYBER TROLLS TO FACE 2 YEARS IN JAIL

(London Evening Standard, dated 25th March 2014 author
Joseph Watts)
The Government today backed tougher laws that could
see cyber stalkers and text perverts locked up for two
years.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said the new rules will
target offenders who make victims' lives a misery by
abusing or sexually harassing them online or on mobiles.
MP Angie Bray proposed the change after a constituent
said her daughter had been "verbally raped" by an older
man who bombarded the girl with obscene texts.
The change would also give prosecutors more time to
build a case in an area of law where it can be difficult to
get a conviction. It follows incidents in which mobiles or
websites such as Twitter and Facebook were used to abuse
people.
Jonathan Ross's wife Jane Goldman recently quit Twitter
after her family was targeted.
Ealing Central and Acton MP Ms Bray said: "Most of us are

absolutely appalled by some of the dreadful things
abusers say on social networking sites.
"It's got to the point were some people are literally
hounded to death. There must be a way to ensure that
when bullying gets to this level the law reflects how
serious it is."
Mr Grayling said: "We've got rules in place to stop people
being harassed or distressed by any particular means of
communication.
"Now we're just making sure that those rules are as robust
as possible."
He added: "Part of the purpose of this Bill is to toughen up
some of the penalties that offenders face when they break
the law - and this particular amendment that Angie has
proposed will help achieve that."
Currently offences under the Malicious Communications
Act can only be tried at magistrates' courts, which can
impose a prison sentence no longer than six months.
Ms Bray's plan would give magistrates the ability to send
such cases for trial at crown court, where the jail term
given could be four times longer and there is more time to
bring a case. The change will be discussed by a committee
of MPs on Thursday and if approved will be added to laws
to be voted on later this year.
Ms Bray acted when a mother told her that her 14-yearold daughter was left devastated after a man sent her
2,000 texts over 18 months. Prosecutors failed to secure a
conviction.
Education Secretary Michael Gove has called for schools to
do more to stop the "viciousness and personal cruelty"
shown by cyber bullies.
He spoke out after a series of deaths of youngsters who

had been targeted online including Leicestershire girl
Hannah Smith, who had received a string of abusive
messages telling her to "drink bleach", "go get cancer"
and "go die".
(29th March 2014)
MET POLICE DROP 70% OF ALL ROBBERY
INVESTIGATIONS
(Daily Mail, dated 25th March 2014 author James Slack)
Full article : http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article2588185/Police-Britains-biggest-force-drop-70-PER-CENTrobbery-investigations-no-action-insufficient-evidence.html
[Option 1]
Police were today accused of failing the public after it
emerged seven out of every ten robbery investigations is
'dropped' without any action.
Figures for Britain's biggest police force show 70 per cent
of the 29,662 robberies reported to the Met in 2013 ended
in no further action.
Officers stopped investigating because they claimed there
was insufficient evidence.
The figures - which come at a time of increased scrutiny of
the Met - will fuel concern that police are not taking
seriously crimes which are harder to solve.
Half of the 29,576 thefts reported in London between June
and December 2013 were also dropped. The remaining
incidents are still being investigated.
Some 45 per cent of the 87,480 burglaries reported to the
Met last year were dropped. Only one per cent of
burglaries resulted in a custodial sentence being handed
out.
Meanwhile, 43 per cent of 36,614 incidents of shoplifting

were dropped in 2013.
Overall, just 1.9 per cent of all property crime incidents
resulted in a custodial sentence.
Max Chambers, head of crime and justice at the Policy
Exchange think-tank, said: 'These figures are truly
shocking.
'The fact that no action was taken on nearly half of all
incidents last year is unacceptable.
'We need to fundamentally reorder our policing priorities,
free the police from responding to so many non-criminal
incidents and allow them to focus on doing their job and
catching criminals.
'Nothing could be more important for rebuilding public
confidence in the police.'
Public confidence in the police - and the Met in particular has been battered by a string of recent scandals. These
include Plebgate and the revelations of mass destruction
of documents relating to the Stephen Lawrence case.
Policy Exchange has asked the Labour MP David Lammy to
help expose the harmful effects of property crime and
what new measures could be implemented to tackle the
problem.
Mr Lammy, MP for Tottenham, said: 'Victims of property
crime must be reassured that the police are doing
everything possible to catch and convict those
responsible.
Burglary or robbery doesn't simply result in financial loss.
It can have long lasting emotional effects.
'As a society we have developed a much too relaxed
attitude about fighting property crime. Politicians, the
courts and the police need to step up to the plate and

tackle the problem head on.' Earlier this week, it was
revealed how police have marked more than 100,000
crimes as solved in the past three years, despite only
handing them over to be 'taken into consideration' by the
courts.
The high number of cases marked as 'solved' has sparked
fears that police could be using the tactic as a way of
boosting the number of 'detected' crimes or crimes
cleared up by forces.
The Met requested the highest number of TICs - 15,500 in
two years.
Last night, the force insisted robberies, mobile phone
thefts, bicycle thefts and residential burglaries.
A spokesman said: 'The MPS investigates every single
allegation of crime that it receives and conducts
secondary investigations on more than 60 per cent of
allegations of crime - substantially above the national
average of 45 per cent.'
uaware comment
So let me get this right. Of the manipulated (read fiddled)
crime figures that are published; a good proportion are not
investigated ! I wonder how many crimes that remain
"active" are actually solved ?
(29th March 2014)
MET FAILING ON PROPERTY CRIME, SAYS LAMMY

(London Evening Standard, dated 24th March 2014
authors Joe Murphy and Justin Davenport)
Scotland Yard was today accused by a senior MP of failing
to "take seriously" crimes including robbery, burglary and

shoplifting.
Labour's David Lammy said he was concerned that the
Metropolitan Police dropped almost half their
investigations into property crimes last year, including 70
per cent of robberies.
Writing in tonight's Evening Standard, he asked: "Is it any
wonder people don't feel that the police and the criminal
justice system are on their side?"
Citing police figures, Mr Lammy wrote: "The evidence that
these sorts of crimes are not being taken seriously is
mounting: I have uncovered new figures which reveal that
in London, half of all reported property crimes - including
robbery, burglary, theft, shoplifting and bicycle theft resulted in 'no further action' from the police last year."
The Metropolitan Police rejected Mr Lammy's criticisms,
producing figures showing recent falls in robberies, mobile
phone thefts, bicycle thefts and residential burglaries.
"The MPS investigates every single allegation of crime that
it receives and conducts secondary investigations on more
than 60 per cent of allegations of crime - substantially
above the national average of 45 per cent," it said.
Among new initiatives, traceable liquids are given free to
homes in burglary hotspots and crackdowns are under
way on second hand markets dealing in stolen mobiles.
Policy Exchange, the right-leaning think tank, today
announced that Tottenham MP Mr Lammy is to lead new
research into how property crime is treated, taking
evidence from police and criminologists.
It highlighted figures in Scotland Yard reports showing
97,000 out of 197,000 property crimes reported to the Met
last year resulted in no further action.
Some 70 per cent of the 29,662 robberies reported in
2013 were dropped and only two per cent resulted in a

prison sentence.
Just 45 per cent out of 87,480 burglaries were dropped,
and just one in 100 resulted in the offender being jailed.
Max Chambers, the head of crime and justice at Policy
Exchange, said: "These figures are truly shocking. The fact
that no action was taken on nearly half of all incidents last
year is unacceptable.
"We need to fundamentally reorder our policing priorities,
free the police from responding to so many non-criminal
incidents and allow them to focus on doing their job and
catching criminals. Nothing could be more important for
rebuilding public confidence in the police."
The claims came as new details emerged over the content
of the "lorry load" of anti-corruption files shredded by
Scotland Yard.
A secret memo reveals the files showed evidence that
corrupt officers stole and trafficked illegal drugs, shared
reward payouts with informants, sold operational police
intelligence to criminals and destroyed and fabricated
evidence.
The findings emerged from a secret three year police
intelligence gathering operation into corruption in the Met
launched in 1994.
The Operation Othona findings - including documents,
photographs and videos - were mysteriously shredded by
the Met during a two day operation in 2003.
Details of the secret "briefing note," written by Detective
Superintendent David Hurley, were uncovered by Mark
Ellison QC during his review into the Stephen Lawrence
murder investigation.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe will be
questioned by Home Affairs comitteee MPs tomorrow over
why the files were shredded.

The Met said an internal inquiry into who ordered the
shredding was ongoing.
(29th March 2014)
MINISTER WANTS REFORM OF "CRAZY" SYSTEM

THAT LETS CONVICTS REOFFEND
Martin Bentham)
The failure of rehabilitation policies in London was laid
bare today as new figures revealed that more than 500
criminals with at least 50 previous convictions apiece have
committed new offences in the capital.
The new crimes, which were all committed during a 12
month period, include burglary, sexual assault, racial or
religiously aggravated attacks, wounding and knife
offences.
There were also drug crimes, thefts, and convictions for
arson and possession of an offensive weapon. More than
four out of five of the criminals were men, but 80 were
female. At least 40 were foreign citizens.
The Ministry of Justice admitted that the figures showed a
"shocking level of reoffending in London" and highlighted
the need for a "complete overhaul" of the way in which
offenders were handled.
In a further illustration of the scale of the problem, the
statistics also show that 334 of the offenders were
convicted on at least two separate occasions during the
year covered by the figures.
That means that each had either been jailed or given a
community punishment without successful rehabilitation
taking place only weeks before committing a new crime.

Today's figures were obtained by the Evening Standard
using the Freedom of Information Act and come only days
after this newspaper warned that the cost to the nation of
re-offending is as high as 13 billion a year - the cost of
the London Olympics.
Responding to the findings, Justice Secretary Chris
Grayling admitted that many of London's prolific offenders
were being let down by a "crazy" system which allowed
those given short sentences to return to the streets
without help to turn their lives round.
He said reforms to ensure that all freed convicts received
supervision were being introduced later this year to
reduce the "stubbornly high" number of serial reoffenders
going "round and round" the justice system.
"I think we have a very flawed system," Mr Grayling said.
"We have got 50,000 people each year walking out of our
prison system with little or no support, 46 in their pocket,
walking the streets of London and elsewhere with little
help to get their lives back together.
"The result of that is thousands and thousands of offences,
many serious, committed by a group of people who noone is watching over at all. That's a crazy situation. It's got
to change."
The new statistics show that 554 "highly persistent"
criminals in London with more than 50 previous offences
were convicted of a new crime during 2012, the latest
period for which statistics are available.
The total number of convictions involving the offenders
was 1,568 - an average of nearly three crimes per person
during the 12 month period. The offenders' latest crimes
range from assaults to breaches of anti-social behaviour
orders imposed to curb the menace they pose to society.
The figures also show that 227 of the offenders had at
least ten previous convictions for violence and that 534
had ten or more earlier burglary convictions.

Further figures show that 318 burglars, including ten
foreign citizens, who were convicted in 2012 had ten or
more previous convictions for breaking into a home or
business. More than half committed two or more
burglaries during 2012 alone.
Similarly, 44 criminals convicted of a violent crime in 2012
had ten or more previous convictions for violence. All but
four were men, including one man whose latest crime was
murder and another who committed a malicious wounding
after more than ten previous convictions for violence.
Today's data also shows that one person with more than
ten other convictions for sex crimes was again found guilty
in 2012 of a new sexual offence.
Mr Grayling said that longer custodial sentences were
already being imposed to protect the public against
serious offenders, but emphasised that improving
rehabilitation remained the key to reducing most serial
offending.
He added: "Somebody who burgles a house in south
London, gets a first jail sentence and goes to Brixton
Prison will walk out a few weeks later with 46 in their
pocket and nothing else. There isn't any support and it's
easier to go back to the same streets, the same people, to
reoffend than to get yourself onto the straight and narrow.
"When the reforms kick in later this year, everyone who
goes to prison, serves a short sentence and comes out will
get mentoring and support when they leave prison. That's
a really big change. It's something that we've talked about
in this country for years and years. Everyone's always
found excuses up to now not to do it, but I just don't think
we can afford to carry on with those excuses."
In a statement released with today's statistics, the
Ministry of Justice echoed Mr Grayling's concerns, stating:
"These figures show the shocking level of reoffending in
London and illustrate why we need to completely overhaul
the way we deal with offenders."

A report last week highlighting this newspaper's Frontline
campaign to rehabilitate London gang members cited
National Audit Office estimates that the annual bill for
reoffending, including the cost of crime and prison places,
ranges between 9.5 billion and 13 billion.
Under Ministry of Justice reforms to come into effect later
this year, offenders sentenced to less than 12 months will,
for the first time, receive supervision after their release
from prison. Convicts released from longer sentences
already receive supervision.
In a further change, the Probation Service will monitor only
the most serious freed offenders. All others will be
supervised by voluntary or private providers employed
under government contracts that will reward them for
reducing reoffending. The aim is to encourage the use of
innovative new methods for doing this.
The numbers
Offenders with more than 50 previous offences convicted
in London in 2012 554
Crimes committed by those offenders1,568
Men with more than 50 previous offences convicted in
London in 2012 474
Women with more than 50 previous offences convicted in
London in 2012 80
Foreign nationals with more than 50 previous offences
convicted in London in 2012 40
Offenders with more than 50 previous offences convicted
in London of more than one crime in 2012 334
Statistics from the Ministry of Justice via the police
national computer
(29th March 2014)

ATM's FACE HACKING THREAT AS MICROSOFT HALTS
UPDATES
(CNBC, dated 18th March 2014 author Arjun Kharpal)
Full article : www.cnbc.com/id/101503334
ATM machines of major banks will face greater hacking
threats when Microsoft halts upgrades to its Windows XP
operating system (OS) used in the majority of cash points
around the world.
Microsoft announced earlier this year that it would stop
providing updates for Windows XP on April 8, the software
it introduced in 2001, but many companies still use the
out-dated OS due to the massive costs associated with
system updates.
Upgrades to the Windows XP software are crucial for
protecting against the latest cybersecurity threats.
The banks plan to upgrade to a newer operating system in
due course, but the lack of updates in the meantime could
leave bank details vulnerable to theft, experts warn.
"It is absolutely a concern," Ernest Hilbert, former FBI
agent and head of cyber investigations for EMEA at risk
consultancy Kroll, told CNBC in a phone interview.
"The bad guys are going to continue to look for a way into
the system but there is going to be nobody on the back
end to fix it. And if there is nobody fixing it and the
problems are such that they are opening up a hole, then
these bad guys can walk right in."
Microsoft did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.
'Cybersecurity dangers'
About 95 percent of ATMs around the world run Windows
XP, according to NCR, the largest provider of cash
machines globally. The company predicted that only a

third will upgrade their systems to a higher version of
Windows before Microsoft's deadline.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team,
a part of the Department for Homeland Security, also
warned last week that running unsupported software
causes an "elevated risk to cybersecurity dangers" and
certain organizations under specific regulatory control
may "no longer (be) able to satisfy compliance
requirements".
Without Microsoft sending the necessary security updates,
people's bank account details could be at risk, according
to Professor Tim Watson, director of the Cybersecurity
Center in department of WMG at the University of
Warwick.
"If someone finds a really bad security flaw that means
that somebody can do something compromising while
you're typing in your pin code," Watson told CNBC in a
phone interview.
Banks upgrading?
Major banks however told CNBC that they have signed
deals with Microsoft to extend the support of Windows XP
while they upgrade to protect their users.
Spokespeople for the Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS)
and Lloyds in the U.K. said they have agreed extended
support from Microsoft for Windows XP until 2017 and
2016 respectively. RBS said it would upgrade to Windows 7
before 2017, while Lloyds added it will start to roll out the
updated OS at the end of the year.
A Barclays spokesperson told CNBC that "no Barclays cash
machine will be negatively impacted by this change" and
the bank is currently negotiating an extension for Windows
XP support. "Barclays is not reliant on on-going XP updates
to ensure the integrity of its network," the spokesperson
added.
HSBC said that the bank has agreed to support all

Windows XP systems in the company but could not give
details about how long that deal was in place. It was
updating its ATMs with the view of completing an upgrade
in 2015.
(29th March 2014)
ISLINGTON IS PHONE THEFT CAPITAL OF LONDON

authors Michael Allen and Benedict Moore-Bridger)
www.standard.co.uk
[Option 1]
Islington has experienced a bigger surge in mobile phone
thefts than any other borough in the capital.
Figures released today show there were 2,452 thefts in the
north London area in 2012 - more than double the rate the
previous year.
Westminster experienced the highest number of phone
snatches overall with 3,313 cases. Hackney also saw a
large rise of thefts, with 1,409 in 2012 compared with 951
in 2011. However, figures from the Met show that police
prosecuted only 56 of the reported thefts.
Across London, the ratio of prosecutions is even lower,
with action being taken just 3.76 per cent of the time. The
statistics were released under a Freedom of Information
request. The borough with the fewest thefts last year was
Bexley with 79, although only three of these resulted in
police action.
John Servante, 22, a university student from Croydon which saw 547 mobile thefts last year and only 18 cases of
police action - has been the victim of a number of
attempted phone thefts. He said: "It's terrible. Everybody
you know in London has a story about getting their phone
nicked and the police not giving two hoots."
A spokesman for the Met said the force had a number of

tactics to catch thieves, but it was often difficult to identify
culprits.
He said: "The theft of mobile phones is often opportunistic
and due to the circumstances and speed of the incidents
often victims are unable to describe or recognise the
offenders."
He added: " Operation Ringtone is the Met's drive to
reduce mobile phone theft and involves officers working in
partnership with the National Mobile Phone Crime Unit,
targeting theft hotspots with increased patrols."
-----------------------------------------------------MARKETS RAIDED IN CRCKDOWN ON STOLEN
MOBILES
authors Justin Davenport and Mark Blunden)
Police raided hundreds of market stalls and secondhand
retailers across London in a crackdown on gangs running a
multimillion-pound racket in stolen mobile phones.
The operation, conducted by 5,000 officers across the
capital's 32 boroughs, coincided with police raids in 10
other European countries against mainly Eastern European
gangs.
The gangs target large crowds in European capitals, such
as the St Patrick's Day celebrations in Dublin at the
weekend, and sell the phones at secondhand markets
around the world.
In Brixton, 30 officers raided market stallholders
suspected of "fencing" hundreds of phones. By midmorning, more than 100 people had been arrested for
various offences, including handling stolen goods. One
man was arrested for allegedly trying to sell a stolen
phone to an undercover police officer.
Neighbourhood inspector Steve Boswell said: "A large

amount of phones are going through mobile phone stalls
in the town centre. People will knowingly take phones to
certain stalls."
Every day, more than 80 mobiles are stolen in London many of them in snatch thefts by muggers on bicycles or
motorcycles - but police said they had cut the theft rate by
13 per cent over the past 12 months.
Police have signed up 1,000 retailers to a "safe seller"
scheme in which buyers can check a database to see if the
phone they are buying is stolen.
Editorial Comment - Mobile menace
More than 80 mobile phones are stolen every day in
London. Although police measures and technological
safeguards have reduced the number from more than
35,151 the previous year to 30,430 last year, this remains
a real concern. So the Metropolitan Police's new initiative
in co-operating with Interpol today in launching a
crackdown on the traders and second-hand markets in
stolen mobiles is welcome. The Met has set up a site
where dealers can check that mobiles they sell are not
stolen. Mobile theft is not just opportunistic but an
international racket, associated with people and drugs
trafficking. But the menace can be addressed, as the Met's
achievement in reducing thefts has shown.
(29th March 2014)
TRAIL OF VIOLENCE LEFT BY GANGS IN LONDON
Martin Bentham)
The full impact of gang crime in London is revealed today
by new Met figures showing 6,600 violent offences were
committed by gang members in just three years.

The crimes include 24 murders, 28 attempted killings, 170
firearms offences, as well as stabbings and kidnappings.
Other offences include grievous bodily harm with a
weapon and also robbery. Each of the violent crimes was
carried out by one of 3,484 gang members logged on an
official Met database. It includes two 13-year-old gang
members, another 24 aged 14 and nearly 550 older
juveniles.
The average age of gang members is 21. Virtually all are
male, although 38 females are on the database.
The figures, which show 2,154 violent crimes were
committed in the 12 months up to February this year,
come despite significant Met successes.
More than 1,000 of the capital's gang members have been
jailed and a multi-million pound anti-gangs campaign was
launched by the Home Office after the London riots.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon said: "This is
crime at a high level of seriousness. We are talking about
young people being shot and stabbed.
"That is bound to have a significant impact, not just on
police officers, but also on communities." The head of the
Met's Trident anti-gangs unit said the figures highlighted
why the fight against gangs was a priority.
He added "If we can stop just one young person being
shot or stabbed then it is worthwhile. That's why Trident is
here."
The figures cover offenders recorded on the Met's gangs
matrix. It uses criminal records and intelligence from
police, probation, prisons and other experts to identify
Londoners who are gang members. A scoring system
ranks each person according to the violent "risk, threat or
harm" that they present, grading the worst as category
red and the others as amber or green.
Police "enforcement" efforts such as arrests and

surveillance focus most heavily on the red group - which
numbers around 300. Attempts are made to divert those
given a "green" classification away from gangs. They get
assistance such as the offer of safe housing in a new area
or help in finding work, education or training opportunities.
Most gang offenders are aged under 25 and today's
statistics show that those currently logged on the Met's
database include 570 juveniles aged 17 or under. They
include 73 teenagers aged 15, another 159 aged 16 and
312 aged 17.
Mr Haydon said the presence of two 13-year-olds and 24
children aged 14 on the gangs matrix was even more
concerning and warned that young children were being
exploited.
"It is disturbing," he said. "You are generally talking about
estates where there are elders using youngsters to supply
drugs on their behalf. The younger ones tend to start
running drugs for older teenagers, but then get sucked
into gang crime. So we try to stop them going in at the
young end by offering diversion and other intervention to
try to keep them out of gangs."
Today's figures were obtained by the Standard using the
Freedom of Information Act. As well as the 52 murders and
attempted murders and the 170 firearms offences, they
include 738 crimes involving a knife or other weapon.
There were 472 assaults causing GBH.
(29th March 2014)
BRITON IS MUGGED OR ROBBED EVERY THREE
MINUTES
(Daily Express, dated 14th March 2014 author Anil Dawar)
www.express.co.uk [Option 1]
Last year 1.8 million people fell victim as street crimes
soared by an average of seven per cent.

Experts believe that better security in cars, homes and
shops means criminals are now targeting victims on the
street.
And more people on foot are carrying expensive gadgets
like phones and iPads, with stolen valuables typically
worth more than 300.
The criminals most often strike during daylight - with one
in five of all incidents early on a Saturday afternoon, a
survey found.
The second most common time is after the pubs close on
Saturday nights when some 17 per cent of thefts take
place between 11pm and 2am.
More than one in six opportunistic bag and phone thefts
take place in bars and pubs.
Another 14 per cent occur on buses, trains and trams.
The youngest thief caught last year was a seven-year-old
mugger in Norfolk while the oldest was an 83-year-old
pickpocket in the City of London. The capital, Leeds and
Nottingham are the street crime hotspots, according to the
analysis of official police crime data by insurers LV=.
Pickpocketing rose by 10 per cent last year over the
previous 12 months, muggings by six per cent and "theft
from a person" by five per cent.
Peter Cuthbertson of the Centre for Crime Prevention
urged people to take "common sense measures" such as
keeping valuables out of sight or close to hand and being
aware of who is around you. "But the key point," he added,
"is that people should be able to go about their lives
without fear of muggings in the first place.
"A crackdown on street crime, including much longer
prison sentences, would deter these thefts and protect the
public."
-----------------Further information
On the same day, in a another article, this time in the
Metro. The author Sharon Marris provided additional data.
The top 10 hotspots for theft :
Call Lane, Leeds : 969 incidents
Victoria Centre, Nottingham : 812 incidents
Bridge Street, Northampton : 532 incidents
West Street, Sheffield: 379 incidents
Promenade, Blackpool : 126 incidents
Arndale shopping centre, Luton : 87 incidents
Engish Street, Carlisle : 73 incidents
High Street, Chatham : 60 incidents
Beverly Road, Hull : 47 incidents
Lammas Street, Carmartham : 10
The highest number of personal thefts was recorded by
the Met Police with 19,587 over the past 2 years, followed
by West Yorkshire Police with 9,928.
(29th March 2014)
WM MORRISON SUPERMARKET SUFFERS PAYROLL

DATA THEFT
(BBC News, dated 14th March 2014)
www.bbc.co.uk
BBC business correspondent Emma Simpson has been told
that details of around 100,000 employees have been
stolen.
The information, which includes bank account details, has
been published online and sent on a disc to a newspaper,
according to the firm.
Morrisons said its initial investigation does not point to the

work of an outside hacker.
The Bradford-based chain sought to allay shoppers' fears
by saying there had been no loss of customer data.
Morrisons says that staff will be not be "financially
disadvantaged" by the data theft.
The company's response is being led by Chief Executive,
Dalton Philips.
He is working with the police and cyber crime authorities
to track down the source.
Police investigation
The criminal inquiry into the theft is being led by West
Yorkshire Police.
Detective Chief Inspector Nick Wallen said: "We are aware
of the situation and are supporting Morrisons and their
investigation into these matters."
The firm is also undertaking an urgent review of its
internal data security systems and it has set up a helpline
for its staff.
Morrisons has told UK banks about the data loss and is
working with them to help colleagues protect their
accounts.
A spokesman for the company said the situation "remains
fluid" as the investigation, which started last night, is
"ongoing".
Facebook message
Morrisons put a message on Facebook this morning
informing its employees of the breach and telling them
what steps it is taking to limit the damage.
Staff have responded with a mixture of questions about

what they should do next, and comments, some of which
are angry.
The company found out about the theft on Thursday just
after it had reported a 176m loss, and warned that profits
in the coming year would be less than 375m, about half
the level of last year's.
Shares in the company fell by more than 10% after that
warning over profits on Thursday.
'Enemy within'
Guy Bunker, chief technical officer at cyber protection
company, Clearswift, said that the security lapse at
Morrisons proves that organisations have to be aware of
internal security threats.
"It is a real problem. There are more challenges from
within than without. People need to look at where they're
spending their money and what they're spending on
internal security protection
"You can't ignore the enemy within," he said.
The European Parliament has just approved a draft data
protection law, which, if it were enacted, would mean that
companies could be fined 5% of their global turnover in
the event of a serious data breach.
The proposed changes are opposed by some large
American and European companies.
(29th March 2014)
STEPHEN LAWRENCE : MURDER INQUIRY WAS
DOGGED BY CLAIMS OFFICERS WERE CORRUPT
Justin Davenport)
Allegations of corruption involving detectives employed on
the Stephen Lawrence murder investigation have dogged
the Met almost from the beginning.
They were raised by Stephen's family, who have always
believed that corruption played a key part in the failure of
the original inquiry into his death.
After the A-level student, 18, was stabbed in Eltham in
1993, five suspects were arrested. But despite a series of
investigations, and a private prosecution brought by the
family, no one was convicted until two years ago.
In January 2012, two of the original five suspects, Gary
Dobson and David Norris, were jailed for Lawrence's
murder after the discovery of new forensic evidence.
Judge Sir William Macpherson's original report, in 1998,
branded the Metropolitan police "institutionally racist"
over its handling of the case. He found that the
investigation was riddled with blunders and incompetence,
including the fact that the names of five prime suspects
were given to police within hours of the attack, but
detectives did not arrest them for two weeks.
However, Sir William found there was insufficient evidence
to prove corruption played a decisive role in the failure to
catch the killers.
The main claims of corruption raised by the Lawrence
family and their lawyers centred on two officers: former
Met commander Ray Adams, who was a leading officer in
the south London area where Stephen was murdered, and
former detective sergeant John Davidson, who was a
senior detective on the first inquiry.
In 2006, a BBC documentary interviewed Neil Putnam, a
former corrupt detective turned whistleblower, who
claimed that Clifford Norris, the father of David, was
paying Mr Davidson to obstruct the case and protect the
suspects. Mr Adams and Mr Davidson were both subjects

of internal corruption probes, though did not face
disciplinary or criminal charges. Both were accused of
having links with Clifford, a known drug smuggler, but
none of the claims were proven. Both denied wrongdoing.
The Macpherson report criticised Mr Davidson's role in the
original inquiry but found no evidence he tried to thwart it.
It also found Mr Adams played only a peripheral role in the
investigation. Mr Adams, who left the force because of a
bad back, later worked in a security role for a firm owned
by Rupert Murdoch.
uaware comment
So while a Police Commissioner states that it was the
worst thing he has come across in his career.The
perpetrators of the injustice are either drawing their
pension or have been promoted.
After a couple of public enquiries, court cases (abort and
successful) it has taken over 20 years for some form of
truth to come to the surface.
There is no other way to describe this other than say it is
absolutely disgusting.
(29th March 2014)
MURDER SQUAD OFFICERS MOVE TO SEX CASES
(London Evning Standard, dated 5th March 2014 author
Martin Bentham)
A total of 54 Met murder squad detectives are being
switched to rape and child abuse cases to deal with the
growing number of sex crime allegations in London.
The majority of the officers, who include 40 detective
constables, eight sergeants and six inspectors, will be
redeployed to the "Sapphire" rape investigation team.
The others will use their specialist skills to deal with

crimes against children, ranging from sexual exploitation
and physical attacks to female genital mutilation.
The move follows a significant increase in the reporting of
both rape, where allegations are up by 28 per cent, and
child abuse.
It has also been prompted by staffing problems caused by
the number of pregnancies among officers from the rape
and child abuse teams and the cases being investigated in
the wake of the Jimmy Savile scandal. Around 50 officers
are pregnant - one in 20 of the 1,000 strong rape and child
abuse command.
Detective Chief Superintendent Keith Niven, head of the
command, said he welcomed the fact that 55 per cent of
his staff were women, but added: "As a consequence of
that, we have an awful lot of people off on maternity
leave. As soon as people are pregnant they have to go on
to restricted duties, because we cannot have them
arresting prisoners and going out and that sort of thing.
"Then we have a number of illnesses that are related to
the condition of being pregnant. That has quite an impact
on the resources I have ."
He said that Operation Yewtree, set up to investigate
historical sexual abuse allegations following the Savile
scandal, had also depleted his numbers and that his total
number of "abstractions" was "around 150 for the whole
command". Mr Niven told the London Assembly that the
transfer of murder squad detectives to his unit would be
"ongoing" and reflected a review of workloads within the
Met. Their redeployment follows a sharp fall in homicides
over recent years to a record low of 102 in London last
year.
(29th March 2014)
NICKED BITCOINS - VIRTUAL MONEY DISAPPEARS !

MtGOX GIVES BANKRUPTCY DETAILS
(BBC News, dated 3rd March 2014)
More details have emerged about the problems that led to
one of the largest Bitcoin exchanges filing for bankruptcy.
MtGox filed for bankruptcy in Japan on Friday. It came after
the site had closed down after losing an estimated
750,000 of its customers' bitcoins.
"Illegal access through the abuse of a bug in the bitcoin
system" meant a "high probability" the bitcoins had been
stolen, it said in a statement.
Investigations are under way, it added.
Much of the statement released on MtGox's website
confirmed details contained in a leaked document that
surfaced just days before the bankruptcy application.
'Crimes punished'
As well as the 750,000 customers' bitcoins that were lost,
the company also said it had lost approximately 100,000
of its own. This amounts to nearly $500m (300m).
It also said MtGox accounts held with financial institutions
currently held approximately 2.8bn yen (16.5m) less than
the amount MtGox users had deposited.
To "establish the truth" about what had happened a "huge
amount of transaction reports" would need to be
investigated, the statement said. Because of this MtGox
could not give an exact amount of missing deposit funds
or the total amount of bitcoins that had disappeared.
MtGox also said that it had appointed an expert to look at
the possibility of criminal proceedings.
"We will make all efforts to ensure that crimes are

punished and damages are recovered," it said.
The possibility of continuing as a business in order to pay
back creditors was also being explored, the company said.
A call centre has also been set up answer customers
questions.
MtGox English speaking call centre : 03-4588-3922
MtGox Website : www.mtgox.com
(29th March 2014)
HACKERS TAKE CONTROL OF 300,000 HOME
ROUTERS
(BBC News, dated 3rd March 2014)
A world-spanning network of hijacked home routers has
been uncovered by security researchers.
The network involves more than 300,000 routers in homes
and small businesses that have been taken over through
loopholes in their core software.
Discovered by researchers at Team Cymru, the network is
thought to be one of the biggest involving such devices.
It is not yet clear what the people behind the attack intend
to do with the collection of compromised routers.
In a research paper describing its findings, Team Cymru
said it had first seen routers from several different
manufacturers being compromised in January 2014.
These first victims had been in Eastern Europe, but now
most of the machines were in Vietnam with the rest
scattered around Europe as well as a couple of other

countries, said Team Cymru.
Once routers were taken over, internal instructions were
changed so they no longer asked servers at their owner's
ISP for help looking up the location of websites they
regularly visit.
This would mean that the attackers could re-direct people
to anywhere they wanted, inject their own adverts into
web pages people visit or poison the search results they
get.
Instead, these queries were routed through two IP
addresses overseen by a hosting company in south
London. That company has yet to respond to a request for
comment.
Team Cymru researcher Steve Santorelli said the reason
for creating the network of hijacked routers was still
"mysterious" as the attackers did not seem to have
abused their control for malicious ends.
The attack had some similarities with an incident seen in
Poland, which involved hijacked home routers being redirected to malicious websites controlled by hi-tech
thieves keen to grab online bank login credentials, said Mr
Santorelli.
"It's a definite evolution in technology - going after the
internet gateway, not the end machine," Mr Santorelli told
the BBC in an email. "We see these leaps in concepts
every few years in cybercrime."
Team Cymru had contacted law enforcement about the
attack and informed ISPs with a lot of compromised
customers, he said.
Team-Cymru research paper :
www.teamcymru.com/ReadingRoom/Whitepapers/2013/TeamCymruS
OHOPharming.pdf
(29th March 2014)
DELAYED UK CYBER EMERGENCY TEAM WILL
LAUNCH THIS MONTH
(The Guardian, dated 24th March 2014 author Tom
Brewster)
The UK government will unveil its lead cyber emergency
response unit on 31 March, after delays had put the digital
squadron on hold, the Guardian has learned.
The UK Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-UK)
will work on developing the UK's cyber resilience to statesponsored and criminal attacks on critical systems,
including those controlling the national energy supply and
within government departments, according to the Cabinet
Office.
Launch day, considered by the Cabinet Office as "a key
milestone in the development of the UK's cyber security
capabilities", will initiate a "first phase", as part of an
incremental rollout.
The CERT was announced in December 2012, when the
Cabinet Office promised to deliver what is considered one
of the most important parts of its 650m cybersecurity
strategy within 12 months.
It soon conceded the project would be pushed back to
early 2014, with few reasons given, other than the division
needed more personnel, better technology and a
headquarters. They were duly added, with Chris Gibson,
formerly of the Forum of Incident Response and Security
Teams (First), made director.
Neil Cassidy, former cyberdefence lead at government
supplier Qinetiq, was made deputy director of operations.
Andrew Whittaker, a former Foreign Office crisis
management expert, was given the overall deputy director

role.
The government has been co-ordinating with law
enforcement bodies and the various industry-specific
CERTs, including those based out of GCHQ and the Centre
for the Protection of National Infrastructure, over the last
year on creating an effective response unit.
One of the key participants was the new National Cyber
Crime Unit (NCCU), launched in October 2013, as part of
the National Crime Agency. Kevin Williams, head of
partnership engagement at the NCCU, said there had been
"really good engagement" thus far with CERT-UK, which
will be based at an as-yet undisclosed London location.
Another core partner, the emergency response team
responsible for attacks on universities, Janet Computer
Security Incident Response Team, said it was already
collaborating with CERT-UK.
"Janet CSIRT has been working closely behind the scenes
with CERT-UK to share and enhance its experience in
incident response," a spokesperson said, in an emailed
statement from Jisc, the parent body of the Janet network.
"The new CERT-UK team already shares incident data with
CSIRT in real time over the Janet network, and both
organisations work collaboratively on the latest cyber
threats to the education and research sector and the UK
as a whole. We expect that CERT-UK will provide a single
point of co-ordination through which the existing UK
incident response community can pool their efforts to
secure UK cyberspace."
Charlie McMurdie, former head of the Metropolitan Police
Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) who was involved in the early
stages of CERT-UK's development, said the unit should act
as an overarching unit that will enhance the response to
major attacks being monitored by other incident response
teams.
Previously, CERTs worked in a siloed fashion, with limited

collaboration between them, McMurdie said. The new body
will aim to fix that weakness.
"Those sub-CERTs could be far stronger and far more
effective if you're picking up something in one sector it
just doesn't make sense that it is dealt with in isolation
within that sector when there are opportunities to engage
and utilise skill sets and intelligence elsewhere. You can
disseminate intelligence to prevent cross-sector impact,"
she added.
The launch comes at a time of heightened anxieties over
attacks on critical infrastructure. Experts last year warned
the UK's energy infrastructure was at risk of being shut
down by hackers, while Cabinet Office minister confirmed
plans to spend an additional 210m on protecting the
nation's digital assets by 2016.
(29th March 2014)
CYBER TRAINING - THOUSANDS SET FOR SKILLS
BOOST
(Police Oracle, dated 11th February 2014 author Jasmin
McDermott)
www.policeoracle.com [Option 1]
Thousands of investigators are set to benefit from a new
cyber crime training package which will reveal how
technology can be used to retrieve evidence in digital
investigations.
The multi-million pound training project by the College of
Policing will initially train 2,000 existing detectives and
investigators between now and April 2015. A further 3,000
will receive the training next year when new detectives
take up the course.
The one week training course has been designed to apply
to various roles and ranks within the Police Service from
new starters through to murder investigators, such as
Senior Investigating Officers, and assistant chief

constables.
The package, which has been funded by the Cabinet Office
through the Home Office, will educate officers about the
different aspects of cyber crime. These include fraud,
hacking, cyber stalking and random ware - a malicious
software that threatens the users for money or data.
It is hoped that the course will show detectives the range
of different technologies available and how they can use
them within their investigations to obtain evidence.
The course will be delivered by forces and the College
using officers and staff who have been trained in the new
material.
As previously reported, an enhanced cyber training
programme was piloted in three forces last year for junior
detectives embarking on their Professionalising
Investigations Programme (PIP) Level 2 course.
The five day session focused on the benefits of open
source intelligence as well as giving guidance on how
detectives should develop cyber crime strategies.
Andy Kay, Head of Investigative Training at the College,
said: "The College is at the forefront of ensuring police
forces have the capability to investigate and disrupt cyber
crime by developing training for investigators to bring
offenders to justice, even if they are based outside the UK.
"We want to ensure the standard we set allow
investigators to respond to incidents ranging from abuse
on social media through to specialist techniques of cyber
investigation."
(29th March 2014)
CAMP CULTURE - TERRORIST TRAINING
(Police Oracle, dated 29th January 2014 author Andrew
Staniforth)
www.policeoracle.com
[Option 1]
Over recent years the police and intelligence agencies

have increasingly focused upon terrorist training camps. It
is important for police officers to understand what may
constitute such a place - at home or overseas - to ensure
they are keeping their communities safe from
contemporary terrorist activity.
Training camps
On one level, terrorist training facilities can relate to
camps in the mountainous border regions of Pakistan or
Afghanistan. They may also be located within Iraq, or more
recently in Syria, where individuals attend from all over
the world to join rebel groups and fight for their chosen
cause. These camps are located in secure locations, they
are lightweight, very mobile and often move around to
avoid identification and capture.
On another level, terrorist training camps may relate to an
outward bound centre or paintballing facility located in the
UK, where terrorist organisations use the cover of
legitimate businesses to conduct training to develop and
improve their capabilities, and more worryingly, progress
the recruitment and radicalisation of vulnerable British
citizens.
Operation Overamp
During 2005, the police and MI5 embarked upon a twoyear terrorist training camp investigation codenamed
'Operation Overamp'. The major covert terrorist
investigation focused upon Attila Ahmet (43) from
Bromley, Kent and Mohammed Hamid (50) of Hackney,
East London.
Andy Hayman, then Assistant Commissioner of Specialist
Operations at the Metropolitan Police, revealed that Hamid
was a "veteran of Pakistan military camps who called

himself 'Osama bin London'", going on to describe Ahmet
as "an associate of the jailed preacher Abu Hamza."
Initial intelligence efforts by M15 indicated that the
training camps under surveillance were not 'soft-touch'
camps but were a cover for terrorist activity. To progress
the covert investigation of Overamp, the police and MI5
mounted intrusive surveillance operations and deployed
an undercover officer who was able successfully to
infiltrate the terrorist group. This provided excellent
coverage of the activities of Hamid and Ahmet which later
led to their arrest for terrorism offences.
Operational challenges
The complex covert techniques deployed to progress
Overamp provided unique challenges for investigators and
prosecutors. Deborah Walsh, then Deputy Head of the
Crown Prosecution Service Counter Terrorism Division,
revealed: "Operation Overamp was the first 'terrorist
training' prosecution for offences contrary to sections 6
and 8 of the Terrorism Act 2006.
Evidence to support these offences came from three
primary sources including; a probe deployed in Hamid's
address; an audio recording device from the undercover
officer; and live evidence from the undercover officer who
attended the meetings. The live evidence of the
undercover officer illustrated the importance of witness
testimony in understanding the context of other more
technical evidence.
At the Central Criminal Court in London and at Woolwich
Crown Court during 2007 and 2008, seven men
investigated under Operation Overamp, including Hamid
and Ahmet, were convicted of terrorism related offences.
Hamid was found guilty of three counts of soliciting
murder and three counts of providing terrorist training and
was jailed on March 7 2008 under special Imprisonment
for Public Protection powers.
Terrorist training offences

In the immediate aftermath of the July 7 2005 bombings in
London, legislators recognised that in order to prevent
terrorist acts while successfully prosecuting terrorists,
updated laws were required so terrorists could be stopped
while planning and preparing their attacks. The result of
this new emphasis upon pre-emption led to the enactment
of the Terrorism Act 2006.
The 2006 Act extended police powers, creating nine new
offences, and most importantly, significantly lowered the
threshold for individuals to be arrested for terrorism
offences. Section 6 of the Terrorism Act 2006 created two
offences of terrorist training. Providing instruction or
training for terrorist acts and receiving such instruction or
training were covered by these offences.
To reinforce legal measures against terrorist training
camps, section 8 of the Terrorism Act 2006 made it an
offence to attend at a place used for terrorist training
which includes camps in the UK and overseas - a vital tool
for border police to stop the exportation of terrorism and
prevent the flow of British citizen 'foreign fighters' leaving
UK shores to take up arms in conflicts overseas.
Lessons learned
For the first time, Operation Overamp showed the full
extent of terrorist training on the UK mainland. It revealed
the full operation of British terror camps, destroying the
myth that were clandestine in nature, but were in fact
being carried out in what was effectively the complete
open. It also showed with alarming clarity that people
attending these camps did so in full view of everyone.
Further investigations led to the police and Security
Service identifying legitimate venues, such as outward
bound centres and paintballing facilities, which were being
used by extremists to train and indoctrinate their
followers.
While these venues were not terrorist training camps per

se, it was the purpose of the individuals attending that
gave them a new and sinister cachet and meant that
those individuals could be prosecuted for the new antiterror offences provided by the Terrorism Act 2006.
The 'training camps' were also used to asses whether
potential recruits could adapt to trekking over hills and
sleeping outdoors in tents in the UK, providing an
indication of whether they could then operate in harsher
conditions to be found in training camps in Pakistan and
Afghanistan. The camps also provided a cover for attack
plans and logistics to be progressed, as well as the raising
of funds for terrorist purposes.
Policing terrorism
It is important for police officers to understand what
makes a paintballing centre or outdoors activity facility
into a 'terrorist training camp' for the purpose of the law.
Essentially, it is the purpose why individuals are at that
place at that time. Therefore, terrorist training camps do
not need to be clandestine in nature and may be carried
out in the complete open. Persons attending these types
of camps in the countryside do so in full view of everyone.
Outward bound and activity centres are clearly legitimate
venture - however it is the reason why individuals attend
which may bring them into conflict with the law. The
powers introduced by Parliament to address the use of
terrorist training camps provides essential tools for
tackling contemporary terrorism.
Police officers working in both urban and rural areas must
be aware that terrorist training at the lowest level in the
UK is more likely to involve outdoor activities which tests
potential recruits capabilities in readiness for training in
harsher conditions in conflict zones abroad.
The terrorist training of British citizens, at home or
overseas, continues to present a clear and present danger
to our nation's security, and all in authority must be alert
to terrorist training activities.

Dr Andrew Stanforth is Senior Research Fellow, Centre of
Excellence in Terrorism, Resilience, Intelligence &
Organised Crime Research (CENTRIC)
(29th March 2014)
ROBOT COULD TRANSFORM CRIME SCENE
SURVEILLANCE
(Police Oracle, dated 28th January 2014 author Jasmin
McDermott)
A mobile surveillance robot which can detect visual
changes in a sealed environment could prove vital in
helping officers' secure high-risk areas and assisting with
crime detection.
The device uses image acquisition to capture images of
various locations within an indoor environment using a
fixed route programmed into the robot.
The user of the device can also navigate the robot to
move around the room to certain areas using a laptop
configured to the same software. Each command made by
the user will be stored on the software to map out the
entire route.
Once the area has been closed off, the robot then
completes the same route as before, capturing images of
the same areas to secure a 'before and after' shot of the
scene. These images are then processed by the device to
detect if there are any visual changes in the environment,
including the removal or addition of equipment.
Images are then produced highlighting the "change areas"
within a red box and sent to the user's computer.
Creator Soumitra Sakhalkar said: "Essentially this alerts
the security personnel that the equipment might be
imminently under threat of getting stolen."

The device is intended to assist security personnel and
reduce the number of indoor security patrols after
buildings are sealed off.
In an interview with PoliceOracle.com, Mr Sakhalkar, a
postgraduate student at the University of Central
Lancashire, said the device has the potential to reduce
multiple checks by officers of an indoor environment for
VIP visits, as well as areas that are high risk.
He said: "The idea enables the robot to highlight objects
mistakenly left behind or identify when objects have been
removed after the building has been closed.
"The aim was to produce a device which could help
security personnel who every night patrol a huge number
of areas within a university estate. It has been hard work
by immensely satisfying."
His device won an international competition by the
Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Vision and
Imaging Network at the 5th International Conference on
Imaging for Crime Prevention and Detection.
(29th March 2014)
COMPUTING SECURITY - JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2014

HOW TO TEST THE SECURITY SAVVY OF YOUR STAFF
(Computer World, dated 24th February 2014 author Kim
Lindros and Ed Tittel)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9246538/How_to_Test_t
he_Security_Savvy_of_Your_Staff?
Security can be an acute pain point for CIOs. There might
be nothing that causes more sleepless nights than

ensuring the security of an organization's data and
systems. Specialists fortify the network perimeter with
firewalls and IDPSs, segment the network and perform
regular audits and rigorous assessments. They also
classify data and isolate critical files, and follow best
practices regarding least privilege and security policies.
Unfortunately, these efforts are vulnerable to the actions
of undereducated or malicious users. In its 2013 global,
the Ponemon Institute estimates that the average total
cost of a data breach in the United States is just over $5.4
million. Roughly 67 percent of the incidents resulted from
a malicious or criminal attack or a system glitch, but 33
percent are attributed to the human factor.
-----------------------------------------------------THE MOON WORM INFECTS LINKSYS ROUTERS
(Computer World, dated 14th February 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9246344/_The_Moon_w
orm_infects_Linksys_routers?
A self-replicating program is infecting Linksys routers by
exploiting an authentication bypass vulnerability in
various models from the vendor's E-Series product line.
Researchers from SANS Institute's Internet Storm Center
(ISC) issued an alert Wednesday about incidents where
Linksys E1000 and E1200 routers had been compromised
and were scanning other IP (Internet Protocol) address
ranges on ports 80 and 8080. On Thursday the ISC
researchers reported that they managed to capture the
malware responsible for the scanning activity in one of
their honeypots -- systems intentionally left exposed to be
attacked.
------------------------------------------------------
CYBERESPIONAGE OPERATION "THE MASK" COMPROMISED

ORGANISATIONS IN 30-PLUS COUNTRIES
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9246216/Cyberespionag
e_operation_39_The_Mask_39_compromised_organizations
_in_30_plus_countries?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_201402-12
A cyberespionage operation that used highly sophisticated
multi-platform malware went undetected for more than
five years and compromised computers belonging to
hundreds of government and private organizations in more
than 30 countries.
Details about the operation were revealed Monday in a
paper by security researchers from antivirus firm
Kaspersky Lab who believe the attack campaign could be
state sponsored.
The Kaspersky researchers dubbed the whole operation
"The Mask," the English translation for the Spanish word
Careto, which is what the attackers called their main
backdoor program.
-------------------------------------------------------UK SPY AGENCY ATTACKED HACKTIVIST GROUPS
Constantin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9246061/U.K._spy
_agency_attacked_hacktivist_groups?
British intelligence agency Government Communications
Headquarters (GCHQ) has reportedly infiltrated hacktivist
groups and used denial-of-service and other techniques to

disrupt their online activities.
A PowerPoint presentation that GCHQ prepared for a 2012
conference organized by the U.S. National Security Agency
reveals that one of the agency's units, called the Joint
Threat Research Intelligence Group (JTRIG), collected
information on "hacktivists" -- politically motivated
hackers -- and shared it with law enforcement agencies.
The unit also used denial-of-service techniques to disrupt
the hacktivists' communication channels.
--------------------------------------------------------STEADY RISE IS SURVEILLANCE DATA REQUESTS
(Computer WOrld, dated 2nd February 2014)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245986/Google_Faceb
ook_Microsoft_show_steady_rise_in_surveillance_data_requ
ests?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-02-04
Google, Facebook and Microsoft were among the
technology companies to release new figures Monday
showing a rising number of requests for their users' data
coming from a secretive U.S. surveillance court.
Figures vary by company, though the numbers show that
the content of multiple thousands of users' accounts has
been sought in recent years by the U.S. Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) court.
Google : Content of accounts - 9,000 (7000)
Microsoft : Content of accounts - 15,000 (11,000)
Facebook : Content of accounts - 5,000 (4,000)
---------------------------------------------------------YAHOO RESETS PASSWORDS AFTER EMAIL HACK
(Computer World, dated 30th January 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245908/Yahoo_resets_
passwords_after_email_hack?
Yahoo has been resetting email accounts that were
targeted in an attack apparently aimed at collecting
personal information from recently sent messages, the
company said Thursday.
The list of usernames and passwords used for the attack
was likely collected when another company's database
was breached, Jay Rossiter, a Yahoo senior vice president,
said in a blog post. He didn't name the third party or say
how many accounts were affected.
"We are working with federal law enforcement to find and
prosecute the perpetrators responsible for this attack,"
Rossiter wrote.
The hackers used a malicious software program to access
Mail accounts with the stolen usernames and passwords,
he wrote.
----------------------------------------------------SUSPECTED EMAIL HACKERS FOR HIGH CHARGED IN FOUR
COUNTRIES
(Computer World, dated 27th January 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245780/Suspected_em
ail_hackers_for_hire_charged_in_four_countries?
Eleven people were charged in the U.S., India, China and
Romania for their suspected involvement with websites
offering email hacking services.
Three US citizns were charged with a felony offense for

hacking into nearly 6,000 email accounts, the U.S.
Attorney's Office for the Central District of California
announced Friday. Authorities believe Townsend and Tabor
operated a website called needapassword.com through
which they offered to obtain, for a fee, the passwords to
email accounts supplied by other users. The payments
were received via PayPal.
-----------------------------------------------------5 REASONS WE ARE LOSING THE FIGHT FOR ONLINE
PRIVACY
(Computer World, dated 22nd January 2014 author Paul
Coletti)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245608/5_reasons_we_
re_losing_the_fight_for_online_privacy?
In December 2013, Edward Snowden appeared on British
television to exhort the world to think about the "privacy
of the average person" and fight against the surveillance
state. He was too late. Here are five reasons why the
battle for online privacy will eventually be lost.
-----------------------------------------------------SIX MORE US RETAILERS HIT BY HACKS
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245531/Six_more_U.S.
_retailers_hit_by_Target_like_hacks?
Cybercriminals have stolen payment card data from six
more U.S. retailers using similar point-of-sale malware that
compromised Target, a computer crime intelligence
company said Friday.
The conclusion comes from a study of members-only

forums where cybercriminals buy and sell data and
malicious software tools, said Dan Clements, president of
IntelCrawler, which conducted the analysis.
The retailers have not been publicly named, but
IntelCrawler is providing technical information related to
the breaches to law enforcement, Clements said in a
telephone interview Friday.
Nb. If a Russian is hacking into US businesses, do you
realy think he is not hacking UK stores ?
-----------------------------------------------------YAHOO MALVERTISING ATTACK LINKED TO LARGER
MALWARE SCHEME
(Computer World, dated 9th March 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Full Article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245325/Yahoo_malvert
ising_attack_linked_to_larger_malware_scheme?
A deeper look by Cisco Systems into the cyberattack that
infected Yahoo users with malware appears to show a link
between the attack and a suspicious affiliate trafficpushing scheme with roots in Ukraine.
Yahoo said on Sunday that European users were served
malicious advertisements, or "malvertisements," between
Dec. 31 and last Saturday. If clicked, the advertisements
directed users to websites that tried to install malicious
software.
Cisco discovered that the malicious websites victims
landed on are linked to hundreds of others that have been
used in ongoing cyberattacks, said Jaeson Schultz, a threat
research engineer.
The articles on this page are either produced by the
operator of the website, from national publishers or
Government departments. Where the information is from

an external source all information on the origins of the
article will appear under the title.
Links annotated [Option 1] will direct you to a website that
will possibly download a 3rd party cookie to your
computer. Your Browser or security software may be set up
to prevent this download from taking place.
HAPPY NEW YEAR - SOME SUGGESTED

RESOLUTIONS
- Test your smoke alarm and replace old batteries - replace
unit if necessary, they are only 5 !
- Always ensure that uPVC doors are locked correctly
- Keep computer security software up to date.
- Regularly check bank and credit card statements for
fraudulent transactions.
- Shred unwanted bank, credit card and utility statements.
- Reduce liklihood of skidding - check that the tread on
your car tyres meet the legal depth.
- Always ensure that you home looks occupied, even when
you are out. Use a timeswitch on a tablelamp so it lights
up when dark.
- Why not at least think about having that free household
security check by your local Police Safer Neighbourhood
Team !
DECEMBER 2014
FBI RELEASES EXPANDED CRIME STATISTICS FOR
2013
(FBI Website, dated 22nd December 2014)
Full article :
www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/december/fbi-releases2013-national-incident-based-reporting-system-statistics
Today, the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program

released its third annual compilation of statistics from the
National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS),
providing expanded data on more than 4.9 million criminal
incidents reported to law enforcement in 2013.
The NIBRS, implemented to improve the overall quality of
crime data collected by law enforcement, captures details
on each single crime incident-as well as on separate
offenses within the same incident-including information on
victims, known offenders, relationships between victims
and offenders, arrestees, and property involved in the
crimes. In this latest report, 6,328 NIBRS agencies-about a
third of the more than 18,000 law enforcement agencies
that participate in the UCR Program-reported 4,927,535
crime incidents involving 5,665,902 offenses, 5,980,569
victims, 4,517,902 known offenders, and 1,533,671
arrestees.
While these numbers are not yet nationally representative,
the FBI is undertaking a number of efforts to educate law
enforcement and others on the benefits of the NIBRS and
to increase participation in the program. For example, we
have partnered with the Department of Justice's Bureau of
Justice Statistics on the National Crime Statistics Exchange
to assist states and agencies interested in submitting their
crime data through the NIBRS.
As compared to UCR's traditional Summary Reporting
System currently used in the annual Crime in the United
States report-which is an aggregate monthly tally of
crimes-the NIBRS is a more comprehensive accounting of
crime occurring in a law enforcement agency's jurisdiction.
When used to its full potential, the NIBRS can identify with
precision when and where crime takes place, the form it
takes, and the characteristics of its victims and
perpetrators. Armed with this information, law
enforcement agencies can better define and articulate the
resources they need and then apply these resources
where they'd be most effective.
When the UCR Program studied several years of NIBRS

data to examine the effect of agencies switching to the
system, most figures stayed the same-especially for the
single-offense incidents-but slight increases occurred for
agencies that had several multiple-offense incidents. For
NIBRS submissions, all of the offenses in an incident were
reported-not just the most serious one as is done in the
Summary Reporting System. So when agencies switch to
the NIBRS, it may seem like crime within their region has
increased, but that perception of an increase is due to the
greater level of reporting specificity in NIBRS data
compared to that for summary data.
New in the NIBRS this year: This latest report includes
information about new collection standards-and new dataincluding a revised rape definition, the addition of human
trafficking offenses and gender and gender identity bias
categories, and the revision of sexual orientation bias
types and race and ethnicity categories.
Next year-at the request of the National Sheriffs'
Association and the Animal Welfare Institute-an animal
cruelty offense category will be added to the NIBRS and
will include four separate types of abuse: simple/gross
neglect, intentional abuse and torture, organized abuse
(dog fighting and cock fighting), and animal sexual abuse.
This new category will be implemented during 2015, and
data collection will begin January 2016.
Crime in the USA, compiled by the FBI
Link notes :
www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-theu.s/2013/preliminary-semiannual-uniform-crime-reportjanuary-june-2013
Offences Reported to Law Enforcement by State by City
100,000 and over in population :
www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-
u.s/2013/preliminary-semiannual-uniform-crime-reportjanuary-june-2013/tables/Table_4_January_to_June_20122013_Offenses_Reported_to_Law_Enforcement_by_State_b
y_City.xls/view
(1st January 2015)
DIGITAL BILLBOARD INITIATIVE
(FBI Website, dated 24th December 2014)
Full article :
www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/december/digital-billboardinitiative
In April 2013, a Buffalo grand jury indicted 33-year-old
Oscar Romero and other suspected members of the Loiza
Boys gang, charging them with heroin and cocaine
distribution. After nearly a year on the run, investigators
received information that Romero had returned to the
Buffalo area from Puerto Rico, and the FBI deployed a
powerful weapon to help capture the fugitive-digital
billboards.
The electronic billboards featuring Romero's face-along
with the words "Wanted" and "Drug Charges" and a
number to call-were posted in the Buffalo area on March
31, 2014. Four days later, Romero turned himself in.
"When our billboards went live, Oscar Romero had been a
federal fugitive for just shy of a year," said Brian Boetig,
special agent in charge of the FBI's Buffalo Division. "Our
partnership with the local billboard company generated
media attention and conversations throughout Romero's
West Side neighborhood, which pressured him into safely
surrendering."
Similar events have occurred around the country, thanks
to the FBI's National Digital Billboard Initiative, which
began in 2007 in Philadelphia when a graduate of the FBI's
Citizens Academy-who happened to be an executive with
Clear Channel Outdoor-offered to provide free space on
the company's digital billboards to help catch criminals

and rescue missing children.
Since then, the program has recorded impressive growthand results. To date, the FBI has captured 53 individuals as
a direct result of billboard publicity, and the Bureau now
has access to more than 5,200 billboards nationwide made
available by a number of companies. The billboard
initiative is an excellent example of how law enforcement,
the private sector, and the public can all work together to
bring criminals to justice in today's information age.
"We view the partnership with the FBI as a model of public
service," said Nancy Fletcher, president and CEO of the
Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA). "The
billboard program makes a difference, using the latest
technology on behalf of public safety."
The FBI has formal partnerships with OAAA, Clear Channel
Outdoor, Lamar Advertising Company, Outfront Media
(formerly CBS Outdoor), Adams Outdoor Advertising, the
Fairway Media Group, CEMUSA, and the Outdoor
Advertising Association of Georgia. All these organizationsincluding other digital advertisers who informally support
the program-have been critical to the success of numerous
investigative efforts, because digital billboards are
extremely effective in reaching the public with information
about fugitives, missing persons, and public safety issues.
"The companies' willingness to assist us in bringing
criminals to justice, as well as the speed in which they are
able to publicize the information, is a tribute to their
organizations," said Mike Kortan, assistant director for the
FBI's Office of Public Affairs. "Their efforts have given us
an added edge to identify, locate, and apprehend
fugitives-and that, in turn, has helped to stop many
criminals from further victimizing the public."
Because digital billboards can be quickly changed and
updated, information about a kidnapped child, a bank
robbery, or a matter of public safety can immediately be
displayed. And messages can be targeted to specific
geographic locations, which is important when time is of

the essence.
And as the program expands, we are adding new formats.
Fugitive information, for example, is now being displayed
on digital bus shelters in Washington, D.C., and digital
newsstands in New York City. "Thanks to our partnerships,
the billboard initiative has been a tremendous success,"
Kortan said. "We look forward to its continued growth."
(1st January 2015)
CYBER CRIME : BUSINESS TIE-UPS MAY BE
REQUIRED TO FIND TALENT
(Police Oracle, dated 11th December 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
www.policeoaracle.com [Option 1]
Police may need to form partnerships with private
companies in order to get the expertise they need to
tackle the ever-growing threat of cyber crime, a report has
suggested.
As forces try to grow their capacity in the area, they will
find it harder to recruit talent who could otherwise work at
top IT companies, security expert Carl Roberts told
PoliceOracle.com.
He was speaking after a major survey found that law
enforcement professionals believe that the time they
spend tackling cyber crime will treble over the next three
years, but that just 30 per cent say they currently have
the skills and tools to do the job effectively.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has also
repeatedly warned about gaps in the force's ability to
prevent and investigate cyber crime.
PA Consulting carried out the latest study by speaking to
185 analysts from 48 law enforcement organisations.
Of those, one in three said that a lack of suitable IT and
policies was holding them back from being able to share

operational information.
Limited talent pool
Mr Roberts, co-author of a report based on the survey,
said that forces could struggle to hire suitably skilled
people in the area and may be better served looking to
private companies or academia for help.
He told PoliceOracle.com: "Some national agencies have
been looking at this for several years and now other
agencies and the police are getting into this area too.
They are all wanting people who are brilliant at exploiting
data, who understand really complex things, and they are
all going to be fishing in a very limited pool of resources to
recruit those specialists. We're trying to say to police
forces 'don't necessarily fall into the trap of thinking you
can recruit people who just fall into your existing
structures'.
"These are new graduates who could maybe get a job at
Google or somewhere, so forces are going to have to think
really carefully about how they're going to get those skills
and it might not be the traditional recruitment methods, it
may be partnerships with technology companies or using
academia more."
He stressed: "We're not saying all the people in existing
posts are not good at their jobs, but as the need for these
data scientists grows in cyber that's probably not going to
come through your traditional way of recruiting."
Mr Roberts pointed out that salaries are much higher in
the private sector and that those gaining the skills to
investigate online crime in the public sector could move
on after a couple of years training and experience.
Change in law
The PA Consultancy survey, compiled in association with
the Police National Analysis Working Group, found a
patchy network for reporting and sharing data with

duplication existing in many areas.
The reports' authors are also calling for legislative changes
to enable better online investigations, but feel that it is up
to police and other agencies to explain better about their
gaps in capability.
"There is a need for that legislation but they're going to
have to give much better examples of why they need it
and explaining that this is not big brother and there will
still be constraints on what can be done," he said.
Chief Constable Giles York, the national lead for
Intelligence Analysis writes in a foreword to the report: "I
am sure all colleagues will find the insights in this report
very useful as they develop their response to the growing
challenge of cybercrime."
As previously reported, the National Crime Agency has
recruited a team of volunteers who are experts in niche
areas such as cyber crime.
City of London Police, which leads nationally on fraud,
recently recruited Paul Clements, a former senior banker
at several major financial institutions, as its first direct
entry superintendent.
(1st January 2015)
ARE YOU BEING TARGETED BY SCAMS ?
(BT Website, dated 26th December 2014 author Gav
Barang)
Full article [Option 1] :
http://home.bt.com/news/bt-life/are-you-being-targetedby-scams-11363947763050
Whether it is by phone, post or email, criminals worldwide
are targeting the vulnerable. Find out how you can prevent
being affected yourself - and make sure neighbours,
friends and family know what to look out for.

As postal scams appear to be making a comeback in
addition to the already prevalent problem of email and
phone scams, it's more important than ever to make sure
you as well as your friends and family know how to avoid
being tricked.
If it sounds too good to be true - it probably is
We want to make you aware of scams and a great
campaign known as Think Jessica - which aims to protect
vulnerable customers who are targeted by criminals
through the postal system and also by telephone.
Often the most vulnerable people in society - who may not
have access to the internet or live alone - are targeted in
these scams. Criminals do this by building up contacts or
'mailing lists' categorising elderly or vulnerable people. If
they choose to respond or show any interest, they can be
placed on another list to reflect this and sold across the
world.
Once people are on this 'suckers list', they can be targeted
with endless amounts of contacts via the post and phone
promising prizes if a purchase or payment is made.
Scammers are ruthless and calculating and will use
whatever means to get into the mind of individuals and try
to build up trust. The idea is to lure someone into a false
sense of security - for example, scammers can pose as
clairvoyants, turn people against their family and friends,
and swear victims to secrecy.
The Think Jessica campaign
Jessica was a victim who became trapped in a delusional
world created by criminals worldwide. The Think Jessica
charity produces educational material aimed at those like
Jessica who don't have internet access or any way of being
educated about scams, how to make a report or find help.
Think Jessica is a campaign that highlights the dangers of
replying to deceptive mail through the post or via phone
calls - and is trying to get a condition recognised as Jessica

Scam Syndrome (JSS).
People with JSS have been 'brainwashed' by scammers,
who make them believe they have won the lottery or other
types of winnings. The scammers often do this by
pretending they are someone of authority such as a lottery
official, solicitor - or even an FBI agent.
Once they've snared an individual, JSS victims don't have
the thought process to understand they are beings
scammed. JSS victims can then refuse or be unwilling to
co-operate with family and friends - or actually pretend
they've stopped the scams but carry on in secret.
Could Think Jessica help someone you know? To receive a
free booklet send a loose 2nd class stamp to Think Jessica,
PO Box 44 42, Chesterfield, S44 9AS.
To learn more about Think Jessica, visit
www.thinkjessica.com.
What you can do
Elderly people can fall victim more easily to scams as
mental ability to assess risk can decline with age. Equally,
elderly people want to retain control of their finances and
independence.
Make sure people aware to be on their guard against
targeted phone or post contacts. If they're unsure of the
legitimacy, encourage them to discuss with a family
member, friend or someone they trust. They should also
know to be careful about sharing account numbers or
personal details.
BT has useful information on our website that you can
share with family and friends. Find out how to handle
unwanted calls, including screening and blocking calls, by
going to www.bt.com/unwantedcalls.
(1st January 2015)
HIDE AND SEEK - TRACKING INTERNATIONAL

OFFENDERS
(Police Oracle, dated 23rd December 2014 author Gary
Mason)
Full article (after registration) :
www.policeoracle.com/news/International/2014/Dec/12/Hid
e-and-seek_86533.html/features
In October 2014, a UK government report revealed that
serious violent and sexual offenders from other countries
had "disappeared" from the offender management map
after serving their sentences in UK prisons.
The report from the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed
that 58 serious serial offenders had vanished because the
UK had failed to sign up to an EU database that would
enable border guards to receive alerts about traveling
foreign offenders. Forces also did not routinely check the
European Criminal Record system in seven out of 10 cases
in which a foreign national was detained. The NAO report
also showed that immigration checks and scrutiny of
overseas criminal databases, such as Interpol's, are rarely
undertaken.
The lack of checks on international offenders and illegal
immigrants is not solely a UK problem within the EU, but
its somewhat unique political position within Europe
complicates the issue. For example, the UK is not part of
the Schengen Agreement, which allows passport-free
travel among 26 EU states. In exchange for the removal of
the requirement for passport checks, the participating
countries apply common rules for checks at the external
borders of the Schengen area, as well as on the issue of
visas and co-operation between police and judicial
services in criminal matters. Non-Schengen area visitors
are allowed to stay within the zone for 90 days without a
visa.
Those who need a visa have to supply a 10-fingerprint
record, a searchable facial image and other personal

information to the Visa Information System (VIS), which is
searchable by all signatory states. There is also a separate
fingerprint system known as EURODAC, which collects
biometric information of non-EU citizens seeking asylum
within European borders.
As the UK is outside this arrangement it also is not part of
the Schengen Information System (SIS) - the second
generation of which went live in 2013. SIS II allows
national authorities to issue and share alerts on people
who may have been involved in a serious crime or may
not have the right to enter or stay in the EU. It also
contains alerts on missing persons, in particular children,
as well as information on certain property, such as
banknotes, cars, vans, firearms and identity documents,
that may have been stolen, misappropriated or lost.
But the lack of biometric checks in the system has
historically aided criminal attempts at identity fraud by
applying for a Schengen visa, and then subsequently
trying to claim asylum and purchase additional fake
passports in one or more other countries. With the
implementation of the biometric-driven EURODAC and
other biometric-based Schengen systems, this scenario
should no longer be possible, but criminals can still take
advantage of the lack of fingerprint exchanges between
Europe and other third-party countries, such as the US.
In order to plug these gaps, the EU has proposed a
SmartBorders initiative made up of an entry-exit system, a
registered traveller programme and an amended
Schengen borders code.? But in a familiar European bout
of in-fighting and slow bureaucratic strangulation, the
proposed legal frameworks for the system have
encountered a multitude of technical, organisational and
political problems?. So the European Commission has
effectively gone back to the drawing board. It is
undertaking an in-depth study followed by a large scale
pilot to "redirect the SmartBorders concept".
Richard Rinkens joined the VIS team at DG Justice Freedom
Security, in 2005. He became responsible for the Biometric

Matching System (BMS), which was to become the
common EU automated fingerprint identification system
(AFIS). The BMS is currently providing fingerprint
identification and verification services to the VIS and
might do so in the future for EURODAC and SIS II. Rinkens
is now dealing with the Smart Borders initiative.
He is unequivocal about the holes in the identity checking
apparatus at Europe's borders, despite the existence of
several different biometric databases containing
fingerprint records and other information.
"If today I was an American citizen and I wanted to stay
[illegally] for two years in the Schengen area and then I
decided I wanted to leave, the simplest way to do that is
to throw away my passport," he says. "That is because
there will be an entry and an exit stamp in there. So, if I
throw it away and ask for a new one, nobody would know.
Today, we have no clue whatsoever how many people
arrive and leave the Schengen area." He says that
occasionally the EC has initiated bizarre exercises whereby
border guards in individual states have been asked to
count how many EU and non-EU citizens arrive and depart
the zone for a period of a week or so.
To try and remedy the system the EU has looked at a
number of options with the important proviso that
traveling needed to remain a largely pleasant experience
for citizens. Huge queues at police immigration posts were
not a desirable price to pay for enhanced checks. The
Smart Borders initiative ludicrously proposed that the
entry-exit system should involve taking 10 fingerprints
from every traveler at all border crossings. Rinkens says
this was completely impractical - the quickest time he had
gone through a similar checking procedure (the US
system) is close to two hours and that has to be
undertaken for each trip to the US.
Ten-fingerprint checks at airports is bad enough, says
Rinkens, but that does not include land border crossings
as well. "In Europe, we have our equivalent of the
Canadian and Mexico borders," he says. "To take 10fingerprints from everyone crossing those borders on a
train, for example, would be an absolute nightmare."
There would also be an issue around how the separate
checking systems would operate, as it would lead to the
requirement to carry multiple documents - a travel token,
a visa and a passport. This would dilute the benefits of
quicker biometric checking technology at the border, such
as e-gates. "Can you imagine how long it would take to
stand in front of an e-gate reader and scan a token, a visa
and a passport one after another?" asks Rinkens.
Biometric data
Another issue was which biometric should be chosen as
the common checking protocol. He says the EC went with
the fingerprint option, whereas the most common
biometric used by European e-gate technology is facial
recognition.
The retention period for biometric data has also been a
thorny issue for the European parliament and the Smart
Borders proposals opted for a period of only three months.
"We were in effect saying to the traveller we will create
this record for you and then three months later throw it
away," says Rinkens. "This causes a big problem for the
gentleman who arrives in February and then comes back
again in June and once more in November. Each time he
will be stopped to have his fingerprints taken, his face
scanned and his passport checked."
There were also issues about giving law enforcement
agencies access to all this information with a biometric
searching capability encompassing up to four different
systems (including Scengen, EURODAC the EU visa
database and the proposed entry-exit system). "After a
few years there would be a collective database of some
200 million 10-fingerprint [records] and if law enforcement
were not able to search that having spent so much money
setting it up that would be a bit strange," he adds.
Even if this were possible, he adds, each of the four

databases containing biometric information would need a
separate AFIS to act as a search engine. Four separate
systems would be a huge expense for limited return on
investment. "In short, we messed up. There is no point in
denying it," says Rinkens of the original Smart Border
proposals. In order to try and rescue the programme the
EC employed PricewaterhouseCoopers(PwC) to conduct a
study and a 400-page report has now been placed on the
EC's website. The plan is to conduct a live pilot next year.
The aim is to use a document containing biometric
information and data on entry and exit dates to create a
single record without having to read multiple documents
several times. This information would then be used to
correctly identify an individual and then calculate how
many days they are allowed to stay in the Schengen area
with or without a visa.
For those who have applied and been given a visa, there
would be no need for any additional biometric information
(such as the flawed 10-fingerprint proposal for each visit in
the initial programme remit) because the traveller will
have already supplied fingerprints and a readable facial
image in their VIS application. For visa exempt travellers,
the idea would be for them to make an online registration.
There are still numerous gaps that have the potential to be
exploited by criminals or illegal entrants, says Rinkens. "If
I am 24-years-old, single with no children and have a
Masters degree in technology and I am a citizen from a
country that needs a visa to go into the Schengen area, it
is highly unlikely that I would be granted one if I applied.
Why? Because there is a pretty good chance that I would
never leave. So what would I do to get in another way?"
The simplest way is to procure a genuine European
passport. These can be bought on the black market for
between 800 to 1,200. The issue for the person trying
to use the document to pass through border control is that
their details do not match those on the genuine document
that has been bought illegally. In order to overcome this
the user would purchase an RFID card online, which can
be bought for 5, and enter the exact information which is

in the RFID chip in the real passport on to the card. The
only thing you would change is your facial image. When
you come to border control you would select an e-gate
and hold the RFID card on the reader.
When e-passports were first being designed, a system was
created that was supposed to prevent the illegal cloning of
RFID data on identification documents. Passport data on
RFID chips is signed with a digital certificate belonging to
the country to which the passport was issued. E-passport
systems are supposed to verify that certificate when
scanning a passport.
Digital certificate
All countries issuing e-passports are supposed to upload
their digital certificate to the Public Key Directory (PKD), a
database that should be queried to ensure the certificate
is correct. But only a small number of countries have
agreed to upload those certificates to the PKD, and are
actively contributing to the database.
"This master list does not really exist," says Rinkens.
"Germany is in the process of making one, but in order for
it to work properly you need one for the whole Schengen
area. Personally, I do not think this will ever happen,
because there are always going to be some countries who
will not give other countries their biometric keys. So what
should we do - remove all that biometric information from
passports when we have spent millions putting it in?"
Another issue is that many countries don't have a national
record of all passports issued. This means that when
someone applies for a passport there is no database in
place to ensure that they are the one true owner of that
identity document. The Schengen Information System
does have fingerprint records in it, but there is no AFIS
system in place to support a fast search of that
information.
"If I was in Portugal and committed a serious crime there
and left my fingerprint records at the scene I could move

to Spain or to France and nobody would detect that I did
something wrong in Portugal," says Rinkens. "While we do
have Europol - a sort of European FBI - we have no shared
AFIS capability. It is strange that we have this area of free
movement where criminals can also move freely, but we
have no shared criminal database."
EU countries outside the Schengen area, such as the UK,
have acknowledged that there needs to be better coordination of the biometric data that is held by different
homeland security agencies separately but in theory
"under the same roof".
Brendan Crean, biometrics programme director at the UK
Home Office, says the department is working to produce a
biometrics strategy that covers all the agencies within it,
including border control and the police. "Across the Home
Office, whether it's borders, passports, immigration or the
police, we use biometrics in lots of different ways. What
we want to do looking forward is to think about how we
can do that in a slightly more joined up way and look at
them as services, rather than individual transactions. I
don't think that means we are looking to have any more
data than we currently have. I think a lot of the challenges
are going to be around how we manage and use that data
more appropriately.
"There is obviously pressure within government on value
for money. So we need to find solutions that can deliver
services to the various parts of the Home Office probably
at a lower cost. We also need to think about how we can
do that in a more organised and structured way than we
do currently. To do that we need to have a clear idea of the
source of that biometric data and have strict rules on
retention and management."
Very clear feedback from the users of biometrics in the law
enforcement field is that they are interested in anything
which can increase their mobility, he adds. "They are also
interested in how that mobile data can link to other data
that they are interested in."
(1st January 2015)

THE HACKER'S NEW BEST FRIEND COULD BE YOUR
USB PORT (BAD USB)
(Mcafee website, dated 6th October 2014 author Gary
Davis)
Full article : http://blogs.mcafee.com/consumer/hackersnew-best-friend-could-be-usb
It's tiny and portable, yet perfect for storing large items.
I'm talking about the good ol' Universal Serial Bus (a.k.a
USB) drive, the giveaway of choice at tradeshows across
the world, and perfect for the easy storage and transfer of
photos, documents, music and more. But you might want
to think twice before plugging a free USB into your
machine. The reason: USBs can now contract an
undetectable-and unfixable-virus that can be spread quite
easily.
News of this potent malicious software (often referred to
as malware) has circled around the information security
industry since researchers Karsten Noh and Jakob Lell
described their new attack to a packed room at this year's
Black Hat security conference in early August.
The malware, dubbed BadUSB, can take over a computer,
as well as redirect Internet-bound traffic to different site.
But BadUSB's danger doesn't lie with its ability to execute
code-this type of malware, called auto-run (because it
runs automatically when the USB drive is inserted into
your device), has been around for some time now. The
danger lies with its ability to never be detected. BadUSB
exploits how the USB standard was built and coded, and
mixes malware with the device's firmware-the code that
tells the USB stick how to work. This intermingling of code
makes the malware indistinguishable from normal, safe
firmware.
Because of the danger this particular form of malware
posed to the public at large, the pair refrained from
releasing the code to attendees. That reasoning, however,

didn't sit well with another pair of researchers, who did
publish the infectious malware after reverse engineering
it. The malware that freaked out two security researchers
enough to make them refrain from publishing their work is
now out in the open.
USBs, long considered secure (perhaps incorrectly), are
now major liabilities to consumers everywhere. So the
question now is, should you be worried?
The answer is yes and no.
The good thing about this malware variant is that it's
isolated to just USB devices. But that's also its danger:
USB devices are so ubiquitous that consumers typically
don't pay them any attention-the best sort of attack vector
hackers could hope for. Hackers could also hide this
malware within a larger package and could, theoretically,
infect a computer that would subsequently infect any and
all USB devices that connect with that machine-thereby
spreading the malware even further. All in all it's pretty
bad news.
So why did these researchers knowingly, and publicly,
publish such dangerous malware? Because they want to
see this security issue fixed, and the only way they're
convinced it'll be fixed is by lighting a fire under USB
manufacturers.
They're not entirely wrong, either. Manufacturers, largely
for business reasons, have been notoriously slow in fixing
security issues (called patching), and USB drives are no
different. By publicly making this code available, the pair
of researchers will deny USB manufacturers the ability to
claim that they weren't aware of security vulnerabilities on
USB. That knowledge, it's theorized, will drive better
security further down the road.
Publishing this code was well intentioned, and, truthfully,
is a fairly standard practice in the information security
industry. But this particular malware is going to cause a lot
of headaches for quite a few years (likely a decade). So

what can you do to protect yourself while this newfound
attack vector is out in the wild? Well there are a few
options available:
- Use caution with free USB drives. A lot of companies like
to go to major conferences and events and hand out free
USB drives. This is bad security practice. Free USBs have
always carried the risk of being preloaded with malware,
and now the risk has doubled. You don't have to turn down
free USBs drives, but you do have to be conscious of the
risk you're running when you don't know where that USB
has been. If you're uncertain if a USB is safe, run a scan.
- Lock down your computers. USBs have long been a
reliable method of compromising computers. All it takes is
an unknowing person to plug a USB drive into a port, and
the damage is done. Never leave your computer sitting
out in a public place where someone could access your
USB port.
- Use comprehensive security. BetweenUSB devices,
computers and mobile phones -all the technology we own
is a security risk. So how can you minimize the likelihood
of getting infected by malware? By using comprehensive
security like McAfee LiveSafe service, which provides a
comprehensive shield against malware, phishing attacks
and a variety of other nasties aimed at compromising your
digital life. McAfee LiveSafe also automatically scans USBs
when they're connected to your computer, for known
malware. This is a step you cannot afford to skip in the
protection of your valuable information.
(1st January 2015)
NUMBER SPOOFING - THE CRIME WHERE CONMEN
HIJACK BANKS PHONE NUMBERS
(The Telegraph, dated 30th October 2014 author Sophie
Christie)
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/moneysaving-tips/11192883/Number-spoofing-the-growingcrime-where-conmen-fake-a-banks-phone-number.html
Criminals are using a tried and tested scam to trick their
victims into thinking they are speaking to a trusted
organisation - such as a bank - by using a fake caller ID
number that the fraudster has chosen.
The scam, known as "number spoofing", works by
fraudsters cloning the telephone number of the
organisation they want to impersonate. This makes it
appear on the victim's caller ID display when they
telephone them.
The scammers then persuade the customer to hand over
sensitive personal and financial information.
According to Ofcom, the phone regulator, the fraudsters
use software to manipulate the caller ID number.
If the person at the end of the line suspects anything, the
fraudster will draw attention to the number as proof of
their legitimate identity.
This type of scam was reported on in March this year, but
the Financial Fraud Bureau, Financial Fraud Action UK's
intelligence unit, said there has been a "spike" in cases
reported in recent weeks.
Craig Jones, a spokesperson for FFA UK said: "Number
spoofing is becoming increasingly common and it's not
difficult for the criminals to fake a caller ID. So if a number
appears on your phone's caller ID display, you shouldn't
assume you know where the call is being made from.
"Remember that if a caller is trying to draw your attention
to the number on your phone display, it's very unlikely the
call is genuine as there is no legitimate reason to point it
out."
The spokesperson said that to avoid falling for the scam,

you should never assume someone is who they say they
are just because the number matches that of an
organisation. "In fact, if someone tries to draw your
attention to the number on your caller ID display, you
should immediately become suspicious. Similarly, you
should be suspicious if you're asked for your four digit PIN,
your full online banking passwords, to transfer or withdraw
money, or to give your card to a courier. Your bank or the
police will never ask you to do any of these things," he
added.
Another scam known as the "letter box scam" is also on
the rise. Here, fraudsters steal post from flats with
unsecured letter boxes to find out financial information such as card numbers and passwords, or post containing
debit and credit cards - from their victims.
Fraudsters have stolen 5 million so far this year from this
type of scam.
How to protect yourself from fraudsters
- Never give out contact details or financial information to
strangers or to businesses that should already know your
details
- Never send money to someone you don't know
- Shred anything containing your personal or bank details don't just bin it
- Check bank and credit card statements regularly and let
your bank know immediately if there are any entries you
don't recognise
- Often, you can't get lost money back, particularly if you
have handed over cash. If you have paid by credit card
you have more protection, and if you used a debit card
you may be able to ask your bank for a chargeback
- You can report a fake company to Trading Standards
through the Citizens Advice consumer service on 08454 04

05 06, or find online advice at adviceguide.org.uk
- You can also report scams to Action Fraud on 0300 123
2040.
You wouldn't give a stranger your financial details in
person, so why do it over the phone?
Further information
In October 2014 the British Banking Association released a
list of things your bank will NEVER ask you to do.
Their fraud webpage : www.bba.org.uk/landingpage/knowfraud/
8 Things your Bank will never ask you to do :
- Call or email to ask you for your full PIN number or any
online banking passwords
- Send someone to your home to collect cash, bank cards
or anything else
- Ask you to email or text personal or banking information
- Send an email with a link to a page which asks you to
enter your online banking log-in details
- Ask you to authorise the transfer of funds to a new
account or hand over cash
- Call to advise you to buy diamonds or land or other
commodities
- Ask you to carry out a test transaction online
- Provide banking services through any mobile apps other
than the bank's official apps
(1st January 2015)

NEW FINGERPRINT CODE SECRETLY TRACKS WHAT
YOU DO ONLINE (Extract)
(Computer Active, August 2014)
Researchers have discovered software on many popular
websites that tracks your browsing habits in a way that's
virtually unblockable using standard privacy protection.
The software was found in the code of "social
bookmarking" widgets mad by AddThis, which let you
"like", "tweet" and share web pages. AddThis has ben
secretly tracking technology called "canvas fingerprinting"
on 5% of the world's top 100,000 websites.
You don't need to click a widet to be tracked - just visiting
the website is enough.
Canvas fingerprinting works in a similar way to cookies, by
keeping a record of which websites you visit. However,
unlike cookies, fingerprinting is "hard to block" and "once
some tracking has happened, it is hard to start from a
truely clean profile", according to researchers at Leuven
University in Belgium.
Many websites on which the tracker has been discovered
claim to have been unaware of it, and have now removed
AddThis widgets.
AddThis says the tool is "well within rules and regulations,
laws and policies that we have", because it is only being
used for "internal research and development".
The Electronic Frontier Federation (EFF) recommends using
their own privacy software to prevent this tracking.
EFF website : https://www.eff.org/
(1st January 2014)
HOW YOU COULD BECOME A VICTIM OF CYBERCRIME
IN 2015
(The Guardian, dated 24th December 2014 author Stuart
Dredge)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/24/cybercrim
e-2015-cybersecurity-ransomware-cyberwar
Will 2015 be a happy new year for internet users? Not if
cybercriminals have their way.
Online security companies have been making their
predictions for 2015, from the malware that will be trying
to weasel its way onto our computers and smartphones to
the prospect of cyberwar involving state-sponsored
hackers.
Here's a summary of what you should be watching out for
online in 2015, based on the predictions of companies
including BitDefender, KPMG, AdaptiveMobile, Trend Micro,
BAE Systems, WebSense, InfoSec Institute, Symantec,
Kaspersky, Proofpoint and Sophos. The links lead to their
full predictions.
Targeted attacks and sophisticated spam
The more we do and share online, the more vulnerable we
may be to "targeted" attacks to steal our passwords and
data. "It is possible that our willingness to share and shop
online will let criminals become more selective about who
they target," suggests Stephen Bonner of KPMG.
"They won't need to maintain the current 'hit and hope'
approach of spear phishing, instead only attacking specific
users and computers based on the data these give away
about their owners."
Meanwhile, you may see more spam emails in your inbox
in 2015, as the technology used to send them becomes
more sophisticated.
"Cybercriminals upping their game are perfecting their

campaign abilities previously associated only with
advanced, targeted attacks. These advanced tactics
designed to evade most modern email security solutions
are quickly becoming the new norm as more sophisticated
email threats increase," suggests WebSense.
"As a result, although spam volumes are decreasing, most
users will begin to witness an increase in the amount of
spam they receive in their inbox, because most email
security measures will be incapable of detecting them in
the Cloud scrubbing prior to passing to a user's inbox."
Banking and healthcare companies at risk
A parallel trend cited by several of the companies is the
prospect of attacks on bigger companies in the private
and public sector, with cybercriminals having specific
goals in mind.
"Cybercriminals will go after bigger targets rather than
home users as this can generate more profits for them. We
will see more data breach incidents with banks, financial
institutions, and customer data holders remaining to be
attractive targets," suggests Trend Micro.
"Weak security practices like not using two-factor
authentication and chip-and-pin technology continue to
persist in the banking sector. These practices will cause
financially motivated threats to grow in scale throughout
the coming year."
Healthcare is also expected to be a target. "Companies
operating in the sector are a privileged target because of
the wealth of personal data they manage, and that
represents a precious commodity in the criminal
underground," notes InfoSec Institute.
"Healthcare data are valuable because medical records
can be used to commit several types of fraudulent
activities or identity theft. Their value in the hacking
underground is greater than stolen credit card data."
WebSense's Carl Leonard agrees. "The healthcare industry

is a prime target for cybercriminals. With millions of
patient records now in digital form, healthcare's biggest
security challenge in 2015 will be keeping personally
identifiable information from falling through security
cracks and into the hands of hackers."
Ransomware on the rise
One of the most common forms of malware in 2014 was
"ransomware" - cybercriminals trying to extort money
from victims either by locking their devices and
demanding a fee to release them, or by accusing them of
various unpleasant crimes.
"Users should remain sceptical of any message accusing
them of various crimes such as zoophilic behaviour and
distributing child pornography," claims BitDefender.
"These threats may be part of ransomware campaigns and
could also hit social networks."
Symantec notes the growth of one particular strain of
ransomware, Cryptolocker, which it claims accounted for
55% of all ransomware in October this year, encrypting
people's files then demanding money to unencrypt them.
"Holding encrypted files for ransom is not entirely new,
but getting the ransom paid has previously proven
problematic for the crooks. However recently ransomware
makers have started leveraging online and electronic
payment systems such as Bitcoins, Webmoney, Ukash,
greendot (MoneyPak) to get around this challenge," it
explains.
"Crooks like the relative anonymity and convenience of
electronic payments and these are already readily
available, putting businesses and consumers at greater
risk from losing data, files or memories."
Mobile payments could be hot... for criminals
One of the big announcements for Apple in 2014 was the
launch of its mobile payments service, Apple Pay.

However, several security companies expect
cybercriminals to make a concerted effort to crack it and
rival services in 2015.
"Apple Pay is not alone in the market - other payment
systems have or will be introduced by other companies
and trade associations. Not all of these payment systems
have been thoroughly tested to withstand real-world
threats, and we may see attacks targeting mobile
commerce in 2015," claims Trend Micro.
"Apple Pay certainly addresses some of the weaknesses
that have facilitated recent attacks on Point-of-Sale (PoS)
systems. However, this should not be cause for
complacency, since attackers will usually look for other
weaknesses once an avenue of attack has been closed
off," adds Symantec.
For now, those weaknesses may come in other forms of
payment, according to Sophos. "Cybercriminals will be
looking for flaws in these systems, but the present designs
have several positive security features. Expect
cybercriminals to continue abusing traditional credit and
debit cards for a significant period of time as they are the
easier target for now," it suggests.
How popular Apple Pay and rivals are will also be a factor.
"Criminal hackers tend to attack popular platforms where
the yield is likely high. If no one adopts Apple Pay, then no
one will target it. However, if Apple Pay is as popular as
Apple's other traditional and mobile offerings, then we
may be writing about Apple Pay hacks sooner rather than
later," claims Kaspersky.
Mobile malware aims at Apple, not just Android
It's now traditional for Apple's senior executives to take
pops at Android on-stage over malware, hammering home
their claims that the biggest rival to iOS has more security
problems. Will they be able to continue that line of attack
in 2015? Some security firms think Apple will be under
more scrutiny too.

"The Masque bug in iOS and the corresponding WireLurker
malware targeting iOS devices via Apple and Windows
port-machines, had a lot of experts saying that the age of
Apple malware is finally upon us," says Kaspersky,
although it also points out that this is still most likely to
affect people who've jailbroken their devices.
"Apple's closed-by-default ecosystem makes it harder for
malware to successfully take hold of the platform, though
some users - particularly those that like to use pirated
software - will disable these features."
Others suggest that Android will remain the principal
target for cybercriminals, as well as predicting a more
general increase in mobile scams and attacks. "We will see
more vulnerabilities found in mobile devices, apps, and
platforms in the coming year. Cybercriminals will target
data stored in these mobile devices," claims Trend Micro.
"A new exploit kit specifically developed to compromise
mobile platforms will be available in the wild," adds
InfoSec Institute. "The attacks will benefit from a
significant increase of phishing attacks on mobile devices,
as malicious links and applications downloaded from thirdparty stores redirect users to websites hosting the
malicious exploit kit. Once visited by victims, their mobile
will become infected."
Open source code still a target
Some of the most high-profile vulnerabilities in 2014 Shellshock and Heartbleed - provoked discussion about
the security of open source code. Several security
companies expect this debate to continue in 2015.
"These vulnerabilities were undetected for years and were
only brought into light recently. Due to the massive impact
of these vulnerabilities, cybercriminals and attackers may
decide to investigate the existing code and see if other
dormant vulnerabilities are present," suggests Trend Micro.
"From Heartbleed to Shellshock, it became evident that

there are significant pieces of insecure code used in a
large number of our computer systems today," adds
Sophos. "The events of 2014 have boosted the
cybercriminals' interest in typically less-considered
software and systems - so businesses should be preparing
a response strategy."
WebSense agrees. "Old source code is the new Trojan
horse waiting to be exploited, and open-source code is
only the beginning. With so much code written and in use,
it's impossible to catch every dormant exposure point until
they've been executed," says Leonard.
"Because of this, any time source code is altered or
integrated as part of an application or service upgrade,
these unknown systemic vulnerabilities have the potential
to expose networks to attack."
Criminals hiding on the darknet
Technology like Tor is used for a variety of reasons,
including activists anonymising their online activities when
under pressure from authoritarian governments. However,
this kind of technology will also be used by more
cybercriminals in 2015.
"We've seen cybercriminals leveraging Deep Web and
other darknet services as well as untraceable peer-to-peer
networks (e.g. Tor, I2P, Freenet) for selling and exchanging
tools and services," claims Trend Micro. "Takedowns and
collaborative efforts beween researchers and law
enforcement agencies have disrupted cybercrime gangs,
giving them more reasons to go further underground."
BAE's cyber security boss Scott McVicar also thinks
criminals will "go to greater lengths" to hide their identity,
which will have an impact on efforts to identify them and
nullify their efforts. "Researchers will need to adopt
practices from the professional intelligence community
and tread more carefully when drawing conclusions about
who is ultimately behind cyber attacks," he says.

Social media malware and malvertising
The huge number of people using social networks like
Facebook is proving an appetising target for malware
developers: BitDefender has already published its roundup
of popular Facebook scams in 2014, for example.
"Malicious links hidden in atrocious Facebook videos will
be on the rise in 2015," warns the company. "Malicious
'beheading and murder' videos are expected to multiply in
the following year. Behaviour analysts and psychologists
say teenagers are the most susceptible to clicking on
shocking videos, as their empathy for victims of violence
is lower."
Proofpoint has stats on the growth of this kind of threat.
"Already in 2014, Proofpoint found a 650% increase in
social media spam compared to 2013, and 99% of
malicious URLs in inappropriate content led to malware
installation or credential phishing sites," explains the
company.
"In 2015, Proofpoint expects inappropriate or malicious
social media content to grow 400percent as attackers
target enterprise social media accounts to perpetrate
confidence schemes, distribute malware, and steal
customer data."
The company also suggests that "malvertising" - malware
distributed through online ads - will also continue to be a
threat in 2015. "In 2015, attackers will become more
refined in their ability to infect sites, target users and
deliver payloads while evading detection by most common
scanning and gateway tools," it claims.
Internet of Things a rising concern
As more of our devices talk to one another - the "Internet
of Things" - there may be a range of new cybersecurity
headaches to think about. Although it might not be us
doing the thinking.
"While at present subscribers play an active role in spam

prevention by reporting incidents to their operators, with
IoT the challenge will be spotting the threats that can
infect IoT devices," claims AdaptiveMobile. "'Things' are
going to be less security and spam-aware than consumers
and so the responsibility will fall on the operator to secure
IoT services and devices at the network-level."
WebSense thinks that in 2015, attacks on the Internet of
Things will focus more on businesses than individuals with
gadgets. "While many hacks of refrigerators, home
thermostats and cars have found their way to the
headlines, the likelihood of a major attack campaign via
connected household items in the age of the Internet of
Things is minimal," it claims.
"While you may have to worry about cybercriminals
successfully melting your butter or spoiling the milk in
your refrigerator, there is little reward in attacks against
your connected domestic devices. The criminal element
has set its sights elsewhere."
Symantec disagrees. "Attacks on the Internet of Things
(IoT) will focus on smart home automation: With smart
home automation gaining popularity amongst consumers
across Asia Pacific and Japan, Symantec anticipates that
commoditised "plug and play" consumer devices such as
CCTV cameras and remote access controls for alarms,
lighting and climate control will be exploited by
cybercriminals," predicts the company.
"We won't see any large-scale attacks leveraging IoT, but
instead one-off attacks against connected devices such as
home routers, Smart TVs and connected car apps, for
example, for sensitive and private information."
Cyberwar as criminal/state boundaries blur
As 2014 ended with the now-infamous hack of Sony
Pictures - with intense debate about whether North Korea
was involved - security firms see 2015 bringing a greater
prospect of cyberattacks on behalf of nation states, even if

they don't run them themselves.
"Cyber warfare is very attractive to small nations. The
development of a government-built malware is cheaper
than any other conventional weapon and far more
accessible to any nation-state. Cyber warfare represents
for every government an efficient alternative to
conventional weapons," notes InfoSec Institute.
"North Korea, Syria, and Iran are among the countries that
have developed great capabilities that pose a serious
threat to major Western states. The risk of a serious attack
on the critical infrastructure of a Western government is
high, and its attribution will be even more difficult."
The boundaries between cybercriminal gangs and
governments may also blur. "Criminal groups will
increasingly adopt nation-state tactics," predicts
Kaspersky.
"State-sponsored, advanced persistent threat hacking
groups, like we've seen in cases such as DarkHotel, Regin
and Crouching Yeti/Energetic Bear, will begin to merge
with hacking campaigns perpetrated by criminals, like
those targeting JP Morgan Chase, Target and others."
"State groups could also contract their espionage activities
out to criminal groups, that will use criminal tools and
expertise to perform spying activities, steal intellectual
property or gather intelligence about vulnerabilities in
critical infrastructure systems at the behest of government
groups."
(1st January 2015)
WATCH WHAT YOU BUY FOR CHRISTMAS
Whatever shopping channel you watch on TV around
Christmas; whatever high street electronics store you
happen to browse in during the rest of the year you will
see them ! Remote control flying machines. They look so
good, the wonders of technology for a reasonable price;

you can even fix a video camera to some of them. What a
laugh.
Off at a tangent, as a kid, have you ever thrown a stone
whilst mucking about. You did not throw it high, but it
landed where you did not expect. The stone hit a window,
a greenhouse, or worse, another person. Well it was only a
stone, it caused a bruise. A stone would weigh say 5
grams, a remote control flying machine can weigh
anything from 50 grams to 1Kg. What damage could that
do to a person if the flying machine ceased to fly from a
height of 20 feet, 40 feet, 100 feet or more ?
What could happen if the flying machine was flown near to
a passenger plane at an airport of air field ? The results
could be catestrophic.
So what is a flying machine in this context ?
-
Remote control plane

Remote control helicopter
Remote control glider
Remote control Drone
or any of the above that can fly under their own control.
What can go wrong with a new flying machine ?

- Batteries don't remain charged forever.
- It may fly out of range of the remote controller.
- The radio signal may be corrupted by another stronger
radio signal.
I am not writing this to be a kill joy, but to make people
aware that there are rules to follow when using a flying
machine.
FOR THE SAFETY OF OTHERS.
The following is a copy of a document produced by the
Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which provides a summary.
------------------------------------------------------V
YOU HAVE CONTROL

Link : www.caa.co.uk/docs/1995/CAP
%201202UAVsafetyrules.pdf
Remember, when you fly an unmanned aircraft (or drone),
the responsibility is yours
BE SAFE, BE LEGAL
ALWAYS REMEMBER :
You are responsible for each flight
You are legally responsible forthe safe conduct of each
flight. Take time to understand the rules - failure to comply
could lead to a criminal prosecution.
Keep your distance
It is illegal to fly your unmanned aircraft over a congested
area (streets, towns and cities). Also, stay well clear of
airports and airfields.
BEFORE each flight,check drone for damage
Before each flight check that your unmanned aircraft is
not damaged, and that all components are working in
accordance with the Supplier's User Manual.
Keep your distance 50 metres
Don't fly your unmanned aircraft within 50m of a person,
vehicle, building or structure, or overhead groups of
people at any height.
Drone is in sight at all times

You must keep the unmanned aircraft within your sight at
all times.
Consider rights of privacy
Think about what you do with any images you obtain as
you may breach privacy laws. Details are available from
the Information Commissioner's Office.
YOU are responsible for avoiding collisions
You are responsible for avoiding collisions with other
people or objects - including aircraft. Do not fly your
unmanned aircraft in any way that could endanger people
or property.
Permission to use drones for paid work
If you intend to use an unmanned aircraft for any kind of
commercial activity, you must get a 'Permission' from the
Civil Aviation Authority, or you could face prosecution. For
more details, visit www.caa.co.uk/uas
-------------------------------------------V
Further reading
The Civil Aviation Authority webpage on model aircraft
(flying machines) :
www.caa.co.uk/default.aspx?catid=1416&pageid=8153
For all of the rules and definitions covering Flying Machine
(model aircraft) the Civil Aviation Authority have produced
a 56 page guidance document
www.caa.co.uk/docs/33/CAP658%204%20Edition
%20Amend%201%20June%202013.pdf
(1st January 2015)
FEARS CHINESE FORGERS COULD PERFECT KNOCKOFF 2 COIN
(The Telegraph, dated 24th December 2014 author
Gregory Walton)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11312103/FearsChinese-forgers-could-perfect-knock-off-2-coin.html
Concerns have been raised that a Shanghai-based gang of
master forgers could be preparing to mass produce 2
coins after perfecting their technique producing
counterfeit euros.
The 2 coin could come under attack by Chinese forgers, it
has been warned.
The coins which are bi-metallic, containing gold and silver
components, were thought to be more difficult to forge
than simpler designs such as the 1 coin.
But now a major seizure of 500,000 of euro coins has
raised fears that Britain's 2 - with it's relatively higher
value - could be in the forger's sights.
Italian detectives stumbled across the treasure trove of
contraband currency while inspecting a consignment of
metal pipes in the port of Naples.
The seizure was one of the most significant haul of fake
coins in European history.
The quality of the coins suggested that the gang is
producing imitations of such high quality that they would
even be accepted in vending machines, potentially costing
businesses thousands in lost revenue.
Fake coins do not usually exercise authorities as much as

the production of illicit banknotes because of their
relatively low value and the overheads associated with
their production.
One forgery investigator told The Times: "Counterfeit coins
are not of great interest to most jurisdictions, and certainly
not on any list of priorities."
"Many types of counterfeit goods follow this route, China
to Italy for further distribution, and it seems an entirely
feasible enterprise."
A spokesman for the Royal Mint stressed that forgeries of
2 coins are not yet though to be commonplace.
"A bi-colour coin is much harder to counterfeit because
replicating the two metal components, the inner and
outer, is significantly more difficult than a single
component coin. Forgers would also require a highly
sophisticated press to produce bi-colour coins," said the
spokesman.
"The coin detector mechanism of vending machines and
self-service check-outs can detect the two different metal
components, in addition to the conductivity, thickness and
diameter of the coin."
"The addition of edge lettering is also very hard to
counterfeit, and some circulating 2 coin designs also
include a latent feature in their elements which is difficult
to replicate."
(1st January 2015)
SO WHAT WAS THE REASON THE GOVERNMENT
GAVE FOR SEVERING LINKS WITH EUROPEAN POLICE
?
If the UK Police cannot work effectively with other law
enforcement agencies in Europe what levels of illegal drug
dependency can we expect within our country in the

future ?
-----------------------------------------V
EU JUSTICE MEASURES BACKED BY MPs DESPITE ANGER
OVER PROCEDURE
(BBC News, datd 11th November 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29983651
The government has won its bid to sign up again to 35 EU
justice measures - including the European Arrest Warrant following a dramatic Commons vote.
But Labour and backbench Tory MPs accused ministers of
breaking a promise for a vote on the warrant itself.
The debate ended early when Labour lost its attempt to
use a rare Parliamentary procedure to postpone the
decision.
Earlier, Commons Speaker John Bercow said people would
be "contemptuous" of the government's tactics.
BBC political correspondent Carole Walker said there were
"scenes of chaos" in the Commons chamber.
Speaker's ruling
The government opted out of all 133 EU police and
criminal justice measures measures in 2013, a decision
that will take effect on 1 December.
However, ministers plan to rejoin 35 of the measures,
including the European Arrest Warrant, before that
deadline.
Supporters, including the government and law
enforcement agencies, say the warrant is a vital tool to
protect the UK and bring criminals to justice across EU
borders.
However, critics - including some Conservative MPs - say

the European Arrest Warrant is overused and a threat to
the liberties of Britons and the sovereignty of the UK.
-----------------------------------------V
EUROPOL BUSTS HUGE MACEDONIAN HERION NETWORK,
ARRESTING 400 AND SEIZING 100Kg OF DRUGS
(International Business Times, dated 23rd December 2014
author Tom Porter)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/europol-busts-huge-macedonianheroin-network-arresting-400-seizing-100kg-drugs1480818
has announced that it busted a Macedonian heroin gang,
responsible for smuggling huge quantities of the drug into
the EU.
Police arrested 400 people and seized 100kg of heroin,
cannabis and cocaine, as well as a large amount of cash,
said the agency.
Four tons of drug cutting agents were also seized in the
operation, with suspects arrested in Macedonia, Austria
and Germany.
Operating from their bases in Germany, Austria and
Macedonia, the gang smuggled narcotics into the EU along
the so-called Balkan Route.
The joint police operation against the gang began in 2010,
after the network rebuilt following the arrest of their
leadership in a previous operation.
"We noticed that this organisation was so good that it was
able to replace large quantities of high-quality heroin
within days," Austrian security official Franz Lang told
reporters in 2010.
The network of gangs operated according to a rigid
structure, with members recruited in Macedonia given the
prospect of earning good money in Austria and Germany.
Once recruited, members had very little contact with other
people in the gang and had strictly defined roles, including
mixing, packing and transporting high-quality heroin into
the EU, where it was sold at low prices.
"The organisation was characterised by its strict division of
labour and well-organised procedures," said Europol in a
statement.
Most of the heroin in Europe originates in Afghanistan. It is
then smuggled over the border into Iran, and shipped into
the Balkans, from where it is transported into western
Europe.
----------------------------------------V
GANGLAND LONDON: 40m HEROIN AND COCAINE BUST
LANDS ALBANIAN GANG 157 YEARS IN PRISON
(International Business Times, dated 19th November 2014
author Lewis Dean)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/gangland-london-40m-heroin-cocainebust-lands-albanian-gang-157-years-prison-1475662
An Albanian drugs gang that attempted to flood London
and the south of England with 40m of cocaine and heroin
has been jailed for a total of 157 years.
Seven men were today handed combined sentences of 77
years at Kingston Crown Court after pleading guilty to
conspiring to supply heroin they had smuggled from
Europe.
The men were attempting to introduce the drugs to the UK
via three ports: Portsmouth, Southampton and

Bournemouth. They disguised the drugs in containers
including coffee and biscuit packages.
Gang leader Sami Qerkini was a significant and leading
member of an Albanian organised criminal network for
more than 20 years, and developed a sophisticated and
extensive network of contacts to help source, import and
supply drugs into the UK and channel the proceeds
abroad.
Operating from a number of safe houses and using a fleet
of vehicles, Qerkini and the gang were all involved in the
preparation and mixing process of the drugs.
When detectives searched suspected safehouses,
including a property in Crystal Palace, south east London,
they discovered hundreds of thousands of pounds in cash
and kilograms of class A drugs wrapped in cellophane.
Qerkini fled the UK in 2010, following the arrest of over 20
of his associates over the preceding two years for
conspiracy to supply Class A drugs and money laundering.
-----------------------------------------V
UK IS DRUG AND ALCOHOL CAPITAL OF EUROPE
(International Business Times, 1st September 2013 author
Fiona Keating)
Full article [Option 1]:
www.ibtimes.co.uk/drugs-addiction-heroin-crack-cocaine502812
Britain has the highest rates of opiate addiction and
alcohol dependence in Europe, with postal workers
functioning as unsuspecting drug mules.
A new report by The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ)
describes Britain as the "addicted man of Europe".
Club drugs and legal highs such as Salvia and Green Rolex
are freely sold online and delivered throughout the
country by unwitting posties.
The report, No Quick Fix, came as new figures showed the
number of deaths involving legal highs or New
Psychoactive Substances (NPS), in England and Wales rose
from 29 in 2011 to 52 last year.
One in 12 young people (15 to 24-year-olds) in the UK said
they had used these drugs - the highest figure in Europe.
Even more worrying are those websites selling class A
drugs such as heroin and crack cocaine, which are also
distributed around the country by the postal service.
The CSJ criticised the government for an "inadequate
response to heroin addiction", saying that more than
40,000 drug addicts in England are on the substitute
methadone, which is used to wean addicts off heroin.
"Methadone can be a way of stabilising chaotic drug users,
but we found evidence that it is being used to keep a lid
on problems," said Christian Guy, director of the CSJ.
"Large numbers of addicts are stranded on this statesupplied substitute and forgotten. This broken system is
no different to taxpayers supporting an alcoholic by
prescribing them vodka instead of them drinking gin.
"While our addiction problem damages the economy, it is
the human consequences that present the real tragedy.
Drug and alcohol abuse fuels poverty and deprivation,
leading to family breakdown and child neglect,
homelessness, crime, debt and long-term worklessness."
Alcohol and drug abuse cost the UK an estimated 21
billion and 15 billion respectively. Alcohol-related hospital
admissions in England have doubled in a decade, with
Britain facing "an epidemic of drink-related conditions".
One in 20 people are described as "dependent drinkers".
The UK also has the highest rate of lifetime-use of

amphetamines, cocaine and ecstasy. Among women,
alcohol dependence is higher in Britain than anywhere
else in Europe.
Report by The Centre for Social Justice :
www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/UserStorage/pdf/Pdf
%20reports/addict.pdf
-----------------------------------------(1st January 2015)
SPYWARE USE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
"ESCALATING"
(BBC News, dated 22nd December 2014 author Zoe
Kleinman)
Stalkers and abusers are increasingly using cheap spyware
to monitor and harass their victims, claims a charity.
Tracking and listening devices, often disguised as
everyday objects, retail online for under 50 and are easy
to install, says the Digital-Trust.
There are no official figures but "digital abuse" is often
experienced by victims of domestic violence, it adds.
People with abusive partners should also be wary of
gadgets given to their children, the charity warns.
"Eighteen months ago I issued advice to domestic violence
groups about fathers gifting smartphones or even allowing
them to take them on access visits because it is so easy
for abusers to use them as surveillance," said Jennifer
Perry, chief executive of the newly formed Digital-Trust.
"I recommend children are given inexpensive pay as you
go phones when visiting an abusive parent."

Ms Perry said incidents of digital abuse - ranging from
surveillance to accessing voicemails, emails and cloud
accounts, is escalating in the UK.
In addition cheap surveillance devices - small GPS
trackers, listening devices and cameras hidden inside
books, lamps, plug sockets and carbon monoxide
detectors, are freely available online despite some of them
being illegal.
"If I have a domestic violence victim I assume there will be
some type of digital abuse - it's not the exception, it's the
assumption," she told the BBC.
Ms Perry added that in her experience it is more likely to
happen to female victims.
"I get a lot of criticism for saying it but I don't see this
level or type of surveillance used against male victims,"
she added.
"I see men using it against women. It is rare to see a man
targeted surveillance-wise by women."
Ms Perry began working in the field of e-crime in 2005.
She said that often victims need very specific advice,
which is not easily available.
"Safety advice is often done by topic but if you don't know
what you're looking for it doesn't help," she added.
"We'll ask a series of questions that deal with the
symptoms - are you being harassed by your partner? Is he
showing up where you are? Has he had access to your
house or your PC?"
Smartphone owners may have not set up their device
themselves so may not know what has been installed on
it, she added.
"The main thing I try to do is stop any form of data

leaking. That's my number one objective," Ms Perry said.
"If you have a stalker and they get access to some
information about you it's like the rush they get from a
gambling addiction.
"You're taking about jealous or obsessive personalities.
One stalker Googled a colleague of mine 40,000 times in a
year. Another looked at someone's Facebook page 2,500
times in one month."
(1st January 2015)
WHISTLEBLOWER REVEALS HOW FRAUD OF
BOOKING.COM WORKED
(BBC News - Money Box, dated 20th December 2014
author Bob Howard)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30555620
A whistle-blower has revealed how stolen personal data
was used to con thousands of customers of one of the
world's biggest hotel booking websites.
He says he was part of a fake call centre operation which
had access to personal details of customers from around
the world.
"Tom" - not his real name - was recruited via an
international freelance telesales website.
Booking.com says it is working with the police to tackle
the problem.
BBC Radio 4's Money Box was contacted by "Tom" after
reporting on the fraud last month. He told us he was
offered $12 an hour for the work and spent around 12
days in the job, sitting at his home computer.
Many were foreign visitors coming to London from
countries including Bangladesh, Israel, South Africa, China,

Japan and India,
"We were told to call up people and tell them that they'll
receive an email and if they have any questions they
should get in touch with us," Tom told Money Box.
"We had to say that we were calling from [the hotel into
which the customer had booked] and we would send an
email and it would appear that the hotel was sending
them an email."
The subsequent e-mail would ask for advance payment for
the hotel booking with bank details which have no
connection to the hotel.
Customers who queried the payment demand were
directed to a fraudulent phone line, where the criminals
had installed staff who posed as Booking.com employees,
insisting that the hotels had changed their payment
policies.
'Big secret'
Some Money Box listeners sent a payment, only to find
their hotel had no record of it when they checked in.
Although they have received refunds for the double
payment, the episode represents a major security breach.
Booking.com has estimated that about 10,000 people
were affected.
"Tom" claims he was unaware that he was involved in
criminal activity and agreed to speak to Money Box
because he was angry at having becoming accidentally
involved.
Although his script involved claiming he was phoning from
a hotel, he says the message to expect an e-mail seemed
harmless enough.
However, when he read the Money Box article, it
confirmed suspicions that had been prompted by the

elusiveness of the man who recruited him.
"This guy never spoke and he was a big secret," said
"Tom", "Nobody's seen him, nobody's spoken to him, and
even the agents were not allowed to talk to each other.
"It is pretty much like dealing with a ghost. I tried to look
him up on LinkedIn and Facebook just to understand the
company better. There's no picture of him on any website,
no trace on the internet."
'Claire' from West Yorkshire received one of the phone
calls after booking rooms at a London hotel for a trade fair
in November.
She avoided being conned by phoning the hotel directly
and establishing that they had not demanded advance
payment.
Nevertheless she wants Booking.com to announce publicly
that customer details are now safe.
"I want to know how this scamming company are finding
out the reservation numbers, the dates, the contact
details, there's a lot of private information there," she
said.
A spokesperson for Booking.com told Money Box the firm
is working with police on how to prevent future phishing
attacks. They declined to be interviewed.
(1st January 2015)
SCOTLAND YARD PROBE THREE VIP CHILD MURDERS
- POLICE WIDEN PAEDOPHILE RING INQUIRY
(The London Evening Standard, dated 19th December
2014 author Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/scotland-yard-probingthree-vip-child-murders-met-widens-paedophile-ringinquiry-9933054.html
Detectives investigating an alleged VIP paedophile ring
are examining claims that three young boys were
murdered during a decade of child abuse, police revealed
for the first time today.
Scotland Yard said officers are probing serious allegations
of abuse at locations across London and the Home
Counties, including "military premises". The claims are
based on evidence from a key witness who says he was
abused from the age of seven till he was 16 between 1975
and 1984.
Police today appealed for other possible victims to come
forward. One senior officer said: "I will believe you,
support you and do everything in my power to find those
responsible and bring them to justice."
Much of the abuse is alleged to have taken place at an
address in Dolphin Square, Pimlico - a luxury block of flats
popular with MPs. The allegations are understood to relate
to sexual abuse by a paedophile ring with links to
government, spy chiefs and prominent military figures.
The key witness, known as Nick, is said to have given
details of three murders - including extraordinary claims
that he witnessed a boy being strangled to death by a Tory
MP. Another child was said to have been deliberately run
over and a third killed in front of a government minister.
Scotland Yard confirmed today it was examining
allegations of sexual abuse that were linked to the
murders of three young boys. Police did not give further
details about the murders and said officers had not
recovered a body.
Detectives said they had spoken to the families of two
boys - Martin Allen and Vishal Mehrotra - who disappeared
after being abducted in London, though there was no
evidence their deaths were linked to the new inquiry.

Police launched the probe, Operation Midland, in
November with a joint unit of detectives from the
Homicide and Major Crime Command and the Child Abuse
Investigation Command.
It stemmed from an earlier inquiry examining historical
claims of child sex abuse at the Elm Guest House, Barnes.
Today Det Supt Kenny McDonald, in charge of the
investigation, said: "I want to appeal directly to those
other young boys, now men, who were also subject to
abuse at the hands of these men. I know that there were
other boys who were abused, or who were present while
the abuse took place.
"I ask you to trust me. I will believe you, support you and
do everything in my power to find those responsible and
bring them to justice. I need your accounts to help me do
that."
He said the witness Nick - a pseudonym - told officers a
car would collect him and drive him to Dolphin Square and
other locations.
The detective said: "The abuse he was subjected to and
which he has detailed was carried out either by a man on
his own, a group of men or even in what can only be
described as 'parties'.
"There will be people who lived at or visited Dolphin
Square from the early Seventies onwards who will have
seen or heard something that they only now understand
the significance of.
"Today I ask former and current residents or anyone who
routinely went to Dolphin Square to think back and get in
touch with us with any information they may have."
Mr McDonald said he was looking at "a number of other
locations" where boys are thought to have been abused.
He said his team is working closely with military police.

"It is also investigating the possible murders of three
young boys," he added. "At this stage I don't have
confirmed information I'll give but our work is ongoing and
we are examining reports of missing people from that
time. To date we have not recovered a body."
Police said Operation Midland detectives had spoken to
the family of Martin Allen, the son of the chauffeur of a
Australian high commissioner, who went missing aged 15
from King's Cross on his way home to Kensington in
November 1979.
The unit was also liaising with Sussex police, currently
reviewing the case of eight-year-old Vishal Mehrotra, the
son of a former magistrate, who was murdered in 1981.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the
investigation team on 020 8721 4005 or call
Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
(1st January 2015)
MICROSOFT TAKES ON TECH SUPPORT SCAMMERS
(BBC News, dated 19th December 2014)
US software giant Microsoft is suing alleged scammers
who phone people pretending to represent the firm and
offer bogus technology support.
The callers ask to take over a home computer and
demand money to fix it. Some then install viruses as well.
The software company said it had received more than
65,000 complaints about tech support scams since May.
It is taking legal action against several firms it accuses of
misusing its name in such cases.
Fake ads
The scam has been around for decades with callers
peddling useless security software and tricking people into
spending hundreds of pounds (or dollars) to solve nonexistent computer problems.
Increasingly, the bogus technicians are gaining access to
people's computers remotely.
From there they can also steal personal and financial
information and install malware.
In some cases people are tricked into signing up for
support via fake web ads. Others receive a direct
telephone call from a technician claiming to represent
Microsoft.
Microsoft has warned that scammers are likely to be active
over the Christmas period.
"The holiday season is a popular time for scammers as
more people engage in online activities, including
shopping, donating to charity and searching for travel
deals," it said.
Older victims
Older people needed to be particularly vigilant, it said.
"Tech support scammers don't discriminate; they will go
after anyone, but not surprisingly senior citizens have
been among the most vulnerable."
The US Federal Trade Commission filed a legal case in
Florida last month against a company that used adverts to
scare people into believing their computer had a virus and
then sell them allegedly worthless services.
In the UK, National Trading Standards has recently taken
legal action against a man from Luton who hired people at
an Indian call centre to falsely tell people their computers
had a serious problem.

Mohammed Khalid Jamil was given a four-month
suspended jail sentence and ordered to pay 5,665
compensation and 13,929 in prosecution costs.
Microsoft has issued tips to help users avoid falling for
such scams.
It says:
- Ask if there is a fee or subscription for the services. If
there is, hang up.
- Never give control of your computer to the third party
unless you can confirm it is a legitimate representative of
a computer support team at a company of which you are
already a customer
- Take the caller's information down and immediately
report it to your local authorities.
- Never provide your credit card or financial information to
someone claiming to be from Microsoft tech support.
(1st January 2015)
GUNS, DRUGS AND CHILD PORN - THE DARK WEB
THRIVES
(International Business Times, dated 19th December 2014
author Pierluigi Paganini)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/guns-drugs-hitmen-child-porn-darkweb-thrives-despite-operation-onymous-crackdown1480323
There is a part of the web that is still hidden from the
majority of the internet users, a so-called dark web that
cannot be found by conventional search engines or
accessed by standard browsers.
Parts of the dark web reside on the Tor network, which,

thanks to its nigh untraceable user anonymity, is a fertile
breeding ground for cyber-criminals and illicit dealings. It
is the ideal environment for an online illegal goods black
market that sells everything from drugs and weapons to
hitmen and hacking attacks for hire.
These specialised black markets are flourishing in this
nefarious corner of the internet; criminals are developing
points of aggregation where buyers and sellers can
operate in anonymity and benefit from escrow services
offered by the operators.
Names such as Silk Road (and its successor, Silk Road
2.0), BlueSky Marketplace, Pandora Marketplace, Tor
Bazaar Alpha and Cannabis Road have become hugely
popular in the criminal ecosystem.
Law enforcement and judicial agencies worldwide have
coordinated their efforts against illicit dark web markets
on the Tor network. An impressive FBI bust on 5 and 6
November, dubbed Operation Onymous, saw the closure
of hundreds of websites operating on the Tor network. Its
key achievement was the seizure of the black market Silk
Road 2.0 and the arrest of its alleged manager, Blake
Benthall.
But how much work still needs to be done and how
significant is the threat posed by the criminals?
Dark web redefined
Operation Onymous certainly had a significant impact,
with well-known sites shut and levels of online illicit deals
decreasing. However, security experts observed a rapid
response from the criminal underground to the pressure
exerted by law enforcement.
Data provided by the non-profit Digital Citizens Alliance
Security suggests Onymous shifted the balance in favour
of new and surviving black markets, which have now
gained market share.

The criminal underground is also demonstrating significant
capability to restore illegal activities by building new
services. Through its monitoring, Digital Citizens claims it
was tracking 18 dark networks at the time of the Onymous
crackdown. That number was reduced to seven after
Onymous but since then, five new sites have popped up to
fill the void.
Beyond guns and drugs, child pornography and
fraud lurks on the dark web
There are more threats to contend with than just the black
markets. The dark web is an ideal environment for the
spread of child porn and harbours botnets designed to
steal credit card data.
Anonymising networks, and in particular the Tor network,
are a powerful instrument in the arsenal of cyber-criminals
to conduct illegal activities, such as the takeover of bank
accounts. A US Treasury Department report states that the
majority of bank account takeovers by cyber-criminals
affecting organisations over the past decade exploited the
anonymising Tor network.
Bad actors will explore even more the dark web to hide
their identity and increase their business opportunities.
This requires a significant effort from enforcers and private
security firms: hacking techniques used to de-anonymise
users have to be integrated with meticulous intelligence
activities to infiltrate the principal criminal crews and
identify their main operators on the dark web.
(1st January 2015)
NATIONAL CRIME AGENCY BEGINS ROTHERHAM
ABUSE INQUIRY
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-southyorkshire-30524808
The National Crime Agency (NCA) has begun an

investigation into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
It follows the release of the Jay report in August, which
revealed more than 1,400 children were the victims of
abuse between 1997 and 2013.
A number of resignations followed the report including
South Yorkshire's Police and Crime Commissioner, Shaun
Wright.
South Yorkshire Police said the force would co-operate fully
with the NCA.
Two stage inquiry
Professor Alexis Jay's report, commissioned by Rotherham
Council, revealed children as young as 11 had been raped
by multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other
cities in England, beaten and intimidated.
Victims have spoken of their families being threatened and
complaints to the authorities being ignored.
The report criticised failures in the council's leadership and
said South Yorkshire Police had failed to prioritise the
issue.
It said failures to protect children happened despite three
reports into the issue, between 2002 and 2006, which the
council and police were both aware of.
Following the barrage of criticism in the aftermath of the
report, South Yorkshire Police Chief Constable, David
Crompton, asked the NCA to investigate.
He said: "All officers and staff in South Yorkshire will
provide full support to the NCA in order that the
independent investigation I have asked for can be taken
forward efficiently and effectively."
Trevor Pearce, of the NCA, said Operation Stovewood

would have two stages.
The first will look at material held by South Yorkshire Police
and other bodies relating to child sexual exploitation in
Rotherham.
It will also review relevant investigations being carried out
by South Yorkshire Police.
Mr Pearce said that would include "identifying any
opportunities for early intervention to prevent further
harm and to identify and arrest suspects."
The second stage of the operation, expected to begin in
2015, will involve a full new and independent investigation
of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham.
The investigation is one of several inquiries to follow the
Jay report.
Allegations of misconduct relating to police officers have
been referred to the Independent Police Complaints
Commission.
The government has also commissioned an independent
inspection of children's services at Rotherham Council,
which is being conducted by Louise Casey, the head of the
government's troubled families unit.
(1st January 2015)
CAR SMOKE BAN "TO START IN OCTOBER"
(BBC News, dated 17th December 2014 author Nick
Triggle)
Smoking in cars with children will be banned in England,
under new laws put forward by the government.
The regulations laid before Parliament propose banning

smoking in cars containing under 18s.
A fine of 50 will be issued to people who smoke or who
fail to prevent another person smoking.
MPs will vote on the plans before the election - and if they
are passed the change in law will come into force on 1st
October 2015.
The move comes after a free vote in Parliament in
February gave ministers the power to introduce the law,
although it did not compel them to.
Public health minister Jane Ellison said: "Second-hand
smoke is a real threat to children's health and we want
them to grow up free from the risks of smoking.
"The only effective way to protect children is to prevent
them breathing second-hand smoke and our plans to stop
smoking in cars carrying children will help us to do this."
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and
Health, said: "We are delighted. We also urge the
government to put the regulations on standardised
packaging to Parliament before the general election.
"This, together with the protection of children from
second-hand smoke in cars, will help de-normalise
smoking and protect children from this deadly addiction."
But Simon Clark, director of smokers' lobby group Forest,
said: "The government is taking a sledgehammer to crack
a nut. The overwhelming majority of smokers know
smoking in a car with children is inconsiderate and they
don't do it.
"The regulations are unnecessary and excessive. Do we
really want to criminalise people for lighting a cigarette in
a private vehicle?"
A ban on smoking in cars has also been put forward in
Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland said it was

considering a ban.
Smoking in cars
- Smoke can stay in the air for up to two and a half hours
even with a window open.
- Second-hand smoke contains more than 4,000
chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer.
- Exposure has been strongly linked to chest infections,
asthma, ear problems and cot death in children.
- Research indicates 300,000 children in the UK visit a GP
each year because of the effects of second-hand smoke,
with 9,500 going to hospital.
- Smoking in a car creates a higher concentration of toxins
than in a bar, some research has put it at 11 times higher.
- Bans on smoking in cars when children are present
already exist in some US states, including California, as
well as in parts of Canada and Australia.
(1st January 2015)
{NEW} EU VAT LAW COULD KILL THOUSANDS OF
ONLINE BUSINESSES
(The Register, dated 17th December 2014 author Jennifer
Baker)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/17/eu_vat_law_could_kill_o
ff_thousands_of_online_businesses/
New EU tax rules that come into force on 1 January could
kill thousands of mini and micro online businesses.
The new VAT rules have been on the cards for six years
and are ostensibly aimed at preventing big companies
(yes, we mean you, Amazon, Apple and Starbucks) from

claiming that all their European profit is made in
Luxembourg (or similar tax havens) where they benefit
from paying hardly any tax.
To this end, online businesses will have to pay tax in the
country of the consumer buying the goods, not the
business. The side effect of this seems to be that many
small businesses will find themselves having to unravel
miles of red tape associated with complying with 28
different VAT regimes.
And it could disproportionately hit British online
companies because the VAT-free threshold is much higher
than in the rest of the EU, at 81,000. Some services are
exempt: hotel booking services, supply of physical goods
through electronic ordering processes and and real-time
educational services.
However, that still leaves a lot of small businesses with a
lot of extra work to do and would undermine new EU digiveep Andrus Ansip's plans for a true digital single market.
He was, therefore, keen to point the finger of blame
elsewhere: "Given that this change was adopted six years
ago, member states should have helped businesses to
prepare. But even if the concerns come late, they should
be listened to. Companies should not be left alone. One
practical aid should be the one-stop-shops that have been
put in place."
The mini-one-stop-shop (MOSS) idea is supposed to help
micro businesses so that they don't need to register in all
28 EU countries. They will, however, have to register for a
VAT number for the first time, submit quarterly returns and
ascertain where exactly all their customers live.
This last requirement also presents additional problems,
since acquiring such sensitive data would render the
business a data processor and subject to the EU's strict
data protection laws.
"Small innovative online companies matter to me. I want
you to have the necessary space to grow into successful

businesses and to trade across borders. But I also see the
merits in the upcoming VAT change," said Ansip in his
blog. To be fair, tax isn't his department, but with so much
emphasis on the digital single market in the Juncker
Commission's plan for 2015 (announced on Tuesday), it is
surprising that he would support such a move.
Meanwhile, campaigners are grasping at straws just a few
weeks before the law comes into force, with a Twitterstorm
centred on the #EUVAT hashtag aiming to draw more
signatures to a petition to suspend the new laws for micro
businesses and sole online traders.
(1st January 2015)
FOREIGN CRIMINALS DATA TAKEN OFF POLICE
RECORDS
(The Guardian, dated 16th December 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/dec/16/foreogncriminals-data-police-records-biometrics
Thousands of foreign criminals who have been convicted
of offences outside England and Wales have had their DNA
profiles and fingerprint details deleted from British police
databases, a Home Office watchdog has revealed.
Alastair MacGregor QC, the biometrics commissioner, has
warned the Home Office that this "obviously unsatisfactory
state of affairs" might be putting the public at
unnecessary risk.
The commissioner says there is a gap in the law as a
result of new rules designed to remove DNA profiles and
fingerprints of innocent people from the police national
computer.
He says this gap means the biometric details of those
arrested but not charged with an offence in Britain cannot

be held indefinitely solely because they have been
convicted of an offence outside England and Wales.
"If the police wish to retain the biometric records of such
individuals and have no other basis for doing so, they
have no option but to go back to those individuals and (rearresting them) to take further samples and fingerprints
from them," said the commissioner, voicing concern about
the burden this places on forces.
MacGregor says re-arresting and re-sampling a suspect
following his conviction outside England and Wales could
prove a greater invasion of their privacy than simply
holding onto the DNA and fingerprints samples already
taken from them.
The commissioner also says rules that restrict the holding
of DNA and fingerprint details of foreign-national criminals
on the police national computer of foreign criminals have
severely limited the practical use of the powers for British
police forces.
"The police have been and remain unable to take and
retain biometric material from many EU nationals who
they know have been convicted of qualifying offences
under England and Wales," said the watchdog.
In his first annual report the commissioner cites the case
of an EU national who had been arrested but not charged
with burglary whose details could not be kept despite the
fact that he had served more than 13 years in prison in
another European country for similar offences. MacGregor
says he made an exception for that case but his DNA
profile and fingerprints could only be retained for a much
shorter period than would otherwise have been the case.
A Home Office spokesperson said: "This government has
ended the heavy-handed system under which the DNA of
innocent people was kept indefinitely - but we will never
put the public at risk.
"We have ensured the police have retained the power to

take and keep DNA and fingerprints from any EU national
living in the UK when they represent a threat to the public
and have been convicted abroad of a crime which is the
equivalent of a serious offence in England and Wales ...
"The UK requests and uses more data about foreign
offenders than almost any other country. We are one of
the biggest users of the European criminal records system
and are leading the way in Europe to encourage the
proactive sharing of information about individuals who
could pose a risk to the public."
The biometrics commissioner also raises technical
problems with ensuring the DNA and fingerprints of
individuals convicted of offences in Scotland and Northern
Ireland are on the police national computer for England
and Wales. He says that ministers are considering the
possibility of seeking legislation to cater for some of these
problems.
A separate report from the national DNA database
strategy board says that the removal of 1.7m DNA profiles
taken from innocent people and children as a result of
Theresa May's Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 has not
led to any reduction in the number of matches the
database procduces.
"In the quarter from 1 April to 30 June 2014, the database
produced 37 matches to murder, 127 to rapes and 6,111
to other crime scenes. In the same quarter of 2013, when
the old system for retaining DNA was in effect, it produced
37 matches to murder, 103 to rapes and 6,141 to other
crime scenes," it reports.
(1st January 2015)
BRITS STILL PAYING FOR MOBILE THIEVES TEXTS
AND CALLS
(The Register, dated 12th December 2014 author BridAine Parnell)

www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/12/brits_stolen_mobile_pho
ne_shock_bills_despite_promises/
Brits who have their mobes stolen are still facing shock
bills, despite government promises that charges would be
capped in a similar way to stolen credit cards.
The Citizens Advice watchdog said that as many as
160,000 victims of phone crime were forking out up to
4m a year to pay for thieves' texting and calls, although
they could have saved at least 120,000 of that this year
if bills were capped.
A year ago, Blighty's government and mobile phone
providers said they would stick a cap on stolen mobe bills
by early spring this year.
However, the charity said continued delays on that
promise have left folks reporting to Citizens Advice
charges from 160 all the way up to massive 23,000,
between April and November this year.
"Victims of phone crime are at the mercy of financially
devastating bills," said Gillian Guy, chief exec of the
charity, in a statement. "Innocent people are being made
to pay for phone bills run up by thieves despite a promise
from phone providers and the government to cap costs.
Demands to pay tens of thousands of pounds have pushed
some victims of crime into the red."
"The injustice of shock bills for phone crime victims must
end. Citizens Advice is calling on the government to stand
up for consumers and cap bills from lost or stolen phones
at 50 to protect the worst hit," she added.
"Instead of waiting for victims of crime to get in touch,
phone companies could improve their systems so they
consistently check for tell-tale signs of theft, such as a
large number of calls to high cost phone lines," said Guy.
In December last year, culture secretary Maria Miller

announced that the government and the four major mobe
providers - EE, Vodafone, Virgin Media, and Three - had
agreed to cap bills on phones that were reported stolen, as
well as stopping mid-contract price rises and helping to
eliminate roaming charges by 2016.
"We are ensuring hardworking families are not hit with
shock bills through no fault of their own," said Miller at the
time.
However, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport
told The Reg Friday that it was working on the caps.
"Mobile phone networks have agreed to cap bills for
phones that have been reported lost or stolen. Digital
Economy Minister Ed Vaizey will be meeting mobile
network operators shortly to confirm details of the liability
caps they will offer," a spokesperson said by email.
Ofcom estimates that the average bill on a lost or stolen
phone is around 65, but Citizens Advice said that in some
cases the crooks can rack up huge bills in just a few hours
by calling premium rate phone lines.
In one case, a punter on his hols in Spain had his phone
pick-pocketed on the first night of his break. When he
repeatedly tried to report the theft to his phone company's
customer service team, he kept getting cut off, racking up
the phone call charges as he went.
By the time he got home, the thief had lumbered him with
600 in charges, which his provider insisted he pay.
(1st January 2015)
EUROPEAN COURT OF JUSTICE - POINTING A CCTV
CAMERA AT FOOTPATH MEANS YOU MUST OBEY
DATA LAW
Baker)

www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/11/eu_data_protection_cze
ch_chap/
Europe's top court ruled Thursday that data protection
rules apply to private surveillance cameras if they record
people on the public footpath.
The regulations in question - the Data Protection Directive
- insists personal information can't be held for longer than
necessary, and that consent must be given, and so on,
although it's being rewritten at the moment.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) made its ruling
regarding surveillance cameras and the directive following
the case of a Czech national, Frantiek Ryne.
Ryne installed a surveillance camera outside his house
after it was repeatedly vandalized. In October 2007, he
recorded two suspects breaking a window of the family
home using a catapult from the street. He handed the
recordings over to the police who identified the two
suspects, who were subsequently prosecuted before the
criminal courts.
However, one of the suspects said Ryne had infringed his
data protection rights, because he had been recorded
without his consent while he was on the public footpath.
Today's data-protection directive contains an opt-out
clause if the person doing the recording has a "legitimate
interest in protecting the property, health and life of his
family and himself."
The Czech Supreme Administrative Court asked the ECJ in
Luxembourg to decide whether Ryne should benefit from
the opt-out clause in the directive, or that the footage was
recorded unlawfully.
In Thursday's judgment, the ECJ decided that recording
someone on the street is "personal data" because it is
possible to identify the person concerned and that such

video surveillance constitutes automatic data processing.
It said that the exception in the directive for "purely
personal or household activities" did not apply because
the footpath is a public space.
However it added that the "data subject" (in this case the
window-breaking vandal) need not be told about the
recording if it involved a "disproportionate effort."
The court also said that data-protection rights could be set
aside if necessary to "safeguard the prevention,
investigation, detection and prosecution of criminal
offences, or the protection of the rights and freedoms of
others."
The ball is now back in the Czech court to decide on
whether Ryne's right to live in peace trumps a vandal's
right to privacy.
Jan Philipp Albrecht, the German MEP who has steered
Europe's planned new data protection law through the
European Parliament, said the clarification from the higher
court was welcome:
"Those monitoring their property with video cameras and
filming public spaces have to comply with data protection
rules. They are allowed to record the public sphere only as
far as absolutely necessary and proportionate for precise
security interests."
(1st January 2015)
GCHQ - POLICE TO TEAM UP TO HUNT DOWN CHILD
ABUSE ON THE DARKNET
(The Register, dated 11th December 2014 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/11/gchq_police_darknet_ch
ild_abuse_purge/
GCHQ is to team up with the UK's National Crime Agency
to target paedophiles sharing child abuse images on the
"dark net".
The as-yet-unnamed unit will focus on developing
technology capable of scouring the underbelly of the
internet for child abuse-related chat and image
exchanges. It will also focus on the most prolific offenders,
according to a UK government statement.
In a parallel move, coaching children into uploading
indecent images of themselves is to become a criminal
offence. Prime Minister David Cameron is due to outline
the proposed changes in a speech at the We Protect
Children summit in London this morning. Changes in
legislation will be applied through the Serious Crime Bill,
which is currently making its progress through Parliament,
the BBC reports.
The dark net refers to regions of the internet only
accessible with anonymity software such as Tor and not
indexed by search engines.
The "hidden web" focus of a new UK campaign against
child abuse images follows progress by groups like the
Internet Watch Foundation in purging such content from
UK hosted sites.
The IWF removed images from 27,850 websites so far in
2014, already more than double the figures for the whole
of 2013. The UK was responsible for an estimated 18 per
cent of all child abuse imagery in 1996, a figure that has
since dropped to less than one per cent, it says.
Tech giants are playing their part in making it easier to
identify and block child abuse images and videos.
The digital fingerprints (hash values) of thousands of
known child sex abuse images identified by the IWF will be
used by the major tech companies (Facebook, Microsoft,
Google, Twitter and Yahoo) to prevent these images that

shared on their services, Google has agreed to share
hashing technology which allows known child abuse
videos to be identified and blocked with the wider industry.
Yahoo will be the first industry partner to pilot it.
A new UK database enabling swifter identification and
investigation by law enforcement of child abuse images.
Johann Hofmann, law enforcement expert at NetClean,
which is involved in implementing the first phase of the
UK's national Child Abuse Image Database, commented:
"The Child Abuse Image Database (CAID) is a landmark
project for law enforcement. Never before has UK law
enforcement had such a sophisticated method of sharing
and matching critical case data, logging visual evidence
and analysing digital media."
He added: "In order to identify and prevent child sexual
abuse (CSA) and rescue more victims from abusers, we
need technology that addresses two of the most
fundamental challenges that law enforcement currently
have: resourcing and collaboration. CAID will massively
reduce the workload around processing visual data and
will enable law enforcement to collaborate on regional,
national and international levels."
Meanwhile Microsoft, Google and Mozilla have committed
to investigate the feasibility of implementing browser-level
blocking restrictions designed to prevent people getting
access to URLs of known child abuse material.
The prime minister is also expected to announce a series
of global commitments from more than 30 countries to
make it easier for police to track more paedophiles and
help more victims. This will be supported by a new 50
million Child Protection Fund. UNICEF will support the
development of the new fund, in partnership with the UK,
other governments and partners from civil society and the
private sector.
(1st January 2015)
CITIZEN CHECKS MISSED CRIMINAL RECORDS

The Home Office has granted British citizenship to people
with "very poor immigration histories", according to the
chief borders inspector.
Citizenship was being approved without checking
applicants' criminal records in their home country, John
Vine found.
In one case, officials did not look at files showing an
asylum seeker had killed someone in their home country.
The Home Office said most of the issues were down to
"wrong-headed decisions taken by the previous
government".
Mr Vine, who will step down as chief inspector of borders
and immigration at the end of this year, looked at 179
applications as part of a study of nationality casework.
He said he had been "concerned" to discover that
applications for UK citizenship were not being scrutinised
appropriately.
The chief inspector agreed that decisions to refuse
citizenship had been made correctly, but found that in
several instances citizenship was granted without
checking all the information available.
British citizenship had been granted to one person who
had previously stabbed someone, and to another who had
lived and worked illegally in Britain for 13 years.
Analysis (Danny Shaw)
Citizenship is a serious business: last year, 235,000 people
applied for UK citizenship, only 3% of whom were refused.
It brings substantial benefits - including the right to a

British passport, the ability to travel without restrictions
into and out of the UK and an entitlement to vote and hold
public office.
Allowing people with a criminal record or a history of
breaching immigration laws to become British nationals
has the potential to undermine security - and may suggest
to some that the UK's immigration system is not only
mismanaged but also a "soft touch".
If true, it's politically toxic. Does that explain why the
Home Office took three months to publish the report?
Ministers will deny it - but the publicity generated by John
Vine's inspections is undoubtedly something they'd rather
avoid.
Citizenship can be refused if someone has not been in
Britain for long enough, if they have a recent or serious
criminal record, or if they are judged not to be of "good
character".
The report turned up no evidence that authorities were
attempting to prosecute those who had lied in their
applications, except in a few cases involving organised
crime.
'Serious failing'
While caseworkers generally provided good service and
took account of automated police checks, the chief
inspector concluded, they did not have routine access to
paper records relating to individuals' histories.
This amounted to a "serious failing" and made it likely that
the failure to notice that one asylum applicant had
previously killed someone "was not an isolated case".
Immigration and security minister James Brokenshire
argued that most of the mistakes identified were the result
of the previous government's approach.
He drew attention to a number of changes brought in by

the coalition such as scrapping the UK Border Agency,
introducing interviews for visas and the reintroduction of
credibility checks.
British citizenship should be "treated as a privilege for
those who deserve it, not an automatic right for those who
do not", the minister added.
(1st January 2015)
WORLDS MOST SOPHISTICATED CYBER WEAPON

ATTACKING EMBASSIES AND MAJOR FIRMS
author Anthony Cuthbertson)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/inception-worlds-most-sophisticatedcyber-weapon-discovered-by-security-experts-1478950
A new wave of highly sophisticated cyberattacks targeting
embassies, military installations and major corporations
around the world has been uncovered by security experts.
Researchers at Blue Coat Labs described the cyber threat,
named Inception, as a "very slick operation" that pointed
to a "very high chance of state involvement".
A 62-page white paper published today (10 December) by
Blue Coat, titled The Inception Framework: Cloud-Hosted
APT, details the malware espionage operation and how the
attacks took place.
Characteristics of Inception include randomised file names
to prevent detection, cloud encryption and malware
components embedded in Rich Text Format (RTF) files.
Documents associated are in Hindi, Russian, Swedish and
English, while one piece of code carries the line "God Save
the Queen", though any of these could be red herring
devices.
"In September I discovered some files that were a bit out
of the ordinary," Snorre Fagerland, co-author of the report,
told IBTimes UK. "They were bigger than usual and I soon
realised that this was an attack framework that I hadn't
seen before, possibly by actors I hadn't noticed before.
"I found a very high quality of code across five different
platforms, a very high level of automation and an
operational security that is positively paranoid. All of this
suggests state involvement."
Fagerland also believes that another factor that indicates
state involvement is the selection of targets. There are
several target areas that appear to be of strategic interest
to a nation state.
The origin of Inception is still unclear but it is not thought
to originate from "the usual suspects" of Iran, China or
Russia.
"Initially we saw a very clear interest in Russia and the
Russian sphere," Fagerland said. "However as we've been
gathering more information about this campaign and more
target data we see that the fields of interest are much
wider than Russia.
"They've targeted countries as far apart as Venezuela,
Mozambique and European countries like Belgium,
Germany and even the UK to some extent."
The targeting of mobile phone operators in Belgium is of
particular significance, Fagerland believes, as it is a
"power seat". Both the European Union and Nato have
headquarters there.
If it is a nation state that is behind the attacks, as the
authors suggest, then the publication of the white paper is
likely to push the malware into the shadows to avoid
further attention and possible detection.
(1st January 2015)

UBER UNDER PRESSURE AS MORE BANS AND
LAWSUITS LOOM
Full article and linlks : www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology30393961
Uber's week of woes is continuing with authorities in San
Francisco and Los Angeles taking legal action against the
internet-based taxi firm.
It has been banned from operating in New Delhi following
the alleged rape by a driver of a female passenger.
Meanwhile, a judge in Madrid has ordered a temporary
halt to the service and Thai authorities say the firm lacks
proper registration and insurance.
Uber is yet to comment on the latest legal cases against it.
District attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles claim
Uber made "untrue or misleading representations"
regarding the quality of its own background checks on
drivers.
They also accuse the firm of:
- charging customers a one-dollar "safe rides" fee without
justification, saying the money went to pay for background
checks.
- using the Uber app to calculate fares based on time and
distance without obtaining approval from a California
agency to do so.
- conducting commercial operations at California airports
without authorisation.
- charging an "airport fee toll" to customers even though
drivers were not paying the airport.
District attorneys are seeking an injunction against Uber

that could see its drivers temporarily banned from the two
cities.
By contrast, rival firm Lyft has reached a settlement with
the same district attorneys. It will submit its app to the
authorities for accuracy checks as well as seeking
authorisation to operate in airports.
It will also pay civil penalties of $500,000, half of which
will be paid within 30 days while the rest could be waived
if the firm complies with the terms of the injunction.
Badges issued
Other US cities have also begun legal action against Uber.
In Portland, Oregon, the firm is being sued for failing to
seek consent on how it would be regulated.
Meanwhile, Max Tyler, a Colorado state representative, has
questioned how it vets drivers, alleging that the firm does
not run an FBI background check, something which other
taxi drivers have to have.
Its process of recruiting new drivers is also being looked at
by authorities in New Delhi after a driver, who was
previously accused of raping a female passenger in 2011,
was cleared to drive for Uber.
The driver has been arrested for another alleged rape and
appeared in court on Monday. He had obtained a reference
from the Delhi Police, but police spokesman Rajan Bhagat
told Reuters that the certificate appeared to be fake.
Indian police also questioned an Uber executive about the
checks run on drivers. Police said that Uber's drivers did
not have the special badges that it issues to taxi drivers
proving that they have cleared background checks.
They said that Uber and similar services that operate
online platforms linking drivers with customers are

registered in India as technology businesses rather than
transport companies.
Huge expansion
In a statement Uber said it would work with the Indian
government to "establish clear background checks
currently absent in their commercial transportation
licensing programmes".
It added that it would also partner with women's safety
groups and "invest in technology advances to help make
New Delhi a safer city for women".
Uber defended the way it checked drivers, saying it was a
responsibility it took seriously. According to the firm, it is
on track to complete more than two million background
checks this year.
The company, which now operates in 52 countries, was
recently valued at $40bn after an investment by venture
capitalists.
But since its launch the business, which uses a
smartphone app to connect riders with drivers, has proved
hugely controversial. In Europe, registered taxi drivers'
unions have staged strikes and protests against what they
see as light regulation of Uber and similar services.
Uber's business practices have also been questioned and
doubts raised over whether its tracking system breaks
data protection laws.
(1st January 2015)
PIONEERING SYSTEM FROM BT AND PARTNERS
IMPROVES ACCURACY IN LOCATING 999 CALLERS
(BT News, dated 10th December 2014)
Full article :
www.btplc.com/Innovation/Innovationnews/Pioneeringsyst
em/index.htm
An ingenious new geographical location system can
pinpoint the source of 999 calls from mobile phones 4,000
times more accurately than the current system.
The new service, developed by BT, EE and HTC, can track
calls to a radius of 30 metres or less, cutting the handling
time for emergency services.
Around 60 per cent of 999 and 112 calls in the UK are now
made from a mobile - 22 million calls a year or 60,000 a
day - all of which are handled by BT call centres. At
present, emergency services are only able to identify
approximate locations of callers to within a few square
kilometres. As a result:
- 999 calls from a mobile take 30 seconds longer to handle
on average than calls from landlines; it can take three
minutes of extra questioning, of often stressed or injured
victims, to determine the location
- In an estimated 36,000 critical incidents reported by
mobile every year, the emergency services spend 30
minutes or more searching for the location
- In around 330,000 emergency calls a year, the caller is
unable to speak to the operator. Having imprecise cell
information for the location when the call is from a mobile
can prevent the emergency services from responding.
Rapid response using precise data
The new geographical location system, called AML
(Advanced Mobile Location), provides 999 operators with
pinpoint location data to save time and lives. It can
identify the source of a mobile phone emergency call to
within 0.003 square kilometres, less than half the size of a
football pitch, instead of several square kilometres.
When an emergency call is made with an AML-enabled
smartphone, the phone automatically activates its location
service and sends its position by text message to the 999

service - on average within 18 seconds.
This text message is automatically matched to the voice
call and compared to the network's cell-based information
to ensure it is valid. The location is then sent to the
appropriate emergency service, supplementing the cellbased information.
Sue Lampard, president of British Association of Public
Safety Communication Officials (BAPCO), said: "I'm
delighted to see this development. The 999 service has
remained voice-centric since 1937 - while multimedia
technology has developed around it. In this 21st century it
is hard to believe that the UK emergency services are
unable to receive good location data - they are reliant on
callers to tell them. Invariably during a 999 call, the caller
will be distressed, so trying to pinpoint their location adds
unnecessary time before resources can be deployed.
"This is the first of a number of steps that need to be
taken to bring our 999 technology up-to-date with society.
Well done to BT, EE and HTC for working so hard to
achieve this - lives will be saved as a result."
Rolling the technology out across all networks
AML is currently available for emergency calls made on
the EE network on all new HTC phones, including HTC One
mini2, HTC One (M8), HTC Desire 610, HTC One and HTC
One mini.
The three companies have been working together with the
other UK mobile networks so that the same service can be
used, by all networks and manufacturers, free of charge. It
is expected that it will be available on HTC handsets on
other networks shortly and a number of other handset
manufacturers have started to develop it for models to be
introduced in the near future.
(1st January 2015)
PEOPLE WHO SPIT IN THE STREET IN LONDON FACE

80 FINE
(London Evening Standard, dated 9th December 2014
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/people-who-spit-in-thestreet-in-london-face-80-fine-9912228.html
People across London who spit in public face being hit with
a 80 on-the-spot fine under a new crackdown on antisocial behaviour.
Town halls are expected at a meeting on Thursday to
agree to the level of the penalty across the capital.
Local authority wardens, in parks or on litter patrols, would
be able to issue the fines under by-laws.
It would be up to town halls how to impose the penalties
and they could apply to footballers spitting during games
in public parks.
The proposed penalty could be cut to 50 if it is paid
within 14 days under the plans to be discussed by London
Councils' transport and environment committee.
"Earlier this year, London Councils conducted a public
consultation into penalties for anti-social spitting and the
responses we received were overwhelming in favour of
imposing a fixed penalty in line with other nuisance
behaviour like littering," said a London Councils'
spokesman.
"Anti-social spitting impacts people's quality of life. This is
exactly the sort of measure boroughs can and should
implement to make their local areas more pleasant places
to live and work."
People who spit in public are unlikely to be fined if they

have a "reasonable excuse" or if they do so into a
handkerchief, tissue, bin, spittoon or other receptacle.
These are the exceptions included in a by-law agreed a
year ago in Enfield which was approved by Communities
Secretary Eric Pickles.
It meant that people could be taken to court and fined up
to 500 for spitting in the north London borough which
now wants to bring in the option of fixed penalty to deal
with such anti-social conduct.
Waltham Forest and Newham have also targeted antisocial spitting with fixed penalty notices using the
Environmental Protection Act 1990 and by categorising
spit as "litter".
But town halls across London are now set to sign up for
the first time to a standard penalty for spitting across the
capital.
(1st January 2015)
TIME TO COME CLEAN ON CRIME FIGURES

(Police Oracle, dated 9th December 2014 author Irene
Curtis - Superintendents Assoc)
Like it, loathe it, agree or disagree with it, the one thing
you couldn't do about the recent Her Majesty's
Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report on crime
recording is ignore it.
That's not just because it was everywhere - one of the top
stories all day on broadcast media, hundreds of Tweets,
numerous blog posts - but because it tells us so much
about several of the issues facing the service today:
performance measurement, treatment of victims, decisionmaking, leadership and mindset.
The problem that binds these issues together is the

persistent myth that recorded crime figures indicate
whether the police are doing a good job or not. My view is
that the overall figures do not tell us whether police are
performing well any more than incidences of illness tell us
whether or not that area's GP is doing a good job.
What the figures do measure is the amount of crime that
is reported to the police and so they tell us what the
crime-related demand on policing is. Now, this is hugely
important information and that's why the report of underrecording is so troubling, albeit HMIC were looking at
figures from between one and two years ago and we know
forces are making good progress in improving their
recording practices.
But if we don't know for certain - and being out by 19 per
cent means we are far from certain - what the true
demand is that the service is facing, how can we possibly
hope to make the right decisions about how best to deal
with it? We can't know where to put resources, what skills
and training are needed, what support from others will
help and how, if we don't know what the real picture is. At
a time when forces are having to cope with diminishing
resources and the prospect of further cuts not far away,
surely we need this accurate picture to inform both
strategic decisions on budgets and priorities and tactical
decisions on deployments.
Record every crime
For this reason alone it's absolutely essential that we
record every crime that's reported to us, but it will also
play an important role in improving the confidence of
victims. One thing the Police Service must be is on the
side of the victim. Whilst I know this is how the majority of
officers already think, sadly there have been too many
high-profile cases where this hasn't happened (in some
cases due to inappropriate target-driven performance
pressures) and unfortunately this affects perceptions of
the whole service.
So we must put victims first and say, we believe you. Yes,

this is likely to lead to over-recording in the first instance,
with allegations that turn out not be as reported and that
are later no-crimed, but I would prefer us to over- rather
than under-record.
Some critics have said this isn't realistic. I disagree. We
gain public confidence by being open and transparent, by
being accurate, and by doing what is right. The HMIC
report may have been about the integrity of crime data,
but the decisions we take about that data go right to the
heart of actual police integrity.
We must strive to do the right thing on every occasion,
even if it is the harder option. And that goes across all
ranks and grades in the service. I know some officers are
concerned about their capacity to record every crime,
which is why I think its essential to have a technological
solution to convert incidents into crimes.
This is the time when the service needs to take a
collective deep breath and accept that recorded crime
figures will go up. And where those who oversee policing
and hold us to account need to accept that it doesn't
mean that the police are suddenly doing a worse job. It
simply means that we have a truer picture of what is
happening.
It will also remove the conflict between our desire to
reduce overall crime whilst increasing the reporting of
certain crime types, such as domestic abuse and hate
crime, and of course proactive policing can lead to higher
levels of crime being reported, e.g. knife crime and drugs
related crime. We also know that there are still many
crimes out there that are under-reported, such as fraud.
We've been here before. When the National Crime
Recording Standard was introduced in 2002, recorded
crime figures went up. There was a protracted period of
trying to understand what was an actual change in crime
as opposed to what was down to the new standard. But we
coped.
We need a similar shift now. All forces need to agree that
every crime will be recorded - because it isn't measuring
how well they're doing, but how much demand they're
facing - and surely it's important for us to show those who
make decisions about our funding just how much demand
there is out there. But we need to do this together and all
forces need to agree to hold the line when challenged
about rises.
Target mindset
Holding the line means dropping once and for all the
target mindset that has been part of our culture for a long
time. And yes, I played my part in that. But I now
recognise, as do many others, that there are many more
ways to monitor performance; how to understand whether
a force, a team, an operation, an individual officer is doing
a good job. We could start by assessing staff by actually
working with them and talking to them rather than
observing their performance through a computer.
The accurate recording of crime is a huge issue and I've
only skimmed the surface of it in this blog. But I think
there is an opportunity for the service here to do the right
thing, together, for better decision making, better
effectiveness and better service for victims. All of which
say 'improved performance' much more clearly than a set
of crime figures.
uaware comment
In my opinion the author of this article doesn't understand
the publics "need" to see what the level of crime is in their
area. If the police are so insistent that they want members
of the public to become more involved in community
police matters; how can they if they do not understand the
base problem. That is, what is the crime level in their area
now; and what was the crime level last year.
With that premise understood by residents they can then
look at the next question. That of, how many crimes are
solved in my area. Followed by the third question; how
does that compare with other forces / services / divisions
around the country ?
Several years ago I read a report of a meeting attended by
a London Borough Chief Constable. During that meeting
the Chief Constable boasted that 17.5% of crimes were
solved annually in their Borough, and that met required
targets !
(1st January 2015)
CHILD RAPIST JEFFREY GOODWYN SENTENCE IS

UNLAWFUL
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-eastwales-30396520
A child rapist has been released after a judge said it would
be "unlawful" to keep him locked up.
Jeffrey Charles Goodwyn, 48, was given an indeterminate
sentence in 2012 for indecently assaulting a seven-yearold girl eight or more years earlier.
He already had a previous conviction for raping a nineyear-old child.
Mr Justice Coulson said at the Court of Appeal that an
open-ended sentence could only be passed for offences
after April 2005.
"Despite the danger to the public which this applicant
clearly represents, we are in no doubt that... The IPP
(imprisonment for public protection) was unlawful," he
said.
The court heard Goodwyn was given an indeterminate
sentence at Cardiff Crown Court in 2012 after admitting

offences against a seven year old girl and being
considered "a very dangerous offender indeed" by the
judge.
'No progress'
Such sentences allow the authorities to keep the most
dangerous criminals locked up indefinitely until they have
proved they are safe.
But Goodwyn went to the Court of Appeal about the
sentence.
At the hearing on Tuesday, the judge heard that while in
prison Goodwyn refused to transfer to open conditions and
the Parole Board described his conduct as unsatisfactory
after he threatened staff and was punished for fighting.
And Goodwyn's own lawyers said he had made "no
progress whatsoever" in prison.
He had also refused to discuss his sexual offending, the
court heard.
Mr Justice Coulson said: "This applicant remains a very
dangerous man.
"Because of his failure to engage with the relevant
assistance available to him in prison, he has not begun to
address his offending."
But he said the legal problems surrounding the IPP
sentence meant he had no choice but to quash the term.
He imposed a three-year custodial sentence on Goodwyn,
which he has already served, followed by five years on
licence.
The judge had held back his decision for a fortnight while
Goodwyn's parole arrangements, including hostel
accommodation, were put in place.
Responding to the ruling NSPCC Wales head of service Des

Mannion said: "It is extremely frightening that a child
rapist described as 'very dangerous' and unrepentant has
been released back in to the community due to what
seems like a legal technicality surrounding the timing of
the offence."
Indeterminate prison sentences
An indeterminate prison sentence is where the court sets
the minimum term of imprisonment an offender must
serve before becoming eligible to be considered for
release by the Parole Board. There are two types of
indeterminate sentence: Imprisonment for life and
Imprisonment for public protection.
A sentence of imprisonment for public protection may be
imposed where:
The offender is convicted of a serious sexual or violent
offence which is punishable by imprisonment for life or a
determinate period of 10 years or more
In the court's opinion the offender poses a significant risk
to the public of serious harm by the commission of further
specified offences
The offence is punishable with life imprisonment and the
court is satisfied that the seriousness of the offence
justifies such a sentence
The offender has a previous conviction for an offence
listed in schedule 15A to the Criminal Justice Act 2003 or
the current offence warrants a notional minimum term of
at least two years
(1st January 2015)
OFFICER HELD OVER DRUG-DEALING
(Press Association, dated 7th December 2014)
www.thecourier.co.uk/news/uk/officer-held-over-drug-
dealing-1.724781
A senior police officer who was awarded the MBE has been
arrested on suspicion of dealing Class A drugs.
Chief Inspector Paul Cahill was found slumped over his
wheel in Wandsworth Road in Lambeth by passing
policemen.
When officers searched the 43-year-old's vehicle they
allegedly uncovered a stash of Class A drugs.
He was arrested on suspicion of possessing Class A drugs
with intent to supply and being made unfit to drive
through alcohol or drugs.
He was taken to a south London police station and bailed
until January.
More Class A drugs - a category which includes cocaine
and heroin - are believed to have been found at his home.
Chief Insp Cahill was also suspended from his duties as a
member of Westminster borough command.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said it was not its
policy to name people who had been arrested, but
confirmed a Chief Inspector had been seized on Monday.
He said: "We can confirm a Chief Inspector from Territorial
Policing was arrested in Wandsworth Road on Monday, 1
December on suspicion of possession with intent to supply
a substance thought to be class A drugs. He was also
arrested on a drink drive related offence. A breath test
was not administered.
"He was taken to a south London police station. He has
been bailed to return to a south London police station in
January.
"The officer has been suspended."
The decorated officer, who was given the MBE in 2004 for
services to diversity in policing, heads a team that clamps
down on crimes such as drug dealing in Soho and the West
End.
Mr Cahill hit the headlines after becoming the victim of a
homophobic attack in 1996.
A year later he appeared on the front of the Gay Times in
full uniform.
He was also involved in using gay officers to reassure the
public and gather intelligence around Old Compton Street
in the aftermath of the Soho nail bombing in 1999.
He was chair of the Gay Police Association until it was
disbanded in April and was praised by the Met for his work
in revolutionising attitudes to gay men in policing.
One ex-colleague told the Sun: "He is a brave, outspoken
and a first class police officer. His colleagues will be
shocked."
(1st January 2015)
TALKTALK CUSTOMERS HIT BY INDIA-BASED SCAM
CALLS PROMPTING FEARS OF DATA LEAK
(The Guardian, dated 5th December 2014 author Charles
Arthur)
www.theguardian.com/business/2014/dec/05/talktalkcustomers-india-based-scam-calls-prompting-fears-dataleak
TalkTalk is investigating whether its customer database
has been leaked after more than 100 customers said they
had received calls from Indian-based scammers quoting
their names, addresses and account number details.
Suspicions have been raised that a data leak could have

come from a call centre used by TalkTalk in India, although
the UK internet service provider, which has more than 4
million customers, said it had "no concrete evidence of a
data breach" from any of its systems.
A number of customers in TalkTalk forums said they had
been contacted in the past fortnight, apparently from
India, by callers who quoted their TalkTalk account details
to try to assuage doubts about whether the call was
legitimate.
A similar scam earlier this year targeted BT Broadband
customers, with scammers also quoting account numbers.
One person said on TalkTalk's forums they were nearly
caught out because of the data that was supplied: "[The]
caller was obviously from India and his English was poor.
[He] claimed he was from TalkTalk and when I queried this
he reeled off my account number plus name and address."
Others on the forum confirmed their account details had
been provided in the call.
The account number is not publicly available information though it is held on TalkTalk's systems and is used in
customer support.
A spokeswoman for TalkTalk said there were other ways
the scammers might have acquired the account numbers,
such as through phishing emails, but she could not say
whether TalkTalk had seen any phishing emails recently
that would explain the abrupt surge in calls accurately
quoting data.
If TalkTalk's customer data has leaked, it could potentially
be liable to a fine under the Data Protection Act for failing
to secure personal information - a requirement for British
companies even if they store or process data overseas.
The Information Commissioner's Office said it had been
informed TalkTalk was investigating the source of the
account details.
TalkTalk is asking customers who have received calls to

contact its online scam report page at
www.talktalk.co.uk/help/report-scam.
The use of call centres in India for both remote telephone
support of legitimate businesses, and for making scam
calls of this sort, has long led to suspicions that customer
details are leaked by unscrupulous workers or managers
to the gangs who run the scams.
The Guardian has reported on this long-running problem
previously but there has been limited action against it by
the authorities in India, with few arrests. Last year the US
Federal Trade Commission froze the US bank accounts of a
number of individuals and businesses based in India,
though that seems to have had little impact
Once the cold-caller has the customer's confidence, they
begin a spiel in which they try to persuade the user that
they are from support and have been notified that the
user's computer has "viruses" or is "downloading
malware", and that the support call will fix it. As "proof",
the scammer directs the customer to a particular program
on Microsoft Windows which shows the normal working of
the system, and persuades the customer that this actually
indicates a problem.
The scammers then persuade the customer to download a
program that gives them access to their computer, "fix"
the problem and charge them for it via credit or debit
cards. But in fact the machines are operating normally and
the "fix" can harm the computer, or install viruses,
spyware or illegitimate software.
A TalkTalk spokesperson said: "Every year countless
people are targeted by phone scammers. This is a growing
problem across all sectors and unfortunately TalkTalk and
other telecommunications companies are not immune. We
know some customers are currently being targeted by
malicious scammers claiming to be from TalkTalk who have
obtained their account and phone number. We urge
customers to be alert, especially when asked for personal

details or remote access to your computer, and not to give
any more details over the phone. We encourage any
customers who have been targeted by this scam - or
indeed any scam where fraudsters are claiming to be from
TalkTalk - to hang up and contact us so that we can help to
catch them. They can do so by calling us or by using our
online scam reporting form."
(1st January 2015)
"FORCE BANKS TO REPORT WEB FRAUD", SAYS
POLICE CHIEF AT HEAD OF CYBER CRIME PROBE
(London Evening Standard, dated 5th December 2014
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/force-banks-to-reportweb-fraud-says-police-chief-at-head-of-cyber-crime-probe9905714.html
Banks should be forced by law to report frauds suffered by
millions of customers in order to plug a black hole in the
reporting of cyber crime, a police chief said today.
City of London Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard said
the scale of cyber fraud is "enormous" - costing Britain
about 30?billion a year - yet about 80 per cent of crimes
go unreported.
Mr Leppard, the national lead on economic crime and
fraud investigation, said the level of online fraud was now
so large that police no longer had the capacity to
investigate it. He added that forces in England and Wales
only had the resources to probe 20 per cent of fraud
reported to them.
In an exclusive interview with the Standard, he also called
for a debate on bringing in new laws to force banks and
financial institutions to keep data secure. Mr Leppard, 52,
said it was difficult to establish the true scale of cyber
fraud in the UK because high street banks do not routinely

report offences to police.
Under Home Office rules, once a bank reimburses a fraud
victim it technically becomes the victim itself. It is then up
to the bank to report offences.
Mr Leppard said: "The banks will not give us information
about crimes at the moment and there is no regulatory
requirement to do so. I have been saying for some time
that we must find ways of encouraging that.
"Unless the country and society can get a true feel about
the nature of crime we cannot address it. I don't think we
will necessarily get the banks and industry to do that
voluntarily. We should have a conversation about whether
it is time to regulate that - to find some sort of means by
which it is enforced."
The City force took over Action Fraud, which collates fraud
offences from the public and businesses, this year and
now collects about one million reports a year.
In turn, the force's National Fraud Intelligence Bureau
analyses reports and hands out packages to police forces
across the UK to investigate.
About 30 per cent of all the cases are handed to the Met in
London.
In addition the force now handles about 300 to 500 of the
country's biggest fraud inquiries, with losses of up to 5?
billion at any one time.
Mr Leppard said: "The bulk of everything we are taking is
enabled by the internet. And of the known organised crime
groups in Britain about 20 per cent are involved in some
form of fraud or economic crime.
"It would not have been anywhere near that figure 10
years ago."
He said most economic crime in the UK was being

committed by organised gangs based abroad. "This
creates a problem because you cannot necessarily go
upstream to target or extradite those people, which has
led us to work really hard on prevention," he added.
Mr Leppard said a dedicated team was tasked with taking
down the threats from crime gangs and with shutting
down websites, so-called "mule" bank accounts and voice
over internet phone numbers. He added that the unit is
closing down about 3,000 of these sites a month and
believes they are preventing about 500?million of fraud a
year.
"It doesn't mean we can sit back and say we've finished
our jobs," he said. "That's only the prevention work.
"We know the scale of the offending is huge and the police
capacity to deal with it is not - which is why we have to
move more and more into a mind-set of prevention."
He said that while businesses recognised the threat from
cyber crime there was no regulatory standard about how
information was kept secure.
"When we look at the scale and impact on the UK we
should ask whether there should be a regulatory
standard," he said. "I have been a detective for virtually all
my service and I have never dealt with the complexity you
see in fraud at the moment."
Mr Leppard praised Scotland Yard's decision to launch a
cyber crime squad, noting that the force had a 10 per cent
success rate for solving fraud cases - compared with the
national average of 20 per cent.
He also wants a national campaign to highlight the
problem, on the scale of the seatbelt or drink-drive
crusades.
"We have lots of anti-fraud advice but no one knows it," he
said. "We must reach young and retired people, who are
facing a lot of investment fraud, as well as business. There

needs to be a government-led wholesale approach to
protecting society from cyber crime."
(1st January 2015)
EU JUSTICE MINISTERS - DATA PROTECTION
Baker)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/05/this_is_not_the_one_sto
p_shop_youre_looking_for/
Despite concerns from individual countries, Europe's
Justice Ministers are a step closer to working out who will
protect Europeans' data from big internationals.
The so-called one-stop-shop principle, which was a
cornerstone of ex-Commissioner Viviane Reding's Data
Protection Regulation, has been dealt a blow after
ministers refused to support it as originally planned. This
week they seem to have reached some sort of piecemeal
compromise.
The original plan was to regulate companies in the EU
country in which they had their HQ, instead of dealing with
28 national regimes. But this would have seen Ireland
responsible for vast amounts of data - as Facebook, Apple,
Paypal, LinkedIn, Twitter et al are based there (primarily
for tax reasons).
Other countries could not live with their citizens being
solely regulated by the Irish Data Protection Authority
(DPA), so now pan-European European Data Protection
Board (EDPB) will oversee decisions by national DPAs.
And in the case of a dispute between national authorities,
the board's final decision will be legally binding.
Of course everyone is still not happy. Ireland, in particular,
is worried that the EDPB will be overwhelmed with cases

and that European Court of Justice will end up being a onestop-shop of last resort.
The UK is also opposed to the compromise because it
believes that all decisions will end up being made at
European rather than national level.
The current Data Protection Directive does not include any
obligation for national DPAs to cooperate with each other,
so it would appear that some progress is indeed being
made. However such announcements at the end of a
Council Presidency (the Italians have been heading up the
council of ministers since July) should always be taken
with a pinch of salt.
Every presidency is keen to say that it was instrumental in
making a breakthrough in high profile legislation, hence
the positive spin of Andrea Orlando, Italian Minister for
Justice and President of the Council. "We see this as an
important result for the Presidency, and a decisive step
towards achieving global agreement on this complex and
important file," he said.
But even he had to concede that "further technical work
will need to be done in the coming months"... under the
incoming Latvian EU presidency.
The current Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova says she is
confident that a full council position on the draft law can
be reached by March. Only then will negotiations start with
the Commission and the Parliament. Expect this one to run
and run.
(1st January 2015)
77 CHINESE IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN KENYA ON
SUSPICION OF CYBERCRIME RING
author Sean Martin)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/77-chinese-immigrants-arrested-kenyasuspicion-cybercrime-ring-1478188
Police in Kenya have arrested 77 Chinese nationals in
connection with a cybercrime centre in Nairobi.
Authorities said a cybercrime ring in the capital was being
operated from the dormitory-style homes of Chinese
immigrants.
It is thought that they were "preparing to raid the
country's communication systems", the police force said.
The Daily Nation newspaper reported that the criminals
had equipment that would enable them to infiltrate bank
accounts, Kenya's M-Pesa mobile banking system and cash
machines.
The director of Kenya's Criminal Investigation Department,
Ndegwa Muhorom said: "The suspects are being
interrogated to establish their mission in the country and
what they wanted to do with the communication gadgets.
They have been charged in court."
Police spokeswoman Zipporah Mboroki added: "We want to
do a thorough investigation over the matter and we are
currently working on their travel documents."
Suspicion was originally aroused when officers were
investigating a house fire which killed one person, a
detective close to the matter said.
The same detective, who has not been named by the Daily
Nation, said that the charges against the Chinese
immigrants, who were apparently living in army dormitorytype housing, include being in the country illegally and
operating radio equipment without the proper permits.
China's ambassador to Kenya has been summoned to
"explain if his government was aware of the group's
activities", the Standard newspaper reports.
Kenyan foreign minister Amina Mohamed said: "China

promised to send investigators to work with ours on this
matter," and that it "is being investigated by the police
working closely with the foreign ministry".
(1st January 2015)
ONLY TWO LEAVE UK UNDER SCHEME TO DEPORT
PETTY FOREIGN CRIMINALS
(The Guardian, dated 4th December 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/dec/04/two-leave-ukcaution-scheme-deport-foreign-criminals
A flagship Home Office scheme to deport foreign criminals
and save 10m a year has led to only two offenders
leaving the UK, according to a watchdog report published
by immigration inspectors.
The report - which the home secretary, Theresa May, has
sat on for more than five months - says a Home Office
target of removing 62 immigration offenders under a
conditional cautioning scheme has been wildly missed
during the past 12 months.
May has still not published four other reports she received
in August from John Vine, the chief inspector of borders
and immigration. They are believed to include two highly
critical reports on nationality and overstayers.
The flagship cautioning scheme was announced by the
home secretary in April last year in an attempt to increase
the number of deportations of foreign nationals charged
with petty and low-level offences. Under the scheme
individuals can avoid prosecution by agreeing to leave the
UK for at least five years and accepting a caution.
But the Vine report says that the Home Office consistently
missed its targets for offering cautions to foreign nationals

who had been arrested by the police as well securing their
removal.
The failure is uncovered in the inspection report on
Operation Nexus, under which immigration officials work
jointly with the police to boost the deportations of foreign
criminals.
The chief inspector says Operation Nexus had more
success in increasing the number of removals in London
where there has been a 158% rise in the number of
immigration offenders from 418 in 2011/12 to 1,077 in
2013/14.
But he found a similar effort in the West Midlands where
immigration officials were "embedded" in three police
custody suites was less effective.
The chief inspector says that only 336 out of 717 foreign
criminals who identified themselves to the police had their
immigration status checked and the number of removals
barely improved during the period of the special operation.
Operation Nexus has since been extended to Manchester
and Scotland but, as the Commons public accounts
committee documented, there has been too little progress
in increasing the number of foreign criminals leaving the
country despite nearly 1bn being spent and a tenfold
increase in staffing.
Vine said the police and immigration officials were more
successful in targeting "high harm" criminals for
deportation leading to 85 of them leaving Britain in the
past year. He said that such successful cooperation
showed the potential for Operation Nexus to be
implemented successfully.
The immigration minister James Brokenshire said: "Since
its inception, Operation Nexus has helped us remove over
3,200 foreign nationals including 194 dangerous
immigration offenders considered by police to represent a
particularly serious threat. We are pleased this report

praises the positive impact Operation Nexus is having in
London and the West Midlands, which have seen a rise of
more than a third in the number of illegal immigrants
identified through joint working with police since the
inception of the operation in 2012. We are in the process
of rolling Nexus out across the UK."
(1st January 2015)
CHEAP ANDROID MOBILES PRE-LOADED WITH
MALWARE
(The Register, dated 4th December 2014 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/12/04/cheapo_androids_prepw
ned_with_mobile_malware/
A new mobile Trojan is being pre-loaded onto smartphones
somewhere in the supply chain.
DeathRing masquerades as a ringtone app and is
impossible to remove because it's pre-installed in the
system directory, according to mobile security firm
Lookout. Samples of the malware are restricted to entrylevel phones purchased in Asian and African countries
(Vietnam, Indonesia, India, Nigeria, Taiwan, and China).
"The Trojan masquerades as a ringtone app, but instead
can download SMS and WAP content from its command
and control server to the victim's phone," a blog post by
Lookout explain. "It can then use this content for malicious
means.
"For example, DeathRing might use SMS content to phish
victim's personal information by fake text messages
requesting the desired data. It may also use WAP, or
browser, content to prompt victims to download further
APKs - concerning given that the malware authors could
be tricking people into downloading further malware that
extends the adversary's reach into the victim's device and

data."
DeathRing is loaded in the system directory of a number
of devices, mostly from third-tier manufacturers selling
phones to the developing world. These include counterfeit
Samsung GS4/Note II, devices from Gionee and Hi-Tech
Amaze Tab, among several others. Detection volumes of
the mobile malware, reckoned to have been created in
China, are "moderate".
Lookout says DeathRing is the second significant example
of pre-installed mobile malware it has found on phones
during 2014. Mouabad is also pre-installed somewhere in
the supply chain and affected predominantly Asian
countries, though Lookout did see some detections in
Spain. The mobile security firm says the tactic of preinstalling nasties signals a shift in cybercriminal strategy
towards distributing mobile malware via the supply chain.
"This is a concerning development for OEMs and retailers
alike - the potential for phones to be compromised in the
supply chain would have a significant impact on customer
loyalty and trust in the brand," Lookout wrote.
(1st January 2015)
CANNABIS BREATHALYSER TO BE TESTED IN US TO
DETECT DRUG DRIVING
(International Business Times, dated 3rd December 2014
author Anthony Cuthertson)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/cannabis-breathalyser-be-tested-usdetect-drug-driving-1477828
Researchers have invented a breathalyser capable of
instantly detecting whether a driver is under the influence
of cannabis.
The team from Washington State University is not the first
to develop such a device but it hopes to be the first to

officially test it, the Seattle Times reports.
Current methods used for detecting high drivers involve
either a lengthy blood test that can take up to 24 hours, or
a less scientific 'field impairment test' on the roadside.
The handheld breathalyser uses 'ion-mobility technology'
to detect the presence of THC, the chemical found in
cannabis that causes psychological effects in the brain.
It is the same technology used by airport security to
detect bombs and drugs and could be rolled out across
Washington State Patrol to help fight the problem of drug
driving.
Marijuana was legalised in the state of Washington in
2012, however officials have revealed that there has been
no obvious increase in car accidents.
In 2013, the first full year since legalisation, fatal
accidents in the state actually went down from the
previous year, according to State Patrol figures.
Despite this, anti-legalisation campaigners have been
critical of a lack of awareness when it comes to the
dangers of driving high.
"Drivers are getting the message that driving under the
influence of marijuana is acceptable because it is less
dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol,"
said Kevin Sabet from the anti-legalisation group Smart
Approaches to Marijuana (SAM).
"But that doesn't mean it's safe. Of course it's not safe."
(1st January 2014)
"VISHING SCAMS" (COLD CALLING) COSTING PHONE
USERS 24m ANNUALLY
(Daily Mail, dated 2nd December 2014 author Darren
Boyle)

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2857100/Vishing-scamscosting-phone-users-24million-annually-60-reportreceiving-suspect-cold-calls.html
Almost 60 per cent of people have received a suspect
'cold-call' over the past twelve months according to new
figures released today.
Financial Fraud Action UK, who represent banks, building
societies and payment card companies have launched a
major advertising campaign to warn consumers over
potential 'vishing' voice-phishing scams.
As part of the fraud, criminals attempt to 'blag' sensitive
personal information from the victim while on the phone
by claiming to be a representative of a bank or financial
institution.
In a survey, FFA UK found that the amount of money lost
through phone scams has trebled to 23.9 million, while
the number of people who have reported receiving
suspicious calls has increased by almost a fifth to 59
percent.
The police-backed campaign urges consumers never to
give out their four-digit PIN over the phone, even if they
think they are talking to bank staff or a police officer.
The FFA UK added that consumers should also never give
out online passwords over the phone or agree to transfer
money to a new account.
The financial services anti-fraud body said cold calling
scams typically involve fraudsters deceiving victims into
believing they are speaking to a police officer, a member
of bank staff, or a representative of another trusted
organisation, such as a computer company. This type of
scam is also known as vishing.
Another common scam involves a caller claiming that they

have been alerted to a virus on the homeowner's
computer. The homeowner is then asked for their credit
card details to remove the non-existent computer bug.
Fraudsters will then try to get consumers to disclose
passwords, transfer funds, or physically hand over money
to someone who they say is a courier who will hold the
cash for safekeeping.
Detective Chief Inspector Perry Stokes, head of the
dedicated cheque and plastic crime unit, said: 'Always be
on your guard if you receive a cold call and are asked for
personal or financial information, or to hand over your
card or cash to someone.
'The bank or the police will never tell you to take such
actions, so if you're asked it can only be a criminal attack.'
The FFA UK adds that fraudsters may ask consumers to
hang up and phone back, in a bid to win confidence. But
this is a trick where the receiver is not put down at their
end, leaving the line open, allowing the fraudster to simply
restart the conservation when the consumer thinks a new
call has been made.
Mr Stokes said if consumers are suspicious they should
wait a full five minutes before calling back, call a friend
first to make sure the line is free, or return the call from
another phone.
Further information
Financial Fraud Action website ;
www.financialfraudaction.org.uk/
Financial Fraud Action vishing guidance :
www.financialfraudaction.org.uk/cms/assets/1/phone
%20scams%20press%20release%20-%20embargoed
%20until%202%20dec%202014%20-%20final.pdf
(1st January 2015)

CHILD ABUSE DATABASE CONTAINING MILLIONS OF
IMAGES TO LAUNCH - TO AID DETECTION
(BBC News, dated 2nd December 2014 author Angus
Crawford)
Data taken from tens of millions of child abuse photos and
videos will shortly be used as part of a new police system
to aid investigations into suspected paedophiles across
the UK.
The obscene material was seized during previous
operations.
The project, called the Child Abuse Image Database (Caid),
will be launched by the Prime Minister at an internet
safety event on Thursday 11 December.
But one expert warned its success depended on it being
properly staffed.
Image Database
BBC News was given exclusive access to the database
while it was under development.
It is intended to avoid offices duplicating each others'
efforts when cataloguing identical copied images. It was
created by a team of coders working in a grey, concrete
office block in central Gothenburg, Sweden. They
suggested the project would transform the way child
abuse investigations were carried out in the UK. "We're
looking at 70, 80, up to 90% work load reduction," said
Johann Hofmann, law enforcement liaison officer for
Netclean, one of the companies involved. "We're seeing
investigations being reduced from months to days."
Two other tech firms - Hubstream and L-3 ASA - have also
been involved in the effort, which is backed by a two-year,

720,000 contract.
Unidentified victims
Detectives in the UK often seize computers, mobile
devices or USB memory sticks with hundreds of thousands
of images on them.
At present, they have to go through the images manually
one by one to categorise their severity and start a
prosecution.
It can mean some material is never analysed, meaning
new victims are not identified and cannot be rescued.
Recently, the children's charity NSPCC said it was gravely
concerned about a lack of police forensic experts. It
claimed that forces were seizing hundreds of computers
each year, but didn't have the staff to examine all of them.
Mr Hofmann said the software would help automate more
of the process.
"We want investigators to spend more time looking at the
new material, instead of looking at the same images over
and over again," he explained.
"Because we know that these images are typically traded
and the same images appear in investigation after
investigation."
Digital finger print
To help compare the images, Caid makes use of a unique
signature assigned to each one - known as a hash value the equivalent of a "digital fingerprint".
Detectives will be able to plug seized hard drives into the
system so they can be scanned and their contents
similarly encoded to see if the resulting signatures match.
Other techniques, including object matching and visual

similarity analysis, are also employed.
The system should be able to identify known images,
classify the content, and flag up those never seen before
within minutes.
In a demonstration seen by the BBC, a green flag was
triggered by innocent images, while known images of
abuse were flagged red.
Caid will also be able to use GPS data from photographs to
pinpoint where they were taken.
"Local investigators can spend more time being more
victim centred, trying to find new victims," said Mr
Hofmann.
Detectives will also be able to upload new, unfamiliar
images of child abuse to a central computer server so that
colleagues elsewhere in the UK can help try and identify
those involved.
Tom Simmons, a former senior child protection officer who
also worked at the National Crime Agency's Child
Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop), said the
initiative should lessen pressure on officers by reducing
the amount of material they have to see.
"It's horrendous at times, clicking through image after
image," he said.
He says a lack of resources, the harrowing nature of the
material, and the scale of the problem can cause burn out.
"There could be hundreds of thousands, even millions of
images on that hard drive that the officer may have to go
through," he said.
"You could be seeing children effectively being tortured that does become very difficult sometimes to get those
images out of your head."
'Fizzle out' risk

But some experts in the field have their doubts about
Caid's potential.
A similar system, called Childbase, was launched in 2003
by Ceop and the Home Office.
It contained seven million images and used groundbreaking facial-recognition software.
It was rolled out to police forces across the UK, but in 2011
it was switched off.
Sharon Girling received an OBE for her work on the
scheme. She believes it failed because of a lack of trained
officers.
"We have increased numbers of offenders since 2011. How
the heck are we going to get sufficient officers today?"
She fears that Caid may "fizzle out" unless it is properly
resourced.
"Childbase ceased to exist because of a lack of resources,
because there weren't sufficient officers."
"I can only see that happening again with Caid, as much
as I don't want that to happen, I fear that it may well do".
Caid will also be able to use GPS data from photographs to
pinpoint where they were taken.
"Local investigators can spend more time being more
victim centred, trying to find new victims," said Mr
Hofmann.
(1st January 2015)
SIX CRIME COMMISSIONERS PROBED

(Press Association via BT News, dated 1st December 2014)

http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/six-crimecommissioners-probed-11363947319254
Six police and crime commissioners have been
investigated by the policing watchdog for England and
Wales since they took up their posts two years ago.
The probes include one into expenses claims, and another
into an allegation of a commissioner driving without
insurance, the Independent Police Complaints Commission
(IPCC) said.
The commissioners are publicly elected and serve a
number of functions including holding the police and chief
constables to account and ensuring community needs are
met effectively, the Association of Police and Crime
Commissioners website says.
Since 2012 the IPCC has had 43 referrals - complaints
made to police forces which have been referred to the
body - relating to just over half of the 41 police and crime
commissioners.
The IPCC said 14 of those referrals were about
commissioners not being registered as information
providers. None of those referrals were investigated.
Of the six investigations, information has been sent to the
Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) over a complaint
regarding expenses claimed before Clive Grunshaw took
up his role in Lancashire.
Durham commissioner Ron Hogg is being investigated for
benefits received while serving with another police force.
The IPCC said it is finalising its report and will then decide
whether to refer it to the CPS.
Investigations into North Wales commissioner Winston
Roddick and Hampshire commissioner Simon Hayes over
allegations of electoral fraud are complete and no further

action will be taken, the IPCC said.
Kent commissioner Ann Barnes is being probed over an
allegation of driving without insurance.
An investigation also took place in Bedfordshire, although
the IPCC did not disclose the nature of the probe and said
no further action was after a file was sent to the CPS
regarding Olly Martins.
The IPCC said it is "managing" a further investigation by
City of London Police into travel expenses claimed by
commissioner Stephen Bett in Norfolk.
The IPCC says on its website: "When we receive a referral,
we will consider the matter and any other information
available. Having taken into account the seriousness of
the case and the public interest, we then decide on the
method of investigation."
The watchdog said it expects to make an announcement
soon regarding a referral relating to former police and
crime commissioner for South Yorkshire Shaun Wright.
He resigned earlier this year following a report by
Professor Alexis Jay which found that more than 1,400
children had been subjected to child sexual exploitation in
Rotherham between 1997 and 2013.
Mr Wright was the Rotherham councillor overseeing
children's services between 2005 and 2010.
The Jay report criticised the way South Yorkshire Police and
Rotherham Council dealt with complaints from teenage
girls who said they had been raped and trafficked by
gangs of men.
(1st December 2014)
UK URGED TO JOIN EUROPEAN CONCERT
INTELLIGENCE GROUP
(Police Oracle, dated 4th December 2014 author Ian

Weinfass)
German police are urging their UK counterparts to become
a fully-fledged member of an international policing
network designed to tackle crime at music festivals.
It has become apparent that seemingly low level theft is
being carried out at the behest of organised by crime
gangs selling on mobile phones on a massive scale.
Chief Inspector Jens Liedhegener of the Munich Police
Department visited Leicestershire this week to speak to
English officers.
He explained to PoliceOracle.com: "Criminals at festivals
are not a regional or national problem, it's an international
problem. There's a real need to share the information in
Europe.
"We set up the organisation of the intelligence about
festivals in 2009, just at a national level. Since the
beginning of 2014 we have tried to join it up at the
international level."
Seven European countries are involved, with the UK
partially sharing information - but there is not currently an
official unit which forces disseminate information to in this
country, and which can pass it on to other countries.
He said: "It looks like petty crime just stealing some stuff
at festivals but at a festival last year in the Netherlands
five people stole more than 300 phones in two days.
"It's increasing across Europe - Sweden was not really
affected until last year there was an event with 300
phones stolen and no one arrested.
"It's a pretty big problem in last two weeks we had five
concerts targeted by these groups in Germany. We know
they have been to the UK, they have travelled to Germany
on UK registered cars."
The gangs target indoor concerts in the winter months,
and large scale outdoor festivals in summer.
Catching the thieves themselves has sometimes been
successful and a large proportion have been found to be
from Romania. But finding those organising the crime is
proving more difficult.
"We get the soldiers but we need to identify the person
who is paying for the festival ticket, sometimes they have
five or seven tickets. Who is paying the bill of more than
1,000 each time?" Ch Insp Liedhegener said.
"This year 90 per cent [of the criminals caught] are known
to have worked in the UK so the information given from
the UK is really important to be known in the other areas
to get an overview. It would be really great if we can bring
the UK in 100 per cent. With Germany and the UK as the
drivers of that I think we can be really powerful."
PoliceOracle.com understands that there are currently
discussions being held regarding whether Britain will join
the scheme.
Ch Insp Liedhegener was in England to attend the second
National Festival and Events Intelligence Conference
hosted by Leicestershire Police.
More than 110 delegates from forces across the UK, as
well as one from Ireland's Gardai Sochana, met to share
best practice around large scale music events.
(1st January 2015)
NEW STOP AND SEARCH SCHEME FORMALLY
LAUNCHED
(Police Oracle, dated 1st December 2014 author Helena
Hickey)
Police forces across the country are today (Dec 1) fully

implementing a new scheme to reform stop and search
powers.
Home Secretary Theresa May announced the Best Use of
Stop and Search scheme in April, with many forces
launching aspects of it in August.
Thirty five forces are now implementing all aspects of the
voluntary scheme, which aims to contribute to a reduction
in the overall use of the practice, lead to more
intelligence-led stop and search and deliver more effective
outcomes.
Measures include increasing transparency by recording all
outcomes of stop and search, restricting use of Section 60
"no suspicion" powers and giving members of the public
the opportunity to observe stop and search in practice.
A community complaints trigger will be also be introduced,
ensuring complaints are properly monitored and
scrutinised.
The remaining eight forces are already implementing
some aspects and have said the scheme will become fully
operational over the next few months. British Transport
Police is also set to join the scheme before the end of the
year.
"These powers are vital in the fight against crime when
used correctly. However, they must be applied fairly and
only when needed - and in a way that builds community
confidence rather than undermining it," said Ms May.
"Our stop and search reforms are working. The number of
searches are down under this government, by 15 per cent
in the last year alone. But we cannot be complacent and
must ensure that the public can hold the police to account
for their use of these powers."
She added that following an eight-week consultation on
revising the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE), she
will lay a revision to Code A - which governs the use of

stop and search - in parliament this week.
This will make it clear to officers what constitutes
reasonable grounds for suspicion and emphasise that any
misuse of the powers will lead to performance or
disciplinary procedures.
Sussex Assistant Chief Constable Robin Smith said he was
confident the new scheme will have a positive impact.
He said: "I am pleased to say that Sussex Police has
adopted the Home Office scheme, which will lead to
greater transparency and allow the community to hold us
to account on the way we use our stop and search powers.
"By using the powers effectively we can prevent crime and
build public trust and confidence with the communities we
serve."
(1st January 2015)
NOVEMBER 2014
COMPUTING SECURITY REVIEW - NOVEMBER 2014
-----------------------ASIAN MOBILES THE DISTRIBUTED DENIAL OF SERVICE
THREAT OF 2015
(The Register, dated 19th November 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/19/asian_mobiles_the_ddos
_threat_of_2015_security_mob_says/
Vietnam, India and Indonesia will be the distributed denial
of service volcanoes of next year due to the profieration of
pwned mobiles, according to DDoS security bod Shawn

Marck.
Vietnam clocked in fifth place in the firm's latest threat
report, in which India and Indonesia did not feature,
outpaced by China, the US, Russia and Germany.
"The new up-and-coming countries of origin for DDoS
attacks identified by the Black Lotus mitigation team are
Vietnam, India and Indonesia," the company said in the
report.
"While these countries don't have the large bandwidth
necessary to launch massive volumetric DDoS attacks, the
large number of compromised end point devices,
particularly smart mobile phones, make these countries
prime sources of newly created botnets."
Attacks would become fewer and easier for big networks
to handle, according to co-founder Marck, but would
remain a pain for smaller businesses.
----------------------LIST OF HACKED US GOVERNMENT AGENCIES GROWS
(Computer World, dated 17th November 2014 author
Darlene Storm)
www.computerworld.com/article/2848779/list-of-hackedgovernment-agencies-grows-state-department-whitehouse-noaa-and-usps.html#tk.CTWNLE_nlt_security_201411-19
The State Department joins the White House, the United
States Postal Service and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration on a growing list of hacked
government agencies. Expect to hear of more government
networks infiltrated as a Georgia Institute of Technology
report on emerging cyber threats in 2015 (pdf) states,
"Low-intensity online nation-state conflicts become the

rule, not the exception."
The White House detected suspicious activity on its
unclassified network in late October. Although the State
Department found "no indication" of being compromised
at that time, now a department official claims the "activity
of concern" was detected around the same time as the
attack on the White House's network. It's unclear why so
much time passed after its network was infiltrated before
the State Department slammed on the brakes and took
the "unprecedented step of shutting down its entire
unclassified email system."
----------------------DORMANT IP ADDRESSES RIPE FOR HIJACKING
(The Register, dated 14th November 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/14/dormant_web_space_rip
e_for_hijacking/
Spammers are using loop holes in the internet routing
registry to commandeer address space and pump out junk
mail, and potentially launch denial of service attacks and
steal traffic.
As explained by cyber crime reporter Brian Krebs and
Cisco researcher Jaeson Schultz, IP addresses can be
snatched by scammers who establish bogus overseas
internet service providers.
The two examined Bulgarian provider Mega Spred which
commandeered an Irish hosting providers' unused address
space, plonking it and that owned by many others on
spam blacklists by announcing to the internet it was the
new respective authority.
That announcement was gobbled up as truth making the
scammer the new owner of the stolen space through

which spam could be delivered at the expense of the
reputation of the former legitimate hosting provider.
----------------------HSBC TURKEY WON'T REISSUE CARDS DESPITE 2.7
MILLION ACCOUNT DETAILS GOING AWOL
(The Register, dated 14th November 2014 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/14/hsbc_turkey_breach/
HSBC Turkey has confessed to a security breach exposing
the details of 2.7m credit card accounts but the bank has
made a decision not to reissue cards after deciding that
the data exposed is not enough to make fraudulent
transactions.
The compromise - limited to the international bank's
business in Turkey - exposed credit card numbers,
expiration dates, names, and the associated HSBC account
number.
The breach was detected internally and has not been
linked to any fraudulent transactions, as a notice (PDF,
English language) by HSBC Turkey explains. The bank said
it "identified the attack in the past week through our
internal controls".
Often serious security breaches are only caught by third
parties or government agencies rather than the victim
itself. Trey Ford, global security strategist at Rapid7, the
developers of Metasploit, credited HSBC Turkey for
spotting the breach quickly.
----------------------UK.GOV TEAMS UP WITH MONEYMEN ON HACK ATTACK
INSURANCE
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/13/cyber_insurance_analys
is/
The UK government last week partnered with 12 insurance
companies to develop the "cyber-insurance" market. But
experts are split on whether encouraging the development
of the nascent market will result in the adoption of
improved security practices.
Cabinet Office Minister Francis Maude said that while
cyber insurance adds an extra layer of protection for
organisations it needed be used in combination with good
cyber-security practices more generally in order to get the
best results.
The government is promoting the growth of the cyber
insurance market as a means of improving cyber security
risk management. It says the insurance sector can
improve good practice by asking the right questions of
customers in relation to their cyber breach and operational
risk policies.
----------------------LADS FROM LAGOS USING "PREDATOR PAIN" ON VICTIMS
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/13/419ers_adopt_cyberspy
_tactics_white_paper/
Advanced-fee fraudsters are adopting the tactics of statesponsored hackers in attacks targeting small- to mediumsized businesses, rather than large corporates, according
to research from Trend Micro.
419 gangs are using the Predator Pain and Limitless

keyloggers to steal network credentials through spearphishing attacks, mimicking the tactics of so-called APTstyle attacks most associated with state-sponsored
hackers.
"The common attack scenarios by cybercriminals using
these toolkits involve sending out business-themed
messages to publicly listed email addresses," Trend Micro
warns. "The emails contain a keylogger that sends
information back to the cybercriminal via email, FTP, or
Web panel (PHP): system information, keystrokes, browsercached account credentials, and screenshots."
A 419 scam typically involves promising the victim a
significant sum of money, for which the fraudster requires
a small up-front payment.
These stolen network credentials are being used to further
419-style scams. The two main goals of a run of attacks
spotted by Trend Micro over the last few months are
sending "419 or Nigerian scams through easy-to-deploy,
high-volume attacks" and "scammed corporate emails that
convince recipients to deposit payment to specially crafted
accounts".
----------------------GERMAN SPIES WANT MILLIONS OF EUROS TO BUY ZERO
DAY CODE HOLES
(The Register, dated 11th November 2014 author Richard
Chirgwin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/11/german_spooks_want_
millions_to_buy_0day_vulns/
Germany's spooks have come under fire for reportedly
seeking funds to find bugs - not to fix them, but to hoard
them.
According to The Sddeutsche Zeitung, the country's BND

- its federal intelligence service - wants 300 million in
funding for what it calls the Strategic Technical Initiative.
The Local says 4.5 million of that will be spent seeking
bugs in SSL and HTTPS.
The BND is shopping for zero-day bugs not to fix them, but
to exploit them, the report claims, and that's drawn
criticism from NGOs, the Pirate Party, and the Chaos
Computer Club (CCC). German Pirate Party president
Stefan Krner told The Local people should fear
governments more than cyber-terror.
----------------------CROOKS ARE USING PROXY SERVERS TO BUILD MORE
CONVINCING PHISHING SITES
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/07/proxy_program_phishin
g/
Crooks using phishing pages to grab victims' passwords
have apparently upped their game - by using proxy
servers rather than static pages to craft legit-looking
websites.
Normally, thieves recreate a web page - such as a login
page for an online shop or webmail - and stick it on a
compromised server, then direct marks towards that
counterfeit page in hope they fall for the trick and type in
their username and password, or bank card details.
Savvy netizens should be able to spot a dodgy-looking
page, so now crims are directing people to servers that
fetch legit pages from the website being impersonated
and pass those on to the mark to convince them it's safe
to hand over their personal details.
The in-between relay can even lower prices of stuff being
sold online to lure in people looking for a bargain.

----------------------FACEBOOK GOT ALMOST 35,000 GOVERNMENT REQUESTS
FOR USER DATA
(Computer World, dated 4th November 2014 author Zach
Miners)
www.computerworld.com/article/2843434/facebook-gotalmost-35000-govt-requests-for-userdata.html#tk.CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-11-06
Facebook received nearly 35,000 requests for user data
from governments around the world during the first half of
2014, up 24 percent from roughly 28,000 requests made
during 2013's second half.
The uptick indicates the value governments place on the
personal information Facebook has on file for its 1.35
billion users who log in at least monthly. The majority of
these requests, Facebook said Tuesday, relate to criminal
cases like robberies or kidnappings, targeting data like
subscriber information as well as IP address logs and
actual content.
The U.S. dominated in the number of requests, with
15,433 queries targeting 23,667 people, or well less than
1 percent of Facebook's total users, according to the
company's third report on such requests. India clocked in
second with 4,559 requests, with France, Germany and the
U.K. each having more than 2,000 requests.
----------------------WI-FI SECURITY VS. GOVERNMENT SPIES
(Computer World, dated 3rd November 2014)
www.computerworld.com/article/2842244/wi-fi-security-vsgovernmentspies.html#tk.CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1104
Its one thing to be lectured to about Wi-Fi security and
quite another thing to see the actual manuals used by
government spies.
At The Intercept, Cora Currier and Morgan Marquis-Boire
have just published software manuals from "The hacking
suite for governmental interception." The software is
called Remote Control System (RCS) and it is made by an
Italian company, Hacking Team.
The many data breaches over the years have yielded
millions upon millions of in-the-wild passwords.
A password such as "Mickey Mouse" may be found in a
dictionary, but phrases like "DisneysMickey",
"IlikeMickeyMouse" or "MinnieMouserules" will not be. But
chances are that some person, somewhere, used that as
their password at one time. If that password was stolen in
a data breach, it may have been added to a database of
in-the-wild passwords.
Did you go to Denver last year? Some people did and
important things happened to them there. No doubt
"Denver2013" has been used as a password by someone,
somewhere at some time. Thus, you shouldn't use it.
(1st December 2014)
SLAVERY LEVELS IN UK "HIGHER THAN THOUGHT"
(BBC News, dated 29th November 2014)
There could be between 10,000 and 13,000 victims of
slavery in the UK, higher than previous figures, analysis
for the Home Office suggests.
Modern slavery victims are said to include women forced
into prostitution, "imprisoned" domestic staff and workers

in fields, factories and fishing boats.
The figure for 2013 is the first time the government has
made an official estimate of the scale of the problem.
The Home Office has launched a strategy to help tackle
slavery.
It said the victims included people trafficked from more
than 100 countries - the most prevalent being Albania,
Nigeria, Vietnam and Romania - as well as British-born
adults and children.
Data from the National Crime Agency's Human Trafficking
Centre last year put the number of slavery victims in the
UK at 2,744.
The assessment was collated from sources including
police, the UK Border Force, charities and the
Gangmasters Licensing Authority.
The Home Office said it used established statistical
methodology and models from other public policy contexts
to estimate a "dark figure" that may not have come to the
NCA's attention.
It said the "tentative conclusions" of its analysis is that the
number of victims is higher than thought.
Concerted action
The Modern Slavery Bill going through Parliament aims
provide courts in England and Wales with new powers to
protect people who are trafficked into the countries and
held against their will. Scotland and Northern Ireland are
planning similar measures.
But outlining the strategy for government departments, its
agencies and partners, Home Secretary Theresa May said
legislation was "only part of the answer".
The "grim reality" is that slavery still exists in towns, cities

and the countryside across the world, including the UK,
she said.
"The time has come for concerted, co-ordinated action.
Working with a wide-range of partners, we must step up
the fight against modern slavery in this country, and
internationally, to put an end to the misery suffered by
innocent people around the world."
The Home Office said the UK Border Force would roll out
specialist trafficking teams at major ports and airports to
spot potential victims, and the legal framework would be
strengthened for confiscating the proceeds of crime.
The modern slavery strategy will also see:
- The government identify "priority countries" to work with,
as well as other organisations including churches
- British embassies and high commissions and NCA liaison
officers develop local initiatives abroad
- Work to strengthen the response by local authorities to
child abuse, including trafficking
- Work to raise awareness among homeless shelter staff of
the signs of modern slavery
- Modern slavery minister Karen Bradley told the BBC she
was not surprised by the figures.
She said: "This is very much a hidden crime and the
important thing is that we get it out in the open. If we
compare where we were 200 years ago, the anti-slavery
campaigners there had to make people acknowledge that
slavery was wrong.
"What we have to do today is not make people
acknowledge it's wrong - everybody knows it's wrong - but
we have to find it.
"It's a hidden crime, it's going on in streets, in towns, in
villages across Britain and we need to help people find the
signs of it so we can find those victims and importantly

then find the perpetrators."
Aidan McQuade, director of charity Anti-Slavery
International, said the Home Office's figures "sounded
about right" but questioned whether the government's
strategy went far enough.
He told the BBC : "If you leave an employment
relationship, even if you're suffering from any sort of
exploitation up to and including forced labour, even if
you're suffering from all sorts of physical and sexual
violence, you'll be deported.
"So that gives an enormous power in the hands of
unscrupulous employers. And frankly the protections
which the government has put in place are not worth the
paper they're written on in order to prevent this sort of
exploitation once they've given employers that sort of
power."
(1st December 2014)
POLICE "SKILL DEFICIT" CRITICISED IN REPORT
(Sky News, dated 27th November 2014 author Martin
Brunt)
http://news.sky.com/story/1381324/police-skill-deficitcriticised-in-report
Police are caught in a time warp and must adapt if they
are to tackle modern crimes, a new report has warned.
Many officers are not skilled enough to deal efficiently with
criminals' use of technology, nor do they properly
understand the vulnerability of victims, the report
concludes.
Inspectors said there was a "deficit in skill and experience
of officers investigating crimes".

Nearly half the forces, including two of the biggest, are not
good in investigating everyday crime, the report says.
The findings come after a damning inspection of all 43
police forces by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
Constabulary.
HMIC Chief Inspector Tom Winsor said: "The landscape in
which police forces are operating has changed beyond
recognition in recent years and continues to evolve
quickly.
"Unreported crime such as cybercrime and crimes against
vulnerable people, the most disturbing of which is child
sexual exploitation, is not an emerging threat. It is here
now."
The report prompted a furious response from Bedfordshire,
judged one of the worst performing forces.
Police and Crime Commissioner Olly Martins said the force
was underfunded, yet was managing to recruit staff while
facing more budget cuts.
Mr Martins said: "I therefore despair of HMIC's attitude
towards Bedfordshire Police. They have a real 'damned if
you do, damned if you don't' approach that is particularly
unhelpful.
"Indeed, their negative and injudicious use of language
about the force could impact on staff morale and public
confidence, and become a self-fulfilling prophecy."
The HMIC said forces had done well in dealing with antisocial behaviour, preventing crime and coping with budget
cuts.
More Government-imposed spending cuts are expected
and police chiefs predict current officer staff levels of
129,000 will be reduced by 34,000 over the next five
years.
Mr Winsor said: "For too long the debate on policing has
focused on its capacity: the number of officers, the
proportion of officers on the front line and the size of
police budgets.
"These are important matters, but so too are the
capabilities of forces, the skills, technology, equipment,
quality of officers and how well they are led."
Sir Hugh Orde, President of the Association of Chief Police
Officers said: "We are continuing to make changes at
pace.
"Adapting to cyber-crime is a challenge but we are
working transform our response by recruiting people with
specialist skills and training our own staff to prevent and
detect those who seek to use technology to harm or steal
from us.
"We've invested in specialist investigators for sexual
abuse and changed the way we work with other agencies
to protect children."
The HMIC is launching an online tool where people can see
how well their local force is performing :
www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/
(1st December 2014)
WHEN ARE POLICE AROUND THE WORLD LEGALLY

ALLOWED TO USE FORCE ?
author David Sim)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/ferguson-shooting-when-are-police-
around-world-legally-allowed-use-force-1476736
US police are under pressure not only for the killing of an
unarmed teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, but also for the
military-style response to the sometimes violent protests
that followed.
The sight of police in camouflage gear brandishing assault
rifles, backed up by armoured vehicles was a reminder
that some US police departments have acquired militarysurplus hardware from wars abroad.
Many other law enforcement agencies around the world
have rules of engagement that allow lethal force to be
used relatively freely. But for every regulation that gives
police wide scope to use firearms, there is another code
that sharply limits their use.
Reuters photographers around the world took portraits of
police officers, and asked them at what point are they
legally permitted to use force to control crowds.
Venezuela
Interior Ministry decrees that, when peaceful methods of
resolution have failed, police must warn violent
demonstrators that there will be a "progressive,
differentiated use of force". While no firearms must be
carried for peaceful demonstrations, when things turn
violent, the emphasis is on avoiding harm to children,
pregnant women and the elderly, and no force is to be
used on those who avoid violence or are withdrawing from
the scene.
Afghanistan
Police, often themselves the target of armed attacks, are
officially authorised to respond with weapons "and
explosives" against a group of people only if it has ...
disturbed security by means of arms, and if the use of
other means of force ... has proved ineffective". Afghan
police are required to give no fewer than six warnings -
three verbal and three warning shots - before using force

in this situation.
Mexico and India
Riot police follow defined escalation protocols that go from
verbal warnings to physical constraint, tear gas, water
cannon or pepper spray, rubber bullets or baton rounds,
and then use of firearms.
Yet while Mexican police commanders can decide when to
escalate, India's Rapid Action Force requires approval from
an on-the-spot magistrate for each new step.
Many countries spell out that any use of firearms is a last
resort, though this can be defined many ways.
Many West European countries allow firearms to be used
"where necessary" to detain suspects or to prevent a
serious crime.
Britain, Serbia, Bosnia and the Philippines
Allow guns to be fired only if a life is at risk.
Britain stands out for its insistence that "individual officers
are accountable and responsible for any use of force and
must be able to justify their actions in law".
In Bosnia, police are permitted to use force ranging from
batons to chemical irritants, water cannon, "binding
agents, special firearms and explosive devices", following
a warning, but only when other methods of control have
proved ineffective, and not against the young, old or
disabled unless these use firearms. The method must be
"proportional to the resistance or violence coming from
the person on whom the force is used".
United Nations (Europe)
Police at the extraterritorial United Nations buildings in
Geneva are not subject to Swiss law but still conform to
local police rules. These rules, like those governing police
in Italy, Austria and Belgium, specify that the use of force
must be "proportionate".
Belgium
Human rights monitors say, this means firearms can never
be used for crowd control.
Italy
In Italy, police and the paramilitary Carabinieri follow
guidelines that say the use of weapons is allowed only in
the line of duty, when it is an "unavoidable necessity to
overcome resistance, stop violence, or prevent a [serious]
crime", and that the response must be proportionate to
the situation
Austria
The use of lethal force is permitted to tackle rioting or to
detain a dangerous suspect, but only when less dangerous
methods "appear inappropriate or have proved to be
ineffective", and with the aim of avoiding serious injury
where possible. The use must be proportionate, and be
preceded by a warning.
(1st December 2014)
FBI : IN THE LINE OF DUTY - ANNUAL OFFICERS
KILLED REPORT
(FBI website, dated 26th November 2014)
Full article :
www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2014/november/annual-officerskilled-report-more-than-a-tally-of-losses/annual-officerskilled-report-more-than-a-tally-of-losses
The FBI's annual Law Enforcement Officers Killed and
Assaulted (LEOKA) report that was released earlier this
week details in chilling narratives and statistics how 76
law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in
2013.
While the LEOKA report offers a stark reminder of the

dangers police face every day, the main reason for
gathering the comprehensive data about line-of-duty
fatalities, assaults, and accidents is to prevent them from
occurring in the future. In addition to collecting details
about the critical aspects of fatal confrontations and
assaults, the FBI's LEOKA program conducts extensive
research on the data that eventually gets incorporated
into the officer safety awareness training the FBI provides
for partner agencies.
"It's a three-prong program," said Brian McAllister, a
training instructor for LEOKA, a unit in the Bureau's
Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
"LEOKA is about data, it's about research, and it's about
training."
The data is collected from participating agencies across
the country as part of the Uniform Crime Reporting
Program and is published in conjunction with Crime in the
United States, the FBI's annual dissemination of crime
statistics. Over the years, researchers led by the LEOKA
program have performed deep-dives into the data and
published research aimed at giving officers a sharper
understanding of what types of scenarios and
circumstances have resulted in fatalities and assaults-and
how to avoid them. The research delves well beyond
statistics to include in-depth interviews with officers who
were victims of assaults or involved in incidents that
resulted in officer fatalities. The LEOKA program staffformer police officers-also interview the perpetrators of
police deaths, hoping to provide a window into what
compelled them to make a fatal move on a law
enforcement officer.
For rookie and veteran officers going through LEOKA's
Officer Safety Awareness Training, it's these first-hand
accounts that bring the job's dangers to the fore. "It's a
wake-up call for officers in the class to see and listen to an
interview with an offender who has killed a police officer,"
said McAllister, who conducts some of the interviews in
addition to teaching the eight-hour seminars.

"It makes a huge impact on these guys," said Lt. Herb
Rosenbaum, of the Trussville Police Department near
Birmingham, Alabama. "When we're out on the road, we
all have a tendency to fall into a routine. You've made a
thousand traffic stops and you've never been challenged.
This brings it back to the forefront."
The LEOKA program has released three multi-year studies
tailored toward improving officer safety-Killed in the Line
of Duty (1992), In the Line of Fire (1997), and Violent
Encounters (2006). Each zeroed in on a subset of fatality
and assault cases in prior years and looked for common
threads that might illustrate better ways to assess or
respond to a situation.
More recent statistics have shown a significant uptick in
ambushes and unprovoked attacks on police, which
prompted the LEOKA program to embark on a new study
in 2013 that will include the unique perspectives of
ambush victims and perpetrators. The study, due out in
2016, is reviewing cases from 1995 to 2011, looking for
general themes of offender motives and officer
perceptions.
"We want to figure out why the offenders were doing what
they were doing and how the police officers reacted to see
if there's anything we can link in the study that would
enhance police officer safety," said James Sheets, a LEOKA
training instructor.
Special Agent Michael Freeman, who coordinates training
for the Norfolk (Virginia) Field Office, said LEOKA training is
popular with police departments and other agencies in his
region. He said the sobering information and first-person
accounts help ensure against complacency.
"What adds so much value," Freeman said, "is receiving
the perception of the offender and why that individual
made the decision to challenge that law enforcement
professional."
(1st December 2014)

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA HOLDS EMERGENCY
SUMMIT OVER RAFT OF FRAT PARTY GANG RAPE
ALLEGATIONS
author Lianna Brinded0
www.ibtimes.co.uk/university-virginia-holds-emergencysummit-over-raft-frat-party-gang-rape-allegations1476576
The University of Virginia will hold an emergency summit
to review campus culture amid a raft of frat party gang
rape allegations.
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the panel of
authorities has also called for an independent
investigation into its policies on sexual assault, after
another claim over gang rape surfaced this month.
"We recognise that sexual violence is a problem in our
fraternities and we recognise that we, the students, can be
catalysts for the solution," said Tommy Reid, president of
UVA's Inter-Fraternity Council in a media statement.
According to the US Department of Education's Office of
Civil Rights, the University of Virginia is one of 88
institutions being investigated for the rise in sexual
assaults.
Meanwhile, the WSJ said that there has been a 50% rise in
the number of sexual assaults on the Virginia campus.
The university's president, Teresa Sullivan, has already
been suspended by the college and fraternity members on
campus are tipped to be re-examining its party scene.
The university has also agreed to withdraw the

appointment of former federal judge and prosecutor Mark
Filip as an "independent counsel" to lead the probe about
its sexual assault policies after it emerged that he used to
be a member of the college's Phi Kappa Psi fraternity
house.
Further Information
Reuters article : www.reuters.com/article/2014/11/24/ususa-sexcrimes-virginia-idUSKCN0J81R920141124
US Departent of Education list of the 88 US Educational
establishments where investigations into sexual assault
are taking place :
www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-departmenteducation-releases-list-higher-education-institutions-opentitle-i
(1st December 2014)
EU-CANADA AIRLINE PASSENGER DATA-SHARING IS
NOT A DONE DEAL
(The Register, dated 25th November 2014 author Jennifer
Baker)
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/11/25/eucanada_airline_data_
sharing_deal_in_doubt_as_privacy_concerns_grow/
A European deal to share airline travellers' personal
information with Canada could be chucked out after MEPs
asked the ECJ to intervene.
On Tuesday, the European Parliament voted by 383 to 271
to refer the EU-Canada PNR (air passenger data)
agreement to the European Court of Justice over concerns
that such mass collection and storage of data is against
fundamental privacy rights.
The bilateral deal was signed in June this year after long
negotiations. However, in April the ECJ threw out the Data
Retention Directive, with many parliamentarians
concerned the PNR agreement might breach EU law in the
same way.
PNR data is information on passengers collected by air
carriers and includes name, dates of travel, address,
email, phone numbers, credit card number, etc. Those
arguing against the deal say that such blanket data
retention not only breaches fundamental rights, but is also
ineffective.
"There is no proof that the mass collection and storage of
air passenger data helps in combating terrorism, as some
claim," said Green euro lawmaker Jan Philipp Albrecht.
"The recent attack on the Canadian parliament would not
have been prevented by PNR exchange for example. While
the exchange of passenger data may create a false sense
of security, it is neither necessary nor effective in fighting
terrorism and involves a large and unjustifiable cost."
Austrian MEP Jrg Leichtfried also said data protection
concerns must be taken seriously: "We should not rush
into an agreement that has potentially far-reaching
consequences for the civil liberties of EU citizens and
might undermine ongoing work on the data protection
package."
The EU-Canada PNR agreement requires the consent of
the European Parliament before it can be made law, but
that will not now be forthcoming until the ECJ gives its
legal opinion.
But it doesn't end there. If the ECJ decides that the deal
with Canada is illegal, it would have clear implications for
similar agreements with the US and Australia.
(1st December 2014)
COMPEL BANKS TO REPORT FRAUD ATTACKS
AGAINST THEM
(Police Oracle, dated 24th November 2014 author Josh
Loeb)
Banks, pension funds and other financial institutions
should be legally compelled to disclose to police whenever
they fall victim to a cyber attack, City of London Police's
most senior officer has said.
Commissioner Adrian Leppard said making it a legal
requirement for banks to tell police such information could
mean vital steps could be taken to protect others.
He was speaking at the Financial Crimes and CyberSecurity Symposium in New York, where he also called for
the two global cities to forge a tighter policing
relationship.
His announcement comes ahead of a programme in which
the New York District Attorney's office and City of London
Police will swap staff to give personnel a wider range of
experience of thwarting what the Commissioner has
described as a "common enemy".
Security experts have previously warned that many
successful attempts by cyber-criminals to defraud banks
have gone unreported to police because of reluctance on
the part of financial institutions to tacitly admit that their
systems are not 100 per cent secure.
Commissioner Leppard said it was crucial to take a
proactive approach to cyber threats by putting in place
"technical and legal systems that will keep trading
platforms secure from malware and prevent companies
from being compromised by a rogue employee or weak IT
systems".
He said global markets could be brought to a standstill by
a massive cyber attack - and he suggested terrorists could
attempt this in a bid to wreck havoc on the global
economy.
However, some police insiders say cyber-criminals are

increasingly turning their attention away from large scale
attacks and are instead perpetrating small scale fraud
against vast numbers of private individuals on an
industrial scale because Wall Street and the City of London
are now so "target hardened".
Such "en masse" attacks can yield big profits for criminal
enterprises - and because only small amounts of money
are taken from each individual victim through email
scams, the likelihood that people will report the crime or
even notice it is lessened.
Each of the thousands of individuals targeted in such a
way has only a tiny sum removed from their account.
Because private individuals have less sophisticated online
security than big international banks, the risks for the
criminals and technical expertise required are far lower.
Earlier this month Professor Mark Button, Director of the
Centre for Counter Fraud Studies, told PoliceOracle.com
the geographical rationale for giving City of London Police
primacy in cyber-fraud and similar investigations may now
be redundant because of the borderless nature of the web.
He said: "You might have a victim of fraud in Hampshire,
but the perpetrator is in London and there are other
victims in Dorset and Devon and Cornwall - and that is just
thinking about it on a national scale, when in fact it is
international."
He suggested setting up a new branch of the National
Crime Agency to act as a kind of internet police force with
responsibility for the lawless dark web.
(1st December 2014)
BOSS OF 18m UK BED FACTORY CHARGED WITH
HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND SLAVERY OFFENCES
(International Business Times / Rueters, dated 23rd
November 2014)
Full aricle [Option 1] :
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-bed-factory-boss-charged-humantrafficking-offences-1476188
The owner of a bed factory that supplied major retailers,
including Next and John Lewis, has reportedly become the
first head of a UK company to be charged with human
trafficking offences.
Mohammed Rafiq, who owns Kozeesleep, and two of his
employees have been charged with conspiracy to facilitate
travel within the UK for exploitation, according to the
Sunday Times.
Staff supplied to Kozeesleep in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire,
were forced to work for less than 2 a day.
Authorities were alerted in 2011, when a 20-year-old
trafficking victim contacted charity Hope for Justice. The
charity helped the man to escape to a safe house, leading
to the escape of more victims.
West Yorkshire police launched Operation Tavernhouse,
which resulted in the conviction of Hungarian traffickers
Janos Orsos, 43, and Ferenc Illes, 25, in May.
The traffickers' Hungarian victims survived on scraps of
food, with up to 42 men living in a single two-bedroom
house. They worked for up to 20 hours a day and were
paid as little as 10 a week.
One of their victims was paid just 30 for more than 21
weeks' work. He was also severely undernourished and
lost more than 22lb in weight. Police said the victims had
essentially been kept as slaves.
A lawyer for Kozeesleep told Next that Orsos had
threatened staff until they handed over their wages, and
that the salaries of some temporary staff were paid
directly to Orsos, according to the Sunday Times.

Orsos and Illes were given five and three-year prison
sentences respectively.
Rafiq has been bailed and will appear before magistrates
in December. Both John Lewis and Next have now
terminated their contracts with his companies.
Kevin Hyland, the UK's new anti-slavery commissioner,
said: "This should act as a warning to UK firms. If evidence
arises that companies are using slaves in Britain, then
they will be targeted by our law enforcement agencies."
Kozeesleep's latest accounts show that it had a turnover of
18m last year, with profits of 186,000.
(1st December 2014)
HEAR NO EVIL !
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL BACKS NEW TOOL DESIGNED
TO DETECT GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE
(International Business Times, dated 22nd November 2014
author Aaron Akinyemi)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/amnesty-international-backs-new-tooldesigned-detect-government-surveillance-1476105
Human rights group Amnesty International has helped
launch a new tool that helps journalists and activists
detect government snooping.
The Detekt programme is designed to help expose
spyware and allows users to scan their computers for
surveillance tools.
Amnesty International said Detekt is the first freely
available tool that allows people to find out if their devices
are being monitored without their knowledge.
The software can detect bugs designed to monitor Skype

conversations and gives users the opportunity to take
necessary precautions to protect themselves against
surveillance.
The programme was developed by security researcher
Claudio Guarnieri and was launched in conjunction with
NGOs Digitale Gesellschaft, Electronic Frontier Foundation
and Privacy International.
Marek Marczynski, head of military, security and police at
Amnesty International, said governments around the world
are using "cowardly methods" to keep human rights
abuses disclosed.
"Governments are increasingly using dangerous and
sophisticated technology that allows them to read
activists' and journalists' private emails and remotely turn
on their computer's camera or microphone to secretly
record their activities," he said.
"They use the technology in a cowardly attempt to prevent
abuses from being exposed. Detekt is a simple tool that
will alert activists to such intrusions so they can take
action."
According to the Coalition Against Unlawful Surveillance
Exports, the annual trade in surveillance technologies is
worth more than 3bn and growing.
Amnesty International wants governments to establish
strict trade controls that require national authorities to
assess the human rights threat of surveillance equipment
before authorising any transfer.
"The surveillance technology market is out of control,"
Marczynski added. "We desperately need strong legal
regulations to bring it in line with human rights standards.
"The negative consequences and dangers of the
uncontrolled use of these powerful technologies are
enormous and they need to be controlled.

"Detekt is a great tool which can help activists stay safe,
but ultimately the only way to prevent these technologies
from being used to violate or abuse human rights is to
establish and enforce strict controls on their use and
trade.
"It represents a strike back against governments who are
using information obtained through surveillance to
arbitrarily detain, illegally arrest and even torture human
rights defenders and journalists."
-----------------------LAUNCH OF "DETEKT" - NEW TOOL ALLOWS SPY VICTIMS
TO IDENTIFY GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE
(Amnesty Website - press release dated 20th November
2014)
www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/launch-detekt-newtool-allows-spy-victims-identify-government-surveillance
Detekt "represents a strike back against governments who
are using information obtained through surveillance"
A new tool to enable ordinary people to scan their
computers for known surveillance spyware has been
released today by Amnesty International and a coalition of
human rights and technology organisations.
'Detekt' is the first tool to be made available to the public
that reveals the presence of major known surveillance
spyware, used by governments, in computers.
Marek Marczynski, Head of Military, Security and Police at
Amnesty, said:
"Governments are increasingly using dangerous and
sophisticated technology that allows them to read activists
and journalists' private emails and remotely turn on their
computer's camera or microphone to secretly record their

activities.
"They use the technology in a cowardly attempt to prevent
abuses from being exposed.
"Detekt is a simple tool that will alert activists to such
intrusions so they can take action.
"It represents a strike back against governments who are
using information obtained through surveillance to
arbitrarily detain, illegally arrest and even torture human
rights defenders and journalists."
Developed by German-based security researcher Claudio
Guarnieri, Detekt is being launched in partnership with
Amnesty International, Privacy International, Digitale
Gesellschaft and Electronic Frontier Foundation.
The adoption and trade in communication surveillance
technologies has grown exponentially in recent years. The
Coalition Against Unlawful Surveillance Exports, of which
Amnesty is a member, estimates the annual global trade
in surveillance technologies is worth more than 3 billion,
and growing.
Some surveillance technology is widely available on the
internet; while other more sophisticated alternatives are
developed by private companies and sold to state law
enforcement and intelligence agencies in countries that
persistently commit human rights violations.
FinFisher, a German firm that used to be part of UK-based
Gamma International, developed the spyware FinSpy
which can be used to monitor Skype conversations,
extract files from hard drives, record microphone use and
emails, and even take screenshots and photos using a
device's camera.
According to research carried out by Citizen Lab and
information published by Wikileaks, Finfisher was used to
spy on prominent human rights lawyers and activists in
Bahrain.
Amnesty wants governments to establish strict trade
controls requiring national authorities to assess the risk
that the surveillance equipment would be used to violate
human rights before authorising any transfer, in a similar
manner to how the arms trade is controlled.
Marek Marczynski added:
"Detekt is a great tool which can help activists stay safe
but ultimately, the only way to prevent these technologies
from being used to violate or abuse human rights is to
establish and enforce strict controls on their use and
trade."
Amnesty will use its networks to help activists across the
world learn about Detekt and scan their devices for signs
of spyware.
Detekt is a free and open source software and is provided
as is, without warranties or guarantees of any kind.
For more information about Detekt, and to download the
tool, please visit https://resistsurveillance.org
(24th November 2014)
PUBLIC RIDE ALONG WITH POLICE PATROLS TO
BOOST CONFIDENCE IN OFFICERS
(The Telegraph, dated 21st November 2014 author Keith
Perry)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/11247437/Public-ride-along-with-police-patrols-toboost-confidence-in-officers.html
A senior police officer has called for members of the public
to be allowed on patrol alongside frontline police officers
in a version of the American "ride-along" scheme.

Assistant Commissioner Helen King, the newly appointed
head of Territorial Policing, said she wants to see the
scheme adopted by the Metropolitan Police in an effort to
increase confidence in the force.
"Quite a few forces in the States have a 'ride-along'
programme and I have always found that a powerful idea,"
she told the Evening Standard.
"It is quite easy to look at what the police do and pick
holes in it but actually once you are alongside them on
patrol and realise what they face, how they don't know
what's coming next and how quickly they have to make
decisions, it helps people understand the pressures they
face."
Officers in Lewisham tested the idea earlier this week,
taking a member of the local police Independent Advisory
Group out in an unmarked car.
They hope to offer "ride-alongs" each month to community
members interested in policing.
However, the plan to roll out the scheme to the wider
public is still at an early stage and there are said to be
issues with health and safety. People might not be able to
go on patrol with officers in their neighbourhood, for
instance, in case they come across someone they know.
Ms King admitted that the Met suffered an image problem
in the wake of a series of controversies such as the socalled Plebgate affair, undercover officers and the Stephen
Lawrence case.
She said that the number of people who felt the force was
doing a good job was currently "flat-lining" at around 68
per cent.
Ms King added: "There are individuals in communities who
often for legitimate reasons have suspicions about what
we do and why we do it. We need to work really hard to

break that down and help them understand some of the
issues we are dealing with.
"We want many more people knowing and believing that
the police are there for them and that they are on their
side."
Last month a report by the London Policing Ethics Panel,
set up to look at trust in the police, recommended that
judges, teachers and students get a chance to go on patrol
with inner-city officers.
The Met says it is trying to be more open, introducing
body-worn video cameras for many officers and agreeing
to a fly-on-the-wall documentary by the BBC.
In Bedfordshire, members of the public will be able to
accompany officers on patrol in a 'Ride Along' scheme
launched this month.
From November 30, anyone aged 18 and above will be
able to apply to accompany a frontline officer to get an
insight into policing.
The 'Ride-Along' sessions will usually last for a minimum of
four hours during which activities such as arrests, dealing
with victims and offenders, statement taking, questioning
and stop and searches may be observed.
Chief Constable Colette Paul said: "I am delighted we will
be offering these 'Ride Alongs' which will open up a
window on the world of policing.
"The scheme is not just about helping the public better
understand the work that we do. It is an opportunity for us
to learn from them too. We welcome any feedback from
ride-along observers."
(1st December 2014)
DRUG DEALER DEPORTED FROM UK RETURNED TO
ENFIELD TO PLAY PART IN COCAINE CONSPIRACY

(This is Local London, dated 21st November 2014 author
Court Reporter)
www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/londonnews/11616533.
Deported_drug_dealer_jailed_again/
Albanian drug dealer who was deported on his release
from prison returned to the UK to play a leading role in a
cocaine conspiracy.
Luiz Gjergji, 30, from Enfield, drove off when officers from
the National Crime Agency moved in to arrest him, his
brother, and their co-defendant.
He drove his Audi A8 car erratically out of the White Lion
Retail Park car park in Dunstable with an officer trying to
hold onto the door handle.
The car crashed through a hedge and crossed pavements,
before ending up in the nearby Homebase car park, Luton
crown court heard today.
Prosecutor Tim Probert-Wood said Gjergji tried to get away
but ran into a police motorcyclist. There was a violent
struggle and he was arrested.
Inside the Audi the police found a concealed compartment
in the glove box, which the prosecutor said could be used
to store drugs and cash.
Gjergji's brother Adriatic, 26, from West Hendon, and Julian
Perry, 41, from Leighton Buzzard were arrested at the
White Lion Retail park car park.
In all, 2kg of cocaine was recovered along with 42,200 at
the scene. It was of a high purity of 77 per cent and could
have been cut to make 6kg for sale on the street, said Mr
Probert-Wood.
The prosecutor said the NCA officers were watching Luiz

Gjergji's flat at Tower Point, Enfield at 8am on the morning
of September 24 this year. He was seen to drive his Audi
to the car park of the Old Red Lion in Houghton Regis,
Bedfordshire, where he met his younger brother who was
driving a VW Golf. The third defendant Julian Perry arrived
in a Kia Sedona.
Observations continued and at about 1pm they were all
seen again at the White Lion Retail Park in Dunstable.
Luiz Gjergji had been jailed for six years at Canterbury
crown court in March 2010 for trying to smuggle 190,000
worth of heroin through Dover.
On his release on licence he was deported, but he
returned to the UK where he and his brother Adriatic
Gjergji, who had also entered the country illegally, became
involved in the conspiracy.
Mr Probert-Wood said: "He had no immigration status. He
was deported from the UK upon his release on licence
from that sentence but came back."
He said he and the younger brother, who was also illegally
in the UK, would be deported once their current sentence
is served.
The prosecutor went on to say the brothers played a
"leading role" in the conspiracy, while Perry played a
"significant part."
He said: "These things don't happen spontaneously. This
cannot have been the first occasion. The operation would
have been running for some time. It was not a one-off. It
was part of an on-going process."
Luiz Gjergji, Adriatic Gjergji and Julian Perry pleaded guilty
to conspiracy to supply cocaine between May 1 and
September 25 this year. They also admitted transferring
42,200 worth of criminal property on September 24.
Luiz Gjergji also admitted driving the Audi A8 dangerously,

two counts of possessing ammunition and two of
possessing a firearm after gun parts and ammunition were
found at his flat.
Adriatic Gjergji, of Mount Road, West Hendon, admitted
possessing criminal property in the form of 9,500 and
51,050 Euros found at his home. He also admitted illegally
possessing a Romanian passport and a Romanian driving
licence that the police also recovered. A large set of scales
used for weighing items up to 5 kilos were also recovered.
Julian Perry, of Church Road, Slapton, Leighton Buzzard,
also admitted two charges of possessing criminal property
- 1,800 cash recovered from his car and 10,570 cash
found in a grey safe at his home. In addition he admitted
possessing 2.41g of cannabis.
Judge Richard Foster sentenced Luiz Gjergji to 13 years,
six months in prison; Adriatic Gjergji to nine years, four
months, and Perry to six years, eight months.
He recommended that Adriatic Gjergji is also automatically
deported at the end of his sentence, along with his
brother.
(1st December 2014)
BUILDERS A !!!
SCAFFOLDER WHO "NONCHALANTLY" TOSSED EQUIPMENT
AROUND OUTSIDE CHELSEA HOME FINED
(London Evening Standard, dated 20th November 2014
author Robin De Peyer)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/scaffolder-whononchalantly-tossed-equipment-outside-chelsea-homefined-9872832.html
A scaffolder who tossed equipment to his colleague as the
pair worked without harnesses at a house in Chelsea has

been fined by safety inspectors.
Christopher Harker, 35, clambered around with his
assistant high above the pavement on scaffolding with no
safety harness.
Inspectors said the pair were seen "nonchalantly" passed
gear to each other during work on a four-storey building in
Cheyne Walk in March.
When warned of the danger of harm to themselves or a
passer-by at street level, the pair were said to have shown
a "hostile attitude" to an inspector from the Health and
Safety Executive.
Westminster Magistrates' Court heard on Wednesday that
the pair threw scaffold clips to one another, and that there
were large gaps between the scaffold boards.
Harker, of Epping, who trades as C&H Scaffolding, was
fined 800 and ordered to pay 577 in costs after pleading
guilty to two separate breaches of the Work at Height
Regulations 2005.
HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers said after the ruling:
"The scaffolding work at Cheyne Walk posed a clear
danger to the two workers as well as members of the
public exiting the building under the scaffolding.
"The failings were abundantly obvious and trained
scaffolder Mr Harker knew this, which is probably why he
reacted in the manner he did. He was caught red-handed,
panicked and tried to make the problem go away as he
saw it.
Inspectors cannot and will not turn a blind eye when
safety is compromised in this manner - as the scaffolder
now fully accepts."
------------------------
CONTRACTOR PAYS OUT 23,000 OVER 91 YEAR OLD

WOMAN INJURED IN FENCE COLLAPSE
author Alexandra Rucki)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/contractor-pays-out23000-over-91yearold-woman-injured-in-fence-collapse9872315.html
A contractor has been fined after a 91-year-old woman
was seriously injured when a metal fence collapsed and
knocked her over as she walked past a building site.
The pensioner, who has not been named, was left with a
fractured hip and shoulder following the incident in
Bromley High Street, south east London, on August 1,
2012.
Westminster Magistrates Court heard Fadil Adil, 54, of
Coniston Road, Bromley, was responsible for the fence as
it surrounded a development he was working on to create
new homes and a commercial unit.
The two metres high fence, similar to mesh fencing used
in the construction industry, left the woman struggling
with mobility and independence.
Prosecutors said weather was not a factor on the day and
the fence could have fallen at any time because it was not
fit for purpose.
Adil was fined 15,000 and ordered to pay 3,000 in costs,
as well as 5,000 in compensation during a court hearing
yesterday.
He previously pleaded guilty to a single breach of the
Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.
Health and Safety Executive inspector, Bernardine
Cooney, said: "The law clearly states that all temporary
works, including fences and hoardings, are properly

designed, constructed and maintained by competent
people to ensure they are safe.
"This clearly wasn't the case on this occasion and a
pensioner was seriously injured as a result. She could have
been killed, and the fence also posed a clear risk to other
passers-by, as well as workers on the construction site it
served.
"Fadil Adil could and should have done more to prevent
that risk as the principal contractor responsible for the
site."
(1st December 2014)
BREACHED WEBCAM AND BABY MONITOR SITE
FLAGGED BY WATCHDOGS
The public is being warned about a website containing
thousands of live feeds to baby monitors, stand-alone
webcams and CCTV systems.
Data watchdogs across the world have drawn attention to
the Russian-based site, which broadcasts footage from
systems using either default passwords or no log-in codes
at all.
The site lists streams from more than 250 countries and
other territories.
It currently provides 500 feeds from the UK alone.
They include what appear to be images from:
- an office in Warwickshire
- a child's bedroom in Birmingham
- a home's driveway in Nottinghamshire

- a gym in Manchester, a pub in Salford
-a shop interior in London
The site's database shows listings for 4,591 cameras in
the US, 2,059 in France and 1,576 in the Netherlands.
Smaller numbers of feeds are also identified as being
available from developing economies including Nicaragua,
Pakistan, Kenya, Paraguay and Zimbabwe.
Some of the feeds showed a static image but did not
otherwise appear to be working.
The privacy watchdogs have provided the name of the site
to the media, however the BBC has opted not to publish it.
As well as setting hard-to-guess passwords instead of the
default one that came with the device, camera owners are
also being advised to check their equipment and turn off
remote access if they do not need it.
UK Information Commissioner Christopher Graham said he
wanted to "sound a general alert", warning "there are
people out there who are snooping".
He told BBC Breakfast: "It's got more than 500 UK
webcams where there is a facility for remote access to
check what's going on in the shop, what's going on at
home, how's the baby."
If the site was actually trying to alert people to the
security breach - as it claims - then "now we all know and
please will they take it down," he added.
When asked about a feed that appeared to show a child in
its bedroom, Mr Graham said: "It is spooky. But after all, it
is the responsibility of the parents to set a proper
password if you want remote access."
He said he would work with the Russian authorities and
others to have the website shut down, adding that such a
site would be illegal in the UK.

Those whose webcams and baby monitors had been
breached cannot be contacted due to the Data Protection
Act and the Computer Misuse Act, said the commissioner.
The ICO acknowledged that some parts of the press might
now identify the site, driving traffic to it.
"The bigger risk for ourselves is that people continue to
use unsecure passwords," an ICO spokesman added.
Password problems
The site in question lists the feeds both by country and by
device manufacturer.
The kit has not been "hacked", rather software and search
tools have been used to scan the net for feeds that can be
accessed using the cameras' default settings.
China-based Foscam was the most commonly listed brand,
followed by Linksys and then Panasonic.
"We are still trying to determine which Linksys IP cameras
are referenced on the site," said a spokeswoman from the
US firm. "We believe they are older Linksys IP cameras
which are no longer being manufactured.
"For these cameras we do not have a way to force
customers to change their default passwords. We will
continue to educate consumers that changing default
passwords is extremely important to protect themselves
from unwanted intruders.
"Our newer cameras display a warning to users who have
not changed the default password; users receive this
warning whenever they log into the camera, until they set
a new password."
Panasonic added that its CCTV kit was also designed to
encourage users to set their own log-in credentials.
"Every time a user logs on to our system, they are

prompted to change their default password," said Sean
Taylor, a security executive aT the firm.
"We would urge all users to change passwords regularly, in
order to maintain the integrity of the system."
Foscam added that its current range of products also
requested owners set their own passwords.
This is not the first time problems with Foscam cameras
have been highlighted. In 2013, a family based in
Houston, Texas revealed that they had heard a voice
shouting lewd comments at their two-year old child
coming out of their Foscam baby monitor.
The company provided a software fix the same year that
prompted owners to revise default login credentials, but
many owners are unlikely to have installed it.
For now, the ICO said it was unable to halt the Russian
website or others like it beyond the UK's borders.
"If a website in the UK did this we would take action
against it because firstly it's a breach of the Data
Protection Act because you are accessing people's
information and you shouldn't be, and secondly there are
also issues around the Computer Misuse Act as well," the
spokesman added.
Password tips
The University of Surrey's Prof Alan Woodward is among
security experts who have suggested internet users
should now update their login details.
He suggests the following rules should be observed when
picking a new password.
- Don't choose one obviously associated with you
Hackers can find out a lot about you from social media so
if they are targeting you specifically and you choose, say,
your pet's name you're in trouble.
- Choose words that don't appear in a dictionary
Hackers can precalculate the encrypted forms of whole
dictionaries and easily reverse engineer your password.
- Use a mixture of unusual characters
You can use a word or phrase that you can easily
remember but where characters are substituted, eg
Myd0gha2B1g3ars!
Have different passwords for different sites and systems
If hackers compromise one system you do not want them
having the key to unlock all your other accounts.
- Keep them safely
With multiple passwords it is tempting to write them down
and carry them around with you. Better to use some form
of secure password vault on your phone.
(1st December 2014)
POLICE CHIEF WARNS OF JIHADIST CYBER ATTACK
ON CITY INSTITUTIONS
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/police-chief-warns-ofjihadist-cyber-attack-on-city-institutions-9870097.html
Islamist terrorists could launch a cyber attack on financial
institutions in the capital and online defences need to be
strengthened, a police chief warned today.
Adrian Leppard, the City of London Police commissioner,

said there was a "very strong likelihood" of an attack in
the future and singled out Islamic State as potential
perpetrators.
Speaking before a cyber security conference in New York
today, Mr Leppard said: "We look at terrorism and you
think?if global trading stopped that would have an
enormous impact on western society, global society?at
the heart of capitalism.
"There could be a very serious impact to the financial
institutions of the world through a cyber attack and I think
it's a very strong likelihood that it will happen one day in
the future, which is why we've got to push back and take
action now before it happens."
His comments to the Financial Times come after Benjamin
Lawsky, head of the New York Department of Financial
Services, admitted that he was concerned about the
vulnerability of the US financial system and raised the
prospect of an "Armageddon-type cyber event".
The City of London force is strengthening ties with the
New York District Attorney's Office to bolster defences.
From early next year, the district attorney and the City
police will deploy staff permanently in each other's offices.
Mr Leppard said there was evidence to suggest that "all of
the stock exchanges in the world have been breached in
the last 10 years, Nasdaq, London Stock Exchange, all of
them."
He added that the biggest challenge was to establish the
extent of cyber crime and encourage businesses to report
breaches of security.
(1st December 2014)
AGENCY HIGHLIGHTS EUROPE-WIDE TRAFFICKING
OF BABIES
Loeb)
Pregnant women are being "recruited" by people
traffickers who force them to sell their babies into a life of
virtual slavery for as little as a few thousand pounds,
according to Europol.
Babies aged just six months can be bought by traffickers
for between 3,000 and 6,000, and moving them across
borders is "relatively uncomplicated", an intelligence
notification from the Europe-wide policing agency states.
It adds: "In many cases the victims travel on genuine
passports of non-related adults.
"The organised crime groups involved in these types of
exploitation are very mobile and typically active in several
countries making use of contacts in diaspora
communities."
Once they have been successfully trafficked abroad, the
babies can be used by women involved in illegal begging
or benefit fraud.
Because of their young age when they were taken from
their mothers they may never discover their true
identities.
Names are often legally changed in countries of origin,
while other exploited children are "born on the road" with
the births never being registered anywhere.
Europol's report describes Fagin-type figures who raise
bands of trafficked children to commit specialised petty
crime, with the profit from such illegality going straight
into the coffers of organised crime groups.
To enforce obedience, these gangmasters use threats of
violence or food deprivation to psychologically manipulate
the youngsters to do their bidding.
The intelligence document states: "While illegal adoption

does not necessarily constitute trafficking in human
beings, in a number of cases illegally adopted children are
trafficked for exploitation."
In a later section it adds: "Trafficked children do not
consider themselves to be in an exploitative situation, but
rather perceive their exploitation as loyalty to their family.
"When trafficked children forced to commit crimes are
apprehended by law enforcement, they are typically
placed in childcare facilities from where they easily
abscond.
"In other cases, the victims are handed back to their
'family' members or guardians and can then be retrafficked."
Europol has recommended law enforcement agencies
across the continent endeavour to increase awareness of
child trafficking, adding: "Types of exploitation other than
sexual or labour exploitation are highly underreported.
"In order to better fight exploitation of minors for forced
begging or forced criminal activities, it is necessary to
increase the awareness of this phenomenon and increase
cooperation between EU law enforcement agencies."
(1st December 2014)
THERESA MAY UNVEILS SHAKEUP OF POLICE
DISCIPLINARY SYSTEM
(The Guardian, dated 18th November 2014 author Alan
Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/18/theresa-mayshakeup-police-disciplinary-system
The Home Secretary, Theresa May, has announced a
shakeup of the internal police disciplinary system,
including holding hearings in public and ending payoffs for

senior officers found guilty of misconduct, to be introduced
before the general election.
The package will also include new protection from
reprisals and disciplinary action for police whistleblowers
who identify corruption in the ranks or report poor
practices.
A more fundamental reform of the police complaints
system, including an overhaul of the Independent Police
Complaints Commission, is to be postponed until after the
election. The reform was planned to include making the
complaints system more independent and more focused
on resolving complaints locally, and simplifying the
appeals system.
May said she was launching a short six-week consultation
on the reforms, which could be implemented quickly. "The
consultation I am launching today focuses on specific
reforms that can be made in the short term that will have
a significant impact in making the current system more
robust, independent and transparent until such point when
more fundamental reforms can be implemented," she said.
As well as consulting on whether police disciplinary
hearings and appeals should be held in public, she was
also proposing that they be chaired by someone qualified
to ensure that proceedings are legally sound, she said. At
present they are conducted by a senior officer of
superintendent rank or above.
May said the integrity of the men and women who work in
the police service of England and Wales was critical to
public trust in the force.
"Real or perceived misconduct or corruption dents that
trust and makes policing by consent more difficult. The
vast majority of police officers behave appropriately and
conscientiously, which makes it even more important to
root out misconduct and malpractice and hold those
responsible to account," she said.
Irene Curtis, the president of the Police Superintendents'

Association, supported the changes. "The police service
already works very hard to deal effectively with
wrongdoing and poor performance, but as this is such a
critical area the greater support these measures will
provide is very welcome," she said.
"The overwhelming majority of police officers are highly
trustworthy and carry out their roles with exceptional
professionalism and real integrity. I hope that a more
transparent process will help increase public
understanding that the service deals robustly with those
who commit serious wrongdoing, and deals fairly with
those who make genuine mistakes."
(1st December 2014)
POLICE FAIL TO RECORD 800,000 CRIMES A YEAR INCLUDING ONE IN FOUR SEX OFFENCES
Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/18/policedismiss-one-in-four-sex-crimes-watchdog
The police are failing to record more than 800,000
offences, including a quarter of all sexual crimes, reported
to them by the public each year, according to a damning
official inquiry.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary says it is an
indefensible failure by the police to properly record the
equivalent of 19% of the total official police recorded
crime rate, and including a third of all violent crime.
The investigation into the integrity of police recorded
crime figures says that the 26% under-recording of rapes
and other sexual offences is a matter of "especially
serious concern", with inspectors finding 37 individual
cases of rape that were not recorded as crimes.

The HMIC report, published on Tuesday, says that even
when crimes are correctly recorded by the police, too
many are removed or cancelled as recorded crimes for no
good reason, including more than 200 rapes and 250
cases of violence against the person.
It says that these decisions, called "no-criming", to
incorrectly dismiss rape victims have meant that offenders
who should have been pursued by the police have not
been brought to justice. The inspectors add that in 22% of
these no-crime cases the rape victim was never told that a
decision had been taken to drop their case.
Tom Winsor, the chief inspector of constabulary, said:
"These are wholly unacceptable failings. Some forces have
exemplary records in this respect, and others are very
bad. It is particularly important that in cases as serious as
rape, these shortcomings are put right as a matter of the
greatest urgency. In some forces, action is already being
taken."
The HMIC report found that the problem was worst in four
forces, Avon and Somerset, Dyfed-Powys, Northumbria
and West Yorkshire, which all failed to record more than
30% of the crime reported to them by the public. The best
forces were Staffordshire, South Wales, West Midlands and
Lincolnshire.
The investigation was ordered by the home secretary,
Theresa May, after the police recorded crime figures lost
their "gold status" as national statistics after two
parliamentary inquiries heard concerns about their
integrity from whistleblowers and others.
The failure of the police figures in England and Wales to
record as much as 19% of the crime reported to them,
however, does not undermine the credibility of the longterm historic fall in the crime rate as measured by the
official crime survey of England and Wales. This is based
on a survey of 40,000 people's experience of crime and is
unrelated to how the police deal with it.

The home secretary said the HMIC report had confirmed
her concerns that there had been utterly unacceptable
failings in the way the police record crime.
"It is never acceptable for the police to mis-record crime.
Failing to do so not only lets down victims but the wider
public who expect to be able to trust the integrity of police
recorded crime," May said.
Winsor said that the police needed to act immediately on
the presumption that the victim is to be believed: "If
evidence later comes to light which shows that no crime
occurred then the record should be corrected: that is how
the system is supposed to work."
The chief inspector said that a national crime recording
rate of 81% was inexcusably poor: "This is not about
numbers and dry statistics - it is about victims and the
protection of the public."
The investigation was based on reviewing 10,267 reports
of crime by the public and 3,240 "no-crime" decisions as
well as surveying the views of 17,000 police officers and
staff.
It gives two case studies to illustrate the problem.
In the first, a 13-year-old girl had reported to the police
that she had been raped by an 18-year-old boy. The victim
was unclear about some of the details. A full investigation
was carried out but there were no witnesses and no
evidence was found to prove it had happened. The officers
no-crimed the report because they did not believe the
victim.
But HMIC says that in the absence of evidence
establishing it did happen, it should have been recorded
as a rape. "To do otherwise implies that the victim is not
believed."
A second rape case was also no-crimed after the officers

involved presumed the woman involved had consented.
She had told the police she had known her attacker and
had been drunk on the day of the rape. She had been
taken into a wood by her attacker and had taken off some
of her clothes despite telling him that she did not want to
be there. HMIC says the fact she took off some of her
clothes before she was attacked was irrelevant and
consent should never be presumed. The attack should
have been recorded as a rape.
The report says that the police must record an incident as
a crime when a victim reports circumstances that amount
to an offence as defined by the law and there is no
credible evidence to the contrary.
The rules say that a crime should still be recorded even if
the victim declines to provide their personal details, or
does not want to take the matter further, or even if the
allegation cannot be proved. They add, however, that a
crime does not need to be recorded if a victim does not
confirm that a crime has taken place. For instance if
someone other than the victim reports an apparent street
robbery, but the police can't find the victim, then a crime
is not recorded but a record is still made of the incident.
The report rejects claims that the practice of underrecording is due to "fiddled figures" or dishonest
manipulation, saying that although the staff survey and
interviews with whistleblowers produced many such
allegations, no one came forward with firm evidence. The
inspectors say that a number of police forces accepted
that "undue performance pressures had adversely affected
crime recording in the past, and the culture of chasing
targets as ends in themselves had distorted crimerecording decisions".
The inspectors add: "Forces today are making
considerable efforts to change the culture in which these
practices prevailed, but changing ingrained instincts bred
of a past regime takes time."
National targets for police performance were scrapped by

the home secretary shortly after she took office four years
ago.
-------------------------POLICE FAIL TO RECORD ONE IN FIVE OF ALL CRIMES
REPORTED TO THEM
More than 800,000 - or one in five - of all crimes reported
to the police each year are not being recorded by officers,
a report suggests.
The problem is greatest for victims of violent crime, with a
third going unrecorded. Of sexual offences, 26% are not
recorded.
An HM Inspectorate of Constabulary report looked at more
than 8,000 reports of crime in England and Wales.
The watchdog said the failure to record crime properly was
"indefensible".
Home Secretary Theresa May described the findings as
"utterly unacceptable", but police representatives said the
situation had improved since the study.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said workload
pressures, target culture and inadequate supervision all
contributed to under-recording.
An unrecorded crime is classed as one that is reported to
the police but not recorded as an offence. It means an
investigation into the alleged crime is unlikely to happen.
'Serious concern'
The audit reviewed reports of crime between November
2012 and October 2013 across all 43 forces in England
and Wales.
It found that:
- Among the sample, 37 rape allegations were not
recorded as a crime
- For 3,842 reported crimes, offenders were given a
caution or a penalty notice - but inspectors believe 500 of
those should have been charged or given a heavier
penalty
- 3,246 of those offences that were recorded were then
deemed to be "no crimes" - but inspectors believe 20% of
those decisions were wrong and a crime had been
committed
- The incidents recorded as "no-crimes" included 200
reports of rape and 250 of violent crime
- More than 800 of the victims were not told of the
decision to "no-crime" their report
Analysis
by Danny Shaw, BBC home affairs correspondent
The under-recording of crime is more than a question of
getting the statistics wrong.
If an offence isn't officially logged, it may not be
investigated. And without a police inquiry there's no hope
of finding the perpetrator and preventing other crimes.
Inspectors say there may well be people on the streets
now, able to commit more crimes, who would have been
locked up had their original offence been properly dealt
with.
There are indications that some forces are improving. But
there's also a warning in the report that increasing
workload pressures among police - who are having to do
more with considerably less - will "sharpen" the incentive

not to record crimes.
Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor told the BBC
that the under-recording of sexual offences was of
particular concern and more sex crimes would be reported
if victims felt they could trust the police.
"The police need to institutionalise a culture of believing
the victim. Every time," he said.
"Now in some cases it may turn out that a crime hasn't
been committed, in which case the figures can be changed
later.
"But the crime needs to go on the books straight away so
that the crime is properly investigated in every case and
the victim receives the services which she or he should
have."
Jeff Gardner, from Victim Support, told the BBC: "The
police absolutely need trust of the public because if they
don't have it, there's no communication and police can't
police properly."
Police are obliged to inform victims about their decisions
but the report found this was not always the case.
Victims may have been under the impression that their
crimes were being investigated when they were not, the
report said.
'Wheelie bins'
The report looked at every police force in England and
Wales and drew national-level statistics from its sample.
But it acknowledged there were large regional differences
and some forces were very good at crime recording.
West Midlands Police and Lincolnshire Police had an almost
perfect record, while Dyfed Powys Police and West
Yorkshire were among the worst-performing forces.
Chief Constable Jeff Farrar, lead for crime recording at the

Association of Chief Police Officers, told the BBC that
forces were not following the rules in the same way.
"As soon as an incident is reported, it is recorded. There's
an incident on every police force's system," he said.
"Some forces are immediately recording that as a crime
without any investigation; some forces are going perhaps
too far in the investigation.
"But the rules do say we need to be satisfied that a crime
has been committed."
He said some cases, such as a serious sexual offences,
should "absolutely be recorded" but there were some
occasions were the public would expect officers to ask a
few more questions before recording a crime.
Providing one example from his own Gwent force, he said:
"We had in one month an increase of 300 wheelie bin
thefts.
"When we looked at that in a bit more detail, because we
had recorded them, it would appear if you reported that as
a theft you got a new wheelie bin for free from the local
authority but if it was damaged, they charged you 80."
'Urgent changes'
The report said relatively little firm evidence had been
found of undue pressure being put on officers to
manipulate figures.
But in an online survey, some officers and staff did say
performance and other pressures were distorting their
crime-recording decisions
The HM Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) report
recommended that standard training established by the
College of Policing be provided by each force.
Mrs May said there had been "utterly unacceptable

failings" in the way police forces have recorded crime but
procedures were improving.
"It is never acceptable for the police to mis-record crime.
Failing to do so not only lets down victims, but the wider
public who expect to be able to trust the integrity of police
recorded crime," she said.
Shadow policing minister Jack Dromey said it was time for
Mrs May to "get a grip on this and make urgent changes to
the way the police record crime".
Ch Supt Irene Curtis, president of the Police
Superintendents' Association, said recorded crime was a
measure of demand on police resources rather than police
performance.
"HMIC's report covers a period of at least 12 months ago
and recognises that considerable improvements have
already been made since that period," she said.
Earlier this year an interim report by Mr Winsor, covering
13 forces, made a similar conclusion that a fifth of crimes
could be going unrecorded by police.
Last month, official figures showed the number of rapes
reported to and recorded by police in England and Wales
was at its highest ever level.
The Office for National Statistics said there were 22,116
recorded rapes in the year to June, a rise of 29% on the
year before.
Separate statistics from the Crime Survey for England and
Wales showed overall crime fell by 16% to 7.1 million
cases.
------------------------OUR CRIME FIGURES ARE NO MORE THAN A POLITICAL
CHARADE
(The Guardian, dated 18th November 2014 author Gary
Copson)
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/nov/18/crimefigures-political-police-chiefs
It is a question reasonably asked by every householder: is
my area safe? Police forces have various strategies to
reassure them; visibility, connectivity. Most of all there are
statistics. The trouble is, the figures we cite most often
may be totally unreliable and leave us with a false sense
of security.
The latest report from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
Constabulary (HMIC) addresses crime-reporting practices.
It says that police compliance with Home Office counting
rules is improving but varies from force to force, and
overall is still not good enough. This might invite people to
conclude that your average local police officer is, for some
peculiar reason, determined to dishonestly suppress
official crime figures. HMIC could not possibly say this and I wouldn't have when I worked there - but there is,
and long has been, an underlying and unhealthy political
game that creates and drives performance fraud.
Home Office counting rules are arcane and full of
irrationalities. This never used to matter before our
political parties started to use reported-crime figures as a
weapon in a battle over who could be toughest on crime.
Back then crime figures were not treated as
incontrovertible laser-sharp measures of police
effectiveness and integrity.
What crimes get recorded and how they are counted are
political choices. Recorded crime never has been, and
certainly isn't now, a reflection of the actual incidence of
crime in society. The Crime Survey of England and Wales is
accepted as a more accurate reflection, but even that is
far from infallible. Reducing the number of reported
burglaries and robberies is hailed as a political triumph,

but many criminologists take the different view that
today's young offenders are, for a variety of reasons, less
inclined to burglary and robbery than those of 10 and 20
years ago - and more inclined to cyberfraud and phone
scams, both still widely under-reported.
Crime in prisons is almost entirely unreported to police.
When - as the police adviser to the prison service - I set up
an experiment in which all crimes in one Lancashire prison
were reported to police for three months, the prison
emerged as the local force crime hotspot.
It is well established that rape is under-reported, some
surveys suggesting that as few as one in 10 are officially
logged. And we are only just beginning to see how much
child abuse has gone unrecorded over the years. So let's
not pretend that reported crime figures are hugely
meaningful. While variations in performance can be
interesting, it is as foolish to blame police for the incidence
of crime as to blame doctors for the incidence of disease.
Alongside that political failing is a lamentable failure of the
police command culture. For years now, when politicians
have instructed police chiefs to dance to this tune, they
have danced. Promotions, knighthoods and peerages can
turn on that dance. Occasionally some brave soul of a
serving chief officer has stood up and denounced this
circus, but it never ends happily for them, even when they
have only done it behind closed doors.
In the past 25 years there has been a great enlightenment
in operational police culture, with "noble cause corruption"
- the end justifying the means - all but eliminated, and
racism and sexism largely rejected. But there has not been
equivalent progress in command culture. There remains a
powerful imperative to bear down on junior ranks to
deliver "better" outcomes. The modern term is "intrusive
management". I have always preferred to call it bullying.
An article in the Observer last April headlined "Police
officers despise fiddling crime statistics, says expert" had
the subhead: "Criminologist says many officers in England

and Wales scandalised by widespread manipulation of
figures". The criminologist, Marian FitzGerald, was right.
The "fiddling" takes place below the gaze of those who
require it. The pressures are unofficial but, in a
regimented, hierarchical organisation, often so intense as
to be hard to resist. I am sure HMIC must know that, and
would have reported it had it found evidence amounting to
a smoking gun. But of course it won't find that evidence:
who would be so careless as to leave that lying around for
HMIC to discover; and who would be so foolish as to blow
the whistle?
The big challenges facing police - especially in these times
of severe budget cuts in the name of austerity - are
around intelligent deployment of resources and issues of
productivity. Those of us engaged in trying to articulate
these challenges in the 2008-09 independent Review of
Policing hoped that crude performance measures might
become no more than a basis for sophisticated discussion.
Some chance of that happening, it turns out: even now.
-------------------------PCC ADMITS ESSEX POLICE FAILED CHILD RAPE VICTIM
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex30096706
A five-year-old rape victim who wrote to officers telling
them they had let her down was failed by Essex Police, the
force's police and crime commissioner has said.
PCC Nick Alston said he was "deeply sorry" for blunders
which saw the 12-year-old attacker given a final warning the juvenile equivalent of a caution.
He said the victim and her family had been left "utterly
bereft of justice".
Essex Police said it was "disappointed" in the handling of

the case.
The girl, who is now eight, wrote: "When I was five
something very bad happened and it was your job to make
sure he was properly dealt with and punished.
"But you didn't do your job and you let me down."
Mr Alston said: "It has left a victim and her family utterly
bereft of justice. Leads to other potential offences were
not properly investigated at the time.
"Furthermore, it may have caused people in our county
who need the help of Essex Police wondering if they can
trust them."
Written warnings
Essex Police said the rape was reported in August 2011.
Details of the letter written by the victim emerged in a
story in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.
Officers wrongly claimed that they had reported the case
to the Crown Prosecution Service, failed to have the
rapist's name added to the Sex Offenders Register and
neglected to take fingerprints, DNA samples or
photographs, the newspaper said.
In a statement, the force said: "The offender, also a child,
was interviewed the same day and in November 2011 was
given a final warning, the juvenile equivalent of a caution.
"A complaint from the victim's family was received by
Essex Police in March 2013 and this was referred to the
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).
"A full and thorough investigation was led by a detective
superintendent and supervised by the IPCC and as a result
of its findings, three officers were subject to misconduct
proceedings and received written warnings.
"Essex Police takes allegations of child abuse incredibly
seriously and is hugely disappointed that on this occasion

it failed to deliver."
(1st December 2014)
ORGANISED CHILD SEX ABUSE - WIDESPREAD IN
ENGLAND - MPs SAY
Organised child sex abuse is widespread in England, a
report by MPs on the Rotherham exploitation scandal says.
A review of child protection systems across the country
has been called for by the Commons' Communities and
Local Government Committee.
Its report also said Rotherham Council and Ofsted had
"failed" the victims targeted in the town.
It suggested the council's protection policies were
"divorced from reality", enabling the abuse to continue.
MPs said all councils across England now needed to review
child protection policies.
Their report said: "On the evidence we took, the alarming
conclusion is that Rotherham was not an outlier and that
there is a widespread problem of organised child sexual
exploitation in England."
The MPs inquiry was prompted by a report by Prof Alexis
Jay, which revealed up to 1,400 children were estimated to
have been victims of abuse in Rotherham between 1997
and 2013.
Ofsted, which carried out a series of inspections during the
period, said it had introduced a "more rigorous inspection
framework".
'Shameful inability'
The MPs' report investigates the lessons for local
government that have been recommended in the wake of
Prof Jay's investigation.
Labour MP Clive Betts, chairman of the committee, said
Ofsted would be called before the MPs to answer "serious
questions" about its inspections.
"Repeated Ofsted inspections in Rotherham failed to lift
the lid on the council's shameful inability to tackle child
sexual exploitation," said Mr Betts.
The MPs also criticised the town's councillors for their lack
of effective scrutiny and challenging of council officers.
The report said the authority had many child protection
policies but they were "divorced from reality".
The parliamentary committee called for an investigation
into missing files at the council and said council officials
"should be held accountable for their actions."
"Arrangements should be put in place to bring to account
not just council officers still in post but those who have
moved on from an authority before serious questions
about their performance emerge, " said Mr Betts.
In a statement, Ofsted said it welcomed "the opportunity
to give evidence to the committee".
"In common with a number of organisations, we accept
that past inspections may not have given child sexual
exploitation the forensic focus it needed and deserved," it
said.
Rotherham Council leader Paul Lakin has welcomed the
report and said an internal inquiry into the missing files
had begun but the council planned to bring in an external
audit team to complete the task.
He said: "Our ways of doing business are now more open

and transparent and accountable than before.
"We are putting in place a new, high quality management
and leadership team with the ability and capacity to
secure real improvement.
"We have opened up our full council and cabinet meetings
with webcasting, and backbench councillors are bringing
forward plans to increase public participation in meetings.
"We will be looking again to ensure that our scrutiny
function - which also now has new political leadership - is
as effective as possible."
(1st December 2014)
INTERPOL RELEASES FIRST EVER LIST OF MOST
WANTED ENVIRONMENTAL CRIMINALS
author Tom Porter)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/interpol-releases-first-ever-list-mostwanted-environmental-criminals-1475400
Interpol has released the first ever list of the world's most
wanted environmental criminals.
The nine criminals who appear on the list are wanted in 36
countries for offences including wildlife trafficking, illegally
dumping toxic waste and the trade in illegal ivory.
The list has been released by the agency as part of
operation International Fugitive Round Up and Arrest
(Infra) Terra, which is targeting 139 criminals in total.
Interpol appealed to the public for help in tracking down
those on its list.
"Even the smallest detail, which you might think is
insignificant, has the potential to break a case wide open

when combined with other evidence the police already
have," said Ioannis Kokkinis, Criminal Intelligence Officer
with Interpol's Fugitive Investigative Support unit, which is
coordinating Infra Terra.
"Sometimes all it takes is a fresh pair of eyes to bring new
momentum to an investigation and provide the missing
clue which will help locate these wanted individuals, some
of whom have been evading justice for years," he added.
The launch of the operation comes amid a wave of
environmental crime, which the agency estimates to be
worth $70 bn to $213 bn annually.
Revenue from the crimes is believed by Interpol to fund
organised crime gangs and terrorist groups including alShabaab in Somalia.
Among the wanted are Sergey Darminov, 50, wanted in
connection with an illegal crab fishing operation in Russia
that netted $450m.
Italian Adriano Giacobone, 57, is wanted for illegally
dumping toxic waste, with other offences including
kidnapping and violence against a police officer.
Ahmed Kamran, 29, is wanted for exporting a menagerie
of animals, including giraffes and impalas from Tanzania to
Qatar on board a military plane in 2010.
Interpol officials said that Infra Terra is modelled on
previous Interpol campaigns to track down paedophiles,
drugs traffickers and terrorists.
"We believe that the capture of these criminals on the run
will contribute to the dismantlement of transnational
organised crime groups who have turned environmental
exploitation into a professional business with lucrative
revenues," said Stefano Carvelli, Head of Interpol's
Fugitive Investigative Support unit.
(1st December 2014)

FEMALE INDONESIAN POLICE RECRUITS FORCED TO
UNDERGO "VIRGINITY TESTS"
(The Guardian, dated 18th November 2014 author Kate
Hodal)
www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/18/femaleindonesian-police-recruits-forced-virginity-test
Female recruits hoping to join Indonesia's police force are
forced to undergo two-finger "virginity tests", a rights
group has found, a practice that leaves the women
traumatised, humiliated and in pain.
The test is listed publicly as a requirement to enter the
force and performed as part of the chief of police's health
inspection guidelines for new candidates, which requires
women to complete an "obstetrics and gynaecology"
exam.
While female recruits are also expected to be single and
not marry until they have been in the force for a few
years, Indonesia's national police website claims they
must also undergo virginity tests in addition to general
medical and physical examinations, with the added
warning: "So all women who want to become policewomen
should keep their virginity."
The practice contravenes Indonesia's national police
principles as well as international human rights policy,
says Human Rights Watch (HRW), which interviewed
female police recruits and serving female officers across
six cities.
While women who "failed" the test were not necessarily
prevented from entering the force, all of those interviewed
said the examination was painful and traumatic and
described the practice as widespread.
"Entering the virginity test examination room was really

upsetting," one interviewee said. "I feared that after they
performed the test I would not be a virgin anymore. They
inserted two fingers with gel it really hurt. My friend
even fainted."
Although women often complain to their superiors about
the exam - which measures whether a woman's hymen is
still intact - and a former head of police personnel agreed
to abolish the test in 2010, it continues to be practised in
the same way it has for decades, interviewees said. One
retired officer said her entire 1965 recruitment class had
to endure the two-finger exam.
"So-called virginity tests are discriminatory and a form of
gender-based violence - not a measure of women's
eligibility for a career in the police," said Nisha Varia,
associate women's rights director at Human Rights Watch.
"This pernicious practice not only keeps able women out of
the police, but deprives all Indonesians of a police force
with the most genuinely qualified officers."
HRW's research into the practice follows a recruitment
drive to hire 50% more females into the national police
force by December, boosting the proportion of female
officers to 5% of the 400,000-member force.
An Indonesian police spokesman, Maj Gen Ronny Sompie,
said the test was no reason to "respond negatively" to the
force's requirements, and that the exam was used to
establish whether applicants have a sexually transmitted
infection. "All of this is done in a professional manner and
[does] not harm the applicants," Sompie said.
But local and international rights groups say the hymen
test is humiliating and should be abolished. "No effort is
made to help the women out of their stress and trauma,"
said Yefri Heriyani, of the West Sumatra women's rights
group Nurani Perempuan, warning that the exam had longlasting effects on the recruits. "Many of them blame
themselves for taking the test."
While premarital sex is common in Indonesia, the world's

most populous Muslim country, female virginity is often
lauded.
An education board in south Sumatra came under fire last
year for planning virginity tests as part of its high-school
admission requirements.
(1st December 2014)
FATHER CLAIMS SCOTLAND YARD COVERED UP SONS
MURDER BY WESTMINSTER PAEDOPHILES
(The Telegraph, dated 18th November 2014 author Bill
Gardner)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11239535/Father
-claims-Scotland-Yard-covered-up-sons-murder-byWestminster-paedophiles.html
The father of an eight-year-old boy murdered in the 1980s
claims that his son may have died at the hands of a
Westminster paedophile ring - and that Scotland Yard
helped "cover up" the crime.
Vishambar Mehrotra, a retired magistrate, recorded a male
prostitute saying in a telephone call that his son may have
been abducted and taken to a now notorious guesthouse
in 1981.
He took the recording to police at the time but claims they
refused to investigate an allegation implicating "judges
and politicians". Mr Mehrotra said it had been a "huge
cover-up".
The Metropolitan Police announced last week that they
were investigating possible murders linked to the Elm
Guest House in Barnes, south-west London. The new
inquiry began when an alleged victim came forward
claiming to have witnessed three boys being killed,
including one allegedly strangled by a Conservative MP
during a depraved sex game.

He claimed that high-profile paedophiles abused children
at locations in London in the 1970s and 1980s.
Mr Mehrotra's son Vishal was abducted as he walked home
to Putney after watching the Prince of Wales and Diana
Spencer ride to their wedding in a carriage on July 29
1981.
He had gone ahead of other family members for the last
few hundred yards. He was last seen less than a mile from
the guesthouse.
Mr Mehrotra claims he received an anonymous call from a
male prostitute in the months following. A man he
guessed to be in his 20s told him Vishal may have been
abducted by "highly placed" paedophiles operating from
the Elm Guest House, Mr Mehrotra said.
He told The Telegraph: "I was contacted by a young man
who seemed to be in his 20s. He told me he believed
Vishal may have been taken by paedophiles in the Elm
Guest House near Barnes Common.
"He said there were very highly placed people there. He
talked about judges and politicians who were abusing little
boys." Mr Mehrotra, a solicitor who was a JP at Wimbledon
magistrates' court until retiring in 2006, claims the man
said he had already informed police about activities at the
guesthouse, but had received no response.
He added: "I recorded the whole 15-minute conversation
and took it to police. But instead of investigating it, they
just pooh-poohed it and I never heard anything about the
tape again. The whole thing went cold.
"At that time I trusted the police. But when nothing
happened, I became confused and concerned.
"Now it is clear to me that there has been a huge cover
up. There is no doubt in my mind."
In February 1982, part of Vishal's skeleton was found in

woodland in West Sussex. There was no trace of his legs,
pelvis or lower spine, nor of his outer clothes, his
sleeveless vest or his Superman underpants.
At the inquest into his death, the West Sussex coroner
Mark Calvert Lee recorded an open verdict but said "foul
play" was likely.
Police said 20,000 people had been interviewed, half of
them in nearby Putney, and 6,000 properties checked.
Mr Mehrotra, now 69 and living in West Molesey near
Hampton Court, said he had "hardly been contacted" by
police in the intervening years.
He said he had not been spoken to in recent months
despite the alleged witness reporting the murder of three
boys at the time Vishal vanished.
Mr Mehrotra said: "This guesthouse was right next to
where Vishal disappeared. There were predatory people
there who were taking young boys and abusing them.
"It seems to me that it all adds up, so I can't understand
why the police have again failed to get in contact with me.
I think the revelations of Savile and others in recent
months have opened up a Pandora's box. Hopefully
everything will all come out soon."
In June 1982, four months after Vishal's remains were
found, police raided the Elm Guest House.
Dozens of men were questioned, reportedly including at
least 30 who were prominent in public life and business. It
was widely reported at the time that the raids were linked
to Vishal's disappearance. The Times reported that the
investigation had included the disappearance of another
boy, Martin Allen, 15, missing since Guy Fawkes Night,
1979, whose body has never been discovered. The son of
the chauffeur to the Australian High Commissioner, he was
last seen waving goodbye to a school friend at King's
Cross Underground station.

Police at the time dismissed the reports as "nonsense".
Soon afterwards, lawyers acting on behalf of the
guesthouse threatened newspapers with legal action if
they continued reporting on its alleged activities.
Martin's brother said on Tuesday that police should reopen
the investigation into the teenager's disappearance. Kevin
Allen, 51, said he had always suspected a cover-up after
police told him all the case files had been lost in a freak
flood.
He said: "I think it's a new lead. Anything to ensure these
people don't get away with it. I think there are powerful
forces involved in this. Years ago I was warned by a
policeman that if I looked too deep into this then I might
get hurt. I've never forgotten that.
"We have barely heard anything for 20 years, but there
are other missing cases where the police barely stopped
looking.
"My dad died never knowing what happened to Martin. We
would love to have an answer for my mother before she
passes away."
In May 1983, as police wound up the inquiry into Vishal
Mehrotra's death, Carole and Harry Kasir, the owners of
the Elm Guest House were fined 1,000 each and given
suspended nine-month sentences at the Old Bailey for
"running a disorderly house". They were found not guilty
of living off immoral earnings and having obscene films.
Five years later Carole told child protection officers that
children from the council-run Grafton Close Children's
Home had been supplied to the brothel. She provided
names of people who had frequented the guesthouse.
The Liberal MP Cyril Smith, now dead, has been widely
alleged to have abused children from Grafton Close at The
Elm.
At an inquest into her death in 1990, members of The

National Association of Young People in Care said that
Kasir had lived in fear of her life since the hotel was
exposed. Christopher Fay said: "The reasons for her death
are all tied up in this child pornography ring at the hotel.
"She was hounded and harassed by police and security
services. She knew all the top people who had been
involved in the ring at the hotel."
Scotland Yard launched Operation Fairbank two years ago
to look into suggestions that high profile political figures
had been involved.
Officers have set up a new strand of the inquiry, Operation
Midland, after being passed information about the three
alleged murders.
The allegations emerged when a man in his 40s came
forward claiming to have been one of around 15 boys who
were abused by a powerful paedophile network 30 years
ago.
Some of the abuse allegedly took place at flats in the
Dolphin Square development in Pimlico, where a number
of politicians have had London homes.
According to the man, a 12-year-old boy was strangled by
a Conservative MP at a town house in front of other
victims.
On another occasion, a boy of around 10 was deliberately
run down and killed by a car being driven by one of his
abusers, the man claimed.
The Attorney General on Tuesday said he would back an
investigation into the allegations if there was evidence to
support the claims. Jeremy Wright, speaking in the
Commons, said: "My view is that the Crown Prosecution
Service should pursue cases where the evidence exists to
wherever the evidence leads, and that is regardless of the
position held by the person being investigated.

"And if evidence is brought to light to justify such an
investigation, I would expect it to be carried out."
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said the force
would not comment on an ongoing investigation.
------------------------------------------------POLICE MAY REOPEN THE CASE OF DEAD BOY LINKED TO
VIP RING
Full article [Option 1] ;
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-may-reopen-thecase-of-dead--boy-linked-to-vip-ring-9884495.html
Detectives are considering reopening the case of a dead
boy whose disappearance in London has been linked to a
VIP paedophile ring.
Police have contacted the family of Vishal Mehrotra, nine,
who was abducted as he walked home to Putney on the
day of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding
in 1981.
Officers say they are re-examining and collecting details
on the case and may reopen the inquiry.
Detectives from Sussex, where Vishal's body was found
almost a year after he went missing, are also understood
to be liaising with the Scotland Yard squad investigating
allegations of child murders by a Westminster-based VIP
paedophile ring.
A member of Vishal's family, who did not want to be
named, said: "The police have told us that they are
collecting all the information on the case and they may
consider reopening the case. We do not have very high
expectations of the police but if something comes out of

this then it will be a good thing."
Vishal's father Vishambar, a former magistrate, has said
he was called by a male prostitute who told him the boy
was taken to the notorious Elm Guest House in Barnes to
be abused by "highly placed" paedophiles.
Mr Mehrotra claims he had given police a tape of the
conversation but they had done nothing.
In another development, Yard detectives have told the
family of a missing boy that he may be one of three
children allegedly murdered by prominent VIPs.
Martin Allen, son of the Australian high commissioner's
chauffeur, went missing in 1979, aged 15 .
He vanished on his way from King's Cross to his
Kensington home and police fear he may have been
abducted by a man while on a Tube train.
Today his brother Kevin, 51, said he had been called by
Det Chief Insp Diane Tudway of the Met Police to say that
she was investigating whether Martin's disappearance was
linked to the alleged VIP case.
The Met has launched Operation Midland to examine
claims that three murders were linked to allegations of
child abuse in the Seventies and Eighties.
A man known only as Nick, who said he was abused by
MPs and other Establishment figures, has alleged that he
saw three boys being murdered by the paedophile
network. He claims that he saw one boy being strangled
by a Conservative MP. The Met said it could not comment.
Sussex Police said in a statement: "The investigation has
not been re-opened but we spoke last week to Vishal's
father and agreed to carry out a further review to see
whether there may be any new investigative
opportunities.
"In carrying out our further review we will of course remain

in contact with the Metropolitan Police, with whom we
worked closely on the original investigation."
(1st December 2014)
MET WAR ON 200 CYBER CRIME GANGS
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/scotland-yard-wages-waron-200-cyber-crime-gangs-in-london-9864993.html
Scotland Yard is battling more than 200 organised crime
groups engaged in cyber fraud in London, police revealed
today.
A new Met cyber taskforce is investigating plots ranging
from online dating fraud to mortgage scams involving
million pound properties.
Police say they are facing an overwhelming caseload of
around 54,000 reports of cyber fraud in the capital each
year - but admit the crime is still hugely under-reported.
Detective Chief Superintendent Jayne Snelgrove, the head
of the Met's new cyber crime and fraud unit codenamed
Falcon, said officers were in the early stages of around 18
investigations.
These ranged from online retail and auction site frauds to
courier scams and investment frauds.
So far, the squad - which was launched in October - has
made more than 100 arrests and detectives were
targeting a number of organised crime groups engaged in
cyber fraud.
Police believe more than 200 gangs from around the world
are targeting London using the Internet, though the figure
changes constantly.
DCS Snelgrove says many gangs are operating in different
countries and a number of Falcon's inquiries span the
United States, parts of Europe and Russia.
However, many of the cyber frauds are committed by
home grown gangs or individuals.
One inquiry involves a woman living in London who was
allegedly behind a series of frauds on auction sites based
in Europe.
In her first major interview DCS Snelgrove said one of the
squad's main priorities was to improve investigations into
business fraud in London.
She said there was concern that some crime reports
submitted through Action Fraud - the Home Office fraud
recording body - had not been properly investigated in the
past.
She revealed plans to set up "volume crime hubs" in
London so individuals and businesses could report fraud
directly to the Met.
She said: "We will have volume crime hubs because one
weakness was that we were not responding to the volume
of crimes being reported through Action Fraud and into the
Met."
Around 54,000 reports of fraud were recorded by Action
Fraud in London last year.
DCS Snelgrove said: "Many people tell us it is the tip of the
iceberg in terms of the amount of crime. I think it is
significantly under-reported and we want to give people in
London, businesses and individual victims, the confidence
to report and assure them there will be a policing response
at the end of it. "
She added: "There has been a lot of concern that if people

have reported fraud, it has gone into a black hole."
The Met is launching two "crime hubs" in Edmonton and
Peckham, with plans for at least one more in west London.
DCS Snelgrove said police were seeing a large number of
online auction crime offences where victims are first
contacted on sites such as eBay or Gumtree and then
lured away to part with money on non-secure payment
sites.
Courier fraud where people are called by conmen claiming
to be the victim's bank saying there has been security
breach was another common fraud.
She said: "One of our key pieces of work is to establish
how these crimes are committed and to strengthen areas
which are vulnerable.
"Often people feel it is not going to happen to them and
that cyber fraud only happens to people who are stupid or
greedy, or both, but that is not the case.
"The fraudsters are very sophisticated and very
manipulative and for some larger amounts of money they
will spend weeks, or months, socially engineering
someone, often giving assurances and giving evidence of
who they are to corroborate their story."
The unit has a mix of officers, some are trained in digital
forensics, while others are constables with computer
science degrees who are being trained as detectives while
others are experienced detectives who are being trained
in cyber investigations.
(1st December 2014)
EXTENT OF SELFISH DRIVING ACROSS THE UK
(Extract)
(Brake the road safety charity, dated 17th November
2014)
Full article :
www.brake.org.uk/news/1308-rsw14-national
Brake is a national road safety charity that exists to stop
the needless deaths and serious injuries that happen on
roads every day, make streets and communities safer for
everyone, and care for families bereaved and injured in
road crashes. Brake promotes road safety awareness, safe
and sustainable road use, and effective road safety
policies. We do this through national campaigns,
community education, services for road safety
professionals and employers, and by coordinating the UK's
flagship road safety event every November, Road Safety
Week. Brake is a national, government-funded provider of
support to families and individuals devastated by road
death and serious injury, including through a helpline and
support packs. Brake was founded in the UK in 1995, and
now has domestic operations in the UK and New Zealand,
and works globally to promote action on road safety.
Brake is today launching a campaign calling on all road
users to look out for each other,to help stop the five
deaths and 61 serious injuries that happen every day on
UK roads, and particularly to protect people on foot and
bike. The call comes at the start of Road Safety Week,
coordinated by Brake, during which police across the
country will be stepping up traffic enforcement to deter
and catch drivers putting others at risk.
As part of the campaign, Brake and partners RSA and
Specsavers are today revealing statistics showing
shocking numbers of UK drivers senselessly risking lives
by flouting traffic laws. Almost one million fixed penalty
notices were issued for 'careless driving' and speeding
offences in 2013 -almost two a minute. 950,505 were for
speeding and 17,483 for careless driving (a fixed penalty
newly introduced in August 2013).
Embargoed figures are available by region and postcode,
including the top 10 worst postcode areas :
www.brake.org.uk/component/content/article/27-whatshappening/1314-rsw14-stats
2013 Offences
Fixed penalty notices issued for careless driving and
speeding : regional breakdown
East : 1,968 (96,116)
East Midlands : 1,330 (88,449)
London : 2,275 (71,529)
North East : 536 (45,823)
North West : 1,527 (100,469)
Northern Ireland : 11 (672)
Scotland : 3,487 (102,320)
South East : 1,520 (142,363)
South West : 1,083 (74,338)
Wales : 854 (53,785)
West Midlands : 1,493 (92,732)
Yorkshire and Humber : 1,224 (77,760)
Open numbers : Careless driving
Bracketed numbers : Speeding
National top 10 postcodes: where drivers who have
committed careless driving offences reside
1.ST3 (Stoke-on-Trent, 45 offences)
2.CR0 (Croydon, 43 offences)
3.PA2 (Paisley, 40 offences)
4.G81 (Clydebank, 39 offences)
5.ST6 (Stoke-on-Trent, 39 offences)
6.G72 (Glasgow, 37 offences)
7.AB42 (Peterhead, 36 offences)
8.IV2 (Inverness, 36 offences)
9.DG1 (Dumfries, 35 offences)
10.ML6 (Airdrie, 34 offences)
National top 10 postcodes: where drivers who have
committed speeding offences reside
1.SL6 (Maidenhead, 1,831 offences)

2.NG5 (Nottingham, 1,524 offences)
3.SL1 (Slough, 1,522 offences)
4.ST5 (Newcastle-under-Lyme, 1,499 offences)
5.BH23 (Christchurch, 1,496 offences)
6.LE2 (Leicester, 1,435 offences)
8.NE3 (Newcastle, 1,363 offences)
9.LE3 (Leicester, 1,319 offences)
This lack of patience and consideration towards other road
users can and does result in tragedy.It can also stop the
most vulnerable from exercising their right to healthy,
active, sustainable travel. Results of Brake's survey of
5,000 primary school children released today, show:
two thirds (67%) think roads in their community can be
dangerous for walking and cycling;
two in five (41%) say they have been hit or nearly hit by
a vehicle while on foot or bike.
That's why Brake is calling on all road users to look out for
each other, and particularly urging drivers to protect
people on foot and bike - by slowing down to 20mph in
communities, looking longer and taking it slow at junctions
and bends, and giving people plenty of room and
consideration. See below for more advice and facts
showing why these steps are important.
Facts and advice:
Vulnerable road users' (pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists
and horse riders) account for half (49%) of road deaths in
the UK.
In the UK in 2013, 405 people were killed and 5,160
seriously injured walking, and 113 people were killed and
3,185 seriously injured cycling. That's 24 people a day
killed or seriously injured on foot or bike - one every hour.
Every 1mph reduction in average speeds causes, on

average, a 5% reduction in crash rates, and drivers who
speed are nearly twice as likely to have been involved in a
crash. Advice for drivers: stick to 20mph or below around
homes, schools and shops. Your stopping distance in an
emergency will be half what it is at 30mph, and in busy
urban areas you won't notice a difference in your journey
time. You'll save on fuel, vehicle wear and emissions.
Vulnerable road users are often at risk from vehicles
manoeuvring, such as at junctions, where they may not be
seen in a blind spot. 75% of cyclist collisions occur at or
near junctions when vehicles are turning. Advice for
drivers: take it really slow at junctions and bends, look
longer and carefully check mirrors before manoeuvring.
Always assume a pedestrian or cyclist may be there;
never just assume it's safe to turn.
Up to 95% of crashes are caused by driver error. Therefore
it is vital drivers take responsibility to protect themselves
and everyone around them. Everyone can commit to do
this by making the Brake Pledge to follow six simple rules
to help prevent devastating road crashes, at
www.brake.org.uk/pledge.
Offence codes
CD10: Driving without due care and attention
CD20: Driving without reasonable consideration for other
road users
CD30: Driving without due care and attention or without
reasonable consideration for other road users
SP10: Exceeding goods vehicle speed limits
SP20: Exceeding speed limit for type of vehicle (excluding
goods or passenger vehicles)
SP30: Exceeding statutory speed limit on a public road
SP40: Exceeding passenger vehicle speed limit;
SP50: Exceeding speed limit on a motorway
SP60: Undefined speed limit offence
(1st December 2014)
GANGMASTER PROSECUTIONS DECLINE TO FOURYEAR LOW, REPORT HOME OFFICE

Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/nov/14/gangmasterprosecutions-decline-home-office-hanson-may
There has been a huge drop in prosecutions for illegal
exploitation of workers by gangmasters, with the number
having fallen to a four-year low, according to official
figures.
The Home Office said the number of prosecutions initiated
by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority (GLA) were down
by 84% from 19 in 2010 to only three so far this year.
The number of investigations into illegal activities of
gangmasters, including employers who break the law by
undercutting the minimum wage, has also fallen, from a
peak of 134 in 2011 to 68 so far this year.
The GLA was set up in the wake of the Morecambe bay
tragedy in which at least 21 Chinese cockle pickers were
drowned by an incoming tide. The authority has a limited
remit to ensure that businesses in specified industries,
such as agriculture, shellfish collection and horticulture,
treat their staff fairly by respecting employment law,
paying the minimum wage and avoiding exploitation of
workers.
Three GLA cases which have led to convictions so far this
year are:
17 March: Martyn Slender deliberately destroyed
payslips to enable him to underpay his workers. He
received a suspended prison sentence. Peterborough
magistrates' court was told that, in one instance, a Latvian
worker got just 151 for five 10-hour days, which worked
out at less than half the national minimum wage. In
another example cited a worker was employed by Slender
Contracting, of March, Cambridgeshire, for 20 hours over
two days, but after deductions from his pay packet he was
shown to be in debt.
29 May: Rimantas Sulcas illegally supplied workers to a
number of Scottish vegetable farms and paid them wages
below the legal minimum. He was ordered to do 180 hours
unpaid community work. Sulcas had no GLA licence and
paid his employees at a rate below the legal minimum
wage.
October: A Romanian migrant, Gheorge Ionas, was fined
500 for forcing Armagh apple pickers to endure "extreme
exploitation", in inhumane conditions, in Northern Ireland
while operating illegally. He kept Romanian migrants in an
unheated outbuilding and forced them to scavenge for
out-of-date food from supermarket bins.
The Home Office figures were obtained by the shadow
immigration spokesman, David Hanson, who said that the
home secretary, Theresa May, who took over responsibility
for the GLA in April, had taken her eye off the ball.
"The GLA has done important work in the past 10 years
but there are still too many people being exploited by
unscrupulous employers, yet Theresa May has taken her
eye off the ball with fewer people investigated and fewer
people caught," said Hanson. "The home secretary should
be far more proactive in tackling poor working conditions
run by gangmasters."
The former Home Office minister for Labour also claimed
that the drastic reductions in investigations and
prosecutions of illegal gangmasters showed how little the
government cared about ending workplace exploitation.
The shadow home secretary, Yvette Cooper, also
demanded to know why May was "allowing the situation to
get worse". She said: "She is letting gangs get away with
shocking exploitation - treating human beings like animals,

undercutting local wages and jobs, and undermining both
the local economy and the credibility of the immigration
system."
The Home Office minister Karen Bradley has
acknowledged that the GLA has reduced its number of
investigations, but says they have become more complex
and focused more effectively on serious and organised
crime. "That reflects a targeted and risk-based
enforcement approach," she said.
The reduction in GLA investigations and prosecutions also
reflects the diminishing resources of the authority, which
only has 35 inspectors to carry out its work across Britain.
However many of the GLA's operations are carried out
jointly with other agencies, and prosecutions can be
brought under other legislation and not captured by these
figures.
Ministers say they will consider how to introduce more
effective and targeted enforcement action by the GLA and
will consider changes to support its greater role in
addressing exploitation. But Labour moves to extend the
remit to other industries, including care homes and
construction, by amending the modern slavery bill have
been rejected.
The Home Office on Monday named Kevin Hyland, a
former head of the Metropolitan police's human trafficking
unit, as Britain's first anti-slavery commissioner. His role
includes improving enforcement of anti-slavery law.
uaware comment
The Gangmasters legislation as previously mentioned was
to prevent harm and exploitation to "grey market" workers
often illegal immigrants. It is all very well for the Home
Office to boast of the reduction of prosecutions, but has
there really been a reduction in the crime ? If you visit
many of the Wickes Building stores in North London either
on a Monday or Tuesday morning you will see anything up

to 20 men touting for construction work. It has become
such a regular occurence that the sites owners /
management have hung rubbish sacks on nearby railings
to reduce the mess that they make. So who do these
people work for ?
(1st December 2014)
ONE IN 10 SAUSAGES 'CARRIES RISK OF HEPATITIS E
VIRUS'
(BBC News, dated 11th November 2014 author Pippa
Stephens)
One in 10 sausages and processed pork meat products in
England and Wales could cause hepatitis
E virus (HEV) if undercooked, experts warn.
There has been an "abrupt rise" in the number of cases in
England and Wales as people do not
realise the risk, scientists advising the government say.
Sausages should be cooked for 20 minutes at 70C to kill
the virus, they said.
Although serious cases are rare, HEV can cause liver
damage or be fatal.
Official government figures show there were 124
confirmed cases of HEV in 2003, which rose to
691 cases in 2013. There were 461 cases in the first six
months of this year.
Symptoms include jaundice and sometimes tiredness,
fever, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
Most people will get over the virus, although for some,
such as those with an immune deficiency
disorder, or pregnant women, it can prove fatal.
Prof Richard Tedder, at University College London (UCL),

said HEV was "very common" in the UK
- not all cases are noticed or recorded. "This virus is taking
off within the pig herds from
which this country sources its processed pig meat in
sausages and pork pies," he said.
Prof Tedder said sausages needed to be "caramelised" cooked thoroughly - before eating to
make sure they did not pose a health risk.
"It's a question of getting people to change," he said.
"Everybody knows you can get salmonella
from chicken."
'Universal' in pigs
He said the virus occurred in the animal and in the blood
system and warned it would continue
unless there was a "big change" in animal practices, such
as introducing different hygiene measures.
Dr Richard Bendall, at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust,
said HEV was the most common virus passed
on through animals in Britain. He said the virus was found
in 10% of sausages and processed pork meat.
Dr Harry Dalton, also at the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust,
said the virus was not just confined
to pigs, people had caught it from strawberries irrigated
with infected water.
Shellfish in west Scotland and Tuscany had also infected
people, he said.
In Asia and Africa, hepatitis E is more commonly
transmitted by contaminated drinking water.
(1st December 2014)
"WIFE BEATING BASTARD LIVES AT No 12"

www.standard.co.uk/news/london/wifebeating-bastardlives-at-no-12-neighbours-tipoffs-helping-tackle-domesticviolence-9851783.html
The number of domestic abuse victims offered protection
by a leading London housing association has risen
dramatically amid a surge in tip-offs by neighbours and
staff about signs of persecution.
Peabody, which houses 80,000 people across the capital,
says it has seen an 825 per cent increase in domestic
violence cases reported to it since it began a campaign six
years ago to stop persecution in its properties.
Cases in which action has been taken to prevent domestic
abuse include one in which children from an estate had
sprayed graffiti on a wall stating: "Wife-beating bastard
lives at No 12".
The caretaker spotted the message and reported it to a
safety team set up by Peabody. After investigating, it
reported the man to the police who remanded him in
custody. Another woman was given help and protection
after a surveyor visiting her home heard her ask her
partner for permission to use the lavatory.
That raised concerns about the man's controlling and
potentially dangerous behaviour, which were later
confirmed by police. Action taken to protect other victims
includes property swaps or transfers to another housing
association.
Peabody also helps women to obtain injunctions and nonmolestation orders or to temporarily move to refuges in
the most dangerous cases.
Others have been provided with window locks and
"London bars" on their doors to prevent former partners
from breaking in.

A panic room with a direct phone line to police has been
installed in a small number of cases.
Gudrun Burnet, who oversees Peabody's efforts to combat
domestic violence in its homes, said the measures were
the result of a decision to train its staff to be alert to signs
of persecution and to encourage victims and other
residents to report abuse.
She said 74 domestic abuses had been reported across
London in the six months between April and October virtually the same as the 77 recorded for the whole of the
previous year - and encouraged victims to contact their
housing provider.
"A woman might have been threatened that if they go to
police they will be killed. But going to your housing
provider doesn't raise suspicion because the person could
be talking about anything," she said.
"It's also not as intimidating as going to police. So this will
undoubtedly save lives. It will also safeguard children
affected by domestic violence in their home."
Ms Burnett said Peabody, one of London's oldest and
largest housing providers with 27,000 homes in the
capital, now received a report every five days of domestic
violence in one of its properties.
More than 450 cases have been dealt with since 2008,
when just eight incidents were reported.
Peabody's disclosures follow a recent warning by the head
of Scotland Yard's efforts to combat domestic abuse that
sexual violence against women is at its highest level for at
least 40 years.
(1st December 2014)
LOOK BEFORE YOU BOOK - FOOD SAFETY ALERT

author Sophie Goodchild)
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/3000-londonrestaurants-are-told-to-improve-kitchen-hygiene9850498.html
Diners are being urged to "look before you book" ahead of
their Christmas parties as London restaurants are ranked
lowest for hygiene.
Figures today reveal that 3,112 restaurants in the capital
have been warned to improve by inspectors.
This is the equivalent of nearly one in five - almost double
the national average, according to the Food Standards
Agency. The watchdog also revealed that 1,729
restaurants in London are rated 0 or 1 - the lowest
possible rankings for food hygiene.
The FSA has launched a campaign calling on would-be
customers to do their research in the run-up to the party
season. This means going online at food.gov.uk/ratings to
check a restaurant's hygiene score before booking.
Amy Skinner is backing the FSA campaign after suffering
food poisoning twice - at a chain restaurant and at a small
independent one. The resourcing and talent adviser from
Hackney said the experience has left her cautious about
eating out.
The 27-year-old said: "Having food poisoning was a
horrible experience and has made me much more cautious
about eating out. I'm really aware there's so much we
don't see as consumers about how a restaurant is run and
how clean the kitchen really is.
"Now, I always check the food hygiene rating when I go
out to make sure it's up to scratch." The majority of
restaurants in the capital are deemed up to standard.
More than 15,000 have a rating ranging from 3, which

means "generally satisfactory", to 5, which is "very good".
This is under the Food Standards Agency's Scores on the
Doors scheme, which all local authorities in London are
signed up to.
However, other restaurants have been told by inspectors
they must improve hygiene standards.
La Forchetta in Upper Street in Islington; the Sports Bar
and Grill at Marylebone station; Golden Pagoda restaurant
in Gerrard Street and Caffe Ritazza at Euston station are
among 205 in the capital given a 0 rating on the FSA
website.
This means they need "urgent" improvement.Even
establishments favoured by the rich and famous have
been told they need to improve.
The Chiltern Firehouse was given a 2 rating by hygiene
inspectors after an assessment last June.
Models Lily Cole and Cara Delevigne are among celebrities
who have dined at the restaurant, which was told
improvement was needed on food hygiene.
The Chiltern Firehouse said at the time that the "vast
majority" of the issues highlighted had already been
rectified.
Food Standards Agency (FSA) rating webpage :
www.food.gov.uk/ratings
FSA Christmas Alert articcle : www.food.gov.uk/newsupdates/campaigns/thinking-of-eating-out-this-christmas
(1st December 2014)
INTERCONTINENTAL DNA PROFILE-SHARING
NETWORK LAUNCHED
Loeb)
DNA profiles relating to unsolved major crime cases
including murders, rapes and terrorism will be shared
between Britain and Australia under a deal agreed by the
Home Office and Australia's Justice Ministry.
The DNA Search Request Network - of which the United
States and Canada are also a part - allows UK forces to
request searches of foreign agencies' genetic material
profiling databases to try and find matches and identify
suspects.
Under the agreement, member states retain the right to
refuse permission for a search if for any reason they deem
it "inappropriate".
A similar system was already in place before Immigration
and Security Minister James Brokenshire signed a
memorandum of understanding with his Australian
counterpart this week.
However, the Home Office says the new network will
speed up the process of making requests to Australian
national police checking service Crimtrac.
Mr Brokenshire said: "The agreement represents the type
of international co-operation and data sharing that is
critical in an increasingly interconnected world, where
criminals seek to exploit any gaps that exist to find safe
havens for their activities."
Michael Keegan, Australia's Justice Minister, pledged his
country would seek further opportunities for exchange of
DNA and other biometrics data internationally.
While in the UK Mr Keegan also held meetings with
National Crime Agency Director General Keith Bristow and
Metropolitan Police Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey.
Intercontinental exchange of DNA information can be a
vital tool in solving cold cases, according to the Home

Office.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary vote on a package of EU crime
and policing measures is imminent amid a row over calls
for Britain to opt out of the European Arrest Warrant.
The government plans to opt out of 130 European criminal
justice measures on December 1 and then immediately
opt back into 35 of those that are seen to be beneficial to
Britain.
MPs will vote on the issue on Monday (November 10).
(1st December 2014)
FORCE IN EARLY STAGES OF BRINGING OVER POLISH
OFFICERS
(Police Oracle, dated 10th November 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
Police officers from Poland could be seconded to assist
with law enforcement in Scotland under new plans to help
the force in its dealings with the large Polish community.
Police Scotland has confirmed it is speaking to
counterparts in the eastern European country in order to
help it interact with the 55,000-strong community.
In a statement Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone
said: "Police Scotland is in very early discussions with the
Polish Police about the possibility of them sharing their
skills and expertise with us which will assist in the day to
day dealings with the large Polish community in Scotland.
"We look forward to developing this relationship in the
coming months and years."
Last year the Metropolitan Police launched a similar
relationship with police from Poland and Romania in order
to help in the fight against crime.
Thanks to a grant from the European Union, eight

Romanian and three Polish officers started work in London
in October 2013.
Experienced specialist officers from Poland began sixmonth rotations and Romanian officers three-month
rotations.
They do not have the power of arrest but were said to be
focusing their attention on improving the flow of
intelligence from their home countries around people
arrested in the capital for crime.
They were also lauded as being able to provide support to
Met officers on targeted proactive and reactive crime
operations and supporting members of the Polish and
Romanian communities who have become victims of
crime.
(1st December 2014)
EUROPEAN ARREST WARRANT : THERESA MAY TO
ARGUE "LOUDLY" IN COMMONS DEBATE
David Cameron is facing a backbench rebellion when MPs
vote on rejoining the EAW and 34 other EU measures.
Supporters of the EAW say Britain risks becoming a "safe
haven" for criminals without its extradition powers.
But some Conservative MPs see it as a threat to the
liberties of Britons and the sovereignty of the UK.
The government opted out of all 133 justice measures in
2013 and wants to rejoin 35, including the EAW.
It has until 1 December to decide which ones to continue
to adhere to.
Writing in the Sunday Times, Conservative backbencher

David Davis said claims by Mrs May and senior judges that
without the EAW Britain would become a safe haven for
criminals were "scaremongering".
He is among the MPs expected to vote against the
government plans on Monday, but the measures are likely
to pass with Labour and Liberal Democrat support.
'Practical measures'
In an article in the Sunday Telegraph, Mrs May urged the
Commons to give the authorities "the powers they need to
keep us safe".
In the past five years, she said, 5,000 people had been
extradited from the UK under the EAW, including suspects
wanted for 124 murders and 100 rapes.
But Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan disagreed, telling
the BBC's Sunday Politics: "I know the security services
want it, of course it makes life easier for them.
"But a state in which we automatically do what the police
want is a police state and the role of politicians is to weigh
the convenience of the police against the freedom of the
subject."
Mr Hannan cited the case of five-year-old brain tumour
patient Ashya King, whose parents were arrested in Spain
after he was taken from hospital against medical advice,
as an example of the "disproportionate" use of an EAW.
Meanwhile, the chairs of three influential Parliamentary
committees accused the government of a "cavalier
approach" to the debate.
The European Scrutiny, Justice and Home Affairs said
Monday's vote had "no direct relevance" to the EAW and
would not allow MPs to make any changes.
The committees have previously called for an individual
motion on each of the 35 measures, rather than one vote

on the whole package.
Home Affairs chairman Keith Vaz said: "Members of the
House are expecting a separate vote on whether or not to
rejoin the European Arrest Warrant.
"Monday's debate, on an unamendable, take-it-or-leave-it
package, will not give us that opportunity."
Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said Prime
Minister David Cameron was "running scared" of a
rebellion by not including the EAW in the package to be
voted on.
She said: "We need the European Arrest Warrant and we
should vote for it. All this tricky game playing means it's
no wonder people don't trust David Cameron on Europe."
In a letter to Mrs Cooper, Mrs May wrote: "I shall be
making very clear in the House on Monday - and am
happy to do so now - that Monday's vote is a vote on the
entire package of 35 measures."
She said: "The package includes the arrest warrant and
other tools which are vitally important to our police and
law enforcement agencies.
"It helps us to tackle cross-border crimes, deport foreign
criminals, track down those who seek to evade the law,
and bring them to justice.
"We are proud to bring it before Parliament on Monday as
a package of measures which are in the national interest,
but if Parliament rejects it, we will not join them.
"The government will be arguing loudly and clearly why it
is so important that we do so."
European Arrest Warrants
- The European Arrest Warrant operates EU-wide and

replaced separate extradition arrangements between the
EU member states.
- It was introduced in January 2004, and was prompted by
the international anti-terror drive after the 11 September
2001 attacks on the United States.
- A national judicial authority, such as a court, can issue an
EU warrant to get a suspect extradited.
- For a warrant to be valid, the suspect must be accused of
an offence incurring a maximum penalty of at least a year
in prison, or must have been already sentenced to at least
four months in prison.
(1st December 2014)
HUGE RAID TO SHUT DOWN 400 - PLUS DARK NET
SITES
(BBC News, dated 7th November 2014 author Jane
Wakefield)
Silk Road 2.0 and 400 other sites believed to be selling
illegal items including drugs and weapons have been shut
down.
The sites operated on the Tor network - a part of the
internet unreachable via traditional search engines.
The joint operation between 16 European countries and
the US saw 17 arrests, including Blake Benthall who is said
to be behind Silk Road 2.0.
Experts believe the shutdown represents a breakthrough
for fighting cybercrime.
Six Britons were also arrested, including a 20-year-old man
from Liverpool, a 19-year-old man from New Waltham, a
30 year-old-man from Cleethorpes and a man and woman,
both aged 58, from Aberdovey, Wales.

All were interviewed and bailed according to the National
Crime Agency.
Tor, as well as hosting legitimate sites, is home to
thousands of illegal marketplaces, trading in drugs, child
abuse images as well as sites for extremist groups.
It was the operation last year to take down the drugs
marketplace Silk Road which was the first major success in
the battle against criminal use of the dark net.
Now this much bigger operation involving global
cooperation amongst law enforcement agencies sees that
battle taken to a new level, with Silk Road 2.0 amongst
400 sites closed.
It's important to remember that the dark net isn't all about
illegal activity. Indeed its best known tool the anonymising
browser Tor was created by a US intelligence agency to
help its operations and to assist people living under
repressive regimes.
Last year, many predicted that shutting one online drugs
bazaar - and arresting its alleged owner Ross William
Ulbricht - would not make a lot of difference, with plenty
more rushing to fill the gap.
Now this much bigger operation may signal that the
authorities have developed new techniques to track down
the origins of these networks and those behind them.
Still, the number of arrests may be telling - 400 sites
closed, but just 17 arrests. That would suggest there is a
lot of work still to be done.
Silk Road 2.0 - which launched in October last year - is one
of the most notorious and deals in the buying and selling
of illegal drugs.
It was resurrected after the original Silk Road site was shut
down and its alleged owner arrested.

'Serious organised crime'
The operation also saw the seizure of Bitcoins worth
approximately $1m (632,000).
"Today we have demonstrated that, together, we are able
to efficiently remove vital criminal infrastructures that are
supporting serious organised crime," said Troels Oerting,
head of Europol's European cybercrime centre.
"And we are not 'just' removing these services from the
open internet; this time we have also hit services on the
dark net using Tor where, for a long time, criminals have
considered themselves beyond reach," he added.
The BBC understands that the raid represented both a
technological breakthrough - with police using new
techniques to track down the physical location of dark net
servers - as well as seeing an unprecedented level of
international co-operation among law enforcement
agencies.
The so-called deep web - the anonymous part of the
internet - is estimated to be anything up to 500 times the
size of the surface web.
Within that experts refer to the dark net - the part of the
network which Tor operates on. There are approximately
three million Tor users but the number of sites may be
smaller.
Prof Alan Woodward a security consultant from the
University of Surrey who also advises Europol, said that
the shutdown represents a new era in the fight against
cybercrime.
"Tor has long been considered beyond the reach of law
enforcement. This action proves that it is neither invisible
nor untouchable," he said.
But, he added, it did not mean copycat sites would not

spring up, or that the police had thrown light on the dark
net.
Explainer: What is Tor?
Tor is a special part of the internet that requires software,
known as the Tor Browser bundle, to access it.
The name is an acronym for The Onion Router - just as
there are many layers to the vegetable, there are many
layers of encryption on the network.
It was originally designed by the US Naval Research
Laboratory, and continues to receive funding from the US
State Department.
It attempts to hide a person's location and identity by
sending data across the internet via a very circuitous route
involving several "nodes" - which, in this context, means
using volunteers' PCs and computer servers as connection
points.
Encryption applied at each hop along this route makes it
very hard to connect a person to any particular activity.
To the website that ultimately receives the request, it
appears as if the data traffic comes from the last
computer in the chain - known as an "exit relay" - rather
than the person responsible.
As well as allowing users to visit normal websites
anonymously, it can also be used to host hidden sites,
which use the .onion suffix.
Tor's users include the military, law enforcement officers
and journalists - who use it as a way of communicating
with whistle-blowers - as well as members of the public
who wish to keep their browser activity secret.
But it has also been associated with illegal activity,
allowing people to visit sites offering illegal drugs for sale
and access to child abuse images, which do not show up in

normal search engine results and would not be available
to those who did not know where to look.
(1st December 2014)
INTERNET "HOST TO MURDERERS AND TERRORISTS"
SAYS MET POLICE
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-chief-hoganhoweinternet-is-a-haven-for-murderers-jihadis-and-paedophiles9844309.html
London's police chief today warns society against letting
parts of the internet become a "dark and ungoverned"
space populated by paedophiles, murderers and terrorists.
In a call for action, Met Commissioner Sir Bernard HoganHowe says encryption on computers and mobile phones is
frustrating police investigations, meaning parts of the web
are becoming "anarchic places".
He was telling a New York law enforcement conference:
"We can't allow parts of the internet, or any
communications platform, to become dark, ungoverned
space where images of child abuse are exchanged,
murders are planned and terrorist plots are progressed.
"In a democracy we cannot accept any space, virtual or
not, to become anarchic where crime can be committed
without fear. Yet this is in danger of happening."
His comments come just days after GCHQ's new head
warned that US technology companies such as Twitter,
Facebook and WhatsApp were becoming "the command
and control networks of choice" for terrorists.
Robert Hannigan said Islamic State extremists had
"embraced" the web - but some tech firms remained "in

denial" over the problem. Sir Bernard has spent several
days in talks with New York and Washington police chiefs
about the threat of terrorism and what he calls "the
challenges and opportunities" of technology. Today he was
meeting FBI director James Comey.
He was also telling law enforcement experts behind closed
doors at the New York police department that the internet
is now a safe haven for criminality, adding: "Privacy is
important but in my view the security of communications
methods and devices is growing beyond what any genuine
domestic user could reasonably require.
"The levels of encryption and protection we're seeing in
devices and methods used to communicate are frustrating
the efforts of police and intelligence agencies to keep
people safe.
"We need an informed, balanced discussion with
communications providers to explore what they can do to
help us protect the public from serious crime and
terrorism." This week FBI director Mr Comey said tech
giants such as Apple and Google should co-operate with
law enforcement and unlock mobile phones if requested.
He also said encryption on mobiles had made it harder for
police and intelligence agencies to gather data .
Controversy over the security agencies access to personal
data exploded in 2013 when Edward Snowden leaked
details of internet and phone surveillance by US
intelligence and GCHQ.
Home Office security minister James Brokenshire recently
met representatives from technology firms - including
Google, Microsoft and Facebook - to discuss tackling online
extremism.
Responding to Sir Bernard's views, Big Brother Watch
director Emma Carr said: "Rather than bemoaning the fact
that the internet can be used by criminals, Hogan-Howe
should be focusing on the fact that our surveillance

legislation has failed to keep up with developments in
technology."
"Updating that legislation would ensure that intelligence
agencies and law enforcement will have the means to
monitor those suspected of terrorism, while respecting the
privacy of law-abiding citizens.
(1st December 2014)
INQUIRY LAUNCHED INTO BRIBES AT EU BODY
(The Independent, dated 6th November 2014 author
Pavan Amara)
Full article :
www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/inquirylaunched-into-bribes-at-eu-body-9842891.html
An independent legal expert has been called in to
investigate alleged corruption in the European Union,
following a whistleblower's claims.
The Eulex mission - which is intended to strengthen the
rule of law in Kosovo - is embroiled in allegations that its
officials took bribes in return for dropping three cases
involving organised crime.
Maria Bamieh, a British prosecutor at Eulex, learned in
August that she was being suspended after secret
documents that revealed possible bribe-taking were
leaked.
Ms Bamieh claims she wanted an open investigation into
the bribery allegations but Eulex ignored her requests.
EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini has now
announced an independent expert will scrutinise Eulex.
A statement on the Eulex website maintains that "since
2013, Eulex and Kosovo judicial authorities have been

pursuing a joint investigation into these allegations."
-----------------------------------EU CHIEFS "TOOK BRIBES" FROM KOSOVO GANGS
(The Times, dated 5th November 2014 author Daid
Charter)
www.thetimes.co.uk
Senior EU officials in Kosovo have been accused of taking
bribes to drop criminal cases and of harassing a local
journalist, plunging relations between Brussels and the
breakaway state into crisis.
The EU said that it was investigating the corruption
allegations and denied intimidating the journalist to hand
over leaked documents on the cases.
The EU office Eulex was set up six years ago to help the
small Balkan state to improve law and order by assisting
with difficult corruption cases.
The tables have been turned on EULUX, with allegations
that an Italian judge and a Czech prosecutor each took
bribes of E350,000 (275,000). They deny the
accusations.
The bribes were allegedly paid by local gangsters to have
three criminal cases dropped, including one of murder and
another of corruption by senior state officials.
EULUX has suspended one member of the staff over the
affair ; a British lawyer suspected of exposing details to
the public.
-----------------------------------EU ANNOUNCES KOSOVO MISSION GRAFT PROBE
(EU - Regional Anti-corruption Initiative announcement,
dated 5th November 2014)
Full article :
www.rai-see.org/news/south-eastern-europe/5218-euannounces-kosovo-mission-graft-probe.html
Brussels' foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said she
will send an independent legal expert to look into
corruption allegations at the EU's rule-of-law mission in
Kosovo, EULEX.
Mogherini told a news conference in Brussels on Tuesday
that an independent expert will probe allegations that a
EULEX judge took bribes to shut down cases against
people accused of serious crimes.
"I took the decision today to appoint a legal expert, an
independent legal expert, to look at and review the
mission's mandate implementation. Obviously with a
particular focus on the handling of the allegations," the EU
foreign policy chief said.
The allegations surfaced last week when an EULEX
prosecutor, Maria Bamieh, accused a former judge at the
mission, Francesco Florit, of taking a 300,000 euro bribe to
clear a man accused of murder and seeking another bribe
in a corruption case against a Kosovo government official.
Florit strongly denied the accusations.
Bamieh, who has been suspended, has alleged that EULEX
initially failed to investigate her suspicions about Florit,
and instead has targeted her for being a whistleblower.
Elmar Brok, the chairman of the European Parliament's
foreign affairs committee, urged the EU on Tuesday to fully
investigate the allegations to ensure that EULEX remained
credible.
"The mission's role in Kosovo is to fight against corruption
and impunity, and it should set an example. We must
show with no hesitation that no one is above the law and
that the fight against corruption is our key priority, both in

Kosovo, but within our own institutions as well," Brok said,
the Wall Street Journal reported.
Bamieh has also accused the head of the EULEX special
prosecution, Jonathan Ratel, of obstructing one of her
investigations involving Kosovo MP, Azem Syla, a top
Democratic Party of Kosovo official.
Syla and nine other people were suspected of illegally
acquiring land worth hundreds of millions of euro.
The MP said however that the allegations were false.
"The credibility of such accusations is often unfounded and
tendentious," Syla told Pristina-based daily newspaper
Koha Ditore on Wednesday.
Syla added that he has made public his personal and
family fortune by the competent authorities.
Ratel told BIRN last week that he did not want to respond
to Bamieh's allegations.
EULEX deals with cases of organised crime, corruption and
war crimes which are considered too important or
sensitive to be handled by the Kosovo judiciary.
EU - Regional Anti-corruption Initiative website : www.raisee.org/
(1st December 2014)
ILLEGAL SERVICE INDUSTRY "BOOMING" EUROPEWIDE REPORT FINDS
Loeb)
A criminal services industry providing mercenaries for hire,
live streaming child abuse and money laundering services
is "thriving", a cybercrime report by a Europe-wide
policing agency has found.

Europol's report outlines how this growing "cryptoindustry" - driven by what experts say is a sophisticated
"crime-as-a service business model" - is worth hundreds of
billions of pounds globally and provides criminal
employment for perhaps millions of people.
Just like its legal counterpart, the illegal service industry
has human resources and recruitment arms furnishing
specialists to carry out increasingly niche and complex
parts of large scale criminal enterprises.
Darknets and other environments offering anonymity and
security host "hidden services" and hubs "where supply
and demand meet" - places where criminals can trade
illicit commodities as well as network, pool knowledge and
upskill via training.
The report, which sets out the challenge law enforcement
faces, states: "It is this division of labour and adoption of
niche functionalities that drives the criminal economy, and
has created a booming as-a-service industry, as skills can
be monetised and create broader - even mass - access to
crime capacities that would have formerly required
exceptional abilities."
Translation services specifically tailored for scammers with
poor English who want to target Anglophone victims are
also provided for a fee, as are contract killing services.
The digital crime service industry is now so sophisticated
it has even spawned a research and development spin-off
so proceeds from crime can be reinvested into
technological innovation.
The aim is to drive ever more advanced computer
malware development and create state-of-the-art
"crimeware kits". Underground factories in China and
elsewhere are said to be involved.
The report adds: "Malware-as-a-Service is becoming
increasingly professional, mirroring legitimate commercial
software development companies by providing
functionality such as 24/7 customer support and frequent
patches and updates to continually refine their product
and increase its capability and competitiveness in the
malware marketplace."
Child abuse
Europol's report - entitled 'Internet Organised Crime Threat
Assessment 2014' - also highlights new challenges for law
enforcement posed by the way the internet is facilitating
the sickening abuse of children.
Individuals with a sexual interest in children communicate
with like-minded offenders and "share best practice"
around how to gain access to victims and create "material
that is considered to be of 'high quality'".
Offenders take part in virtual conferences on subjects
including "how to better groom and abuse children, where
good destinations are for travelling child sex offenders and
how to obtain children there".
"These platforms encourage the normalisation of child
abuse by the sharing of experience and justifications," the
report states, adding: "Best practices on how to rape,
kidnap, murder and dispose of children's bodies are also
shared openly on Darknet."
The horrific rise of what is described as "live streaming of
on-demand abuse of children" is also described.
This is likely to be a "growth area" financially, Europol
notes.
The report also states: "The expansion of the internet of
everything and the interconnectivity of electronic devices
will create new opportunities for child abusers, further
expanding offenders' access to images of children.
"There will be increased opportunities to hack into devices
such as baby monitors and CCTV in schools and other
facilities frequented by children."
The 'internet of everything' has been described as a new
era of technological interconnectedness in which
everything from power grids to household items like
dishwashers and fridges - and even windows and doors will be connected up electronically, with options for
remote control.
According to Europol, experts believe "it is not a matter of
if - but when - there will be a cyber-attack of major
significance and impact on critical operational
infrastructure" - and it suggests the internet of everything
could be used to murder particular individuals.
Commercial operations
Interestingly, the report describes how the internet is

leading organised criminal enterprises to become more
racially inclusive.
It states: "Traditionally, organised crime groups used to
predominantly operate in silos within the confines of
ethnic or national diasporas. However, the dynamics of the
organised crime groups are shifting with the
industrialisation of crime driven by Crime-as-a-Service,
and the composition of the crime groups is increasingly
based on skill and value for money ratio rather than social
factors."
The report recommends more cross-border cooperation
and suggests police forces should explore new ways of
infiltrating groups of paedophiles collaborating online to
gather intelligence on their activities and apprehend those
involved.
It also recommends prioritising the targeting of key
individuals. It states: "Successful prosecution of top tier
cybercriminals would not only have considerable impact
on the cyber community but may provide many other
investigative leads and sends a strong message to the
criminal community that nobody is untouchable."
Where the top tier cannot be targeted by law enforcement
because of jurisdictional issues, police should focus on
targeting "key support" individuals and those with
specialist technical expertise so as to undermine this
economy.
(1st December 2014)
CALL FOR TOUGHTER CHECKS TO PREVENT TAXI SEX

ATTACKS
Ministers today called for local authorities to ensure
enhanced security checks are carried out on cab drivers to
protect passengers from sex attacks.
Transport minister Baroness Kramer is writing to Transport

for London and town halls across the country urging them
to make "full use" of new powers to probe the background
of individuals applying for taxi licences.
"People need to feel safe when using a taxi or private hire
vehicle," she told The Standard. "We have made it easier
for local authorities to carry out checks on people who
want to drive taxis or private hire vehicles.
"These checks should ensure that violent and sexual
criminals aren't allowed behind the wheel of a taxi."
Ministers have sought to strengthen the system by
encouraging town halls to require enhanced, rather than
standard, checks on all mini cab and taxi drivers.
Standard checks by the Disclosure and Barring Service
cover spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands
and final warnings.
Enhanced scrutiny includes any additional information
held by the police that is considered relevant.
Last month, minicab driver Alaksur Rahman, 39, of Poplar,
was jailed for 30 months at Snaresbrook crown court after
admitting two charges of sexual assault on PR and media
executives.
Five years ago, London taxi driver John Worboys was jailed
indefinitely for drugging and sexually assaulting female
passengers.
Shocking reports have also emerged recently from
Rotherham of taxi drivers paid for by council staff ferrying
vulnerable young girls in care to be abused by sex
attackers, and also carrying out assaults themselves.
(1st December 2014)
FACEBOOK MURDERERS : 6 TYPES PROFILED
(Russia Today website, dated 5th November 2014 author
Dado Ruvic)
http://rt.com/news/202279-killer-types-facebook-study/
Six types of 'Facebook murderer' have been identified by
profilers working on 48 homicides where the social
platform played a 'significant role.'
A Birmingham City University team, led by Dr. Elizabeth

Yardley and Professor David Wilson from the Centre of
Applied Criminology published the results of their
investigations into 48 cases of 'Facebook murder', in the
Howard Journal of Criminal Justice.
Reactor
In 2008, 34-year-old Wayne Forester got drunk and took
cocaine before hacking his wife to death with a meat
cleaver in a rage after she changed her Facebook marital
status to 'single'. Forrester was jailed for a minimum of 14
years in UK prison. The reactor accounted for 27 percent
of Facebook murders - the perpetrator reacts to news on
Facebook and by "attacking the victim face-to-face."
Informer
The Informer warns others on Facebook that he or she
intends to kill the victim or has already killed the victim - a
public demonstration of 'control' over them. Will Cornick,
16, who was sentenced to at least 20 years Monday for
stabbing his Spanish teacher is an 'informer', which
accounts for 22.9 percent of analyzed Facebook murders.
"He fits that pattern of people who will let everybody know
what it is they intend to do," Wilson said of the teenager
who for more than four months had told Facebook friends
of his wish to murder 61-year-old Ann Maguire.
Antagonist
"Hostile exchanges on Facebook that escalate into face-toface fatal violence" are the breeding ground for the
Antagonist (16.7 percent). Fear of a potential encounter
with their adversaries leads some to arm themselves. In
2010, a 15-year-old boy who fatally stabbed a former
friend, Salum Kombo, over insults traded on Facebook,
was jailed for at least 14 years.
Fantasist
When 'the line between fantasy and reality becomes
blurred' the fantasist emerges. Some 12.5 percent of
Facebook murders fit this profile. Mark Twitchell is an
iconic fantasist. The 35-year-old Canadian was convicted
in 2011 for killing John Brian Altinger. In his defense the
murderer said that he was inspired by the Dexter Morgan

character in the Dexter television series.
Predator
A Facebook Predator uses a fake profile to lure a victim
into a trap. In 2010, Peter Chapman, known as the
'Facebook killer' received a 35-year prison sentence for
the murder of a 17-year-old Ashleigh Hall, whom he lured
to her death.
Imposter
Imposter murders, "posts in the name of someone else" to
create the illusion that the victim is still alive or pretends
to be another person to "gain access to and monitor the
victim's profile." In 2010 Andrew Lindo killed his partner
Marie Stewart before sending messages from Facebook
claiming she had left for the Canary Islands.
UK police have not commented on the killer categories.
Facebook said Tuesday the US government has increased
requests for user info access by 24 percent in the first half
of 2014 over 2013, claiming to have received over 34,946
requests for data.
"We're aggressively pursuing an appeal to a higher court
to invalidate these sweeping warrants and to force the
government to return the data it has seized," the company
said in a company blog post on Tuesday.
----------------------------Additional information
THE 6 WAYS FACEBOOK IS USED IN MURDER
(The indpendent, dated 4th November 2014 author James
Vincent)
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-andtech/criminologists-identify-the-six-types-of-facebookkiller-from-the-reactor-to-the-imposter-9837781.html
- Research published in the Howard Journal of Criminal
Justice.
- Researched covered "Facebook murders" between 2008
and 2013.
- Research team examined 1000 reports of "Facebook
murder" from around the world.
----------------------------SIX TYPES OF KILLER USE FACEBOOK TO COMMIT CRIMES,

SAYS STUDY
(The Guardian, dated 3rd November 2014 author Mark
Tran)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/nov/03/killerfacebook-social-media-violent-criminologists
Yardley, lead researcher, said she and her colleague
wanted to see whether murders in which Facebook was
reported to have been involved were any different to other
homicides. They found that on the whole they are not victims knew their killers in most cases and the crimes
echoed what they already knew about this type of crime.
But they did find that their sample differed from general
murder trends and characteristics in some respects: the
age profile of victims and perpetrators was relatively low;
women were over-represented as victims; there was a
relatively high proportion of murder-suicides; and those
involved in murders could not all be described as
marginalised.
"We conclude that 'Facebook murder' is not a useful or
conceptually valid term for criminologists examining the
role of social networking sites in contemporary homicide,"
they said.
(1st December 2014)
ONLINE ID "CARD" TO BE LAUNCHED NEXT MONTH

(Daily Mail, dated 4th November 2014 author John
Stevens)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2819761/Online-ID-cardlaunched-month-New-allow-users-store-personal-dataonline-file-tax-returns-apply-driving-licences-singlewebsite.html
The Government was last night forced to deny it was

bringing in ID cards by the back door after it revealed
plans to offer everyone a virtual ID.
People will be able to store personal data online, file tax
returns and apply for driving licences through a single
website as part of the voluntary scheme.
More than half a million people are expected to sign up to
use the 'Verify' project within a year.
Under the programme, users will choose one of five
private providers - including Experian and the Post Office to complete an online security check.
This will give them a username and password, as well as a
code sent to their mobile phone, which will give them
access to government services.
Driving licences and some self-assessment tax returns will
be among the first services to be offered as part of the
scheme next month, with tax credits and benefits records
expected to follow in March.
But last night there were concerns about the scheme
because of the history of hugely costly government IT
projects and data blunders.
Emma Carr, director of Big Brother Watch, which has been
involved in the scheme's development, said the
'government must tread carefully' given past issues over
losing records.
She told The Times: 'It has to ensure that this is a scheme
that the public can have full confidence in.
'They must make themselves very clear about how it will
work, including details of what safeguards are in place to
ensure that the private companies being used to verify a
users' identity won't wrongly gain access to any
information.'
Government aides insisted that rather than bringing in ID
cards by a different method the scheme would make any
attempt to reintroduce a compulsory document less likely.
'This removes once and for all the need for an identity
card because it will be possible to prove your identity
securely without one,' a source told The Times.
Labour introduced the controversial idea of ID cards in
2002, but they did not become a reality until November
2009 after years of disagreements.
The Coalition government scrapped the entire project less
than a year later, saying it wanted to reverse what it saw

as 'an erosion of civil liberties' under Labour.
(1st December 2014)
NEW GCHQ CHIEF : FANATICS USING SOCIAL MEDIA
AS COMMAND AND CONTROL NETWORKS
(Daily Mail, dated 3rd November 2014 author James Slack)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2819500/New-headGCHQ-accuses-internet-firms-denial-role-networks-playterrorism-demands-open-intelligence-services.html
Global internet companies have become 'the command
and control networks of choice' for terrorists, claims the
new head of Britain's electronic spying agency.
GCHQ director Robert Hannigan insisted some were 'in
denial' about the way fanatics misuse their services.
He cited how Islamic State (IS) has exploited social media
for recruitment and propaganda - using the likes of Twitter,
WhatsApp and YouTube to promote beheadings. The terror
group and its followers have also sent up to 40,000 tweets
a day.
Mr Hannigan called on the likes of Google, Facebook,
Twitter and Microsoft to give greater co-operation to GCHQ
and sister agencies MI5 and MI6.
He also said there was 'no doubt' young foreign fighters
had benefited from the treasure trove of intelligence
secrets leaked by fugitive CIA worker Edward Snowden.
'GCHQ and its sister agencies cannot tackle these
challenges without greater support from the private
sector, including the largest US technology companies
which dominate the web,' he said.
'I understand why they have an uneasy relationship with
governments. They aspire to be neutral conduits of data
and to sit outside or above politics.
'But increasingly their services not only host the material
of violent extremism or child exploitation, but are the
routes for the facilitation of crime and terrorism.
'However much they may dislike it, they have become the
command and control networks of choice for terrorists and

criminals, who find their services as transformational as
the rest of us.'
Officials say the job of spy agencies has become 'much
harder' over the past 18 months as US firms become less
willing to hand over data. Whitehall sources say the
companies have changed how they behave in response to
the Snowden revelations.
His exposure of how GCHQ and America's National
Security Agency were able to tap into online data has
made companies nervous about protecting their own
reputations, they said.
Writing in the Financial Times, Mr Hannigan said mobile
technology and smartphones have increased the options
available to terrorists 'exponentially'.
He said: 'Techniques for encrypting messages or making
them anonymous, which were once the preserve of the
most sophisticated criminals or nation states, now come
as standard. These are supplemented by freely available
programs and apps adding extra layers of security, many
of them proudly advertising that they are "Snowden
approved".
'There is no doubt that young foreign fighters have learnt
and benefited from the leaks of the past two years. The
challenge to governments and their intelligence agencies
is huge and it can only be met with greater co-operation
from technology companies. Terrorists have long made use
of the internet. But IS's approach is different in two
important areas.
'Where Al Qaeda and its affiliates saw the internet as a
place to disseminate material anonymously, IS has
embraced the web as a noisy channel in which to promote
itself, intimidate people, and radicalise new recruits.'
Intelligence sources have previously warned how
Snowden's revelations - mainly published by the Guardian
in the UK - have made it harder to track the movements
and tactics of IS because they have become better at
knowing how to avoid detection.
Mr Hannigan went on: 'For our part, intelligence agencies
such as GCHQ need to enter the public debate about
privacy.
'We need to show how we are accountable for the data we
use to protect people, just as the private sector is

increasingly under pressure to show how it filters and sells
its customers' data.
'GCHQ is happy to be part of a mature debate on privacy
in the digital age. But privacy has never been an absolute
right and the debate about this should not become a
reason for postponing urgent and difficult decisions. To
those of us who have to tackle the depressing end of
human behaviour on the internet, it can seem some
technology companies are in denial about its misuse.
'I suspect most ordinary users of the internet are ahead of
them: they have strong views on the ethics of companies,
whether on taxation, child protection or privacy; they do
not want the media platforms they use with their friends
and families to facilitate murder or child abuse.
'They know the internet grew out of the values of Western
democracy, not vice versa. I think those customers would
be comfortable with a better, more sustainable
relationship between the agencies and the technology
companies.'
Hazel Blears, an ex-Home Office minister who sits on
Westminster's Intelligence and Security Committee,
recently said IS militants would be 'very much aware' of
what Snowden had made public.
She said: 'As an organisation that appears to be very tech
savvy and certainly social media savvy, it is inevitably
going to adjust its behaviour in relation to what it knows
the security agencies can do.'
(1st December 2014)
REMEMBERANCE
IN FLANDERS FIELD
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
By John McCrae
May 1915
Written for a lost friend
(11th November 2014)
POLICE CAUTIONS TO BE SCRAPPED IN ENGLAND

AND WALES
(BBC News, dated 1st November 2014)
The government is planning to scrap the use of police
cautions - where those who commit minor offences are
given a formal warning - in England and Wales.
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling said victims should not
feel that criminals are "walking away scot-free".
Under the new system, offenders would repair any
damage they have done or pay compensation for less
serious crimes.
Those who commit more serious offences would face court
if they fail to comply with conditions set out by police.
If successful it will be introduced across England and
Wales.
The government says the scheme - which will also give

victims a say in how the offender is dealt with - will be
tougher and more simple than the current system.
'No soft option'
Mr Grayling said: "It isn't right that criminals who commit
lower-level crime can be dealt with by little more than a
warning.
"It's time we put an end to this country's cautions culture.
I think every crime should have a consequence, and this
change will deliver that.
"Under the new system we are introducing, offenders will
face prosecution if they fail to comply with the conditions
set by the police, so that no one is allowed to get away
with the soft option."
The overhaul of what are known as out-of-court disposals
will mean cannabis warnings, community resolutions,
penalty notices for disorder, simple cautions and
conditional cautions would be replaced by the new twotier framework.
As part of the scheme, first-time offenders committing
minor crimes would face a new statutory community
resolution.
This could see them offering a verbal or written apology to
their victim, paying compensation or fixing damage.
More serious crimes would be dealt with by a suspended
prosecution which would have one or more conditions
attached, for example paying a fine, or attending a
rehabilitation course.
Suspended prosecutions would be traced on a criminal
record but community resolutions would not, the Ministry
of Justice said.
Mr Grayling added: "Our police officers do a brilliant job in

keeping our streets safe. But victims should not feel like
offenders are walking away scot-free.
"I'm not prepared to allow the current situation to continue
and that is why I am making these changes.
"This new approach will empower victims and give them a
say in how criminals are dealt with, as well as making it
easier for officers to deal with more minor offences."
'Take responsibility'
Chief Constable Lynne Owens, national policing lead on
out-of-court disposals, said the reforms should reduce
bureaucracy and help increase public understanding.
She said: "The pilots seek to test a new approach which
gives officers and staff the discretion to deal with cases
appropriately.
"It will engage the victim in the process and require
offenders to take responsibility for their actions."
Police officers will use their judgement to assess each
offence, as they do with the current system.
Richard Monkhouse, chairman of the Magistrates'
Association, said: "We have pressed hard for a
simplification of cautions, so this pilot is welcome
especially in empowering victims.
"However, we need to see more detail on the
measurement of the pilot's effectiveness because our
members tell us there are existing challenges with local
scrutiny panels in evaluating the current regime for out-ofcourt disposals.
"It's also important that this doesn't lead to an overescalation and criminalisation of behaviour currently dealt
with by informal community resolutions."
Justice system 'cheapened'
The shadow justice secretary, Sadiq Khan, said: "Under

David Cameron's government, too many criminals have
been getting away with serious crimes.
"On their watch, cautions have been dished out wrongly
for serious sexual and violent crimes like rape.
"Slap-on-the-wrist community resolutions meant for minor
crimes have instead been used by the police thousands of
times for violent offences.
"And the public are no longer protected from the most
serious criminals after the government watered down
sentencing rules for the most dangerous and violent
criminals.
"This government's actions have cheapened our justice
system, leaving the public to question whether this
government is truly on the side of innocent victims of
crime."
He said Labour would "keep a close eye" on the pilots and
make sure the new scheme did not "impact negatively on
victims".
More than 230,000 cautions were issued in England and
Wales last year.
(1st November 2014)
FATAL CRASHES CAUSED BY MOBILES UP 30
PERCENT
(Daily Mail, dated 31st October 2014 author Ray Massey)
Full article :
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2815068/Fatal-crashescaused-mobiles-30-cent-users-not-fear-gettingcaught.html [Option 1]
Fatal crashes in which mobile phone use has played a part
have risen by nearly a third in one year - as users do not

fear getting caught, a report reveals today.
The AA warns that drivers who use mobile phones are at
'epidemic' proportions - and the rising number is
frustrating the law-abiding motorists who see others
'getting away with it'.
The motoring organisation has found that one in ten of all
motorists have been so annoyed about seeing another
driver using their mobile phone at the wheel they have
beeped their horn, flashed their lights, gestured or
shouted at them.
But the latest figures from the Department of Transport
show they may be fighting a losing battle.
The number of fatal accidents in which a driver using a
mobile was a contributory factor increased from 17 in
2012 to 22 in 2013 - a rise of 29 per cent. Meanwhile, all
accidents in which phone use played a part rose from 378
to 422 - up 10 per cent.
It is currently legal to use a mobile while driving - but only
if you use a hands-free device. If you are caught holding
your phone, you face three points on your licence and a
fine of up to 1,000.
Jim Kirkwood, of AA DriveTech, a driver education service,
said: 'The use of hand-held mobile phones is an epidemic
among drivers who appear to be addicted to using their
phone whenever and wherever they please.
'Drivers who use their hand-held phones are at best
risking points, a fine or attending an educational course,
but at worst they are risking death and serious injury.'
RAC technical director David Bizley said: 'Mobile phone
use has been a problem for some time and there's not
been enough action to tackle it.
'Using a hand-held phone or texting while driving must be
made socially unacceptable.'

AA spokesman Paul Watters said: 'The last thing we want
to see on our roads are mobile phone vigilantes taking the
law into their own hands.
'But motorists are becoming increasingly frustrated that
the law appears not to be being enforced.'
UAWARE COMMENT
Has it gone beyond the time where only six points are
awarded to drivers who use their mobile whilst driving.
Perhaps it is the time to name and shame those
individuals who commit a driving offence that could result
in an injury or death.
I am perfectly aware that some civil liberty groups and
political parties would shout that "name and shaming"
would infringe individuals "human rights" and fines and
licence penalty points" are punishment enough, but what
do you do to reduce fatalities ? What about the victims
and their families human rights ?
I have recently returned from a holiday in Malta. A country
of 400,000 people, living in around 360 Parishes. A
country that year after year tops the poll of being the best
country to live within the EU based on a survey of it's
citizens. A country that has fully embraced the edicts of
the EU, but it names and shames.
In the newspaper "The Malta Independent" (a tabloid) on
the 26th September 2014 there were 10 full pages of
named individuals who had committed motoring offences
against the offence they had committed, by 7 judicial
locations.
After checking through the first 2 pages of names /
offences the following is a list of the charges that are to be
heard during the month of October 2014.
Failed to wear a seat belt : 15 (75)

Use of mobile phone : 9 (45)
No road tax : 47 (235)
Illegal Parking : 39 (195)
Contravening carriageway marking : 76 (380)
Parking on a pavement : 7 (35)
Contravening traffic sign : 37 (185)
Parking in permit area : 27 (135)
Not keeping vehicle in good state of repair : 3 (15)
Obstructing a garage : 1 (5)
Obstructing free passage : 2 (10)
Contravening traffic lights : 1 (5)
Driving at excessive speed : 101 (505)
Not carrying a fire extinguisher : 1 (5)
Driving with undue care and attention : 5 (25)
Safety of children : 1 (5)
The number in () is the expected number of offences of all
10 pages based on average number of offences
discovered in counted 2 pages.
Based on averages, this adds up to a total of 1860
offences to be tried during one month. Potentially 1860
offenders to be named and shamed, with not a word on
Human Rights.
(1st November 2014)
OCTOBER 2014
COMPUTER REVIEW - OCTOBER 2014
-----------------------------BIGGEST THREAT TO EUROPES CYBERSECURITY ?
(The Register, dated 30th October 2014 authors Jennifer
Baker & John Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/30/the_threats_to_europes
_cybersecurity_arent_what_you_think_they_are/
Hint : Not Hackers
Forget cyber-espionage, cyber-warfare and cyberterrorism. The biggest threat to Europe's infrastructure
cybersecurity are power outages and poor communication.
On Thursday, ENISA (European Network and Information
Security Agency) held its biggest ever cybersecurity
exercise involving more than 200 organisations and 400
cyber-security professionals from 29 European countries.
The bi-annual event* simulates a lifelike attack, modelled
on real events, to test the reaction of national Computer
Emergency Response Teams (CERTS), government
ministries, telco companies, energy companies, financial
institutions and internet service providers.
-----------------------------TWITTER "SUICIDE TWITTER SNIFFER" BACKFIRES OVER
PRIVACY CONCERNS
(The Register, dated 30th October 2014 author Jennifer
Baker)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/30/samaritans_app_backfir
es_over_stalker_and_privacy_concerns/
In response to public outcry via Twitter and personal blogs
on Wednesday, the Samaritans have announced an optout function for their stalker-friendly app Samaritans
Radar.
Samaritans Radar automatically scans the tweets of
anyone the user follows and alerts subscribers to
potentially suicidal tweets based on "trigger phrases".
However well-meaning the intention, many Twitter users
were quick to point out that there were huge privacy
implications, not to mention the creepy effect: "The people
you follow won't know you've signed up to it and all alerts
will be sent directly to your email address," according to
the Samaritans website.
-----------------------------NOW CYBERCRIMINALS CAN AUTOMATE ROGUE CREDIT
CARD CHARGES
(Computer World, dated 29th October 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2840589/nowcybercriminals-can-automate-rogue-credit-cardcharges.html#tk.CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-10-30
Cybercriminals have a new tool to make the most of stolen
credit card details before payment processors detect the
fraud, security researchers warn.
A Web-based application called the Voxis Platform is being
advertised on underground forums as a tool for cashing
out money from stolen credit cards by automating
fraudulent purchases, according to security researchers
from cybercrime intelligence firm IntelCrawler.

There are three main parties involved in every online
transaction: the buyer, the seller and a payment
processing provider that operates a payment gateway. In
order to receive money from transactions, the seller needs
to have a merchant account registered with the payment
gateway.
Cybercriminals can steal merchant accounts or open rogue
ones by setting up dummy e-commerce sites and using
fake identity documents or money mules. Their main
problem, however, is racking up a large number of
fraudulent charges before they're detected and their
merchant accounts get closed
-----------------------------ABANDONED SUBDOMAINS POSE A SECURITY RISK FOR
BUSINESSES
(Computer World, dated 23rd October 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2838218/abandonedsubdomains-pose-a-security-risk-for-businesses.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1027#tk.rss_cybercrimehacking
Many companies set up subdomains for use with external
services, but then forget to disable them when they stop
using those services, creating a loophole for attackers to
exploit.
Because many service providers don't properly validate
the ownership of subdomains pointed at their servers,
attackers can set up new accounts and abuse subdomains
forgotten by companies by claiming them as their own.
"We've also identified at least 200 organizations which are
currently affected," the researchers said. "In many cases,
we are talking NASDAQ-listed, top 100 Alexa rank domains
that basically allowed us to set up a Hello World on their

domains."
-----------------------------FBI WARNS OF CYBER ATTACKS LINKED TO CHINA
(Computer World, dated 16th October 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2834496/fbi-warns-ofcyberattacks-linked-to-china.html?
The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a warning
to companies and organizations on Wednesday of
cyberattacks by people linked with the Chinese
government.
The advisory, issued privately, contains "information they
can use to help determine whether their systems have
been compromised by these actors and provides steps
they can take to mitigate any continuing threats,"
according to an FBI statement.
The warning comes a day after security companies said
they've been working closely together to enable their
products to detect several hacking tools used by a Chinabased group against U.S. and other companies over
several years.
-----------------------------DROPBOX DISMISSES CLAIMS OF HACK AFFECTING 7
MILLION ACCOUNTS
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2825999/dropboxdismisses-claims-of-hack-affecting-7m-accounts.html?
Hackers claim to have stolen a database of almost 7
million Dropbox log-in credentials, but the company says
its service was not hacked and that unrelated websites are
the data source.
The first data dump appeared Monday in an anonymous
post on Pastebin.com and contained 400 username and
password pairs. The author said that it's only the "first
teaser" of 6,937,081 hacked Dropbox accounts and asked
for community support in the form of Bitcoin donations.
The user also claimed to have access to photos, videos
and other files from the compromised accounts.
-----------------------------WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A PASSWORD
MANAGER
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2825873/security0/whatto-consider-when-choosing-a-password-manager.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1015#tk.rss_applicationsecurity
Many security experts feel that passwords are no longer
sufficient to keep online accounts safe from hackers, but
we're still a long way from widespread adoption of
biometrics and alternative methods of authentication.
Most of us are stuck with using passwords as the primary
keys to our online lives, so we should at least strive to
follow best security practices when it comes to managing
them. This includes using long and complex passwords or
phrases that can withstand brute-force attacks, using
separate passwords for every online account and changing

those passwords periodically.
What you need to know
Users should carefully consider the security models of the
password management applications they intend to use.
For cloud-based implementations that provide online
access and synchronization, it is important to understand
how the service provider stores users' data on its servers
and whether it ever has access to the user's master
password.
-----------------------------IT INDUSTRY GROUP SLAMS BURDENS IMPOSED BY
PROPOSED EU PRIVACY POLICY
(Computer World, dated 13th October 2014 author Peter
Sayer)
Full article : www.computerworld.com/article/2824629/itindustry-group-slams-burdens-imposed-by-proposed-euprivacy-policy.html?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_201410-14#tk.rss_datasecurity
Justice ministers' proposals to relax European Union data
protection rules for low-risk personal data are a step in the
right direction, according to a lobbying group backed by
IBM, Microsoft and Oracle.
But they still impose unnecessary burdens on industry, the
group said.
"The risk-based approach is a pragmatic way to protect
sensitive data while at the same time preventing the
unnecessary slowing down of data flows in cases where
people's privacy isn't at risk," John Higgins, director
general of DigitalEurope said in a statement.
Friday's meeting of the Council of the EU proposed less
stringent rules for protecting personal data not considered
"high risk," the latest step in the long process of reforming
EU data protection law. The current Data Protection

Directive dates back to 1995, and the reform is aimed at
reinforcing consumer confidence in online services,
updating the rules to take account of new technologies,
and potentially saving businesses 2.3 billion (US$2.9
billion) a year through reduced administrative burdens.
-----------------------------FALLOUT FROM THE JP MORGAN CHASE BREACH
(Computer World, dated 11th October 2014 author Michael
Horowitz)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2825057/fallout-from-thejpmorgan-chase-breach.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1013#tk.rss_dataprivacy
Most articles about the 76 million or so names and
addresses that were stolen from JP Morgan Chase bank
focus on the danger of phishing emails. But email is not
the only way bad guys can abuse stolen data.
They may also try to scam victims on the telephone.
I ran across a couple articles on the Chase breach that
mentioned telephone abuse, but each omitted an
important point - you can't trust caller ID. Spoofing phone
numbers that appear on caller ID has been a thing for a
decade or so. If someone claiming to be from Chase calls
on the phone, the safest thing to do is call them back at a
known Chase phone number; one from a bank statement,
credit card statement or chase.com.
A third way scammers might approach potential victims is
postal mail. I say that as a recent target of a billing scam.
-----------------------------RUSSIAN CYBERCRIME GROUP COMPROMISED HALF A
MILLION COMPUTERS
(Computer World, dated 7th October 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Ful article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2692500/russiancybercrime-group-compromised-half-a-millioncomputers.html?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1009#tk.rss_security0
A mistake by a suspected Russian-speaking cybercriminal
group allowed a security vendor to peep on a campaign
that stole login credentials for hundreds of thousands of
online bank accounts.
In a new report, Proofpoint said it found a large number of
WordPress websites that had been compromised to
perform a drive-by download of Qbot, also known as
Qakbot, a malicious software program.
Proofpoint analyzed the malware and found an
unprotected control panel on a server used by the gang to
control the computers, a dumb but not uncommon
mistake.
-----------------------------CRIMINALS USED MALWARE PROGRAM TO STEAL MILLIONS
FROM ATM's
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2692464/criminals-usedmalware-program-to-steal-millions-from-atms.html?
Criminals have stolen millions of dollars from ATMs
worldwide using a specialized malware program that
forces the machines to dispense cash on command.
The malicious program, dubbed Backdoor.MSIL.Tyupkin, is

designed to work on ATMs running 32-bit versions of
Windows from a major manufacturer, Kaspersky Lab
researchers said Tuesday.
Rather than remotely exploiting software vulnerabilities,
the attackers infected the ATMs by gaining physical access
to controls that are typically protected by a locked panel.
-----------------------------APPLE HAS JUS ABOUT KILLED THE iPHONE CRIME WAVE
(Computer World, dated 3rd October 2014 author Jonny
Evans)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2691654/apple-has-justabout-killed-the-iphone-crime-wave.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1006#tk.rss_mobilesecurity
Apple has made iPhone theft even harder with a series of
significant security enhancements within iOS 8.
Mobile phone theft is a huge problem. It accounts for up to
40 percent of reported crime in major U.S. cities. In 2012,
stolen and lost mobile units, primarily smartphones, cost
customers more than $30 billion, said the FCC.
In the UK one-in-three people have suffered a stolen
phone and over 50 percent of phones stolen in London, UK
between August 2012 to January 2014 were iPhones.
Apple has been working to end the iPhone crime wave for
years, introducing Find My iPhone in 2010 and 2013's iOS
7 Activation Lock which enables users to remotely lock a
lost or stolen device.
-----------------------------JP MORGAN CHASE SAYS BRACH AFFECTED 83 MILLION

CUSTOMERS
(Computer World, dated 2nd October 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2691246/jpmorganchase-says-breach-affected-83m-customers.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1003#tk.rss_dataprivacy
Names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses
were compromised in a cyberattack on JPMorgan Chase
but no "unusual" fraud has yet been detected.
All told, 76 million households and 7 million small
businesses were affected, the bank wrote in a 8-K filing
Thursday to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Bank account numbers, passwords, user IDs, birth dates
as well as credit, debit and Social Security numbers are
not believed to have been compromised, it wrote.
"Since we have seen no evidence of unusual fraud activity,
we don't think customers need to go through the
inconvenience of having their cards reissued," the notice
said.
-----------------------------APPLE, GOOGLE MOBE ENCRYPTION GOOD NEWS...FOR
TERRORISTS - EU TOP COP
(The Register, dated 2nd October 2014 author Jennifer
Baker)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/02/encryption_plays_straig
ht_into_terrorists_hands_warns_eu_top_cop/
People don't know the difference between privacy and

anonymity, says EU top cop Troels Oerting: they want the
former, but the latter will make life too easy for criminals.
The Europol Assistant Director and head of European
Cybercrime Centre (EC3) was joining a chorus of
lawmakers and law enforcers reacting to news that Apple
and Google will soon make all smartphone data encrypted
by default.
In a move that was welcomed by digital civil liberties
organisations, Apple announced that it would not hold the
keys to iOS 8 data encryption, and so couldn't pass on
users' data no matter how much law enforcers might want
it.
(1st November 2014)
ABUSE INQUIRY : FIONA WOOLF STEPS DOWN AS
CHAIRWOMAN
(BBC News, dated 31st October 2014)
Fiona Woolf is to step down as the head of an inquiry into
historic child sex abuse, she has told the BBC.
She said it had been clear for some time that victims did
not have confidence in her, adding that it was time to "get
out of the way".
Victims' groups earlier told government officials they were
"unanimous" she should quit, citing her social links with
ex-Home Secretary Lord Brittan.
Home Secretary Theresa May said she had accepted her
decision "with regret".
"I believe she would have carried out her duties with
integrity, impartiality and to the highest standard," she
said in a statement.
Mrs May said she would make a further statement to
Parliament about the inquiry on Monday.
However, Labour said the home secretary had "serious
questions to answer" over her handling of the inquiry.
Prime Minister David Cameron had previously given Mrs
Woolf his public backing.
'Brewing for some time'
Mrs Woolf's resignation comes after the first person
appointed to lead the inquiry - Baroness Butler-Sloss stepped down in July when concerns were raised about the
fact that her late brother was attorney general during the
1980s.
The independent inquiry was set up to look at how public
bodies dealt with historic allegations of child sex abuse,
however, victims' groups have called for a statutory
inquiry.
It follows claims over many years about paedophiles in
powerful places and alleged establishment attempts to
cover up their actions.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's John Pienaar, Mrs Woolf
said she had told Mrs May she was already considering
resigning this morning.
She said she regretted "unsettling" victims, saying: "I've
clearly destroyed their confidence in the inquiry with me
leading it. These are the last people I had wanted to
upset."
"I was determined that the inquiry got to the bottom of the
issues and if I don't command their confidence to run the
panel fairly and impartially then I need to get out of the
way."
It had been "clear for some time victims didn't have
confidence" in her, Mrs Woolf added.

"Ever since the issue first arose I have been worrying
about the negative perceptions and there has been a lot of
negative comment and innuendo and that has got in the
way as well," she said.
(1st November 2014)
80 VICTIMS A WEEK IN CITY'S HIT-AND-RUNS
(London Evening Standard, dated 31st October 2014
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/eighty-hitandrunseach-week-on-londons-lawless-roads-9830590.html
[Option 1]
London's roads were condemned as "lawless" today as
new figures revealed that nearly 80 people a week are
killed or injured in hit-and-run collisions.
The latest statistics show that the number of hit-and-run
casualties in the capital rose again for the fourth year in a
row.
A total of 1,043 pedestrians - around 20 a week - and 896
cyclists plus motorcyclists and others were victims of
motorists who drove off from accidents without stopping in
2013.
There were 4,154 people injured on London's roads in hitand-runs in 2013, compared to 3,876 the previous year,
though deaths fell from 13 to eight over the same period
and serious injuries also fell.
One possibility for the decline in the deaths and serious
injuries is the advanced level of care by paramedics and
London's Air Ambulance.
The figures, obtained in a Freedom of Information request
by the London Assembly Green group, come just days

after Sri Lankan Jeyaratnam Kandiah, 43, was knocked
down and killed in Croydon by a BMW driver who went
through a red light at 60mph and then sped away.
Last night a 72-year-old woman was killed in East India
Dock Road by a driver who failed to stop but who then
returned to the scene later. The total number of hit-andruns in London fell to 23,066 in 2013 - a rate of 63
incidents a day - compared to 24,059 the previous year.
However, campaigners say the proportion of hit-and-run
accidents is rising and now makes up a fifth of all collisions
in London.
The Green Party's Jenny Jones said: "This is a worrying
trend which the Met Police need to treat as a priority. Hitand-runs are associated with other illegal activities such
as drunk driving, speeding, being disqualified or simply
having no insurance.
"When a city has almost a fifth of its injuries from road
collisions being linked to hit-and-runs, then the Mayor
ought to be demanding that police enforce the rules of the
road". She called for police to get "the resources and
political backing to get on top of our lawless roads."
The Met said it "treats road crime with the seriousness it
deserves", and Mayor Boris Johnson's office said: "We take
Londoners' safety very seriously."
(1st November 2014)
1500 CRIME FUGITIVES ARE EXTRIDITED BY EU

WARRANT
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/1500-crime-fugitives-areextradited-by-eu-warrant-9828250.html
Nearly 1,500 criminal suspects, including murderers and
rapists, who fled to London to avoid facing justice
overseas have been extradited over the past five years
under the controversial European Arrest Warrant, new
figures revealed today.
The Met statistics show that 45 alleged killers and 35 men
wanted for rape were among 1,423 suspects detained in
London since April 2009 and sent to other European
countries in response to EAW requests.
Other offenders hiding in the capital who have been
extradited to face prosecution abroad using the fast-track
system - which David Cameron is battling to preserve in
the face of a major Tory rebellion - include 25 accused of
child sex offences and 30 suspected armed robbers.
Two alleged terrorists, 130 people wanted for drug
trafficking and 252 accused of fraud have also been sent
back to European countries using the EAW after being
found by the Met on the run in London.
More than half of the alleged offenders were Poles. There
were also 113 Romanians, 138 Lithuanians and 37
Hungarians. Only 67 Britons - less than five per cent of the
total - were among those handed over. The new statistics,
obtained by the Evening Standard, follow a pledge by the
Prime Minister to hold a Commons vote on retaining the
EAW before the crunch Rochester and Strood by-election
next month.
The warrants allow criminal suspects to be extradited from
one EU country to another without the need for the
evidence in the case to be tested in court before the
person is sent back.
Mr Cameron wants to renew Britain's participation in the
system before a December 1 deadline set under the terms
of an "opt-out" agreed five years ago by the Labour
government.
But as many as 100 Conservative backbenchers, who
believe that the system is exposing British citizens to
injustice, are planning to vote "no" in what could become
the most damaging rebellion of his premiership.
Home Secretary Theresa May has already sought to quell
the revolt by warning that any decision to abandon the
arrest warrant will undermine the fight against crime by
making it harder for police to secure the return of suspects
who have fled overseas.
She has also expressed concern that it would turn Britain
into a haven for foreign criminals and today cited the new
figures as evidence of the potentially disastrous
consequences of pulling out of the system.
"The arrest warrant is a vital tool to help us bring serious
international criminals like paedophiles, human traffickers
and terrorists to justice," Mrs May told the Evening
Standard.
"Without it, London and the UK's other great cities would
be safe havens for European criminals on the run because
of our diminished powers to send them back.
"We have reformed the arrest warrant to ensure that it is a
fair and effective tool to tackle crime - with those extra
safeguards in place, it is not a tool that we should give
up."
Mrs May added that withdrawal from the arrest warrant
would also leave British law enforcement agencies with
"weakened" powers to capture criminals "who have fled
overseas", while "victims of crime would find it harder to
get justice".
People of 56 different nationalities, including 803 Poles,
have been returned to 25 EU states after being held in
London.
After Poland, the countries which have secured the return

of the largest number of suspects include Lithuania,
Romania, Germany, Hungary and Ireland. Those extradited
include Afghans, Iraqis, Nigerians and Albanians, as well
as EU citizens. As well as the alleged rapists, murderers
and child sex offenders, those extradited include 172
people accused of robbery and 130 wanted over
allegations of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
There were also three alleged arms traffickers. Although
the extradition of such suspects did take place before the
EAW was introduced in 2004, ministers argue that it was
slower and more difficult to secure their removal under the
previous rules.
Supporters of the arrest warrant also argue that without it
there would be a risk that some serious foreign offenders
living in this country would be able to avoid extradition
altogether.
The future of the EAW remains unclear, however, because
of the "opt out" Labour secured in 2009. Britain's
participation in a host of Europe-wide criminal justice
measures, including the EAW, will lapse unless the
government opts back in by the start of December.
Mrs May wants to keep the warrant and insists that
reforms earlier this year, designed to stop abuses such as
lengthy pre-trial detention overseas, mean that there is
now adequate protection for British citizens.
But the size of the potential backbench Tory rebellion has
led to speculation that Mr Cameron might decide to
abandon the system to avoid a damaging split in his party
when the required Commons vote takes place.
(1st November 2014)
HACKED AND ASHAMED
(The Register, dated 21st October 2014 author John
Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/21/get_safe_online_survey
s/
Internet-enabled frauds reached 670m across the UK in
the 12 months running up to the end of August, according
to new figures from the National Fraud Intelligence
Bureau.
Since the majority of internet-enabled fraud cases still go
unreported, the true economic cost to the UK is likely to be
significantly higher.
The figures were released as part of the 2014 edition of
the annual Get Safe Online Week, which runs from 20 to
26 October.
As part of Get Safe Online Week, credit reference agency
Experian unveiled research on illegally traded information,
which shows an increase of 300 per cent over the last two
years. More than 110 million pieces of data bought and
sold by criminals so far in 2014. The figures come from
independent study was commissioned by Experian using
web monitoring technology.
The vast majority (96.5 per cent) of the illegally traded
data consists of login credentials - username and
password combinations. Online accounts can give identity
fraudsters access to huge amounts of information such as
where you bank or shop, linked accounts that may have
passwords saved automatically and all the personal
information you may have shared over email.
Compromised email accounts also contain personal
contact lists that allow fraudsters to target other potential
victims.
The remaining data consisting primarily of passport details
and payment card details.
Separate research commissioned by Experian discovered
evidence that people are also closing down the accounts
that they don't use, leaving less opportunity for criminals
to exploit their online identity. The average Briton now has

19 different online accounts (27 per cent) lower than
2012, according to a survey of 2,000 consumers. One in
10 of those quizzed had online retail accounts that are no
longer used (21 per cent in 2012) while 10 per cent had
inactive email accounts open (down from 18 per cent).
Despite some improvements, online password behaviour
remains poor. One in 10 Britons use an average of just
seven different passwords to keep their information safe.
But one in 20 use the same login details for all their online
accounts, and 10 per cent of Britons never change their
passwords.
Reporting restricted
More than half (51 per cent) of those surveyed for Get
Safe Online have been a victim of online crime1 but only a
third of those who'd been a victim (32 per cent) actually
reported the offence. Around half (47 per cent) of victims
did not know to whom to address their online crime
complaints. Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting
centre, is aiming to boost awareness about crime
reporting through an ongoing educational campaign.
The survey found that most people still fail to apply basic
security precautions to their actives online. For example,
more than half (54 per cent) of mobile phone users and
around a third (37 per cent) of laptop owners do not have
a password or PIN number for their device.
A significant minority of victims change their behaviour
after becoming victims of fraud. For example, nearly half
(45 per cent) opt for stronger passwords and 42 per cent
report being extra vigilant when shopping online. The
figures are based on a poll of 2,000 people by Vision
Critical for GetSafeOnline.org
Francis Maude, Minister for the Cabinet Office, said that
the government was committed to boosting cyber-security
awareness as part of its strategy of making the UK the
world's best location for e-commerce.
"We want to make the UK one of the most secure places to

do business in cyberspace," Maude said in a statement.
"We have a 860m Cyber Security Programme which
supports law enforcement's response to cybercrime and
we are working with the private sector to help all
businesses protect vital information assets.
"Our 'Get Safe Online' and 'Cyber Streetwise' campaigns
provide easy to understand information for the public on
how and why they should protect themselves. Cyber
security is not an issue for Government alone - we must all
take action to defend ourselves against threats," he
added.
Tony Neate, Chief Executive of Get Safe Online,
commented: "Get Safe Online Week this year is all about
'Don't be a victim' and we can all take simple steps to
protect ourselves, including putting a password on your
computer or mobile device, never clicking on a link sent
by a stranger, using strong passwords and always logging
off from an account or website when you're finished. The
more the public do this, and together with better
conviction rates, the more criminals won't be able to hide
behind a cloak of anonymity."
Detective Superintendent Pete O'Doherty, head of the City
of London Police's NFIB, added: "I would also call on
anyone who has fallen victim to an online fraud to report
to Action Fraud. Only by doing this will local police forces
be able to track down the main offenders and ensure
victims receive the best possible support as they try to
recover from what can be an extremely difficult and
upsetting experience."
Victim of cyber-enabled economic fraud should report it to
Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud reporting centre by
calling 0300 123 20 40 or by visiting actionfraud.police.uk.
If you are a victim of online abuse or harassment, you
should report it to your local police force. General advice
on how to stay safe online is available from
GetSafeOnline.org
(1st November 2014)

WE'RE SEEING 11 YEAR OLD GANG VIOLENCE
VICTIMS, WARNS TRAUMA DOCTOR
author Ross Lydall)
Children as young as 11 are part of an "exponential rise"
in victims of gang violence requiring life-saving treatment,
London's busiest major trauma centre has revealed.
About a quarter of the 2,500 cases handled by the unit at
St Mary's hospital are patients aged 11 to 25. Last year it
saw almost as many young victims of stabbings, shootings
and beatings with a blunt weapon (170) as those injured in
road collisions (200).
The figures were revealed as St Mary's today set out plans
to "embed" youth workers in the unit for three years to
help young people escape from gangs. A pilot project at
King's College hospital found that victims of gang culture
are most likely to be swayed when their presence in
hospital brings home the risks they face.
John Poyton, chief executive of Redthread youth charity,
which runs the schemes, said: "The moment young people
are injured, they realise they're not immortal. It's a
window of opportunity." Last year the major trauma centre
- one of four in London - treated an average of 11 serious
stabbings and one shooting each month. Medics also
reported a rise in "humiliation wounds".
Dr Asif Rahman, a consultant in emergency medicine,
said: "At the Notting Hill Carnival, we had a lot coming in
with buttock wounds."
"Hundreds" of patients were victims of gang-related sexual
violence and exploitation. Dr Rahman said the hospital
was seeing "more and more" victims of violent crime,
adding: "Some of our patients, at 11 years old, have been
involved in some form of gang violence."
The 648,000 intervention project is funded by Imperial

College Healthcare Charity and the Home Office. Crime
prevention minister Norman Baker said he would like to
see it become "standard practice" across the NHS.
He said: "The idea you can get to somebody at a moment
when they are prepared to listen to you, and stop them
being involved in potentially damaging behaviour to
themselves, has got to be good."
(1st November 2014)
PHONE HACKING : LEGAL LOOPHOLE ALLOWS
POLICE TO HACK INTO PEOPLES MESSAGES AND
EMAILS
(Mirror, dated 20th October 2014 author Jack Blanchard)
Full article : www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/phonehacking-legal-loophole-allows-4472109
[Option 1]
It was revealed that police could obtain journalists' phone
records, but new information shows they can also snoop
on the general public.
Police hack into hundreds of people's text messages,
voicemails and emails without their knowledge, it
emerged yesterday.
Figures show officers are exploiting a loophole in
surveillance laws to snoop on private messages without
needing a warrant from the Home Secretary.
It follows revelations this month that police obtained
journalists' phone records to find out their sources for
stories, without even needing permission from a judge.
But new Freedom of Information figures show ordinary
people are being snooped on as well.
If messages have been sent and are in storage, officers
can simply obtain a production order from a judge - and

force telecom and computer firms to hand them over.
The latest data shows police have used the loophole
hundreds of times over the past three years.
Julian Huppert, a Lib Dem member of the Home Affairs
committee, said production orders like these can be
helpful to the police but "they need to be constrained by
appropriate safeguards".
Home Secretary Theresa May has promised to publish a
revised code of conduct for police forces to follow.
Yesterday Deputy PM Nick Clegg said police must be
stripped of the power to obtain journalists' phone records
on the say-so of a senior officer.
He said: "Journalists should be able to go after information,
where there is a clear interest to do so, without fear of
being snooped on.
"It is a big thing to say to the press in this country: we can
demand where you got your information from and we
don't even need to go to a judge."
-------------------------Further information
Also reported in The Times, dated 20th October 2014
(1st November 2014)
PAEDOPHILES WHO DOWNLOAD IMAGES WON'T ALL
BE CHARGED
(BBC News, dated 20th October 2014)
Some paedophiles with images of child abuse will escape
prosecution, the head of the National Crime Agency says.
Keith Bristow said expecting all the estimated 50,000

people in the UK who have accessed abuse images to be
brought to justice was "not realistic".
He said police would have to focus on those who posed
most risk.
Labour called it "disgraceful", adding that the NCA was not
fit for dealing with the problem. The Home Office said all
crimes should be investigated.
'Uncomfortable'
Some 660 arrests were made during a recent operation
targeting people who had accessed child abuse images
online.
However, the BBC understands that as part of that
investigation, as many as 20,000-30,000 individuals were
identified as potential offenders.
The Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop)
- part of the NCA - has estimated that 50,000 people in the
UK are involved in downloading and sharing images of
child abuse.
"It is uncomfortable because... we want to see these
people in the criminal justice system," NCA director
general Mr Bristow said.
"But in my judgement, if there are 50,000 people involved,
we won't be able to identify all of them and we won't
necessarily be able to bring all of them to justice."
He said the agency's priority was to concentrate effort on
the "most dangerous people" and those most likely to
carry out physical abuse.
But campaigners pointed to a link between accessing
abuse images and "contact offending".
A 2012 Ceop report found "compelling evidence" that
those who possessed child abuse images should be

considered a risk to children.
It is an honest admission, which it would have been easier
not to have made.
But it is clear that police forces and child abuse experts
are dealing with a flood of potential evidence - partly the
result of increasingly sophisticated software which can
detect the digital fingerprint of abusive images online.
The implication is that police forces and the NCA will have
to review their cases to determine those where immediate
action is needed to protect children, those where more
time can be taken, and those which will simply have to be
left on file.
This brings obvious risks. A suspect who has viewed
indecent images online but, to date, done nothing abusive
in the "real world" may offend at a later date.
Keith Bristow's comments - at a briefing for specialist
reporters - did not include a call for more resources. There
is little doubt others will take up those reins.
'Most risky'
The NCA said in July that the 660 arrests made as part of
Operation Notarise included teachers, medical staff,
former police officers, a social services worker and a scout
leader.
Some of the suspected paedophiles had terabytes equivalent to 1,000GB - worth of data on their hard drives
or storage devices.
Mr Bristow said every image would be assessed,
describing it as "high volume" work that had to be done at
pace.
"It's uncomfortable but we're going to work through it in a
logical way, target the most risky first."
He said there would be a "range of interventions" which

for some of the offenders could fall short of them
"standing in a court".
An NCA spokesman said that included preventative
measures and enabling young people to protect
themselves online - such as blocking search terms and
disrupting anonymous web browsing.
NCA deputy director general Phil Gormley said: "Not every
viewer will go on to be a contact abuser," adding that
further research was required.
"We need a much more nuanced, much more sustainable
approach to this and we need to confront some really
unpleasant and horrible truths about human nature."
'Clear links'
The NSPCC said the NCA's intervention revealed "an
uncomfortable truth about the difficult decisions officers
face daily in identifying and pursuing offenders".
Head of strategy Jon Brown said: "It's true that the police
can only do what they can with the budgets available to
them.
"The government must make tackling this vile trade a
priority in the funding available to the NCA and at a local
force level.
"There are clear links between accessing this material and
contact offending."
Jim Gamble, who resigned as head of Ceop in 2010, said:
"Are we going to say because there's too many we can't
do it?"
He added that it was "shameful" Mr Bristow had to "come
out and deliver this hard but honest message".
"And the shame belongs with [Home Secretary] Theresa

May who has not invested - who has not delivered
anything beyond rhetoric to make things better for
children where the internet is involved."
Donald Findlater, from child protection charity the Lucy
Faithfull Foundation, said said police needed to "deploy
their resources to go for those who are most directly
dangerous to children and are most actively sharing
online".
'Unlikely to harm'
He said some among the estimated 50,000 people who
had viewed child abuse images would be heavy users of
adult pornography.
"Now that's not OK," he told BBC News. "But it does tell
me that their primary sexual interest is in adults. They're
highly unlikely to directly harm a child."
Also included in the 50,000 would be younger teenage
boys looking at images of girls under 18, he added.
Labour accused the government of presiding over a policy
which saw "the vast majority" of those downloading child
abuse images "not investigated".
"Of course they need to look first for the most dangerous
cases, but it seems most cases aren't being investigated
at all," shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said.
"Theresa May created the National Crime Agency... but it's
clear now that the NCA is simply not fit for dealing with
the scale and seriousness of this problem.
Police arrested hundreds of thousands of people for theft
and drug offences, she added.
"Why is the home secretary not also insisting we arrest
known paedophiles, where children may be at risk?"
But the Home Office said: "We are clear that all crimes
should be investigated," adding that the government was
"determined to stamp out" what was an "appalling crime".
A spokesman said the NCA had safeguarded or protected
more than 1,000 children, making 706 arrests.
"We will always ensure police and other crime fighting
agencies have access to the powers and resources they
need to tackle child abuse in all its forms," the department
said.
Last week Mr Bristow apologised if children had been
harmed because of Ceop "sitting on" information it had
about 2,000 British paedophiles for more than a year.
Information on the men was sent to UK authorities by
Toronto Police in July 2012, as part of an international
investigation, Operation Spade, into suspected
paedophiles.
But it was not passed on to police forces until more than
12 months later in November 2013.
(1st November 2014)
MORE THAN 250 PAEDOPHILES STILL ON LOOSE

TWO YEARS AFTER CHILD PORN TIP-OFF
(Metro, dated 20th October 2014 author Rob Waugh)
http://metro.co.uk
More than 250 cases involving alleged paedophiles are still
not resolved - two years after evidence of nearly 2,345
individuals who had accessed child pornography from the
UK was first handed over to the Child Exploitation Online
Protection Centre (Ceop).
The information included a tip-off about teacher Martin
Goldberg of Thorpe Park School in Essex (pictured) who
secretly filmed children, and who was found hanged after
trying to destroy evidence of his crimes.

The trove of evidence also included information on deputy
head Gareth Williams, who was later jailed for five years
for filming pupils in Cardiff.
Two years after the evidence was handed over by
Canadian police in 2012, 271 suspects are still being
investigated.
Out of 724 referrals that were made to 21 police forces,
only 34 people have been charged and five have accepted
cautions.
Investigators in Toronto gave 2,345 pieces of intelligence
linked to accessing child abuse images to Ceop.
But it was only in November 2013 that the information
was finally given to police, when Ceop was taken in to the
newly-created National Crime Agency.
NSPCC spokesman Jon Brown said: 'It's vital that any
evidence of someone viewing or making child abuse
imagery is urgently followed up by forces. There are clear
links between accessing this material and offending.Some
offenders who make and view this abusive imagery pose a
serious risk to children.'
Child protection expert Jim Gamble, who was chief
executive of Ceop until he resigned in 2010, warned that
delays could happen again.
'These mistakes correlate directly to the lack of
investment that has been made in child protection
resources, especially where the internet is involved,' he
said. 'This government clearly does not understand the
issues. They allowed Ceop to wither on the vine.'
Goldberg, who worked at a school in Southend, had
indecent images of pupils on his computer when he was
found dead in September.
(1st November 2014)

ARE YOU A GUN OWNER ? LET US IN OR ELSE
(The Register, dated 19th October 2014 author Gareth
Corfield)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/19/column_acpo_campaign
_against_british_gun_owners/
[option 1]
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) has
announced a legal tweak intended to allow police officers
to turn up at the homes of gun owners, without warning,
and demand to inspect guns stored on the premises. A
new Crimestoppers hotline is also in operation to
encourage people to dob in gun owners they suspect of
wrongdoing. However, as even the police themselves
admit, gun crime is falling.
Coming in the form of an amendment to the Home Office
Guidance on Firearms Law, as spotted by the Shooting
Times, the change explicitly authorises police forces to
turn up and conduct unannounced spot checks on lawabiding gun owners.
Previously the police would make an appointment with the
owner to carry out an inspection and discuss any safety,
security or legal concerns. The police have always had the
legal power to revoke firearm or shotgun certificates and
seize guns where concerns are raised over the fitness of
the owner to have them.
The latest update to the Home Office guidance states:
"Where it is judged necessary, based on specific
intelligence in light of a particular threat, or risk of harm,
the police may undertake an unannounced home visit to
check the security of a certificate holder's firearms and
shotguns. It is not expected that the police will undertake
an unannounced home visit at an unsocial hour unless

there is a justified and specific requirement to do so on the
grounds of crime prevention or public safety concerns and
the police judge that this action is both justified and
proportionate.
It is recognised that there is no new power of entry for
police or police staff when conducting home visits. To
mitigate any misunderstanding on the part of the
certificate holder the police must provide a clear and
reasoned explanation to the certificate holder at the time
of the visit."
This addition to the guidance was instigated by the ACPO,
the private limited company which acts as a talking-shopcum-trade-union for senior police constables.
"Our aim is not to catch out gun owners," said ACPO's
Chief Constable Andy Marsh, their lead for firearms
licensing matters, "which is why we are giving notice that
these visits will be taking place. We want to work with the
shooting community to ensure gun owners are aware of
how to keep their firearms secure and, where appropriate,
give advice to individual owners."
A Home Office spokesman confirmed to The Register that
Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker, whose ministerial
brief includes firearms laws, signed off the change. It was
circulated in advance to stakeholders including the British
Shooting Sports Council, which is made up of the main
governing bodies for the shooting sports and organisations
representing countryside interests.
Baker is best known for his fervent belief in conspiracy
theories, to the point where he wrote a book claiming the
British government murdered former MoD weapons
inspector Dr David Kelly. In the words of the Telegraph's
Dan Hodges, Baker's book is "clearly bonkers".
The Home Office was also keen to point out to The
Register that the revised guidance is "not introducing any
new powers". When we pressed its spokesman on this,
pointing out that changing a key interpretation of the law
to permit unannounced home visits amounted to

introducing new powers, the Home Office conceded that it
was "providing clarity on how these powers are being
used".
A source tells The Register that the British Shooting Sports
Council (BSSC) agreed the wording as there was nothing in
it "that the police could not do already". Yet the
Crimestoppers number is, according to the recorded blurb
on the line itself, intended for reporting "security concerns
over lawfully held firearms".
Our source adds that the hotline was introduced after the
BSSC agreed the amended Home Office Guidance, and
claims it was announced at the same time as the new
guidance on the instructions of Chief Constable Marsh.
Put another way, the phone number - already dubbed the
"busybodies' charter" - was tacked onto the
announcement of the new guidance without any
consultation with stakeholders, as far as El Reg can tell.
"If the Home Office and ACPO wished to approach this
subject in a conciliatory nature they have chosen an
unusual way of doing so," says Charles Marston of proshooting campaign group Firearms UK. "Would it not have
been far better and in the interests of good relations to
have written to individual certificate holders, remind them
of their obligations and responsibilities, asking for
vigilance when publicising their ownership of firearms and
request assistance in recognising potential problems from
those with a knowledge of firearms, instead of the
confrontational and divisive way they have chosen?"
The number was not even connected last Monday morning
when ACPO's Twitter account began breathlessly
announcing it to the world.
(1st November 2014)
ROTHERHAM POLICE TOOK BRIBES FROM ABUSERS,

CLAIMS CHARITY
(The Times, dated 18th October 2014 authors Andrew
Norfolk and Richard Ford)
www.thetimes.co.uk
A corrupt police office was on the payroll of men who
targeted and sexually abused children in Rotherham, a
charity worker has claimed.
The rogue officer is said to have passed information to
grooming networks, undermining efforts to protect girls
and target offenders.
An independent inquiry has estimated that 1,400 children
in the South Yorkshire town were subjected to abuse over
16 years from 1997. Victims were often blamed for the
crimes committed against them, while "no action was
taken on the perpetrators".
The corruption allegations, against an unnamed police
officer, was made in evidence to MP's by a charity that
supports the families of exploited children. PACE (Parents
Against Child Sexual Exploitation) employed a family
support worker in Rotherham from 2002 to 2006. She was
said to have "faced an extremely difficult working
environment, with hostility from RMBC (Rotherham
Council), inaction from South Yorkshire Police and
intimidation by perpetrators".
"This project worker believes at least one police office was
undermining her work and potentially putting her
personally at risk as he/she was being paid by pimps /
groomers for information", the charity said in a written
submission to a parliamentary inquiry.
Former abuse victims have told The Times that some
police officers in Rotherham were on friendly terms with
the men using and selling girls for sex.
A South Yorkshire police spokeswoman said yesterday the
force had contacted the charity to "commence
comprehensive inquiries" into the allegation.

The Commons home affairs select committee calls today
for a full investigation into whether an orchestrated coverup was ordered to hide the extent of sex-grooming crimes
in Rotherham.
MP's made the recommendation after hearing evidence
that key files containing information about child sexual
exploitation that was due to be passed to the Home Office,
were stolen from a council office in 2002.
Keith Vaz, the committee's chairman said "The
proliferation of revelations about files which can be no
longer be located gives rise to public suspicion of a
deliberate cover-up".
In a report published today, the home affairs committee
has also produced a draft parliamentary bill that would
provide a mechanism to remove elected police and crime
commissioners from their posts. Shaun Wright, South
Yorshire's commissioner, defied public calls for his
departure for 3 weeks before he finally resigned last
month.
---------------------------------------FORCE "CONCEALED SEX GROOMING RECORD"
(The Times, dated 18th Ocotober 2014 author Andrew
Norfolk)
www.thetimes.co.uk
Police and child protection workers in Birmingham
concealed evidence about the scale of sex grooming
offences and the ethnicity of offenders, it was claimed
yesterday.
In an echo of blunders exposed in Rotherham, West
Midlands police and a safeguarding board were accused of
withholding reports that detailed the forces failure to
protect victims.
The Birmingham Mail revealed that a confidential 2012
police intelligence profile found that 75 per cent of the

regions suspected street-groomers were of Asian ethnicity,
while 82 per cent of victims were white girls aged 14 - 16.
A second unpublished report, by the city's safeguarding
children board, was said to have warned last year that
child victims of sexual exploitation were being placed in
secure accommodation while the perpetrators of those
horrific crimes remain at liberty and continue to target
other children.
Carl Foulkes, the West Midland assistant chief constable,
said " Child sexual exploitation remains at the top of our
agenda".
(1st November 2014)
RAPE TOLL RISES TO 60 EVERY DAY

(The Times, dated 17th October 2014 author Richard Ford)
www.thetimes.co.uk
Rapes recorded by police have reached an all-time
high,with an increase in sex attacks at knife point,
according to offical figures published yesterday.
About 5,000 more rapes were reported in England and
Wales in the year to June, compared with the year before,
as police improve their recording practices and more
victims came forward.
The total number of rapes rose to 22,000 - equal to 60
every day - and the number of sex attacks at knife point
rose by almost 50 per cent. Rapes involving a knife, blade
or other sharp instrument rose to 294, and the number of
sexual assaults involving a knife rose by more than a fifth
to 111.
Statisticians and academics said that the rise was driven
by an increase in the willingness of victims to report
attacks, particularly after the Jimmy Savile case, as well as
improved recording practices after accusations of "fiddling
the figures". Some expressed concern at the figures on

sexual assaults at knifepoint, and said that research was
needed to find out what was behind the attacks and
whether they could be linked to gangs or the influence of
pornography on attackers.
Sarah Green, of End Violence Against Women, said there
was huge concern that young girls, particularly teenagers,
were disproportionately victims of rape and were unwilling
to report incidents to the police. Research by the Centre
for Social Justice suggested that sexual exploitation was
an acceptable part of relationships within gangs where
violence and threats were almost normalised.
Professor Liz Kelly, the professor of sexualised violence at
London Metropolitan University, said it was wrong to think
that knife related rapes were linked to attacks only by
strangers. "Some of the most brutal rapes involving
weapons involve ex-partners who are being raped in the
context of a relationship breakdown. It is entirely possible
that some might be these," she said.
Improvements in the way police treat victims, stricter
recording of offences and successful prosecutions are
likely to have helped push up the number of victims going
to the police after attacks.
The latest rape figures were in statistics showing the total
number of crimes recorded in England and Wales was
stable at 3.7 million offences, while the Crime Survey of
England and Wales reported a 16 per cent fall to 7.1
million offences, the lowest level since 1981. However, if
300,000 bank and credit card frauds were included in the
survey, the overall number of offences would be 7.4
million.
The Crime Survey, which interviews people aboutt their
experience of crime, said violent offending had fallen by
23 per cent along with falls in criminal damage, by 20 per
cent, and in theft, by 12 per cent. The picture was
complicated by recorded crime figures, which showed an
11 per cent in violent crime to more than 600,000
offences, a 6 per cent increase in public order offences

and a rise in shoplifting.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said that the rise in
violent crime was probably down in part to police forces
focusing on recording violence after criticism from Her
Majesties Inspectorate of Constabulary.
"Incidents of violence are more open to subjective
judgements about recording than other types of offence,
and anecdotal evidence suggests action taken by forces to
improve their recording is likely to have been an important
factor in driving this increase", the ONS said.
It said the fall in violent crime in the Crime Survey was
matched by other evidence, including hospital admissions
after violent incidents.
Religious and race hate crimes rose after the murder of
Lee Rigby in Woolwich, according to crime figures. There
were 44,000 hate crimes in the year to the end of March, a
rise of 5 per cent on the previous year. The figures showed
increases in all areas of hate crime including race, sexual
orientation, religion, disability and transgender. Big
increases were noted in religious hate crime, which rose
by 45 per cent to 2,273, while race-hate crime rose by 4
per cent to 37,484.
(1st November 2014)
INTERPOL : GANGS IN $1BN CYBER RAID PLOT
author Nick Kochan)
www.standard.co.uk
Criminal gangs are plotting a $1 billion (618 million)
cyber-heist on global financial institutions, Europol has
warned, as they ratchet up the pressure on banks reeling
from the record-breaking hit on JPMorgan Chase.
Secret listening on internet chatrooms by the European
police investigative body has discovered planning by
sophisticated Russian cyber-criminals aimed at pulling off

one massive hit on a bank.
"We have intelligence and information about planning in
this direction," Troels Oerting, pictured, head of Europol's
European Cybercrime Centre in The Hague, said.
Bank insiders are being groomed, says Europol, to put in
place programs that will override monitoring apparatus.
These insiders will close down alarm systems designed to
alert staff when large amounts are unexpectedly
transferred out of a bank.
"The criminals don't want to make thousands of small
thefts," said Oerting. "Instead they want one big one on a
financial institution."
(1st November 2014)
CASH MACHINE HACK "DISPENSES WADS"
(BBC News, dated 8th October 2014 author Dave Lee)
A flaw in cash machines that allows criminals to quickly
steal wads of cash has been discovered.
Interpol has alerted countries in Europe, Latin America and
Asia known to have been targeted - and is carrying out a
widespread investigation.
Security firm Kaspersky Labs discovered the hack, which is
enabled by entering a series of digits on the keypad.
Infected cash machines can be instructed to dispense 40
notes at once, without a credit or debit card.
Kaspersky Labs produced a video showing how the hack
was carried out. More details were provided in a blog post.
Prior to trying to obtain the cash, targeted machines are
infected with malicious software via a boot CD.

To do this, criminals need physical access to the workings
of the machine.
Once the malware - known as Tyupkin - has been installed,
the "mule" sent to collect the cash must enter a code on
the machine's key pad.
But Tyupkin then requires a second unique code randomly generated by an algorithm at a remote location to unlock the machine and dispense the cash.
It is this part of the process that ensures the criminal who
has this algorithm retains control over when and how often
these illegal withdrawals occur.
'Known security weaknesses'
"Over the last few years, we have observed a major
upswing in ATM attacks using skimming devices and
malicious software," said Vicente Diaz, principal security
researcher at Kaspersky.
"Now we are seeing the natural evolution of this threat
with cybercriminals moving up the chain and targeting
financial institutions directly."
Kaspersky carried out its initial investigation at the
"request of a financial institution" - although it would not
say which.
The attack does not affect individual customers, instead
simply instructing the machine to dispense notes, with no
link to bank accounts.
The weaknesses of cash machines is routinely under the
spotlight in the security industry. Many machines run
outdated software, which is hard to update for logistical
and financial reasons - there are lots of cash machines,
and money needs to be spent upgrading their hardware.
"The fact that many ATMs run on operating systems with
known security weaknesses and the absence of security

solutions is another problem that needs to be addressed
urgently," Kaspersky wrote.
Earlier this year another malware strain, known as Ploutus,
allowed hackers to command machines to dispense cash
by sending a text message to them.
In 2010, hacker Barnaby Jack discovered a technique he
dubbed "Jackpotting" - in which a cash machine could be
made to spew out money.
His demonstration on stage at security conference Black
Hat provoked a standing ovation.
Mr Jack died of a suspected accidental drugs overdose in
2013, just days before he was due to give a presentation
on the weaknesses in medical devices.
(1st November 2014)
1400 SHOTS FIRED AND 29 DEAD : SHOCKING SCALE

OF LONDON GUN CRIME REVEALED
(London Evening Standard, dated 7th October 2014 author
Martin Bentham)
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/shocking-figures-revealextent-of-londons-gun-crime-9779349.html [Option 1]
The disturbing extent of gun crime in London was revealed
today, as new figures showed criminals have fired a
weapon on nearly 1,400 occasions in the capital during
the past three and a half years.
The Met Police statistics show 29 people died as a result of
the shootings, and 760 sustained injuries ranging from
"minor" damage to potentially life-changing wounds. The
firing peaked in 2011 - the year of the London riots - when
532 shots were fired by offenders, killing 12 people and

injuring 302 more.
There were another 412 shots the following year, causing
227 injuries and six deaths.
Scotland Yard has managed to reduce the number of
firearms offences since then. However, 127 shots were still
fired during the first six months of this year, killing one
person and injuring 63.
Today's figures, obtained by the Standard under the
Freedom of Information Act, will raise questions about the
ability of the authorities to curb the flow of illegal
weapons.
They come days after a teenager was convicted of
manslaughter after shooting his 15-year-old girlfriend with
a counterfeit Italian Beretta pistol.
The Old Bailey heard that Shereka Fab-Ann Marsh died
from a single bullet wound after the boy, 15, fired as she
went to give him a birthday present in Hackney in March.
The boy, who cannot be named, had been hiding the gun
for a man in his twenties. He claimed he shot Shereka by
accident. Police found two photos of him posing with a gun
when they examined his phone. The new figures show the
tragedy is only the latest in a succession in recent years.
Lambeth is the worst affected borough, with 130 shots
fired, seven people killed and 67 injured between the start
of 2011 and June 22 this year. Newham and Hackney
suffer the next highest level of shooting: both saw 79
shots fired in the same period.
They are followed by Lewisham (74) and Southwark (72).
Croydon, which has seen three deaths from shootings, has
the highest number of fatalities after Lambeth. Badly
affected wards include Thamesmead East in Bexley, where
eight shots were fired last year; Kilburn in Brent; which
saw six in the same year; and Bromley Town, where 11
shots fired during 2012. Stonebridge in Brent has seen the

most firing this year: five shots up to June 22.
But the overall number of shots fired has begun to fall.
The tally for last year was 308, just under 60 per cent of
the total two years earlier. The figure for this year up to
June - 127 - indicates the final total is on course to be the
lowest for several years.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Haydon, head of the
Met's Trident unit, said overall gun crime, including
offences in which weapons were not fired, was now at its
lowest level for six years.
He said 300 guns had been seized during the past year,
but the force was not "complacent", adding: "We focus our
efforts on known violent offenders."
Anyone with information regarding gun or gang crime you
can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or
access a secure online form via www.fearless.org. In an
emergency call 999.
(1st November 2014)
SCANT POLICE RESOURCES "OVERWHELMED" BY

CHILD ABUSE
(Police Oracle, dated 6th October 2014 author Jasmin
McDermott)
Dwindling officer numbers are being "overwhelmed" by
the thousands of child abuse images they have to deal
with and senior leaders must ensure staffing levels can
tackle this high risk crime, it has been stated.
Children's charity the NSPCC has revealed its concern after
figures obtained by a Freedom of Information request
show that whilst thousands of computers and devices are
being seized by police, forces are lacking specialist officers
to identify victims.
Almost 5,000 computers were seized by just over a third
of the 43 forces in England and Wales last year. Those that
responded said they had a total of 181 specialist officers
assigned to search through the images to try and identify
the victims. This works out at six per force.
Figures show that Lancashire Constabulary seized 745
computers in 2013, had three specialists to analyse the
devices and made 158 arrests for possessing,
downloading, and distributing child abuse images between
2013-14.
Northumbria Police confiscated 570 computers with eight
specialists to work on them while Hertfordshire
Constabulary seized 516 computers with four specialists.
Out of the 16 forces that responded to the request,
Durham Constabulary seized the least amount of
computers.
NSPCC lead for tackling sexual abuse Jon Brown said that
senior leaders and relevant authorities need to prioritise
the problem when managing resources.
He said: "The volume of devices and the number of
images on each device that forces are having to work
through is increasing.
"Ultimately what we need is an approach that cuts this
material off at the source but until then, relevant
authorities must ensure that staffing numbers are at a
level to be able to deal with this and prioritise accordingly,
so swift action can be taken and children are not put at
risk."
Nevin Grieve, Vice President of the Europe, Middle East
and Africa region of the Wynyard Group, said that data
analytics software could help alleviate the problem that
leaders face.
He said: "There is no denying that the volume, velocity

and variety of digital devices now being used by criminals
is growing and significantly adds to the pressure on forces
to process devices quickly. Vital evidence needs to get to
the hands of investigating officers as soon as possible and
in a forensically sound way to enable cases to be prepared
and innocent children protected.
"Tools and techniques now exist and are being used by
forces internationally to rapidly scrutinise potential
evidence. Digital evidence investigation is a growing area
of focus to ensure streamlining, clearing backlogs and
prioritising harm reduction."
The National Crime Agency, which has a Child Exploitation
and Online Protection Centre command, declined to
comment, stating that it was an issue for forces.
(1st November 2014)
PRIVATE LIFE FOR SALE
Madhumita Venkataramanan )
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/are-decisionsbeing-made-about-me-using-data-i-never-meant-to-giveto-a-third-party-wireds-madhumita-venkataramanan-ondatatracking-companies-9776428.html [Option 1]
I'm a 26-year-old British Asian woman, working in media
and living in an SW postcode in London. Growing up, my
family lived in a detached house, took holidays to India
every year and did most of the weekly shopping online at
Ocado. Now I rent a privately owned flat and have a
housemate. I'm interested in movies and start-ups, have
taken five holidays in the past 12 months. I intend to buy
flights in the next 14 days. My annual income is probably
between 30,000 and 39,999. I don't have a TV but enjoy
on-demand services. I passed through Upper Street in
north London every day last week. I eat out or get

takeaways often; Thai and Mexican are my favourite. I
don't own any furniture and don't have children. I've never
been married. I don't own a car. I have a cleaner who lets
herself in when I'm at work. I shop for groceries at
Sainsbury's because it is on my way home. I am far more
likely to be browsing restaurant reviews than managing
my finances online. I am rarely swayed by others' views.
This motley set of characteristics comes very close to
defining me. It's also an accurate description of what
companies I had never heard of have learned about me.
The personal data economy has grown relentlessly into a
multibillion-pound business of tracking, packaging and
selling data picked up from our public records and our
private lives. Our behaviour is logged every time we
interact with the connected world, generated by apps and
services we use daily - from geolocation and cookies to
social-media tracking and credit-card transactions.
Combine this with public information such as voterregistration data, daily location routes and social-media
posts, and these benign data sets reveal a lot.
Even as you're reading this, your smartphone can reveal
your location and even your posture. Your life is being
converted into a data package to be sold on. Ultimately,
you are the product.
Under the EU's Data Protection Directive personal data
(anything that allows a third party to link the information
to an individual, such as full address, credit-card number,
criminal record) can be sold to third parties only with your
consent and once it has been stripped of your name and
unique identifiers such as National Insurance number.
Particulars such as your postcode, age and gender can be
traded - because they are not personal but
"pseudonymous".
But the data business has outgrown the directive.
"Removing someone's name [from a list] to make them
anonymous, that's an idea that went out in computer
security 15 years ago," says computer scientist Joss

Wright, from Oxford University's Internet Institute. "If I
know where you live, your salary and your medical
conditions and your location patterns then what's in a
name?"
The more data points collected for an individual, the more
likely their record is to be unique. According to Pew
Research, an average adult Facebook user has 338 friends
- that's at least 338 "dimensions" of data per user. A data
set of your mobile-phone locations over an hour will have
more than 500 dimensions. Once matched with data sets
containing age, sex and address, you're found.
The linking of health and demographic data is already
occurring. The NHS produces a "pseudonymised" set of
records called the Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)
database, containing every instance of patients in England
using a hospital service since 2001, identified by date of
birth, gender and address.
A published list shows this data has been shared with
companies including consulting firm McKinsey, Bupa,
pharmaceutical firm AstraZeneca and, since July, Experian
- a global information-services company which collects
information including historical postcodes, gender and
lifestyle habits.
Our mobile-location data is also currently being tracked
and sold "anonymously" - but with a unique MAC number
attached. "In the past couple of years an entire industry
has developed around monitoring the signals your wi-fi
radio gives out," says Seth Schoen, chief technologist of
the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Your phone only needs
to be on. "[Free] apps that ask you for your location are
sending it back to the developer continuously, who can
sell it to advertisers," says Schoen. "That's why they're
free."
A 2013 study by the MIT Media Lab showed that, using
data from a mobile phone network provider, all it took was
four approximate places and times to uniquely identify 95
per cent of people.

If you think you don't care about being unmasked, you
may want to reconsider. Personalised browser ads may be
harmless but allowing disparate aspects of your life to be
combined and identified could have unexpected
consequences.
"The issue is: are decisions, such as whether I get to go to
a particular university or whether I end up getting
insurance cover, being made about me using data I never
intended to give to a third party - for example, my lifestyle
or a family member's ailment?" says Tim Sparapani,
privacy lawyer at Apps Alliance and ex-director of public
policy at Facebook. "This isn't about the future - it's
already starting to happen."
Earlier this year, Cambridge University security engineer
Ross Anderson found that NHS hospital data had been sold
to, among others, the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries,
which has used the information to calculate patients' risk
of developing critical illnesses, and so "improve the
accuracy of pricing" (read: increase insurance cost).
Despite a furore in the press, the NHS is pushing ahead
with the next phase of its open-data plan - the release of
all NHS England's GP data in a set called Care.data. The
data will include referrals, diagnoses, NHS prescriptions,
your family history, vaccinations, blood-test results, BMI,
smoking/alcohol habits etc - for everyone who uses the
NHS in England, dating back to April 2013 - extracted as
codes.
It's claimed that Care.data won't be shared with
commercial organisations and will only be used for
research purposes. But in April this year the Health and
Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) disclosed that HES
data had been given to more than 1,000 firms. Some
companies were given a commercial-reuse licence,
according to Sam Smith, co-founder of UK-based campaign
group MedConfidential. "This means they can sell the data
on," he says.
When I log data into personal training app Endomondo, it

accesses my sex, location and date of birth to share with
advertising company DoubleClick, according to co-founder
Mette Lykke.
Until August 2013, the row of 12 recycling bins at Bank
Tube station were picking up phones' unique MAC numbers
via their wi-fi, without the know-ledge of phone owners.
The London-built technology would know if I was the same
person who passed by yesterday, my route and how fast I
was travelling.
ShopperTrak, a Chicago company, counts the people
passing by Godiva on Regent Street via their phones, and
modifies the display accordingly.
The screen in the Southwark Tesco forecourt has a camera
installed by London-based Amscreen, as it has in 500 UK
stores. "The screens are not just passive TVs...The
algorithm knows someone is standing in front of it and
figures out your sex and age, while also recording the time
and location," says Mike Lemmings, Amscreen's head of
marketing and product development.
To piece together what these companies knew about me I
spoke to Eyeota, a data-analytics profiler. Using my
browsing activity, Eyeota uses a cookie to assign me to a
thousand attributes ranging from type of job, whether I
have children or like to buy Star Wars memorabilia and so
on. It never finds out my name but it knows more about
me than my neighbours do.
Eyeota also buys data from Experian's marketing
database, Mosaic: a collection of 15 demographic groups
and 66 lifestyle types based on your postcode. My Mosaic
type runs to 16 pages, with predictions about everything
from my financial circumstances to my view on the world.
It can then sell this information to the highest bidder.
Profiling individuals has been a gold rush. "It expanded
post-9/11 because governments were trying to prevent
the next 9/11," Sparapani says. "This was all to try to

predict who is related to whom, engaged in terrorist
activity." The data is traded commercially and sustained
by advertisers - the Interactive Advertising Bureau says US
revenues last year hit an all-time high of $42.8?billion. A
large part of this is based on selling targeted user data on
Facebook and Google.
Now our tax records could be exposed in a similar way to
our HNS records. "[In July], we had a meeting in Parliament
about a proposal from HM Revenue and Customs to sell
our tax records to people in the City and remove names
and addresses from it but assign a unique ID," Ross
Anderson says.
"All biometric sensor data sources are going to be pretty
easy to re-identify," says Scott Peppet, privacy lawyer at
the University of Colorado. "Think about your heartbeat or
how you walk or your pattern of exercise. No one has the
identical patterns to you."
In June 2013, the CIA's chief technology officer Ira Hunt
gave a talk at GigaOM's Structure:Data conference in New
York about the importance of wearable technology such as
the Fitbit to the security services. He said not only could
you infer an individual's sex, height and weight from Fitbit
data but that they were "100 per cent guaranteed to be
identified simply by [their] gait". Fitbit representative Katie
Henry responded: "Mixpanel, just like all our third-party
service providers, is prevented from using any personally
identifiable data for any other purposes."
As the data we generate about ourselves continues to
grow exponentially, brokers and aggregators are moving
on from real-time profiling - they're cross-linking data sets
to predict our future behaviour. The aggregate of what's
been collected about us previously defines us to
companies we've never met.
What I am giving up without consent, then, is not just my
anonymity but also my right to self-determination and free
choice. All I get to keep is my name.
(1st November 2014)

POLICE SCOTLAND SETS UP NATIONAL CHILD ABUSE
INVESTIGATION UNIT
www.bbc.co.uk
A new national task force is to be set up to tackle child sex
abuse in Scotland.
The Police Scotland National Child Abuse Investigation Unit
aims to improve co-ordination and intelligence gathering.
The move follows concern about systematic child
exploitation of the type uncovered recently in Rotherham.
Since April 2013, 283 people have been charged with
offences linked to online activity.
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham will appear
before the Scottish Parliament's justice committee on
Tuesday to explain what the force is doing to tackle child
sexual exploitation.
He said the creation of a single force in Scotland was an
opportunity to maximise specialist skills and expertise in
keeping children safe.
This week new guidance was issued to police officers and
staff to ensure a consistent response to children who may
be vulnerable to child sexual exploitation.
Assistant Chief Constable Graham said: "Through our
action plan, our aim is to improve our work in prevention,
our training for our police officers and staff and our work
with partners.
"A key part of our plan is the development of a National
Child Abuse Investigation Unit which will lead and coordinate complex inquiries, develop good practice through
making the maximum use of our specialist investigation
skills and by improving our links with the third sector and
local authorities we can improve our intelligence networks
to proactively identify such cases."
New technology
In January, the NSPCC children's charity highlighted a rise
in sexual abuse cases in Scotland involving children under
the age of 13.
Police Scotland recorded more than 700 offences against
young children in 2012/13. The charity also reported a rise
in calls to its helpline.
The taskforce will build on the work of Operation Dash, a
multi-agency operation led by Police Scotland, which is
trying to determine the extent of child sexual exploitation
in the Greater Glasgow area.
Assistant Chief Constable Graham added: "There is no
doubt that across the globe the volume of offending
through all forms of online activity, whether possession of
indecent images of children, online grooming with intent
to committing further sexual offences or the exchange of
indecent images amongst groups is escalating due to
increased access to mobile devices, improved download
technologies and the development of sophisticated
software to conceal activity.
"All law enforcement agencies recognise the challenge this
presents but the solution will not be offered by one agency
alone, but by working together across the justice sector,
across the voluntary sector and with local authorities in
tackling this issue.
"We continue to invest in developing technologies and
investigation techniques and will learn from best practice
across the world in order to target offenders to prevent
crime."
Children in care
In a submission to Holyrood's justice committee, the

Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) said
recent cases had highlighted the vulnerability of children
living in care.
COPFS chief executive Catherine Dyer said: "They have
multiple layers of complex needs and concerns.
"They can willingly associate with older males who offer
cigarettes, alcohol and a night away from their residential
home.
"Many of these teenage children do not realise that they
are victims of exploitation and even when they commence
engagement with the criminal justice system they remain
extremely vulnerable and distrustful of all agencies."
(1st November 2014)
JP MORGAN SEES 78 MILLION CUSTOMER ACCOUNTS

HACKED
(BBC News, dated 3rd October 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.com/news/business-29470381
JP Morgan has revealed it suffered a massive cyber attack
on 76 million private and seven million business
customers in the US.
The raid gathered account holders names and addresses
but the bank said it did not involve critical information
such as account and social security numbers.
It said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange
Commission (SEC) that it had not seen any "unusual
customer fraud related to this incident".
JP Morgan is the US's biggest bank.
Earlier this year there were reports that Russia had hacked
into its systems.

In August the bank said it was co-operating with law
enforcement officials over this suspected incident.
Passwords
The bank said that "customers [whose accounts had been
hacked] are not liable for unauthorized transactions on
their account that they promptly alert the firm to".
JP Morgan says it is unlikely customers will need to take
any action, such as changing their passwords or account
information.
Its company spokeswoman, Patricia Wexler, said that the
bank is not offering credit monitoring to customers either
because it does not believe any financial information,
account data or personally identifiable information was
taken.
Other major US firms, including Home Depot and Target
have been the subject of similar widescale attacks.
The Home Depot breach affected 56 million customer
payment cards, while Target saw credit card data for 40
million customers stolen, as well as personal and
identification information for 70 million other customers.
(1st November 2014)
US HOTEL FINED FOR DELIBERAT JAMMING OF

GUESTS WIFI HOTSPOTS
(The Register, dated 3rd October 2014 author Shaun
Nichols)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/03/marriott_jamming_wifi_f
cc/
The Marriott has been fined $600,000 by the FCC for

paralyzing guests' personal Wi-Fi hotspots, forcing them to
use the hotel giant's expensive network instead.
The US watchdog today said the Marriott Gaylord Opryland
in Nashville, Tennessee, used monitoring equipment to
illegally boot hotel and convention center guests off their
own networks, which were typically smartphone hotspots.
Meanwhile, Marriott managers encouraged everyone to
connect to the hotel's Wi-Fi network, which cost from $250
to $1,000 to access.
According to the commission, the Gaylord Opryland
installed some mystery equipment and configured it to
continually flood the surrounding ether with deauthentication packets. An attacker does not have to know
a Wi-Fi network's password, or be authenticated in any
way, to send a successful de-auth packet. All devices and
computers that receive the management frame over the
air are instructed to disassociate from their network.
Essentially, it was virtually impossible to use Wi-Fi, unless
it was the Marriott's.
"It is unacceptable for any hotel to intentionally disable
personal hotspots while also charging consumers and
small businesses high fees to use the hotel's own Wi-Fi
network," said FCC enforcement bureau chief Travis
LeBlanc.
"This practice puts consumers in the untenable position of
either paying twice for the same service or forgoing
internet access altogether."
The fine is part of a consent decree [PDF] Marriott has
signed in order to end the watchdog's investigation into
Wi-Fi jamming. Marriott has also agreed to send a report
on its Wi-Fi "containment functionality" tools to the
commission.
The Marriott, in a statement, said: "Like many other
institutions and companies in a wide variety of industries,

including hospitals and universities, the Gaylord Opryland
protected its Wi-Fi network by using FCC-authorized
equipment provided by well-known, reputable
manufacturers. We believe that the Gaylord Opryland's
actions were lawful."
Updated to add
We asked the FCC if it knew of the equipment or software
used by Marriott to disrupt personal Wi-Fi hotspots.
Although a spokesperson for the commission gave us a
name, that vendor has strenuously denied any
involvement. Our investigation continues.
(1st November 2014)
PM'S PLEDGE ON ALICE MURDER
(Daily Mail, dated 3rd October 2014 author Tamara Cohen
and Chris Greenwood)
Full article :
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2780041/DavidCameron-lead-probe-Alice-Gross-killer-Arniz-Zalkalns-gotUK.html
[Option 1]
- Arnis Zalkalns, 41, is the prime suspect in the murder of
Alice Gross
- David Cameron has pledged find out how Latvian builder
got into Britain
- He said he was 'sickened' by the death of the 14-year-old
schoolgirl
- Zalkalns served seven years in a Latvian jail for killing his
wife in 1998
- But he was able to come to Britain unchecked to find
work in 2007
- This has prompted calls for the EU to keep a database of
convictions
David Cameron has pledged to personally examine how

the prime suspect for Alice Gross's murder got into Britain.
In a dramatic intervention, the Prime Minister promised to
learn lessons from the case and consider whether better
ways of sharing information on criminals between
European countries could have helped.
He said he was 'sickened' by the death of the 14-year-old
schoolgirl, who was last seen walking along a canal
towpath in West London on August 28.
CCTV cameras also picked out Arnis Zalkalns, a builder
from Latvia, cycling along the same route 15 minutes
later. Alice's body was found on a river bed four days ago.
Last month police revealed that Zalkalns, 41, had served a
jail term in 1998 for murdering his wife and dumping her
body. Despite this, he was able to come to Britain to find
work in 2007.
He went missing a week after Alice's disappearance and
has not been seen since. Police have admitted they have
no idea where he is and are continuing an increasingly
desperate search of buildings and parks in London for
clues to his whereabouts.
They believe he might be being harboured by criminal
gangs in the capital and the South East. But he may have
left the country using a Latvian identity card.
The case has triggered calls for the EU to keep a database
of criminal convictions so offenders can be easily
identified at borders. Under EU freedom of movement
rules, it is Britain's responsibility to spot those it deems a
threat.
But the so-called Warnings Index for UK border staff is
mainly used for anti-terror measures and does not contain
routine information about criminals from the rest of the
EU.
Latvian authorities did not alert Britain to Zalkalns' record

as he was not considered a 'present danger' after serving
seven years for his wife's murder. They only disclosed his
background when asked by Interpol after he was reported
missing.
He has previously been arrested in the UK for the
suspected indecent assault of a 14-year-old British girl.
Zalkalns was raised in Latvian capital Riga and worked on
building sites and dockyards from the age of 16. By
adulthood he had developed a penchant for chasing
young, impressionable women.
Speaking in Afghanistan, Mr Cameron said: 'It's a horrific
case. Anyone with a daughter will have felt just absolutely
sickened by what has happened and what that poor family
has had to go through. I'll look at all the circumstances of
the case, what lessons there are to learn, whether that's
about sharing information or whether it's about the
importance of keeping our country safe.'
British police failed to secure a European Arrest Warrant meaning that even if the suspect was found overseas he
could not be arrested - because Scotland Yard has so far
not gathered enough prima facie evidence. Alice's body
was found weighed down by logs in the River Brent, off the
Grand Union Canal in Hanwell, west London. A postmortem examination was inconclusive.
Police have announced a case review, focusing on the first
few days after Alice was reported missing. Critics asked
whether enough consideration was given from day one to
the possibility that Alice might have been abducted or
murdered. In addition, police were slow to link her with
Zalkalns.
MPs will question Met Commissioner Sir Bernard HoganHowe and Director of Public Prosecutions Alison Saunders
about the case next month.
Labour's Home Affairs Committee chairman, Keith Vaz,
said: 'It is very concerning The UK needs an updated
warnings index which would flag up whether a person

has a conviction as they are attempting to cross the UK
border.'
Tory MP Peter Bone said: 'The real problem is the issue of
free movement from the EU We can't have our own visa
controls and actually let in people we want to let in.'
UAWARE COMMENT
The odd thing about this sad story is that Zalkalns was
able to enter the UK without being challenged in 2007.
This is the time that the Home Office / Immigration
(eBorders) was testing its imaging and criminal record
systems at UK airports and ferry ports. The systems were
even able to identify individuals who had committed road
traffic offences. The eBorders seconded police officers
could have then dealt with the problem. It seems odd that
system with so much data was not loaded with details of
Europeans convicted and released offenders (at least
murderers). As for researching details of foreign
murderers, what about reading European newspapers or
even have our embassy's ask national police in their
respective countries for information!
(1st November 2014)
MAFIA BOSS IS ARRESTED IN BUGGIBA (Malta)
(Time of Malta, dated 3rd October 2014 author Ivan
Martin)
www.timesofmalta.com [Option 1]
An Italian Mafia boss was arrested in broad daylight on the
streets of Bugibba yesterday, five years after the Sicilian
police mounted an extensive manhunt for him.
Sebastiano Brunno, 56, known as the head of the Nardo
cosca, a branch of the Sicilian Cosa Nostra, was arrested
in a "public space" at around noon, Acting Police
Commissioner Ray Zammit said.
The arrest followed an international investigation
coordinated by the Catania anti-Mafia unit with the

Maltese CID and Drug Squad. A European arrest warrant
had been issued for him along with a provisional one by
the local courts.
Mr Brunno is wanted in connection with several brutal
murders and was one of the Mafia leaders involved in a
bloody feud in the 1990's. He has been a fugitive since
2009 and an Italian court has already condemned him to
life imprisonment.
Addressing a press conference Mr Zammit yesterday said
local authorities had swooped on Mr Brunno after some
three months of intense monitoring. He had been living in
an apartment in Buggiba and was found unarmed with a
forged Italian ID card.
Mr Zammit said it did not appear Mr Brunno had
committed any crimes in Malta and will likely be tried on
his home soil.
Italian authorities have already requested his extradition.
Asked whether investigations had yielded any further
information on the mobsters alleged crimes. Mr Zammit
said such information was delicate and that such
information was ongoing.
Meanwhile, local authorities are trying to establish how Mr
Brunno arrived and if he had any involvement with local
criminal activity.
He is not the first Italian criminal to be arrested in or on
the way to Malta. In August, Camorra boss Aldo Gionta
was arrested by Italian police as he was boarding the
catamaran to the island at the Pozzallo sea passenger
terminal.
Gionta, 42, who had evaded the Italian since May, hada
false ID card and E1000 in his pocket and was disguised as
a tourist.
(1st November 2014)

HOW SCAMMERS TRICK YOUR MIND
(BBC News, dated 3rd October 2014 author Colin Barras)
Full article : www.bbc.com/future/story/20141003-themind-tricks-of-scammers
None of us likes being scammed, and David Modic is no
different. But it's not the fact that scammers try to trick us
into handing over our money that bothers him - it's the
way they can rob people of something far more important:
their hope.
Take the abuse of dating websites. "People go on dating
sites in the hope of fulfilment, and they sometimes get
scammed," says Modic, who researches the psychology of
internet fraud at the University of Cambridge. "And that
makes me angry."
It's this personal passion that's convinced Modic to study
the psychology of scamming. He's not alone: the field is
thriving, and the information that researchers are
uncovering is valuable to us all - from vulnerable
singletons in search of love to the technology wizards in
charge of the world's online security.
Modic is particularly interested in what makes people
vulnerable to scams. It's tempting to imagine that only the
foolish or poorly educated might fall victim - but even
anecdotal evidence suggests this is not the case. Take Paul
Frampton, an Oxbridge educated academic who was, until
earlier this year, a professor of physics at the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In 2012 Frampton was given
almost 5 years in prison for drug smuggling in Argentina,
after falling victim to an online dating scam. And then
there's John Worley. As a psychotherapist, Worley arguably
knows more than most of us about controlling life's
trajectory. But in 2005 he was put on trial for bank fraud
and money laundering after becoming a victim of the
notorious Nigerian email scam. This scam sees people
contacted by someone claiming to be a Nigerian
government official appealing for help moving large sums

of money out of the country - who just requires a little
money upfront to release the fortune. Worley was found
guilty and sentenced to two years in prison.
Intelligence and experience offers no protection against
scammers, says Modic. "If it did, then better educated
people and older people would be less likely to fall for
scams. And that is not supported by my research."
So what does make someone vulnerable? To look for
answers to that question, Modic and his colleagues have
quizzed thousands of people, asking them first whether
they think various scams are plausible - and whether they
have fallen victim to them - before asking them to perform
a personality test. The research has identified a number of
characteristics that people who are victims of scams seem
to share in common. Some of these traits - like a lack of
self-control - we would probably recognise as dangerous.
But others - a trust in authority, a desire to act in the same
way as our friends, or a tendency to act in a consistent
way - we might think of as good characteristics.
These may be new findings to psychologists, but they are
not new to scammers. Modic points out, for instance, that
some scammers gain a victim's trust by pretending to
share a mutual friend. In other situations the scammer
might contact the victim under the guise of a figure of
authority - a doctor or a lawyer - to appear more
persuasive. There are also scams that initially involve no
loss of money and which are designed to encourage a
victim to behave in a certain way, so that later they are
more likely to behave in the same way when their money
is at stake. Some card game swindles use this strategy.
"I am surprised at the ingenuity of scammers who,
perhaps subconsciously, have discovered such principles
themselves without scientific studies," says Frank Stajano,
a security and privacy researcher at the University of
Cambridge. "I can't imagine individual scammers working
it all out by themselves, so I wonder what kind of word-ofmouth network they use to learn the tricks of their trade?"
Hidden knowledge
The very fact that scammers clearly are aware of our
psychological vulnerabilities - no matter how they gained
that knowledge - suggests they can potentially teach us as
much as their victims about confidence tricks. This is
something Stajano has taken to heart in his research. He
has worked with Paul Wilson, a close-up magician and
security consultant to casinos, to explore exactly how
scammers persuade their victims to hand over their
personal belongings. Wilson is one of the writers and stars
of BBC television show The Real Hustle, in which he and
his team "scam" members of the public by recreating
notorious confidence tricks (any money or valuables are
later returned).
Wilson's team has recreated hundreds of scams for the
cameras, but Stajano - who quickly became a fan of the
show - realised that the scammers repeatedly used one or
more of the same seven persuasion principles. Three of
these principles are similar to those Modic identified by
talking to potential or actual scam victims. Scammers use
the "time principle" to persuade us we need to act quickly
before we can think rationally and exercise self-control.
They also make use of the "deference to authority
principle" and the "herd principle" - our tendency to act
like our friends or those around us - to convince people
that the scam is legitimate.
But scammers have at least four other tricks up their
sleeves, says Stajano. They might distract us so we don't
recognise a scam - making use of physically attractive
accomplices, for instance. They can use our deepest
desires to blind our reasoning - which is why online dating
scams are so common. They can hook some victims by
manipulating our innate dishonesty and making us act
criminally ourselves - knowingly attempting to launder
money as part of the Nigerian email scam, for instance.
Finally, they can use the kindness of some well-meaning
victims against them - scam emails begging for help and
money are often sent out in the wake of a natural disaster.
Old tricks
What's really fascinating, says Stajano, is that scammers
have used these principles for centuries. For instance, the
Nigerian email scam might seem the product of the digital
age, but a version of it existed in 16th Century Europe.
There's a good reason for that, he says: many of the
vulnerabilities that scammers exploit are actually human
strengths rather than weaknesses. He points to the work
of psychologist Robert Cialdini at Arizona State University,
who is famous for his work on the psychology of
persuasion. "He's explained that the authority principle,
for example, is actually very helpful for surviving
peacefully in human society," says Stajano. "We shouldn't
see scam victims as stupid - they're acting in a way that's
beneficial for our survival most of the time."
The seven persuasion principles might be as old as the
hills, but Stajano says they are often ignored by security
experts, who are as likely to blame security breaches on
the people using their systems as they are to blame the
scammers. "Too many security professionals think: users
are such a pain - my system would be super-secure if only
users behaved in the proper way," he says. He is trying to
persuade experts that they need to make security systems
that work in harmony with - not despite - the way we
behave.
Making those new systems won't be easy, and Stajano
believes the only solution is to encourage people to
empathetically understand and anticipate human
behaviour.
As an example of the problems security experts face,
imagine you're about to win an online auction for a mobile
phone. You might reasonably expect to trust the seller,
whose profile is brimming with positive feedback from
other users. But Stajano points out that your trust in this
case is really based on the herd principle: you can't be
sure that the seller is not in fact a scammer who has built
up a positive reputation by trading with a handful of

accomplices. Any of us might fall victim to this scam. In
fact, even Modic has been tricked. "I bought a mobile
phone from China that was not as it appeared online," he
says.
We may never be truly immune to confidence tricks. But
perhaps ordinary users and system designers alike can
protect ourselves to some degree by learning to think like
a scammer.
(1st November 2014)
EVERY POLICE FORCE HAS THE CAPABILITY TO

INVESTIGATE IMAGES HELD ON COMPUTERS
(Association of Chief Police Officers, press release dated
3rd October 2014)
Full article : www.acpo.presscentre.com/PressReleases/Every-police-force-and-law-enforcement-agencyhas-the-capability-to-investigate-images-held-on-compu2fc.aspx
National Policing Lead for Cyber-crime, Deputy Chief
Constable Peter Goodman said:
"There has been an exponential rise in people using digital
technology as part of their daily lives; that rise includes
criminals and people viewing images of child sexual
abuse. These people try to hide what they do online.
"It is a challenge for police to find and sift through the
millions of these images and analyse them as quickly as
possible so that they can be passed on to investigators
who can take action to protect the children involved or
others who may be at risk. This is part of the wider
challenge for police to transform the way they deal with
cyber-crime in a period of fiscal constraint while also
protecting communities from the more traditional sources
of harm.
"Every police force and law enforcement agency has the

capability to investigate images held on computers and
ability trace people's use of the internet for illegitimate
purposes. There's been an increase in the numbers of
people working in high-technology roles, such as forensic
examiners, within police forces and the majority of their
work focuses on child sexual abuse. Police have improved
systems for prioritising images and are using better
technology. Police forces work closely with the National
Crime Agency and Child Exploitation and Online Protection
Centre (CEOP) who lead on tackling online child abuse. But
there is more to do.
"We are reviewing our capability for digital investigation
and intelligence-gathering. We'll then be able to provide
evidence-based advice to chief constables about how they
manage their resources to deal with crimes committed in
the digital world.
"Protection of children here or abroad is at the heart of
policing. Back in July police arrested 660 people for this
crime, showing that offenders leave a digital footprint that
police will find. We are working hard to continue to speed
up our processes so that we can protect children and stop
offenders sooner."
-------------------MORE THAN 100 CHILD PORN ARRESTS IN BRISTOL
AREA
(Bristol Post, dated 3rd October 2014 author Ken
McCormick)
Full article : www.bristolpost.co.uk/100-child-porn-arrestsBristol-area/story-23040560-detail/story.html
MORE than 100 people have been arrested on suspicion of
downloading child sex abuse images over the past year in
the Bristol area.
Avon and Somerset police have seized a total of 466
computers and made 112 arrests as they pursue offenders
who download, copy and share pictures and video clips of

children being raped, sexually assaulted and exploited by
paedophiles.
The figures were published today by children's charity the
NSPCC, which has voiced fears that some police forces
across the country are being "overwhelmed by the vast
quantity of child abuse images they have to deal with".
The charity says that in the year to the end of March,
thousands of computers were confiscated by forces in
England and Wales during investigations. But it believes
there are relatively few officers available to analyse the
material they contain, in order to bring prosecutions.
The figures showed the Avon and Somerset force
employed a relatively high number of analysts when
compared with many other constabularies.
It currently has 13, while Thames Valley has 10,
Hertfordshire four and South Yorkshire only three.
The NSPCC says that on average, the forces who
responded to the FOI request had six specialists each.
In total, nearly 5,000 computers were seized last year by
the 16 forces in England and Wales which supplied figures.
The 30 forces which supplied arrest figures made more
than 2,000 arrests on suspicion of possessing,
downloading or distributing child abuse images.
NSPCC spokesman Jon Brown said: "The volume of devices
and the number of images on each device that forces are
having to work through is increasing.
"Ultimately what we need is an approach that cuts this
material off at the source but until then, relevant
authorities must ensure that staffing numbers are at a
level to be able to deal with this and prioritise accordingly,
so swift action can be taken and children are not put at
risk."
Speaking on behalf of police forces including Avon and
Somerset, the national policing lead for cyber-crime,
Deputy Chief Constable Peter Goodman said: "It is a
challenge for police to find and sift through the millions of
these images and analyse them as quickly as possible, so
that they can be passed on to investigators who can take
action to protect the children involved or others who may
be at risk.
"This is part of the wider challenge for police to transform
the way they deal with cyber-crime in a period of fiscal
constraint while also protecting communities from the
more traditional sources of harm.
"Every police force and law enforcement agency has the
capability to investigate images held on computers and
ability trace people's use of the internet for illegitimate
purposes.
"There's been an increase in the numbers of people
working in high-technology roles, such as forensic
examiners, within police forces and the majority of their
work focuses on child sexual abuse.
"Police have improved systems for prioritising images and
are using better technology. Police forces work closely with
the National Crime Agency and Child Exploitation and
Online Protection Centre (CEOP) who lead on tackling
online child abuse. But there is more to do.
"Protection of children here or abroad is at the heart of
policing. Back in July police arrested 660 people for this
crime, showing that offenders leave a digital footprint that
police will find.
"We are working hard to continue to speed up our
processes so that we can protect children and stop
offenders sooner."
(1st November 2014)
MR BIG WHO OWES 14M IS BACK IN BRITISH JAIL

THANKS TO THE STANDARD
(London Evening Standard, dated 2nd October 2014
A crime boss who vanished abroad owing taxpayers 14?
million has been extradited back to Britain and jailed after
a tip-off prompted by coverage in the Evening Standard.
Martin Hickman sold fake Viagra and other counterfeit
medicines in an illicit internet trade that put his
customers' health at risk.
He was ordered to hand back his profits but fled overseas
after serving his initial prison sentence before prosecutors
were able to impose an extra 10-year penalty for nonpayment.
But he is now back in a British prison after this
newspaper's coverage of the way that Hickman and other
criminal "Mr Bigs" are holding onto their illegal profits led
to a letter revealing his whereabouts being sent to the
Crown Prosecution Service.
Investigators checked the information and confirmed
Hickman was in Marbella before enlisting the help of the
National Crime Agency and Spanish police to secure his
arrest. Hickman was extradited soon after and sent
straight to jail.
Announcing his return, Nick Price, the head of the CPS
Proceeds of Crime Unit, described his capture as a major
success in the battle against organised crime bosses and
paid tribute to the Standard's role in the case.
"Martin Hickman's crimes were unscrupulous and greedy,
putting people's health at risk for the sake of pure profit,"
he said. "Having failed to pay his debt, he has now begun
a 10-year sentence. Mr Hickman's arrest, extradition from
Spain and subsequent imprisonment back in the UK should
send out a clear message to criminals seeking to hide

themselves and their assets abroad: if you won't pay up,
we will find you and you will go to jail.
"Thanks to the Evening Standard's ongoing coverage of
these important issues, information on the whereabouts of
Mr Hickman was passed to the police, contributing to the
arrest."
Hickman, 55, originally from London, ran a website selling
fake Viagra and other drugs bought from India that were
not licensed in this country. He used the profits to buy a
2.5 million riverside apartment in Chelsea, as well as a
four-bedroom farmhouse and a property in Marbella.
Hickman also drove a Bentley and Range Rover.
Investigators from the Medicines and Healthcare products
Regulatory Agency were alerted to his business - which
also included selling sex toys and products which claimed
to increase penis size - and raided his farmhouse in
Ashton-under-Lyme, Greater Manchester.
They found that Hickman kept money in bank accounts in
Malta, the Cayman Islands and the Isle of Man and
transferred money through each account, and his local
bank in Britain in a bid to launder it.
Although he was under investigation Hickman continued
to run the website, MSH World Traders, even moving to
office premises and taking on staff.
He also ignored a court injunction ordering him to shut the
website. A High Court judge responded by jailing him for
three months for contempt, before Hickman was finally
charged with six offences relating to the illegal sale and
supply of medicinal products.
He pleaded guilty at Southwark crown court at his trial in
March 2009 and was jailed for two years.
The judge, Deborah Taylor, said he had "lived the high life"
with "several substantial properties, both abroad and in
the UK, and expensive cars".

He was given a confiscation order at a further hearing in
April 2012 telling him to repay 14,407,850, but
disappeared abroad without paying.
His defiance was highlighted by the Evening Standard in a
series of reports revealing how many of the country's
worst crime bosses were managing to hold onto their
profits.
This paper has also reported calls from Met Commissioner
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, MPs and the Director of Public
Prosecutions for reforms to the law to make it easier to
collect the outstanding money.
The coverage prompted several letters from informants
who were aware of Hickman's whereabouts. One letter
claimed that Hickman was "living it up in Marbella
nightclubs and bordellos non-stop" with "British taxpayers'
money" and that his presence in Marbella had turned it
back into "the Costa del Crime at its worst days".
It said that Hickman had been heard boasting about his
ability to evade the British authorities and had three
"trained attack dogs" to "make sure that no one 'bothers'
him".
The letter added: "He is therefore living the very high life
in Marbella with British taxpayers' money. It probably cost
about 2 million or 3 million to convict him, with the
conviction turning out to be unenforceable in practice as
he has fled the UK. He has made a total mockery of British
justice and British taxpayers."
The information in the letters, sent last year, led to a
European Arrest Warrant being issued in March.
Hickman was held in Spain in early July and extradited to
the UK in August before being taken immediately to prison
to begin his 10-year "default" sentence. His debt currently
stands at 13,940,391 plus interest. Completion of the
default sentence will not expunge the debt.

Today's news follows the publication by this newspaper of
figures showing that 176 of the country's most serious
offenders, including Hickman, owe more than 695 million
between them in unpaid confiscation orders.
In many of the cases the deadline set by the court for
repayment expired years ago. The statistics, obtained
using the Freedom of Information Act, also disclose that
the offenders have repaid only 1 in every 6 made from
crime in a situation described as "appalling" by the
chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee,
Keith Vaz.
Further information
On a daily basis my e-mail spam directory gets swamped
with messages promising discount prices on a variety of
medication, many of the male potency types. The
messages quote the trade medication names (Viagra etc),
but there is no garauntee you will get the bonafide
product. In fact you may get more than you expect from
these bogus drugs such as liver failure or even death.
If you are having any health problems or worries talk to
your GP.
(1st November 2014)
DEDICATED CYBER CRIME TEAM - FALCON LAUNCHED BY MET

(Police Oracle, dated 2nd October 2014 author Josh Loeb)
The Metropolitan Police's new cyber crime and fraud team
is the largest of its kind in Europe, Met Commissioner Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe believes.
The specialist team, dubbed FALCON - which stands for
Fraud and Linked Crime Online - will investigate cyber

crime including hacking and phishing attacks where
criminals steal users' passwords and sensitive data.
FALCON was set up to tackle what the Met says is an
"increasing trend" in fraud and theft being committed
online, with the proceeds frequently being funnelled to
fund organised crime and even terrorism.
The team became operational weeks ago but has now
been officially launched at the QE2 Conference Centre in
Westminster.
Between August 2013 and August 2014, 17,000 reports of
fraud made to Action Fraud - the national reporting centre
for fraud - were referred to the Met.
Of these, 54 per cent were cyber-enabled - and in 30 per
cent of cases businesses were the victims.
Sir Bernard said: "FALCON will see the Met have the best
and, I believe, largest cyber crime and fraud team in
Europe, with up to 500 specialist officers dedicated to
tackling this crime."
City of London Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard, the
national lead for economic crime, said: "I welcome the
creation of FALCON and the priority this type of crime is
being given by the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and
the Mayor's Office.
"These London-based teams will be an important addition
to the national capability being developed by the City of
London Police, the National Crime Agency and police
forces across the rest of the country."
(1st November 2014)
INTERNATIONAL OFFICERS TURN TO BRITSH
POLICING FOR INSPIRATION
(Police Oracle, dated 1st October 2014 author Scott
Doherty)
A group of officers from as far afield as China and
Palestine have made a visit to a force in a quest to
understand the workings of the British policing model.
As part of a leadership course ran by the College of
Policing, a total of 25 officers from across the globe visited
Gwent Police headquarters to see how policing in this
country works and the way it can inspire management and
leadership skills in their home forces.
While at the force they met with senior leaders and the
police and crime commissioner to understand the key
issues in British policing before going on to visit the
control room, counter-terrorism and professional standards
departments.
Deputy Chief Constable Craig Guildford (pictured centre)
said: "We have welcomed our international colleagues and
have been impressed by their enthusiasm to learn about
policing in Gwent.
"We organised a comprehensive programme for them to
see how the various policing roles work within the Force,
and they have been impressed that all our work is
underpinned by our community and victim centred ethos.
"The programme also included a meeting with the police
and crime commissioner who outlined his role of
representing the people of Gwent to make sure the service
provided by the police is efficient and effective
"The feedback we have received is very positive, and we
hope they take back some of what they have learnt here
to the benefit of their own police forces and communities."
The International Leadership Programme is an eight-week
course. This instalment saw attendees from countries
including Bahrain, Seychelles, Indonesia, Palestine, China
and Saudi Arabia. Aimed at mid-level managerial staff, it
focuses on a variety of topics such as: crime scene
management, counter terrorism and international

organised crime.
Britain has played host to courses of this kind since the
1970s and has been responsible for the training of officers
from over 100 countries, some of them having gone on to
take high profile roles in forces around the world.
Simon Stevenson from the College of Policing said: "We
believe we have one of the best police services in the
world and the high demand for our course suggests we are
viewed the same way internationally.
"The course develops officers and those within the
criminal justice system into leaders and builds excellent
relations internationally.
"Many of the officers we trained in the past are now in
very senior positions in policing around the world and it is
encouraging to see they continue to value the perspective
British policing has to offer."
(1st November 2014)
HUMAN TRAFFICKERS "TATTOOING NUMBERS ON
VICTIMS BODIES"
(Police Oracle, dated 1st October 2014 author Josh Loeb)
Perpetrators of the hidden trade in human beings in
Britain are in some cases tattooing numbers on their
victim's bodies to dehumanise them and signify
ownership, a shocking report suggests.
In a description that recalls the way victims were tattooed
in concentration camps, the National Crime Agency (NCA)
report on human trafficking outlines how organised
criminals may be branding a barcode-style code on the
skin of individuals they are selling.
The report states that "limited information" suggests some
traffickers mark potential victims with tattoos "with
various symbols signifying ownership or to show that a

victim is over 18".
The report states: "Information also suggests that victims
may be marked with numbers, but the meaning of these
numbers is not known. Various sources indicate that
tattoos are used globally to mark victims of trafficking for
sexual exploitation by pimps, but the extent to which this
is used in the UK is not known."
This is cited as among "coercive methods" which may also
include ritual ceremonies where victims may be forced to
swear an oath to obey their traffickers.
Countries of origin
The number of British children being trafficked for sex rose
dramatically last year, the report states.
Potential victims of trafficking who are UK nationals
increased by 124 per cent from 2012 figures - a
phenomenon attributed to increased reporting of this
crime.
For the third consecutive year Romania was the most
prevalent country of origins for potential victims of
trafficking, with most such victims being trafficked for
sexual exploitation in brothels, hotels and on the street.
As well as Romania, other Eastern European countries
including Poland and Albania are high on the list of
countries where potential victims originate, as is Nigeria.
Poland is listed as the most likely nation for labour
trafficking.
Individuals may be brought to the UK to work in cannabis
factories, domestic servitude or may be exploited in
industries including in fishing. Routes into the country are
unclear, but it is understood that traditionally victims from
Eastern Europe have been brought in by coach to Victoria
Station in London.
Hidden crime
Organ and human tissue harvesting is also listed in the
report as one of a wide variety of "exploitation types".
It stresses there is no reliable intelligence to suggest any
trafficking of victims to the UK for this purpose, but it cites
uncorroborated reports suggesting that two UK passport
holders of East African heritage were to be trafficked to
Europe for the sale of body organs.
Because of the dreadful state of their living conditions in
their original homes, some victims of trafficking may
regard their situation in captivity in the UK as an
improvement and so may not regard themselves as
victims, the report states.
"Cultural values" and "work ethic" may also be a barrier to
individuals becoming conscious about the fact that they
are human trafficking victims.
The NCA's United Kingdom Human Trafficking Centre
(UKHTC) estimates that 2,744, people, including 602
children, were potential victims of trafficking for
exploitation in 2013, an increase of 22 per cent on 2012.
Liam Vernon, Head of the UKHTC, said: "Human trafficking
for the purposes of exploitation is an insidious and
complex crime and much of the exploitation is hidden
from view.
"The National Crime Agency is committed to continually
disrupting what is a vicious and criminal trade in human
misery, which exploits the most vulnerable people, both
here and abroad, for financial gain. Victims are being
forced to work in private houses and in hospitality,
farming, manufacturing and construction industries. In
many cases, threats and violence are used to ensure
compliance."
(1st November 2014)
"CHILD ABUSE" DEPUTY HEAD : MORE QUESTIONS

OVER CEOP
(Police Oracle, dated 1st October 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
Further questions have been raised about the actions of
the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)
and how it handled evidence of child abuse passed on
from Canadian law enforcement in 2012.
Essex Police has revealed that the force has unearthed
evidence that the deputy headteacher of a private school
had been secretly filming boys in changing rooms.
Martin Goldberg (46), of Thorpe Hall School, is believed to
have committed suicide the day after officers visited him
on September 9 as part of an investigation into whether
he purchased images of naked boys on the internet.
Questions have been asked after it emerged that the force
had been informed about the allegations in November
2013, and yet the investigation did not start until
September this year.
However Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner
(PCC) for Essex, also revealed that the information from
police in Toronto was passed to the force by CEOP.
The National Crime Agency (NCA), into which CEOP has
now been assimilated as a command, has already ordered
a review of the centre's handling of Canadian information which included customer details of purchasers of DVDs.
As previously reported, the NCA has also referred the
matter to the Independent Police Complaints' Commission
following the conviction of a children's doctor for multiple
counts of child abuse.
Mr Alston said: "It is important that we understand why it
took nine months for (Essex Police) to act on this
information. There may be valid reasons but we deserve

an explanation.
"Essex Police has referred aspects of this case to the
Independent Police Complaints Commission, and I expect
the independent watchdog to investigate thoroughly and
rigorously.
"It would be wrong of me to pre-empt the findings of that
investigation, but my initial judgement is that it is likely
that something has gone badly wrong here, including
possibly in the original assessment and review by CEOP."
(1st November 2014)
SEPTEMBER 2014
COMPUTER REVIEW - SEPTEMBER 2014
FORMER MI6 CHIEF WARNS OF MASS SNOOPING BY
PAEDOPHILES
(The Register, dated 2nd October 2014 author Jasper
Hamill)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/02/former_mi6_chief_warn
s_mass_snooping_paedophiles/
The former head of MI6 has warned parents that
paedophile predators are capable of using location-based
services to find and abuse their kids.
In a warning that might sound a bit rich coming from a
former chief spook, Sir John Scarlett said he was worried
about how easily a youngster's movements could be
traced.
Young girls are "obviously vulnerable to tracking," he
claimed, with perverts or private enterprises able to track
their quarry "right down to more or less precisely where

you are".
"Personally what worries me, in a way, most, is tracking
devices," he said. "The way in which locational apps, for
example, are now quite freely available - of course, you
can start off by consciously giving out that information,
but once you've done that, you've lost control of it.
------------------------------ASDA CAR INSURANCE BROKER HACKED
(The Register, dated 3rd October 2014 author John
Leydon)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/03/asda_car_insurance_mi
nor_breach/
No customer data was exposed after the firm behind Asda
Car Insurance was hacked, said the broker as it explained
why the ACI website went offline earlier this week.
Reg reader and Asda Car Insurance customer Arthur
forwarded us a notice he received from Brightside Group,
who provide white label insurance products for Asda and
others, explaining why the ACI website had been taken
down as a security precaution.
In response to our inquiries, Brightside Group issued a
statement on Friday morning confirming a breach while
downplaying its seriousness.
"Following a perimeter security breach to our IT system on
Monday 29 September 2014, we can confirm that no
customer data had been taken. The board of Brightside
Group has temporarily taken all of its websites offline until
security protocols and final testing has been fully
completed.
Brightside Group has a stringent set of security protocols
in place and regularly carries out robust and rigorous
penetration testing to mitigate the risk of this type of issue
arising."
-------------------------------BORED HACKERS FLICK SHELLSHOCK BUTTON TO OFF AS
PAYLOADS SHRINK
(The Register, dated 3rd October 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/03/shellshock_bored_hacke
rs_giving_up_droves/
Malicious and benign attacks against systems vulnerable
to Shellshock had halved by Sunday after peaking three
days following the bug's disclosure, Akamai researchers
say.
The variety of payloads targeting vulnerable sites
increased dramatically over the same period before
tapering off, in a possible sign that hackers were bored
with the bug.
The number of unique payloads increased from 43 on day
zero to a whopping 10,716 just 24 hours later. It peaked
on 27 September at 20,753 before falling off.
The numbers demonstrated the effectiveness of
Shellshock as an attack vector, researchers Ezra Caltum,
Adi Ludmer and Ory Segal wrote in a co-authored post.
"One of the troubling aspects of the Shellshock
vulnerability is the ease of exploitation, which can be seen
by the dramatic increase in the number of unique
payloads between the first and the second days," they
said.
-------------------------------SHELLSHOCK ATTACKERS TARGETING NAS DEVICES
(Computer World, dated 2nd October 2014 author Antone

Gonsalves)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2690796/security0/shells
hock-attackers-targeting-nas-devices.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1002#tk.rss_security0
Researchers have discovered hackers trying to exploit the
Shellshock Bash vulnerability to compromise network
attached storage devices in universities in the U.S., Japan
and Korea.
The attackers were taking advantage of a publicly
disclosed security weakness in which the Web servers
embedded in the devices manufactured by QNAP have
administrative privileges by default, researchers for
FireEye said Wednesday.
Once attackers compromise the server and get these
privileges, they have full control of the device.
-------------------------------SHELLSHOCK FLAW POSES RISKS TO PAYMENTS INDUSTRY
(Computer World, dated 30th September 2014 author
Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2689901/shellshock-flawposes-risks-to-payments-industry.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-1001#tk.rss_cloudsecurity
The "Shellshock" flaw has the potential to pose a risk to
the payments industry, but doesn't appear to have caused
any problems yet, an official with a consortium run by
major credit card companies warned on Tuesday.
The PCI Security Standards Council develops technical

standards for protecting payment card data, a closely
watched area following a spate of data breaches at
retailers including Home Depot and Target.
"It has the potential to be a risk," said Troy Leach, the
organization's CTO, of the flaw in the GNU Bourne Again
Shell (Bash), a command-line shell processor in Unix and
Linux.
-------------------------------SHELLSHOCK AFFECTS DOZENS OF CISCO AND ORACLE
PRODUCTS
Lucian Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2689596/shellshockaffects-dozens-of-cisco-and-oracle-products.html?
Cisco Systems and Oracle are hard at work identifying
networking and other products in their portfolios that are
affected by the critical Shellshock vulnerability.
The Shellshock vulnerability and several related ones
found over the past week stem from errors in how the
Bash command-line interpreter for Unix and Linux systems
parses strings passed to it by external scripts. The flaws
allow attackers to trick certain processes running on
vulnerable machines to pass malicious strings to Bash that
would then get executed as commands on the underlying
OS.
Cisco has identified 71 products so far that are exposed to
the vulnerability. These products serve various purposes,
including network application, service and acceleration;
network content and security; network management and
provisioning; routing.
-------------------------------SHELLSHOCK : LARGER SCALE ATTACK ON ITS WAY

(The Register, dated 29th September 2014 author John
Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/29/shell_shock_bash_vuln_l
arge_scale_attack/
The Shellshock vulnerability has already become the focus
for malicious scanning and at least one botnet but crooks
are still testing the waters with the vulnerability and much
worse could follow, security watchers warn.
Net security firm FireEye said it has seen all manner of
overtly malicious traffic leveraging the Bash bug, including
DDoS attacks, malware droppers, reverse shell hacks,
backdoors and data exfiltration. Some of the suspicious
activity seems to be originating from Russia
Elsewhere, security researchers at Incapsula logged more
than 17,400 attacks at an average rate of 725 an hour.
More than 1,800 domains in its network of tens of
thousands of websites were attacked. Attacks originated
from 400 unique IP addresses. More than 55 per cent of all
attacks originated from China and US, a marked different
from FireEye's finding that much of the problem came
from Russia.
-------------------------------FRAUD SHOP OVERSTOCKED WITH STOLEN CREDIT CARDS
(The Register, dated 29th September 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/29/fraud_shop_overstocked
_with_stolen_credit_cards/
Infamous carding store Rescator.cc is so chock-full of

stolen credit cards from recent high-profile breaches that
it's gutting its prices due to overstocking.
The fire sale makes a mockery of the security in place at
some of the world's biggest retailers, many of which have
in recent months been invaded by hackers who have
made off with many millions of customer credit cards.
Stolen cards were released on the site in tranches under
names such as American Sanctions and European
Sanctions which could be purchased in batches and
filtered by geography to reduce the chance that a buyer's
subsequent fraudulent transactions would be detected.
-------------------------------ONLINE TOOLS HELP ANY IDIOT BE A CYBER-CRIMINAL
Darlene Storm)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2688411/report-crime-asa-service-tools-and-anonymization-help-any-idiot-be-acyber-criminal.html?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_201409-30#tk.rss_cybercrimehacking
Almost any idiot with malicious intentions can jump into
the cybercrime arena thanks to 'Crime-as-a-Service' tools
that lower the entry barriers into cybercrime; wannabe
cyber-criminals who lack technical expertise can simply
buy the tools and skills needed. In fact, "Crime-as-aService business models" and anonymization have helped
many traditional organized crime groups move to
cybercrime, according to the 2014 Internet Organized
Crime Threat Assessment (iOCTA) published today. It's
easy to do and difficult to be busted since "criminals in
cyberspace do not need to be close to the crime scene,
they might never even travel to the target country, and
can attack a large number of victims globally with
minimum effort and risk by hiding their identity."
-------------------------------STUNNED BY SHELLSHOCK BASH BUG

Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/26/ico_shellshock_warning/
The UK's privacy watchdog is urging organisations to
protect their systems against the infamous Shellshock
vulnerability in Bash - even though the full scope of the
security bug remains unclear.
The Shellshock flaw affects Bash up to and including
version 4.3. It's a vital component of many Linux and Unix
systems, as well as networking kit and embedded devices.
It's also present in the latest versions of Apple's OS X for
Macs.
An advisory by the UK the UK National Computer
Emergency Response Team's (CRT-UK) provides a snapshot
of the current state of play.
The Information Commissioner's Office advises users to
apply any available updates to defend against Shellshock
as soon as practically possible. Lack of clarity is no excuse
for lack of action - especially when sensitive data might be
exposed as a result of the flaw, the data watchdog says.
An ICO spokesperson said: "This flaw could be allowing
criminals to access personal data held on computers or
other devices. For businesses, that should be ringing real
alarm bells, because they have legal obligations to keep
personal information secure.
-------------------------------GOOGLE GETS PRIVACY LESSON FOR EU DATA
PROTECTION AUTHORITIES
Loek Essers)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2688001/google-getsprivacy-lesson-from-eu-data-protection-authorities.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-0929#tk.rss_technologylawregulation
European Union privacy regulators want Google to make
its privacy policies easier to find and understand, with
exhaustive lists of what data it holds and processes, in
order to comply with EU law, they told the company this
week.
Google received the package of recommendations from
the Article 29 Working Party (WP29), an umbrella group for
European data protection authorities. While WP29 has no
power to sanction the company, its members have
imposed fines in a number of cases following Google's
2012 changes to its privacy policy, which several national
privacy regulators found breached EU rules.
-------------------------------FBI : YOUR REAL SECURITY TERROR - AN ANGRY INSIDE
MAN
Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/25/insider_threat_growing_
warn_feds/
Disgruntled workers are causing more problems for their
employers, the FBI warns.
Employees, ex-workers or contractors with a grudge
against their former paymasters are abusing cloud storage
sites or remote access to enterprise networks to steal

trade secrets, customer lists or other sensitive
information.
Insider threats have, of course, been a problem in
business for decades. But the internet had brought a new
dimension to the problem by making it far easier to
destroy data or swipe customer records.
Physical records that used to occupy racks of shelves can
now be contained on a single USB stick. It's also easier to
put a spanner in the works of business-critical IT systems
than it would have been to stop deliveries to a factory in
days gone by.
-------------------------------SHELLSHOCK FLAW ROILS LINUX SERVERS SHOPS
(Computer World, dated 25th September 2014 author Joab
Jackson)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2687983/shellshockflaws-roils-linux-server-shops.html?
A long-standing vulnerability unearthed in the GNU Bash
software, nicknamed Shellshock, has disrupted the daily
activities of the Linux system administrator community, as
Linux distributors, cloud vendors and end users grapple to
understand the full scope of the potential damage it could
cause.
The vulnerability is a flaw in the open-source GNU Bash
shell found in nearly all Linux distributions, as well as in
the Apple OS X operating system.
--------------------------------
UK IS THE TOP OF THE WHOLE WORLD .... FOR PHISHING

(The register, dated 16th September 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/16/study_finds_uk_worlds_t
op_phishing_spot/
British punters are being served three times as many
phishing links to trojans and exploit kits than the US, and
five times more than the Germans, according to a
ProofPoint study.
The security researchers say that while the English were
being served more malicious links, Germans were hit with
the greatest amount of unsolicited spam.
The scams aimed to lift British wallets through banking
trojans and phishing emails mimicking organisations like
the Royal Bank of Scotland.
-------------------------------HAGUE SEEKS TO REASSURE MPS THT THEIR DATA IS SAFE
IN DUBLIN DATA CENTRE
(Computer World, dated 12th September 2014 author Sam
Shead)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2643096/storage/hagueseeks-to-reassure-mps-that-their-data-is-safe-inmicrosofts-dublin-data-center.html?
The UK government has sought to reassure MPs that their
data on Microsoft's servers in the Republic of Ireland
cannot be accessed by US surveillance agencies.
William Hague, the leader of the House of Commons, said
there's nothing to fear after an MP said he was concerned

about the security of parliamentary data stored on
Microsoft's Cloud-based servers in Europe.
In a letter responding to concerns raised by John
Hemming, MP for Birmingham Yardley, Hague wrote: "The
relevant servers are situated in the Republic of Ireland and
the Netherlands, both being territories covered by the EC
Data Protection Directive.
"Any access by US authorities to such data would have to
be by way of mutual legal assistance arrangements with
those countries."
-------------------------------UK.GOV'S FLAGSHIP INFOSEC PROGRAM ISN'T DELIVERING
Leyden)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/09/12/uk_cyber_security_strat
egy/
The UK's National Cyber Security Programme is not yet
delivering on its much-vaunted economic benefits but is
still a worthwhile exercise, according to a report by
government auditors.
An update by the National Audit Office for Parliament's
Public Accounts Committee on the government's National
Cyber Security Programme said that "good progress" has
been made in improving its understanding of the most
sophisticated threats to national security.
However, the level of understanding of threats to wider
public services is "varied" - which sounds like a diplomatic
way of saying poor to middling.
--------------------------------
HOME DEPOT CONFIRMS BREACH

Jaikumar Vijayan)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2604360/home-depotconfirms-breach.html?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_201409-09#tk.rss_datasecurity
After nearly a week of investigation, Home Depot on
Monday confirmed that intruders had indeed broken into
its payment networks and accessed credit and debit card
data belonging to an unspecified number of customers
who shopped at its U.S. and Canadian stores.
-------------------------------5 GANGS IN NIGERIA ARE BEHIND MOST BUYER SCAMS
(Cash on delivery scam)
Jeremy Kirk)
Full article : www.computerworld.com/article/2602958/5gangs-in-nigeria-are-behind-most-craigslist-buyerscams.html?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-0909#tk.rss_security0
Five Nigerian criminal gangs are behind most scams
targeting sellers on Craigslist, and they've taken new
measures to make their swindles appear legitimate,
according to a new study.
It works like this: The buyer tells the seller they can pay
for an item with a certified check. The buyer says,
however, that he can't pick up the item and needs to user
a "mover" agent.
The seller is quickly sent a check by FedEx or UPS from a
U.S. address that is printed with professional check-writing
equipment for well over the amount of the laptop,
averaging about $1,500.

The seller is supposed to cash the check, keep the amount
for the laptop and send the rest by Western Union to a
mover agent, who is based in the U.S. The victims are also
asked to ship the item.
Some U.S. banks will still "float" funds from a check before
it has cleared, McCoy said. But the fake check will be
discovered eventually, and the bank will try to recover the
funds.
What was particularly interesting about this scam is that
the checks were all sent from within the U.S., indicating
that the groups in Nigeria recruited local help. That is a
potential choke point for law enforcement trying to deal
with the problem, the researchers wrote.
The checks were good enough to fool banks, which would
begin processing them. McCoy said several banks thought
the checks looked fine at first sight, with the correct
routing numbers for the banks. Some of the phony checks
were generated using VersaCheck software on legitimate
check paper, with watermarks and other security features.
-------------------------------POPULAR ANDROID APPS FAIL BASIC SECURITY TESTS,
PUTTING PRIVACY AT RISK
Jeremy Kirk)
Full article:
www.computerworld.com/article/2603785/popular-androidapps-fail-basic-security-tests-putting-privacy-at-risk.html?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-0908#tk.rss_applicationsecurity
Instagram, Grindr, OkCupid and many other Android
applications fail to take basic precautions to protect their
users' data, putting their privacy at risk, according to new
study.
The findings comes from the University of New Haven's
Cyber Forensics Research and Education Group
(UNHcFREG), which earlier this year found vulnerabilities
in the messaging applications WhatsApp and Viber.
This time, they expanded their analysis to a broader range
of Android applications, looking for weaknesses that could
put data at risk of interception. The group will release one
video a day this week on their YouTube channel
highlighting their findings, which they say could affect
upwards of 1 billion users.
-----------------------DATA SHOWS HOME DEPOT BREACH COULD BE LARGEST
EVER
(Computer World, dated 3rd September 2014 author
Jaikumar Vijayan)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2601349/data-showshome-depot-breach-could-be-largest-ever.html?
It looks like Home Depot may have earned the dubious
distinction of being responsible for the biggest
compromise ever involving credit and debit card
Security blogger Brian Krebs, who first reported the data
breach Tuesday, updated his report today with new
information gathered from the cyber underground.
According to Krebs, the data strongly suggests that a
breach occurred at nearly all of Home Depot's 2,200 stores
in the U.S.
Krebs based his conclusion on a review of stolen credit
and debit card data posted on an online store that sells
such information. The site lists each card, along with the
city, state and ZIP code of the card owner, as well as the
store code where the data was stolen.
-----------------------CELEBRITY NUDE PHOTOS SCANDAL A WAKE-UP CALL FOR
CLOUD USERS
(Computer World, dated 2nd September 2014 author
Sharon Gaudin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2601006/cloudcomputing-celebrity-nude-photos-scandal-a-wake-up-callfor-cloud-users.html#tk.rss_cloudsecurity
An apparent hack of cloud storage sites that caused a slew
of nude images of female celebrities to hit the Internet
over the weekend should serve as a wake-up call for the
public, and for enterprises, to be more cautious with the
information they store in the cloud.
Whether the scandal will make some enterprises, already
nervous about cloud security, more hesitant about
migrating to the cloud remains to be seen.
"This is a great example of what can go wrong with the
cloud," said Jeff Kagan, an independent IT industry analyst.
"I don't know if this will make people or enterprises more
hesitant about the cloud, but it will make them more
careful, and that's good. That's how we learn. We learn not
to touch the hot stove when someone else gets burned."
Over the weekend, stories emerged about nude photos of
model Kate Upton and actresses like Mary E. Winstead and
Oscar-winner Jennifer Lawrence appearing online. Some of
the photos appear to be authentic. Others do not.
------------------------
WHY HACKERS MAY BE STEALING YPUR CREDIT CARD

NUMBERS FOR YEARS
(Computer World, dated 2nd September 2014 author
Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2600778/security-whyhackers-may-be-stealing-your-credit-card-numbers-foryears.html#tk.rss_datasecurity
While conducting a penetration test of a major Canadian
retailer, Rob VandenBrink bought something from the
store. He later found his own credit card number buried in
its systems, a major worry.
The retailer, which has hundreds of stores across Canada,
otherwise had rock-solid security and was compliant with
the security guidelines known as the Payment Card
Industry's Data Security Standards (PCI-DSS), said
VandenBrink, a consultant with the IT services company
Metafore.
But a simple configuration error allowed him to gain
remote access. From there, he found the retailer was
vulnerable to the same problem that burned Target,
Neiman Marcus, Michaels, UPS Store and others: card data
stored in memory that is vulnerable to harvesting by
malicious software.
-----------------------FBI, SECRET SERVICE STUDYING SCOPE OF BANK CYBERATTACKS
(Computer World, dated 28th August 2014 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2599266/security-fbisecret-service-studying-scope-of-bank-
cyberattacks.html#tk.rss_security0
A U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation spokesman said
Wednesday the agency is working with the Secret Service
to determine the "scope" of reported cyberattacks against
several financial institutions.
Bloomberg reported on Wednesday that Russian hackers
struck JPMorgan Chase and another bank earlier this
month. A subsequent report in the New York Times said
the attacks hit JPMorgan Chase and four other U.S.
financial institutions.
The Times reported that "gigabytes" of information were
stolen, including customer account information.
A JPMorgan Chase spokeswoman did not confirm the
attacks, saying that "companies of our size unfortunately
experience cyberattacks nearly every day. We have
multiple layers of defense to counteract any threats and
constantly monitor fraud levels."
Representatives for Wells Fargo, Bank of America and
Citigroup -- also frequent targets for hackers -- could not
be immediately reached for comment.
(1st November 2014)
WHERE ARE OUR BORDERS ?
When you leave the UK you will have your passport
checked at an airlines ticket desk. You may have even
have had to enter your passport details online when
checking-in. If you were going to the USA, you would have
to complete an ESTA application. All of these details would
have been checked and checked again at the departure
gate. A similar thing applies at Eurostar and ferries. That is
leaving the country, what about coming in ?
Well, when using Eurostar there is the French passport
control. Then a few yards later there is the UK passport
control (on French soil). As for airports in other countries,
they check your passport at airline check-in, entrance into

the departure lounge (perhaps) then at the departure
gate.
But what about all of these "refugee's" coming across (or
sadly dieing in) the Mediteranean, who checks them. What
controls does Europe have in managing refugee's and
illegal immigrants ? Does this management of people
movement work, bearing in mind the number of illegal
immigrants that land on our shores and the shanty towns
that have sprung up in Calais.
Well the management and control of the European Borders
are in the hands of an orgnisation called FRONTEX. Up
until September 2014 I had never heard of this
organisation. Bearing in mind this is meant to be the first
line of defence for the UK borders this seems strange. I did
not discover FRONTEX's existence from any UK material
(but I have since found mention on www.direct.gov.uk),
but from an article in a Maltese armed forces magazine.
Then again would you think of the word FRONTEX when
trying to discover the existence of a European Borders
agency, perhaps eBorders ? Oops, can't use
eBorders....that has been used by the UK Home Office !
WHAT IS FRONTEX - IN THEIR OWN WORDS ?
Website : http://frontex.europa.eu/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frontex
Since 1999 the European Council on Justice and Home
Affairs has taken several steps towards strengthen
cooperation in the area of migration, asylum and security.
In the border management field this led to the creation of
the External Border Practitioners Common Unit - a group
composed of members of the Strategic Committee on
Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum (SCIFA) and heads of
national border control services.
The Common Unit coordinated national projects of Ad-Hoc
Centres on Border Control. Their task was to oversee EU-
wide pilot projects and common operations related to

border management.
There were six ad-hoc centres:
Risk Analysis Centre (Helsinki, Finland)
Centre for Land Borders (Berlin, Germany)
Air Borders Centre (Rome, Italy)
Western Sea Borders Centre (Madrid, Spain)
Ad-hoc Training Centre for Training (Traiskirchen, Austria)
Centre of Excellence (Dover, United Kingdom)
Eastern Sea Borders Centre (Piraeus, Greece)
Frontex
Two years after the establishment of "ad-hoc" centres the
European Council decided to go a step further. With the
objective of improving procedures and working methods of
the Common Unit, on the 26 October 2004 the European
Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at
the External Borders of the Member States of the
European Union (Frontex) was established by Council
Regulation (EC) 2007/2004.
Frontex promotes, coordinates and develops European
border management in line with the EU fundamental rights
charter applying the concept of Integrated Border
Management.
Frontex helps border authorities from different EU

countries work together. Frontex's full title is the European
Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at
the External Borders of the Member States of the
European Union. The agency was set up in 2004 to
reinforce and streamline cooperation between national
border authorities. In pursuit of this goal, Frontex has
several operational areas which are defined in the
founding Frontex Regulation and a subsequent
amendment.
While fulfilling its mandate, Frontex liaises closely with
other EU partners involved in the development of the area
of Freedom, Security and Justice such as Europol, EASO,
Eurojust, FRA or CEPOL, as well as with customs
authorities in order to promote overall cohesion.
Frontex also works closely with the border-control
authorities of non-EU/Schengen countries - mainly those
countries identified as a source or transit route of irregular
migration - in line with general EU external relations policy.
HOW DOES FRONTEX OPERATE ?
The following is an extract from "On Parade" which is a
magazine supplement to the Times of Malta.
EUROPE'S EASTERN FRONT
(On Parade, dated October 2014 author Lieutenant
Matthew Agius)
Joint Operation Poseidon Land ( JO POSLAND ) was setup
by Frontex to monitor and control illegal migration aong
Eastern Europe's external borders. Frontex was
established by EU council regulation (EC no. 2007/2005 of
October 2004) to facilitate the abolishment of internal
Border control points within the EU member states which
require a high and uniform level of control of EU external
borders.
JO POSLAND is a relatively low risk operation, this it is the
ideal deployment for young, keen and enthusiastic soldiers
to gain operational experience such as working in a

foreign country, working alongside other forces; culture
difference and having to work and live as a team for the
deployment period. JO POSLAND has the ideal set-up for
young trained soldiers to implement their taught skills and
look forward to further deployments that the Armed Forces
Malta (AFM) embarks on from time to time.
Deployment so far
Between 2007 and 2012, the C(SD) Company from the 1st
Regiment AFM , had deployed a total of 300 personnel on
JO POSLAND in Greece.A change in the border
infrastructure shifted the migratory routes to Bulgaria, and
hence FRONTEX requested to move its mission to the
Bulgarian - Turkish border. The first deployment (by the
AFM) in Bulgaria was in July 2013, whilst so far this yea
alon a total of 6 team composed of personnel from all
Companies within the 1st Regiment have been deployed.
Armed Forces Malta website : www.afm.gov.mt
QUESTION
So it is not the case of where are our borders, more of,
who controls them !
(1st November 2014)
BORDER FORCE JOIN EUROPEAN ANTI-TRAFFICKING

OPERATION
(Home Office article, date 12th June 2014)
Full article : www.gov.uk/government/news/border-forcejoin-european-anti-trafficking-operation
Officers from Border Force, the National Crime Agency
(NCA), and Home Office Immigration Enforcement have
taken part in a major European operation to tackle human
trafficking from West Africa.

The operation, which took place on Wednesday 11 June,
focused on a number of inbound flights to Heathrow
Airport, a major European transit hub for West African
flights, with the aim of detecting potential victims and
gaining intelligence on the organised crime groups
involved in trafficking for the purpose of sexual
exploitation.
As part of the operation Home Office Immigration
Enforcement liaison officers in Lagos and Madrid worked
with local law enforcement agencies to provide extra
intelligence and conduct checks on those travelling to the
United Kingdom.
Heathrow
At Heathrow, officers from Border Force's specially-trained
Safeguarding and Trafficking Team, working alongside the
NCA, carried out additional screening of passengers
including those in transit to other EU nations.
The case of a 16-year-old girl, identified as a potential
victim of trafficking, was referred to social services, while
safeguarding checks were carried out on a number of
other arrivals. Intelligence gathered was fed on to other
law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad.
Additionally three people were prevented from boarding a
flight from Lagos to Heathrow for immigration reasons.
The day of action was co-ordinated by Europol, with
involvement from law enforcement agencies in Austria,
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg, The
Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Ireland, Czech Republic,
Ireland, Finland, Switzerland, Norway and Portugal as well
as the UK.
Slavery
Samantha Rigler, head of the Border Force Heathrow
Safeguarding and Trafficking team, said: "The UK is a
destination country for trafficking victims from West Africa

but it is also a key transit point for onward travel to other
European destinations."
"We regularly conduct these kinds of operations at
Heathrow working with our immigration liaison officers
abroad, but by being part of this Europe-wide day of action
we have increased our impact against the organised crime
groups involved in trafficking."
"
"Those crime groups are often based outside the UK, so
we are working with law enforcement partners at home
and abroad to bring them to justice and prevent people
becoming victims of this appalling crime."
"We are determined to send a message out that the UK
will not tolerate any form of modern slavery."
Similar operations carried out in the last two weeks by
Border Force at Heathrow, supported by Immigration
Enforcement colleagues in Lagos, have led to the
identification of five potential victims of trafficking and
one suspected trafficker, all prevented from boarding
flights to the UK. The case of another potential victim
identified at Heathrow was referred for further
investigation. Further intelligence has also been
disseminated to numerous other law enforcement
agencies in the UK and abroad.
Trafficking
Liam Vernon, from the NCA's UK Human Trafficking Centre,
said: "The trafficking of women and children from West
Africa to the UK is a significant problem - victims are
tricked into believing they will work or study in the UK,
only to be sold into a life of sexual slavery by the
organised crime gangs behind this vile trade.
"
We are determined to prevent this, to protect and support
victims and pursue the criminals making money from the
misery of innocent people. Working in collaboration with
other EU countries is essential and sends a strong
message to the traffickers that we are united in our efforts

to tackle modern slavery."
According to provisional figures, more than 673 persons,
mainly women from West African countries, were checked
across the countries involved in the operation. Of those,
111 potential victims of trafficking (mostly women from
Nigeria) were identified. Via cross-checks at the Europol
headquarters, more than 30 persons were found to have
links to criminal structures. As a result of the day of action,
new investigations have been launched in several
participating countries with Europol's support.
The operation came the same week as Home Secretary
Theresa May published details of a new Modern Slavery
Bill. The Bill is the first of its kind in Europe, and one of the
first in the world, to specifically address slavery and
trafficking in the 21st Century.
(1st November 2014)
WEB ATTACKS BUILD ON SHELLSHOCK BUG
(BBC News, dated 26th September 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.com/news/technology-29375636
A series of attacks on websites and servers using the
serious Shellshock bug has been spotted.
Millions of servers use software vulnerable to the bug,
which lets attackers run commands on that system.
So far, thousands of servers have been compromised via
Shellshock and some have been used to bombard web
firms with data, said experts.
The number of attacks and compromises was likely to
grow as the code used to exploit the bug was shared.
The Shellshock bug was discovered in a tool known as
Bash that is widely used by the Unix operating system and
many of its variants, including Linux open source software

and Apple's OSX.
Apple said it was working on a fix for its operating system
and added that most users would not be at risk from
Shellshock.
Attackers have been spotted creating networks of
compromised machines, known as botnets, that were then
put to other uses.
Honeypots
One group used their Shellshock botnet to bombard
machines run by Akamai with huge amounts of junk data
to try to knock them offline. Another group used its botnet
to scan for more machines that are vulnerable.
Evidence of the scanning and attacks came from
honeypots run by security companies. These are
computers that have been set up to look vulnerable but
which catch information about attackers.
Jaime Blasco, a researcher at security firm AlienVault, said
its honeypot had seen scans and attacks that used
Shellshock. The scans simply informed attackers that a
server was vulnerable, he wrote, but others attempted to
install malware to put that machine under an attacker's
control.
The control that Shellshock gave to attackers made it
potentially more of a problem than the serious Heartbleed
bug discovered in April this year, said security researcher
Kasper Lindegaard from Secunia.
"Heartbleed only enabled hackers to extract information,"
he told tech news site The Register. "Bash enables hackers
to execute commands to take over your servers and
systems."
The seriousness of the bug has also led governments to
act quickly. The UK government said its cybersecurity
response team had issued an alert to its agencies and

departments giving Shellshock the "highest possible
threat ratings".
It had this rating, said the alert, because vulnerable
systems would "inevitably" include machines that formed
part of the UK's critical national infrastructure.
The US and Canada are believed to have issued similar
alerts and told technology staff to patch systems as
quickly as possible. Amazon, Google, Akamai and many
other tech firms have also issued advisories to customers
about the bug.
As well as software patches for vulnerable systems,
security firms and researchers are also producing
signatures and filter lists to help spot attacks based
around it.
Early reports suggest up to 500 million machines could be
vulnerable to Shellshock but, wrote Jen Ellis from security
firm Rapid7, this figure was now being revised downwards
because of the "number of factors that need to be in play
for a target to be susceptible".
"This bug is going to affect an unknowable number of
products and systems, but the conditions to exploit it are
fairly uncommon for remote exploitation," said Ms Ellis.
Marc Maiffret, chief technology officer at security firm
BeyondTrust, expressed a similar view.
"There is a lot of speculation out there as to what is
vulnerable, but we just don't have the answers," he said.
"This is going to unfold over the coming weeks and
months."
(1st November 2014)
PCC : "BREAKING FORCES UP WOULD BEAT
MERGING THEM"
(Police Oracle, dated 26th September 2014 author Josh
Loeb)
Breaking up police forces could be preferable to mergers,
a police and crime commissioner (PCC) has suggested.
Former businessman Matthew Ellis, Staffordshire's
Conservative PCC, said small and medium sized forces
could be more viable in the future than any new
"superforces" - which he attacked as a "stack them high,
sell them cheap" idea.
He warned that larger forces would be "less able to meet
local need", adding: "Bigger doesn't always equal better.
The bigger you get, the more inefficiencies are built into
the system."
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary recently
announced that some smaller forces risked becoming
economically inviable.
But Mr Ellis said he did not believe there was a link
between the size of a force and its viability. In an interview
with PoliceOracle.com, he claimed Staffordshire Police had
a "geographical footprint" that is economically optimum.
"We're pretty well straight until 2020, and I've inherited
the same situation as anyone else," he said. "In my view
Staffordshire is an optimum size."
The idea of creating smaller instead of larger force areas
has also been mooted by others, including police
governance analyst Bernard Rix.
Custody battle
Mr Ellis has hit the headlines in recent months with his
outspoken campaign to ensure adequate provision in local
hospitals so detainees sectioned under the Mental Health
Act never need be locked up in police cells.
He will this week ask North Staffordshire Healthcare NHS
Trust to sign a pledge to keep their mental health suite
open at all hours.

Mr Ellis acknowledged there could be "grey areas" where
the remit of a PCC and a chief constable could overlap.
But he defended his role when asked about Labour's
pledge to scrap PCCs.
When asked if he personally needs to remain in the role,
he said: "I'm happy to go and lie on a beach and fly
helicopters. I don't need to work."
But he insisted PCCs could "hold other agencies to account
publically in a way that chief constables could never do".
He also called for police and crime panels to have a
greater ability to hold PCCs to account and take on a role
similar to that played by parliamentary select committees.
(1st November 2014)
POLICE CUSTODY SUITES COULD GET "HOTEL-STYLE
RATINGS"
Loeb)
All police custody suites should be given a numerical score
to reflect how well individual facilities are performing in
key areas such as detainee safety, it has been suggested.
Maneer Afsar, from Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons,
said a scoring system akin to that which is already in place
for jails should also be used to rate police detention
facilities.
Ms Afsar, who heads the team responsible for a rolling
programme of inspections of custody suites being carried
out jointly with Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
Constabulary, told delegates at the Police Federation's
National Custody Seminar: "We are thinking about
bringing in scoring soon for police custody suites."
Afterwards she told PoliceOracle: "It's good for people to

be able to compare and contrast. At the moment our
assessments are qualitative, but it would be good if we
could have some way of making that quantitative also."
Ms Afsar said that when prisons had received a poor score
this often had "consequences" for the prison governor as it
gave the National Offender Management Service
ammunition to sack them and find a replacement.
She added: "There is a correlation between a poor score
and someone losing their job."
Hotel-style ratings
She stressed there had been no consultation on any
proposal yet and said it would be in the gift of the Chief
Inspector of Prisons to decide precisely what form any
scorecard system for custody suites should take.
Inspectors could, for example, give hotel-style ratings,
with those at the top end receiving a five-star rating.
Initial reactions to the proposal were positive at the
seminar in Stoke-on-Trent. Simon Butterworth from West
Yorkshire Police Federation welcomed it as a "good idea".
"Every custody sergeant wants people who come into
custody to leave in the same state, or preferably a better
state, than when they came in," he added.
In her presentation to delegates, Ms Afsar also warned
that video linkups with courts were creating new problems
for custody staff because red tape meant that in some
cases detainees were being held in police cells for longer
than would otherwise be necessary.
Police procedures for deaths in custody - and deaths
following release from custody - were also a topic of
discussion.
Steve Evans, Vice-Chair of the Police Federation of England

and Wales, said he wanted post-incident procedures for
deaths in custody to be "treated with the same
seriousness and the same level of attention to detail as
firearms incidents".
Susan Freeburn, a lawyer with firm Salter and Gordon, said
incidents involving deaths following release from custody
vastly outnumbered all other types of deaths involving
contact with police - including shootings by police and
fatalities that occur on the road when a police car is
pursuing a suspect vehicle.
uaware comment
Perhaps there will be a sub-section on TripAdvisor !
(1st November 2014)
CHARGED WITH ATTEMPT TO DEFRAUD 250k EURO
IN BLACK MONEY SCAM
(Malta Today, dated 24th September 2014 author Daniel
Mizzi)
Full article :
www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/court_and_police/44116/all
eged_conmen_attempted_to_defraud_victim_out_of_25000
0_in_black_money_scam
Two alleged conmen were today remanded in custody
after pleading not guilty to trying to defraud a Maltese
man out of 250,000 in a 'black money scam'.
The court heard how the accused, Calice Nkwessa, 39, of
South Africa, and Bertin Nfonkeu, 30, of Cameroon, had
initially approached their victim by persuading him that a
briefcase full of banknote-sized paper is real money which
had been dyed black.
Sources close to the investigation that the two men
initially approached their victim, Clayton Falzon, and
applied iodine and other chemicals to a black "banknote."
The alleged banknote then turned into a 50 note, and the

accused then told their victim that it was genuine.
Moreover, informed sources said that after "convincing
their victim with their initial scam," the Cameroonian and
South African duo asked their victim 250,000 in
exchange for a briefcase full of banknote-sized paper dyed
black, and claimed that they could not export the money
due to laws in their homeland.
However, the victim is said to have informed the police of
the scam, leading to the subsequent arrest of the accused.
Prosecuting inspector Ian Abdilla said in exchange for the
money, conmen would have given their victim the
briefcase full of money and chemicals to "wash the
money" with the promise that after the chemicals dissolve,
the banknote would be revealed.
The court heard that, in reality, however, all would be
blank papers and that irrespective of the chemicals added,
they will not turn into money.
Standing before presiding Magistrate Marseann Farrugia,
the accused pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were
denied bail due to the fear of absconding.
In September, two Cameroonians were also remanded in
custody over the 'black money scam'.
Inspector Ian Joseph Abdilla prosecuted, while Lawyer
Anthony Cutajar was legal aid.
------------POLICE WARN PUBLIC AGAINST "BLACK - WHITE
MONEY SCAMS"
(The Malta Independent, dated 25th September 2014)
Full article :
www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-09-
25/news/police-warn-public-against-black-white-moneyscams-6724878336/
The Malta Police Force this afternoon issued a warning to
the public about persons carrying out 'black/white money
scams' in Malta.
"The perpetrators of these scams usually start by saying
that they are in possession of a quantity of money that
has been smuggled out of their country of origin. In order
to evade the authorities, this alleged money will have
been hidden by using black ink (hence black money) or
bleached (white money). They will also sell chemicals
purportedly to be used to restore the money to its original
state.
More often than not, they will set up a demonstration of
this conversion to show how the money is to be cleaned
after purchase but this is no more than a trick.
Once the victim has purchased the money, no amount of
chemicals will restore the money as this was never actual
money in the first place but just black or white paper.
More often than not, the perpetrators will have left the
country by the time the Police receive any information.
Hence, it is strongly advised that members of the public
that receive such an offer refrain from engaging in such
deals and to contact the police immediately."
(1st November 2014)
FORCE INVESTS IN 400 BODY WORN CAMERAS
(Police Oracle, dated 23rd September 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
Kent Police has become the latest force to invest in Body
Worn Video (BWV) for officers.
The force is giving the technology to local policing teams
in three areas prior to a wider roll-out by the end of the

year and into 2015.
Around 430 officers will be using the cameras by midOctober.
Many forces have already rolled out the technology to
their personnel, including the Met - which is currently
piloting the technology among their firearms officers.
New guidance on the technology's use was released by
the College of Policing in July. It included stipulations that
its use must be proportionate, legitimate and necessary.
Kent Police says it hopes it will aid officers tackling
domestic abuse offences and help with night time
economy incidents.
Deputy Chief Constable Paul Brandon said: "BWV is a
technological innovation which has been shown to have
some very clear and tangible benefits to police forces.
"It has the capability to capture real-time evidence,
offering the potential to move the justice process forward
with reduced stress for victims of crime.
"Forces who use BWV already have seen an increase in
early guilty pleas as defendants are shown irrefutable
evidence and they have seen a reduction in offending
behaviour resulting in better safety for members of the
public and officers.
"We owe it to the victims of crime to use all lawful
investigative techniques available to us and BWV will
become an invaluable asset for officers as they deliver a
first class service to the people of Kent."
Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Ann Barnes has
helped fund new cameras.
She said: "I am confident that the cameras will bring a real
difference for our frontline officers. Not only do they
modify offender behaviour at an incident, they can also

influence officer behaviour and - just as important protect our officers from unwarranted complaints."
(1st November 2014)
WE CAN'T COPE, SAY POLICE IN ST JULIANS
(Times of Malta, dated 18th September 2014 author Keith
Micallef)
www.timesofmalta.com
Police in the St Julian's district, which includes the
Paceville trouble spot, are stretched so thin they have very
little time to investigate the flood of reports that come in
every day.
About 6,000 reports have already been filed this year in
the district - an increase of about 1,000 over the first eight
months of 2013 - but just two policemen are assigned to
investigations and patrol, sources told Times of Malta.
"It has become a normal occurrence to have queues of
people waiting to file a report, even at 5am," one police
source said on condition of anonymity.
The St Julian's district also includes San Gwann, Swieqi
and Pembroke. Over the past five years it has recorded the
highest number of burglaries from occupied residences as
well as the highest number of armed robberies, muggings,
pick pocketing cases and "snatch and grab" cases. Home
Affairs Minister Manuel Mallia tabled the figures in
Parliament last November.
On paper, each shift at the St Julians police station is
made up of 12 policemen, but most of the time it is
manned by just four officers, sources said. The reason is
that police have to provide security at fixed points and for
events such as village feasts and sports activities.
As a result just two policemen are being assigned to
investigations and patrol, with the remaining two taking
care of phone calls and filing of new cases.
The sources also complain of inadequate facilities :

"Somebody a report on sexual abuse or domestic violence
can be overheard by somebody else sitting just two
metres away filing a report on much less serious case like
a lost mobile phone", one officer said.
"To add insult to injury we have been recently chided for
issuing fewer tickets on traffic contraventions, littering and
other minor offences. But this is testament in the fact that
the higher echelons of the police force seem to be totally
oblivious to the situation on the ground where we are
having little time to do patrols".
While acknowledging that maintaining the law and order in
St Julians has always been very challenging, sources said
that since the change in government the number of
officers on each shift had been cut from 15 to 12, across
all ranks.
He said that a case in point was the decision to reduce the
number of Inspectors from four to two, and it was only
recently that a third one was assigned.
The same sources noted that the opening of the Swieqi
police station was a postive move, albeit a small one, as it
was being run by two part-time policemen for a limited
number of hours per week.
They said that from an already small complement, district
police had to cover a number of fixed points such as the
Libyan School in Ta' Giorni and the Russian embassy in
Kappara on a 24 hour basis. Other duties assigned include
the closure of roads during school hours and manning
busy traffic junctions during the rush hour.
In addition there were circumstances in which district
police were called to guard Libyan patients at Mater Dei
(hospital) or assigned to particular events such as village
feasts, water polo games and football matches.
A Home Affairs Ministry spokeswoman denied fewer
policeman were being deployed in St Julians district,

saying that since last year the complement had increased
from 52 to 63. In the coming weeks a new mobile police
station would be opened in Paceville.
"This would enable the public to file a report without the
need to go down to St Julian's," she said. Another mobile
station is earmarked for Marsascala.
However, faced with what they insist is a small staff
shortage, sources questioned the decision to keep
members of the force assigned to duties unrelated to
investigations or law enforcement.
"Having members of the force assigned to maintenance
works, repairing car punctures, store keeping or making
tea and coffee does not make sense as it would be more
worthwhile assigning them to carry out normal police
duties".
uaware comment
Malta's prime industry is tourism. St Julians and Paceville
and the adjacent districts (and we are talking about a very
compact area here - under a square mile at most) is
probably the most densely populated hotel area on the
island. The hotels range from 5* deluxe via 18-30
establishments to some really grotty flea pits. Paceville
does not come to life until 10pm and doesn't calm until
sunrise. As for the police station, it is the size of double
fronted detached house.
As for the Maltese; a great group of people. I have visited
the island many times and never personally suffered any
problems, but some visitors do not respect their hosts.
(1st November 2014)
THE TRICKY BUSINESS OF POLICING SEX IN PUBLIC
Once any kind of sex in public might have led to arrest

and prosecution. Now police across much of the UK take a
softly-softly approach, writes Julie Bindel.
Decades ago, the police in the UK did their utmost to stop
gay men having sex in public toilets and outdoor "cruising
grounds". Men were frequently arrested, prosecuted and
often jailed.
Today much has changed and the police take advice on
"sensitivity and fairness" in dealing with those who have
sex in public places.
A Freedom of Information request, submitted last year,
revealed specific guidelines, published in 2009 by the
Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) on the policing
of sex in public. The issue is significant enough for police
that they use a standard term - Public Sex Environments
(PSE).
And indeed public sex has been on the agenda in Britain
since at least the late 1600s, according to some accounts.
In the decades prior to the Sexual Offences Act 1967, gay
men rarely "came out". Cruising was one way that - albeit
with a fairly high level of risk of persecution - men could
meet other men in a way they could not in ordinary life.
Sir John Gielgud was arrested for "importuning" in 1953 in
Chelsea, and Peter Dudley, an actor in Coronation Street,
was arrested in 1981 in a toilet in Didsbury. The singer
George Michael, famously arrested after an incident a Los
Angeles public toilet, has said he has no shame about
engaging in cruising.
Almost 50 years after the decriminalisation of gay sex in
the UK, cruising is still popular.
Definitive stats are difficult to come by, but anecdotally at
least, the British do not seem to be that squeamish about
outdoor sex, and it appears to be more commonplace than
one might think. In general terms, the police now only
tend to get involved when bystanders complain.

The issue doesn't just affect gay people. For centuries
heterosexual couples have had sex in secluded spots,
often referred to as "Lovers' Lanes", seeking privacy
unavailable at home.
And a decade ago footballer Stan Collymore admitted to
"dogging" - having sex in a public place watched by
onlookers - in a Cannock Chase country park, having been
spotted by tabloid journalists. It placed in the public
consciousness a hitherto shadowy subculture.
In a shift from the previous legislation and police practice,
which focused only on sex between men in public toilets
(commonly known as "cottaging") the latest guidance
makes reference to sex by a wider variety of people, and
includes dogging, sex in parks, beaches, and beauty spots.
Offences that could be committed in a 'public sex
environment'
- Outraging public decency contrary to common law
- Behaviour that is likely to cause harassment, alarm or
distress to other users contrary to the Public Order Act
1986
- Offences of exposure - if the person exposes themselves
to someone intending that someone will see them and be
caused alarm or distress
- Sex in a public toilet (Section 71, Sexual Offences Act,
2003)
The above applies to England and Wales although there
are some similar provisions in Scotland and Northern
Ireland
It's a complicated issue. Outdoor sex in the middle of a
forest is clearly at the other end of the spectrum from sex
on a crowded beach. But both can be interpreted as sex in
public places.
The Acpo guidance focuses on those who stumble across it
as well as those that indulge in it. "The Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) is committed to making PSEs safer for
both users and those who happen upon them when going
about their daily business."
PSEs can be dangerous places where rape, serious sexual
offences, serious assaults and robbery take place and go
unreported. Sites used exclusively by men - such as public
toilets - have historically been policed differently to
cruising and dogging sites, aided by a different set of legal
rules. Police action has often been triggered by public
concern.
"PSEs are complex environments and the use of them for
sexual activity is an emotive issue, which is more often
than not exacerbated by negative stereotypes and
prejudicial views," reads the guidance.
"It is our responsibility (with our partners) to make such
places safe places for all users, and prevent and detect
crimes. It is not our role to act as moral arbiters; we must
enforce the law proportionately, firmly, fairly and in an
even-handed way."
Also taking a softly-softly approach to public sex is
Brighton council, which recently received a number of
complaints over cruising in Dukes Mount park. Officials
reportedly suggested that The Greenery, a notorious gay
cruising spot in the park should allow bushes to grow
between 15ft and 20ft tall to afford privacy to outdoor
fornicators.
For those public sex environments outside of public
lavatories, the common law and statute law is usually only
concerned with those situations where a member of the
public is likely to chance upon public sex and be alarmed
or distressed by what they see.
But most dogging and cruising areas are deliberately
chosen to avoid passers-by - thus they should in theory

amount to lawful activity.
Chris Ashford, professor of law and society at Northumbria
University is currently working on a book exploring the
law's relationship with the public sex, entitled Public Sex
and the Law: Silent Desire. There are, found Ashford,
significant differences in the approach to policing public
sex in different parts of the country.
"Public sex is a historical phenomenon, with variances of
behaviour occurring around the globe. This is particularly
the case for male and male sexual encounters," says
Ashford. "Cottaging, for example, has particularly been
regarded as a 'gay' problem. The law that regulates sex in
toilets (section 71 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003) was
originally stated in the Sexual Offences Act 1967. The very
section of the act that effectively 'legalised' homosexuality
also contained the provision that criminalised sex in public
lavatories."
The current police guidelines, at least in regards to
cottaging, have moved from a punitive approach to one
that deals sensitively with a much-maligned community.
"We must acknowledge the negative impact on LGBT
people's trust and confidence in us if we act in a parochial
and ill-judged way," say the Acpo guidelines.
Dan Bunker, a gay activist who offers training to public
bodies on LGBT equality and diversity, says that cruising
and cottaging has long been a "huge part" of gay culture.
"Working for a helpline service I was overwhelmed by the
number of married men who called wanting to know where
to go to get their kicks."
According to Ashford, police have to strike a balance
between devoting resources to policing isolated locations
at which unwilling bystanders might witness public sex
with responding to public concerns.
The right to have outdoor sexual activity has been
interpreted as being enshrined in article eight of the
Human Rights Act (right to respect for private and family

life), as long as those activities are not liable to breach the
rights of others.
But police are certainly not turning a blind eye to public
sex. In June, police warned people indulging in such
activities at a beauty spot by the Menai Strait commonly
used by walkers to stop off and stretch their legs.
Despite the attention now paid to getting it right, the
police will always have a difficult job on their hands
balancing the rights of people to have sex with the rights
of passers-by not to be shocked.
(1st November 2014)
VICTIMS OF CRIME LAW PLANNED BY GOVERNMENT

The rights of victims of crime in England and Wales are to
be enshrined in law, the justice secretary has said. Chris
Grayling says a Victims' Law will include the right for them
to be kept informed about their case and to confront
offenders in court.
It would replace the existing code of practice and be the
first time victims' rights were enshrined in law. However,
Labour accused the government of "letting down" victims,
saying the plan looked "cobbled together".
Range of support
Under a reform of the law, publicly funded lawyers will
also have to take specialist training before working on
serious sex offence cases.
Mr Grayling said the current legal system could be
daunting and traumatic for victims.
He said: "For the first time we will create a system that

puts the highest emphasis on victims' needs and sets out
their rights clearly in legislation."
At the moment, victims can choose to tell the court and
offender how a crime has impacted their life by reading
out a statement to be taken into account by judges
considering the sentence.
The Victim Information Service is set to include a helpline
and website and the reforms could also see more powers
given to watchdogs.
Mr Grayling said victims often found it difficult to know
who to go to under the existing system and that having
one source of information and help would make it easier
for them.
Such help would include tracking the progress of the case,
applying for compensation, knowing what to expect in
court, or understanding the range of support available, he
said.
'Clear message'
Mark Castle, chief executive of Victim Support, said he
welcomed the measures.
He said: "Our witness service team, who work behind the
scenes in court, see every day just how distressing it can
be... especially for victims of a violent or sexual crime.
"Putting victims' rights in law sends a clear message to
police, prosecutors and the courts that addressing the
needs of victims is central to their work - it cannot be an
optional extra.
He said it was essential all lawyers had specialist training,
particularly if a case involved cross-examining a child and
stressed the charity would continue working with the legal
profession to secure this.
"We will continue to push for policy makers to make sure

people affected by crime get the help they need and
respect they deserve."
Last year, 29m from offenders in fines and confiscations
was dedicated to boosting restorative justice.
The Ministry of Defence said the programme helped cut
the frequency of reoffending by 14%.
But shadow justice secretary Sadiq Khan said the
government had consistently "let down" victims.
He said the government had let them down by cutting
compensation for innocent victims of violent crime and
leaving the position of victims commissioner vacant for
almost a year and then making the role part time.
Mr Khan said Downing Street had also wanted to reduce
prison sentences by half if criminals entered a guilty plea,
closed down rape centres and courts, and cut resources
for Victim Support.
"This announcement looks like it's been cobbled together
on the back of an envelope, in the dying months of this
government," he added.
(1st November 2014)
SCRAP CRIME STATS, SAYS SUPERINTENDENTS
PRESIDENT
Loeb)
Crime figures are "useless" as a means of measuring
police performance, the President of the Police
Superintendents' Association has claimed.
To loud applause from the audience at the association's
annual conference, Chief Superintendent Irene Curtis
(pictured) said reitereated her stance on the use of the
arbitary measures and said such data should be strictly for
internal use.
She said: "We should get rid of crime figures. They are not
a measure of police performance."
She said police officers "do more than just deal with
crime", adding: "Purely measuring police performance in
terms of recorded crime is what has led us to where we
are now.
"If we get so focussed on reducing crime at all costs, that's
when we start to skew activity."
Ch Supt Curtis made her remarks during a question and
answer discussion at the conference in Warwickshire,
where she spoke alongside fellow panellists Baroness
Newlove, Shami Chakrabarti, and shadow policing minister
Jack Domey.
Mr Dromey said statistics could not be used as a viable
measure of crime owing to under-reporting.
"You could accommodate in a telephone box the number
of people who believe the veracity of the statement that
all is well and crime is falling," he added.
Post incident procedures
Other issues that were debated included post incident
procedures for firearms officers. The Independent Police
Complaints Commission has recently finished a
consultation on the issue and are expected to reveal the
results shortly.
Mr Dromey said he was "instinctively against" allowing
officers to confer.
He added: "I am instinctively worried about the ability to
confer because it does suggest the ability to concoct."
Ms Chakrabarti, Director of human rights campaign group
Liberty, said public confidence in the investigation of fatal
shootings by police was damaged by the perception that
officers were being allowed to "write the script together".
She added: "It's human nature to want to have one story,
but there is never just one story."
But Ch Supt Curtis said she was against proposals to split
up teams of officers until initial statements about an
incident had been taken from them.
"I think it's a huge risk if we go down that route," she said.
"There is so much evidence out there that tells us that the
best evidence comes when officers have had the
opportunity to have that initial debrief."
But she added: "We need to do better at educating the

public about why the follow up processes we have now are
important."
Referendum concerns
The Scottish referendum was also a topic of discussion,
and Ch Supt Curtis revealed: "We are not planning any
contingencies for a yes vote."
Ms Chakrabarti said that if Scotland left there could be
human rights implications.
"You cannot really separate policing from what it will do to
the rest of the culture if the United Kingdom breaks up,"
she said. "I've thought about this question all my life.
Multiple identity runs deep in these islands.
"People in the same families support different national
football teams. You can be British and English or Scottish
or Welsh.
"If England is for the English and Scotland is for the
Scottish at a time when this planet is more shrinking and
interconnected than ever and we need to pull together, I
do have some terrible fears about how this might pan
out."
Senior officers in the audience said the existence of
different tax regimes could fuel smuggling and other
cross-border organised crime.
Border security and people smuggling - and associated
strains on Cumbria Constabulary and Northumbria Police were also flagged up as potential consequences if
Scotland votes to go it alone.
(1st November 2014)
TWITCH MALWARE SPENDS USERS MONEY(BBC News, dated
12th September 2014 author Joe Miller)
Malicious software spread via chat forums on the video games streaming
site Twitch can spend users' money without authorisation, it has emerged.
The Finnish security firm F-Secure said clicking on the malware links
also enabled infiltrators to wipe accounts on the gaming shop, Steam.
Twitch is advising users not to use links from unknown sources.
The site, which was recently bought by Amazon for $970m (597m) has
more than 55 million unique monthly viewers.
The vulnerability originates from an automated account which, according

to F-Secure, "bombards channels and invites viewers to participate in a
weekly raffle for a chance to win things such as 'Counter-Strike: Global
Offensive' items".
If viewers take the bait, they are invited to fill in their name and email
address which then allows the malicious software to gain control,
allowing it to:
- Take screenshots
- Add new friends in Steam (a gaming shop and community commonly
linked to Twitch accounts)
- Accept pending friend requests in Steam
- Initiate trading with new friends in Steam
- Buy items, if user has money
- Send a trade offer
- Accept pending trade transactions
A spokesman for Twitch told the BBC that the vulnerability was the "first
instance" he had seen, but that the site would "remind our community
about not clicking on links from unknown sources just like they wouldn't
on other social media sites".
He added: "Please note that we give all broadcasters the option to disable
links in their chat which can easily prevent this."
(1st November 2014)
ROTHERHAM COUNCIL TO BE SUBJECT OF
INDEPENDENT INSPECTION
Rotherham Council is to face an independent inspection
following the report that revealed 1,400 children were
sexually abused in the town.
Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles said the
inspection would examine whether the council covered up
information about the abuse.
It comes after the council's chief executive told MPs key
reports relating to abuse had disappeared.
Mr Pickles said an inspection was "in the public interest".
He said the inspection would be led by Louise Casey, the

head of the government's troubled families programme,
and would examine the council's governance, services for
children and young people, and taxi and private hire
licensing.
The report into the abuse of children had highlighted the
alleged involvement of some taxi firms in transporting
some victims.
Mr Pickles said the inspection would examine whether the
council takes steps to ensure only "fit and proper persons"
are permitted to hold a taxi licence.
'Documented failures'
It will also examine whether the council "was and
continues to be subject to institutionalised political
correctness affecting its decision-making on sensitive
issues", he told MPs in a ministerial statement.
The report by Professor Alex Jay, published two weeks ago,
detailed how children had been subjected to trafficking,
rape and other sexual exploitation over a 16-year period
and how their abuse had been ignored by a range of
agencies, including police, councillors and council officials.
Mr Pickles said: "With clearly documented failures by the
council on so many levels, the rare step of a statutory
inspection is in the public interest.
"We cannot undo the permanent harm that these children
have suffered. But we can and should take steps to ensure
that this never happens again and make sure that all local
authorities deliver on their essential duty to protect
vulnerable children."
He said Ms Casey had been asked to report to him by
November and if the inspection showed the council was
failing, he had the power to intervene directly.
Cabinet dissolved
The announcement of the inspection comes after a

barrage of criticism of both Rotherham Council and South
Yorkshire Police following the publication of the Jay report.
Council leader Roger Stone has already quit and the chief
executive, Martin Kimber, announced he would stand
down in December on Monday.
However, South Yorkshire's Police and Crime
Commissioner Shaun Wright, who was in charge of
children's services in Rotherham from 2005 to 2010, has
refused to resign.
The council's current head of children's services, Joyce
Thacker, has also resisted calls for her to quit.
Rotherham Council's Labour cabinet has been dissolved
and the Local Government Association has been asked to
establish an "independently-chaired improvement board".
South Yorkshire Police has commissioned an independent
investigation into its handling of the abuse scandal.
(1st November 2014)
ONLY 100 CYBERCRIME BRAINS WORLDWIDE SAYS

EUROPOL BOSS
There are only "around 100" cybercriminal kingpins behind
global cybercrime, according to the head of Europol's
Cybercrime Centre.
Speaking to the BBC's Tech Tent radio show, Troels Oerting
said that law enforcers needed to target the "rather
limited group of good programmers".
"We roughly know who they are. If we can take them out
of the equation then the rest will fall down," he said.
Although, he added, fighting cybercrime remained an
uphill battle.
"This is not a static number, it will increase unfortunately,"
he said.
"We can still cope but the criminals have more resources
and they do not have obstacles. They are driven by greed
and profit and they produce malware at a speed that we
have difficulties catching up with."
The biggest issue facing cybercrime fighters at the
moment was the fact that it was borderless, he told the
BBC.
"Criminals no longer come to our countries, they commit
their crimes from a distance and because of this I cannot
use the normal tools to catch them.
"I have to work with countries I am not used to working
with and that scares me a bit," he said
The majority of the cybercrime "kingpins" were located in
the Russian-speaking world, he said.
Relationships with Russian law enforcers have not always
been good but were "improving". He revealed that he had
recently been on a trip to Moscow to discuss four big
cybercrime cases and was hopeful that arrests and jail
sentences would follow.
Mr Oerting described how Russian-speaking criminal
gangs were creating and testing malware and then selling
it as a service in online forums.
"Then it is downloaded by all kinds of criminals, from
Eastern Europe, Europe, Africa and America," he said.
This commercialisation of cybercrime is making his job

harder.
"It is so easy to be a cybercriminal. You don't have to be a
cyber-expert because you just download the programs
that you want to use."
Identity theft
On the issue of what consumers should be worried about,
he said: "What I think you should be afraid of is the
stealing of your private, sensitive information - your inbox
credentials, your Facebook account. If they know a bit
about you they can reset your Google accounts, your
Apple accounts. Then they simply take over your life," he
said.
He also spoke about how the job of containing the
cybercrime threat was getting harder as the internet
acquired more users and widened its reach. The so-called
internet of things - where previously dumb objects are
connected to the network - "widens the attack surface a
bit", he said.
And he revealed how the Edward Snowden revelations,
which exposed mass government surveillance
programmes, had played a part in hampering law
enforcement's efforts to contain cybercrime.
"There is confusion among the good guys on the internet
between anonymity and privacy. I don't think they are the
same. I think that you have right to privacy but that
doesn't mean that you have the right to anonymity," he
said.
The increasing trend towards greater encryption of online
communications is not acceptable, he said.
"Imagine in the physical world if you were not able to open
the trunk of a car if you had a suspicion that there were
weapons or drugs inside... we would never accept this.
"I think that should also count for the digital world. I hate
to talk about backdoors but there has to be a possibility
for law enforcement, if they are authorised, to look inside
at what you are hiding in your online world."
(1st November 2014)
SEXUAL VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AT ITS WORST
LEVEL FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS
(London Evening Standard, dated 8th September 2014
Sexual violence against women is at its worst level for
more than 30 years, one of Scotland Yard's top female
officers warned today.
Commander Christine Jones spoke out as she announced
new "Al Capone" tactics to target the capital's most
serious domestic abusers.
She said violent pornography, the use of rape as "a
weapon of choice" and a culture in which girls were
pressured into posting explicit images on social media
were all part of an "unacceptable" attitude towards
women.
Commander Jones, who leads the Met's efforts to combat
domestic abuse, said more women would suffer unless
"we as a civilised society say that this is not acceptable
to us".
The Met is to target 160 of London's most prolific and
dangerous domestic abusers with tactics modelled on
those used to jail US gangster Al Capone in the Thirties.
Officers will examine tax records, benefit claims and other
aspects of an abuser's life to find ways to prosecute those
who might escape charges because their victim is too
scared to testify.
The aim is to ensure that the worst offenders are jailed.

Licence conditions and other powers will be used to
control their behaviour after release.
The initiative follows a surge in domestic abuse in London.
Attacks on women increased by nearly 2,000 over the past
12 months.
Further Information
Link :
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/domestic-abuse-is-on-therise-with-28000-crimes-in-the-past-year-as-society-showsa-growing-tolerance-of-violence-9718563.htm
The latest Met figures show a significant increase in
domestic abuse with 20,931 recorded "intimate" offences
involving a current or ex-partner in the 12 months to June
this year. That is five per cent up on the 19,000 tally for
the comparable period a year earlier.
Another 7,086 domestic abuse crimes - a 13.2 per cent
rise - have been committed in the past year by "nonintimate" suspects, including other family members who
live with the victim.
(1st November 2014)
PERSONAL DATA STORES FOUND LEAKING ONLINE

(BBC News, dated 8th September 2014 author Mark Ward)
Thousands of Britons could be inadvertently sharing their
digital secrets with anyone who knows where to click,
suggests a BBC investigation.
At risk are photographs, home videos and music

collections as well as scans of documents such as
passports, tax forms and other sources of personal data. In
some cases, back-up files are being made available that, if
downloaded and restored, could let attackers take over a
victim's online life.
Security firms suggest that attackers have already found
out about this easy-to-access source of saleable data and
are starting to actively seek it out and share it.
Those at risk are people who use home data storage
devices known as Network Attached Storage (NAS).
Correctly configured, these devices act as a common data
store accessible by any other device connecting to that
home network.
However, many people have set them up incorrectly and
have accidentally made this data accessible not just to
their home network but to the internet at large. Visiting
this data is as easy as visiting any other webpage.
Private files
To find out how many people are accidentally sharing their
data online, the BBC turned to the Shodan search engine.
While Google, Bing and others seek out data on the net,
Shodan looks for devices.
In the past, security researchers have used Shodan to
expose insecure and poorly protected computers
controlling industrial plants, power plants, heating and
ventilation systems and CCTV streams.
A search via Shodan turned up tens of thousands of NAS
systems in UK homes.
Working out which ones of these are sharing personal data
is difficult because British computer misuse laws do not
allow the BBC to visit them to see which are happy to
share data with anyone.
An idea of how many are exposed to the net can be

gleaned by examining the information that Shodan
collects about the NAS boxes. This gives a strong hint that
many are making public huge amounts of private data.
Independent corroboration of the BBC's findings has been
given by security firm Digital Shadows. Among other
things, the firm helps large businesses find out how much
information about them is being shared online. As part of
this work, Digital Shadows carries out surveys that seek
places where internal data leaks out on to the net.
Domestic NAS boxes are regular sources of these leaks,
said James Chappell, chief technology officer at Digital
Shadows.
"We've seen tens of thousands that are available online,"
said Mr Chappell. "We've also definitely seen an increase
in the number of devices in the last six months.
"The most worrying part is that it's getting worse."
Mr Chappell has no doubt that a lot of the data available
via these NAS boxes is deeply personal.
"For me, the most worrying part of this is that consumers
are just trusting the device manufacturer to make smart
choices about how they defend the security of their
devices," he said. "They need to be aware that the
manufacturer may not be as diligent as they hope."
Owners of NAS boxes should check to ensure that they are
configured to surrender data only to devices within their
home network, he said.
The default state of many of the devices is to share
widely, he said, and often owners have to make a specific
choice to restrict access.
There was evidence that attackers were starting to realise
that home NAS boxes could be a good source of saleable
data, said Mr Chappell.

The net scans that Digital Shadows carried out regularly
revealed links to domestic NAS boxes on the Google index,
he said.
"That means it will have to have been shared somewhere
else to make it crop up on a search engine."
That "somewhere else" could well be a place where
cyberthieves gathered or swapped data, he said.
Hard fix
Criminals were certainly starting to take more interest in
home networking devices, said Craig Young, a researcher
from Tripwire who has studied the security shortcomings
of both NAS boxes and home routers.
"It does seem like large-scale attacks on these devices are
coming more frequently," said Mr Young.
One such attack took place in February when Poland's
Computer Emergency Response Team reported details of
an attack on routers that installed snooping software on
vulnerable devices. This software watched data traffic
passing out of the device, grabbed any that related to
online banking and passed it back to the gang behind the
attack.
Unfortunately, he said, the poor security on many routers
meant that success was almost guaranteed for attackers
that targeted home hardware.
"Manufacturers could make them better but it would cost
them development time and money," he said. "I have not
seen any that do things like encrypt passwords and all are
designed to use just rudimentary security controls."
Mr Young helped to organise a competition at the recent
Defcon hacker conference that tried to see how well
widely used home routers withstood attacks. All nine
routers used in the contest were comprehensively

compromised and the event found a series of hitherto
unknown vulnerabilities in the software used to control
them.
Similarly Jacob Holcomb from Independent Security
Evaluators has found a large number of easy-to-exploit
vulnerabilities in many popular NAS boxes. Many hand
over data when hit by the most basic attacks, he said.
Getting known faults on routers fixed could be frustrating,
said Mr Young.
"I've worked with several vendors and I'll report that
there's an authentication bypass in Model X and after a bit
of pushing I get that fixed on the model," he said.
"However," he added, "they then don't fix the same bug
on other devices, even if the change to the firmware is the
same for all of them."
Given this lackadaisical attitude, it was worth consumers
taking a little time to protect themselves.
"They tend to have very common flaws that people really
need to be paying more attention to," he said. "Change
the IP address, change the default password, upgrade the
firmware once in a while.
(1st November 2014)
SAY SORRY AND YOU CAN GO FREE

(Daily Mail, dated 6th September 2014 author Jennifer
Newton)
Full article :
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2745897/Say-sorry-freeRapists-child-abusers-allowed-escape-punishment-
apologise-victims.html
Rapists and child abusers are escaping punishment and
being allowed to walk free by police if they say sorry to
their victims.
New figures show that some those accused of sexual
offences are being handed community resolution orders,
also known as restorative justice.
The orders are often used to punish youths so they do not
get a criminal record and usually involve the offender
making a verbal or written apology to their victim.
However, it is now emerged that in 2012/13, Wiltshire
Police dealt with around 30 serious sexual offences, which
included rape and sexual activity with a child, by handing
out a community resolution order.
In a return check last year, it found 58 people accused of
sexual offence allegations, including five of rape, were
handed the orders.
Crime statistics for the Wiltshire force area show that
between May 2013 and July 2014, there were 142 violent
and sexual crimes.
Now victims' groups have spoken out and criticised the
procedure saying it does not send a tough message to
offenders that their behaviour is unacceptable.
Details of the practice at Wiltshire Police were revealed in
a report by HM Inspectorate of Constabularies, which
branded their use of community resolution orders for
sexual offences as 'unacceptable'.
The report states: 'An internal report in 2012/13 concludes
that "Wiltshire Police has intentionally or inadvertently,
manipulated the recording of sexual offences and thereby
improved the perception of performance".
'The report estimates the number of rapes not recorded at
around 50, and that around 30 serious sexual offences

were dealt with by way of community resolutions including
rape and sexual activity with a child.
'The latest force checks have identified some 58 such
outcomes, of which, in the previous year, five were for
rape crimes.'
Jon Brown from the NSPCC told the Daily Express: 'The
justice system needs to be more victim focused, and not a
reflection on whether the perpetrator deserved prison or
not.
'A custodial sentence for serious sexual offences is the
only way to send a clear message that society will not
accept their behaviour.'
However the report added that the force, headed by new
chief constable Patrick Geenty, had made considerable
investment into changing the culture, in making sure all
offences are recorded.
It comes after Mailonline revealed last month through
figures obtained through Freedom of Information laws,
that people arrested on suspicion of rape, child rape,
creating child porn, child abduction and sexually abusing a
mental patient escaped prosecution by apologising.
The shocking figures from 38 of England and Wales' police
forces show resolution orders were used in 30 rape cases,
including 21 involving children.
One of the orders was given to a care worker in the West
Midlands who caused a mental patient to engage in a
penetrative sex act.
Five other orders involved kidnap or abduction, 75 were
for sexually assaulting young children, and 284 sexual
assaults were passed off with an apology.
Conservative MP Nick de Bois, who sits on the Commons
justice committee, said he would be calling on the
Government to review the orders.

He said: 'It's shocking that offenders who admit to serious
criminal offences are being offered the chance to say sorry
and walk away from answering in a court of law for their
crimes.'
The data also showed that overall restorative justice had
allowed 256,816 crimes to pass without offenders going to
court in the last three-and-a-half years.
(1st November 2014)
LORD MAYOR FIONA WOOLF NAMED AS HEAD OF
CHILD SEX ABUSE INQUIRY
www.standard.co.uk
The Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf was today named
as the new head of the independent inquiry into child sex
abuse set up by the Government in the wake of the Jimmy
Savile scandal.
Home Secretary Theresa May told the Commons in a
written statement that Ms Woolf, a qualified solicitor with
wide-ranging business experience, will head the inquiry
once it begins looking at the way public bodies dealt with
child sex abuse over previous decades.
Mrs May also announced that Ben Emmerson QC, a
leading human rights lawyer who has specialised in
international war crimes cases, will act as legal counsel to
the inquiry.
The decision to appoint Ms Woolf follows the resignation of
the previous inquiry head, the former judge Lady ButlerSloss, in July because of allegations by critics that she was
too much of an establishment figure.
The post has remained vacant ever since, prompting
criticism from Ed Miliband this week about the resulting

delay to the start of the inquiry.
Announcing Ms Woolf's appointment today, the Home
Secretary said the Government was determined to expose
why public bodies had failed to tackle child sex abuse
adequately.
"I am pleased to announce today that Fiona Woolf has
been appointed to lead this inquiry," she said.
"In recent years, we have seen appalling cases of
organised and persistent child sex abuse which have
exposed serious failings by public bodies and important
institutions.
"These failings have sent shockwaves through the country
and shaken public confidence in the pillars of society in
which we should have total trust.
"That is why the Government has announced that an
independent panel of experts will consider whether such
organisations have taken seriously their duty of care to
protect children from sexual abuse."
Two members of the panel which will help Ms Woolf
conduct the inquiry were also announced today. They are
Graham Wilmer, the founder of the Lantern Project charity
for survivors of sexual abuse, and Barbara Hearn, a former
deputy chief executive at the National Children's Bureau.
No date has yet been set for the inquiry to begin.
(1st November 2014)
UNICEF REPORT ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

(Dated 4th September 2014)
Full article : www.unicef.org/media/media_75530.html
The largest-ever compilation of data on violence against

children shows the staggering extent of physical, sexual
and emotional abuse -- and reveals the attitudes that
perpetuate and justify violence, keeping it 'hidden in plain
sight' in every country and community in the world.
"These are uncomfortable facts - no government or parent
will want to see them," said UNICEF Executive Director
Anthony Lake. "But unless we confront the reality each
infuriating statistic represents - the life of a child whose
right to a safe, protected childhood has been violated - we
will never change the mind-set that violence against
children is normal and permissible. It is neither. "
The UNICEF report Hidden in Plain Sight draws on data
from 190 countries, documenting violence in places where
children should be safe: their communities, schools and
homes. It details the lasting, often inter-generational
effects of violence, finding that exposed children are more
likely to become unemployed, live in poverty and be
violent towards others. The authors note that the data is
derived only from individuals who were able and willing to
respond, and therefore represent minimum estimates.
Major findings include:
Sexual violence: Around 120 million girls under the age
of 20 worldwide (about 1 in 10) have experienced forced
intercourse or other forced sexual acts, and one in 3 evermarried adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (84 million) have
been victims of emotional, physical or sexual violence
committed by their husbands or partners. The prevalence
of partner violence is 70 per cent or higher in the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and Equatorial Guinea,
and approaches or exceeds 50 per cent in Uganda, the
United Republic of Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In Switzerland,
a 2009 national survey of girls and boys aged 15 to 17
found that 22 per cent and 8 per cent, respectively, had
experienced at least one incident of sexual violence
involving physical contact. The most common form of
sexual violence for both sexes was cyber-victimization.
Homicide: One fifth of homicide victims globally are

children and adolescents under the age of 20, resulting in
about 95,000 deaths in 2012. Homicide is the leading
cause of death among males between 10 and 19 years old
in Panama, Venezuela, El Salvador, Trinidad and Tobago,
Brazil, Guatemala and Colombia. Nigeria has the highest
number of child homicides - 13,000. Among countries in
Western Europe and North America, the United States has
the highest homicide rate.
Bullying: Slightly more than 1 in 3 students between the
ages of 13 and 15 worldwide are regularly bullied in
school; in Samoa, the proportion is almost 3 in 4. Almost a
third of students 11 to 15 years old in Europe and North
America report bullying others - in Latvia and Romania,
nearly 6 in 10 admit to bullying others.
Violent discipline: About 17 per cent of children in 58
countries are subject to severe forms of physical
punishment (hitting on the head, ears or face or hitting
hard and repeatedly). Over 40 per cent of children 2 to 14
years old experience severe physical punishment in Chad,
Egypt and Yemen. Globally, three in 10 adults believe
physical punishment is needed to raise children well. In
Swaziland, 82 per cent say physical punishment is
necessary.
Attitudes towards violence: Close to half of all
adolescent girls aged 15 to 19 (around 126 million) believe
a husband is justified in hitting his wife under certain
circumstances. The proportion rises to 80 per cent or more
in Afghanistan, Guinea, Jordan, Mali and Timor-Leste. In 28
of 60 countries with data on both sexes, a larger
proportion of girls than boys believe that wife-beating is
sometimes justified. In Cambodia, Mongolia, Pakistan,
Rwanda and Senegal, girls are around twice as likely as
boys to think a husband is sometimes justified in hitting
his wife. Data from 30 countries suggest that about seven
in 10 girls 15-19 years old who had been victims of
physical and/or sexual abuse had never sought help: many
said they did not think it was abuse or did not see it as a
problem.
UNICEF points to six strategies to enable society as a

whole, from families to governments, to prevent and
reduce violence against children. They include supporting
parents and equipping children with life skills; changing
attitudes; strengthening judicial, criminal and social
systems and services; and generating evidence and
awareness about violence and its human and socioeconomic costs, in order to change attitudes and norms.
"Violence against children occurs every day, everywhere.
And while it harms individual children the most, it also
tears at the fabric of society - undermining stability and
progress. But violence against children is not inevitable. It
is preventable - if we refuse to let violence remain in the
shadows," Lake said. "The evidence in this report compels
us to act - for the sake of those individual children and the
future strength of societies around the world."
(1st November 2014)
MINISTERS BACK FOOD CRIME UNIT

RECOMMENDATION
(BBC News, dated 4th September 2014 author Claire
Marshall)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment29047911
Britain is to get a Food Crime Unit to fight the trade in
fraudulent foods.
The special force is a response to last year's horsemeat
scandal, which saw contaminated beef products reaching
supermarket shelves across Europe.
The FCU is the major recommendation in a report
commissioned from food security expert Chris Elliott.
The Queen's University Belfast professor has made a

number of suggestions to ensure consumers have
absolute confidence when buying food.
These include:
- better intelligence gathering and sharing of information
to make it difficult for criminals to operate;
- new, unannounced audit checks by the food industry to
protect businesses and their customers;
- the development of a whistleblowing system that would
better facilitate the reporting of food crime;
- improved laboratory testing capacity, with a
standardised approach for the testing of a food's
authenticity; and
- the encouragement of a culture within the food industry
that questions the source of its supply chain.
Prof Elliott said British consumers had one of the safest
food systems in the world, but he believed his suggestions
would take the situation to a new level.
"I believe the creation of the national food crime
prevention framework will ensure measures are put in
place to further help protect consumers from any food
fraud incidents in the future," he added.
Government minsters said all his ideas would be accepted.
Environment Secretary, Elizabeth Truss, told BBC News:
"We have started implementing some of the
recommendations of his report, in terms of information
sharing, food companies being more transparent with
each other, and consumers looking for shorter supply
chains. For example, there has been a 10% rise in the sale
of British Beef in supermarkets."
Law enforcement agencies believe food crime is becoming
a major problem.
International gangs are said to be diversifying elements of
their operations from drug trafficking and armed robbery
into fraudulent foods.
Michael Ellis, assistant director of Interpol, told BBC News:
"This has changed the scope of investigations. Criminals
have realised that they can make the same amount of
money by dealing with counterfeit food. Invariably the
sentences are much lighter.
"In my experience, the patterns used by criminals involved
in counterfeiting are very similar to those used in the
dealing of drugs. They operate front companies, they
employ front bank accounts, they will have false
declarations for the movement of their goods, they will
mis-declare their shipments."
Operation Opson III in December 2013 and January 2014
involved coordinated raids across 33 countries in the
Americas, Asia and Europe.
More than 131,000 litres of oil and vinegar, 20 tonnes of
spices and condiments, nearly 430,000 litres of counterfeit
drink and 45 tonnes of dairy products were seized. In
addition, 96 people were arrested.
Food crime can have fatal consequences. In China in 2008,
an industrial chemical, melamine, was added to increase
the protein content of baby milk. Six babies died of severe
kidney damage as a result.
In the Czech Republic in 2012, more than 40 people were
killed by vodka and rum that had been laced with
methanol.
Mr Ellis said: "Counterfeiting impacts on everyone. The
criminals have no care at all for the hygiene or bacterial
content in the end product. They just want the brand
name in order to get their money."
In the UK, the system to ensure the safety of the food

chain is complicated. Different elements are dealt with by
different departments.
For example, food labelling is dealt with by the Food
Standards Agency, the Department of Health, Defra, and
also Trading Standards officers who are employed by local
authorities. There are also Environmental Health Officers
who deal with complaints about food quality, hygiene and
safety issues.
Testing labs
Novel technology created in a laboratory could help in the
fight against the food fraudsters.
Pulsar, developed by Oxford Instruments in the wake of
the horsemeat scandal, can identify meat in a matter of
seconds rather than days.
Rather than isolating DNA, it looks at the so-called "fat
fingerprint": each animal has a different amount of fat in
its meat. However, the machine cannot yet identify the
different meats in processed foods, so could only be used
to screen meat before it gets into the factory.
Responsibility for checking food sellers, restaurants or
processing plants, is principally down to Trading Standards
officers. However, according to the Trading Standards
Institute, by 2016 most of the front-line food inspection
teams will have been cut by 40%.
In Worcestershire, for example, reports suggest there may
just be six Trading Standards officers for the whole of the
county next year as opposed to 25 in 2013/14. There has
also been a cut in the number of public analyst
laboratories, which is where food samples are sent to be
tested.
Data on the number of official food samples taken shows
that for the year 2012-2013, dozens of district councils
including Swindon, Brent and Cheltenham carried out zero
or minimal tests for food contamination and composition.

Rebecca Kaya, from Buckinghamshire Trading Standards,
explained: "We have about 20 officers left in
Buckinghamshire and we have got to cover the entire
county so that's actually quite a long distance. It's a lot of
area to cover, a lot of businesses, we've got in Bucks
around 2,500 farms, and all the businesses associated
with selling food and retailing meat."
They are no longer able to routinely visit premises. "We
are somewhat diminished, but what we are finding is new
ways of working, much more intelligence led ways of
working, using the slightly more limited resources that we
have got now," she added.
The consumer organisation Which? recently tested 60
lamb takeaways and found that 24 of them contained
other meats such as beef or chicken. The meat in five
samples couldn't be identified at all.
The Food Standards Agency response has been to order
300 samples to be taken from restaurants across the
country.
"The Food Standards Agency has been given an additional
2 million pounds for sample testing. Since the horsemeat
issue we have seen 55 thousand tests being carried out on
horsemeat products, and no horsemeat has been found in
those. But we can't be complacent, and that's why we are
setting up the Food Crime Unit," Elizabeth Truss said.
(1st November 2014)
VICTIMS OF COMMON CRIME "EXPECTED TO BECOME
DIY DETECTIVES"
author Jochan Embley)
Victims of some of the most common criminal offences are
expected to become "DIY detectives" and probe the crime
themselves, a report into policing in England and Wales

has found.
Victims of some high-volume offences are being asked by
police to become "DIY detectives' and investigate the
crime themselves, a new report has found.
Some police forces in England and Wales have 'almost
given up' sending officers to the scene of low-level crimes,
and were instead using call-handlers to deal with the
incidents.
The report, by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary,
claimed that call-handlers have been asking victims to
carry out some investigations themselves in order to
determine the likelihood of the crime being solved.
These "DIY investigations" are said to have included
victims being asked to interview neighbours, gather
fingerprints, look for CCTV footage and even check online
marketplaces such as eBay to check if their property was
being sold.
Inspector of Constabulary Roger Baker, who led the
inspection, said: "HMIC finds this expectation that the
victim should investigate his own crime both surprising
and a matter of material concern.
"The police have been given powers and resources to
investigate crime by the public, and there should be no
expectation on the part of the police that an inversion of
that responsibility is acceptable."
Mr Baker added: "They're the cops and we expect the cops
to catch people and my proposition to you is unless you've
got the powers of Mystic Meg or something like that,
[without you] turning up and using your skills, it's going to
be mightily difficult to bring people to justice."
The report found that 37 out of 43 forces in England and
Wales were using call-handlers to assess whether an
officer should be sent to a crime scene - but warned that
in some instances they were unable to properly determine

the seriousness of the situation.
Mr Baker said: "It's more a mindset, that we no longer deal
with these things.
"And effectively what's happened is a number of crimes
are on the verge of being decriminalised.
"So it's not the fault of the individual staff, it's a mindset
thing that's crept in to policing to say 'we've almost given
up'."
(1st November 2014)
HOME SECRETARY REVEALS NEW HI-TECH CAR
THEFTS
(BT News, dated 3rd September 2014)
Article : http://home.bt.com/techgadgets/technews/mayreveals-new-hitech-car-thefts-11363930307309
More than one in three vehicles stolen in London are taken
by hackers who do not have the owner's keys, the Home
Secretary has revealed.
Sophisticated car thieves are breaking into cars and
programming new electronic keys instead, Theresa May
said in a speech in Westminister.
The hi-tech theft was given as an example of changing
threats faced by police in modern Britain.
Mrs May also told the Reform think-tank that further
spending cuts are inevitable and integration of the three
emergency services will be required.
Working with the Metropolitan Police, the Home Office has
discovered car thieves are also using sophisticated
devices to "grab" the security coding when the owner uses
their key so they can use it themselves.
And there have been reports that they could even use
"malware" to commandeer vehicle systems via satellites
and issue remote demands to unlock doors, disable alarms
and start car engines.
She said: "Because we have this understanding, we can
now work with industry to improve electronic resilience,
include this kind of resilience in the vehicle's overall
security ratings, and work out the extent to which the

same threat applies to other physical assets such as
building security systems."
In addition, the department has learned organised criminal
gangs are targeting specific venues like concerts and
festivals to steal smartphones on a "massive scale" to sell
them overseas.
The Home Secretary said her department has been
working with industry to find new ways to stop
reactivation of phones overseas to kill off the criminals'
export market.
The work falls under a new initiative taken by the
Government department to tackle the most common
drivers of crime.
A Crime and Policing Knowledge Hub has been set up
within the Home Office to deal with the impact alcohol,
drugs, opportunity, the effectiveness of the criminal
justice system, character and profit have on crime levels.
Mrs May said: "If we can understand each of these drivers
better, if we can understand how they relate to one
another, we should be able to devise better policy to
prevent crime occurring in the first place."
Mrs May also said the Home Office is working on the
publication of a new Mobile Phone Theft Ratio to inform
the public about handsets which have been most at risk of
being targeted by thieves.
She said: "I want to emphasise again that the role of the
Home Office in fighting cyber crime is not to cut across
what law enforcement does, or try to do the job of the
College (of Policing) by setting standards or targets.
"The Home Office must develop an understanding of cyber
crime in its entirety and develop a policy response."
She added: "With a still-large deficit and a record stock of
debt, there will need to be further spending cuts, as even
Labour acknowledge. So in policing in the future, I believe
we will need to work towards the integration of the three
emergency services."
(1st November 2014)
THE END OF THE TAX DISC - A DRIVERS GUIDE
(BT News, dated 1st September 2014 author Matt Joy)
Full article :
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/motoring/motoringfeatures/th
e-end-of-the-tax-disc-a-drivers-guide-11363928704833
Sadly it's not the end of Vehicle Excise Duty altogether,
but the long-serving tax disc will shortly be phased out.
Here's what you need to know to make sure you stay legal
and avoid a hefty fine.
What's happening?
From October 1st this year all vehicles will no longer
receive a paper tax disc to indicate that Vehicle Excise
Duty has been paid. That means cars, motorbikes and
scooters, vans, buses and lorries.
How will the police know I have tax?
Rather than relying on the presence of a disc the police
will use ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition)
cameras to check the DVLA's database that your vehicle is
taxed. These have already been in use for several years
and can check the presence of VED much more quickly.
How do I get my road tax?
You can apply to renew your VED online or at the Post
Office as before, but you won't come away with a tax disc.
The VED database will be updated so you know you'll be
legal. In addition from November 1st it will be possible to
pay for one year's VED by monthly direct debit, helping to
spread the cost.
What happens when I sell my car?
Any outstanding tax left on your car when it is sold is no
longer valid, so it is imperative you notify the DVLA as
soon as possible so that you are no longer responsible for
the tax status of the vehicle. Any outstanding months
remaining will be refunded, but only whole months will be
paid so it makes sense to do this towards the end of the
month.
What happens when I buy a car?

If you buy a used car it cannot be sold with tax on it, so
you must tax it before using it. This can be done online, by
using the 24-hour automated telephone service or at the
Post Office using the New Keeper Supplement of the
vehicle registration certificate (V5).
What should I do on October 1st?
If you car is taxed until November 2014 and beyond then
from October 1st this year the tax disc can be removed
from the vehicle and destroyed. Anyone with a Northern
Ireland address must continue to display their tax disc,
however.
(1st September 2014)
AUGUST 2014
COMPUTING SECURITY REVIEW - AUGUST 2014
----------------------ATTACK TARGETS AUO INDUSTRY FIRMS IN EUROPE
(Computer World, dated 25th August 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2598560/malwarevulnerabilities/attack-targets-auto-industry-firms-ineurope.html
Cybercriminals are using a new information-stealing
malware program to target companies from the
automobile industry in Europe, security researchers
warned.
The attack campaign started in early August and primarily

targeted rental, insurance, transport and secondary
market businesses for commercial and agricultural
vehicles, according to a new report by researchers from
antivirus vendor Symantec.
The attackers distributed their malware program through
spear-phishing emails claiming to originate from a
company called Technik Automobile that was seeking to
acquire used and pre-owned vehicles. The emails
contained an attachment called
TechnikAutomobileGMBH.pdf.zip that was supposedly a list
of vehicles, but in fact contained an installer for a Trojan
program called Carbon Grabber.
"The malicious file will decrypt another executable from its
body and inject code into Microsoft Outlook, Internet
Explorer, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox processes on
the compromised computer,"
----------------------US WARNS "SIGNIFICANT NUMBER" OF MAJOR BUSINESSES
HIT BY BACKOFF MALWARE
(Computer World, dated 22nd August 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/article/2598552/malwarevulnerabilities/us-warns--significant-number--of-majorbusinesses-hit-by-backoff-malware.html
More than 1,000 major enterprise networks and small and
medium businesses in the U.S. have been compromised
by a recently discovered malware package called
"Backoff" and are probably unaware of it, the
U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a
cybersecurity alert on Friday.
Backoff first appeared in October 2013 and is capable of
scraping the memory contents of point of sales systems -industry speak for cash registers and other terminals used
at store checkouts -- for data swiped from credit cards,

from monitoring the keyboard and logging keystrokes,
from communicating with a remote server.
----------------------WHO NEEDS HACKERS, "PASSWORD1" OPENS A THIRD OF
ALL BUSINESS DOORS !
(The Register, dated 15th August 2014 author Darren
Pauli)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/15/hundreds_of_thousands
_of_corporate_passwords_cracked_in_minutes/
Hundreds of thousands of hashed corporate passwords
have been cracked within minutes by penetration testers
using graphics processing units.
The 626,718 passwords were harvested during
penetration tests over the last two years conducted across
corporate America by Trustwave infosec geeks.
The firm's threat intelligence manager Karl Sigler said in a
post that half of the plundered passwords were cracked
within "the first few minutes".
"We eventually cracked 576,533 or almost 92 percent of
the sample within a period of 31 days," Sigler said.
-----------------------GIVING YOUR OLD TESCO HUDL TO AUNTIE JUNE ?
(The Register, dated 15th August 2014 author Simon
Rockman)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/15/hudl_and_other_android
_devices_have_data_reset_flaw/
UK supermarket Tesco's Hudl tablet will offer up data from

past users - even if it's been factory reset.
The Register spoke to Ken Munro from security firm Pen
Test Partners, who said he'd bought 17 Hudls and
AllWinner tablets from eBay and found that not only does
the reset process not wipe all the data, it's possible to
retrieve account details and login information.
Monro told El Reg: "The factory data reset doesn't appear
to zero all sectors on the disc; it's simply too quick a reset
process to do so."
-----------------------SNOWDEN REVEALS AUTOMATED NSA CYBERWARFARE
PROGRAM
(Computer World, dated 13th August 2014 author Grant
Gross)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250354/Snowden_reve
als_automated_NSA_cyberwarfare_program?
The U.S. National Security Agency has a cyberwarfare
program that hunts for foreign cyberattacks and is able to
strike back without human intervention, according to NSA
leaker Edward Snowden.
The NSA cyberwarfare program, called MonsterMind, uses
software to look for traffic patterns indicating possible
foreign cyberattacks, according to Snowden, quoted in a
lengthy profile in Wired.
MonsterMind could automatically block a cyberattack from
entering the U.S., then retaliate against the attackers,
according to the Wired story.
Snowden, when he was working as an NSA contractor, was
concerned that MonsterMind could lead to misdirected

counterattacks. "These attacks can be spoofed," he told
Wired. "You could have someone sitting in China, for
example, making it appear that one of these attacks is
originating in Russia. And then we end up shooting back at
a Russian hospital. What happens next?"
---------------------DOZENS OF US TECH FIRMS VIOLATE EU PRIVACY
PROMISES
(Computer World, dated 14th August 2014 author Grant
Gross)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250374/Dozens_of_U.S
._tech_firms_violate_EU_privacy_promises?
Thirty U.S. data brokers and data management firms,
including Adobe Systems, AOL and Salesforce.com, are
violating privacy promises they've made regarding their
handling of the personal information of EU residents, a
privacy group said in a complaint to be filed Thursday.
The 30 companies have all voluntarily committed to
supporting the EU Safe Harbor framework, a set of
standards for protecting the privacy of EU residents, but
have failed to live up to those promises, the Center for
Digital Democracy said in the complaint.
The failure to honor EU Safe Harbor commitments
constitutes a deceptive business practice, the CDD said in
its complaint to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission. "The
commercial surveillance of EU consumers by U.S.
companies, without consumer awareness or meaningful
consent, contradicts the fundamental rights of EU citizens
and European data protection law," the complaint said.
-----------------------
WINDOWS TECH SUPPORT SCAMMERS TAKE ROOT IN THE

US
(Computer World, dated 11th August 2014 author Gregg
Keizer)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250294/Windows_tech
_support_scammers_take_root_in_the_U.S.?
Not every Windows tech support scam starts in India, not
every scammer speaks in heavily-accented English, a
security company said today.
In a new trend, scams have gone home-grown, said
Malwarebytes on Monday, with twists that include bogus
warnings driven by malicious websites that urge users to
call a toll-free number.
"This is the first instance [of a Windows support scam in
the U.S.] on this scale that I've found," said Jerome
Segura, a senior security researcher with San Jose, Calif.based Malwarebytes. "Most scammers are in India, but we
wanted to expose this because they're harming U.S.
customers, who will feel more comfortable with a [native]
English speaker."
----------------------US AGENCIES HALT BACKGROUND CHECKS BY
CONTRACTOR AFTER CYBERATTACKS
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250219/U.S._agencies_
halt_background_checks_by_contractor_after_cyberattack?
Two U.S. federal agencies have halted background checks

with a contractor that said Wednesday its networks had
been breached in a cyberattack suspected to have been
coordinated by an unnamed country.
US Investigations Services (USIS), based in Falls Church,
Virginia, said federal law enforcement is investigating the
incident, which it claimed "has all the markings of a statesponsored attack," according to a statement. It has hired a
computer forensics firm to "determine the precise nature
and extent of any unlawful entry into our network."
----------------------RUSSIAN CREDENTIAL THEFT SHOWS WHY THE
PASSWORD IS DEAD
(Computer World, dated 7th August 2014 author Jaikumar
Vijayan)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250242/Russian_crede
ntial_theft_shows_why_the_password_is_dead?
News that Russian hackers amassed login credentials
belonging to more than 1.2 billion Internet users hammers
home why companies that have not implemented strong
authentication measures really need to get moving on it.
Passwords have been dead for years. Security experts
have been advocating the need for companies to raise the
bar on user authentication for a long time.
Bill Gates, in fact, famously predicted the death of the
password 10 years ago during a speech at the RSA
Security Conference, and organizations like the Federal
Financial Institutions Examination Council ( FFIEC) have
required banks to implement strong authentication
measures since at least 2005.
------------------------
FIVE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT MASSIVE RUSSIAN

HACKER DATABASE
(Computer World, dated 6th August 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250213/Five_unanswer
ed_questions_about_massive_Russian_hacker_database?
There's still much that's unclear about Tuesday's
revelation that a small group of hackers in Russia have
amassed a database of 1.2 billion stolen user IDs and
passwords. The company that disclosed the incident, Hold
Security, didn't offer any fresh information Wednesday,
but here are five questions we'd like to see answered (and
a bonus one that we already know the answer to).
-----------------------ONE IN 2900 PHONE CALLS IS AN IDENTITY THIEF
(The Register, dated 6th August 2014 author Darren Pauli)
Full article :
www.theregister.co.uk/2014/08/06/one_in_2900_phone_cal
ls_is_an_identity_thief/
One in every 2900 phone calls to contact centres was
made by fraudsters attempting to gain customer account
details to steal funds or buy merchandise, according to
Pindrop Security's Vijay Balasubramaniyan.
Researchers canvassed 105 million phone calls and
studied the way fraudsters pulled off identity theft by
conning phone operators to change personal details in
ways that compromise accounts.
The attackers not only gained access to personal
information but also changed customer account contact
details to prevent victims from receiving alerts.

Fraudsters hid by spoofing the phone numbers they used
to call contact centres and by using software to distort
their voices, including their gender.
-----------------------PAYPALS TWO-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION IS EASILY BEATEN
Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250153/PayPal_s_two_f
actor_authentication_is_easily_beaten?
A security feature offered by PayPal to help prevent
accounts from being taken over by hackers can be easily
circumvented, an Australian security researcher has
found.
PayPal users can elect to receive a six-digit passcode via
text message in order to access their accounts. The
number is entered after a username and password is
submitted.
The security feature, known as two-factor authentication,
is an option on many online services such as Google and
mandatory on many financial services websites for certain
kinds of high-risk transactions. Since the code is sent
offline or generated by a mobile application, it is much
more difficult for hackers to intercept although by no
means impossible.
----------------------RESEARCHERS TO NAME THE MOST HACKABLE CARS AT
BLACK HAT
(Computer World, dated 4th August 2014 author Lucas
Mearian)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250136/Researchers_t
o_name_the_most_hackable_cars_at_Black_Hat_?
A report to be presented this week at the Black Hat USA
conference in Las Vegas will detail which vehicles are most
vulnerable to hacker attacks via a car's Bluetooth,
telematics or on-board phone applications.
Researchers Charlie Miller and Chris Valasek, who in the
past have issued reports on the most vulnerable vehicles,
intend to release an update showing the most and least
hackable cars.
"A malicious attacker leveraging a remote vulnerability
could do anything from enabling a microphone for
eavesdropping to turning the steering wheel to disabling
the brakes," the researchers said in a brief outlining their
upcoming report. "Unfortunately, research has only been
presented on three or four particular vehicles. Each
manufacturer designs their fleets differently; therefore
analysis of remote threats must avoid generalities."
------------------------ANDROID VULNERABILITY STILL A THREAT AFTER NEARLY
TWO YEARS
(Computer World, dated 1st August 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250110/Android_vulne
rability_still_a_threat_after_nearly_two_years?
Security researchers have recently found a vulnerability
that could be used to hijack Android apps and devices, but
an older issue that can have the same effect remains a

significant threat nearly two years after its discovery,
according to security firm Bromium.
The issue was reported in December 2012 and concerns
an Android API (application programming interface) called
addJavascriptInterface that allows applications to expose
their native code to Web code running inside a WebView,
an instance of Android's Web browser engine.
PREVENTING CAR CRIME
(Metropolitan Police leaflet)
www.met.police.uk
Most vehicle crime is preventable and by taking a few
simple measures, you can help prevent your property
being stolen.
- Always lock the doors and activate any security devices
when leaving your car unattended, even for only a few
minutes.
- At home, keep your car keys safe and don't leave them in
an obvious place.
- Park with care. Try to park in a busy, well-lit area, close to
CCTV cameras, particularly at night or if you are leaving
the vehicle for a long time.
- Ensure your garage is as secure as possible.
- Never leave your keys in the car, even for a second.
- Never leave your belongings where they can be seen.
- Consider installing security devices such as immobilisers,
alarms or steering locks and property mark your
equipment.
If you have any information on any crime, and you would
prefer not to speak to police you can call Crimestoppers
anonymously 0n 0800 555111 or visit :
www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Useful links
www.soldsecure.com
www.thatcham.org
www.immobilise.com
PREVENTING PERSONAL THEFT

(Advice pamphlet issued by Metropolitan Police and British
Transport Police)
Don't give thieves an eassy opportunity : think
before you use your phone in public.
- Be aware of what's happening around you, especially in
tube / stations and crowded places.
- Don't leave your phone on tables in pubs and
restaurants.
- Whenyou leave a train or tube station don't use your
phone immediately, leave it a while.
- Don't walk and text at the same time, you will be less
aware of what is happening around you.
- Keep calls in public as brief as possible; the longer you
talk, the more likely you will be targeted by potential
thieves.
If your phone is stolen
- Report it to your service provider immediately so they
can prevent anyone else using it.
- Report the theft to the police and your insurance
provider, if you have one.
Give yourself the best chance of recovring your
phone if it is stolen
Mark the phone with your post code and house number.
You can use a UV pen for this.
REGISTER YOUR PHONE FOR FREE AT
WWW.IMMOBILISE.COM
Your phone has a unique 15 digit IMEI (International Mobile
Equipment Identity) number. Type *#06# on your keypad
to access this number. Register the number with
Immobilise. Also register this number with your service
provider and if your phone is stolen, they will be able to
bar its use across every network.
If you have information about any crime and would prefer
not to speak to the police, you can call Crimestoppers
anonymously on 0800 555 111 , or visit :
www.crimestoppers.com
Crimestoppers is and independent charity.
EVERY DEATH ON EVERY ROAD IN GREAT BRITAIN

1999 - 2010
(BBC News)
Map webpage : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-15975720
Britain has one of the best records in the world for road
casualties. However, hundreds still die on the roads every
year. In 2010, the police recorded 1,850 deaths, 22,660
people seriously injured and 184,138 who received light
injuries.
About the map: Using official data recorded by police in
Great Britain between 1999 and 2010, we have plotted
every road collision in which someone died. In all, 36,371
fatalities are marked on this interactive map. You will also
find partial data for Northern Ireland, for 2004-2009.
How the data is gathered: Detailed information about each
crash is recorded by the police at the scene. It is
subsequently transferred onto a computer database. This
is available to researchers from the Economic and Social
Data Service.
Missing data: As with any large collection of data, there
will be errors and omissions. The BBC apologises for any
distress or offence that may be caused by the inclusion of
these errors. If you find any errors, please use the
feedback form and let us know. We will endeavour to
correct them where possible.
FEAR OVER CYBER ATTACK ON CITY AFTER
RUSSIANS HACK JP MORGAN DATA
(London Evening Standard, dated 28th August 2014
author James Moore)
www.standard.co.uk
[Option 1]
The FBI is investigating a suspected Russian cyber attack
on American banks, it emerged today.
Hackers are believed to have targeted JP Morgan and at
least four other banks in the US, amid increasing concern
over cyber security from watchdogs on both sides of the
Atlantic.
The attack on JP Morgan reportedly resulted in the loss of
"gigabytes of sensitive data" that could have involved
customer and employee information.

It is said to have been of a level of sophistication beyond
ordinary criminals, leading to speculation of a state link.
The FBI is thought to be investigating whether there is a
connection to Russia. American-Russian relations continue
to be fraught amid the crisis in Ukraine, with sanctions
ramped up.
The bank is understood to have been in touch with
executives in London to see if there is any link to its UK
operations, but so far the attack, which happened earlier
this month, is thought to have affected only the US.
But watchdogs are increasingly worried about the City's
potential vulnerability to an aggressive state-backed hack.
A spokesman for JP Morgan would not comment directly on
the incident but said: "Companies of our size unfortunately
experience cyber attacks nearly every day.
"We have multiple layers of defence to counteract any
threats and constantly monitor fraud levels."
JP faced criticism in April when it blocked a payment from
a Russian embassy to the affiliate of an Americansanctioned bank. Russia's foreign ministry described the
move as "absolutely unacceptable, illegal and absurd".
That led to speculation that the bank would face some
form of retaliatory action.
However, China has also been implicated in such datafishing expeditions against Western businesses.
UK watchdogs say sophisticated hackers have changed
tack recently, using publicly available information and a
more pinpoint approach to find a way through or around
banks' security walls. The tactic has also affected
European banks.
This year the Bank of England finished its second Citywide "Waking Shark" simulation, designed to test the
ability of banks to cope with a cyber assault.
From that it developed what is known as the CBEST
framework, which tries to mimic the effects of more
sophisticated hacking. It uses intelligence in the market to
get inside defences.
As part of CBEST, the Bank has used so-called ethical
hackers to test the City's defences.
ROTHERHAM CHILD ABUSE SCANDAL - 1400

CHILDREN EXPLOITED
(BBC News, dated 26th August 2014)
At least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual
exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013, a
report has found. Children as young as 11 were raped by
multiple perpetrators, abducted, trafficked to other cities
in England, beaten and intimidated, it said.
The report, commissioned by Rotherham Borough Council,
revealed there had been three previous inquiries. Council
leader Roger Stone said he would step down with
immediate effect.
Mr Stone, who has been the leader since 2003, said: "I
believe it is only right that as leader I take responsibility
for the historic failings described so clearly."
The inquiry team noted fears among council staff of being
labelled "racist" if they focused on victims' descriptions of
the majority of abusers as "Asian" men.
'Doused in petrol'
Professor Alexis Jay, who wrote the latest report, said there
had been "blatant" collective failures by the council's
leadership, senior managers had "underplayed" the scale
of the problem and South Yorkshire Police had failed to
prioritise the issue.
Prof Jay said: "No-one knows the true scale of child sexual
exploitation in Rotherham over the years. Our
conservative estimate is that approximately 1,400 children
were sexually exploited over the full inquiry period, from
1997 to 2013."
Revealing details of the inquiry's findings, Prof Jay said: "It
is hard to describe the appalling nature of the abuse that
child victims suffered."
The inquiry team found examples of "children who had

been doused in petrol and threatened with being set
alight, threatened with guns, made to witness brutally
violent rapes and threatened they would be next if they
told anyone".
Five men from the town were jailed for sexual offences
against girls in 2010, but the report said police "regarded
many child victims with contempt".
District Commander for Rotherham, Ch Supt Jason Harwin
said: "Firstly I'd like to start by offering an unreserved
apology to the victims of child sexual exploitation who did
not receive the level of service they should be able to
expect from their local police force. "We fully acknowledge
our previous failings."
Ch Supt Harwin said the force had "overhauled" the way it
dealt with such cases and had successfully prosecuted a
number of abusers.
But he admitted: "I accept that our recent successes... will
not heal the pain of those victims who have been let
down."
'Racism' fear
The report found: "Several staff described their
nervousness about identifying the ethnic origins of
perpetrators for fear of being thought as racist; others
remembered clear direction from their managers not to do
so."
Failures by those charged with protecting children
happened despite three reports between 2002 and 2006
which both the council and police were aware of, and
"which could not have been clearer in the description of
the situation in Rotherham".
Prof Jay said the first of these reports was "effectively
suppressed" because senior officers did not believe the
data. The other two were ignored, she said.

The inquiry team found that in the early-2000s when a
group of professionals attempted to monitor a number of
children believed to be at risk, "managers gave little help
or support to their efforts".
The report revealed some people at a senior level in the
police and children's social care thought the extent of the
problem was being "exaggerated".
Prof Jay said: "The authorities involved have a great deal
to answer for."
A victim of abuse in Rotherham, who has been called
"Isabel" to protect her identity, told BBC Panorama: "I was
a child and they should have stepped in.
"No matter what's done now... it's not going to change
that it was too late, it should have been stopped and
prevented."
Speaking about her abuser, Isabel said: "I think because
the police were aware and social services were aware and
he knew that and they still didn't stop him it I think it
encouraged him.
"It almost became like a game to him. He was
untouchable."
Speaking after the publication of the report, Victims'
Commissioner Baroness Newlove said: "I'm appalled by
the extent of the horrific abuse endured by these
vulnerable victims.
"It's deeply distressing how the authorities failed to
protect these young people and their voices were not
heard.
"Everyone involved needs to take responsibility for the
shocking failings that this report has exposed. This must
not happen again.
"I want to see every one of these victims getting the right
support now and for as long as it takes them to help them
on the path to recovery."
Maggie Atkinson, children's commissioner for England,
said the number of identified child victims was "largely
consistent" with the findings of their own national inquiry
into "child sexual exploitation in gangs and groups
'Horrific experiences'
Rotherham council's chief executive, Martin Kimber, said
he accepted the report and the recommendations made
and apologised to the victims of abuse.
He said: "The report does not make comfortable reading in
its account of the horrific experiences of some young
people in the past, and I would like to reiterate our sincere
apology to those who were let down when they needed
help.
"I commissioned this independent review to understand
fully what went wrong, why it went wrong and to ensure
that the lessons learned in Rotherham mean these
mistakes can never happen again.
"The report confirms that our services have improved
significantly over the last five years and are stronger
today than ever before.
"This is important because it allows me to reassure young
people and families that should anyone raise concerns we
will take them seriously and provide them with the support
they need.
"However, that must not overshadow - and certainly does
not excuse - the finding that for a significant amount of
time the council and its partners could and should have
done more to protect young people from what must be
one of the most horrific forms of abuse imaginable."

DRINK SPIKING : VICTIMS DON'T REPORT AND THE
CRIME GOES UNPUNISHED
(The Guardian, dated 23rd August 2014 author Abby
Young-Powell)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/education/2014/aug/23/drinkspiking-victims-dont-report-crime-unpunished
With no official statistics and a culture that makes victims
feel there's no point in telling anyone, drink spiking is
going largely unchecked
"The only thing I remember when I got to the party is
finishing my drink," says a former student of Nottingham
University who had her drink spiked when she was 17.
"I woke up in a strange bed with a man having sex with
me. I knew there was nothing to be gained from reporting
it because no-one would believe it wasn't my fault. I
wouldn't be taken seriously and I'd be thought of as
someone who got drunk and did something stupid."
A crime survey by ITV, released earlier this year, found
that one in ten people have had their drink spiked, though
not all cases had led to sexual assault. On top of this, a
survey at Swansea University found that it had happened
to one in three students there.
When a student victim of drink spiking shared her story,
published by the Guardian this week, it received an
unprecedented reaction from other students wishing to
share similar experiences.
So how widespread is the problem and what is being done
about it?
The NHS says people of both genders have their drinks
spiked for a variety of reasons, including for theft, sexual

assault and as a misguided prank.
However the extent of the crime remains hidden, as there
are no national statistics recorded by either the health or
crime authorities.
Most victims say they don't report it, either because
they're embarrassed or ashamed, or because they don't
remember what happened and don't believe anything will
be done.
A third-year student from Lancaster University who had
her drink spiked when she was in her first year says she
didn't report it because she believed people would blame
her.
"I went to the bathroom alone and after half an hour my
friend found me collapsed face-down in a cubicle, with the
door locked and my feet sticking out from underneath it,"
she says. "The next day I didn't report it because I thought
people wouldn't believe me."
With little public information about the crime,
misconceptions are common, says Rachel Griffin, director
of the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
"That, coupled with victims believing they'll be blamed,
means far too many people are being left vulnerable and
unsupported."
Misconceptions include the belief that most drinks are
spiked with illegal drugs. In fact the vast majority are
thought to be spiked with alcohol. Another myth is that
spiking is only a crime if coupled with assault: drinkspiking carries a maximum 10-year sentence even if no
added sexual assault or theft takes place.
Ex-bar worker Blythe Jopling says she regularly looked
after people whose drinks were spiked - she also says it
happened to her. Jopling, now an environment consultant,
believes more needs to be done to raise awareness.
"It's definitely something that needs talking about," she

says. "When I worked in a bar there was no formal
procedure and it was never mentioned by managers.
There's still an attitude that 'if someone's got themselves
in a mess they only have themselves to blame'."
Jopling says bars and clubs need to do more to train staff
to spot and look after people who are unable to take care
of themselves.
Griffin agrees that venues need to do more to create a
safe environment. She says drink spiking doesn't happen
in a vacuum, but is part of a wider drinking culture in
which people are left vulnerable.
"Bars and clubs can take practical steps to create a safe
environment," she says. "Publicly stating that they have a
zero-tolerance approach to sexual harassment, and
training staff on how to tackle it, can help challenge the
culture that leads to these crimes."
PhD student Steph Ratcliffe, who has campaigned with
Good Night Out to end sexual harassment in venues in
Sheffield, believes that if clubs pledge to take safety more
seriously, fewer incidents of drink spiking and harassment
will take place. "It's good to have consistency in how these
crimes are dealt with across cities," she says.
Journalist Imogen Calderwood is running a campaign with
Spanish paper the Olive Press to draw attention to drink
spiking in British tourist destinations in Spain. "Women
and men are not safe on nights out," she says.
"I don't think it's taken seriously enough by any authority,
let alone by many bar owners, who understandably see
claims of spiked drinks as a danger to business, and so
play them down."
However Calderwood says there are things that can be
done to protect people. "Statistics are needed to bring the
problem into the public eye, policing is needed to tackle it,
and advice is needed to prevent it from happening in the

first place.
"But before any of this can be done, people and
authorities need to admit that it's happening, and not
automatically accuse victims of having drunk too much
and lost control."
LONDON PROFESSIONALS "UNWITTINGLY" BUYING
DOGS THAT TURN OUT TO BE BANNED BREEDS
(London Evening Standard, dated 22nd August 2014
Full article : www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-warns-ofowners-breaking-law-by-not-knowing-banned-dogs9685014.html
Unwitting Londoners are breaking the law by buying or
taking in banned dog breeds, police warned today.
Officers said the trend for tougher-looking "status" pets
has stretched to more affluent areas, with teachers and
magistrates taking them on.
The Status Dog Unit enforces the Dangerous Dogs Act,
policing banned breeds and those "dangerously out of
control". Sergeant Peter Madden, one of the Met's most
experienced dog handlers, said many seizures followed
cute pets transforming into "more dog than they can
handle".
The UK's banned breeds are the pit bull terrier, Japanese
tosa, dogo Argentino and fila Braziliero. Staffordshire Bull
Terriers and other bull breeds are completely legal but can
be muddled with banned varieties, police said.
The Met seized more than 750 dogs last year and many
were neglected by their owners, police said. Speaking to
the Standard, Chief Inspector Nigel Crane said: "Many of
(the owners) are either unwitting in their knowledge of the
law or the breed of the dog they may have taken on as a

rescue dog.
"Most of the high profile or significant dog attacks in
recent years, there have been welfare issue around as
well.
"Poor ownership will always influence a dog's behaviour."
Recent seizures included nearly 40 dogs, several of which
were pit bulls, being kept in "appalling conditions" in a 4
million Kensington and Chelsea house. The owner was
arrested and is on police bail.
Seized animals are held at "confidential" kennels around
London. Banned dogs seized by police can be handed back
to their owner and a destruction order avoided. But they
must be registered, insured, tattooed, neutered,
microchipped and judged by authorities not to pose a
danger to the public. They must also be muzzled and on a
lead in public. Sergeant Madden said that despite this
opportunity for a reprieve, "a significant number of people
just don't bother".
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES WARNS CITIZENS TO AVOID
HAZARDOUS PARTS OF LONDON
(Daily Mail, dated 21st August 2014 author Leon Watson)
Full article :
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2730483/Avoid-dangersOxford-Street-Piccadilly-United-Arab-Emirates-warnscitizens-avoid-hazardous-parts-London-high-profileattacks.html
The United Arab Emirates has advised its citizens to stay
away from several shopping and nightlife districts in
central London because of the danger of crime.
London is one of the most popular destinations for Gulf

Arab tourists looking to escape brutal summer heat. Many
flock to the capital's most expensive areas such as Mayfair
and Knightsbridge.
However, reports of an attack on three Emirati women and
their children at a London hotel in April and a masked
robbery of an Emirati couple in their London apartment
shocked the public in the UAE, where crime rates are low.
A statement on the UAE's foreign ministry website told
citizens to avoid areas 'where pickpocketing, fraud and
theft are frequent and where it is not advised to live'.
An attached map singled out Edgware Road, the area
between Marble Arch and Tottenham Court Road, and the
Oxford Circus and Bond Street area.
It also identified Shepherd's Bush and Queensway as areas
that were 'less dangerous'.
When asked about the UAE foreign ministry's advice, the
Metropolitan Police said London was one of the safest
major cities in the world and that crime was falling.
'There is absolutely nowhere in London which should be
avoided,' Metropolitan Police Service Commander
Makhdum Chishty said in a statement.
'We understand the incident involving Emirati nationals
earlier this year was shocking, but it was also very, very
rare.'
Emiratis interviewed by Reuters were not concerned by
the warning. Basma Al-Mazmi, a 20-year-old Emirati, said
she was not deterred.
'If I didn't go to these places then where would I go?
London is all about these places, you know?' she said.
Amna Mohamed, a university student, said that some
Emirati tourists drew unnecessary attention to themselves

by wearing extravagant clothes and accessories.
'I would still go because I know those places and I know
what to wear when going to them,' she said.
Further information
What the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office say
about the United Arab Emirates
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arabemirates
Over a million British visitors travel to the UAE every year
and more than 100,000 British nationals are resident
there. The vast majority of visits are trouble-free, but you
should take sensible precautions to protect yourself and
your belongings. Don't accept lifts from strangers. Use
only licensed taxis or other recognized forms of public
transport. Avoid the gold, green and white street taxis in
Abu Dhabi. They can be badly maintained and erratically
driven.
Personal attacks including sexual assault and rape are
rare, but do happen. Female visitors should take care
when walking or travelling alone. Use a reputable taxi
company, particularly at night. Drink spiking can occur.
Don't accept drinks from strangers or leave drinks
unattended.
Relationships outside marriage
Sex outside marriage is illegal and if any offenders are
brought to the attention of the UAE authorities they run
the risk of prosecution, imprisonment and/or a fine and
deportation. Same sex marriages are not recognised.
Problems will be encountered if an unmarried woman
gives birth in the UAE. These problems can range from a
refusal to issue a birth certificate to arrest and
imprisonment. To get a birth certificate from the UAE

authorities, you must provide a marriage certificate. The
registration authorities may compare the date of the
marriage against the date of birth.
It is against the law to live together or to share the same
hotel room with someone of the opposite sex to whom you
are not married or closely related.
Homosexual relationships are illegal.
Offensive behaviour
Swearing or making rude gestures is considered an
obscene act and offenders can be jailed or deported. Take
particular care when dealing with the police and other
officials.
Public displays of affection are frowned upon, and there
have been several arrests for kissing in public.
--------------------------------United Arab Emirates newspaper view on London
crime
Newspaper : The National, dated 19th August 2014
Related article :
www.thenational.ae/uae/government/uae-ministry-issuesits-own-tourist-map-of-london-with-emphasis-on-safety
What are foreign tourists preconceived view of
London and what do they get ?
- Well we don't walk around wearing bowler hats
- The streets are not paved in gold.
- We all don't speak cockney...guvnor !
- We don't all live in thatched cottages.
- In the main we are a liberal society.
- Most people outside of London do queue at bus stops
whilst waiting for a bus.
- We are a multi-racial society, its a pity we are not a

multi-racial intergrated community.
- There are no go area's, but they are not where the
Emirates think they are.
- It doesn't rain all of the time.
- We do have some sunshine, but not always in Summer !
TUBE SEX ATTACKERS FACE POLICE BLITZ USING
FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
(London Evening Standard, dated 21st August 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk
Police are using facial recognition software to track down
serial sex offenders harassing passengers on London's
Tube and rail network.
The head of British Transport Police said extra undercover
officers were also being deployed to tackle a surge in the
number of sex attacks on the Tube.
New figures show the number of sex attacks on the
Underground and the Docklands Light Railway rose by 31
per cent last year. There were 429 assaults in 2013/14
compared to 327 in the previous year.
Chief constable Paul Crowther said part of the increase
was due to more people coming forward following the
Jimmy Savile scandal while police were also encouraging
more victims to report crime.
The police chief, who was appointed in March, said his
force had launched Operation Guardian to tackle the
problem and increase people's confidence in coming
forward to report attacks.
He said: "We are determined to make a big impact on this
crime. We are specifically tackling sex offences on the
Tube where some women are reporting they are being

harassed on a day to day basis.
"We have plain clothes officers on the network catching
people in the act while we are using new techniques such
as facial recognition technology to identify those people
who think they can carry out these crimes without
detection because they are in a crowded carriage and they
think they are anonymous."
He added: "We are particularly interested in offences
which are often unreported such as sexual assault,
exposure, lewd comments and harassment."
Around one in four of sex attackers on the Tube are caught
but police are now using a new CCTV centre at Victoria
with access to 55,000 cameras to help tackle the crime.
Detectives are also using Twitter and Facebook to trace
offenders - in one case they received 1,800 pieces of
information from people replying to a single image on
social media.
Mr Crowther said some crimes were now being solved
entirely by appeals on social media.
He said: "People think they can carry out stealth crimes,
whether that is sex offences or pickpocketing, and not be
detected but the power of social media and new
technologies such as facial recognition are very powerful
new crime fighting tools."
In June this year a man who admitted four sex assaults on
women on Tube trains over a 15 month period was jailed
for 12 months.
Lloyd Weekes, 52, of Finsbury Park was sentenced at
Blackfriars Crown Court after pleading guilty to four counts
of sexual assault, and one of resisting a police officer.
New figures show crime overall on the Underground fell
slightly last year and Mr Crowther says there are just eight
offences recorded per million passengers on the Tube and

DLR.
Crime on the Uk railways fell for the tenth year in a row.
However, the total number of violent offences on the Tube
jumped by 9.5 per cent to a total of 2,077 last year while
there were also big rises in cases of violent incidents on
trains in the capital.
These included rises in the number of incidents of racially
aggravated harassment - up by more than 27 per cent to a
total of 397 cases last year - assaults on police and
possession of 'firearms'. The number of actual assaults on
the Tube fell.
Police say more people are coming forward to report cases
of verbal racist attacks.
There were significant falls in the number of theft offences
- particularly pickpocketing - on the trains and on the Tube
network after police launched Operation Magnum last year
which alerted passengers to the tricks used by thieves.
On the Underground there was a significant 34 per cent
reduction in the number of pickpocketing offences down
from 16 a day to 11 a day.
The number of people caught in possession of drugs
jumped by 52 per cent to a total of 892.
There were also significant falls in cable theft across the
Tube and rail network - the number of cases across the UK
was down by 37 per cent.
THE RISE IN SEXUAL OFFENCES ON TRAINS SHOW
HOW RIFE MISOGYNY IS
(The Guardian, dated 21st August 2014 author Ellie
Cosgrave)
www.theguardian.com
[Option 1]
Today the British transport police announced a 21%

increase in reported sex offences on railways, rising to
1,117 in 2013-14 from 925 the previous year. The news
comes in the same week that police released an image of
a man they want to question over the prolonged sexual
assault of a woman on a London train.
As I recall my own experience in a packed tube carriage
three years ago, which I wrote about for the Guardian, I
can still feel my body clench.
It took a long time for me to come to terms with what
happened, to process it, to understand it, to stop
questioning and blaming myself - and finally, to get angry.
A year and a half after the incident I returned to the spot
where I had previously been paralysed and I began to
move - I decided to dance in protest. I danced for myself,
but I also danced to raise the voices of all women who had
been assaulted on their daily commutes. I needed to
finally stand up and say what had happened, that it's
unacceptable and that it's time to make a change.
Within 24 hours I'd been contacted by countless women
who'd had similar experiences. Some had never told
anyone about what had happened to them. "The exact
same thing happened to me in Paris!!!" said one of the
first comments on my blog. A flood of responses followed:
"Same happened to me in New York, only it was two men,
one in front of me, the other behind."
"I had a similar experience too, twice in two weeks with
the same man."
"Very similar story here - London underground, a guy
deliberately pressing his erection into my buttocks. I was
frozen with shock and I so wish I had moved or confronted
him."
Other responses I received were less positive, leading me
to reflect on possible reasons as to why victims of sexual
assault on public transport might be loth to report their

experiences. After going public, I was sent personal
messages detailing precisely how my experience couldn't
possibly be true; how I was an "attention-seeking whore";
how they, too, would like to sexually assault me.
My freeze response was also scrutinised. "Personally I
think an elbow to the bastard's throat or a scream of
'fucking pervert' at the time would have done better than
dancing weeks later," said one commenter. Many people,
instead of focusing on my attacker, chose to detail at
length how I should have behaved during my attack, and
how, if I hadn't been quite so weak, I could have stopped
him. The message was that it was my fault, that I
deserved it, and that there were plenty more people out
there who wanted to make me feel unsafe and reinforce
their power over me.
I still get messages from people about their experiences:
women wrapped up in shame and guilt about how they'd
responded to their assaults; women who had felt silenced,
disempowered and furious all in the same moment;
women looking for understanding and companionship.
I firmly believe that by talking openly about our
experiences we can not only begin understand them, but
also start to reveal the scale and pervasiveness of the
problem.
I am pleased to see an increase in the levels of reporting.
It demonstrates a changing tide, and shows that women
finally feel able to report incidents in the knowledge that
the police will take them seriously and investigate
incidents sensitively. This progress has been accelerated
in part by Project Guardian, an initiative by the British
transport police to reduce sexual offences on public
transport and to increase reporting rates. Advised by the
Everyday Sexism Project, the End Violence Against Women
Coalition and Hollaback! London, the project has involved
training about 2,000 patrolling police officers how to
manage this type of incident. It has "weeks of action" to
raise the profile of the project and a dedicated freephone
and text number where victims can easily report crimes in

confidence.
But Project Guardian is part of a wider movement of
feminist activism that is challenging accepted norms and
empowering women to take a stand.
This problem is so much wider and deeper than a one-off
grope on the tube. The sexism that sees women assaulted
on public transport is the same sexism that permits street
and workplace harassment; that keeps women out of
boardrooms; that tells girls what careers are and are not
acceptable for them and what toys they should play with;
that sees women's bodies objectified throughout the
media.
We can't tackle these issues in isolation. If we want a
world where women have genuine parity then we all male and female - need to start speaking up wherever and
whenever we see these issues.
"SOPHISTICATED" SPY CAMERA CASH MACHINE
GANG JAILED
(BBC News, dated 21st August 2014)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london28879973
A gang behind a "sophisticated" bank card fraud has been
jailed.
Florin Silaghi, Vasile Pop, Ovidiu Metac and Adriana Turc
used spy cameras to scam card data from ATMs,
downloaded the details and then copied them on to fake
cards, the Old Bailey heard.
They compromised 953 bank accounts and took some
160,000, although they stole details from more than
60,000 accounts.
The Romanian nationals, who operated from Harrow in

north-west London, were jailed for between 21 and 64
months.
'Fraudster's utopia'
Prosecutor Catherine Pattison said the four were
responsible for "a large-scale, highly sophisticated, well
executed ATM and counterfeit fraud".
Their operation was smashed in December when gadgets
including cards traps, cloned cards and spy cameras were
seized in police raids.
The Dedicated Cheque and Plastic Crime Unit (DCPCU)
said the cards recovered had a street value of 16m based on the amount stolen on average from a
compromised card,
During the investigation, evidence of a method not seen
before in the UK to steal card details came to light - spy
cameras fitted to the side panel of cash machines, rather
than the top panel.
This method allowed fraudsters a better view of people's
Pin numbers.
Det Insp Sarah Ward, from the DCPCU, said: "The premises
we raided really were a fraudster's utopia, with a dizzying
array of machines and gadgets designed to commit
serious fraud."
Sentencing them, Recorder Douglas Day QC said:
"Electronic card fraud is one of the scourges of the
technological age... it causes significant loss to the banks
and distress and inconvenience to the card holders whose
cards have been compromised."
Silaghi, 30, was jailed for 64 months, Pop, 30, for 61
months, Metac, 25, received 43 months, while Turc, 27,
was jailed for 21 months.
They all admitted to conspiracy to defraud and various

other charges relating to the technical side of the
operation.
The prosecutor said Silaghi and Pop were the key players,
while Metac and his partner Turc had lesser roles.
RISE IN SEXUAL OFFENCES REPORTED ON BRITAINS
RAIL NETWORK
(The Guardian, dated 21st August 2014 via Press
Association)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/aug/21/sexualoffence-harrassment-rises-rail-trains
The number of sexual offences recorded on British
railways has risen by 20%, although overall crime on the
rail network has fallen, according to the British Transport
police.
Officers recorded 1,117 sexual offences in the 12 months
to March 2014 - up from 925 the previous year. Most of the
increase was incidents of sexual crime against women or
girls, which rose from 485 to 624. Sexual crime against
males rose from 27 to 42, while cases of exposure
increased from 141 to 148, and other sexual crime from
272 to 303.
BTP said: "Part of this increase can be attributed to the
high-profile prosecutions of celebrities for historical
offences which have, undoubtedly, given victims more
confidence to come forward."
The increase in sexual offences was slightly higher than
that recorded by police forces nationally, it said.
The BTP figures, which cover England, Wales and Scotland,
show notifiable crime, which makes up the more serious
offences dealt with by BTP, fell by 5.7% from 53,885 to

50,840 offences - meaning there were more than 3,000
fewer victims of crime than in 2012/13.
The figures, which included the London Underground and
Docklands Light Railway, showed that casesof violence
against the person rose 3.7% from 8,123 in 2012/13 to
8,425 in 2013/14, with incidents on LU/DLR rising 9.5%,
from 1,897 to 2,077. Incidents involving drugs rose 15.4%
- from 3,460 to 3,993 - although incidents on London
Underground and the Docklands Light Railway rocketed
54.5% from 591 to 913.
Motor vehicle and cycle crime as well as public disorder
offences rose slightly, but there was a big drop of 17% from 17,292 to 14,353 - in theft of passenger property and
also a drop of 17.7% - from 530 to 436 - in other robbery
cases, with theft of railway property dipping nearly 9%
from 4,834 to 4,406.
Fraud offences plunged more than 50% from 920 to 457
and incidents of criminal damage fell 4.5% from 3,452 to
3,298.
Speaking about the rise in sexual offences, Ch Const Paul
Crowther said the force's Project Guardian had had a
significant impact.
He said Project Guardian "focuses on increasing awareness
and confidence among the public to report unwanted
sexual behaviour to the police or members of staff".
"We are particularly interested in those offences which are
often unreported, such as sexual assault, exposure,
outraging public decency, lewd comments and
harassment."
BTP attributed the dip in theft cases to the success of their
Operation Magnum campaign, which advises passengers
on the most common tactics used by thieves. BTP also
pointed to its efforts in tackling metal and cable theft on
the railways.
Michael Roberts, director general of rail industry body the

Rail Delivery Group, said: "Britain's railway has been
transformed into Europe's' most improved and fastest
growing network and it's good news for passengers that
the overall crime rate has fallen for the 10th successive
year.
"The rise in some crimes, however, remains a concern
which is why the industry will continue to work closely
with the police to prosecute offenders.
"The safety and security of passengers and staff is taken
extremely seriously and millions of pounds have been
spent funding the BTP, improving CCTV at stations and
hiring additional security to keep people safe."
Mick Cash, acting general secretary of the RMT transport
union, said: "These are truly shocking figures which just
illustrate the complacency over the safety of the travelling
public which is endemic amongst the train companies, the
regulators and the politicians.
"The 20% increase in sexual offences on the railways
should force an immediate halt to the ongoing programme
to remove guards from our trains and the governmentendorsed plans to close ticket offices and de-staff stations.
Clearly we need more staff in public view, across the
network, to deter the criminals and halt this appalling
surge in attacks on women."
He went on: "The 10% increase in violence on LU and the
DLR should also serve as a wake-up call to London mayor
Boris Johnson who is ploughing ahead with his own plans
to remove station and platform staff and close ticket
offices.
"The cuts to jobs and services have to be reversed if we
are to stop our transport services from descending deeper
into the kinds of criminals' paradise that is exposed in
these horrific new statistics."

SCOTTISH CRIME FIGURES : "NOT UP TO STANDARD"
(Police Oracle, dated 19th August 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
A review of crime statistic collection in Scotland has found
that the data is currently not up to standard.
The UK Statistics Authority has said that the latest figures
north of the border cannot be confirmed as designated
"national statistics" because of concerns over their quality.
In January the body removed the National Statistics quality
mark designation from figures in England and Wales
because of "concerns over the underlying data".
It followed revelations by whistleblower James Patrick
about manipulation, which were echoed by HM Chief
Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor.
Mr Winsor predicted that an ongoing probe of crime data
and integrity nationally by HMIs would show that there is a
"degree of fiddling of the figures".
Following this revelation, the Statistics Authority has opted
to examine the data from the rest of the UK and has said
Scotland does not comply with its code of practice.
The organisation said: "This report concludes that the
Scottish Government lacks sufficient evidence to be able
to provide such appropriate reassurance.
"The Authority considers that the Scottish Government has
not created, and put into practice, a coherent framework
for considering the quality of the underlying data, and
does not have sufficient information about the quality of
the police recorded crime data. It is therefore unable to
make users fully aware of any potential limitations of the
recorded crime statistics."
Better than England and Wales

Elsewhere the Authority does point out that it considers
that the picture is better than in England and Wales,
although it is awaiting the outcome of a report by Her
Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland
(HMICS) into the national Police Service.
The Authority said: "In our England and Wales Assessment
report, we noted an accumulation of evidence of concerns
about underlying data from several sources, and the
absence of assurance to the Office for National Statistics
about the quality of the underlying data.
"In Scotland, there is less direct evidence of data problems
at the operational level, although this view may change
depending on the results of the forthcoming HMICS
report," it said.
The Authority also noted that the creation of a single force
north of the border is "an opportunity to bring consistency
and rigour to the recording of crimes".
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said: "The situation
is different from England and Wales.
"Every report from the UK Statistics Authority points to
improvements statistics producers can make; this report is
no different. We are already addressing a number of the
requirements in the report and an action plan will be put in
place to meet the rest.
"The assessment does recognise many of the strengths in
Scotland such as our commitment to doing this work
quickly, that Police Scotland take data recording seriously,
and that we have a strong framework of inspection and
regulation."
Scottish Government ministers often point to their crime
figures as evidence that it has been right to increase the
number of officers in the country, whereas the Home
Office regularly cites crime statistics as evidence that their
reforms in England and Wales are working.

POLICE OFFICERS INVESTIGATED FOR SOCIAL MEDIA
BREACHES
Hundreds of police officers have been investigated for
breaching social media guidelines, research has revealed.
Freedom of Information requests by the Press Association
found officers made racist comments online and asked
crime victims to become Facebook friends.
Of 828 cases in England and Wales from 2009 to February
this year, 9% ended in resignation, dismissal or
retirement.
The College of Policing said there was "no place... for
officers who abuse the trust placed in us by the public".
About a seventh (14%) of the cases reported resulted in
no further action at all. The majority of other cases were
dealt with through advice being offered to the officer in
question.
Examples of cases uncovered
- A community support officer with Devon and Cornwall
Police who received a final written warning after posing
with weapons on Facebook
- A sergeant with the same force who was given a written
warning after making remarks about senior officers on the
site
- A civilian officer in central London who posted a
comment online about Muslims in London failing to
observe a two-minute silence
- Two special constables who had to resign from

Northamptonshire Police after they were pictured on a
website in a "compromising position"
- A Gwent Police officer who was given a written warning
after he "inappropriately" asked a female member of the
public to be his friend on Facebook during a house visit
- Another PC from the force who received the same
punishment for using Facebook to send an "abusive"
message to a member of the public
- A member of civilian staff in Lancashire who resigned
over their "excessive and inappropriate use of the internet
during working hours" - including online auction sites,
internet banking and social networking.
Various forces also said staff were investigated for
comments deemed homophobic, racist or "religiously
aggressive".
Greater Manchester Police reported the most
investigations, with 88 over the period in question. West
Midlands was second highest with 74, while the
Metropolitan Police recorded 69.
Chief Constable Alex Marshall, chief executive of the
College of Policing, said: "People working in policing must
always be mindful of the high standards that the public
expect from us.
"Our code of ethics, which was launched last month, sets
out the standards which everyone in the service should
strive to uphold whether at work or away from work,
online or offline."
'Don't say it'
He said most police officers and staff "uphold these high
standards" and that social media can be a "really useful
way of us talking to the people that we serve".

But he added: "There is no place in policing for officers
who abuse the trust placed in us by the public."
"Everyone in policing has to remember that if you're not
prepared to put it in a local newspaper with your name at
the bottom, then don't say it on social media."
The college's code of ethics urges officers to "use social
media responsibly and safely".
It also suggests they "ensure that nothing you publish
online can reasonably be perceived by the public or your
policing colleagues to be discriminatory, abusive,
oppressive, harassing, bullying, victimising, offensive or
otherwise incompatible with policing principles".
And it also says officers should not publish online or
elsewhere, or offer for publication, any material that might
undermine their own reputation or that of the policing
profession.
----------------------------SOCIAL MEDIA SHAME : GMP TOP LIST FOR POLICE
OFFICERS PROBED OVER ONLINE MISCONDUCT
(Extract)
(Mancunian Matters, dated 19th August 2014 author Sian
Wilson)
www.mancunianmatters.co.uk
Reports show that racist and threatening comments were
made, friend requests sent to victims of crime, and images
uploaded of officers in 'compromising positions'.
An array of offences was reported, ranging in severity.
Several forces noted investigations into comments
deemed homophobic, racist or 'religiously aggressive'.
- In central London, a civilian officer posted Facebook
comments about the actions of Muslims failing to observe
a two-minute silence. According to police, the language

used by the officer 'could be regarded as
offensive/inappropriate', and was 'likely to cause offence
to other persons'.
- A complainant was harassed by an employee of Dyfed
Powys Police, who was accused of being 'threatening,
bullying and intimidating' through private messages on
Facebook.
- A sergeant with Suffolk Constabulary was reprimanded
and eventually dismissed after accessing an ex-partners'
private account of Facebook.
- Similarly, a civilian officer of South Yorkshire Police was
accused of harassing an ex-partner over Facebook, but
resigned before misconduct proceedings could take place.
- In Lancashire, written warning was received over
derogatory remarks about a Police Community Support
Officer (PCSO), who issued the offender with a fine for dog
fouling.
- Inappropriate comments allegedly made concerning
someone's wife caused management action to be taken
against the PC at the same force.
- Employees at Nottinghamshire Police received
management action for posting 'confidential information
concerning an upcoming police operation', as well as
comments regarding their 'dissatisfaction' at work.
Of those investigated, 14% resulted in no further action
being taken, with 9% ending in resignation, dismissal or
retirement.
Only 13 forces reported ten or fewer investigations
between January 2009 and February 2014.
Out of the 828 investigated, 548 were police officers,
compared with 175 civilian staff.
Additionally, 31 Police Community Support Officers were

also investigated.
REVEALED : THE CRIME BOSSES WHO OWE USE 700
MILLION
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revealed-the-crimebosses-who-owe-us-700-million-9675912.html
The "appalling" way in which Britain's organised crime
bosses are being allowed to hold on to their illegal profits
is revealed today.
New figures show that criminal "Mr Bigs" are repaying only
1 in every 6 that they owe to taxpayers.
The statistics - obtained using the Freedom of Information
Act - show that major fraudsters and drugs barons are
among 176 offenders who now owe nearly 700?million
between them.
Others include a former public schoolboy who made
millions supplying cocaine to celebrities and City workers
and a rogue property developer who bought a Maserati car
and a London penthouse with his unlawful profits.
Each one was ordered to hand back at least 1?million of
their unlawful profits. But 40 have not paid back a penny
while the average debt owed by the convicts now stands
at just under 4?million each. The findings, which come
despite some enforcement successes for the Crown
Prosecution Service, will reinforce concerns about the
effectiveness of the government's strategy for seizing
criminals' profits.
They follow fierce criticism by the National Audit Office

and the Commons Public Accounts Committee of the
authorities' failure to recover the vast sums made by the
Mr Bigs of the crime world and a series of earlier
disclosures by the Evening Standard about the scale of the
criminals' defiance.
Ministers have responded by introducing a new Serious
Crime Bill to Parliament. It promises tougher penalties for
non-payment and enhanced powers for law enforcers to
seize offenders' assets.
But MPs said today that the extent of non-payment
showed that further action was still needed and expressed
dismay that crime still pays for many major criminals.
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons Home Affairs
Committee, said: "These figures are deeply disappointing.
The current system is just not working. The public will find
it incredible that we are only getting back 1 in every 6
from those who have committed criminal offences but who
can afford to pay.
"The Serious Crime Bill is not tough enough and I will be
tabling amendments which will ensure that a
compensation order means what it says. The Mr Bigs are
making a mockery of our criminal justice system. It is
appalling that some of Britain's most serious criminals are
hanging onto their proceeds of crime."
Today's new figures are drawn from a Crown Prosecution
Service list of 176 offenders who were each found by a
judge to have made at least 1?million from their crime
but still have outstanding debts to the taxpayer.
Between them, the criminals were given confiscation
orders totalling 617?million, but have so far repaid only
103?million. That means that 514?million of their
proceeds of crime remains to be recovered. Interest
charges take the sum to more than 695?million.
The statistics also show that half of the unpaid
confiscation orders have been outstanding for more than

five years. They include 31 imposed a decade or more
ago. One offender ordered by a judge in 1990 to pay 1.5?
million still owes more than 1.2?million.
In a further blow, 22 offenders on today's list, who
between them owe more than 73?million, have already
served extra "default" sentences for non-payment. That
means that prosecutors now have few powers for seizing
the outstanding money.
Five other Mr Bigs with debts totalling nearly 58?million
have been deported. Another 14 are either known or
believed to have absconded abroad. They owe more than
114?million.
Among the worst cases is that of fraudster Nasir Khan. He
was jailed for nine years at Southwark Crown Court in
2011 over a mobile phone tax scam and later ordered to
repay just under 14.2?million of his illegal profits. Much
of this money was used to buy luxury properties in
London, Spain and Gibraltar.
HM Revenue and Customs hailed his conviction as proof
that "career criminals" who committed fraud "to fund their
lavish and luxurious lifestyles" faced "serious" penalties.
But he has not repaid anything.
Other offenders who have failed to repay anything include
Dutch-born cocaine dealer Peter Versluis and fake
medicine supplier Peter Gillespie.
Versluis was given a 3.2?million asset confiscation order
in 2004 and, after being extradited back to the UK
following a prison escape, now owes more than 5.5?
million because of interest charges on his unpaid debt.
Gillespie, 67, from Hertfordshire, was convicted at Croydon
crown court in 2011 of plotting to bring two million doses
of counterfeit drugs from China to the UK in a scam which
prosecutors said had put patients at risk.
He was ordered to repay 5.6?million last year, but still
retains all his illegal profits and now owes taxpayers

nearly 5.8?million with added interest.
The largest debtors owe even greater sums. They include
French fraudster Emmanuel Hening, who was let out of
prison early under a deal with the authorities in Paris,
despite paying none of his 40?million confiscation order.
He now owes 51.5?million.
Another fraudster, Hussain Asad Chohan, 44, is also out of
reach of the authorities. He is reportedly in Dubai after
fleeing abroad while on bail awaiting trial.
He was ordered to repay 28.6?million after being
convicted in his absence in 2006 for his part in a 200?
million fraud and now owes 44.7?million because of
interest charges. Tax chiefs named him two years ago as
one of the country's most wanted fugitives.
Other major debtors include fraudsters Syed Ahmed and
Shakeel Ahmad, who bought properties in London and
Dubai with their criminal profts and now each owe 21?
million. Neither has returned a penny despite their
deadline for repayment expiring nearly four years ago.
Despite such defiance, Nick Price, the chief crown
prosecutor for proceeds of crime at the CPS, insisted that
some success was being achieved. He said 61 other
offenders, not included on today's list of non-payers, had
paid in full after being given confiscation orders of 1?
million or more, bringing in just under 100?million and
reducing the overall non-payment rate among the
millionaire convicts to 75 per cent. Mr Price also cited
other recent cases in which illicit gains had been
recovered. They include one during the past year in which
more than 4?million was recovered from a British
fraudster living in Spain who had used "cold calling"
techniques to sell worthless shares to investors.
He admitted, however, that improvements were still
needed and revealed that the CPS had responded by
setting up a new specialist asset recovery unit to increase
the sums seized from organised criminals.

Pledging a "tireless" drive against crime bosses, Mr Price
added: "Money is the lifeblood of these criminals and is
used to fund further crime, so we will be thorough and
dynamic in our pursuit of them.
"It's vital that we continue to build on our existing success.
Many of the criminals we face are particularly devious and
go to extraordinary lengths to hide their assets. But
criminals must not be allowed to profit from illegal activity
and we will be working hard on behalf of the public to
ensure that crime doesn't pay."
"SUPER ASBOS" ON MOPED ROBBERS
Full article :
hwww.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-to-hand-mopedrobbers-super-asbos-in-bid-to-halt-series-ofsmashandgrab-raids-9671361.html [Option 1]
Convicted smash-and-grab raiders are set to be hit by socalled "super Asbos" in a bid to halt the plague of
robberies in London.
Scotland Yard is drawing up an extraordinary set of orders
aimed at preventing prolific convicted robbers from reoffending after they are released from jail.
The serious crime prevention orders are usually reserved
for the most hardened criminals and gangsters, such as
drug barons, people-traffickers and money-launderers.
Now specialist detectives are drafting innovative curbs
designed to prevent raiders using mopeds or motorcycles
to target fashion and jewellery stores and commit yet
further crimes.
They include an order requiring convicted robbers to own

just one motorcycle helmet, which they must present to
police so it can be photographed and the image put on a
database.
The move would mean someone wearing the helmet could
be easily identified if they were caught on CCTV
committing a robbery. Another restriction would be to ban
the criminals from walking down a street carrying a
helmet - a bid to prevent them stealing bikes.
Further orders, lasting five years, would bar robbers from
riding pillion and associating with known accomplices.
They are being drawn up by detectives from the Met's
specialist lifetime offender management unit, which
targets London's most serious criminals.
The unit's head, Det Insp Karl Amos, said the orders are
designed to prevent serious crime, not impose a further
punishment on top of the court sentence.
He said: "It would be unfair to ban people from
legitimately riding motorbikes or mopeds because they
might need one to get to work.
"These measures are designed to be proportionate and
our aim is to restrict the ability of these people to commit
further crime. The helmet order will restrict them from
having something which hides their identity."
The unit is working with the Flying Squad and prosecution
lawyers to examine different ways of tackling the scooter
gangs targeting jewellery stores and shops in the West
End.
A small number of individuals could be targeted with the
orders, which have to be approved by a judge.
Mr Amos added: "These are individuals who are not
subject to a live police inquiry but they are potentially
doing something wrong. We want to make sure they think

twice about it. It's about getting them to look over their
shoulder all the time."
If the orders are breached, offenders can face prosecution
and up to an extra five years in jail.
Smash-and-grab gangs have struck hundreds of times at
boutiques and jewellery stores from Knightsbridge to
Kensington in recent years, stealing millions of pounds of
goods. One prolific gang was jailed last year after netting
1?million of valuables in raids on 48 stores within seven
months.
The number of recent robberies led one boutique owner to
appeal to retailers to fund their own police patrols in the
West End. Security measures in some stores now include
bullet-proof glass and steel shutters - but the criminals are
constantly changing tactics to elude police.
In recent weeks raiders have struck twice at the
Dorchester hotel in Mayfair, escaping with a haul of
watches and jewellery, as well as committing robberies in
Knightsbridge and St John's Wood.
The Flying Squad, which traditionally targets armed
robbers, has now been tasked with investigating the most
serious and violent of the raids.
So far the squad is investigating more than a dozen
attacks on stores and hotels in central London this year and officers say they have charged individuals in almost
every case. Det Supt John Kielty, head of the squad, said:
"We are always looking at ways of making it more difficult
for these people to commit these type of crimes."
He said talks are now taking place with the Crown
Prosecution Service to submit the first application for a
serious crime prevention order.
Police are also working with shops and stores in an effort
to improve security. Det Supt Caroline Barker, head of the
Central Task Force, said detectives from the Met's

organised crime command worked with the offender
management unit to monitor and enforce the orders.
She added: "Karl Amos and his team are constantly
looking for fair but innovative approaches to remove
opportunities that enable criminals to continue with their
offending. This is just one example of those."
ARMED POLICE, CAMERA, ACTION IN LONDON
Firearms officers equipped with body-worn video cameras
are patrolling London streets for the first time, Scotland
Yard announced today.
Frontline armed officers who target gangs and armed
criminals are being equipped with the cameras in a new
trial aimed at restoring trust in the police.
They are the first armed officers in Britain to be equipped
with the equipment.
The move comes after protests over the death of Mark
Duggan, 29, who was shot by Met officers in Tottenham in
August 2011 - sparking widespread rioting.
In January a jury ruled that Duggan was lawfully killed by
armed officers even though the gun he had was not in his
hand at the time.
After the inquest the Met announced the testing of body
worn cameras. Officers in 10 London boroughs have been
equipped with 500 small cameras. A small group of 14
firearms officers manning a "proactive unit" in Armed
Response Vehicles have been equipped with the cameras.
The Trojan Proactive Unit is assigned to help boroughs

beset with gun crime, violence and gang issues.
Commissioner Sir Bernard-Hogan-Howe said: "This is the
next step towards us improving our policing service to
Londoners through the use of technology.
"It allows us to be more open and accountable to the
public."
OFFICER NUMBERS DECLINE "SHARPEST IN EUROPE"
(Police Oracle, dated 13th August 2014 author Cliff
Caswell)
[Option 1]
Further concern has been voiced over police resilience
after new research showed that officer numbers in
England and Wales are declining more sharply than any
other European country.
According to data compiled by EU statistics group
Eurostat, personnel strength saw a fall of 9,900 pairs of
boots on the ground between 2010 and 2012 - the first
two years of the Comprehensive Spending Review. This
was from a total of around 142,100 officers.
France accounted for the next largest decline, losing just
over 7,200 of its 211,300-strong force followed by the
Czech Republic, which clocked up a loss of just over 8,900
officers from a high of 43,100.
Now analysts are predicting that a government cuts
programme that is more aggressive than elsewhere in
Europe is starting to be noticed - with officers less visible
in communities.
Elsewhere, the Police Federation of England and Wales has
warned that ongoing cuts to budgets are now seeing "the
erosion of some essential aspects of policing".
Continuing cuts
Policing academic and former Gloucestershire chief

constable Dr Tim Brain said that - two years on from 2012
- the decline in officer numbers had continued apace.
Between 2010 and 2014, officers numbers fell by more
than 15,000 to just under 128,000 while more than 34,000
staff posts had been culled, the academic added.
Dr Brain said: "We should not be surprised about any of
this - the scenario was obvious four years ago - the
difference now is that we are beginning to actually see the
losses.
"My view is that, until last year, the government was
having a pretty easy ride with crime still coming down. But
now we can see, for example, that neighbourhood policing
is suffering."
Dr Brain also suggested that the Crime Survey for England
and Wales showed the beginning of doubts in the minds of
the public that the Police Service "was doing a good job".
The academic added: "We are now beginning to see a few
of the chickens coming home to roost - people are starting
to see a decline in visibility. The question is will this catch
up with the government before the general election of May
next year?"
Dr Brain believed that the decline of officer numbers in
England and Wales demonstrated the effect of the
government's approach to cutting public spending.
He highlighted that the evidence suggested countries such
as France, which had taken a less aggressive approach to
austerity, were now seeing their economies recover more
swiftly.
Steve Evans, Vice-Chairman of the Police Federation,
warned that action was now required to ensure that "a
minimum level of policing" was preserved going forward.
He added: "Cuts to the police budgets continue to put a

strain on all aspects of the service. While officers
throughout the country continue to work incredibly hard
on a daily basis protecting the communities they serve,
this is often done with stretched resources.
"A recent report on policing in austerity highlighted that
any further cuts to police budgets could put the service at
risk, and see the erosion of some essential aspects of
policing.
"We need to ensure measures are taken to guarantee we
maintain a level of policing that is best for the public and
the service into the future."
PUBLIC FRUSTRATED BY ROADS POLICING CUTS
(Police Oracle, dated 12th August 2014 author Cliff
Caswell)
Worried members of the public are now starting to notice
the absence of roads policing officers - and are growing
increasingly frustrated that offenders are going
unpunished.
Echoing the concerns of senior staff association officials, a
study from a major motoring organisation found many
drivers are frustrated that those breaking the law are not
being held to account - with deep cuts to force budgets
now showing at the sharp end.
This year's RAC Report on Motoring found that 40 per cent
of motorists - two-in-five - believed that those committing
offences such as using mobile phones would more than
likely go unpunished.
Some 60 per cent felt there were generally not enough
officers on the road, while less than a quarter felt that new
offences such as tailgating and driving in the middle lane
of a motorway would be enforced.
"Our research shows that millions of law-abiding motorists

are frustrated with the reduction of traffic police and
believe that the chances of drivers being pulled up for
breaking the law are now minimal," said RAC Technical
Director David Bizley.
"Motorists are tired of constantly seeing other drivers
breaking the law and getting away with it so it is hardly
surprising they want to see a greater police presence to
enforce motoring legislation more effectively, which would
also act as a genuine deterrent."
Budget cuts
As reported on this website, senior staff association
members have long been warning that roads policing is
one of the specialist areas bearing the brunt of budget
cuts.
Mr Bizley's comments have been echoed by the Police
Federation lead on roads policing Jayne Willetts, who said
offenders were being emboldened by central government
reductions - which have seen forces' spending reduced by
some 20 per cent.
The staff association official also highlighted that numbers
of roads policing officers had been hammered over the
past four years, down from 5,634 in 2010 to 4,356 as of
March 2014.
She said: "This works out at eight traffic officers per
100,000 head of population - roads policing units have
good equipment and good vehicles but we need officers to
be out there."
At a meeting last year, South Yorkshire Police Federation
officials raised concerns that dedicated patrols had been
withdrawn - and were now "as rare as dodos".
Several other forces - including Greater Manchester Police
- have taken action to consolidate their roads policing
assets following reductions in grants from central

government.
Caught on camera
Worryingly, the RAC research found that there was a
perception among the public that the only offences
motorists believed would be effectively enforced were
those captured on camera.
Of those who have speeding points on their licences half
admitted they had been photographed by a speed
camera, whereas only a quarter were stopped by a police
officer.
Mr Bizley said: "Worryingly, our research also found three
quarters of motorists regularly see other people on mobile
phones, with 44 per cent saying they see this happening
during most car journeys. Yet only eight per cent admit to
using a hand-held phone on most journeys."
"As for speeding, 40 per cent of motorists admit to
breaking the limit on country and 20mph roads, but by far
the worst non-compliance is on motorways where the
figure rises to 67 per cent - perhaps a symptom of today's
lower police presence and the fact fixed speed cameras
are not used to enforce 70mph limits on motorways."
POLICE PLUGGING AMBULANCE GAPS
(Police Oracle, dated 12th August 2014 author Josh Loeb)
Fresh concern has been raised that police forces across
England and Wales are still being regularly relied on to
transport patients - sometimes hundreds each year - to
hospital because no ambulance can be freed-up.
In some areas the number of people transported to
hospital by police has more than doubled in the past two
years.
Some cases include people involved in car accidents who

are in urgent need of medical attention.
A Freedom of Information (FoI) request revealed that in
one region - southern Wales - the number of people taken
to hospital by police car shot up from 83 in 2012-13 to 187
in the last financial year.
This amounts to more than three incidents each week.
Widespread problem
Police cars taking on the role of ambulances has long been
a feature in several areas of England too, including London
and Essex.
Mark Smith, Chairman of Essex Police Federation, said: "In
Essex the problem is not getting worse, but it is not
getting any better. We have conveyed to hospital people
that are in car accidents, people that are bleeding and in
need of urgent attention. I don't think the public would say
that is acceptable.
"Police vehicles are designed for policing. There is a
vehicle designed for taking people to hospital so they can
be worked on in the back on the way, and that is an
ambulance."
The Metropolitan Police's Head of Criminal Justice recently
said ambulances rather than police vehicles should
"ideally" be used to transport patients to hospital in all
cases - but he added that, since ambulance workers were
overstretched, this aim was "aspirational."
'Filling gaps'
Delays in unloading ambulances at accident and
emergency departments has been identified as a possible
reason for delays - and ambulance services say they are
trying to find ways to respond to calls more quickly.
Elin Jones, shadow health spokesperson for Plaid Cymru,
the Welsh political party that made the FoI request about
incidents in Wales, said: "My fear is that one day someone
may die in a police car while on the way to hospital
because an ambulance is not available.
"There clearly needs to be better management within the
NHS so that vehicles aren't tied up waiting at hospitals."
Mike Collins, Director of Service Delivery at the Welsh
Ambulance Service, said the service was working with
police to reduce instances "where our emergency
colleagues are awaiting an ambulance response."
He added: "Despite the increase in calls that we
experience year on year we are actually reaching more
and more people across Wales than ever before.
"We recognise that on occasions we are short of the eightminute target for these most serious calls but are working,
and will continue to work, as hard as we can to get to
patients as quickly as possible."
Last year the Police Federation warned that police were
being asked to fill gaps where other emergency services
were under strain because of cuts.
Cumbria's new Chief Constable Jerry Graham also recently
said the police was now regarded as the "organisation of
last resort."
He added: "The instinct of officers is to help people. As
other public services have had to take cuts we have found
ourselves increasingly filling these gaps."
LONDON HAS "THE MOST CRIME AGAINST SEX
WORKERS", REPORT FINDS
Full article : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-englandlondon-28748972
London has the highest number of reported crimes against

sex workers in the UK, a campaign group has found.
Ugly Mugs, which collects and circulates data on
potentially dangerous clients, said there were 970
reported crimes against sex workers in the UK, over the
past two years.
London has highest number reported incidents in the UK,
with 224.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said sex workers were
"often exploited due to their vulnerability".
'Utmost sensitivity'
Ugly Mugs, which has been running since July 2012, said
about 20% of the 970 reported crimes were rapes.
The group, which is part of the UK Network of Sex Work
Projects, said in London, 42 of the reported incidents were
sexual assault, which included rape allegations and 82
involved violence. Other crimes included theft, robbery
and fraud.
The North West region was the second highest with 184
reports, followed by the West Midlands at 168.
Alex Feis-Bryce, manager of the National Ugly Mugs
scheme, said: "Sex workers have the right to police
protection and this sends the message that, as far as the
Met Police is concerned, there is no grade of victim and
crimes against sex workers will be taken seriously."
In a statement, the Met Police said: "We are aware that
rape and sexual assault is under-reported - not least by
those working in the sex industry, who represent a group
often exploited by offenders due to their vulnerability and
in the belief they will be reluctant to report offences to
police.
"The MPS treats all allegations of rape and sexual assault
with the utmost sensitivity" and all reports were "fully

investigated", it added.
Ugly Mugs website : https://uknswp.org/um/
LITTLE KNOWN LAWS BEHND WHY 900,000 BRITISH
DRIVERS HAVE BEEN FINED ABROARD
(Daily Mail, dated 11th August 2014 author Rebecca Brett)
www.dailymail.co.uk [Option 1]
Nearly 900,000 Britons have been issued with a fine for
motoring offences while driving on holiday abroad.
One in 12 holidaymakers have been collared for breaking
road rules on foreign trips in their own car, according to a
survey.
The findings sparked a warning for British travellers to get
up to speed with little-known local laws including a
Spanish ban on driving in flip-flops and a French restriction
on satnav speed camera alerts.
The research comes amid a row over an EU Directive that
will make it easier for police in Europe to trace errant
British motorists whilst foreign drivers in the UK often
escape scot-free.
The research found the popularity of self-drive holidays
across the English Channel has soared in the past two
years.
Nearly a quarter of the UK's 47.4 million adults have gone
abroad by car - a total of 11.5 million British
holidaymakers.
But 80 per cent have been stopped for motoring
misdemeanours or picked up a parking ticket - equivalent
to 878,000 penalised abroad. The figure does not include
Britons fined on fly-drive holidays in hire cars.
The survey of 2,054 adults indicated that 4.4 million will

set off from home on road trips abroad this year alone 2.6 million more than in 2012 when just 1.8 million drove
to their destination.
It found that men are much more likely to contravene local
laws than women - 9 per cent did so compared to 6 per
cent of women - and those aged under 25 are the worst
offenders.
'There are lots of different laws when you drive in
continental Europe and they vary from country to country,'
Victoria Walton, Insurance company NFU Mutual's motor
insurance specialist, said.
'You may not know that it is the law to carry a breathalyser
in France, illegal to use a hands-free kit in Spain and
compulsory that drivers who wear glasses carry a spare
pair in their vehicle in Italy and Spain.
'British tourists are also at risk of serious fines if they drive
wearing flip-flops or do not indicate on the motorway in
Spain.'
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said holidaymakers
face fines for driving a dirty car in Russia or honking their
horn near a hospital in Cyprus and warned that travellers
could even be arrested if caught unawares.
'It's easy to throw caution to the wind when on holiday but
it's important to be aware of the local laws and customs
before you set off,' FCO Minister Mark Simmonds said.
'Laws and customs vary widely from country to country.
We want people to enjoy their holidays so we encourage
them to be prepared.'
Motorists also risk fines for driving without the minimum
third party insurance required throughout Europe and
advised travellers to check policies to ensure they are
covered on the Continent.
'Anyone planning a self-drive trip to Europe this summer

must check both their insurance and breakdown cover
extends to European travel,' said Walton.
'Some policies do not provide this cover as standard. You
risk being seriously out of pocket and, more importantly,
breaking the law without the adequate cover.'
The 2011 EU Directive is due to come into force next year
after a ruling by the European Court of Justice overturned
a UK opt-out.
The clampdown gives overseas authorities the go-ahead
to electronically access driver records at the DVLA to
pursue fines which are currently only enforceable if drivers
are stopped by a police officer.
Britain fought it on the economic grounds that the cost of
upgrading DVLA computers to enable instant exchange of
registered keeper details and the expense of processing
penalties outweigh the income generated from fines.
Motoring misdemeanors in Europe
SPAIN Fines for driving in flip-flops and ban on using DIY
hands-free phone kits at the wheel
FRANCE Fines of up to Euro 1,200 for using a satnav with
the speed camera location warning enabled and
compulsory to carry a DIY breathalyser
GERMANY Illegal to stop on an autobahn, even when
running out of fuel
ITALY Compulsory to park in the direction of traffic on that
side of the road and carry spare pair of spectacles if
needed for driving
RUSSIA AND BELARUS On-the-spot fine for driving a dirty
car
CYPRUS Honking a horn near a hospital prohibited
DENMARK Mandatory to check under car for children

hiding before driving off
LUXEMBOURG All cars must have windscreen
wipers...even if they don't have a windscreen
SCANDINAVIA First region to make daytime use of
headlights compulsory.
CUTS PLAN : NEIGHBOURHOOD OFFICERS "WILL

NOT INVESTIGATE CRIME"
(Police Oracle, dated 7th August 2014 author Ian
Weinfass)
[Option 1]
A force has announced that its neighbourhood police
officers will no longer investigate any crime.
Leicestershire Police has outlined plans to cope with 15
million of cuts before March 2017 in a wide ranging
blueprint.
A document jointly drawn up by Police and Crime
Commissioner Sir Clive Loader and Chief Constable Simon
Cole states that the force will introduce measures
including having neighbourhood teams focused only on
"community problem solving, engagement, proactive
patrol, tackling anti-social behaviour and managing
offenders".
By removing any investigative element from the teams,
which have seen reductions in the number of police
officers within them, the document estimates that an
extra 42,000 officer-hours can be dedicated to their "core
functions".
Elsewhere the document promises an increase in
outsourcing, 251 more PCSOs, the closure of some "large"

stations and encouraging more people to work from home.
The plan states: "Between 2010 and 2013 the force has
already removed 20 million from the budget. By March
2017 we need to save a further 15.4 million from our
current budget of 172.6 million.
"Over 80 per cent of costs are 'people' so we have tried to
reduce non-staff costs as much as possible. We have made
significant savings through collaborative working, major
crime, HR and legal services.
"We cannot make the necessary additional savings without
transforming how we (will be) delivering policing in the
future."
Further reductions
The force will also cut its number of local policing units
from 15 to eight, and crime will be investigated through
only by detectives, police officers and investigative
support assistants through three investigation hubs under
the force's crime directorate.
It is setting up a new Investigation Management Unit to
allocate reports of crime or anti-social behaviour to the
right department.
Tiffany Lynch, Chair of the Leicestershire Police Federation,
said: "We do not want to see any changes that have an
impact on the ability of our members to meet the needs of
their communities.
"Of course, we fear police officers could be under
increased pressure as they try to deliver the same service
with reduced numbers of sworn officers and less support
from police staff whose numbers have also been cut in
recent years.
"However, we all have to be realistic. The funding is not
there and the force has to provide the best service it can
with the resources it can afford.

"We will continue to work with the force so that it can
balance the books, provide savings and deliver effective
policing services to the public.
"We appreciate that the force has announced its outline
plans and we await more detailed proposals as the force
continues to work on this project."
FORCES ASKED TO DISCLOSE PAEDOPHILE
INVSTIGATIONS
(Police Oracle, dated 7th August 2014 author Josh Loeb)
A central police group will act as a pool point for
intelligence - aiming to help link-up increasingly
numerous, complicated and potentially overlapping
historic child sex abuse investigations.
Called Operation Hydrant, the group will be a focal point
for information on "persons of public prominence" as well
as institutions such as schools and children's homes that
are suspected of past involvement in the sexual abuse of
children.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) said
Hydrant's Strategic Coordinating Group would hold its
inaugural meeting in September, and the group is aiming
to get a clearer picture of the scale of historic abuse
cases.
The group has requested all 43 forces in England and
Wales as well as Police Scotland and the Police Service of
Northern Ireland disclose to it information about any highprofile public figures or institutions under investigation in
advance of the first meeting.
Strategic co-ordination
National lead for child abuse investigations Chief

Constable Simon Bailey said: "Following a meeting of
senior officers in Merseyside in the last few weeks, a
stream of work, called Operation Hydrant, was established
so as to allow a central strategic coordination group to
collate and share information, advice and best practice
among forces who were investigating allegations of
historic child abuse where there were persons of public
prominence concerned in the investigation."
The chief, who will be chairing Operation Hydrant, added:
"It should be noted that the Strategic Coordinating Group
will not be leading any investigations - this is not a task
force. Individual investigations are a matter for individual
forces."
CC Bailey said no further comment on Hydrant's activities
would be made until the group had considered "the
national picture".
The group is made up of chief officers, SIOs and a
communications advisor.
Several inquiries into alleged paedophile activity are
ongoing nationwide, including claims of abuse at care
homes in North Wales and an inquiry into Rochdale's
Knowl View School where the late MP Sir Cyril Smith is
alleged to have abused boys.
Numerous investigations
Scotland Yard is understood to be running at least five
investigations into historic child abuse, and the Met's
Operation Yewtree is examining abuse by the late Jimmy
Savile and other celebrities.
Claims alleging child abuse by prominent figures in
Westminster have also been made - but concerns have
been raised in some quarters that police lack sufficient
resources to properly follow-up all potential leads amid a
spike in reporting by alleged victims.
Javed Khan, Chief executive of the charity Barnardo's,

said: "Barnardo's welcomes the announcement of a
national police scrutiny group to look into child sexual
abuse allegations involving public figures and institutions
across the United Kingdom.
"As yet another celebrity is exposed as a paedophile, we
ask how many more public figures were involved in these
awful crimes against children."
EUROPEAN CARD FRAUD REACHED NEW HIGH IN
2013
(The Guardian, 6th August 2014 author Ami Sedghi)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/aug/06/europe
an-card-reached-new-high-in-2013-credit-debit
European card fraud losses reached a new high in 2013,
with the UK and France suffering 62% of the total losses of
the 19 countries analysed.
Using data provided by Euromonitor, the Fico evolution of
fraud map attempts to paint a picture of the 'fraud
landscape' across Europe, in particular the change
between 2006 and 2013.
According to the latest data European card fraud losses hit
1.55bn last year - up by 6.2% between 2012 and 2013.
The UK and France made up 62% of the total fraud losses
for the 19 countries covered by the fraud map. Adding
Germany, Russia and Spain, the five countries add up to
80% of the total losses.
Martin Warwick, a principal fraud consultant at Fico says:
"When fraud losses peaked in 2008, UK issuers sharply
reduced card fraud through fraud analytics and the

introduction of chip and PIN. However, criminals have
been adapting - pickpocketing after watching consumers
input their PIN, or calling cardholders and purporting to be
part of a bank's fraud team, when actually they are
stealing card details."
Meanwhile in France, chip and PIN has been used for so
long that criminals have completely changed their
approach and reverted to ID theft, which accounted for
66% of French fraud losses in 2013. Its growth has been
quite staggering - losses due to ID theft grew from 7.6m
in 2006 to 284m in 2013
Card fraud losses totalled 535m (450m) in the UK in
2013 - up 16% on 2012. The UK is followed by France
where card fraud losses reached 429m.
The data shows that Russia saw the fastest year-on-year
growth in card fraud - up by 28% between 2012 and 2013.
Card fraud - % change from 2012 - 2013
Netherlands : - 10.7%
Hungary: - 6.5%
Spain : - 4.5%
Poland : - 3.9%
Germany : - 3.3%
Romania : 0%
Austria : 0%
Turkey : 0%
Greece : 0%
Portugal : +0.8%
France : +1%
Sweden : +1.9%
Italy : +2%
Denmark : +4.7%
Czech Republic : +6.3%
Ukraine : +7.3%
Norway : +7.8%
UK : +16%
Russia : +27.6%
Fraud losses are often measured by the card industry in

terms of 'basis points'. This means 100 basis points is
equivalent to 1% of card sales. A level of five or less
indicates a relatively low threat from card fraud whereas a
basis points level between five and 10 signifies quite
active card fraud. Above 10 marks a significant fraud
severity, requiring immediate attention. The chart below
shows how each country fares on the scale.
Fraud threat levels
100 basis points is equivalent to 1% of card sales. A level
of five or less indicates a relatively low threat rom card
fraud whereas a basis points level between five and 10
signifies quite active card fraud. Above ten marks a
significant fraud severity, requiring immediate attention.
> = remained same or decrease on the previous year
^ = Increase on the previous year
Ukraine : 0.1 >
Poland : 0.2 >
Turkey : 0.4 >
Hungary : 0.5 >
Austria : 0.9 ^
Denmark : 1.4 ^
Czech Republic : 1.4 ^
Russia : 1.7 >
Portugal : 2.1 ^
Italy : 2.1 ^
Germany : 2.1 >
Sweden : 2.7 ^
Netherlands : 3.6 >
Spain : 4.3 >
Norway : 5.1 >
Uk : 5.9 ^
Greece : 6.9 ^
France : 7.4 ^
CRYPTOLOCKER VICTIMS TO GET FILES BACK FOR

FREE
(BBC News, dated 6th August 2014 author Mark Ward)
All 500,000 victims of Cryptolocker can now recover files
encrypted by the malware without paying a ransom.
The malicious program encrypted files on Windows
computers and demanded a substantial fee before
handing over the key to the scrambled files.
Thanks to security experts, an online portal has been
created where victims can get the key for free.
The portal was created after security researchers grabbed
a copy of Cryptolocker's database of victims.
"This time we basically got lucky," said Michael Sandee,
principal analyst at Fox-IT - one of the security firms which
helped tackle the cyber-crime group behind Cryptolocker.
Cash call
In late May, law enforcement agencies and security
companies seized a worldwide network of hijacked home
computers that was being used to spread both
Cryptolocker and another strain of malware known as
Gameover Zeus.
This concerted action seems to have prompted an attempt
by the gang to ensure one copy of their database of
victims did not fall into police hands, said Mr Sandee.
What the criminals did not know, he said, was that police
forces and security firms were already in control of part of
the network and were able to grab the data as it was
being sent.
The action also involved the FBI charging a Russian man,
Evgeniy Bogachev, aka "lucky12345" and "slavik", who is
accused of being the ring leader of the gang behind
Gameover Zeus and Cryptolocker.

The Gameover Zeus family of malware targets people who
bank online, and is thought to have racked up millions of
victims.
Cryptolocker was created by a sub-group inside the larger
gang, said Mr Sandee, and first appeared in September
2013, since when it has amassed about 500,000 victims.
Those infected were initially presented with a demand for
$400 (327), 400 euros ($535; 317) or an equivalent
amount in the virtual Bitcoin currency. Victims had 72
hours to pay up or face the keys that would unlock their
files being destroyed.
Analysis of the back-up database indicates that only 1.3%
of all the people hit by the malware paid the ransom.
Despite the low response rate, the gang is believed to
have netted about $3m from Cryptolocker. Many of those
caught out did not pay because they were able to restore
files from back-ups.
However, others are believed to have lost huge amounts
of important files and business documents to the cyberthieves.
"There's a bit of guesswork in that figure because some of
it was paid in bitcoins and that does not have a fixed
exchange rate," said Mr Sandee.
Now, security firms Fox-IT and FireEye - which aided the
effort to shut down the Gameover Zeus group - have
created a portal, called Decrypt Cryptolocker, via which
any of the 500,000 victims can find out the key to unlock
their files.
"All they have to do is submit a file that's been encrypted
from that we can figure out which encryption key was
used," said Greg Day, chief technology officer at FireEye.
Mr Day said people wishing to use the portal should

submit a file that did not contain sensitive information to
help it verify which key they needed.
De-cryption website : www.decryptcryptolocker.com/
BRITAIN'S FIRST ARMED POLICE ON ROUTINE
PATROL (Extract)
(BBC News, dated 6th August 2014 author Jon Kelly)
Full article : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine28656324
In a little-noticed move, a small number of police officers
are now routinely carrying sidearms while on patrol in
much of Scotland - the first in the UK outside Northern
Ireland to do so. How did this come about, and does it
alter the relationship between the constabulary and the
public?
Saturday night in Inverness. Outside a McDonald's
restaurant, a scuffle between two men breaks out. Three
police officers arrive to intervene. So far, so mundane.
Except that strapped around the hips of each of the
policemen approaching the brawl is a holstered Glock 17
semi-automatic pistol.
It's a sight that once would have been unthinkable. In this
corner of the Scottish Highlands - an area with one of the
lowest crime rates in the UK - the officers showing up to a
relatively workaday disturbance are armed.
Although every police force has a firearms unit, for
decades it has been an article of faith that in the mainland
UK, almost uniquely among major industrialised nations,
the police do not carry guns as a matter of course.
But with little fanfare at first, a policy of routinely allowing
specialist officers to wear sidearms as they walk the

streets of Scotland has come into being.
After the incident in Inverness was captured by a local
photographer on 12 July, local politicians expressed fears
that the tradition of an unarmed constabulary was being
surreptitiously eroded - a charge that would have
implications for everyone in the UK.
The British Position
- A 2006 survey of 47,328 Police Federation members
found 82% did not want officers to be routinely armed on
duty.
- For decades there have been incidents that have led to
calls for issuing all officers with firearms.
- While some in London were issued with revolvers before
1936, from that date only trained officers at the rank of
sergeant or above were issued with guns. Today only a
small proportion of officers are authorised to use firearms.
- In London, the sight of armed officers at airports,
embassies and other security-sensitive locations has
become a familiar one.
Ever since Robert Peel created the Metropolitan Police in
1829, the British force's unarmed status has been central
to its identity. Some in London were issued with revolvers
prior to 1936, but after that date only trained officers
ranked at sergeant or above were issued with guns, and
even then only if they could show a good reason.
This was underpinned by the principle of policing by
consent - the notion that officers owe their primary duty to
those they serve, rather than to the state. The only forces
in the UK which are routinely armed are in Northern
Ireland, the Ministry of Defence Police and the Civil
Nuclear Constabulary.
According to Richard Garside, director of the Centre of
Crime and Justice Studies, the sight of armed police has
become more common in recent decades at airports and

at places like the House of Commons. Cases like the
murder of PC Sharon Beshenivsky, shot dead during a
robbery in 2005, or of the three plain-clothes officers
murdered by Harry Roberts in west London in 1966, have
led to calls for the police to be armed.
In November 2011, Met Commissioner Bernard HoganHowe called for police response officers to be routinely
armed with Tasers and in 2007 the centre-right think-tank
Policy Exchange found 72% of 2,156 adults wanted to see
more armed police patrols.
But a 2006 survey of 47,328 Police Federation members
found 82% did not want officers to be routinely armed on
duty, despite almost half saying their lives had been "in
serious jeopardy" during the previous three years.
The International model
- All major police forces in Europe, as well as the US,
Canada and Australia routinely carry firearms.
- The exceptions are Britain, the Irish Republic and New
Zealand.
- In Norway officers carry arms in their cars but not on
their person.
- New Zealand has adopted an armed response model
similar to Britain, according to the International Law
Enforcement Forum.
GOOGLE REVEALS USER OVER GMAIL CHILD ABUSE
IMAGES
Google has revealed the identity of a user after

discovering child abuse imagery in the man's Gmail
account in Houston, Texas, according to a local news
report.
It alerted a child protection agency, which notified the
police and the man was arrested, KHOU 11 News reported.
Google told the BBC it would not comment on individual
accounts.
The arrest raises questions over the privacy of personal
email and Google's role in policing the web.
Police in Houston told the local news station that Google
detected explicit images of a young girl in an email being
sent by John Henry Skillern. After the existence of the
email was referred to them by the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children, the police obtained a
search warrant and arrested the man.
The 41-year-old is a convicted sex offender. He has been
charged with possessing child pornography, it was
reported.
"I can't see that information, I can't see that photo, but
Google can," Detective David Nettles said.
Emma Carr, the acting director of privacy lobby group Big
Brother Watch, told the BBC: "With the rate that Gmail
messages are scanned, and the fact that all US companies
are bound by US law to report suspected child abuse, it is
hardly surprising that this individual has found themselves
on the wrong side of the law.
"However, Gmail users will certainly be interested to know
what action Google proactively takes to monitor and
analyse Gmail messages for illegal content, including
details of what sorts of illegal activity may be targeted.
Google must also make themselves very clear about what
procedures and safeguards are in place to ensure that
people are not wrongly criminalised."

The BBC understands that Google does not search Gmail
accounts for other forms of illegal activity, such as pirated
content or hate speech.
'Proactively identifying'
David Drummond, the chief legal officer for Google, has
previously said that Google helps fund the Internet Watch
Foundation (IWF), which is tasked with "proactively
identifying child abuse images that Google can then
remove from our search engine".
Google works with the IWF and the National Center for
Missing and Exploited Children extensively, he said,
adding: "We have built technology that trawls other
platforms for known images of child sex abuse. We can
then quickly remove them and report their existence to
the authorities."
Google automatically scans email accounts to provide ads
within Gmail, which has more than 400 million users
worldwide.
In April, Google updated its terms and conditions to say:
"Our automated systems analyse your content (including
emails) to provide you personally relevant product
features, such as customised search results, tailored
advertising, and spam and malware detection. This
analysis occurs as the content is sent, received, and when
it is stored."
This occurred after a class-action lawsuit against the
company over email scanning was dismissed earlier this
year. At the time, Google said that "a person has no
legitimate expectation of privacy in information he
voluntarily turns over to third parties".
In April Google also stopped scanning more than 30 million
Gmail accounts linked to an educational scheme following
reports that the scans might have breached a US privacy
law.
Facebook has also faced a similar class-action lawsuit over

message scanning.
HIGHEST FORCE TASER USE PROMPTS

INVESTIGATION
(Police oracle, dated 4th August 2014 author Josh Loeb)
Taser use in Staffordshire is under the spotlight after an
announcement by the county's police and crime
commissioner of an independent probe into an apparently
high use of the less-lethal weapon.
Staffordshire Police has the highest level of Taser use in
the country, the Independent Police Complaints
Commission (IPCC) has found.
The force used Taser 33 times for every 100 officers in
2013, and the weapon was drawn a total of 626 times last
year.
Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis said: "Out of
the 619 incidents in Staffordshire, Taser was actually
discharged 71 times.
Preventing trouble
"A lot of the time officers use it as a deterrent to prevent
trouble - similar to the way that body cameras have had
an effect across Staffordshire since their roll out in the
past 12 months."
Mr Ellis said he was "not alarmed, because the number of
complaints about Taser is very low in Staffordshire".
He added: "It is interesting that there's such a big
variation with Taser use in other forces."
Statistics "can easily mislead," Mr Ellis said, "and it might

be that other forces discharge Tasers on a more regular
basis."
But he said there was no way of knowing until an
independent panel he had set up reported back.
An IPCC spokesman said the watchdog's analysis of Home
Office data revealed "considerable disparity in Taser use
between forces, with some smaller forces having a
proportionately much higher rate of Taser use in relation to
their size".
There was "no obvious explanation for this," the
spokesman said.
The College of Policing is currently reviewing Taser training
offered across forces nationwide.
Lincolnshire and Humberside were among other forces
where per capita Taser use was found to be high.
(1st Septembber 2014)
TWO WELSH FORCES DEVELOPING STATEMENT
GATHERING APP
(BBC News, dated 2nd August 2014)
www.bbc.co.uk
Two Welsh police forces will develop an 837,000 app to
send witness statements from remote locations.
The cash has come from a UK government innovation
fund, which has seen Wales' four police forces awarded
1.2m.
The Gwent and South Wales Police app will allow officers
to record and upload audio and visual statements from a
crime scene to a shared system.
It will mean officers can be freed from having to return to
base, and can spend more time on patrol.
The app will work on mobile phones and tablets and

means statements can be uploaded directly to data
systems.
It will allow the two forces to share information, give
officers quick access to data and let the public monitor the
progress of a criminal report and incidents of anti-social
behaviour.
As well as funding for the statement app, the Home Office
innovation fund has also awarded the Gwent force a
further 234,500 for a Wales-wide project aimed at
working with women who have been arrested.
Body cameras
The scheme will try to help rehabilitate female offenders,
and divert them away from a life of crime. The pilot
scheme will run until 2016.
Gwent Police and Crime Commissioner Ian Johnston said:
"This funding is truly fantastic news and I would like to
congratulate everyone who brought their new and
innovative ideas to the table and who worked so hard on
making these range of exciting bids a reality."
The innovation fund is offering police forces across Britain
access to 50m in grants.
In the latest round, North Wales Police has been awarded
44,538, and the Dyfed-Powys force was given 95,500.
North Wales Police will spend the money on body-mounted
video cameras for officers and the money given to DyfedPowys Police will be used for a system to exchange
information with other organisations during ongoing
incidents.
NEW SPRAY WILL SPEED UP HUNT FOR EVIDENCE IN
RAPE CASES
Martin Bentham)
www.standard.co.uk
A new spray which will speed up police investigations into
rape and other offences by making it easier to detect body
fluids is to be developed by the Met and London university
scientists.
The spray contains "biosensor" detection molecules that
will turn different colours on contact with semen, blood
and saliva.
A Met document says the spray, being developed by the
force with scientists at King's College, will be able to
identify "trace amounts of body fluids not visible using
existing white light searching techniques" and halve the
time it takes to search for such fluids.
Announcing the plan, Home Office policing minister Mike
Penning said the Met and King's College were on the verge
of a "major technological breakthrough" which could "help
to solve crimes and secure justice for victims".
The research will be funded with a 113,000 grant from
the Home Office's police innovation fund.
NEWS - JULY 2014

COMPUTING SECURITY REVIEW - JULY 2014
BRITISH HACKER GARY MCKINNON LAUNCHES SEO
STARTUP
(Computer World, dated 30th July 2014 author Sam Shead)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9250057/British_h
acker_Gary_McKinnon_launches_SEO_startup?
Hacker Gary McKinnon has reinvented himself as an online
search expert, after winning a 10-year fight against
extradition to the US for breaking into military computers
to look for evidence of UFOs.
In a bid to market his talents, Glasgow-born McKinnon has
set up a consultancy business, dubbed Small SEO, that
pledges to manipulate certain aspects of company
websites so that they appear higher in search engine
results - a process known as search engine optimization
(SEO).
McKinnon, who markets himself as someone with 20 years
IT experience on his firm's website, is charging 40 British
pounds an hour for his SEO services.
A number of companies have already signed up to use the
services McKinnon is offering through Small SEO. They
include London law firm Kaim Todner, tutoring service
GMAT Tutor London, Oxfordshire hair salon The Hair Safari,
and child safety door stop maker Jamm Products.
--------------------------------11 SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HACKED
(Computer World, dated 26th July 2014 author Roger A
Grimes)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249968/11_signs_you_
39_ve_been_hacked_and_how_to_fight_back?
In today's threatscape, antivirus software provides little
piece of mind, and antimalware scanners on the whole are
horrifically inaccurate, especially with exploits less than 24
hours old. Despite modern heuristics, virtualized
environments, system monitoring, and network traffic
detection, hackers still reach us on a regular basis.
- Fake antivirus messages

- Unwanted browser toolbars
- Re-directed internet searches
- Frequent random pop-ups
- Your friends receive fake emails from your email account
- Your online passwords suddenly change
- Un-expected software updates
- Your mouse moves betweeb programs and makes correct
selections
- Your ant-malware software, task manager or Registry
Editor is disabled and can't be restarted.
- Your bank account is missing money
- You get calls from stores about non-payment of shipped
goods
-----------------------------------HACKERS STEAL USER DATA FROM THE EUROPEAN
CENTRAL BANK WEBSITE
(Computer World, dated 24th July 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249946/Hackers_steal_
user_data_from_the_European_Central_Bank_website_dem
and_money?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-07-25
Hackers have stolen user contact information, including
email addresses and phone numbers, from the website of
the European Central Bank and attempted to extort
money from the institution.
The attackers exploited a vulnerability to access a
database serving the ECB's public website, the institution
announced Thursday on its website. No internal systems
or market sensitive data were affected, the ECB said.
The compromised database primarily contained contact
information provided by users when registering for various
ECB events and conferences. Most of the data was
encrypted, but email addresses, phone numbers and

street addresses were not, according to the ECB.
------------------------------RAMSOMWARE TARGETS ENGLISH SPEAKING USERS
(Computer World, dated 23rd July 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249922/File_encryptin
g_Android_ransomware_Simplocker_targets_English_speaki
ng_users?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-07-24
A ransomware threat that encrypts files stored on the SD
memory cards of Android devices has been updated to
target English-speaking users with FBI-themed alerts.
The malware app is called Simplocker and was first
identified by security researchers from antivirus vendor
ESET in early June. At the time it was the first malicious
program for Android devices that used file encryption to
extort money from victims.
The original variant was indicative of a work in progress
and displayed ransom notes exclusively in Russian, but
that has changed recently. Simplocker is now being sold
on underground forums and actively distributed to users
--------------------------ALMOST A MILLION FAKE APPS ARE TARGETING YOUR
PHONE
(Computer World, dated 16th July 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249779/Almost_a_milli
on_fake_apps_are_targeting_your_phone?
Fake apps dressed up to look like official ones but actually

designed to steal user data are increasingly targeting
Android phone users, according to a study by Trend Micro.
The company looked at the top 50 free apps in Google's
Play Store and then searched Google's app store and
others to see if fake versions existed. It found fake
versions existed for 77 percent of the apps. The fake apps
are often made to look like the real ones and have the
same functions, but carry a dangerous extra payload.
"We've been tracking the activity of malicious or high-risk
apps for nearly five years," said JD Sherry, vice president
of technology and solutions at Trend Micro. "The potential
for people to slip things past the gate and appear
legitimate is much easier."
Tokyo-based Trend Micro, which makes antivirus and
antimalware software that guard against such risks, said it
cataloged 890,482 fake apps in a survey conducted in
April this year. More than half were judged to be malicious
of which 59,185 were aggressive adware and 394,263
were malware.
----------------------THE BIGGEST DATA BREACHES OF 2014 (SO FAR)
(Computer World, dated 11th July 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249691/The_biggest_d
ata_breaches_of_2014_so_far_?
In the battle to keep your personal information private, it's
not just hackers you have to worry about but lax security
and stupidity.
A survey of data breaches in the first six months of this
year shows an increasing number of incidents in which
data, including names and addresses, credit card and
Social Security numbers, and medical records was lost to

criminals or exposed.
In other cases, laptops or thumb drives containing
information were stolen -- in some cases with apparently
nothing more than the login password to protect the data.
According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (US), there
have already been 395 data breaches in the U.S. this year
that have been reported to regulators or covered by media
outlets, a 21 percent increase over the same period last
year.
----------------------INTERNATIONAL POLICE OPERATION DISRUPTS SHYLOCK
BANKING TROJAN
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249660/International_
police_operation_disrupts_Shylock_banking_Trojan?
Police from eight countries together with several private
security companies disrupted the online infrastructure
used by cybercriminals to control computers infected with
a malware program called Shylock.
Shylock is a Trojan program that first appeared in 2011,
primarily targeting online banking. The threat is named
after a fictional character in Shakespeare's "The Merchant
of Venice" because it includes fragments from the play in
its binary files.
Like most malware programs that steal financial
information, Shylock is able to inject code into websites in
order to capture credentials and trick victims into
performing rogue financial transactions.
The action was led by the U.K.'s National Crime Agency

(NCA) and was coordinated from the European Cybercrime
Centre (EC3) at Europol. Law enforcement agencies from
the U.K., the U.S., the Netherlands, Turkey, Italy, Germany,
Poland and France participated. Several IT security
vendors, including BAE Systems Applied Intelligence, Dell
SecureWorks, Kaspersky Lab and Heimdal Security (part of
CSIS Security Group), provided support.
----------------------BOTNET AIMS BRUTE FORCE ATTACKS AT POINT-OF-SALE
SYSTEMS
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249630/Botnet_aims_b
rute_force_attacks_at_point_of_sale_systems?
Thousands of compromised computers are actively trying
to break into point-of-sale (POS) systems using brute-force
techniques to guess remote administration credentials.
The computers are part of a botnet, dubbed BrutPOS by
researchers from security firm FireEye, that has been
active since at least February. The botnet scans attackerspecified IP (Internet Protocol) address ranges for systems
that accept Remote Desktop Protocol (port 3389)
connections.
When an RDP service is identified, the BrutPOS malware
attempts to log in with user names and passwords from a
predefined list.
Data collected from these servers suggests that the
botnet is made up of 5,622 compromised computers from
119 countries.
----------------------SPAMHAUS PUSHES FOR ARRESTS OF ALLEGED DDoS

PARTICIPANTS
(Computer World, dated 8th July 2014 author Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249594/Spamhaus_pu
shes_for_arrests_of_alleged_DDoS_participants?
An antispam organization is pushing for quick law
enforcement action against five people it alleges took part
in one of the largest cyberattacks on record that caused
Internet outages throughout Europe early last year.
Spamhaus wrote on Monday that it has identified two U.S.
nationals, two Russians and one Chinese national at large
whom it believes participated in a large distributed denialof-service attack (DDoS) that was nicknamed "Stophaus."
Spamhaus is a frequent target for retribution due to its
widely used data feeds that help software applications
identify and filter spam messages.
Last week, the U.K.'s National Crime Agency said it
charged a 17-year-old from London with computer misuse,
fraud and money laundering in connection with the
attacks. The teenager, who wasn't named, was arrested
last year, the agency said.
----------------------BREACHES EXPOSED 1 IN 7 US DEBIT CARDS IN 2013
(Computer World, dated 2nd July 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249536/Breaches_exp
osed_1_in_7_US_debit_cards_in_2013?
Data breaches at retailers and financial services

companies exposed 14% of all U.S. debit cards in 2013,
according to a nationwide survey by a major ATM network
operator.
The figure is three times that of 2012 and comes as
consumers are using debit cards to make more purchases
than ever before.
The survey, conducted by Discover Financial Services'
Pulse ATM network, found that the majority of affected
cards were exposed in a single event: the Target data
breach that compromised some 70 million customer
records in late 2013.
Around 10% of all U.S. debit cards were affected in the
Target incident, and the majority of financial institutions
affected were pushed to reissue cards.
----------------------CHINESE RESTAURANT CHAIN IN THE US SAYS BREACH
WAS "HIGHLY SOPHISTICATED CRIMINAL OPERATION"
(Computer World, dated 2nd July 2014 author Martyn
Williams)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249540/PF_Chang_39_
s_says_breach_was_39_highly_sophisticated_criminal_oper
ation_39_?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-07-07
Restaurant chain P.F. Chang's China Bistro (in the US) says
the theft of credit and debit card information from some of
its restaurants earlier this year was "part of a highly
sophisticated criminal operation."
But the chain, which only discovered the breach after a
large batch of card numbers were offered on an Internet
forum, said it's still working with the U.S. Secret Service
and forensic experts to determine exactly what happened.
A company statement was the first update issued by the
company in three weeks and didn't add much additional

information to what was already known: that an attack
apparently hit the point-of-sale systems in the company's
restaurants and sucked up card numbers used between
March and May of this year.
----------------------ISP's SUE UK SPOOKS OVER NETWORK SPYING
(Computer World, dated 2nd July 2014 author Loek Essers)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249517/ISPs_sue_U.K._
spooks_over_network_spying?
A coalition of ISPs and communication providers from
around the world filed a legal complaint against the U.K.
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ),
calling for an end to its alleged attacking and exploitation
of network infrastructure to gain access to potentially
millions of people's private communications.
The complaint was lodged on Wednesday with the U.K.'s
Investigatory Powers Tribunal (IPT), a court that can
investigate complaints about any alleged conduct by, or
on behalf of, the British intelligence services.
The case was filed by U.S. campaigning organizations
Riseup and May First/People Link, as well as by U.K. ISP
GreenNet, Dutch hosting service Greenhost, Mango from
Zimbabwe, the South-Korean Jinbonet, along with the
German Chaos Computer Club and Privacy International
who said exploiting network infrastructure to gather
information is unlawful.
----------------------HACKERS HIT MORE BUSINESSES THROUGH REMOTE
ACCESS ACCOUNTS
(Computer World, dated 2nd July 2014 author Jaikumar

Vijayan)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249516/Hackers_hit_m
ore_businesses_through_remote_access_accounts?
source=CTWNLE_nlt_securityissues_2014-07-02
Hackers recently broke into payment systems at several
northwestern U.S. restaurants and food service companies
via a remote access account belonging to one of their
vendors, another example of the need for companies to
monitor third-party access to their networks.
Information Systems and Supplies (ISS), a Vancouver,
Wash.-based provider of point of sale (PoS) systems to
restaurants and bars in the region, has warned its
customers that hackers may have accessed their payment
systems using ISS' remote login credentials.
----------------------NEW MALWARE PROGRAM TARGETS BANKING DATA
(Computer World, dated 30th June 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249458/New_malware_
program_targets_banking_data?
There is yet another reason to be wary of spam email
about bank transfers or invoices -- it could be carrying a
new, cleverly designed malware program that steals
financial information.
Most Trojan programs steal financial information from
users by injecting rogue forms into Web browsing sessions,
but a newly discovered malware program takes a different
approach and leverages browser network APIs to sniff

outgoing traffic.
The new threat has been named Emotet by security
researchers from antivirus vendor Trend Micro, who
recently analyzed variants targeting the customers of
several German banks. The malware is distributed via
malicious links in spam email messages that masquerade
as bank transfer notifications or invoices.
(9th August 2014)
DARK NET DRUGS ADVERTS "DOUBLE IN LESS THAN
A YEAR"
(BBC News, dated 31st July 2014 author Angus Crawford)
The number of listings offering illegal drugs for sale on the
"dark net" appears to have more than doubled in less than
a year, BBC News has learned.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) closed down
the original online illegal drug market, Silk Road, in 2013.
But new figures suggest the trade has actually increased
since then.
And other research indicates one in four British drug users
has accessed hidden websites.
'Big problem'
In October 2013, there were 18,174 drugs listings across
four main markets, according to the internet safety
organisation Digital Citizens Alliance, based in the US.
A recent trawl of the dark net by BBC News revealed there
were now 43,175 listings across 23 markets.
In this context, the term "dark net" refers to parts of the
internet that cannot be reached easily unless specialised
software is used.
Its content is hidden from conventional search engines
such as Google and Bing. Commonly used apps such as
Instagram, WhatsApp and Evernote - whose content does
not show up in search results either - are not covered by
the term.
Britain's National Crime Agency recognises the drug trade
on the dark net is a threat.
"It's a big problem," says Caroline Young, deputy director
of the NCA's Organised Crime Command.
"In our threat assessment we have cocaine and heroin as
a high priority, and because it's cyber-enabled that makes
it even more of a high priority."
However, she said the figures might be misleading.
"The numbers of vendors in the UK has reduced by 40%,
each vendor may have more than one listing," she says.
One internet safety campaigner was concerned by the
findings.
"We still think the internet can be a wonderful tool for
consumers and businesses, but we do worry good people
and companies get caught up in the web spun by
criminals and rogue operators," said Adam Benson, deputy
executive director of Digital Citizens Alliance.
"That will slowly erode the trust and confidence we have in
the internet."
After months of negotiations, a dark net drug dealer based
outside the UK agreed to answer my questions.
He would only do it anonymously and using encrypted
messages.
"To us the dark net is all about anonymity and freedom,"
he said.
I put it to him that he was still selling dangerous
substances and supporting organised crime.
"A street dealer could sell you anything without you
knowing what it is exactly," he replied. "Because of the
strong community on the dark net, this almost never
happens. And when it happens, the vendor in question will
lose all of his clients."
He added that the online drugs trade showed no signs of
reducing."I've seen the dark net market grow almost
exponentially."
Undesired publicity
Californian Ross Ulbricht was arrested last year and is
awaiting trial charged with being the administrator of the
original Silk Road site, which he denies.
Customers and dealers used encrypted email and paid
using the virtual currency Bitcoin, which can be hard to
track.
The FBI seized the site and confiscated all funds. But some
observers say that has only increased interest in the
markets.
Deepdotweb.com is a website that observes developments
on the hidden web. A representative from the site said:
"The Silk Road bust was the best advertising the dark net
markets could have hoped for."
Anonymous network
One of the most popular access methods for the dark net
is the TorBrowser.
It allows people to use Tor, an "onion-routing" system that
makes a PC's net address untraceable.
It bounces encrypted data through several randomly
selected computer servers on a volunteer network - before

it reaches its destination.
There are also many hidden sites on the network ending in
the dot-onion suffix, including drugs markets.
Tor was first created by the US military and is now also
used by pro-democracy campaigners, whistleblowers and
journalists operating under repressive regimes.
But criminals too are taking advantage of its anonymity.
Cocaine clicks
One buyer agreed to talk to me, but only if his identity was
hidden.
Sam, not his real name, admitted he used to buy drugs
from a dealer in London.
"I bought cannabis, around every two to three weeks from
a street vendor, it was pretty terrifying," he said.
He then showed me the cannabis he bought online - it was
delivered to his house by first-class post.
"I don't have to reveal my identity at all, it's completely
anonymous, no-one's going to find out who I am, I just feel
safe using it."
And there is evidence he is part of a growing number of
people going online to buy illegal drugs. The Global Drug
Survey has taken place each year since 1999.
For the 2014 survey, more than 79,000 people worldwide
were questioned about their drug habits.
Some 25% of British respondents said they had accessed
dark net drugs markets.
The survey's founder, Adam Winstock, said it was just like
the growth of any e-commerce."Better quality, better
range, more convenient," he said, "and certainly in the
case of drugs, avoiding having to come into contact with

dealers."
Targeting dealers
Those who observe the dark net believe sales will continue
to grow.
Deepdotweb.com expects methods may change.
"We will see movements toward decentralised markets as
they have better potential for being safer, are impossible
to shut down, and can provide better solutions for
handling transactions," said its editor, who asked to
remain anonymous.
Britain's National Crime Agency says it will do all it can to
disrupt the trade.
"We will use all and every tool and technique we possibly
can" Whether they are dealers and buyers online or on the
street - they are exactly the same.They are dealing in
illegal drugs and they are dealing in misery", said Caroline
Young.
(9th August 2014)
EIGHT JAILS NOW HOLD ONLY SEX OFFENDERS,
SAYS CHRIS GRAYLING
(The Telegraph, dated 30th July 2014 author David Barrett)
Eight jails in England and Wales now house only sex
offenders as the number of abusers has rocketed to more
than 11,000, Chris Grayling, the Justice Secretary, has
disclosed.
He set out new plans to cope with the rise - largely driven
by longer sentences being handed down - including
restricting specialist treatment courses to high risk
offenders only.
It means lower risk sex attackers will now no longer be

eligible to take part in the courses and will instead be
offered "more appropriate interventions", a Ministry of
Justice spokesman said.
Mr Grayling said it was a departure from a "one size fits
all" approach, but critics will seize on the move as a failure
to provide enough places on courses designed to stop sex
crimes being carried out.
Eight jails are now wholly for sex offenders compared with
five a year ago, with 20 more offering specialist courses.
The Justice Secretary said: "As a Government we make no
apologies for putting sex offenders where they deserve - in
jail.
"But when they are there it is important that we deal with
their offending behaviour - that means programmes
consistent with the best evidence, targeted at those who
pose the greatest threat.
"I don't want a one size fits all approach which costs the
taxpayer lots of money and doesn't reduce the risk posed
by the most serious offenders."
According to latest figures the number of sex offenders
rose to 11,150, up 652 year on year. In comparison, the
previous 12 months saw a rise of only 152.
The MoJ spokesman said: "The new approach targets those
with the most prolific offending, who are a much higher
risk to the public and more likely to reoffend on release,
with lower risk offenders given more appropriate
interventions to match their individual needs.
"Funding for treatment has been maintained and
increased but resources are now being targeted where
they are most needed providing a smaller number of
longer, more intensive programmes for the most serious
offenders to reduce their risk to the public."
A series of reports by Nick Hardwick, the Chief Inspector of

Prisons, have found there is a shortage of places available
on sex offender treatment programmes, leading to some
inmates being released without having undergone any
courses to address their behaviour.
The eight sex offender jails are Albany on the Isle of Wight,
Usk in Monmouthshire, Bure in Norfolk, Whatton in
Nottinghamshire, Ashfield in Gloucestershire, Stafford, Rye
Hill in Northamptonshire and Littlehey in Cambridgeshire.
The MoJ said the specialist jails included "designated
treatment hubs".
"Evidence shows that holding sex offenders together
makes them more likely to engage in programmes.
"It is also better value to taxpayers as resources are
targeted where they are most needed," said the MoJ
spokesman.
Another project at Whatton jail has seen sex offenders
given drugs to reduce their libido, which the MoJ said had
led to "encouraging" results.
Last year a report from the National Audit Office found the
number of treatment programmes completed by sexual
offenders had dropped by around 5 per cent since 201011.
(9th August 2014)
BUSINESS FRAUD PROBES BRANDED "DISGRACE" AS
JUST 9 CASES ARE SOLVED
(London Evening Standard, dated 23rd July 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
London's policing tsar today branded Scotland Yard's
investigation of business fraud "a disgrace" after figures
show there were just nine successful prosecutions last
year.
Stephen Greenhalgh, the deputy mayor for policing, also
dubbed the national Home Office funded Action Fraud
centre as "No Further Action Fraud" as he called for a new
drive to investigate the crime.
In a strongly worded attack he criticised the police lack of
action at the launch of the first ever 'Business Crime
Strategy' for London.
A report by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime says
the police response to investigating fraud is "inadequate"
highlighting that an "astonishing" small number of fraud
cases are actually solved by police in London.
Figures show that a total of 81,631 frauds were reported to
police by London businesses in 2013/14.
A total of 758 of these were deemed "solvable" by the City
of London Police run National Fraud Intelligence Bureau.
However, only 177 cases were passed to the Met to
investigate and just nine were successfully prosecuted last
year. Ninety five cases are still being investigated.
Mr Greenhalgh told the Standard the figures were
"shocking" saying: "I think it is a disgrace. There is no
doubt that the police response to fraud and cyber fraud is
inadequate."
He said there was a perception that fraud was victimless
but cited the case of his sister who had worked hard to
build up a small business but lost 100,000 to a fraudster.
"The police response was woeful," he said. "They did not
act and my parents had to bail her out from their own
pension money."
New measures to combat business crime announced by
Boris Johnson today include a "resilience centre" to help
protect small businesses from fraud and specialist police
units to help fraud and investigate on line business crime.
More than 6,000 London businesses will also be consulted

on crime in the first ever survey of its kind in an effort to
understand the scale of the problem.
The business strategy says retailers report that they often
choose to solve crime themselves or take no action
because they have no confidence in the police.
Police also say that organised criminals are involved in
more and more cases of business crime in London.
Mr Greenhalgh said there was a shift in crime away from
traditional robberies to cyber fraud and "plain old fraud."
He said : "The police need to improve their response. It is
no good passing the parcel, they need to get convictions.
Nine crimes being solved in one year is pathetic."
He added: "The real issue is you have to get business and
the police to share information, until that improves you are
never going to make any progress."
He said there was a "renewed commitment" by the Met to
tackle the problem but added: "We have to do more to
tackle business crime if London is to continue to grow and
thrive."
Met Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey, who leads on
business crime, said the force had launched a new
initiative to provide specialist crime prevention advice to
businesses.
(9th August 2014)
ALARM OVER THREAT TO NEIGHBOURHOOD
POLICING
(Police Oracle, dated 23rd July 2014 author Josh Loeb)
www.policeoracle.com [option 1]
Neighbourhood policing is "not just about going round
schools and speaking to kids" but can be a major tool in

the fight against terrorism, the President of the Police
Superintendents' Association has said.
Chief Superintendent Irene Curtis (pictured) said: "There is
a danger that the Police Service will return to just the
responsive mode, so that the majority of people's
experiences of the police would be when they are in stress
or in immediate need of a police officer.
"That would mean all that prevention work and the
relationships police officers build within communities
would be lost."
Chief Supt Curtis was speaking following the release of the
latest 'Valuing the Police' report by Her Majesty's
Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) which said forces
were increasingly taking officers out of neighbourhood
teams to perform response and investigative functions
elsewhere.
HM Inspector of Constabulary Zo Billingham warned of a
"vicious circle" in which neighbourhood teams would
become increasingly focussed on merely reacting to
events rather than preventing crime and building contacts,
and would as a result become more in demand from the
public.
HMIC's report, entitled 'Policing in Austerity: Meeting the
Challenge', states: "The risk is that continuing austerity
may put neighbourhood-based proactive and preventative
policing in jeopardy. If that happens, the hard-won prize of
community confidence could be lost."
Chief Supt Curtis said: "Neighbourhood policing is not just
about going round schools and speaking to kids, it is an
integral part of the British policing model - and it is in
serious danger of being undermined by future cuts.
"There have been examples of neighbourhood teams
helping combat extremism and feeding into counter
terrorism work."
Shadow Policing Minister Jack Dromey added to the

warnings, saying: "The HMIC Report confirms that
neighbourhood policing is in danger of existing on paper
only. The bitter irony is that the British model of
neighbourhood policing is celebrated worldwide for its
effectiveness."
HMIC's report also recommended greater collaboration
between forces - and it used Ofsted-style categories to
rank forces ranging from "outstanding" to "inadequate" in
terms of how they were managing with less funding.
(9th August 2014)
THREE FORCES RISK BECOMING "INVIABLE" IN
FUTURE
(Police Oracle, dated 22nd July 2014 author Josh Loeb)
Some police forces could cease to be viable in three years
if they do not radically change how they implement cuts,
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) has
warned.
For the first time in its history, the inspectorate used
Ofsted-style categories to name forces whose financial
approach has not been effective.
Though all 43 forces examined avoided the lowest
category - that of "inadequate" - Bedfordshire Police and
Nottinghamshire Police were listed as "requiring
improvement" alongside Gwent Police, which HMIC has
"serious concerns" about.
An additional 15 forces are also at risk of not being able to
provide the same level of service to the public.
HMIC found five forces to be "outstanding." They were
Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Norfolk Constabulary,
Lancashire Constabulary, Staffordshire Police and West
Midlands Police.
The remaining forces were judged to be "good."

'Difficult challenge'
Bedfordshire - one of the country's worst funded forces had slashed officer numbers to a level that "puts at risk"
its ability to deliver effective policing, the report stated.
The 'Policing in Austerity: Meeting the Challenge' report
added that efforts were now underway to restore numbers
to "safe levels" - and the force emphasised that it was
taking steps to deal with a "particularly difficult financial
challenge."
Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Olly
Martins described HMIC's verdict as "disappointing."
He added: "However, HMIC's categorisation reflects the
underlying truth about our predicament."
It was "imperative" that whoever is Home Secretary after
May 2015 "urgently addresses the inadequacies of the
funding formula for policing," he added.
Nottinghamshire Police was criticised for being too slow to
implement change. This was rejected by Nottinghamshire
PCC Paddy Tipping, who said he was confident that "robust
plans" were now in place to safeguard his force's financial
future.
He added: "That said, it's an interesting report which
recognises the achievements we've made thus far while
also warning of some major challenges which could impact
on police services and our ability to meet our savings
targets if left unaddressed."
Gwent Police had not responded to a request for comment
as this article went live.
The document states: "We recommend that the chief
constables of these forces urgently review their
approaches to the spending review."
HMIC will now conduct a re-inspection of the three forces

found to require improvement to check their progress over
the coming months.
An HMIC spokesman would not be drawn on what might
happen if a force reached the point at which it was
considered to be no longer viable, and whether this could
lead to it being placed in special measures or even
dissolved.
However HM Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor
flagged up "interoperability" - or greater collaboration
between forces - as a key way in which savings could be
made.
A spokesman stressed that any risk to forces' viability was
not as a result of cuts per se but the way in which they
were being implemented.
'Collaboration' call
Forces should also look at entering into greater
collaboration with other parts of the public sector, as well
as with private companies, Mr Winsor said.
But he added: "It was disappointing to find that progress in
achieving savings in this way remains patchy and slow
with a few notable exceptions."
Collaboration happened "where there is a will, and when
there is an ability to compromise," HM Inspector of
Constabulary Zo Billingham said.
She singled out for praise the example of the close
working relationship between Warwickshire Police and
West Mercia Police, who she said were doing "everything"
jointly while retaining their own Chief Constables and
PCCs.
Ms Billingham also highlighted apparent successes in the
collaboration between Norfolk Constabulary and Suffolk
Police - but noted that plans to merge the two forces'

control rooms had been scrapped.
She stopped short of recommending all-out mergers of
forces, since politicians would have to vote to change an
Act of Parliament sanctioning a redrawing of the policing
map in order for this to happen.
However, she said HMIC would be convening a debate on
how forces could make further cuts without compromising
public safety as there was "no end in sight for austerity."
Police Federation Chairman Steve White said: "The report
provides clear evidence that cuts are damaging the Police
Service and officers' capacity to keep the public safe.
"It is unacceptable that 18 smaller forces are at risk of not
being able to provide the same service to the public if
these cuts continue.
"Staff and officers know only too well the effect
government cuts have had as austerity measures put
more pressure on them and changes to their pay, pensions
and working conditions affect their health and well-being."
Her Majesties Inpector of Constabularies report :
www.hmic.gov.uk/publication/policing-in-austeritymeeting-the-challenge/
(9th August 2014)
ONLINE CHILD ABUSE REPORTS SURGE, SAYS US
WATCHDOG
(BBC News, dated 18th July 2014 author Dave Lee)
There has been a dramatic rise in reports of child abuse
images posted to commonly used parts of the internet,
according to a US watchdog.
They include photos posted to publicly-accessible parts of

social networks.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children
received a record number of reports in the first week of
July, four times the weekly average.
It comes in a week UK authorities arrested 660 people in
connection with online child abuse.
That investigation was believed to have been targeted at
those using the so-called "dark net" - parts of the internet
that are hidden and can be hard to access without special
software.
But the NCMEC stressed there was still a significant and
growing challenge for law enforcement agencies to deal
with material on the open internet as well as the harderto-reach areas.
Tip-offs
In the US, all electronic communications providers (ECPs)
have had to report any instance of child abuse on their
networks to the Cyber Tipline provided by the NCMEC
since 1998.
Since many of the world's most popular communications
sites, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest, are based in
the US, the NCMEC works with authorities around the
world to follow up leads provided by tips.
The UK is among the 62 countries working closely with the
NCMEC.
In the week from beginning 29 June and ending July 5,
92,800 reports were made to the Cyber Tipline.
Of those, the vast majority - 91,334 - came from internet
firms, with the remainder being tip-offs from members of
the public.
On average, the NCMEC receives around 15,000 reports

per week.
John Shehan, executive director of the NCMEC Exploited
Children Division, said the large numbers early in July may
prove to be an anomaly.
But he stressed the growing concern with social networks.
"You wouldn't think someone would do it on Pinterest or
LinkedIn," Mr Shehan said.
"But any type of platform that allows people to post
images or videos - they get used for the wrong reasons."
Extremely rare
While most would assume social networks are an unlikely
place for illegal material to be shared - by people who
would presumably want to hide any trace of their identity Mr Shehan said several theories had emerged.
"When you look at the types of offenders who have a
sexual interest in children, there is a wide spectrum as far
as their internet knowledge, and their backgrounds with
being able to anonymise and hide their identities online.
"If you look at where the content is being uploaded from sometimes we see that it goes back to third-world
countries.
"Some of these are just starting to get high-speed internet
access, and they may not be as sophisticated as some
countries in using different anonymisers."
The BBC contacted the leading social networks that report
into the NCMEC.
All stressed that the latest technology - which is able to
spot known images of child abuse and flag authorities
immediately - was deployed across the sites.
LinkedIn confirmed that reports about child abuse had

been made to the NCMEC, but that instances were
extremely rare.
Twitter, which is the subject of a campaign by internet
activist group Anonymous to do more to quickly remove
child abuse images, said it had a no-tolerance approach.
A spokesman said: "When we are made aware of links to
images of or content promoting child sexual exploitation
they will be removed from the site without further notice
and reported to the NCMEC, we permanently suspend
accounts promoting or containing updates with links to
child sexual exploitation."
No UK law
In the UK, there is no law that compels UK
communications companies to inform the Cyber Tipline, or
any similar service, about child abuse content discovered
on their services.
In a statement to the BBC, the NCA said: "The UK internet
industry is very small in comparison to the US and no such
equivalent legislation currently exists.
"UK internet service providers voluntarily block access to
known indecent images of children."
The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) - the UK-based group
that actively targets illegal content online - said that while
it would be interesting to see the effects a US-style law
would have, the UK's impressive record in stamping out
child abuse meant existing rules were working.
"Due to the cooperation we have with the online industry
in the UK less than 1% of child sexual abuse imagery is
hosted here, down from 18% in 1996," said Susie
Hargreaves, the IWF's chief executive.
Ms Hargreaves re-iterated the concerns of the the NCMEC
that child abuse images were increasingly being spread on

the open internet as well as the dark web.
"This isn't a problem which is only found in hidden areas of
the internet," she told the BBC.
Within a year, the IWF had just four full-time analysts
working on monitoring the internet.
"We now have 12 analysts who are still working full time
and due to our ability to proactively seek out the images
and videos, we're able to identify around three times as
many URLs as last year."
Paedophile arrests (source : National Crime Agency)
660 suspected paedophiles arrested
431 children have been protected
39 suspects were registered sex offenders
833 buildings searched
9,172 devices, including phones and laptops seized
(9th August 2014)
MASS SURVEILLANCE "DANGEROUS HABIT", SAYS
UN RIGHTS BODY
(BBC News, dated 18th July 2014)
Too many governments are "rubber-stamping" mass
surveillance programmes, the UN human rights watchdog
warns.
In a report, the UN body said more needed to be done to
ensure that surveillance was balanced against its harm to
personal privacy.
It added that mass retention of data to aid surveillance
was "neither necessary nor proportionate".
The report comes as the UK passes an emergency law to

make ISPs and mobile companies store user data.
The document was written by the office of Navi Pillay, the
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who said it
revealed a "disturbing" lack of transparency about the
reasons governments approve or start large-scale
monitoring of what people do online.
Mass surveillance, said Ms Pillay, was becoming a
"dangerous habit rather than an exceptional measure" for
governments.
'Constant stream'
These programmes necessarily interfered with privacy,
and governments must do more to ensure that this
curbing of freedoms was "neither arbitrary nor unlawful".
The further that governments went in scooping up
information about citizens, the harder they needed to work
to justify the snooping and monitor it to guard against
excess, said Ms Pillay.
The report said laws that set out how surveillance could be
carried out must be publicly available and demonstrate
specific reasons why the monitoring was taking place.
It said measures to force net companies, mobile operators
and others to retain data on what people did online and
whom they talked to had little justification.
Simply gathering data, even if it was never consulted,
could potentially curb privacy because too few states put
good limits on who could look at the data and what it
could be used for.
"The constant stream of new revelations shows how
disturbingly little we really know about the precise nature
of surveillance," said Ms Pillay.
(9th August 2014)
iPHONE THEFTS FALL SHARPLY AS POLICE HAIL

"KILL SWITCH"
(London Evening Standard, dated 18th July 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
The number of iPhones being stolen in London has fallen
dramatically, new figures reveal.
About 105 iPhones are still stolen every day in the capital
but nine months ago the figure was 144.
Police say the decline is largely down to Apple introducing
a "kill switch" to its phone software last September,
leading to a big reduction in black market demand for the
devices.
Overall, phone snatches and thefts have fallen by more
than 25 per cent in the past 12 months and robberies
targeting phones are down by 28 per cent.
Two years ago, Scotland Yard said phones were being
stolen at a record rate of 301 every day in London. The
latest figure is 201 a day.
At the height of the crimewave more than 1,000 phones
were snatched in Westminster in December 2012.
Senior officers launched an intelligence-gathering
operation and found that organised crime groups were
using gangs of thieves to steal phones on an industrial
scale across Europe.
Commander Christine Jones said it was "truly international
foreign offending. It was very focused, well briefed, people
were told you go in, you remove that number of phones
and you go."
Rock concerts were being targeted for mass thefts of
phones. "The thieves would be in Brighton on a Saturday
morning and in Perthshire the next day for another
concert. They would follow the same band," Ms Jones said.

Stolen phones, mainly iPhones, would be quickly moved to
the Far East and Africa where they could be sold for 250
and reactivated. Since Apple brought in the "kill switch"
the black market value of an iPhone 5 has fallen to about
60. Ms Jones said: "Apple has come up with a solution
that means if a phone is stolen it is inoperable across the
whole of the globe."
The Met's Operation Ringtone involved using spotters,
tackling handlers as well as thieves and trying to identify
the "puppeteers". These tactics are now being adopted
across Europe.
(9th August 2014)
CRIME FALLS TO LOWEST LEVEL SINCE SURVEY
BEGAN IN 1981
(The Guardian, dated 18th July 2014 author Alan Travis)
www.theguardian.com
[Option 1]
Crime in England and Wales has fallen by a further 9%
over the past year, official survey results published on
Thursday reveal.
Official statisticians say this latest substantial fall brings
the crime rate down to its lowest level since the survey
began in 1981 and to less than half the peak level it
reached in 1995.
Separate figures of crime recorded by the police confirmed
the significant drop: they fell 7% in the 12 months to
March 2013 to 3.7m offences.
The Office for National Statistics said the fall in crime
continued the downward trend of recent years, albeit at a
slower rate than was seen in the 1990s.
Senior police officers said a 27% rise in reported fraud
showed that criminals were adopting new tactics and
moving online, as well as being a result of a new

centralised recording system.
Home Office figures also published on Thursday reveal
there are 14,186 fewer police officers than when the
coalition government came to power in March 2010.
The number of full-time equivalent police officers was
129,584 in March 2013. This 4,516 drop in the past year is
the third year of consecutive falls. The overall number of
officers is at its lowest since 2002.
Home Office statisticians say the evidence for a clear link
between crime figures and police officer numbers is
contested.
The fall in crime has taken place across nearly all
categories: there has been a 15% fall in car theft, a 7% fall
in burglary, a 6% fall in violent crime and a 13% fall in
vandalism.
Among the few categories to see a rise in incidents were
theft from the person - mainly pickpocketing and snatch
thefts - which rose by 9%, mainly in London, for a second
consecutive year.
There was also a 1% rise in sexual offences to 53,340.
Statisticians say this reflects a "Yewtree effect" - greater
numbers of victims of sexual attacks have come forward
to report historical offences to the police in the wake of
the police investigation into Jimmy Savile.
The murder rate in England and Wales remained almost
unchanged: 552 homicides were recorded in 2012-13
compared with 553 the previous year.
The fall in crime has been more than matched by a sharp
17% reduction in the number of anti-social behaviour
incidents recorded.
Figures for fraud show that 229,000 incidents, including
online fraud, were reported to the police and the National
Fraud Authority in the past year. The figures give a profile

for the first time of the scale and type of offence taking
place online. For example, fraud involving online shopping
and auctions reported to the authorities doubled from
23,750 to 45,114 incidents in the past year.
Advance fee frauds included 1,196 offences involving
dating scams and 1,114 inheritance frauds. There were
11,048 offences involving computer misuse, including
virus and denial-of-service attacks. Computer-hacking
offences topped 4,500 reported incidents.
The deputy chief constable of Gwent police, Jeff Farrar,
said the figures showed the likelihood of someone
becoming a victim of crime was at its lowest level in more
than 30 years: "A key success reflected in the figures is
the significant reduction in the number of victims of
antisocial behaviour, with 458,166 fewer offences
compared with last year," he said.
"However, although police-recorded crime is down by 7%,
we are seeing some emerging trends. Data shows that
fraud is up 27%. Although this increase is partly down to
the introduction of a more efficient centralised recording
system, it also shows us that criminals are adopting new
tactics and crime is moving away from more traditional
forms to the online world.
"The need for policing to deliver safe and confident
neighbourhoods and engage effectively with the public will
remains so we are disappointed to also see in today's
figures that theft against the person is up 9%. The major
driver is the rising number of mobile phone thefts."
The home secretary, Theresa May, said the figures showed
her police reform programme was delivering results and
said the sustained fall in crime was a significant
achievement: "Police forces have shown an impressive
ability to rise to the challenge of making savings while still
cutting crime," she said.
David Cameron hailed the figures as "good news".
Speaking during a visit to Hammersmith police station in

west London, the prime minister said: "I think we should
congratulate the police. As a government we have asked
them to do more with less resources. They have
performed, I think, magnificently and I think all the work
that has gone into crime prevention has helped as well.
"This is good news that Britain is getting safer as well as
stronger."
(9th August 2014)
MORE THAN 600 PAEDOPHILE SUSPECTS ARRESTED
(Sky News, dated 16th July 2014)
Full article :
http://news.sky.com/story/1301933/more-than-600paedophile-suspects-arrested
An operation by the National Crime Agency involving 45
police forces has seen 660 suspected paedophiles arrested
across the UK.
Thirty-nine of the 660 were registered sex offenders but
the vast majority had not come to the authorities'
attention before. More than 800 properties were searched.
One arrested man had access to 17 grandchildren - two of
them had already made allegations against him.
Two men, one of whom is a doctor, had between them
more than a million indecent images of children on their
phones and computers.
Care workers and former police officers were also among
the hundreds arrested.
As a result of the six-month investigation across England,
Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland - which has only now
been revealed - more than 400 children have been
safeguarded, the NCA said.
A total of 431 children now under official protection had

been in the "care, custody or control" of suspects, 127 of
those children were considered to be at immediate risk of
harm, the agency revealed.
None of those arrested is a serving or former MP or
member of the Government, it said.
Charging decisions are still due in most cases because of
continuing inquiries, but charges brought so far range
from possessing indecent images of children to serious
sexual assault.
The NCA's deputy director general, Phil Gormley, said:
"This is the first time the UK has had the capability to
coordinate a single targeted operation of this nature.
"Over the past six months we have seen unprecedented
levels of cooperation to deliver this result.
"Our aim was to protect children who were victims of, or
might be at risk of, sexual exploitation. A child is
victimised not only when they are abused and an image is
taken. They are re-victimised every time that image is
viewed by someone.
"Some of the people who start by accessing indecent
images online go on to abuse children directly. So the
operation is not only about catching people who have
already offended - it is about influencing potential
offenders before they cross that line.
"We want those offenders to know that the internet is not
a safe anonymous space for accessing indecent images,
that they leave a digital footprint, and that law
enforcement will find it."
Mr Gormley said he was "profoundly disappointed" at the
scale of the problem and the number of arrests police
were forced to make.
It was necessary, he said, to take a harder look at the

amount of people looking at child abuse images on the
internet.
"The alternative," he said, "is not to look under the stone,
and we cannot afford not to look under this stone."
Claire Lilley, Head of Online Safety at the NSPCC said:
"This is an important two-pronged operation which has
rescued children from abuse and also identified many
previously unknown sex offenders.
"Direct action like this sends a strong message to those
who subject children to harrowing sexual assaults that
they can and will be traced and prosecuted."
(9th August 2014)
GIVE POLICE AMNESTY TO SPEAK OUT
(Press Association via Daily Mail, dated 16th July 2014)
Former police officers should be given an amnesty to allow
them to speak out without fear about what they knew of
paedophile networks operating in Westminster three
decades ago, an ex-Special Branch officer has said.
Chris Hobbs, who spent 32 years with the Metropolitan
Police, said retired colleagues should be given protection
to encourage them to reveal what they had learned and
that many would be carefully considering the
consequences of speaking out about what they knew of
the allegations.
Mr Hobbs told Sky News it was clear that "quite a few"
officers, from the rank of commissioner and chief
constable down to detectives, would know something
about allegations of child abuse among politicians three
decades ago.
He said that an amnesty would be the only way to
encourage former officers to come forward and speak out.

Mr Hobbs said: "I think it would help, it would help set
officers' minds at rest if there was some form of protection
there for them, that they weren't suddenly going to
subject to the criminal investigations for possibly just
doing what they were told.
"I suspect there will be a substantial number of police
officers, not huge numbers, but a substantial number that
will know something and will be thinking to themselves,
'Shall I come forward, dare I risk it, or if I keep my head
down will the storm pass me by?'."
Widespread allegations of child abuse among
establishment figures in the 1980s have prompted a
formal inquiry, and Mr Hobbs said "every police officer in
London" at the time had heard rumours about Cyril Smith,
the late Rochdale MP named as one of the abusers of
young boys.
Peter Garsden, president of the Association of Child Abuse
Lawyers, said the creation of an amnesty would require
great care.
He told Sky News: "It depends what they are being given
an amnesty against - if it is an intention to pervert the
course of justice then that is fine. However, if they are part
of a paedophile ring that involves the MPs then one does
not want to let them off a criminal prosecution, nor would
it be fair to do so."
(9th August 2014)
GCHQ LEAK LISTS UK CYBER-SPIES HACKING TOOLS
(BBC News, dated 15th July 2014 author Leo Kelion)
A document that appears to list a wide variety of GCHQ's
cyber-spy tools and techniques has been leaked online.
It indicates the agency worked on ways to alter the

outcome of online polls, find private Facebook photos, and
send spoof emails that appeared to be from Blackberry
users, among other things.
The document is alleged to have been among those
leaked by former US intelligence analyst Edward Snowden.
One expert said the release, published on the site
Intercept, was "damaging".
Alan Woodward, a security consultant who has done work
for GCHQ, the UK's intelligence agency, said: "If you read
the mission statement of any signals intelligence
organisation, all the listed techniques are what you'd
expect them to be doing.
"But it's very unhelpful for the details to leak out because
as soon as you reveal to people how something is being
done they can potentially take steps to avoid their
information being collected.
"We've already seen it happen when various forms of
interception were revealed previously with the Snowden
leaks."
Glenn Greenwald, the journalist who published the latest
document, noted in his article that an earlier inquiry by
the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee had
called into question the "legality, necessity and
proportionality" of the data-collection activities of GCHQ
and the US National Security Agency (NSA), for which Mr
Snowden worked.
He also highlighted that the article's publication coincided
with the start of a legal challenge brought by Privacy
International, Liberty and other civil rights groups that
claimed the UK's security agencies had acted unlawfully.
However, GCHQ denies it is at fault.
"It is a longstanding policy that we do not comment on
intelligence matters," it said in a statement.

"Furthermore, all of GCHQ's work is carried out in
accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which
ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and
proportionate, and that there is rigorous oversight,
including from the secretary of state, the interception and
intelligence services commissioners and the Parliamentary
Intelligence and Security Committee."
Swamp donkey
More than 100 projects are included in the document,
which appears to be from a Wikipedia-style listing for
GCHQ's Joint Threat Research Intelligence Group.
Many involve eccentric codenames.
For example, the ability to send an audio message to a
large number of telephones and/or "repeatedly bomb" a
target number with the same message is called Concrete
Donkey - the name of a weapon in the video game Worms.
Other examples include:
* Angry Pirate - a tool to permanently disable a target's
account on their computer
* Bomb Bay - the capacity to increase website
hits/rankings
* Cannonball - the ability to send repeated text messages
to a single target
* Gestator - a tool to make a message, normally a video,
more visible on websites including YouTube
* Glitterball - software to help agents carry out operations
in Second Life and other online games
* Birdstrike - Twitter monitoring and profile collection
* Fatyak - public data collection from the business-focused
social network LinkedIn
* Spring Bishop - a tool to find private pictures of targets
on Facebook
* Changeling - the ability to spoof any email address and
send messages under that identity
* Bearscrape - a tool to extract a computer's wi-fi

connection history
* Miniature Hero - the ability to source real-time call
records, instant messages and contact lists from Skype
* Swamp donkey - a way to send a modified Excel
spreadsheet document that silently extracts and runs
malware on the target's computer
* Underpass - a tool to change the result of online polls
Some of the schemes are listed as being operational while
others are said to be still at the design, development or
pilot stages.
The latest revelations suggest that GCHQ is developing a
wide range of capabilities which go beyond the simple
gathering of information and into the realms of covert
action.
This is another traditional part of the work of spy agencies
but one they prefer to keep clandestine and therefore
"deniable".
According to the documents, this appears to range from
disrupting an individual's online activity to broader
"information operations" to influence opinion in other
countries.
What is not clear from the document is how far these
capabilities have actually been deployed and put into
action and against whom.
Almost every state is secretly developing capabilities to
disrupt their opponents in cyberspace but they do not like
talking about them or having them revealed in public.
'Chinese menu'
It is not clear exactly how out-of-date the list is.
The document states it was last modified in July 2012, but
includes a note saying: "We don't update this page
anymore, it became somewhat of a Chinese menu for
effects operations."
Staff are instead directed to an alternative page, which
has not been leaked.
"The accusation that GCHQ has been manipulating polls
and influencing and distorting political discourse is
incredibly serious," said Emma Carr, acting director of the
Big Brother Watch campaign group.
"The UK is always the first to point the finger at countries
if there is a whiff of corruption or interference within a
democratic process, so if senior ministers are aware that
this is taking place then this absolutely stinks of hypocrisy.
"It is essential that the government directly addresses
these accusations, otherwise they are at risk of losing the
international moral high ground."
(9th August 2014)
UK GUN CRIME : SHOULD POLICE RETRY GUN
SENSOR TECHNOLOGY
(BBC News, dated 14th July 2014 author Ed Ram)
www.bbc.co.uk
San Francisco is scaling up its use of an intelligent gunshot
sensor system - but when the same scheme was trialled in
the UK it was abandoned after two years. However, the
technology of the sensors has improved, so is it time to
retry the system?
It sounds like a no-brainer. A tried and tested network of
listening sensors are placed around a city and can
instantly pinpoint where a gunshot has come from within
seconds of the weapon being fired.
ShotSpotter promises to save police having to hunt doorto-door in the vague vicinity of a blast. It analyses the way
the sound waves from the gun firing radiate out reaching
microphones at slightly different times.
Its maker SST says it can distinguish the sound of a bullet

being fired from fireworks and other types of explosion,
count how many shots were fired and even deduce how
many gunmen were involved.
San Francisco is scaling up its use of the tech - and it's
also been deployed in Miami, Boston, Puerto Rico and Rio
de Janeiro.
But an effort to use it to combat gun crime in the UK was
abandoned when authorities in the city of Birmingham
reported "technical difficulties".
So, what went wrong - and would it be worth
reconsidering?
Privacy concerns
In December 2010, West Midlands Police were optimistic
about what the innovation could achieve.
The cost of investigating a single murder could run to
1m. By contrast, installing the system cost 150,000 and
a further 21,000 a year to maintain.
"We're delighted to be the first city in the UK to secure this
technology," said Ch Supt Chris McKeogh at the time.
Some residents expressed concern that their
conversations might be picked up - a previous effort to
install hidden CCTV cameras in the city had proven
controversial and had to be abandoned - but the police
assured them this would not happen.
But just 20 months later ShotSpotter was judged to be a
second failure.
In August 2012 West Midlands Police said of 1,618 alerts
produced by the system since November 2011, only two
were confirmed gunfire incidents.
What's more, the force added, ShotSpotter had also
missed four confirmed shootings.

Its conclusion was that resources would be best spent
elsewhere.
Air gun problem
Now that the dust has settled, SST is willing to discuss
what went wrong.
James Beldock, the firm's senior vice president of
products, said the figures quoted two years ago were
misleading. "There were only two cases of an actual
firearm shooting being missed [by SST] over an 18-month
period," he said. "The other two were air guns, which
ShotSpotter is explicitly not designed to detect."
He acknowledged there were "technical problems", which
caused the system to be less accurate than normal, but
suggested this could have been avoided if the city had
been more committed to the idea.
"SST originally proposed a density of ShotSpotter sensors
of approximately 10 per square kilometre," he said.
"Such sensor densities are standard for our international
deployments - Brazil, South Africa, Panama, etc.
"Unfortunately, budget constraints pushed West Midlands
Police to reduce that density. We take partial responsibility
for permitting the budget to drive the decision, along with
West Midlands Police."
The firm had learnt from this mistake and made other
changes to improve the system.
SST staff now monitor all the sensors deployed worldwide
through a central base in the US to confirm the cause of
each explosion, rather than leaving such a judgement to
local law enforcers on the ground.
And a new generation of sensor - with approximately 10
times the processing power - has now been introduced, Mr
Bedlock said.
Even so, Birmingham - and other UK cities that eyed
ShotSpotter - might be wise to remain reticent.
ShotSpotter is optimised to handle the very specific
noises, frequencies and decibel levels created by
conventional weapons.
But while such weapons may be relatively easy to come
by in the US and parts of Latin America, they are less
common in the UK.
As a result, criminals in Britain often resort to other types
of firearms, including ones that shoot pellets and electric
stun guns.
A review of the 22 injuries caused by guns in
Birmingham's west and central areas between April 2011
and March 2012 reveals that the majority were the result
of air-rifles and BB air guns.
"A higher sensor density might permit such modified
weapons to be detected, but the economic equation
would, again, need to be reviewed," said Mr Bedlock.
It's not impossible that ShotSpotter will return to the UK.
The Home Office notes that it is "down to each regional
police force" as to whether it invests in the equipment.
But for now it seems this is one instance where the
traditional trumps cutting edge tech - at least where
British cities are involved.
(9th August 2014)
BUTLER-SLOSS STEPS DOWN FROM CHILD ABUSE
INQUIRY
Retired judge Baroness Butler-Sloss has stepped down as

head of a probe into child sex abuse saying she was "not
the right person" for the job.
Lady Butler-Sloss has been under pressure to quit from
MPs and victims concerned about her family links. Her late
brother, Sir Michael Havers, was attorney general in the
1980s.
Home Secretary Theresa May said she did not regret
appointing the peer, adding that she would "not hang
around" in naming her successor.
Lady Butler-Sloss said she "did not sufficiently consider"
whether her family links would cause difficulties in the
inquiry.
'Right person'
Downing Street said it would "take a few days" to appoint
a new chairman and appeared to indicate that whoever
was chosen would not be so closely linked to the
establishment.
Mrs May told MPs that she believed Lady Butler-Sloss was
the "right person for the job" despite what she suggested
was a lot of "rumour and innuendo" about her
appointment.
"I do not regret the decision I made. I continue to believe
that Elizabeth Butler-Sloss would have done an excellent
job as chair of this inquiry," she told the Home Affairs
select committee.
Asked about her successor, Mrs May said she still favoured
appointing a single individual to head the over-arching
inquiry rather than a panel of experts urged by Labour and
some abuse victims.
She said she hoped to name a new candidate "within a
reasonable amount of time" but said whoever was
approached would need to "think carefully" about the

nature of the role.
Keith Vaz, chairman of the committee, which is also
investigating historical child sex abuse, said the handling
of the issue had been "somewhat shambolic" and raised
issues about Mrs May's judgement.
In a statement, Lady Butler-Sloss said she had been
"honoured" to be asked to chair the inquiry and had hoped
to "make a useful contribution".
Important issues
But, she added: "It has become apparent over the last few
days, however, that there is a widespread perception,
particularly among victim and survivor groups, that I am
not the right person to chair the inquiry.
"It has also become clear to me that I did not sufficiently
consider whether my background and the fact my brother
had been attorney general would cause difficulties.
"This is a victim-orientated inquiry and those who wish to
be heard must have confidence that the members of the
panel will pay proper regard to their concerns and give
appropriate advice to government.
"Having listened to the concerns of victim and survivor
groups and the criticisms of MPs and the media, I have
come to the conclusion that I should not chair this inquiry
and have so informed the Home Secretary."
The inquiry was set up to examine how state institutions
handled their duty of care to protect children from
paedophiles.
Most public bodies at least claim they appoint people
because of what they know, not who they know. But it was
Lady Butler-Sloss's family and political connections - not
her experience and knowledge - which led to her
resignation.
There will be no rush to appoint her successor - it could

take several days. That's because while her resignation
was unfortunate, a second controversial appointment
might look like carelessness at the top of government.
Already there are calls for a figure less linked to the
establishment to be appointed - but if a legal background,
along with the security clearance to read confidential
government papers is required, then that could be easier
said than done.
David Cameron's spokesman said Lady Butler-Sloss's
decision to quit was "entirely" her own.
"The reasons for her appointment still absolutely stand in
terms of her professional expertise and her integrity,
which I don't think has been questioned from any quarter
whatsoever, and rightly so," he said.
'Question of integrity'
Appearing before the Commons home affairs select
committee, Mrs May was asked whether she was aware
before appointing Lady Butler-Sloss of claims that her late
brother had tried to persuade former Tory MP Geoffrey
Dickens against naming an alleged paedophile on the floor
of the House of Commons.
Mrs May implied the answer to that question was no,
saying that these were issues which had "surfaced in the
last few days as far as I am concerned".
She added: "There was absolutely no doubt that Elizabeth
Butler-Sloss was Michael Havers' sister. That was well
known. A number of issues about Michael Havers had
been raised publicly in the past."
She insisted she had conducted "due diligence" on Lady
Butler-Sloss before appointing her, including holding a
"number of discussions" with relevant people, but said the
focus was on her ability to perform the role. "My
judgement was about her integrity to do this job. That is

why I appointed her."
'Conflict of interest'
For Labour, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said it
was the right decision since concerns about "victim
confidence or conflict of interest" had not been addressed.
"It is very unfortunate that the last minute nature of the
Home Secretary's response means that proper
consideration was not given to the perception of conflict of
interest and Lady Butler-Sloss was placed in an unfair
position by the Home Office," she said.
Author Alex Wheatle, who was abused at a children's
home in the late 1960s, said victims must be "100% sure
they will be treated fairly".
"For any people coming forward they must have the
utmost confidence in whoever chairs that inquiry," he said.
Peter Saunders, from the National Association for Abused
People in Childhood, said the government had "missed a
trick" in not seeking the views of victims before the
appointment.
"We need somebody who is trusted," he said. "This is not a
slight on Lady Butler-Sloss... but there were so many
things stacked against her in having the trust of
survivors."
(9th August 2014)
IT'S 200 YEARS OLD, BUT WHAT IS ITALY'S
CARABINIERI ?
(BBC News, dated 13th July 2014 author Danny Mitzman)
www.bbc.co.uk
year Italy's carabinieri is 200 years old - it's older than the
country itself. But why does Italy have two police forces
and what is so special about this one?
I've always been puzzled by the fact that Italy has two
police forces, although Italians don't seem to find it
strange at all.
If you ask "why two?" they'll tell you, by way of
unsatisfactory explanation, the polizia are the regular
state police while the carabinieri are part of the army.
The real reason is a quirk of history.
The carabinieri are actually older than Italy itself. Their
force was founded by Victor Emanuel I, Duke of Savoy and
King of Sardinia almost half a century before modern Italy
came into existence.
Their name comes from the carabina, the rifle they
traditionally carried.
Among the famous people they've arrested over the past
two centuries, they can even boast one of Italy's founding
fathers, Giuseppe Garibaldi - twice.
When Italy was unified, the royal corps of carabinieri
remained a nationwide military presence performing law
enforcement duties so, in many ways, functioning as a
duplicate police force.
In fact, you're just as likely to hear an Italian threaten to
call the carabinieri as the polizia.
For one you dial 112, for the other 113 - but most Italians
I've challenged don't know which is which, even though it
says 112 on the side of the carabinieri's cars.
And just like the police, they're loved and loathed: hailed
for acts of courage, condemned for excessive violence.
But the one thing they're best known for is being the
national butt of politically incorrect jokes: where once the
English featured an Irishman, the Italians have a
carabiniere.
Regularly lampooned in films and on TV, their archive of

historical regulations doesn't help shake the comic image.
For example, their strict moustache, beard and sideburn
protocol went from none, to some, to "a facial bush is fine
as long as it's trimmed".
At a certain point, there was one directive allowing only
the highest ranks to sport moustaches, and another
banning them altogether. Some might call that "carabinieri
logic".
Joking aside, it's historically been a lonely career for two
reasons: carabinieri weren't allowed to serve in their home
region and were subject to very restrictive rules regarding
marriage.
Even today, echoes of those old regulations still exist.
They can't return to work in their region of origin until
they've served for at least eight years.
That's why on long-distance train routes you'll so often
find yourself sharing a carriage with a young, off-duty
carabiniere going home or returning from leave.
In the sleepy satellite town of Pianoro near Bologna, my
local carabinieri are a friendly bunch.
One of them, who prefers not to be named, talks
enthusiastically about the job.
He always wanted to be a carabiniere and points proudly
at the little stars on his collar: "The police don't have these
because they're a civil service. We're a military corps. We
have a very different kind of training."
I ask him what's different and he explains that it's all in
their relationship with the citizens.
"Even in the smallest mountain and rural communities
you'll find one of our stations," he boasts.
There are 4,605 of them throughout Italy and he says their

role is to be there for the locals.
"They rely on us. When there's an earthquake, a flood or
any kind of disaster, we're the ones who provide
immediate support," he says.
I know from his accent that he's not from the north. I tell
him I've never met a carabiniere who wasn't from the
south.
He nods. "It's true, most of us are. I'd say about 70% of
the entire force. Not just the south, four regions in
particular: Sicily, Campania, Calabria and Puglia. At this
station, all of us but one are from Campania."
He says it's no coincidence that so many carabinieri come
from precisely the same four regions as Italy's four major
mafia organisations.
"There are two reasons why you become a carabiniere",
he tells me, "the main one is a sense of justice and
'rivalsa' (retaliation or payback)."
When you grow up in that environment, he explains, you
have to choose sides. "Becoming a carabiniere is like
making a statement to say 'I choose legality'."
The second reason is simply that it's a profession which
gives you job security.
The hardest thing, he admits, is being so far away from
your family and your land.
But he says it's worth it: "I've been in the force for 17
years and, yes, I'd like to be transferred back down one
day, but I'm happy here for now."
(9th August 2014)
NAKED SELFIES EXTRACTED FROM "FACTORY
RESET" PHONES
(BBC News, dated 11th July 2014 author Nicholas Tufnell)

Thousands of pictures including "naked selfies" have been
extracted from factory-wiped phones by a Czech Republicbased security firm.
The firm, called Avast, used publicly available forensic
security tools to extract the images from second-hand
phones bought on eBay.
Other data extracted included emails, text messages and
Google searches.
Experts have warned that the only way to completely
delete data is to "destroy your phone".
Most smartphones come with a "factory reset" option,
which is designed to wipe and reset the device, returning
it to its original system state.
However, Avast has discovered that some older
smartphones only erase the indexing of the data and not
the data itself, which means pictures, emails and text
messages can be recovered relatively easily by using
standard forensic tools that anyone can buy and
download.
The company claims that of 40,000 stored photos
extracted from 20 phones purchased from eBay, more
than 750 were of women in various stages of undress,
along with 250 selfies of "what appears to be the previous
owner's manhood".
There was an additional 1,500 family photos of children,
1,000 Google searches, 750 emails and text messages and
250 contact names and email addresses.
The company said: "Deleting files from your Android
phone before selling it or giving it away is not enough. You
need to overwrite your files, making them irretrievable."
It was not made clear by Avast whether they extracted

data from all 20 phones.
Destroy the phone
Google responded that Avast used outdated smartphones
and that their research did not "reflect the security
protections in Android versions that are used by the vast
majority of users".
It was recommended by Google that all users enable
encryption on their devices before applying a factory reset
to ensure files cannot be accessed.
This feature, said Google, has been available for three
years, although it is not enabled by default, which could
leave less tech-savvy users open to attack.
Apple has had built-in encryption for its hardware and
firmware since the release of the iPhone 3GS.
The hardware encryption is permanently enabled and
users cannot turn it off.
Additional file data protection is available, but must be
turned on in the settings menu.
Independent computer security analyst Graham Cluley
said that if a user is serious about privacy and security
they should make sure their device is always "protected
with a PIN or passphrase, and that the data on it is
encrypted".
However, Alan Calder, founder of cybersecurity and risk
management firm IT Governance, told the BBC that
erasing data, even after it has been encrypted, will not be
enough to completely protect your device.
"Google's recommended routine for protecting the data
only makes it harder for someone to recover the data - it
does not make it impossible," he said.
"If you don't want your data recovered, destroy the phone
- and that has been standard security advice, in relation to
telephones and computer drives, for a number of years.
Any other 'solution' simply postpones the point at which
someone is able to access your confidential data."
(9th August 2014)
POLICE BLAMED OVER 1985 CHERRY GROCE
BRIXTON SHOOTING
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london28248588
Police failures contributed to Dorothy "Cherry" Groce's
death, whose shooting triggered the 1985 Brixton riots, a
jury inquest has found.
Mrs Groce was shot by police looking for her son Michael
and paralysed from the waist down. She died of kidney
failure in 2011.
The jury at Southwark Coroner's Court found police failed
to communicate properly and adequately check who was
living at the property before the raid.
Her son was never charged.
Eight failures
The jury found there were eight failures made by police
during the raid and her "subsequent death was
contributed to by failures in the planning and
implementation of the raid".
These included not properly briefing police officers that Mr
Groce was no longer wanted by police, failing to
adequately check who lived at the property or to carry out
adequate observations on the house.
On the morning of the shooting, four children were present
at the property.
The jury also concluded that officers should have called off
the raid entirely during a police briefing but failed to do so.
However, they found there was no failure by police to call
off the raid once it had begun.
The mother-of-eight died 26 years after the shooting in
2011, at the age of 63, from an illness which a pathologist
directly linked to the gunshot injury.
'Police shouted'
Dr Robert Chapman said that during a post-mortem
examination, he found small metal fragments from the
bullet still lodged in the base of her spine.
Mrs Groce had also became more susceptible to a host of
debilitating illnesses as a result of the injury, the court
heard.
Her shooting by Metropolitan Police Inspector Douglas
Lovelock sparked two days of unrest in Brixton during
which shops were looted and petrol bombs thrown.
Mr Lovelock, who admitted being responsible for the
wound, told the inquest he had apprehensions about going
on the job and said he felt shocked when he mistakenly
shot her.
He told the court that after shooting her he thought: "I
hope to Christ it is shock and I have missed."
In a statement taken after the shooting and read to the
jury, Mrs Groce said that as she lay bleeding, police
continued to shout at her.
They asked her if she knew where Michael was, as they
were searching for him in connection with an armed
robbery.
Mr Lovelock stood trial in 1987 charged with inflicting
unlawful and malicious grievous bodily harm and was

acquitted.
After the hearing, Mrs Groce's son Lee Lawrence, who was
11 when he saw his mother shot, said:"I knew, she knew
and we knew that what happened that day was wrong.
"After that shooting, my mum was left paralysed and we
suffered in silence.
"The inquest has given us the only opportunity to get
down to the truth about what really happened the day she
was shot."
(9th August 2014)
EMERGENCY PHONE AND INTERNET DATA STORAGE
LAW TO BE BROUGHT IN
(BBC News, dated 10th July 2014 author Nick Robinson)
Article link : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28237108
Emergency legislation will be brought in next week to
force phone and internet companies to log records of
customer calls, texts and internet use.
Ministers say it is necessary so police and security
services can access the data they need after a legal ruling
which declared existing powers invalid.
The proposed law has the backing of Labour and the
coalition parties.
A special cabinet is being held to agree the planned laws,
which will only last until 2016.
Prime Minister David Cameron and his Lib Dem Deputy
Prime Minister Nick Clegg will tell a special cabinet
meeting on Thursday that emergency legislation is
necessary to keep the country safe.
A recent ruling of the European Court of Justice has
removed the obligation on telecoms companies to retain

records of when and who their customers have called,
texted and emailed.
Without a new law Mr Cameron and Mr Clegg will claim
that that information could be destroyed within weeks by
companies fearing legal challenges.
Labour is backing emergency legislation after all-party
talks agreed that this law would enshrine existing rights
and not be used to extend them by re-introducing the socalled "snoopers charter".
It will also bring in so-called safeguards including:
- The creation of a new Privacy and Civil Liberties
Oversight Board to examine the impact of the law on
privacy and civil liberties
- A review of the controversial RIPA - Regulation of
Investigatory Powers Act
- Annual government transparency reports on how these
powers are used
- The law will include a so-called sunset clause - ensuring
that these powers will die in 2016 - so there will be a
longer and wider debate about what replaces them.
Critics will no doubt argue that the time for that debate is
now. To pass any new law in just a week is rare. So too is it
to have the backing of all three main parties even before it
is published.
On a subject as sensitive as giving the police and security
services access to phone and internet data this is bound to
be controversial.
Update 08:45 BST: The emergency legislation will oblige
telecom firms to retain data for 12 months. Under the
European law which it replaces companies could be asked
to retain data for 24 months.
More controversially the new law will also produce what is
being described as a "clearer legal framework" to allow
access to the content of calls, texts and emails after a
warrant is signed by a senior government minister.

Telecoms companies are said to have warned ministers
that after the Edward Snowdon revelations they are
vulnerable to legal challenge by their customers.
The Labour MP Tom Watson has condemned the plans as a
"stitch up" which prevent MPs from considering the
legislation properly.
(9th August 2014)
JUST ONE PERSON A WEEK IS USING MAYOR'S NEW
'COPS IN SHOPS' SCHEME
Justin Davenport)
New police "front counters" in supermarkets and libraries
are being used by an average of just one person a week
and fail to offer good value for money, a report reveals
today.
The new "contact points" - dubbed "cops in shops" - are
being opened across London to replace traditional police
stations which are being closed to save money.
The new police offices are located in sites ranging from
local authority offices to community centres and cafs.
Officials said the new counters would be located in busy
areas to provide the public with opportunities to meet
police face to face.
Senior officers said traditional Victorian police stations
were outdated and often in out-of-the-way locations which
few people visited. The Met is planning to shut 63 of
London's 136 police stations in the next few years as part
of 600 million budget cuts.
Now a confidential Met briefing report for members of the
London Assembly Police and Crime committee says use of
the new contact points remains "relatively low".
It also states that opening times for the offices "do not
appear fit for purpose" and fail to take into account local
demand.
The Met review found people supported the idea but
wanted changes to locations and opening times and
criticised the "look and feel" of the new offices.
It says contact points were used by an average of just 1.3
"customers" a week and "do not appear to offer
particularly good value for money". Each "customer" using
the counters is estimated to cost 84 in staffing.
The police report says the Mayor's Office for Policing and
Crime, which plans to open 116 new front counters, should
consider increasing the minimum opening times from
three to six hours a week.
London Assembly Labour spokeswoman Joanne McCartney
said: "These figures are startling. When Boris [Johnson]
decided to close police stations he promised an
'equivalent or better service', but was warned repeatedly
that these contact points were insufficient.
"Londoners need to know where to find their local police
officers and for this to be a safe and private place for
victims to report crime and get advice. With only 1.3
visitors per week to contact points, the Mayor needs to
admit that this experiment has failed and urgently rethink
his approach."
Original plans to open police counters in coffee shops were
abandoned after consultation while a similar scheme to
station police in post offices was also rejected.
The numbers of people reporting crimes at front counters
has fallen by more than 100,000 - almost half - since
2006/07 as people turn to other forms of communication,
including online.
A recent report revealed the Met had raised 125?million
from the sale of 32 police stations and buildings in London

in the past year.
(9th August 2014)
DOWNING STREET BACKS BARONESS BUTLER-SLOSS
DESPITE BROTHER'S LINK TO SPY PAEDOPHILE
'COVER UP'
(Telegraph, dated 9th July 2014 author Matthew
Holehouse)
Full article :
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10956213/DowningStreet-backs-Baroness-Butler-Sloss-despite-brothers-linkto-spy-paedophile-cover-up.html
[Option 1]
Downing Street has stood by the appointment of Baroness
Butler-Sloss as the head of an inquiry into allegations of an
establishment cover-up of child abuse, as it emerged her
brother was accused of a "white-wash" over a paedophile
diplomat.
The Prime Minister believes Baroness Butler-Sloss, a
retired senior judge, is the right person to run a sweeping
inquiry into how the state, church, BBC and other public
bodies handled historic allegations of child sexual abuse.
It is "not a secret" that her late brother - Sir Michael
Havers - was the attorney general under the Thatcher
government when many of the allegations were made, No
10 said.
In the early 1980s, Sir Michael was accused of a "coverup" when he refused to prosecute Sir Peter Hayman, a
diplomat and member of the Paedophile Information
Exchange, a lobbying organisation for child abusers.
Simon Danczuk, a Labour MP, said Lady Butler-Sloss
should consider herposition.
"It's astonishing the Government didn't realise that they

were appointing the sister of someone who had tried to
deter the prosecution of a significant paedophile in the
1980s. "Why they wouldn't have spotted that, or think
that's an issue, raises serious questions. It's far too
Establishment - and the Government need to think again."
Lawyers for the alleged victims said the appointment
needs to be reconsidered so people who were abused feel
they are in a "safe environment in which to talk about
their experiences".
"Whilst Lady Butler-Sloss is a person of enormous integrity
the concern really is that she is just too close to the
establishment and in particular concern over her her
family connection to Sir Michael Havers," said Alison
Millar, head of the abuse team at Leigh Day.
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Home Affairs select
committee, said he had great respect for Lady ButlerSloss' integrity and ability as a judge.
But he said her appointment as an active member of the
House of Lords, and as the sister of Sir Michael, raised
questions about the Home Secretary's judgment. "It would
have been better if the Home Secretary had chosen
somebody from outside Parliament and no connections
whatsoever to the subject matter," he said.
But the Prime Minister's official spokesman said Mr
Cameron had confidence in Lady Butler-Sloss.
"She commands the very highest respect for her
professional expertise and integrity," he said.
Asked if the Prime Minister knew that her brother was the
former attorney general, the spokesman said: "I'm not
sure that piece of information is a particular secret."
Asked if her brother's role was discussed, he said the
"focus was on finding the right person."
Asked whether the Prime Minister shared the concerns of
lawyers who fear it will create a poor perception among

victims of abuse, the spokesman said: "His view is she
does command widespread respect and confidence."
Lady Butler-Sloss may need to investigate her brother's
role in the Peter Hayman affair, the spokesman indicated.
The terms of reference will be published shortly.
Asked if she would be recused from that part of the
inquiry, he said: "This inquiry will be able to look at every
area that is deemed relevant."
The story of Sir Peter Hayman is at the heart of claims
there was a conspiracy at the highest levels of the
government to cover up child abuse by the leading lights
of the British establishment. Sir Peter Hayman was the
deputy under secretary of state at the Foreign Office, and
was reputed to be a senior officer in MI6, the foreign
intelligence service.
He was also a subscriber to the Paedophile Information
Exchange (PIE), a network which lobbied for the lowering
of the age of consent.
In 1978, he was caught sending and receiving obscene
literature through the post after a package was found on a
London bus.
When police raided his Bayswater flat, used to conduct
obscene correspondence, they found 45 diaries describing
sexual fantasies concerning children and activities with
prostitutes.
Seven men and two women, including Hayman, were
named as possible defendants in a report submitted by
the Metropolitan Police to the Director of Public
Prosecutions.
However, only one of the group was prosecuted after
police found they had an "obsession" with sadistic sexual
activity involving children.
Three years later, in the House of Commons, Geoffery

Dickens, the MP who had campaigned against child abuse,
used Parliamentary privilege to name Hayman. He feared
a cover-up like that which surrounded the Cambridge spy
ring.
He asked Sir Michael Havers - who served as Margaret
Thatcher's attorney general - if he "will prosecute Sir Peter
Hayman... for sending and receiving pornographic material
through the Royal Mail."
In a written answer, Sir Michael said he agreed with the
Director of Public Prosecutions that there was no need to
prosecute Hayman or the other members of the obscene
correspondence ring.
There was "no evidence" that the diplomat had sent or
received "extreme" material, Sir Michael said. The
obscene correspondence "had been contained in sealed
envelopes passing between adult individuals in a noncommercial context", he added.
Sir Michael added: "Although Sir Peter Hayman had
subscribed to PIE, that is not an offence and there is no
evidence that he was ever involved in the management."
In evidence that Sir Peter was "treated differently" by the
authorities, it was reported at the time at the committal
proceedings that he was referred to in court by the covername 'Henderson'.
However, in subsequent questioning in the Commons, Sir
Michael insisted: "No special treatment was afforded to Sir
Peter Hayman and no steps were authorised or taken to
protect his identity."
"There was, so far as the Director of Public Prosecutions is
aware, no evidence whatsoever of Sir Peter Hayman
having received or sent by post any obscene photograph
of a child or young person or of his having taken such
photographs."
He added: "The mere possession of obscene material
whether relating to children or adults is not in itself a

criminal offence."
Sir Michael Havers, who died in 1992, is reported to have
argued with Dickens outside the Commons chamber
before the disclosure of Hayman's name.
Mr Dickens said afterwards that Sir Michael's response was
a "white-wash" and the "cover-up of the century".
Four years later, Mr Dickens claimed he had suffered
harassment after naming Hayman, including burglaries at
his home and appearing on a killer's hit-list.
He said of Hayman: "I have had to consider a gentleman
with a very distinguished career for which he was many
times honoured, and his family.
"But I have also to consider the parents whose children are
procured, sometimes for a bag of sweets, to perform
sexual acts and pose for sexual photographs." Hayman
was later convicted of gross indecency in a public toilet,
and died in 1992.
Lady Butler-Sloss said she had no knowledge of the affair.
"I know absolutely nothing about it," she said. "If people
think I am not suitable, then that's up to them."
Sir Michael Havers sat in the Thatcher Cabinet alongside
Lord Brittan, who has admitted as Home Secretary he
received the now "lost" Dickens dossier into allegations of
a paedophile ring involving MPs.
This morning John Mann, the Labour MP, said it is "very
likely" that copies of the Dickens dossier are still held in
Government departments. It is "not credible" that they
have all been destroyed.
"What I've uncovered is that there were multiple copies,
that they were circulated across Government, across
departments and everyone who was given a copy had to
sign the Official Secrets Act. That's why people have been
unable to come forward and say anything about it

publicly," he told Good Morning Britain.
(9th August 2014)
TOP BRITISH CIVIL SERVANT UNABLE TO EXPLAIN
MISSING CHILD ABUSE FILES
(Reuters, dated 8th July 2014 authors Andrew Osborn and
Kylie MacLellan)
www.reuters.com
One of Britain's most senior civil servants said on Tuesday
he did not know who, if anyone, had authorised the
removal of over 100 missing government files that could
shed light on allegations that well-known politicians
abused children in the 1980s.
The disclosure, by Mark Sedwill, the top civil servant in
Britain's Home Office (interior ministry), is likely to fuel a
media furore in Britain over the allegations, which have
not yet been substantiated.
Child protection campaigners have said that at least 10
and possibly more than 20 public figures, including current
and former politicians, should be investigated over
allegations that they abused young children.
The claims have unsettled the current political elite, still
recovering from scandals over parliamentarians'
expenses, at a time when Britain is grappling with
revelations that several nationally beloved television
personalities sexually abused children for decades.
The government on Monday pledged to launch a full-scale
inquiry, with Prime Minister David Cameron promising it
would leave "no stone unturned" to find out the truth.
Sedwill said last week that 114 files "potentially relevant"
to the case had been destroyed or were missing, including
allegations brought to the attention of a former
Conservative home secretary, Leon Brittan, in the 1980s.
Brittan has said he dealt with the material correctly, but

politicians and media have nevertheless raised broader
concerns of a possible cover-up by an establishment
protecting its own.
Asked by a parliamentary committee on Tuesday whether
he knew who had authorised the removal or destruction of
the files, Sedwill said: "No, I don't."
"NORMAL DESTRUCTION PROCEDURES"
"Most of these files were probably destroyed because the
kinds of topics that they covered would have been subject
to the normal file destruction procedures that were in
place at that time," he said.
"But they can't be confirmed to be destroyed because
there isn't a proper log of what was destroyed and what
wasn't."
Sedwill said the fact that files were missing did not
necessarily mean someone had deliberately had them
removed, adding: "We shouldn't assume there is anything
sinister."
Home Secretary (interior minister) Theresa May told
parliament on Monday that an independent review would
be held of a 2013 investigation carried out by her ministry
into the handling of allegations that politicians had abused
children.
The government will also establish an independent inquiry
panel of experts to look more broadly at whether public
bodies have taken seriously their duty of care to protect
children from sexual abuse, May said.
On Tuesday, Sedwill told the committee he could not recall
whether he had told May about the missing files last year.
May, a member of Cameron's Conservative party, told
parliament on Monday she had deliberately not read the
full report because of possible allegations that senior
lawmakers, including senior Conservatives, were guilty of

child abuse.
Footage has since emerged of a former Conservative MP
suggesting to the BBC in 1995 that party whips - members
who maintain party voting discipline - might avoid
disclosing colleagues' inappropriate behaviour, including
that "involving small boys", in order to have leverage over
them.
(9th August 2014)
CHURCH LEADERS UNITE TO DEMAND FULL INQUIRY
INTO CHILD SEX ABUSE
(London Evening Standard, dated 8th July 2014 author Joe
Murphy)
Church leaders today piled unprecedented pressure on
Prime Minister David Cameron to order a full public inquiry
into institutional child sex abuse in Britain.
The Bishop of Durham, the Right Rev Paul Butler, warned
that without such an extensive investigation - with people
giving evidence on oath - he feared the full truth would
not emerge.
He said that the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby,
and the Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal
Vincent Nichols, had urged Home Secretary Theresa May a
month ago to launch a public inquiry following a string of
shocking claims of abuse. The Right Rev Butler, chairman
of the CoE's churches national safeguarding committee,
said religious leaders believed there was a "real problem
around institutional abuse".
"A full public inquiry is required because under those
terms people have to take oaths and therefore swear to
tell the truth," he said. "My fear is the whole story won't
come out without that."Victim survivors need justice and
they need their story to be heard."
He welcomed the major inquiry into alleged paedophile

crimes announced by Mrs May yesterday but it is not
currently a full statutory investigation.
A second inquiry will investigate how the Home Office
handled past claims of child abuse.
It is understood police have been presented with claims of
sexual abuse of children - allegedly covered up for
decades- concerning at least 10 former or serving
politicians.
Dr Jon Bird, of the National Association for People Abused
In Childhood, said a number of names of people, some of
who are still alive, had been highlighted by callers to the
charity's helpline "again and again".
Former Labour health minister Lord Warner today
confirmed that "powerful people" targeted children's
homes to prey on vulnerable youngsters for sexual abuse.
The Labour peer said of the allegations: "I think they are
possibly true. Some of these children's homes were
targeted by people in power - powerful people. And,
indeed, sexual abuse of children is a power drive, that's
what a lot of it's about."
It has been claimed that several London children's homes
were used by paedophiles, with children taken to a guest
house in Barnes to be abused.
Former child protection manager Peter McKelvie said MPs
and government ministers were involved in the ring and
had abused children for "decades" while other
establishment figures helped cover up their activities.
He told the BBC: "I would say we are looking at upwards of
20 [people] and a much larger number of people who have
known about it and done nothing about it, who were in a
position to do something about it."
(9th August 2014)

HOME SECRETARY ASKS NSPCC BOSS TO HEAD
CHILD ABUSE REVIEW
The head of the children's charity NSPCC is to lead a
review of historical child sex abuse allegations, Home
Secretary Theresa May has announced.
Peter Wanless's review, which will cover how police and
prosecutors handled information given to them, is
expected to report within 10 weeks.
A Hillsborough-style inquiry will also be held, led by an
independent panel of experts on law and child protection.
This would be wide-ranging and would not report before
the next election.
Mrs May, who said the panel inquiry could be converted
into a full public inquiry if necessary, said she wanted to
ensure the public had confidence that serious crimes were
being investigated.
For Labour, shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper
welcomed the announcements, adding: "We need to know
what happened when these allegations were first raised
even decades ago, when you will know that former cabinet
ministers have said there may have been a cover-up."
Mrs May, addressing MPs after weeks of increasing
questions about how past claims of child sex abuse were
handled, said Mr Wanless would be assisted in his review
by a senior legal figure.
Prime Minister David Cameron has vowed that the
investigation into how public bodies handled abuse claims
will "leave no stone unturned".
Why has this come up now?

Labour MP Simon Danczuk last week called on Leon
Brittan to say what the then home secretary did with
documents he was passed in the 1980s containing
allegations about powerful figures and paedophilia.
What happened to the files?
Lord Brittan passed them to Home Office officials and a
2013 review found the minister had acted appropriately.
What did the papers allege?
The allegations, compiled by Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens,
were set to "blow the lids off" the lives of powerful child
abusers, the MP's son has said. The late Mr Dickens said
he planned to expose eight such figures.
The review led by Mr Wanless centres on concerns the
Home Office failed to act on allegations of child sex abuse
contained in a dossier handed over in the 1980s by former
Tory MP Geoffrey Dickens.
Mrs May said: "I want to address two important public
concerns: first that in the 1980s the Home Office failed to
act on allegations of child sex abuse and second, that
public bodies and other important institutions have failed
to take seriously their duty of care towards children."
The government will "do everything we can to allow the
full investigation of child abuse and the prosecution of its
perpetrators", she said, and will do nothing to jeopardise
those aims.
"There would be a presumption of "maximum
transparency" and "wherever institutions and individuals
have failed to protect children from harm we will expose
those failures and learn the lessons".
The Home Office's senior civil servant Mark Sedwill
commissioned a review last year into the department's
handling of child abuse allegations between 1979 and
1999, including the information provided by Mr Dickens.

That review discovered that 114 files relating to historical
allegations of child sex abuse were not available. "These
are presumed destroyed, missing or not found," she said.
The investigation found no record of specific allegations by
Mr Dickens of child sex abuse by prominent public figures.
But while Mrs May said she was confident that the work
commissioned by Mr Sedwill was "carried out in good
faith", the Wanless review would address the public's need
for complete confidence in the integrity of the
investigation's findings.
She anticipated that witnesses would be able to "speak
freely", although she would have to consider the
restrictions of the Official Secrets Act in some cases."It's
only if people can speak openly that we can get to the
bottom of these matters," she said.
Nearly 150 MPs have called for an "over-arching" inquiry
into alleged child abuse.
Ex-education minister Tim Loughton said Monday's move
was a "major step forward" but his colleague Mark
Reckless told Channel 4 News a judge-led inquiry was
needed to subpoena witnesses and obtain documents.
Mrs May's statement comes as ex-Home Secretary Leon
Brittan defended his dealings with the material given to
him by Mr Dickens.
"It has been alleged that when I was home secretary I
failed to deal adequately with the bundle of papers
containing allegations of serious sexual impropriety that I
received from the late Geoff Dickens MP," Lord Brittan said
in a statement.
"This... is completely without foundation - as evidence
from the Home Office's own report supports."
He said Mr Dickens had thanked the Home Office for the

way in which the information he provided was handled and
"for following up the cases that I keep sending to it".
However, Douglas Hurd, Lord Brittan's successor as home
secretary, said he knew nothing about allegations of child
abuse made by Mr Dickens.
"Not a word," Lord Hurd told BBC's World Service. "I never
heard any story about that subject and I think in fact if
there'd been something in it I would somehow have got to
hear. I didn't. I know nothing about it."
A number of inquiries (www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-28194271)
are already taking place into alleged child abuse, including
the extent of abuse by Jimmy Savile at schools, NHS
hospitals, care homes and the BBC.
On Monday, Greater Manchester Police said it was
considering widening its investigation into allegations of a
cover-up involving paedophile abuse at Knowl View
residential school in Rochdale in the 1980s and 1990s.
It said Rochdale Council had agreed to suspend its own
inquiry while it considered how to proceed.
Timeline
1982: MP Geoffrey Dickens says he plans to expose eight
prominent figures as paedophiles.
1983-84: Mr Dickens passes files to the Home Office.
February 2013: The Home Office reviews hundreds of
thousands of files, searching for information it received
about organised child sex abuse.
1 July 2014: Labour MP Simon Danczuk demands to know
what the then Home Secretary Leon Brittan did with the
files from Mr Dickens.
2 July 2014: Lord Brittan says he passed that material to
officials.
4 July: The prime minister orders a senior civil servant to
look again at the 2013 Home Office review.
7 July: Lord Brittan dismisses claims he failed to act
appropriately on Mr Dickens' claims as "completely
without foundation".
(9th August 2014)
EU SET FOR MORE POLICING POWERS
(Press Association, dated 5th July 2014 via Daily Mail)
Full articl : www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article2681322/EU-SET-FOR-MORE-POLICING-POWERS.html
David Cameron has secretly opened the door to the
transfer of more policing powers to the European Union, it
has been reported.
The Times said that British ministers had informed
Brussels that they will make a decision on whether to join
a Europe-wide DNA database by 1st December 2015 - six
months after the general election.
The paper said that a leaked document had revealed the
Government was considering the sharing of DNA records
along with a number of other additional measures.
Both Downing Street and the Home Office refused to
comment on the report directly, saying they did not
comment on leaked documents.
However, the disclosure is likely to anger Tory MPs who are
bitterly opposed to Britain's participation in the
controversial European arrest warrant.
The warrant is one of 35 measures that the Government is
currently re-negotiating to rejoin after using its opt out
under the 2007 Lisbon treaty to withdraw from 133

policing and criminal justice measures which pre-dated the
treaty.
According to The Times, the leaked document states: "As
the UK Government has also indicated that in a number of
other cases it will set in motion a process towards the
subsequent opting in to certain other instruments of
particular importance."
The paper did not say where the document had come
from.Tory Euro-sceptic Jacob Rees Mogg told the paper:
"As the Prime Minister has made it clear that he wishes to
bring back powers in relation to justice and home affairs, it
is surprising that the Foreign Office is paving the way for a
further surrender of power to Brussels.
"It is troubling that more information is coming from
leaked commission documents and press releases than
from statements to the House of Commons."
A No 10 spokesman said: "We have taken a case-by-case
approach to any new proposal brought forward since
Lisbon and will make a decision based on whether it is in
the national interest."
The Home Office said in a statement: "Last year the
Government exercised the UK's right to opt out from all EU
police and criminal justice measures that pre-date the
Lisbon treaty.
"We are fully engaged in negotiations with the EU to rejoin
a smaller number of measures which are in the national
interest.
"Those negotiations have not concluded but we are now in
a position to update Parliament again - as we have done
throughout this process."
(9th August 2014)
TRADITIONAL CRIMES ARE NOW GOING CYBER

(Police Oracle, dated 4th July 2014 author Cliff Caswell)
The growing sophistication of technology and the online
world is allowing offenders to commit traditional types of
crime with greater rewards and much reduced risk, it has
been claimed.
Addressing delegates at a recent conference Met
Detective Superintendent Terry Wilson, who works on the
Association of Chief Police Officers' Cybercrime
Programme, said hackers could steal thousands of pounds
per minute without an organisation knowing.
Methods such as using a Keyboard, Video, Mouse (KVM)
switch could allow hackers to take control of multiple
computers - potentially providing access to millions of
pounds - and negating the need for an organised gang to
physically carry out a bank robbery.
Det Supt Wilson told conference delegates: "You have to
ask why robbers would go over the pavement to get
25,000 in a cashbox when they could take 10,000 per
minute."
He added that large scale and sophisticated fraud scams
had seen organised criminal gangs pocketing up to
10,000 per minute with a KVW switch - without even
leaving the confines of a property.
Organisations targeted included doctors' surgeries and
charities while individuals had suffered increasingly
intrusive attacks - including offenders seizing control of
webcams and contacting victims.
Det Supt Wilson said that officers who were initially called
on to investigate reports of cybercrime activity needed to
take both the incident and the needs of the victim
seriously.
He told conference delegates: "I am passionate about
victims - there is a more human side to this - people have

to wait to get money back and their credit rating being
affected."
Det Supt Wilson was supported by national cybercrime
lead Deputy Chief Constable Peter Goodman, who said the
emerging crime types challenged "the very core of
policing" - and would need to see changes in strategy and
working practices.
He said that while the National Crime Agency (NCA) was
set up well housing the National Cyber Crime Unit - and
that Regional Cyber Crime Units were operating well - he
predicted that individual forces would have to square up to
the challenge in future.
DCC Goodman believed there needed to be a greater
knowledge of this emerging area among frontline
personnel and that a greater appreciation of victim needs
was required. He said there had been discussions with
chief constables about this issue.
The officer added: "There is no doubt that cybercrime is
the biggest challenge that we have - it challenges the very
core of policing (including) how we are structured and
organised."We are all vulnerable to this - even our own
staff. We have a duty to protect the public."
DCC Goodman also stressed that the international
dimension to cybercrime meant the police, law
enforcement agencies and the corporate world would have
to work far more closely together.
As previously reported on PoliceOracle.com, National
Crime Agency Director General Keith Bristow has also
voiced concerns over whether law enforcement is
prepared enough to tackle cybercrime.
He used the recent John Harris Memorial Lecture to
emphasise the importance of digital investigation
techniques - adding that the case for their use had not yet
been accepted by the public.
(9th August 2014)

RIGHT WING TORY MP's TO DEFY DAVID CAMERON
OVER EU POWER GRAB
(Telegraph, dated 4th July 2014 author Christopher Hope)
Scores of right-wing Conservative MPs are set to defy
David Cameron over the controversial European Arrest
Warrant next week.
Tory MPs are planning a public show of dissent against the
Prime Minister in a Commons debate over the European
Union's justice and home affairs powers.
The Government has scheduled a general debate on the
UK's Justice and Home Affairs opt-outs on Thursday.
There is speculation that the MPs will force a vote at the
end of the debate, although one is currently not planned.
This could mean that as many as 100 Tory MPs will openly
defy the Government over the plans.
The last Labour government agreed that Britain would
have the option to opt out of 133 EU home affairs rules,
including the arrest warrant.
Last year, ministers risked Tory backbench anger by
agreeing to continue applying 35 of those rules, including
those around the warrant.
Formally Britain has to opt out of all 133 measures, then
opt back in, by the beginning of December.
A deadline for a formal decision on the opt-ins passed on
May 31, which means that the debate on Thursday is
largely for appearances only.
The main measure which angers Tory MPs is the European
Arrest Warrant which allows foreign judges to extradite
Britons for misdemeanours committed on holiday.

Record numbers of people in Britain were seized by police
last year on the orders of European prosecutors.
More than 6,200 arrest warrants were issued under a
controversial Europe-wide scheme in 2012-13. The total is
equivalent to 17 a day.
Right-wing Tory MPs are planning an informal whip to
encourage as many of their colleagues to attend the
debate as possible.
MPs in marginal seats are particularly worried that they
will be vulnerable to attacks from UK Independence Party
candidates if they do not speak out.
One Tory MP said: "There is a view that Ukip will be
watching the debate. This is the first time that back
benchers will have a chance to debate opting back in."
Dominic Raab, the Tory MP who has been campaigning on
the issue for years, said: "This is a critical cross-roads. "We
have a golden opportunity to show we can renegotiate
terms with the EU and repatriate powers, so our law
enforcement relationship is based on operational
cooperation, not sacrificing democratic control. It is vital
we take it."
Stephen Booth, the research director at thinktank Open
Europe, said: "It is hard to see how handing the EU more
power over crime and policing is consistent with David
Cameron's remarks at the last EU summit at which he
argued for greater powers for national parliaments and a
looser relationship with Brussels.
"It sends a confusing signal to voters about his
renegotiation strategy and it is likely to upset many in his
party."
Government sources accepted the debate could open up
tensions over Europe after a display if unity in recent
weeks but had little choice about agreeing to a debate.

The Government believes that the warrant is a vital tool
for the police and security services and was used to
secure the arrest and extradition one of the July 7 London
bombers.
The Home Office said "negotiations in Europe are ongoing"
over the opt outs, adding: "We won't provide a running
commentary on negotiations."
A spokesman said: "Last year the Government exercised
the UK's right to opt out from all EU police and criminal
justice measures that pre-date the Lisbon treaty.
"We are fully engaged in negotiations with the EU to rejoin
a smaller number of measures which are in the national
interest.
"Those negotiations have not concluded but we are now in
a position to update Parliament again - as we have done
throughout this process."
(9th August 2014)
"MORE THAN 10" POLITICIANS ON LIST HELD BY
POLICE INVESTIGATING WESTMINSTER "PAEDOPHILE
RING"
(Telegraph, dated 4th July 2014 authors Gordon Rayner
and David Barrett)
Full article :
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/10947561/Morethan-10-politicians-on-list-held-by-police-investigatingWestminster-paedophile-ring.html
More than 10 current and former politicians are on a list of
alleged child abusers held by police investigating claims of
a Westminster paedophile ring. MPs or peers from all three
main political parties are on the list, which includes former
ministers and household names. Several, including Cyril
Smith and Sir Peter Morrison, are no longer alive, but
others are still active in Parliament.

The existence of the list was disclosed by Peter McKelvie,
the whistleblower whose claims prompted Operation
Fernbridge, the Scotland Yard investigation into allegations
of a paedophile network with links to Downing Street.
Mr McKelvie, a retired child protection team manager who
has spent more than 20 years compiling evidence of
alleged abuse by authority figures, said he believed there
was enough evidence to arrest at least one senior
politician.
It comes as David Cameron ordered the most senior civil
servant at the Home Office to conduct a fresh
investigation into what happened to a missing dossier on
alleged paedophiles in Westminster in the 1980s.
The Prime Minister told Mark Sedwill, the Permanent
Secretary at the Home Office, to "do everything he can" to
clear up what happened to the file, which was handed to
the then home secretary Leon (now Lord) Brittan by the
late Geoffrey Dickens MP.
Separately Theresa May, the Home Secretary, said
yesterday she would "examine the case" for a public
inquiry into historical child abuse in public life, for which
139 MPs have now called.
Mr McKelvie, who helped bring the notorious paedophile
Peter Righton to justice in 1992 when he worked in
Hereford and Worcester child protection team, said: "I
believe there are sufficient grounds to carry out a formal
investigation into allegations of up to 20 MPs and Lords
over the last three to four decades, some still alive and
some dead. The list is there."
In a letter to his local MP Sir Tony Baldry last month, Mr
McKelvie suggested that a further 20 MPs and Lords were
implicated in the "cover-up" of abuse of children.
Mr McKelvie, who has compiled a dossier of evidence by
speaking to alleged victims and care workers with whom

they are in contact, does not suggest that any of the MPs
and Lords colluded with each other.
It was as a result of information provided by Mr McKelvie
that the Labour MP Tom Watson raised the issue of child
abuse at Prime Minister's Questions in October 2012. He
spoke of "clear intelligence suggesting a powerful
paedophile network linked to Parliament and Number 10"
that arose from the Righton case.
Following Mr Watson's intervention, the Metropolitan Police
began Operation Fernbridge, an ongoing investigation into
allegations of sex abuse at the Elm Guest House in Barnes,
south London.
At least one witness is understood to have told police in
the 1980s that he was abused by a Tory MP at the guest
house when he was aged under 10, but the alleged victim
has so far refused to give a sworn a witness statement to
the police.
The Metropolitan Police has consistently said it is "not
prepared to give a running commentary on Operation
Fernbridge, which is an ongoing operation".
Earlier this week it emerged that a dossier on an alleged
Westminster paedophile network compiled by the late MP
Geoffrey Dickens went missing after it was handed to the
former home secretary Lord Brittan in 1983.
Simon Danczuk, the Labour MP who raised questions
about the dossier, said yesterday he had received a dozen
new allegations naming the same politician this week.
He and six other MPs have written to Mrs May demanding
a public inquiry, and in her reply Mrs May said "nothing
has been ruled out", adding: "Once the criminal
investigations have concluded, I will thoroughly examine
the case for an inquiry into the matters you have raised."
Speaking about the Dickens dossier, the Prime Minister
said he understood the concerns about the missing file. He

said: "That's why I've asked the permanent secretary at
the Home Office to do everything he can to find answers
to all of these questions and to make sure we can reassure
people about these events.
"So it's right that these investigations are made. We
mustn't do anything, of course, that could prejudice or
prevent proper action by the police. "If anyone has
information about criminal wrong-doing they should, of
course, give it to the police."
Yesterday The Daily Telegraph disclosed that a senior Tory
who is being investigated as part of Operation Fernbridge
was allegedly stopped by a customs officer with child
pornography in the 1980s.
The customs officer who made the seizure can now be
named as Maganlal Solanki, 76, who said at his home in
Leicester yesterday: "I don't want to go over it all. It's very
disturbing for me. I've been told not to say anything by my
department."
Asked about the senior Tory, who was never arrested over
the alleged child pornography seizure, Mr Solanki said:
"Well, that is just a matter for him."
(9th August 2014)
SCOTLAND YARD MADE 125M FROM SELLING OFF
POLICE STATIONS IN LONDON PROPERTY BOOM
(London Evening Standard, dated 3rd July 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
Scotland Yard has reaped a 125 million bonanza from the
sale of police stations during the London property boom,
figures revealed today.
The cash was raised by selling off 35 Met police buildings
last year - including 20 former police stations.
Mayor Boris Johnson says the proceeds of the controversial
sale - three times the original estimate - are being
ploughed back into policing London and funding extra

bobbies on the beat.
The move is part of plans by the Met and the Mayor's
Office for Policing and Crime to slash 600 million off the
force's 3.6 billion budget.
The details of the sales, released in MOPAC's annual
report, show the majority of sites were sold to developers
for housing.
However, five sites will become new schools or colleges,
one will be partially developed for health care and another
police station will be turned into shops.
The report reveals that several prime sites generated
massive sales in the current house price surge.
They included Harrow Road police station which sold for
9 million, St John's Wood police station which sold for
8.5 million, Clapham police station which fetched 4.5
million and Hackney police station which raised 7.6
million.
Among the most expensive sites was Barnes Green police
office which sold for 10 million and will redeveloped into
homes while a number of flats in Connaught Gardens,
Haringey sold for 9.1 million.
The Met plans to close a total of 63 police stations which
are out out of date and costly to run - out of a total of 136
London stations - and says it will open 100 "contact"
points in busy streets and shopping centres.
In total officials believe that the sale of police buildings including the HQ in Victoria - could bring in 500 million
over five years.
However, critics, including rank and file officers, fear the
Yard is selling off the "family silver" and the move could
lead to the public losing touch with the police.
The Mayor argues the cash will be spent on 2,000 officers
on the beat and is being re-invested in modern facilities
such as a new science laboratory in Lambeth and a new
training headquarters in Hendon.
London Assembly Green Party leader Baroness Jones said :
"The Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime may have been
good at selling off buildings but this is a one off solution
done to give the Mayor the money to try to restore police
officer numbers to the level he promised but is yet to
deliver.
"The Mayor may tout that by selling police buildings he is

able to provide more homes for Londoners. However, he is
selling off affordable accommodation that is part of the
police estate and replacing it with property that is beyond
the financial reach of most Londoners, let alone police
officers and staff."
The report says the police station sales in the last financial
year of 2013/14 raised 124.5m against an original target
of 40 million and delivered 12.5m savings in running
costs - enough to pay for the employment of over 200
police officers a year.
Boris Johnson said: "I pledged to deliver savings from the
police estate in the face of unprecedented budget
pressures and without compromising on resourcing for
frontline policing. As a direct benefit of shedding underutilised sites, we are freeing up tens of millions of pounds
to maintain police officer numbers and to generate
savings to invest in the future.
"At the same time, buildings that were no longer fit for
purpose are being released to provide much needed
homes, schools and jobs in the capital."
Stephen Greenhalgh, deputy mayor for policing, said : "A
buoyant London property market has led to capital
receipts far exceeding expectations, which has delivered
extra money to reinvest in frontline policing, despite the
difficult budget position.
"Closing police stations that officers did not need and the
public did not visit was controversial, but by putting
bobbies before buildings, we now have a once in a
generation opportunity to equip our police with the
modern mobile technology needed for 21st century
policing.
"Many of the buildings we are selling will also have a
social benefit for instance some are being turned into
schools."
London Assembly Labour member Joanne McCartney, said:
"Boris says this money is going into front line policing, but
police numbers are going down. Since 2010 we have seen
a reduction of nearly 5,000 uniforms in our
neighbourhoods, violent crime is rising and the public are
reporting that they feel a reduced police presence on our
streets.
"Boris needs to be honest with the public that these cuts

will lead to a reduced service and a less visible police
service for London.
"The fire sale of property like this will reduce police
presence in our communities. 17 of these properties were
front counters, and while Boris has trialled 'contact points'
as an alternative, these are underfunded, ineffective and
in some cases non-existent. This is not the "equivalent or
better service" Boris promised Londoners."
(3rd July 2014)
NEWS - JUNE 2014

COMPUTING SECURITY - JUNE 2014 REVIEW
------------------------------------------------------GERMAN GOVERNMENT TO DROP VERIZON BECAUSE OF
US SPYING
(Computer World, dated 27th June 2014 author Stephen
Lawson)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249409/German
_government_to_drop_Verizon_because_of_US_spying?
The German government is dropping Verizon
Communications as a service provider because of worries
about U.S. spying.
The government will shift all services provided by Verizon
to Deutsche Telekom by the end of 2015. It had been
reviewing its communications contracts already, but
concerns about possible spying by the U.S. National
Security Agency helped to tip the scales against Verizon,
the German Federal Interior Ministry said Thursday.
Germany's move is the latest evidence that revelations
about NSA eavesdropping are damaging U.S. companies'
overseas business.
Verizon provides Internet access to some German federal
agencies and helps to run a network that links them. The
government's contracts with Verizon had been exposed
recently in the media and caused an uproar because of
reports of NSA eavesdropping on foreign leaders, including
German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

------------------------------------------------EUROPE TO REVIEW PERSONAL DATA EXCHANGE
BETWEEN EU AND US
(Computer World, dated 18th June 2014 author Loek
Essers)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249187/Europe_to_revi
ew_personal_data_exchange_between_E.U._and_U.S.?
The Irish High Court has referred to a 14-year-old
agreement governing the exchange of personal data
between the European Union and the U.S. to the EU's top
court.
The referral, on Wednesday, came in a case over whether
the Irish Data Protection Commissioner was right to refuse
to investigate Facebook's alleged involvement with the
U.S. government surveillance program Prism.
Europe-v-Facebook, an Austrian group representing some
Facebook users, filed a complaint with the Irish DPC over
Facebook's data exportation regime in June last year. It
argued that when Facebook collects user data and exports
it to the U.S. it is giving the U.S. National Security Agency
(NSA) the opportunity to use the data for massive
surveillance of personal information without probable
cause -- and by doing so, Facebook is violating European
laws.
------------------------------------------------------UK ALLOWS BRITISH SPIES TO INTERCEPT GOOGLE AND
FACEBOOK TRAFFIC
(Computer World, dated 17th June 2014 author Loek
Essers)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249158/U.K._allows_Br
itish_spies_to_intercept_Google_and_Facebook_traffic?
British spies are authorized to spy on British citizens'
Internet communications transiting through servers
outside the U.K., a civil rights group has discovered.
Privacy International uncovered the information as part of
a lawsuit it filed against the U.K. government over its
alleged involvement in mass surveillance programs. It filed
the suit with the U.K.'s Investigatory Powers Tribunal, a

court that can investigate complaints about any alleged
conduct by or on behalf of the intelligence services.
On Tuesday the group published a witness statement from
Charles Farr, director general of the Office for Security and
Counter Terrorism at the U.K.'s Home Office, who is among
the government officials and other witnesses who have
made depositions in the case. His statement was
published ahead of a hearing by the tribunal scheduled to
take place between July 14 and 18.
Farr, one of the U.K.'s most senior security officials, said
British spies have the right to intercept Internet
communications even if they are from British citizens
because the services often use Web servers located
outside the U.K. Many messages "such as a Google search,
a search of YouTube for a video, a 'tweet' on Twitter, or the
posting of a message on Facebook," could be qualified as
external by the intelligence services, he said.
------------------------------------------------WHY OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE ISNT AS SECURE AS YOU
THINK
(Computer World, dated 12th June 2014 author Paul
Rubens)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249055/Why_Op
en_Source_Software_Isn_39_t_as_Secure_as_You_Think?
The OpenSSL Heartbleed fiasco proves beyond any doubt
what many people have suspected for a long time: Just
because open source code is available for inspection
doesn't mean it's actually being inspected and is secure.
It's an important point, as the security of open source
software relies on large numbers of sufficiently
knowledgeable programmers scrutinizing the code to root
out and fix bugs promptly. This is summed up in Linus's
Law: "Given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow."
One reviewer, even a handful of reviewers, can easily miss
a trivial error such as this if they don't know there's a bug
to be found. What's worrying is that, for two years, the
Heartbleed bug existed in OpenSLL, in browsers and in
Web servers, yet no one in the open source community
spotted it. Not enough eyeballs scrutinized the code.

----------------------------------------------------RUSSIAN MOBILE BANKING TROJAN GETS RANSOMWARE,
TARGETS US USERS
(Computer World, dated 12th June 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9249056/Russian_
mobile_banking_Trojan_gets_ransomware_features_targets
_US_users?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-06-13
An Android Trojan program originally designed to steal
mobile banking credentials from Russian users was
recently retrofitted with ransomware functionality and has
started infecting users in the U.S., using photos of its
victims to intimidate them into paying a fictitious FBI fine.
Known as Svpeng, the Trojan program was first detected
almost a year ago targeting customers of Russia's three
largest banks, according to security researchers from
antivirus vendor Kaspersky Lab. Its initial variants
detected when users opened the targeted mobile banking
apps and displayed a fake login screen to capture log-in
credentials. A similar technique was used to collect credit
card details when users opened Google Play.
---------------------------------------------CYBERCRIME LOSSES TOP $400 BILLION WORLDWIDE
(Computer World, dated 9th June 2014 author Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248976/Cybercri
me_losses_top_400_billion_worldwide?
Computer-related crimes may cause as much as $400
billion in losses annually, according to a new study that
acknowledges the difficulty in estimating damages from
such acts, most of which go unreported.
The study is the second to come from Intel's McAfee
security unit in partnership with the Center for Strategic
and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington, D.C.-based
think tank.
It drew on publicly available data collected by government
organizations and universities worldwide, including
institutions in Germany, the Netherlands, China, Australia
and Malaysia, as well as interviews with experts.
The low-end estimate of cyberattack-related losses is $375

billion, while the upper limit is $575 billion, it said.
------------------------------------------------VODAFONE GRANTED GOVERNMENTS DIRECT ACCESS TO
ITS NETWORKS FOR SURVEILLANCE
(Computer World, dated 6th June 2014 author Loek Essers)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248922/Vodafon
e_granted_governments_direct_access_to_its_networks_for
_surveillance?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-06-09
Vodafone granted governments direct access to its
networks in several countries, allowing them to listen to all
conversations on those networks, the company said Friday.
Vodafone Group received lawful demands for assistance
from a law enforcement agency or government authority
in 29 countries between April 1, 2013, and March 31,
2014, it said in its first Law Enforcement Disclosure
Report.
In most of those countries, Vodafone said it maintains full
operational control over the technical infrastructure used
to enable lawful interception.
--------------------------------------------------MALICIOUS MAJOR WEBSITE ADS LEAD TO RANSOMWARE
(Computer World, dated 6th June 2014 author Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248886/Maliciou
s_major_website_ads_lead_to_ransomware?
Malicious advertisements on domains belonging to Disney,
Facebook, The Guardian newspaper and others are leading
people to malware that encrypts a computer's files until a
ransom is paid, Cisco Systems has found.
The finding comes shortly after technology companies and
U.S. law enforcement banded together in a large operation
to shut down a botnet that distributed online banking
malware and so-called "ransomware," a highly profitable
scam that has surged over the last year.
-----------------------------------------------------GOOGLE GETS OVER 41,000 REQUESTS TO "FORGET
PERSONAL DATA"
(Computer World, dated 4th June 2014 author Jennifer
Baker)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248835/Google_gets_o
ver_41_000_requests_to_forget_personal_data?
Google has already received around 41,000 requests to
delete links to personal information from its search results
in the three weeks since a key ruling by the European
Court of Justice about the so-called right to be forgotten.
On May 13 the court ordered Google to remove links to a
Spanish newspaper notice about a mortgage foreclosure
against Costeja GonzA!lez, a 58-year-old lawyer, because
it infringed his right to privacy. The paper itself was not
ordered to remove the information, but GonzA!lez
successfully argued that the links displayed by Google to
this information about him had become inadequate and
irrelevant over time.
In response to the ruling, Google put a form on its website
to make it easier for it to process requests to delete links.
The search giant, which processes more than 90 percent
of all web searches in Europe, described the form as "an
initial effort" to comply with the ruling.
---------------------------------------------------ISPs URGED TO QUARANTINE INFECTED COMPUTERS
(Computer World, dated 3rd June 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248812/ISPs_urged_to_
quarantine_infected_computers?
The recent effort to disrupt the Gameover Zeus botnet
includes plans for Internet service providers to notify
victims, but some security researchers think ISPs should
play an even bigger role in the future by actively
quarantining infected computers identified on their
networks.
Law enforcement agencies from several countries
including the FBI and Europol announced Monday that
they worked with security vendors to disrupt the
Gameover Zeus botnet, which is estimated to have
affected between 500,000 and 1 million computers.
(3rd July 2014)

ANTI-PAEDOPHILE POLICE FIGHT CHILD PORN
"EPIDEMIC"
(BBC News, dated 18th June 2014 author Angus Crawford)
The internet trade in images that show child sex abuse is
now "an epidemic", according to the head of the global
initiative to combat the problem. Police officers from
around the world serve on the Virtual Global Taskforce.
Its chairman, Ian Quinn, tells the BBC there has been an
"explosion" in cases handled by US authorities. The US
alone has 61 Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) units,
each made up of state, local police and federal agents.
BBC News joined a recent operation in Los Angeles.
Twenty one officers were briefed at dawn in a parking lot
in central LA.
Lt Andrea Grossman, from the Los Angeles Police
Department, told us they conducted such operations
"three to five times per week". The amount of images of
child sexual abuse on the internet, she says, is "beyond
out of control, we're now just getting to the surface of it".
Their target was a man who had tried to send obscene
images via his Gmail account.
The team was led by an officer holding a pump-action
shotgun, backed up by others with an assault rifle and
hand guns.A suspect was detained.
The man's computer was analysed in a mobile laboratory,
housed in a large camper van parked outside the address.
In the past computer equipment had to be sent away for
analysis, which could take months.
But now within minutes of his arrest officers had found
images of the abuse of children as young as six-yearsold.He was charged with possessing illegal material.
Operation Predator
The US Department of Homeland Security investigations
(HSI) launched more than 4,000 investigations into online
child sexual abuse last year. "Globally there's not a
country that can hide from this crime," says Mr Quinn.
To combat the problem department launched Operation
Predator in 2003, with three key aims:
- to rescue children
- to prosecute their abusers
- to stop the trade in obscene images
Predator has led to more than 1,000 arrests across the
world in the past six months, 29 of those were in the UK.
Lt Grossman says paedophiles trade images across the
world, which demands a global response from law
enforcement. "Your suspects are our suspects, your
victims are our victims," she says."I start my day at 04:00,
so I can talk to the Brits, the Australians, to any
international partner." Her team also has access to
software that can track in real time paedophiles accessing
images on peer-to-peer networks.
Earlier this year Lt Grossman and a colleague were in
London training 100 British detectives from across the UK.
They taught their UK counterparts advanced techniques
for tracking suspects online and gathering evidence.
British arrest
The cooperation between the US and UK has led to some
high profile arrests.Earlier this year a British man called
Mark Luscombe was jailed after an operation which began
in the US. Luscombe, 29, of Verwood, Dorset, used a
paedophile chat room online. He contacted an undercover
agent from Homeland Security who was posing as a man
offering his children for sex.
The 29-year-old offered to send the officer indecent
images of children in exchange for watching a girl being
abused live on a webcam. Luscombe was sentenced to
five years in jail after pleading guilty to 16 offences at
Bournemouth Crown Court. BBC News has obtained access
to his police interview tapes. In them Luscombe tells
officers that he thought he might be under surveillance.
"I know I probably spoke to one of you and that's how you
probably got me," he said. He also admitted that he
needed help. "I've always felt this way, I know it's bad and
wrong... it's just wired up."
Detective Superintendent Chris Naughton from Dorset
police believes this conviction sends a powerful
message."From us receiving the information to going
through his door was about 48 hours," he says. "I think
that shows how well [international cooperation] works."
Undercover agent
Homeland Security regularly deploys undercover officers
online. Special Agent Kevin Laws has been doing the job
for a decade and has made 60 arrests. He poses on incest
chat rooms as a father offering his children for sex with
other adults. "This is as bad as it gets," he tells us.
He gets frequent requests from people who want to meet
him and abuse the fictitious children, including people
from the UK. "Oh every day, it's a rare time I don't speak
to someone in the UK," he says. He admits that his work is
like "a drop of sand in the ocean", but that it does send a
clear message to abusers. "We might not get you today or
tomorrow, but we will get you, and it will be when you
least expect it."
Online images accumulate
- In 2002 the US National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children reviewed and confirmed 45,055 examples of
obscene images of children found online (some of these
were duplicates)
- In 2013 the figure had grown to 23,881,197
- As of May 2014, the centre had reviewed 112 million files
containing images of child sexual abuse
Predator detentions
- In 2003, 339 arrests were made worldwide in connection
with Operation Predator
- In 2013, the number had grown to 2,099
- To date, the total number of arrests linked to the
operation totals 10,608
(3rd July 2014)
US GUN TRAFFICKERS OPT FOR HANDGUNS RATHER

THAN RIFLES
(The Guardian, dated 25th June 2014 authors George
Arnett and Tess Reidy)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/jun/25/us-guntraffickers-handguns-rifles
Analysis of seized firearms related to US drug arrests
shows three quarters of weapons seized are handguns.
How do drug traffickers arm themselves? If we were to
take as gospel US TV shows such as Breaking Bad, we
could be left with the impression that gun battles are a
matter of each side pulling out semi-automatic rifles and
firing shots at their enemies.
Except that does not seem to be the case at all - at least
in the United States. The Small arms survey 2014,
released last week, looked at over 140,000 small arms
seized, light weapons and rounds of light weapon
ammunition seized by police forces in eight US cities
between 2007 and 2012. Of the total, 10,345 were linked
to felons, drug traffickers and gang members.
77% of the weapons were simply handguns, with 70% of
these being semi-automatic pistols. In contrast, rifles, such
as the Kalashnikov and AR-15, made up just 12%. The
number of machine guns seized was negligible.
Rifles make up 15.4% of the total followed by shotguns at
11.9%. The small amount of machine guns make up less
than one percent of the sample.
When looking specifically at handguns, semi-automatic
pistols were in the majority at 2,096 - that's almost three
times the amount of revolvers, which were the second
most-seized.
The report also collected data on gun seizures in Mexico,
where it appears the direct opposite was true. According
to a similar study in the 2013 edition of the survey, south
of the border, 72% of the guns seized were long guns
(machine guns, rifles, shotguns and sub-machine guns).
Only data from Houston and Los Angeles had sufficient
information to allow gun seizures to be linked to gang
activity. However, in those two municipalities 79% (621)

and 92% (421) of firearms seized were handguns.
FBI data indicates that in 72% of homicides in 2012
involving firearms the weapon was a handgun. That rose
to 77% for drug-related murders, 75% for gangland killings
and 83% of juvenile gangland killings.
Background and methodology
Although most guns in the US are legally owned, a major
exception is in the case of felons (people convicted of a
serious crime) as it is illegal for them to be in possession
of a firearm. Gang members are often in that situation.
Commenting on the data, Aaron Karp, senior consultant
for the Small arms survey, said:
"Seizure data is controversial in the United States. A lot of
people don't believe it's a legitimate resource for research
because it counts what the police has seized but it doesn't
include a juridical determination of how the guns were
used in crime, whether they were used legally or illegal, or
whether they were returned subsequently. Like most real
data, it's not clean, but data on seizures from gang
members is extremely useful"
We've already noted that Houston and Los Angeles were
the only places where gang-related firearm seizures were
identifiable. The eight municipalities where crimes could
be linked to drug trafficking were the following (with the
number from each in brackets: Albuquerque (916), Boise
(123), Columbus (112), Denham Springs (2), Houston
(1,876), Los Angeles (2,411), Satellite Beach (2) and
Washington D.C. (382)
Kaap thinks that the results of the survey are surprising
when compared to Hollywood cliches. "It turns out it's
easier for Hollywood movie producers to get automatic
rifles than for actual gang members," he said. "The figures
show that choice plays a really important role, but
concealability matters enormously."
Emile LeBrun, a contributing editor to the survey, agreed:

"In American popular culture, especially on television, it's
common to see gang members and drug dealers wielding
high-powered assault rifles. Shows like Breaking Bad and
CSI are recent examples. But police actually seize far
fewer of those larger long guns from these groups than
handguns. That's the sense in which the report may
overturn stereotypes."
(3rd July 2014
5800 POLICE LAUNCH RAIDS ACROSS LONDON IN
BLITZ ON KNIFE CRIME
(London Evening Standard, dated 25th June 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk
Scotland Yard today launched a blitz on the epidemic of
knife crime which is claiming 60 victims a week in London.
More than 5,800 officers took part in operations across the
capital including raids on more than 160 suspects.
Police also set up knife arches to check on people using
train and bus stations, mounted checks on cars using
number plate recognition cameras and held weapons
sweeps on estates.
The operation came even though police said overall knife
crime offences were at a seven-year low with 1,300 fewer
offences in the past 12 months than in the previous year.
However, figures obtained by the Evening Standard show
3,094 people were injured in assaults involving knives in
2013/14, just 21 fewer than the previous year. These
included 52 knife murders, up from 47, 862 serious
injuries, 1,038 "moderate" injuries and 1,142 minor
injuries.
Temporary Detective Chief Superintendent Gordon Allison,
the head of the gangs unit Trident, said: "Our primary aim
is keeping Londoners safe. We have seen significant

reductions in both gun and knife crime in recent years,
however we recognise that knife crime continues to have
a considerable impact on London.
In 2013/14, over 50 per cent of murders were committed
with knives in comparison with 12 per cent involving a
firearm and 43 per cent of the UK's knife-related offences
take place in the capital." In Hillingdon officers swooped
on three addresses linked to a family suspected of drugdealing. Nine officers executed a warrant at a semidetached house in Hoppner Road at 7.55am. Police
arrested one man for cannabis possession. A man at
another address was arrested for possession of Class A
drugs. At a third address, the home of a suspected drug
dealer, officers found 120,000 in cash. A 17-year-old was
arrested in Islington on suspicion of possession of a
firearm after a loaded revolver was found in a moped.
In unconnected incidents, a man, 28, was arrested in
Hillingdon for two knifepoint robberies and a 15-year-old
youth was arrested in Islington with a knife.
(3rd July 2014)
KINGS CROSS TOPS STATION THEFT LEAGUE BUT
CRIME ON TUBE FALLS
John Dunne)
King's Cross St Pancras was the station where travellers
were most likely to be targeted by thieves last year.
The station - a hub for Eurostar passengers - saw 283
reported thefts of items including bags, phones, wallets
and laptops, according to official figures.
The opportunist thieves were attracted by the rich
pickings from tourists and commuters at the bustling
station whose tube stop serves six lines and 80 million
people every year.

Victoria station had the second highest tally with 268
followed by Oxford Circus on 255, in 2013.
The Piccadilly Line had the most thefts of all tube lines
with 971 but it served more than 200m passengers.
Meanwhile the Underground lines which had the most
thefts as a proportion of the number of people travelling
on them were the Circle and Hammersmith & City with
554, followed by the Central line with 945 and Jubilee with
638.
Thefts on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR) increased by
26 per cent in 2013 compared to 2012, according to the
British Transport Police figures.
However overall reported crime on the London
Underground fell from 6,955 incidents in 2012 to 5,878 in
2013, representing a 15 per cent drop.
Separate figures from the Metropolitan Police reveal that
thieves are also targeting the London bus network with
almost 23,000 thefts being reported in 2013.
Of all the items reported stolen across the bus and tube
network, mobile phones top the list followed by cash,
credit cards and wallets.
Bag theft is also very common with 568 reported stolen
last year across the bus and tube network , as well as 277
laptops and 125 watches.
Games consoles, prams and wheelchairs, toys, plants and
even one pet were also pilfered.
Selwyn Fernandes, Managing Director of LV= home
insurance, which carried out the research, said: "The sheer
number of people that use the London transport system
each day makes it easy for opportunistic thieves to target
unsuspecting travellers without them noticing.
"Mobile phones are a common target for thieves as they

are small enough to pocket and can be easily sold on.
Theft away from the home is not covered as standard on
most home insurance policies and it is worth checking that
you have the right cover for your belongings should the
worst happen."
(3rd July 2014)
"WASTED" MILLIONS MIGHT HAVE SAVED POLICE
JOBS
(Police Oracle, dated 20th June 2014 author Jasmin
McDermott)
[Option 1]
Police staff redundancies might have been avoided if
millions of pounds spent on a scrapped crime intelligence
system were spent "more wisely", it has been suggested.
The Surrey Integrated Reporting Enterprise Network
(SIREN) was commissioned in May 2009 by then Surrey
chief constable Mark Rowley to replace the force's aging
criminal intelligence suite (CIS).
However, when current Chief Constable Lynne Owens took
the helm she raised concerns regarding delays in
implementing the system and suggested it may not be the
best option for the force going forward. Police and Crime
Commissioner Kevin Hurley terminated the project last
April, at a final cost of 14.8 million.
A report by the Audit Commission said that a lack of
experience of how to manage large-scale projects
contributed towards the significant delays and extra costs
incurred. It stated that the "ambitious project" was beyond
the capabilities and experience of the force and its now
defunct police authority.
In an interview with PoliceOracle.com, Surrey Police
Federation Chairman Mike Dodds said that members of
police staff union Unison were "very disappointed" over

the way the money was spent and could have been used
to avoid redundancies.
He said: "There has been a number of officer that have
been quite angry about the money that has been wasted.
"Our police staff colleagues are also particularly
disappointed that the money was not spent more wisely particularly against the backdrop of redundancies. The
money might have avoided redundancies."
Mr Dodds said that the time used to train personnel on a
system that was never implemented is completely
unrecoverable.
He added: "Everyone had to have half a day's training on
a system that was never used. The number of working
days wasted to learn a system which never came into
fruition is unrecoverable. In this profession every minute
counts.
"The biggest lesson that I think has been learned is that
you cannot keep throwing money at a failing project and
expect it to work. Unfortunately it is a lesson that has
been learnt at the expense of public money.
"It has been a kind of runaway train."
The report by the Commission said that while the
intentions behind the project were for the good of the
force, "significant weaknesses" in the management of the
project - including a lack of established governance and
internal controls - sealed its demise.
It stated: "Overall, SIREN was an ambitious project that
was beyond the in-house capabilities and experience of
the force and authority at the time. Despite this,
insufficient third party support was brought in to mitigate
these factors and ensure the successful delivery of a
project of this scale and complexity.
"A lack of experience of how to manage projects of this

scale and complexity prevented effective corrective action
being taken when problems first arose. Had this
experience been in place, it is arguable a firmer control of
the project may have been established from the outset,
avoiding the significant delays and cost overruns that
eventually resulted in the project's termination and the
write-off of substantial public funds committed to date."
'Debacle'
Mr Hurley has said that Metropolitan Police Assistant
Commissioner Mark Rowley, who was Surrey Chief when
the contract was made, should take responsibility for the
failures.
He said: "It is my role on behalf of the public to hold the
key person responsible for this debacle. I will be writing to
the Mayor for London Boris Johnson and the Commissioner
of the Metropolitan Police, to take action as they see
appropriate.
"I am disappointed that so much money has been wasted comparable to a year's salary for 400 PCs."
In response, AC Rowley said that he shares the regret and
disappointment that SIREN did not "realise the benefits for
the public we sought".
He added: "At the time the project was commissioned,
SIREN was the best option. This report recognises that
'throughout the duration of the project and in response to
escalating risk and difficulties encountered, the force did
put in place actions aimed at responding to and mitigating
those risks'.
"With the benefit of hindsight, the new auditors, Grant
Thornton, have identified that in their view the programme
needed more specialist expertise to try to ensure the
success of such a programme."
Chief Constable Lynne Owens said that improvements
have been made since SIREN was scrapped. She said:

"There was a significant amount of public money spent,
albeit over a number of years, on developing the SIREN
project, which ultimately wasn't implemented. This, of
course, is a matter of regret for us."
(3rd July 2014)
LONDON COURTS HAVE THE LOWEST RAPE
CONVICTIONS
Paul Cheston)
Little over half of all rape cases brought in London courts
end in convictions - the lowest rate in the country, figures
reveal today.
The conviction rate in the capital, which had been rising
over the previous four years, dropped from 58.5 per cent
in 2012 to 51.8 per cent last year.
The next lowest conviction rates were Wessex and the
South-East with 56.7 per cent and 57.4 and the highest
was Merseyside and Cheshire with 71.8 per cent.
Child abuse conviction rates in London showed a slight fall
from 68.5 per cent to 67.7 in 2013 which was balanced by
the fractional rise in the domestic violence conviction rate
from 63.3 per cent to 63.7 cent.
Labour responded to the figures by accusing the
Government of betraying women and children in the
capital.
The conviction rate in London for human trafficking cases,
which tend to involve women and girls, rose from 61.5 to
75.5 per cent in the same period.
Shadow Attorney General Emily Thornberry uncovered the
figures through Parliamentary questions, asking Attorney

General Dominic Grieve to provide the specific statistics.
She said London's prosecutors were "overstretched" but
violence against women and girls was meant to be a
priority for the Crown Prosecution Service.
"The conviction rates for violence against women and girls
in our capital are the worst in the country," she said. "The
largest and busiest division of the CPS is desperately
overstretched. The protection of London's women and
children should be a priority for this Government."
Ms Thornberry has previously highlighted a London case in
June last year when Judge Jeremy Gold threatened to clear
a rape defendant after "lamentable failures" of disclosure
by the CPS.
Far from being a one-off incident, he said it was a
"particularly bad example" of the "wholly shambolic" state
of the CPS in London which judges have to experience "on
an almost daily basis". The judge said: "For the defence to
be asking formally for basic documents to be served and
simply getting no response from the CPS is a lamentable
state of affairs."
London Chief Crown Prosecutor Baljit Ubhey said London's
conviction record was improving.
"CPS London was the most improved CPS area last year
and nearly eight in 10 prosecutions in the capital end in
conviction," she said. "This is a testament to the strong
planning in place in London and effectively managing a
reducing budget.
"These are priority areas for the CPS and measures such
as a recently announced review focusing on improving
how the CPS and police handle rape cases in London, and
a new domestic violence unit will help to ensure that this
trend of improvement continues."
(3rd July 2014)
DROP MINOR CONVICTIONS FROM CRIMINAL

RECORD CHECKS, COURT RULES
(BBC News, dated 18th June 2014)
www.bbc.co.uk
Certain past minor cautions and convictions should remain
part of a protected private life and not have to be
disclosed in criminal record checks, the Supreme Court
has ruled.
Judges said any requirement to do so would be
incompatible with human rights legislation in England and
Wales.
The Supreme Court decision upholds a ruling by the Court
of Appeal.
The case involved a man applying for a job who was
forced to reveal two police cautions he had received aged
11.
The man, known as "T", said he had been forced to
disclose warnings he received from Greater Manchester
Police in connection with two stolen bikes.
His records were checked when he applied for a part-time
job at a football club aged 17 and later for a university
course in sports studies.
His case was supported by the human rights group Liberty.
A woman, identified as "JB", also challenged the checks
after she was refused a job in a care home eight years
after she received a caution for shoplifting.
Making their ruling, the Supreme Court judges said the
disclosures T and JB had been required to make "were not
necessary in a democratic society" and "were not based
on any rational assessment of risk".
Filtering system
Around four million people apply for a criminal records
check every year.
Last year, three Court of Appeal judges said the blanket
checks could breach the right to a private or family life.
After that ruling, the judges said it would be a matter for
Parliament to decide what amendments to make to
records check rules.
The Home Office has since introduced a system to filter
out single minor convictions or cautions.
But the government pursued an appeal against the Court
of Appeal ruling, saying the "protection of children and
vulnerable groups must not be compromised".
Working with children
The Supreme Court - the highest court in the UK and the
final court of appeal in cases of public importance - heard
the case on 9 December but has only just announced its
decision to rule against the government.
The BBC's legal affairs correspondent, Clive Coleman, said
the net effect of Wednesday's ruling was that the law
would remain as it was.
However, he said the decision could be relevant for
anyone applying for a job, especially if it involved working
with children or vulnerable people.
Under the new filtering system, cautions given to adults
are removed from criminal records checks after six years.
Cautions to children are filtered out after two years.
(3rd July 2014)
93% OF BRITONS SAY IT'S OK TO USE FORCE

AGAINST INTRUDERS
(Daily Express, dated 18th June 2014 author Anil Dawar)
www.express.co.uk [Option 1]
A further one in six said they would personally attack an
intruder on their premises.
Just one in 33 people thought using violence against a
burglar can never be justified.
The results show the strength of feeling in favour of
homeowners being allowed to defend their property and
their loved ones.
Jack Hart of the campaign group The Freedom Association
said: "I think that these findings will reflect the feelings of
much of the British public.
"It's very simple.
"Everyone should have the right to defend their property
in a manner they consider appropriate.
"No one should ever have to fear ending up in court for
tackling an intruder in their home.
"Victims of crime should be supported, not criminalised for
protecting themselves."
Peter Cuthbertson of the Centre for Crime Prevention said:
"These figures are overwhelming and the police and
politicians should take notice.
"The right to self defence is vital.
"For all the householder knows, the person breaking in
could kill their loved ones.
"People should always be prudent about handling threats
but it is a warped version of justice when the victim is the
one hauled before the courts."
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling changed the law last year

to offer greater protection to householders who injure
burglars.
Before that, residents could use "reasonable" force to
defend themselves, their family or their property.
But "disproportionate" violence could never be considered
reasonable .
Under the new rules, disproportionate force does not
automatically bring criminal charges, although "grossly
disproportionate force" is still a crime.
The law change came after two masked burglars were
shot and wounded breaking into a remote farmhouse in
Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, in 2011.
Homeowners Andy and Tracey Ferrie spent almost three
days in custody on suspicion of causing grievous bodily
harm.
They were finally released without charge amid growing
public outrage.
Burglars Joshua O'Gorman, 27, and Daniel Mansell, 33,
were later jailed for four years each.
In a new report, researchers for insurers RIAS quizzed
more than 2,000 Britons on their attitudes to home
security.
A massive 93 per cent, the equivalent of 45.9million UK
adults, thought it was acceptable to use force on burglars.
The most common justification for using force, given by 71
per cent of people, was protecting their family.
Protecting themselves came second, at 60 per cent. But
someone just breaking into the home was enough for 49
per cent of those questioned.
Three out of four people said all burglars should be jailed.

Recent figures showed that four out of five serial burglars
are escaping with soft sentences, despite the law allowing
for a minimum three years after three or more previous
convictions.
Separate research from Direct Line Home Insurance
showed 26 per cent of people would grab a weapon to use
on an intruder.A cricket bat or snooker cue were the top
choices. Other people favoured using a table lamp.
(3rd July 2014)
CPS FAILURE MEAN GANGS ACT LINE THEY'RE
UNTOUCHABLE
Martin Bentham)
Gang members are operating like "untouchables" and
escaping proper punishment because of prosecution
failures and weak sentencing, a London borough has
warned MPs.
Hackney council said penalties for possessing a blade do
not "take sufficient account of the risk posed by those who
carry a knife" and do not act as a deterrent.
It also accused the Crown Prosecution Service of giving
"many young gang members the impression of being
untouchable" because it was too cautious about pressing
charges and failed to ensure that cases were dealt with by
staff who understand the "complexity" of gang violence.
It said a tougher approach was needed in which
mandatory prison terms should be given to all knife
offenders convicted for a second such crime. The warning
comes ahead of a vote by MPs tomorrow on a Commons
amendment which would bring in automatic jail terms for
those convicted of a second knife offence.
The council also wants first time offenders to be sent on

compulsory knife awareness programmes spelling out the
potentially lethal consequences of their behaviour.
The council's comments came in a submission to an
inquiry by the Commons home affairs select committee
into gangs and youth crime - and were described as
"deeply worrying" by committee chairman Keith Vaz.
He said the council's comments showed that the methods
used to combat knife and gang crime were not working
adequately and expressed dismay that serious offenders
were being allowed to evade justice.
In the document, Hackney, which has a long history of
gang problems, said it has achieved "substantial and
sustained reductions" in such offending in recent years - a
result of the work of a specialist anti-gangs unit set up
with police, probation, benefits and youth staff. It cited
figures showing a 50 per cent fall in gun crime since 2009
and smaller declines in knife and serious youth violence
offences.
But the council told MPs that its efforts were being
undermined by insufficiently robust action from
prosecutors and the courts. It said: "The Crown
Prosecution Service's approach of [sic] prosecution cases
has given many young gang members the impression of
being untouchable. This is because the CPS only considers
prosecution, regardless of severity, if there is an 80 per
cent likelihood of conviction."
It claimed sentencing was too weak and echoed calls
made by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling and Met
Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe for mandatory
prison sentences for those convicted of a second knife
offence.
It said: "Stronger sentences would send a powerful
message and provide reassurance to the law-abiding
majority, and we are not convinced that sentencing at the
moment is acting as a deterrent."

Hackney also called for sentencing guidelines to "take
account of any gang related element to the offending".
The council also wants legal changes to ensure that staff
in all hospitals report to police when knife victims are
admitted to accident and emergency units, as is
mandatory for those suffering from gunshot wounds.
Mr Vaz said: "Hackney's evidence is deeply worrying. No
one in London should feel that they are 'untouchable' as
far as the criminal law is concerned.
"It is clear from those on the frontline the methods taken
to prevent knife crime are not working."
The CPS said that the council was wrong to claim that it
would only prosecute when there was an 80 per cent
likelihood of conviction and insisted that tacking gang
crime was a "key priority" for its lawyers.
(3rd July 2014)
LAMBORGHINIS AND BENTLEYS AMONG THOUSANDS
OF UNINSURED CARS SEIZED BY POLICE
(The Telegraph, dated 12th June 2014 author Claire Carter)
Police have made more than 5 million by selling or
crushing cars, including luxury vehicles such as
Lamborghinis, which have been seized because they are
not insured.
A Bentley, Lamborghini and crane worth 1million were
among more than 100,000 vehicles impounded by the
Metropolitan Police since the force started targeting
uninsured drivers in London.
Most luxury vehicles seized are sold at auction if they are
not reclaimed by their owners and the correct fines and
insurance paid, while lower values cars are likely to be

crushed.
The Met Police has made more than 5.5 million from the
sale or destruction of around 24,500 cars seized which
have not been claimed by their owners in the last two and
a half years.
Among the cars taken by police were an Aston Martin DB5
- dubbed the most famous car in the world after it
appeared in James Bond's Goldfinger - rare customised
Lamborghinis, Mercedes and Porsche Boxsters.
One of the cars, an orange Lamborghini Aventador, was
sold at auction for 218,000 after its owner did not have
the correct insurance and failed to pay to reclaim it.
The 72 tonne mobile crane - the most valuable seized was taken off the road after it was seen in Belgravia in
January 2012 being driven without a proper licence and
insurance. Officers said it had since been reclaimed after
owners paid the outstanding insurance and fines.
In another case a 200,000 Ferrari supercar was handed
back to its owner after they reclaimed the vehicle and paid
its insurance.
In November 2013, a six litre Bentley Continental GTC was
seized in Bromley after the driver was found to be
uninsured, and in October last year a 400,000
customised Lamborghini Aventador was taken off the road
when the motorist's insurance policy was found to not
cover such an expensive vehicle.
Other cars seized in the last year include a Lamborghini
Gallardo and a Lamborghini Spider.
In the last 12 months a total of 39,000 vehicles have been
seized.
All money raised goes back to the force for similar
operations to target offenders on roads in Londn.
Police said most of the supercars were either reclaimed by

owners paying their fines and insurance or would be sold
at auction as a last resort.
Uninsured drivers face six penalty points and a 300 fine.
A police spokesperson said: "High value cars are not
automatically sent to be crushed. If the owner doesn't
come and collect them within a designated time, they will
be auctioned off.
"Uninsured drivers are five times more likely to be
involved in a road collision, and many are more likely to be
involved in criminal activity."
The operation, called Cubo, began in 2011 and more than
100,000 cars have been seized since its launch.
Further Information
From the London Evening Standard, dated 12th June 2014.
"The crackdown has led to the arrest of 2700 drivers some wanted for murder and rape".
(3rd July 2014)
GANGS CONTROL PARTS OF BRITAIN, WARNS MAY
(London Evening Standard, 11th June 2014 author Martin
Bentham)
Organised crime gangs have seized control of some parts
of Britain and are running their own alternative system of
justice, Theresa May warned today.
The Home Secretary said housing, security and other
services were also being provided in districts taken over
by the "brutish" and "violent" gangs.
She said the development was a "profound" concern and
something which "troubles me greatly". Mrs May's warning

came during a London speech on organised crime in which
she warned that there were now 5,300 criminal gangs
operating across the country.
She said their illegal activities affected "every one of us"
and included large-scale fraud as well as the trafficking of
people and sex. The estimated cost to the nation was 24?
billion a year.
The Home Secretary added that previous efforts to combat
the problem had not been effective enough and insisted
that new measures, including legislation announced in the
Queen's Speech to make it easier to punish major
criminals, would lead to significant improvements. But she
also issued a stark warning that the impact of organised
crime gangs had become so pervasive that some were
now in control of parts of the country.
"Some organised criminals in some of our communities
have been able to fill a vacuum of authority," she said.
"They have established themselves as alternative
providers of justice, security, housing and livelihoods.
Some have become, perversely, a kind of role model to
others in their local communities. This is quite profound. It
troubles me greatly, as it should other national political
and civic leaders."
Mrs May said organised crime gangs had "got away with
it" for too many years but she insisted this was about to
change because of her reforms.
She added: "I want to send the clearest message.
Whoever and wherever you are, if you are involved in
organised crime then we will come after you, we will find
you, we will prosecute you and we will punish you."
(3rd July 2014)
BANK OF ENGLAND STEPS UP ITS WAR AGAINST
CYBER-CRIME

Russell Lynch)
www.standard.co.uk
The Bank of England stepped up its war against cybercrime today as it prepared to unleash an army of
intelligence experts and licensed hackers to probe the
defences of Britain's biggest banks.
Threadneedle Street has acted after last year's
recommendation from its Financial Policy Committee to
test and improve the resilience of the financial system to
cyber-attack.
Under its new framework, known as CBEST, government
intelligence will be used by private security firms and
hacking companies to identify the vulnerabilities of
individual institutions, and replicate the methods of
potential attackers. It comes as internet security giant
McAfee put the global cost of cyber-crime at 266 billion
today.
The surgical strikes are a step up from the less
sophisticated tests banks use at present on their IT
systems which used broad-based attacks to probe web
defences.
The results of the new tests, including the extent of the
access the hackers gain and the damage they can cause,
will be shared with both the individual banks and the
Prudential Regulation Authority.
The Bank of England's executive director for Resolution,
Andrew Gracie, said: "Unlike physical attacks which are
localised, these attacks are international and know no
boundaries.
Cyber defence, as a result, has become not a matter of
designing a hard perimeter that can repel attacks but
detecting where networks have been penetrated and
responding effectively where this occurs."
He told the British Bankers' Association: "The idea of

CBEST is to bring together the best available threat
intelligence from government and elsewhere, tailored to
the business model and operations of individual firms, to
be delivered in live tests, within a controlled testing
environment.
"The results should provide a direct read-out on a firm's
capability to withstand cyber-attacks which - on the basis
of current intelligence - have the most potential,
combining probability and impact, to have an adverse
impact on financial stability."
The new framework will not be compulsory but the Bank which launched CBEST unofficially to the industry two
weeks ago - has seen strong interest from UK financial
industry so far.
It will cost a bank typically around 100,000 to have its
systems tested under the new regime, which cost around
200,000 to develop.
The Bank - presided over by Mark Carney - expects to
have 18 testing companies and nine intelligence firms
accredited to carry out the tests after working with the
Council for Registered Ethical Security Testers and
intelligence firm Digital Shadows to develop new industry
standards.
The Bank told City firms in February that they needed to
act more quickly and report to regulators in more detail if
they become subject to cyber attacks from criminal gangs
or terrorists.
The warning followed the results of a massive three-day
exercise dubbed Waking Shark II to simulate an attack on
the City.
(3rd July 2014)
LAW Q AND A - INSULTING WORDS OR BEHAVIOUR
(Police Oracle - dated 5th June 2014 author David

Pickover)
[Option 1]
Question
The word "insulting" appears in a number of offences
under the Public Order Act 1986. What is the meaning of
the word?
Answer
In the case of Brutus v Cozens (1972), the House of Lords
(the predecessor of the Supreme Court) ruled that the
word "insulting" was in common usage and, accordingly,
the word had to be given its ordinary, everyday meaning.
The court ruled that whether something was insulting was
not a question of law, but a question of fact for the court
to determine.
In an earlier phase of Mr Brutus's appeal process, the
Queen's Bench Division of the High Court offered a lengthy
definition of the word "insulting". The House of Lords
unanimously agreed that the Divisional Court had
approached the case on the wrong footing by attempting
to give a meaning to the word.
Reflecting the views of all the Law Lords determining the
case, Lord Kilbrandon stated that a definition of the word
"insulting" was unnecessary and dictionary definitions of
the word were not necessarily helpful.
His lordship added: "Insulting is an ordinary,
uncomplicated English word." He the went on to
summarise the difficulties of attempting (as the Divisional
Court had done) to give meanings to ordinary words. He
did so by quoting Boswell: "To explain requires the use of
terms less abstruse than that which is to be explained and
such terms cannot always be found. The easiest word,
whatever it may be, can never be translated into one
more easy."
This said, a number of cases, such as Hammond v Director

of Public Prosecutions (2004) illustrate what may be
deemed to be insulting. In the Hammond case the
Divisional Court held that signs depicting the words "stop
immorality", "stop homosexuality" and "stop lesbianism"
fell within the purview of section 5 of the Public Order Act
on the grounds that the signs implied that gay and lesbian
people were immoral.
David Pickover is a retired West Yorkshire assistant chief
constable, one time head of West Yorkshire police
detective training and commandant of the training school,
co-author of eight books on criminal law and was the legal
editor on Jane's Police Review magazine for 13 years.
(3rd July 2014)
MAJOR COMPUTING THREAT
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM GAMEOVER ZEUS
(The Telegraph, dated 3rd June 2014 author Matthew
Sparkes)
Full article :
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/internetsecurity/10871626/How-to-protect-yourself-fromGameover-Zeus.html
More than 15,000 people in the UK have been infected
with dangerous malware and have just two weeks to
protect themselves before it attempts to empty their bank
accounts and costs the UK "millions", warns the National
Crime Agency.
The software, called Gameover Zeus, has spread
worldwide but has been temporarily disabled by an
unprecedented international effort from law enforcement
agencies. Potential victims can protect themselves, but
have only a short time to do so before the hackers can
rebuild their network.
"This warning is not intended to cause you panic but we
cannot over-stress the importance of taking these steps
immediately," said government-backed website Get Safe

Online. We look at what you need to do to stay safe. The
US government's Computer Emergency Readiness Team
offered these tips:
Use and maintain anti-virus software. It is vitally
important to install the latest updates.
Change your passwords. Your original passwords may
have been compromised during the infection.
Keep your operating system and applications up-to-date
- install the latest patches.
While the UK government-backed Get Safe Online website
told people to:
Download a free tool to scan for Gameover Zeus and
CryptoLocker, and remove them from your computer
(download links are included on the link above).
Do not open attachments in emails unless you are 100
per cent certain that they are authentic.
Make sure all of your files including documents, photos
music and bookmarks are backed up and readily available
in case you are no longer able to access them on your
computer.
Never store passwords on your computer in case they
are accessed by Gameover Zeus or another aggressive
malware program.
ISPs will now be sending emails to thousands of Britons
who have been infected with the malware, warning them
and telling them what steps to take. They have been
identified because part of the sting operation required
watching internet traffic to pinpoint which users were
infected and collating their IP addresses - these have been
passed to ISPs so that they can contact affected
customers. However, Get Safe Online warned that hackers
may take advantage of this by sending out their own
emails purporting to be from ISPs but actually attempting
to infect further users, so it is vital that you check the
authenticity of emails before clicking any links.
Finally, anyone who believes that they have lost money to
Gameover Zeus, CryptoLocker or any other malware
should contact Action Fraud online or by calling 0300 123
2040.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Get Safe Online is providing advice, guidance and tools on

its website at : www.getsafeonline.org/nca
--------------------------------------------------TWO WEEK OPPORTUNITY FOR UK TO REDUCE THREAT
FROM POWERFUL COMPUTER ATTACK
(National Crime Agency, dated 2nd June 2014)
Full article:
www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/news/news-listings/386two-week-opportunity-for-uk-to-reduce-threat-frompowerful-computer-attack
The NCA is today urging members of the public to protect
themselves against powerful malicious software
(malware), which may be costing UK computer users
millions of pounds.
Action taken by the NCA to combat the threat will give the
UK public a unique, two-week opportunity to rid and
safeguard themselves from two distinct but associated
forms of malware known as GOZeuS and CryptoLocker.
Members of the public can protect themselves by making
sure security software is installed and updated, by running
scans and checking that computer operating systems and
applications are up to date.
The NCA's alert is part of one of the largest industry and
law enforcement collaborations attempted to date. Activity
in several countries, led by the FBI in the US, has
weakened the global network of infected computers,
meaning that action taken now to strengthen online safety
can be particularly effective.
GOZeuS (also known as P2PZeuS) has been assessed as
being responsible for the fraudulent transfer of hundreds
of millions of pounds globally. Recent intelligence has
suggested that more than 15,500 computers in the UK are
currently infected, with many more potentially at risk.
By disrupting the system used by the infected computers
to communicate with each other, and the criminals
controlling them, this activity aims to significantly reduce
the malware's effectiveness.
Individuals in the UK may receive notifications from their
Internet Service Providers that they are a victim of this
malware and are advised to back up all important
information - such as files, photography and videos.
Businesses should also test their incident responses and

business resilience protocols and work with their IT
departments or suppliers to educate employees on the
potential threat.
Get Safe Online is providing advice, guidance and tools on
its website at www.getsafeonline.org/nca * to help internet
users understand more about the malicious software and
how to protect themselves and their computers from
attacks. A number of cyber security companies have
supplied remediation tools, which can be accessed via Get
Safe Online, to help clean up infected machines.
*Due to overwhelming interest and traffic, the Get Safe
Online website is currently experiencing problems. We
understand that Get Safe Online are urgently taking steps
to get this rectified. There is a unique two-week
opportunity for internet users to rid and safeguard
themselves from the GOZeuS and Cryptolocker malware. If
users are unable to access the information at the moment,
we would encourage them to keep trying.
In the meantime information is also available from the Get
Safe Online Facebook and Google + pages, as well as from
CERT UK.
Andy Archibald, Deputy Director of the NCA's National
Cyber Crime Unit, said: "Nobody wants their personal
financial details, business information or photographs of
loved ones to be stolen or held to ransom by criminals. By
making use of this two-week window, huge numbers of
people in the UK can stop that from happening to them.
"Whether you find online security complicated or
confusing, or simply haven't thought about keeping your
personal or office computers safe for a while, now is the
time to take action. Our message is simple: update your
operating system and make this a regular occurrence,
update your security software and use it and, think twice
before clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited
emails."
"Those committing cyber crime impacting the UK are often
highly-skilled and operating from abroad. To respond to
this threat, the NCA is working closely with law
enforcement colleagues all over the world, and developing
important relationships with the private sector."
###GOZeuS and CryptoLocker

Users are typically infected by clicking on attachments or
links in emails which may look like they have been sent by
genuine contacts and may purport to carry invoices,
voicemail messages, or any file made to look innocuous.
These emails are generated by other victims' computers,
who do not realise they are infected, and are used to send
mass emails creating more victims.
If the file or link is clicked on an unprotected computer,
GOZeuS is downloaded and installed and it will then link
the victim's computer to a network of already-infected
machines, known as a BotNet.
The malware waits silently, monitoring the user's activity
until the opportunity arises to capture banking or other
private information, which is then transmitted back to the
criminals via the BotNet infrastructure.
Where a computer infected with GOZeuS turns out not to
offer a significant financial reward, it can 'call in'
CryptoLocker, to give the criminal controllers a second
opportunity to acquire funds from the victim.
CryptoLocker works unseen in the background, encrypting
the user's files. Once that process is complete, the victim
is presented with a pop-up telling them what has
happened and a timer appears on their screen, which
starts counting down. That is the time the victim has in
order to pay a 'discounted' ransom, currently one Bitcoin
(200-300 approximately) for UK users.
The NCA has been working with international law
enforcement partners including the FBI and Europol, as
well as partners from the banking, internet security and
ISP sectors.
Information on ensuring security software is up to date
can be found at Get Safe Online and Cyber Streetwise
Members of the public who think they have lost money
through malware such as P2PZeus and Cryptolocker
should report it to Action Fraud.
(3rd July 2014)
GOOGLE PRIVACY LAW "MEANS TOTAL RETHINK OF
BASIC FREEDOMS"
(The Independent, dated 31st May 2014 author Tom

Harper and Jonathan Owen)
Hundreds of millions of people across Europe will be forced
to change completely the way they use the internet,
according to one of Google's key advisers.
The era of freely available information is now over in
Europe, warns Professor Luciano Floridi, who has been
appointed by the 225bn search engine firm to find out
how it should comply with a landmark ruling that allows
people to ask for personal information to be taken down.
His warning comes as The Independent reveals that
12,000 requests were made on Friday, around 20 a
minute, from people across Europe demanding to have
their personal details removed from Google. More than
1,500 of these are believed to have come from people in
the UK who were looking to take advantage of a service
launched by Google to make it easier for people to apply
for personal data to be removed.
The move follows a European court's ruling earlier this
month that gave people the "right to be forgotten";
convicted criminals are among those trying to hide links to
stories from online search engines. An ex-MP who is
seeking re-election is another of the thousands who have
approached Google.
In an exclusive interview, Dr Floridi, who is professor of
philosophy and the ethics of information at Oxford
University, said that the ruling has "raised the bar so high
that the old rules of the internet no longer apply".
The court's judgment found that 500 million internet users
across Europe had the right to request that Google remove
from its search results information that they believed to be
damaging or a breach of privacy. However, he warned it
would have a perverse effect as it could place even more
power into the hands of Google.
"People would be screaming if a powerful company

suddenly decided what information could be seen by what
people, when and where," he said. "That is the
consequence of this decision. A private company now has
to decide what is in the public interest."
He also said the main beneficiaries of the judgment were
"reputation management companies". He said: "They now
have the power to ask for embarrassing information about
their clients to be removed. If I was the chief executive of
a reputation management agency, I would be
laughing."He concluded: "Everything is up for debate."
Speaking from his office at the Oxford Internet Institute,
Professor Floridi said the judgment by the European Court
of Justice was so revolutionary it would have the same
effect on the digital world as Dick Fosbury had on the
sport of athletics.
In 1968, the American high-jumper won a gold medal at
the 1968 Olympic Games with the "Fosbury flop" - where
he stunned the world by catapulting himself head-first
over the bar. The new technique was adopted by all high
jumpers.
Professor Floridi said: "That was completely counterintuitive but was also a moment of genius. We need
something like that for the internet."
The Italian philosopher recognised the internet caused
unacceptable intrusions into people's privacy and that the
status quo could not continue. However, he said: "I have
spent too much time in the UK not to come down on the
side of freedom of expression, the right to know."
As Google announced its new service on Friday, its chief
executive Larry Page warned the ruling risked
strengthening corrupt and repressive regimes in their
attempts to restrict "public interest" information from their
citizens. Since the ruling was handed down earlier this
month, Google has received "a few thousand" requests
from people seeking to remove personal information, but
this surged yesterday with the introduction of the new

form that makes the process simpler.
More than half of the UK requests to have information
removed have come from convicted criminals. Google is
expecting the number of inquiries to soar following the
announcement of its "right to be forgotten" service.
Dominic Raab, the Conservative MP who campaigns on
civil liberties issues, is very concerned about the ruling. He
said: "This is the worst kind of arbitrary judicial legislation
from the European court. It threatens the censorship of
legal and legitimate publicly available information on
utterly opaque grounds. But, worse still, it forces internet
search engines to police what should and shouldn't be
wiped from public view without any clear criteria - let
alone ones determined by democratically elected
lawmakers."
Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, is known to have
strong views on the ruling, calling it "astonishing". He said
it was "one of the most wide-sweeping internet censorship
rulings that I've ever seen". He later tweeted: "When will a
European court demand that Wikipedia censor an article
with truthful information because an individual doesn't like
it?"
However, David Smith, deputy Information Commissioner
and director of data protection, said: "This is a judgment
that we welcome. It sets out a framework to hold data
controllers operating online search engines to account for
the personal data they process. It also backs our view that
search engines are subject to data protection law,
clarifying an area that was previously uncertain.
"We recognise that there will be difficult judgements to
make on whether links should be removed. We'll be
focusing on concerns linked to clear evidence of damage
and distress to individuals."
(17th June 2014)
COMPUTING SECURITY - MAY 2014 REVIEW

HACKERS PUT SECURITY TOOL THAT FINDS PAYMENT CARD
DATA INTO THEIR ARSENAL
(ComputerWorld, dated 30th May 2014 author Jeremy Kirk)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248693/Hackers
_put_security_tool_that_finds_payment_card_data_into_the
ir_arsenal?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-05-30
Bootleg versions of a powerful tool called "Card Recon"
from Ground Labs, which searches for payment card data
stored in the nooks and crannies of networks, have been
appropriated by cybercriminals.
This month, the security companies Trend Micro and Arbor
Networks published research into point-of-sale (POS)
malware, which has been blamed for data breaches at US
retailers such as Target and Neiman Marcus, sparking
concerns over the security of consumer data.
Both companies found that unauthorized copies of Card
Recon had been incorporated into a malware program and
a toolkit designed for finding and attacking Point of Sale
(POS) terminals.
-------------------------------------------------DEFINITELY DELETED : HOW TO GUARANTEE YOUR DATA IS
TRULY GONE BEFORE RECYCLING OLD PC'S AND DRIVES
(Computerworld, dated 16th May 2014 author Chris
Hoffman)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248457/Definitel
y_deleted_How_to_guarantee_your_data_is_truly_gone_bef
ore_recycling_old_PCs_and_drives?
Deleted files can often be recovered, and that's a problem
when you're passing your PC or PC-related tech along to
someone else. Whether it's sensitive financial data,
business documents, or scandalous photos that could be
used to blackmail you, you probably don't want people
getting their hands on your private stuff.
Fortunately, you can take steps to protect your data,
whether you're getting rid of a PC, external hard drive, or
USB stick. Here's how!
------------------------------------------------------ONLINE ADVERTISING ENDANGERS USER SECURITY,
PRIVACY
(ComputerWorld, dated 15th May 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248375/Online_a
dvertising_endangers_user_security_privacy?
The current state of online advertising endangers the
security and privacy of users and the U.S. Federal Trade
Commission should force the industry to offer better
protections through comprehensive regulation, the U.S.
Senate said in a report.
The report includes findings and recommendations of the
Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations of the
Senate's Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs following an investigation into the
distribution of malware through online ads -- also known
as "malvertising." It was followed by a hearing Thursday
that included testimony from Yahoo and Google about
their efforts to combat such threats.
"Consumers can incur malware attacks [through online

ads] without having taken any action other than visiting a
mainstream website," the subcommittee said, referencing
two attacks that involved malicious ads distributed
through Yahoo and Google ad networks.
------------------------------------------------BLACKSHADES USERS TARGETED IN 16 NATION SWEEP, 97
ARRESTED
(Computerworld, dated 19th May 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248431/BlackSh
ades_users_targeted_in_16_nation_sweep_97_arrested?
Law enforcement agencies from 16 countries on three
continents last week arrested 97 people after executing
raids targeting those suspected of creating, buying and
using a notorious Trojan program called BlackShades.
Over two days, police carried out 359 house searches and
seized over 1,100 computers, laptops, mobile telephones,
routers, external hard drives and USB memory sticks,
Eurojust said Monday on its website. The Dutch Public
Prosecution Service said that the global operation was
coordinated from Eurojust in The Hague.
Rumors about the police searches related to BlackShades
have appeared on underground forums since early this
month and intensified last week, according to Rickey
Gevers, a cybercrimine investigator who has been tracking
the reports.
------------------------------------------------MORE FAKE ANTIVIRUS APPS POP UP IN GOOGLE PLAY,
WINDOWS PHONE STORE
(ComputerWorld, dated 16th May 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248398/More_fa
ke_antivirus_apps_pop_up_in_Google_Play_Windows_Phone
_Store?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-05-19
Last month Google offered refunds to users who bought a
fake antivirus app from Google Play, but the scam seems
to be catching on and security researchers have recently
identified similar apps in both the Android and Windows
Phone app stores.
Malware analysts from Kaspersky Lab found a fake app
called Kaspersky Mobile in the Windows Phone Store,
which is unusual because cybercriminals tend to target
Google Play and because Kaspersky doesn't even make an
antivirus product for Windows Phone.
The fake app, which was available for 149 rubles or around
US$4, used Kaspersky's logo and other branding elements
and even pretended to scan files when run, said Roman
Unuchek, senior malware analyst at Kaspersky Lab in a
blog post Thursday.
---------------------------------------------IS EU "RIGHT TO BE FORGOTTEN" REALLY THE "RIGHT TO
EDIT THE TRUTH" ?
(Computerworld, dated 14th May 2014 author Sharon
Gaudin)
Full article :
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248345/Is_EU_s_
right_to_be_forgotten_really_the_right_to_edit_the_truth_?
With Europe's top court ordering Google to allow people to

basically edit their online personal histories, some wonder
what this will mean for finding the truth online.
However, it's doubtful the ruling will be mimicked in the
U.S., according to analysts who say the European Union is
tougher on issues of personal privacy.
"I don't think we have the appetite for this," said Fatemeh
Khatibloo, an analyst with Forrester. "We don't have the
same sort of expectations that the government will protect
our privacy like they do in Europe. We just don't have the
precedent for it."
Dan Olds, an analyst with The Gabriel Consulting Group,
said he when he first heard about the ruling, he wondered
how long it would be before it extended from individuals to
businesses, and how long before privacy organizations
push for a similar ruling in the U.S.
(17th June 2014)
PROOF THAT TOUGHER SENTENCES DO WORK

(Daily Mail, dated 28th May 2014 author Steve Doughty)
Tough punishments really do deter criminals, an academic
study of the London riots of 2011 shows.
Researchers found that firm sentences handed down in
the wake of the disorder cut crime for months afterwards
across the capital and elsewhere around the country.
The effect of the harsher punishments was to reduce
crime levels by 3 per cent in the months after the summer
riots. There was a fall-off in burglary, criminal damage and
crimes of a violent nature.
The report compared crime rates before the riots with
those six months later. There was a drop in crime even in

London boroughs far away from the disorder and in areas
of England and Wales which had not been involved.
Researchers said this proves the threat of prison is a
powerful deterrent.
The study found that six months after the riots, there was
still a 'significant' drop in crime in all areas of London. 'We
observe a decline in crime even in London areas located
far from the riot incidents and in police force areas in
England and Wales that were not affected by the riots,'
said the researchers.
'This is consistent with the operation of a deterrence effect
from tougher sentencing.'
The researchers from University College London and
Oxford University said that usually crime rates change too
slowly to be able to work out the effects of tougher
sentencing.
However, the riots offered an ample opportunity as 4,600
rioters were arrested and 2,250 were brought to court over
a short period.
They were given longer sentences by judges who decided
that those who took advantage of public disorder needed
harsher treatment.
Up to 15,000 people took part in five days of rioting that
followed the shooting of Mark Duggan by the Metropolitan
Police.
There were five deaths and more than 5,000 crimes were
committed, mainly burglary, criminal damage and violent
crimes such as assault.
The study, published in the Economic Journal, found that
rioters brought to court were almost three times more
likely to be jailed than people with a similar profile who
had committed similar crimes in 2010.
On average, their jail terms were two months longer than

those handed down for the same kind of crimes in the
previous year.
Among the most notable examples of firm sentences was
the six-month term given to Nicholas Robinson by a
district court judge for stealing six bottles of mineral water
worth 3.50, and the ten months Danielle Corns received
for stealing two left-footed trainers during disorder in
Wolverhampton.
The researchers said that the fall in burglary, violence and
vandalism was not the result of increased police presence
- in fact, there were fewer police patrols after the riots
than beforehand.
Neither did the drop occur because the riot criminals were
in jail, as crime fell in areas far away from where the jailed
criminals had been active.
The report found there was a small increase in crimes
untypical of riots, such as robbery.
Researchers suggested this also showed deterrence
worked, as criminals turned to offences less likely to
attract a long sentence.
(17th June 2014)
APPLE DEVICES HIJACKED FOR RANSOM IN

AUSTRALIA
(BBC News, dated 27th May 2014 author Dave Lee)
Several users of Apple devices in Australia have reported
that their gadgets have been "hijacked" - with a message
demanding money.
Experts believed the hack had targeted users by exploiting
the Find my iPhone feature.
A message appeared on some targeted phones asking for

"$100 USD/EUR" to be sent to a PayPal account.
Mobile networks have advised affected users to contact
Apple, which has not yet commented on the problem.
It appeared that the attacker gained access to users'
iCloud accounts, the cloud storage service offered by
Apple that is able to access devices remotely.
PayPal has said any funds sent to the specified account
would be refunded.
'Woke me up'
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the problem
spread across much of Australia, with reports of attacks in
Queensland, New South Wales, Western Australia, South
Australia and Victoria.
However, reports have emerged from further afield, with
at least one case said to have occurred in London. It
involved an Australian visiting on holiday.
Concerned users took to Apple's support forums, and
Twitter, to share details of attacks, which affected iPhones,
iPads and, in some cases, Mac laptops.
"This has happened to me too in Brisbane, woke me up
half an hour ago," wrote one user, amberoonie.
"Freaking out as when I opened my laptop it had the same
message 'Device hacked by Oleg Pliss. For unlock device'
with the Find My iPhone icon."
It is unlikely the hacker would use his real name in the
message.
'Not an option'
Information security consultant Brian Honan told the BBC
that so far little is known about the source of the attacks.

He said theories ranged from someone having access to
Apple's systems, to hackers having access to a database
of usernames and passwords - perhaps obtained from a
third party.
Regardless, he said Apple had to move quickly to reassure
users.
"One of the key things, as in any security breach, is being
able to communicate proactively with your affected
customers," he said.
"Even just to let them know what you're doing to deal with
the issue can be reassuring. Remaining silent is not an
option these days."
(17th June 2014)
LULZSEC HACKER HELPS FBI STOP 300 CYBER
ATTACKS
(BBC News, dated 26th May 2014)
The former "leader" of hacking group LulzSec has helped
the FBI stop more than 300 cyber attacks since his arrest
on hacking charges in 2011.
The co-operation of Hector Xavier Monsegur has helped to
prevent losses of millions of dollars, according to court
documents filed by prosecutors.
Mr Monsegur will be sentenced on Tuesday for his role in
major online hacking attacks.
Prosecutors have recommended that he receives a
reduced sentence.
LulzSec was formed in approximately May 2011 when Mr
Monsegur - also known as Sabu - and five other members

of the Anonymous hacking movement joined forces.
According to the documents filed with the court the group
was responsible for "major hacks" into and "thefts" from
computer servers belonging to companies including Fox
Television, Nintendo and Sony.
Mr Monsegur was arrested in June 2011 and pleaded
guilty, as part of a co-operation agreement with the US
government, to nine counts related to computer hacking,
amongst others.
'Extraordinarily valuable'
The documents that were filed in a New York court last
week state that Mr Monsegur's most substantial
assistance came from his "co-operation against significant
cybercriminals" affiliated with Anonymous, LulzSec and
Internet Feds - another hacking group.
Because of his help the FBI say they were able to identify,
prosecute and convict the "number one cybercriminal
target in the world" at the time - Jeremy Hammond.
He also helped prevent major hacking attacks that were
being planned by active cybercriminals.
Mr Monsegur was in contact with hackers and received
information from them about attacks that were being
planned. He shared this knowledge with the FBI.
Victims of the attacks were to include the US Armed
Forces, the US Congress and Nasa as well as a "television
network, a video game manufacturer and an electronics
conglomerate".
Electrical grid hack
"The FBI used this information, wherever feasible, to
prevent or mitigate harm that otherwise would have
occurred," the prosecutors' filing said.
"The FBI estimates that it was able to disrupt or prevent at

least 300 separate computer hacks in this fashion.
"Although difficult to quantify, it is likely that Monsegur's
actions prevented at least millions of dollars in loss to
these victims."
He is also credited with providing officials with information
about vulnerabilities that could have led to attacks on a
water utility for a US city and a foreign energy company.
"Law enforcement used the information Monsegur
provided to secure the water utility, and the information
about the energy company was shared with appropriate
government personnel," prosecutors said.
A hack on the US electrical grid was also found to be a
hoax after Mr Monsegur communicated with members of
Anonymous. This saved the government "substantial time
and resources".
Under US sentencing guidelines Mr Monsegur could be
sentenced to between 21 and 26 years in prison.
Prosecutors have called Mr Monsegur's help
"extraordinarily valuable and productive" and have
recommended that his sentence is limited to "time
served". He has already spent seven months in jail after
breaking conditions of his bail in 2012.
(17th June 2014)
eBAY URGES USERS TO CHANGE PASSWORDS

(BBC News, dated 21st May 2014)
Actual article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-27503290
EBay has asked users to change their passwords following
a cyberattack that compromised one of its databases.
The US firm said the database was hacked between late

February and early March, and had contained encrypted
passwords and other non-financial data.
The auction site added that it had no evidence of there
being unauthorised activity on its members' accounts.
However, it said that changing the passwords was "best
practice and will help enhance security for eBay users".
The California-based company has 128 million active users
and accounted for $212bn (126bn) worth of commerce
on its various marketplaces and other services in 2013.
A post on eBay's corporate site said that cyber-attackers
accessed the information after obtaining "a small number
of employee log-in credentials", allowing them to access
its systems - something it only became aware of a
fortnight ago.
"The database... included eBay customers' name,
encrypted password, email address, physical address,
phone number and date of birth," it said.
"However, the database did not contain financial
information or other confidential personal information.
"Extensive forensics subsequently identified the
compromised eBay database, resulting in the company's
announcement today."
Although the firm also owns the PayPal money transfer
service, it said that the division's data was stored
separately, encrypted and that there was no evidence that
it had been accessed.
However, it added that any members who used the same
login details used on eBay for other sites should also
update them.
(17th June 2014)
STEPHEN LAWRENCE'S FATHER : WE MUST ACT TO

STOP KNIFE KILLINGS
(London Evening Standard, dated 20th May 2014 author
Martin Bentham)
Full article :
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/stephen-lawrencesfather-calls-for-london-campaign-to-stop-disaster-of-knifekillings-9402416.html
The father of Stephen Lawrence today called for a new
London campaign against knife crime in a bid to end the
"disaster" of young deaths from stab wounds.
Neville Lawrence, whose son was stabbed to death in
1993, said that tough automatic sentences and improved
education about the dangers of knives were needed to
reduce the death toll on the capital's streets. "My son was
killed by a knife and every year I see the fact that the
message hasn't got through to the younger generation
about how devastating it is for a family to lose a loved
one," he said.
In an interview with the Evening Standard Mr Lawrence,
left, also spoke of his anguish on reading in this
newspaper about the fatal stabbing of teenager Jamil
Palmer in Feltham. Jamil, 18, died on May 6 after being
knifed as he walked through a nature reserve with a friend
- making him the second London teenager to be stabbed
to death in less than 48 hours following the killing of Alim
Uddin, 17, in Brixton.
Mr Lawrence said the continuing loss of young lives had
convinced him that current efforts to combat knife crime
were inadequate and should be overhauled.
He called for more police on the beat, better liaison
between officers and local communities, and the greater
provision of youth centres and employment opportunities

to prevent young Londoners being drawn into gangs.
He said he had also decided to speak out now to support
his murdered son's friend Duwayne Brooks, who is bidding
to become mayor of Lewisham in this Thursday's local
elections, because of the new ideas that he was offering
about how to tackle the problem.
Mr Lawrence described his dismay that young Londoners
were still dying from knife wounds 21 years after Stephen
was fatally stabbed by a gang of racist white youths in
Eltham.
"I'm looking at the Evening Standard now where this boy
was stabbed and the woman was saying that she was
cradling the boy while he was lying down," he said. "I
could hear the pain in her voice. It's too frequent that
people just carry a knife.
"If one person gets stabbed per year, it's a disaster. From
my point of view, the struggle to regain your life and get
to grips with what's happened and losing your loved one is
devastating. Some of these kids that have been killed are
really talented people who would have done a lot to help
their community and that's a tragedy in itself.
"When I sometimes talk to youngsters and ask them why
they carry a knife, they say 'it's protection and I won't use
it'. Now if you carry a knife for protection and something
happens, you are going to use it. So if there's any way that
a youngster can feel more protected in the community to
stop them carrying a knife that would be welcome."
Justice Secretary Chris Grayling has called for people
convicted of carrying a knife for a second time to be given
a mandatory six-month prison sentence.The proposal,
which has won the backing of Met Commissioner Sir
Bernard-Hogan Howe, has been blocked by the Liberal
Democrats amid a Coalition row over the idea.
But Mr Lawrence said that he believed tougher automatic
sentences could play a role in preventing knife crime.

He added: "Anything that would deter people from
carrying a knife would be very welcome. If it means that
you are caught with a knife and you are getting a heavy
penalty, a set fee, maybe something like that would deter
people."
Mr Lawrence, 72, said a lack of parental guidance and job
opportunities coupled with the closure of youth centres
was also fuelling the problem and leading some
youngsters into gangs.
Mr Lawrence said one answer was to take young people
"off the streets" by expanding youth centre provision.
"A lot of these youngsters are very gifted. Get them doing
something and they will excel," he said. "You see these
guys on the streets, just standing there doing nothing
every day, you need to get them off the streets into some
kind of situation where they are not idle." Mr Lawrence
said the absence of constructive alternatives was adding
to London's gang problem and expressed concern that
high unemployment, rising house prices and other
pressures were making some youths "desperate" and
frustrated.
He said another issue was a lack of police on the beat.
"There are too few officers walking in the community,
getting to know the people on the streets, making friends
with them," he said. "You can't make friends in the office,
you make friends walking the streets?...? all that has gone,
officers who get to know the community and help to
resolve conflict."
Mr Lawrence said that Mr Brooks, who was with Stephen
when he died, had his support because he was "looking at
things in a different way" and was promising early
intervention in schools and families to prevent children
falling into crime, along with a drive to create 2,000 job
and training opportunities.
"When I see or hear of a young boy being stabbed the first

thing that comes into my head was 'how did I cope, how is
this family coping, how can I help if they ask me to help,
what do I tell them?'
"It makes me really, really sad that after 21 years I'm still
hearing of a young boy being stabbed. If one young man is
stabbed in the street in all the year, it's still one too
many."
(17th June 2014)
CHILD BURGLARY VICTIMS GET SAY IN COURT
Nicholas Cecil)
www.standard.co.uk
[Option 1]
Burglars will face tougher jail sentences if children
traumatised by the raids bravely tell courts of their ordeal.
Justice minister Damian Green today stressed that judges
should take into account personal victim statements made
by youngsters, as well as adults, whose homes are
burgled. The flagship reform to the criminal justice system
means intruders who could have escaped a prison term
may instead be jailed once magistrates or judges hear of
the full trauma inflicted on children.
Burglars who were already facing prison may get a longer
sentence.
Children can even ask to read out their victim statement in
court before a convicted burglar is sentenced. Mr Green
told the Standard: "Burglary can have severe emotional
effects on victims, particularly children. Under our new
Victims' Code young people are able to ask to read their
personal victim statement out in court, explaining in their
own words how the crime has affected them.
"The judge will then take this into account when
determining the sentence. It will also mean offenders and
the court can be left in no doubt of the full impact of a
crime."
Burglars targeting homes can already expect a jail term
under guidelines but in some cases are given a community
sentence or other punishment.
Longer prison sentences are allowed if a child is at home

during a break-in, as this is an "aggravating factor", or if
the child is significantly affected.
But the Victims' Code is separate from these sentencing
guidelines and could lead to tougher jail terms by
revealing the full extent of the misery suffered by families.
It specifies that under-18s can make a personal victim
statement, written or recorded on a video, which they can
ask to have read or played in court if the defendant is
found guilty and before sentencing.
Nearly 300,000 children a year are believed to be the
victims of break-ins in England and Wales.
Two in five parents say their children needed emotional or
psychological support after a burglary, according to a
recent survey by the charity Victim Support and home
security firm ADT.
Nearly a third of children said they had nightmares after
the break-in and suffered a knock in confidence.
Victim Support is campaigning for judges to be able to
consider breaking into a house where a child lives as an
"aggravating factor" - even if the youngster was not home
at the time.
Average custodial sentences for all burglary offences have
risen from 18.7 months in 2010 to 20.4 months in 2013,
says the Ministry of Justice. Burglars can face up to 14
years in jail.
(17th June 2014)
LAW Q & A : POLICE POWERS TO STOP MOTOR

VEHICLES
(Police Oracle - dated 15th May 2014 author David
Pickover)
Question
I have just watched a programme called Parking Mad
which showed the Metropolitan Police, assisted by bailiffs,
set up an ANPR site in Croydon who were then enforcing
warrants issued for non payment of parking tickets.
Having watched these drivers being fleeced by the bailiffs,

I couldn't help but think the police are being used as some
sort of enforcement arm of a civilian company.
So, if an officer in uniform stops a driver and then hands
them over to bailiffs, then would the driver commit an
offence by driving away from the scene?
Can a driver be pressured into submitting to the demands
of a bailiff on the instructions of a police officer?
Answer
I share your concerns that the setting up of road checks to
facilitate the work of bailiffs is an abuse of police powers.
Some would also argue that there is also a misuse of
police resources when officers are to be seen idling their
time as the bailiffs go about their business.
Section 163 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 provides that
a person driving a mechanically propelled vehicle on a
road must stop the vehicle on being required to do so by a
constable in uniform or a traffic officer.
Section 163 falls within Part V11 of the Act, which is
devoted to powers of constables and other authorised
persons. The general tenor of the provision is that its
object is solely to facilitate the exercise of the other
powers contained in Part V11 of the Act.
It is of much significance that following on from the power
to stop vehicles are the powers of constables To require production of driving licence and other
documents
To obtain names and addresses of drivers and others and
to require production of evidence of insurance and test
certificates (section 165)
To seize vehicles driven without licence or insurance,
(section 165(A).
Section 163 is thus inextricably linked with the exercise of
the powers conferred by sections 164-165(A) and other
powers in the Act, nothing more, nothing less, save for the
carrying out of road checks under the authority of section
4 of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984.
There is no power to detain a stationary vehicle - so it was
held by the Divisional Court in the case of Regina v
Waterfield (1964). In the case of Beard v Wood (1980) it
was held that the power to stop a vehicle is available
provided the constable is acting bona fide and not
capriciously.
In my view, it is difficult for a police officer engaged in an
operation of the kind mentioned in the question to claim
they are acting in good faith when it appears that the
object of the exercise or one of the principal objects of the
exercise is the enforcement of the civil law which is wholly
unconnected with police duties and responsibilities.
In the case of Lodwick v Saunders (1985) it was held that
a driver is under a duty to keep a vehicle at a standstill
while a constable has reasonable opportunity of exercising
his powers(confirming the foregoing rationale behind the
enactment of section 163) and this may include telling the
driver of his suspicions that a vehicle had been stolen and
to arrest him and thus to detain the vehicle against the
driver's will.
As correctly anticipated in the question, if having stopped
a motor vehicle a police officer does not then exercise a
police power and steps aside to allow the bailiffs to get on
with their work, the driver of the motor vehicle is entitled
to drive off and would commit no offence in doing so.
Irrespective of whether the operation under review had
been set up to assist the bailiffs in their work or the bailiffs
were availing themselves of the opportunities presented
by the road checks, I much lean to the view that when
examined as a whole it constitutes an irregular and
unlawful police operation.

It seems certain that the ANPR site described in the
question is a road check within the terms of section 4 of
the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Under no
circumstances could a road check be authorised under
section 4 to facilitate bailiffs carrying out their duties. If
the road check had been authorised under section 4 of
PACE the involvement of the bailiffs would render it
unlawful.
(17th June 2014)
POLICE MISCONDUCT LIST SHOULD BE PUBLIC
(Police Oracle, dated 14th May 2014 authors Cliff Caswell /
Alex Iszatt)
The chief executive of the College of Policing has said he
hopes a register of officers dismissed for misconduct will
be placed in the public domain in the future.
In an interview with this website, Alex Marshall said the
names of the former officers could not be published at the
moment as it would not be within the law to do so.
But he pointed out that other professional bodies, such as
those in the medicine and nursing sectors, had a
regulation that allowed them to go public - and he felt
policing should be no different.
Chief Constable Marshall added: "We have been working
with the Home Office to try to resolve this issue - my view
is that members of the public should be able to view the
list.
Since December 2013 the College of Policing has amassed
a record of 109 officers dismissed for gross misconduct
well as those who have left the service having a case to
answer for gross misconduct prior to appearing before a

hearing.
Of the 109 cases 97 officers were discharged due to an
internal misconduct investigation under Police (Conduct)
Regulations 2012 while only 12 cases arose from an
investigation into a public complaint under the Police
Reform Act 2002.
A third of all cases relate solely to off-duty conduct.
It is hoped the 'Disapproved Register' will withstand
challenges by judicial review for breach of confidence, a
breach of Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights
and potentially defamation.
The register will provide transparency of misconduct
proceedings and it will also allow appropriate authority to
continue to apply misconduct proceedings in cases where
officers elect to resign.
CC Marshall added: "The College of Policing has taken
steps to compile and maintain a single national register of
officers dismissed for gross misconduct, including those
electing to resign or who retire in the face of gross
misconduct. We now need to seek the right regulatory
framework to allow us to make the register public facing.
"The register isn't just a matter of naming and shaming
bad officers, it is about protecting the public from officers
who commit wrongdoing by preventing them from reentering the service.
"We are continuing to work with the Home Office on this
and other measures designed to improve transparency of
police misconduct procedures."
Breakdown of the list by type of misconduct
In total, the 109 cases involve 209 separate breaches of
standards of professional behaviour, as follows:
Discreditable Conduct 73
Honesty and Integrity 48
Orders and Instructions 21
Confidentiality 20
Duties and Responsibilities 19
Authority Respect and Courtesy 13
Equality and Diversity 6
Use of Force 4
Failure to Challenge and Report Improper Conduct 4
Unfit for Duty 1
Total 209
Source: The College of Policing
(17th June 2014)
CYBERCRIME BOSS OFFERS A FERRARI FOR BIGGEST

SCAM
(The Independent, dated 11th May 2014 author Paul
Peachey)
www.independent.co.uk [Option 1]
The leader of a global cybercrime syndicate offered his
associates a Ferrari for the hacker who came up with the
best scam, according to a senior European security
source.
The gift - made on a professionally produced video hidden
in a dark recess of the internet - formed the basis of a
bizarre "employee of the month" competition for the
organised crime gang. On the tape, a presenter is pictured
in a car showroom alongside a Porsche, a Ferrari and
glamorous female assistants who offer the prize for the
most successful hacker.
Troels Oerting, the head of the European Cybercrime
Centre (EC3), said this was a sign of the lengths that
organised crime will go to recruit and retain young
technological talent.
The scheme - operated from an unspecified eastern
European destination - highlights the huge rewards on
offer for relative risk-free criminal operations that can net
the masterminds millions of pounds from countries that
operate as safe havens - far beyond the reach of European
security officials.
The video is the subject of a current investigation. "A
kingpin will offer a Porsche or a Ferrari to sub-groups who
earn the most money," said Mr Oerting who added that
the video was shot from a "car showroom, with a couple of
blondes and a guy saying: those who make most money
can get this car".

EC3 - the focal point of the EU's fight against cybercrime said that the agency was seeing 85 per cent of cybercrime
activity from Russian-speaking territories, where law
enforcement has traditionally found it difficult to prosecute
cyber criminals targeting Western countries.
Mr Oerting warned that Europe faced a two-tier system of
justice where the rich could afford to protect themselves
and take the cyber fight to organised hackers, while the
poor faced spiralling bank charges and rampant identity
theft because of their inability to pay for online protection.
He said that the vast cost of card fraud meant that
companies were unlikely to continue shouldering the cost
in the long term.
"We have 28 different legislations but we have one new
crime phenomenon," he said. "If you're rich you live in a
nice place with a fence around it with CCTV, but if you're
poor. On the internet, some will be able to protect, some
will not."
One of the biggest alleged players in international
cybercrime, Dmitry Golubov, was released from prison in
Kiev in 2008 after the intervention of two Ukrainian
politicians. He was accused by the US authorities of being
a key player in CarderPlanet, one of the first and most
sophisticated credit card fraud sites in the world, and
subsequently set up his own political party. He denied any
wrongdoing. At its height, CarderPlanet had 6,000
members, headed by a godfather. A US court last year
jailed Roman Vega, one of the senior dons, for 18 years
after he was arrested when he travelled to Cyprus.
"They are very, very good at locating themselves in
jurisdictions that are difficult for us. If we can pursue them
to arrest, we will have to prosecute by handing over the
case," said Mr Oerting. "Even if they will do it, it's a very
cumbersome and slow process. You can wait until they
leave the country, then get them. That's a comparatively
small volume. The police ability stops at the border. We
are also seeing signs of movement to African countries

when the broadband is getting bigger. We will probably
see more from places we don't want to engage with."
Mr Oerting said that criminal gangs were actively
recruiting young programmers from universities and were
talent-spotting online to identify creative programmers.
He cited the case of a worldwide gang which paid about
$500 for five debit cards with a fixed withdrawal limit, then
hacked into computers to convert them to credit cards
with no upper withdrawal limit.
They then cloned the cards and during a few hours of
intensive activity at card machines across the world,
including Britain, managed to steal about $45m.
Mr Oerting said that Europe would have to face a new way
of fighting cybercrime given the sharp increase in fraud
that was costing Britain billions of pounds every year.
"In real cybercrime, [we're going after] the people who
develop and distribute the malware. We are trying to find
them and identify them. It's like cutting the snake's head
off. But there are a lot of heads, and they grow back very
quickly," he said.
"Organised crime has not just embraced this but
integrated cybercrime into its business."
(17th June 2014)
THOUSANDS OF CARS STOLEN USING HI-TECH
GADGETS
(Sky News, dated 8th May 2014 author Thomas Cheshire)
Full article : http://news.sky.com/story/1257320/thousandsof-cars-stolen-using-hi-tech-gadgets
Tens of thousands of cars are being stolen or broken into
every year by thieves using electronic hacking equipment,
a Sky News investigation has found.

Last year half of all car thefts and vehicle break-ins in
London alone were carried out without the use of force,
according to the Metropolitan Police.
Instead criminals are believed to have used hi-tech
devices originally designed for locksmiths to gain access
to vehicles.
Commonly, the thieves use easily obtainable equipment
that can intercept the signals from key fobs to get into
cars or that plug into a car's on-board computers remotely.
Modern cars contain about 50 low-powered computers
which criminals have learnt to take advantage of to steal
vehicles in as little as 10 seconds without causing any
damage.
Sky News has established that the devices can be bought
cheaply online, from websites based mainly in Bulgaria.
Video tutorials posted online can teach criminals how to
gain access to popular models.
The problem was first exposed several years ago in certain
models. But now police are warning that all modern makes
are potentially vulnerable.
And for the first time, the Met has disclosed the growing
nature of the threat. About 21,000 cars were stolen in the
capital last year, according to the latest figures. A further
68,000 were broken into.
"Recent analysis of crime data suggests that almost half
the total number of vehicles stolen in London are taken
using this method, which can affect all manufacturers,"
the force said in a statement to Sky News.
"High-end vehicles are becoming more and more
sophisticated. In turn so are criminals.
"Some organised criminals have access to technology that
avoids the need to (physically break in). Vehicles are

becoming more technologically advanced and the
criminals are becoming more savvy towards that
technology and they will develop."
The Met said it was working with manufacturers to protect
drivers from having their cars stolen or broken into.
Car crime has fallen in recent years as manufacturers
create even more secure vehicles.
But in countries closer to Bulgaria, like Sweden, Germany
and the Netherlands, the crime rate has started to rise
after years of decrease.
"We have every reason to believe that other European
countries will be following suit this year and next," Mike
Parris, head of the secure car division at SBD security, told
Sky News.
"It is getting worse," he added. "The tools are becoming
much more readily available. The price of them is falling.
And they're operating much more quickly - you can reprogram a key in a matter of seconds.
"All vehicle manufacturers are aware of the problem. It's
fair to say some are doing more than others.
"Car manufacturers are acutely aware of the need to
constantly make their vehicles more secure because they
know criminals will adapt and develop."
The Met advises car owners to leave their cars in well-lit
areas, to consider using steering, gear shift and pedal
locks, as well as tracking devices.
One website found to be selling the devices did not
respond to a request to comment from Sky News. Its
homepage says: "All devices are sold for official use
only!!! If you use them for any illegal purposes, this is your
own responsibility!!!"
(17th June 2014)
POLICE CHIEFS CONDEMN CALL TO STRIP MET OF

COUNTER-TERRORISM POWERS
(The Guardian, dated 9th May 2014 author Matthew
Weaver)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/09/policechiefs-met-counter-terrorism-powers
Chief police officers have condemned a call by a
committee of MPs to strip Scotland Yard of responsibility
for counter-terrorism powers.
The home affairs select committee called for the new
National Crime Agency (NCA) to be in charge of counterterrorism policing rather than the Metropolitan police.
The MPs' report suggested the Met was struggling to cope
with the role after a series of "difficulties". The committee
did not specify what these were, but the report comes
after a series of high-profile scandals, including the
Plebgate affair, undercover policing, the shooting of Mark
Duggan, and the manipulation of crime statistics.
The report said: "The Metropolitan police have a wide
remit which has many complexities and the current
difficulties faced by the organisation lead us to believe
that the responsibility for counter-terrorism ought to be
moved to the National Crime Agency in order to allow the
Met to focus on the basics of policing London."
The MPs expressed alarm over the apparent ease with
which the terror suspect Mohammed Ahmed Mohamed
escaped from a control order - or Tpim - last November
when he disguised himself in a burqa after removing an
electronic tag in a mosque.
The committee noted that the Met said it was satisfied
with its response to the case and that the system did not
need improving. The committee suggested this was
complacent. It said: "It is deeply worrying that anyone who
is subject to a Tpim, or those who were subjects of control
orders, can abscond with relative ease. We recommend
that a review of the types of measures placed upon
subjects needs to be conducted to ensure that enough is

being done to prevent absconsion."
The report said the UK's counter-terrorism command,
which is run by the Met, should "immediately" begin to
switch to the NCA. The agency should have full operational
control by 2018, the committee said.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said the committee
had failed to understand the Met's current role. In a
statement, it said there was no evidence to suggest any
benefit from switching responsibilty for counter-terrorism
to the NCA.
It said: "Counter-terrorism policing is not directed through
a single lead force but rather has responsibility vested in
nine chief constables across the UK in areas where the
threat is considered to be the greatest.
"These chief constables act collaboratively and effectively
on behalf of all forces, while at the same time maintaining
close and critical links into local policing."
The report was also highly critical of the ineffective
oversight arrangements of Britain's intelligence agencies.
It said the disclosures by the US whistleblower Edward
Snowden had exposed the British system as stuck in a
"pre-internet age".
Home Affair Committe - Counter Terrorism report,link :
www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/c
mhaff/231/23102.htm
----------------------MP's VERDICT ON SPYING OVERSIGHT : A SYSTEM
FIT FOR SMILEY, NOT 21st CENTURY
(The Guardian, dated 9th May 2014 author Alan Travis)
Full article : www.theguardian.com/uknews/2014/may/09/mps-criticise-regulation-of-british-spyagencies
Regulation of Britain's intelligence agencies is so weak and
ineffective that it undermines their credibility and that of
parliament, the all-party Commons home affairs
committee has concluded.
The MPs say the security and intelligence agencies are
operating at the cutting edge of sophistication, but their
systems of accountability belong to a pre-internet age
when a person's word was accepted without question.
The current system makes scrutiny of the work of MI5, MI6
and GCHQ the exclusive preserve of parliament's

intelligence and security committee, which takes nearly all
its evidence in secret. It includes a network of oversight
commissioners, a tribunal to deal with complaints and a
legal framework set out in the 2000 Regulation of
Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa).
The ISC
The committee says the current ISC, which is chaired by
the former Tory foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind with
its membership nominated by the prime minister, is
ineffective, and that oversight of the intelligence agencies
should no longer be its exclusive preserve. Its members,
including its chair, they say, should be MPs and elected by
all MPs, like other select committees. In a direct criticism
of Rifkind, they say the chair should also always be a
member of the largest opposition party.
The intelligence chiefs refused to give evidence in public
to the home affairs committee and while the MPs
recognise the importance of limiting access to confidential
documents, they say: "We ought to be able to take oral
evidence from the head of the security service.
Engagement with elected representatives is not, in itself, a
danger to national security and to continue to insist so is
hyperbole."
They add: "One of the reasons that Edward Snowden has
cited for releasing the documents is that he believes that
the oversight of security and intelligence agencies is not
effective. It is important to note that when we asked
British civil servants - the national security adviser and the
head of MI5 - to give evidence to us they refused. In
contrast, Alan Rusbridger [editor of the Guardian] came
before us and provided open and transparent evidence."
(17th June 2014)
LAW Q & A : KISSING AND SEXUAL ASSAULT
(Police Oracle, dated 8th May 2014 author David Pickover)
Question:
In a recent case which attracted media publicity, the
accused was charged with sexual assault on the basis of

him allegedly attempting to kiss another male.
Could a kiss contravene section 3 of the Sexual Offences
Act 2003?
Answer:
The case of R v Baker (1878) illustrates that a kiss could
constitute an assault.
Baker, while travelling on a train, put his hands up the
clothes of a fellow female passenger in an indecent
manner - a plain indecent assault .The victim also
complained that he kissed her mouth in a violent manner.
Mr Justice Brett directed the jury in the following terms - "If
a young man kisses a young woman against her will and
with feelings of carnal passion and with a view to
gratifying his passion or exciting hers, that would be an
indecent assault.
"There are many ways in which a kiss is not indecent. A
father's kisses are holy, the kisses of young people in
seasons of universal gaiety are not indecent, but kisses
given by a man under the influence of such passion are
indecent and even if that stood alone, there would be an
indecent assault."
A similar decision was reached in the case of R v Leeson
(1968) the circumstances of which were that Leeson
kissed a girl against her will and at the same time
suggested that sexual activity should take place.
While in the foregoing cases the victim and offender were
of the opposite sex, there is no reason why the principles
enunciated in the cases should not apply to kissing a
person of the same sex.
Clearly, a kiss can constitute a "touching" for the purposes
of section 3 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, since "
touching " includes touching with any part of the body,
(section 79(8)(a)). In some, but not all, cases such a

touching could be deemed to be a "sexual" touching
within the terms of section 78 of the Act.
(17th June 2014)
MASTURBATING MEN, GROPING TEENAGERS,

UNWANTED RUBBING - HAVE YOU BEEN SEXUALLY
HARRASSED ON THE TUBE ?
Rosamund Urwin)
Full article : www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/londonlife/masturbating-men-groping-teenagers-unwantedrubbing-have-you-been-sexually-harassed-on-the-tube9336845.html
Many commuters will recognise the moment. You're
standing on a packed bus or in a crowded carriage, and
you feel a hand rub against your thigh. Was it just an
accident? After all, you're squished in so tight you can tell
the man standing next to you showers with lime Radox
and just ate a bag of Cool Original Doritos. But then those
fingers edge slightly higher...
When I asked for tales about sexual harassment on public
transport, I was inundated. Londoners reported being
leered at, catcalled, followed, flashed and groped - all on
the daily commute.
A student travelling on the Central line in rush hour felt a
man rub his erection against her leg. Then there was the
literary agent on a busy bendy bus who suddenly realised
a teenage boy was putting his hand up her skirt; when her
boyfriend understandably made a scene, a much older

man told him to shut up because she was "asking for it"
and she was "a slag".
Then there was the woman on the last train from
Richmond to Waterloo who thought the man opposite her
was snoring - when she looked up, she realised he was
actually groaning: his fly was open and he was
masturbating.
Currently, police are appealing for witnesses to a sexual
assault at Aldgate East station in March, when a man
wearing a multi-coloured jacket boarded a District line
train and harassed and assaulted female passengers. This
list could go on. And on. And on.
A 2012 YouGov survey for the End Violence Against
Women Coalition (EVAW) found that 43 per cent of women
in London aged between 18 and 34 had experienced
sexual harassment in public spaces during the previous
year. And the capital's Tube, rail and bus networks are
prime hunting grounds for the capital's creeps and
gropers.
Between July 2013 and April, there was a 27 per cent jump
in the number of sexual offences reported on public
transport, with 936 cases, compared with 737 a year
earlier. However, this rise coincides with a campaign by
the British Transport Police, Project Guardian, to raise
awareness of harassment and to encourage victims to
report crimes. The number of suspects arrested and
charged or cautioned has also risen by 22 per cent in this
period, to 358.
Project Guardian is run in conjunction with the Met, TfL
and the City of London Police, and has taken advice from
women's groups EVAW, the Everyday Sexism Project and
Hollaback London, the capital's branch of a global
movement that aims to stop harassment in public places.
"It is a heavily under-reported crime: TfL research
suggests around 90 to 95 per cent of cases don't get
reported," says Inspector Ricky Twyford, who manages

Project Guardian. "Our main aim is to give victims and
witnesses the confidence to come and talk to us about it...
The more reports we have, the better equipped we'll be to
deal with it."
A MAJOR cause of under-reporting is a perception that
these crimes are trivial or inevitable and that the police
have more important matters to address. "People have
misgivings about reporting these things - they see them as
minor," says Bryony Beynon, who co-founded Hollaback
London with Julia Gray in 2010. "But people who commit
such crimes may go on to do something more serious. It's
a gateway crime to a higher level. Leering may become
groping, which might become public masturbation or
assault."
And such crimes can have long-lasting effects on victims.
Last month, a woman told the Evening Standard that a
sexual assault had left her too emotionally scarred to
travel on the Tube. She was attacked at London Bridge
station last October by a father-of-two, Cao Cooc, and
said: "I don't know what would have happened if the police
had not been there and grabbed this man."
Twyford is adamant that the police treat these crimes
seriously: "We're trying to debunk myths. There's a belief
that victims won't be believed, that it won't be taken
seriously, that we can't catch these people. It's never
going to be a positive experience but we are trying to
make the interaction with the police as reassuring and
comforting as possible."
Far from it being impossible to bring prosecutions, the
police have powerful weapons in their anti-groping
arsenal. Around 2,000 police officers and PCSOs patrolling
the capital's transport network have been specially trained
to deal with cases of sexual harassment. Plain-clothes
police sometimes catch people in the act. Officers are also
trained in "behavioural assessment screening" so that
they can recognise the way sexual offenders tend to act
before they commit an offence. "Our pursuit is relentless,"
says Twyford.
Both the Tube network and buses are well-covered by
CCTV, a major tool for investigations. Images can then be
circulated among the police and public. Oyster data can
also be used: if users are registered to cards, the police
know where they tapped in and out, and can send officers
to those stations to pick them up there.
Sometimes, there is also DNA evidence. And - to serve as
a warning to others - when individuals are convicted, the
BTP publicises it, putting the sanction (such as the
perpetrator going on the sex offenders list) into the public
domain.
EVAW says it tends to be the same perpetrators again and
again. The charity also notes that teenage girls and
younger women are more heavily targeted, perhaps
because they may appear less confident and the
perpetrator may calculate that they are less likely to call
them out. But men can also be victims. One recalls being
groped aged 14 on a crammed tube train: "A man started
stroking my penis through my trousers. All I could do was
use my nearest hand to hold his hand away forcibly - I
didn't want to cause an incident in such a narrow
environment."
The low reporting rate also reflects the fact that some
victims are too upset to report the crimes and would
prefer not to relive it. Many of those who contacted me both women and men - said they were too shocked,
embarrassed or even ashamed either to draw attention to
it at the time, or to go to the police.
Sometimes, though, victims are also unsure whether a
crime has been committed. The law here is actually fairly
straight-forward: as soon as a person makes contact with
someone in a sexual manner without consent - which can
include pressing up against someone - that is sexual
assault. Exposing genitals or masturbating in public can
bring charges of "outraging public decency", and
aggressive sexual comments can be an offence under
public disorder laws.

Additionally, the railway has very specific bylaws, some of
which can be used against lower level criminal behaviour.
Next year, TfL will also launch a poster campaign to try to
combat sexual harassment on the transport network,
although critics note that this would have been better
timed if it had started with the BTP's campaign. "These
things need to be even higher up the priority list," adds
Beynon. "Awareness work on trains and buses will really
help, though."
Beynon is pleased, though, that victims increasingly feel
able to fight back: "People say 'just walk away' but that
contributes to a culture of silence. It won't be right for
everyone but speaking up to perpetrators can be really
empowering - you can counter expectations that you'll
stay quiet and take back some control of the situation."
HOW TO HANDLE THE GROPERS
(London Evening Standard, author Phoebe Luckhurst)
There is no single, correct way to respond to harassment.
But police advice is to try to extricate yourself from the
situation, ask for help from other passengers and call the
British Transport Police on 0800 40 50 40 or text them on
61016 in confidence. You can also contact Rape Crisis.
Gropers are trying to humiliate you into staying silent. If
you feel able, make other passengers aware: calmly relay
exactly what is happening and identify the groper.
If you have a bag, use it to put some distance between
yourself and the groper. It communicates to them that you
won't tolerate what's happening. If you're able to, consider
taking a photo of the perpetrator.
If you're above ground, make a call and refuse to engage.
Many perpetrators are excited by the distress they're
causing by isolating you: making a call makes you less
alone and simulates apathy for what is taking place in
front of you.
One friend handles sexual comments by staring down the

Neanderthals and asking them to repeat some crasser
comments "so the rest of the ladies in the carriage can
hear what a catch you are".
If you're being followed, go above ground immediately.
Find a member of the British Transport Police or go into a
shop and tell a member of staff.
For inspiration, some Twitter followers of the Everyday
Sexism blog have come up with snappy replies for less
threatening situations:
"On train home guy rubs my bum. I grab hand, lift it in the
air & say 'Has anyone lost a hand? I found this one on my
arse!'" (@punk_manners)
"Flashed at on a bus when I was 19. Snorted and said I'd
seen more meat on a butcher's apron. Flasher got off bus,
head low." (@Rachel_Malone)
"When I get harassed I always pretend I didn't hear & say
'What?' The more they have to repeat, the sillier they
sound." (@KariAnnSpriggs)
(17th June 2014)
MET CHIEF AND MAYOR SAY NICK CLEGG IS WRONG

FOR OPPOSITION TO TOUGHER STANCE ON KNIFE
CRIME
(London Evening Standard, date 8th May 2014 author
Joseph Watts)
The knife-crime row engulfing the coalition government
escalated today as both Boris Johnson and Met Chief
Bernard Hogan-Howe said that Nick Clegg was wrong for
blocking tougher sentences.
The London Mayor said Mr Clegg was "wrong" to veto
automatic six month jail-terms for those caught with a

knife a second time and accused him of "ducking the
issue".
Sir Bernard said tougher laws were "vital" to prevent more
young Londoners dying at the hands of knife thugs.
Lib Dem Leader Mr Clegg said he could not support the
proposals because he believed it risked pushing
youngsters into becoming "hardened criminals".
The row follows the death on Tuesday of an 18-year-old
Londoner stabbed in broad daylight as he walked through
a park with a friend.
Just 48 hour earlier another 17-year-old was stabbed to
death in Brixton following a row over a bicycle.
After Mr Clegg went on the radio to attack the toughersentence proposals as an attempt to "catch headlines", Mr
Johnson told the Standard: "Nick Clegg is wrong.
"I do believe it's vital that we work to educate and
rehabilitate those caught up in the culture of knife
carrying.
"But equally it is imperative that police and the courts are
given every support to tackle the scourge of knife crime.
That means backing this amendment not ducking the
issue."
Mr Johnson, whose office has already been lobbying
ministers for tougher laws, sent a letter off support to the
London Tory MPs Nick De Bois and David Burrows
championing the reform in Parliament.
Meanwhile Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard said: "I'm
afraid I don't agree with [Mr Clegg].
He went on: "I'm afraid knives generally do one thing,
which is they either wound people, and if they wound
people they might kill them. So for me it's vital we send a
clear message to our young people."
The Met has made headway against knife crime in recent
years - there were 84 knife murders in 2008 down to 41 in
2013.
But London continues to suffer a higher rate of knife crime
compared to other regions with 43 per cent of the entire
country's offences occurring in the capital.
The majority of offenders sentenced for possession of a
knife still do not obtain custodial sentences.
In London only seven per cent of those under 18 receive a
custodial sentence for possession, compared to 13 per

cent nationally.
The Tory plan would see 16 to 18 year olds given a
mandatory four month detention sentence for being
caught with a knife a second time.
But speaking on his LBC Radio show Mr Clegg denied he
was "soft on knife crime" and claimed young gang
members bullied into carrying knives may be wrongly
jailed.
He said: "I just think to say that if you were found to be
carrying a knife for the second time...that in all
circumstances, all the time, no exceptions, no questions
asked you'll end up in prison, seems to me to be a very
blunt way of going about things."
The issue has put David Cameron in a difficult position as
Ms May and Tory Justice Secretary Chris Grayling are both
believed to support the move.
A Downing Street source said the Prime Minister "wanted"
to see what more could be done to fight knife crime.
Meanwhile a source for the Labour party, needed to pass
the laws if Lib Dems withdraw support, said the party was
"looking closely" at the plan and was "sympathetic".
(17th June 2014)
LARGEST INTERNATIONAL BODY WORN VIDEO PILOT
STARTS
(Police Oracle, dated 8th May 2014 author Jasmin
McDermott)
The world's largest body worn video pilot to establish how
valuable cameras are to improving confidence and
reducing complaints has been launched.
The Metropolitan Police has started the process of rolling
out 500 cameras across 10 London boroughs as part of a
research project in collaboration with the College of
Policing to build evidence on how they can be used in the
Police Service in the future.
Early indications from smaller trials of the devices suggest
that they improve evidence and increase transparency as
well as highlight the professionalism of officers.
The project, which will take the form of a randomised
control trial, will also see firearms officers trialling the
devices during their training. It is hoped they could be

deployed operationally at a later stage.
The devices will not be permanently switched on and two
response teams from each borough will wear the cameras
when they respond to 999 calls during the year-long pilot.
The results will be evaluated by the College of Policing,
along with the findings from Essex Police's use of the
devices as well as the Mayor's Officer for Policing and
Crime.
Camden was the first borough to take delivery of the
devices on May 8.
Following the end of a shift, the officer will remove and
dock the cameras to software which will upload the
material onto a cloud-based server. The images will be
deleted after 31 days unless required for evidence.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "Our
experience of using cameras already shows that people
are more likely to plead guilty when they know we have
captured the incident. That speeds up justice, puts
offenders behind bars more quickly and protects potential
victims.
"I believe it will also show our officers at their best, dealing
with difficult and dangerous situations every day but it will
also provide clearer evidence when it has been alleged
that we got things wrong.
"That has to be in our own and the public's interest."
Rachel Tuffin, Director of Knowledge, Research and
Education said that the result of the camera trials will be
shared with chief constables and police and crime
commissioners to help inform operational decisions
regarding policing practice.
(17th June 2014)
NEW LAW - DETERRING SQUATTERS - AS NUMBERS
OF PROSECUTIONS PLUNGE
Martin Bentham)
The number of people prosecuted for squatting in London
has fallen sharply, in a sign that the deterrent effect of
legislation banning the practice is helping to protect
homeowners.
Met police figures show that only eight suspects were
charged with squatting in a residential building during the
first two months of this year. That compares with 46
charges in the first two months after legislation outlawing
squatting came into effect, in September 2012.
Those convicted of the offence can face up to six months
in prison and a 5,000 fine. Shortly after it came into
force, the number of people charged hit a monthly peak of
28. But since February last year it has remained in single
figures every month.
The total number of squatting prosecutions in the capital
since the law came into effect is 138.
The figures, released under the Freedom of Information
Act, show that more than half of suspects came from
eastern Europe, with 52 Romanians and 23 Poles charged.
Britons accounted for 26 suspects and there were six
Spaniards, five Lithuanians, two Algerians, two Nepalese
and two Latvians. Housing charities and other
campaigners opposed to the new law had claimed it would
criminalise large numbers of homeless people. But the Met
said it appeared that the legislation was in fact putting off
potential offenders.
"Awareness of police powers to deal with squatting has
perhaps both increased confidence in homeowners who
become victims, and acted as a deterrent to potential
offenders," said a Scotland Yard spokesman.
Some Conservative MPs have called for the legislation,
which covers only residential buildings, to be extended to
commercial property. They cite cases in which squatters
have taken over pubs and even a former police station.
The Met said it was "not aware of an increase in squatting
in commercial premises", but would support property
owners if offences were identified.
The first person to be jailed under the new law was Alex
Haigh, 21. In September 2012 he was given a 12-week
sentence by Westminster magistrates for squatting in a
flat in Pimlico.
Charges since ban came in (number of people
charged)
2012
Sept : 18
Quarter 4 :58
2013
Quarter
Quarter
Quarter
Quarter
1
2
3
4
:21
:15
:8
:10
2014
Jan : 0
Feb : 8
(17th June 2014)
MET OFFICERS PASSED VITAL POLICE DATA TO

CRIMINALS
(The Independent, dated 6th May 2014 author Paul
Peachey)
Three members of the Metropolitan Police quit the force in
a single year after passing information to underworld
figures including a prominent criminal with links to guns, it
can be disclosed.
The cases were among 300 breaches of data protection
rules in nearly five years at Britain's biggest police force.
The offences included passing details of drugs intelligence
and tampering with computer records in an apparent

attempt to cover up a car theft ring, the details showed.
The force said some of the breaches led to prosecutions
but were unable to give further details yesterday.
The scale of the wrongdoing by officers has only come to
light after a freedom of information request by the Press
Association, raising fresh questions about the
transparency of the force.
The three cases involving information being passed to
criminals, which all occurred in 2009, involved:
-Criminals using a police officer to obtain data to help their
offending;
-The changing and leaking of information about the
ownership of cars stolen by criminal gangs;
-Leaking of intelligence of a "significant level to a
prominent criminal with links to firearms".
Last night MPs warned that the breaches undermined trust
in the police following continuing scandals over cover-ups
and corruption.
"The public must be able to trust the police. Leaking
confidential data is wrong and will undermine that trust,"
said the shadow Police minister Jack Dromey.
The links to organised crime were among the most serious
of the breaches, which also included proven cases of
racism, searches for pornography from office computers
and checks on a cab driver by an officer who had refused
to pay him the night before, according to the records.
Another officer breached data laws after disclosing on
Facebook that he had lost a bag containing police paper
and equipment.
The breaches covered rank-and-file officers, senior
investigators and civilian staff at the Met. The most senior
ranking officer was a detective chief constable who
committed offences contrary to the Prevention of
Corruption Act in 2011, according to the data.
The officer was not named but Det Ch Insp April Casburn
was sentenced to 15 months in prison last year for
misconduct in public office for trying to sell information
about the phone-hacking inquiry to the News of the World.
The force could not confirm if the corruption case related
to Ms Casburn.
A special constable received "formal action" for making
the comment "damn niggers" on a Facebook photo of two

men fighting, while one officer received management
action for sending a picture of armed police outside the
Commons, captioned with the words "Merry Christmas...
Keep calm and fuck off."
The former shadow Home Secretary David Davis said:
"The extent to which police officers have used confidential
police information for criminal ends, and abused
individuals' private information for their personal benefit,
is astonishing. The Met needs to review, as a matter of
urgency, the security control for confidential information
the police hold on the public."
Virtually all police disciplinary hearings are closed to the
public but Scotland Yard began putting the outcome of
misconduct hearings on its website from May last year
without naming officers.
A spokesman for the force said: "The Metropolitan Police
Service (MPS) treats any allegation about the conduct of
its staff extremely seriously and will always take steps to
determine whether the conduct of that member of staff
has breached the required standards of professional
behaviour.
"The number of employees that are disciplined for the
misuse of police information each year, accordingly,
represents a very small percentage (just over 0.1 per cent)
of those employed by the MPS."
(17th June 2014)
CYBERCRIME - NEW CHALLENGES OVER EVIDENCE
(Police Oracle, dated 6th May 2014 author Cliff Caswell)
[Option 1]
Police and law enforcement agencies will face increasing
challenges over data collection in future as the online
world continues to evolve and become more sophisticated.
Troels Oerting, Assistant Director and Head of the
European Cybercrime Centre at Europol, predicted that
offenders would soon move their activities into the cloudbased environment. This shift will force a re-think about
evidence retrieval tactics, he said.
He also warned that while there was no evidence to
suggest that terrorists could yet mount an attack through
cyberspace - preparations should be made accordingly.
Mr Oerting predicted: "I think that we are going to see a

move from downloading to streaming in the future - and
we are going to see criminals using cloud services.
"These will not be services from commercial providers they will build their own."
He suggested closer co-operation between law
enforcement bodies of different countries was needed to
tackle cybercrime - particularly as offences such as child
sex abuse could be committed in one country and
distributed elsewhere.
Mr Oerting said: "In terms of terrorism, you have to ask
whether this is a realistic possibility, and I do not think
that it is realistic right now.
"But I do think it is something we should prepare for," he
said, adding that one of the major obstructions in dealing
with cyber crime was a lack of strategic partnerships
between countries.
He believed basic international rules around internet use
would be useful going forward.
Mr Oerting added: "In the physical world you go out and
make an arrest, but we cannot do the same things in
cyberspace. We need to look at the issue of prevention.
"We must recognise that the internet is a sharing resource
- and that we will not allow people to pollute. This is
simply a new space and something we need to get right."
(17th June 2014)
UK POLICE FAILING TO RECORD 20% OF CRIME
(The Guardian, dated 1st May 2014 author Alan Travis)
Full article :
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/may/01/uk-policefailing-record-20-percent-crime-report
The police are failing to record as much as 20% of crime equal to three-quarters of a million offences - including 14
cases of rape and some serious sexual offences, according
to the first official inquiry into the integrity of the police
crime figures.
The interim report by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of
Constabulary, Tom Winsor, was ordered by the home
secretary following claims of widespread fiddling of the
police recorded crime figures by a whistleblower which
have been endorsed by MPs.

Winsor says that his initial results from 13 out of the 43
forces include the two biggest forces, the Metropolitan and
the Greater Manchester police, and so cover 60% of total
police recorded crime. A final report covering all the forces
across England and Wales is to be published in October.
Norman Baker, the crime prevention minister, said the
failure of police to record data properly is completely
unacceptable but he defended official crime figures that
state overall levels have fallen.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: "It
is completely unacceptable that crimes haven't been
recorded properly. We want crimes to be recorded
completely accurately, and indeed more worrying that
issues such as rape have not been recorded in a small
number of cases. We were concerned about this matter,
that's why the Home Office asked for this report to be
commissioned.
The official police watchdog says he is seriously concerned
about the emerging picture which shows weak or absent
management and supervision of crime recording,
significant under-recording of crime, and some serious
sexual offences not being recorded at all. The interim
report also shows that some offenders have been issued
with out-of-court fixed penalty fines when they should
have been prosecuted instead.
His disclosures are likely to lead to a politically
embarrassing spike in the police recorded crime figures in
the run-up to next year's general election.
The home secretary acknowledged that the findings are
likely to lead to a rise in police recorded crime. Theresa
May said: "If that increase is driven by improved accuracy
in the recording of crime or more victims reporting crime
to the police, we should welcome it. Such an increase
would not mean crime itself is rising," adding that the fall
in police recorded crime figures was substantiated by the
separate crime survey of England and Wales. "We can be
confident that crime is falling," she said.
Winsor says the police failure to record crime properly
may stem from poor knowledge of the rules or workload
but adds that he can't rule out that it might be the result
of discreditable or unethical behaviour by officers.
Among the cases HMIC cites as wrongly written off are:

An allegation by a 13-year-old autistic boy who told his
parents he had been raped by a 15-year-old male friend
which was wrongly written off by the police as sexual
experimentation.
A report to the police of rape by a doctor on behalf of a
female patient who had consented to sex but told the man
to stop when it began to hurt. A supervisory officer ruled
that no crime had occurred.
A young man who was not believed when he reported he
had been grabbed by the throat by a woman at a party.
The woman was interviewed and denied the assault.
Winsor said: "The accuracy and integrity of policerecorded crime data are vital to public trust in the police.
The consequences of under-recording crime are serious,
and may mean victims and the community are failed
because the crimes are not investigated, the levels of
crime will be wrongly understated, and police chiefs will
lack the information they need to make sound decisions
on their deployment of their resources."
The HMIC finding that the police recorded crime figures
have understated the crime rate by as much as 20% will
further damage their credibility. The implication of the
findings are that last week's police recorded crime figures
should have been 4.3m rather than the 3.7m declared.
The interim report found that out of a sample of 2,551
incidents that should have been recorded as crimes
officers wrongly failed to record 523 of them including
sexual offences, crimes of violence, robbery and burglary.
But this snapshot of integrity of the police figures does not
undermine the long-term sustained fall in crime in England
and Wales since 1995 as measured by the totally separate
Crime Survey of England and Wales. This is based on
people's experience of crime and showed a further 15%
drop last year, according to the latest results published
last week.
(17th June 2014)
SEVEN OUT OF 10 FRAUDS ARE NOW CYBER CRIMES
(London Evening Standard, dated 28th April 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
Cyber crime is driving a huge surge in fraud offences, with
seven out of 10 scams now involving an IT element, a
police chief warned today.
Detective Superintendent Pete O'Doherty, head of the
National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, likened the offence to
"modern-day burglary".
He said: "From what I see day in and day out, cyber crime
is rapidly increasing, both in volume and in complexity. As
a pure crime, but also as facilitator for other crimes. It is
evolving at a rapid pace."
The total number of fraud offences reported to police
nearly doubled in the last financial year. There were
230,845 frauds recorded in 2013/14 - more than 630 a day
- compared to 122,240 the previous year, an 89 per cent
increase.
Mr O'Doherty said that about 70 per cent of these scams
now involved a "cyber element", compared to around 40
per cent five or so years ago.
He added: "Cyber fraud has been described as the
modern-day burglary. Now you don't have to be in a
person's house to rob them - you can be sitting in Russia,
for example, and using servers to rob someone in London.
It is a global threat."
The number of "pure" cyber crimes reported - such as
computer virus attacks on companies - has also soared in
the last year, from 11,523 to 22,315.
There were 494 cases of companies saying that their
computer servers had been hacked.
About 6,000 people also told police their social media
accounts such as Facebook were hacked into, mostly by ID
fraudsters stealing details of their personal lives. A recent
report by Tom Winsor, Her Majesty's Inspector of

Constabulary, criticised police for failing to combat the
huge rise in cyber offences, leaving the public at risk.
With cyber crime now estimated to cost Britain 27 billion
a year, the Government has given extra funding for
investigators. Scotland Yard is recruiting 400 officers for a
specialist squad.
Detectives say the top "volume frauds" are online
shopping and auction scams, advanced fee frauds,
cheque, plastic card and online bank account cons, and
investment scams.
Mr O'Doherty said there was also concern that many
victims were unaware they had been targeted.
He was speaking after City of London police's National
Fraud Intelligence Bureau merged with Action Fraud, the
national reporting centre.
Action Fraud is now in operation across England and
Wales, and police believe its intensified work is part of the
reason for the rise in recorded fraud offences last year.
The intelligence hub now receives 18,000 to 19,000
reports of fraud and cyber crime each month.
A team of 64 detectives, analysts and staff sift through
thousands of cases searching for patterns and links to
identify gangs and conmen. Information is then passed to
regional police forces to investigate.
Mr O'Doherty said: "We now have one team under one
roof, which we hope will be of massive benefit to victims.
We want more people to report because if everyone does
we can understand the extent of the problem."
To contact Action Fraud call 0300 1232040 or visit
actionfraud.police.uk
(2nd June 2014)
HEALTH ATLAS ALLOWS ONLINE SEARCH OF RISK BY

AREA
(BBC News, dated 25th April 2014 author Pippa Stephens)
Link to Health Atlas :
www.envhealthatlas.co.uk/homepage/
A new online map of England and Wales allows people to
enter their postcode and find their community's risk of
developing 14 conditions, such as heart disease and lung
cancer.
The map presents population-wide health information for
England and Wales.
The researchers at Imperial College London pointed out
that it could not be used to see an individual's risk.
It indicated an area's health risk, relative to the average
for England and Wales, they stressed.
###Twenty-Five year study
Researchers at Imperial looked at 8,800 wards in England
and Wales, each with a population of 6,000 people.
They collected data from the Office for National Statistics
and from cancer registries for 1985 to 2009.
Data was then mapped alongside region-by-region
variations in environmental factors such as air pollution,
sunshine and pesticides.
The data was also adjusted for age, deprivation and to
take into account small numbers.
Researchers said this was the first tool of its kind showing
this level of detail.

Dr Anna Hansell, from the UK Small Area Health Statistics
Unit, led the research.
She told the BBC: "We tried to present this so people do
not jump to the wrong conclusions."
Dr Hansell said people were "fascinated" by the tool when
they trialled it.
She added: "The new thing about it is you can go right
down to neighbourhood level - beforehand it has been at a
broader scale."
Eight communities in Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taff, in
Wales, and Leeds, Manchester and the Wirral in England
had higher patterns of health risks, Dr Hansell said.
She said within those eight communities none stood out as
"doing badly for everything", and that the statistics had
not been geared up to rank the areas.
Since the study adjusted for deprivation, Dr Hansell said it
raised some "surprising" variations which could be
explained by changing smoking rates in the past 25 years.
Meanwhile, 33 wards were identified as having a lower risk
of disease, such as parts of London, North Norfolk and
Suffolk.
Although the researchers adjusted for deprivation, she
said, there must be "some lifestyle factors" going on, to
account for the variability.
Environmental factors, such as air pollution, accounted for
roughly 5-10% of a person's risk of disease, which was
significant in terms of a population, Dr Hansell said.
She said she hoped "really important benefits" could come
out of further research using the tool and that it would
raise questions about disease patterns.
Prof David Coggon, professor of occupational and

environmental medicine at the University of Southampton,
said the atlas provided a "finer level of spatial resolution"
than its predecessors.
But he said there were "shortcomings" in the research,
such as the possible of chance variation and the likelihood
of distortion by exposure to non-environmental causes of
disease, such as smoking and diet, which are not fully
explained by deprivation.
Prof Coggon added: "These unavoidable shortcomings do
not invalidate the analyses presented, but they are a
reason for caution in interpretation."
He said people should not focus on environmental factors,
but instead eat a healthy diet, exercise regularly and avoid
smoking, excessive alcohol, and "unnecessarily risky"
behaviours such as dangerous driving.
Prof Paul Pharoah, professor of cancer epidemiology at the
University of Cambridge, said: "This atlas does not enable
anyone to judge their individual absolute risk.
"People should definitely not use this atlas to decide
where to live."
He said it would be "wrong to imply" any causal
association between any of the environmental exposures
and any of the health outcomes described in the atlas.
Prof Pharoah added: "What these data should do is help
researchers identify important hypothesis that should be
tested using research designs."
(2nd June 2014)
FALLING OVERALL CRIME LEVELS ARE NO ONE-YEAR
WONDER
(The Guardian, dated 24th April 2014 author Alan Travis)
Full article : www.theguardian.com/uknews/2014/apr/24/falling-crime-levels-no-one-year-wonder
For once the much-derided official figures tell a clear and
unambiguous story, overall crime levels in England and
Wales are not only down but fell in 2013 by the largest
annual drop on record - 15%.
The authoritative Crime Survey for England and Wales
published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) also
makes clear that this was no one-year wonder but part of
an accelerating trend that has seen the biggest sustained
fall in crime since the second world war.
The level of incidents in 2013 at an estimated 7.5m crimes
is 25% lower than that seen five years ago. The ONS says
this is 60% lower than the 19m crimes that were officially
estimated to have taken place in 1995 when the post-war
crime rate peaked when Michael "prison works" Howard
was home secretary.
Perhaps the story is most clearly told by looking at what
has happened to the murder rate in England and Wales. In
the "bad old days" of the early 1960s when gangs such as
the Krays and the Richardsons terrorised London's East
End the number of homicides stood at about 300 a year.
But then murder rate rose steadily through the 1980s and
1990s to a peak of 1,047 deaths in 2002/03 when 172
victims of the killer GP, Dr Harold Shipman, were included
in the total. In the early years of the 21st century there
was an annual homicide toll in England and Wales of about
800 murders a year but that has since tumbled year on
year down to the 551 recorded by the police in 2013 nearly 50% below the peak.
The statisticians say the murder rate has fallen despite the
growth in the population from 15 homicides per million
people to only 10 per million. The chance of being

murdered whether in or out of your bed in England and
Wales has actually fallen by 50%.
This dramatic fall has been repeated across nearly every
category of crime, including the big "volume" crimes such
as burglary and car break-ins and thefts where better
security and alarms have brought about even deeper falls
in the crime levels. Who now remembers the days when
motorists would take their radio/cassette players out of
their cars every time they parked? Younger motorists
might even be surprised to learn that you could even
remove them from the dashboard of a car at all.
But despite this sustained and historic fall in crime, the
pollsters tell us that the public refuses to believe it has
happened or that their chances of becoming a victim of
crime are at a 33-year low.
This is partly because that with an estimated 7.5m crimes
each year there are still plenty of victims of crime about,
but that does not explain the persistent poll findings that
nearly two-thirds of the public believe national crime rates
in England and Wales are going up, despite the official
figures. This may partly be due to large swathes of
national media coverage of the crime figures that seem
incapable of highlighting the simple story that crime is
falling and instead seize on the most minor sub-set of
offences to claim that the country remains in the grip of a
massive crime wave. It certainly remains in the grip of a
media which finds it impossible to live without a diet of
murder, mayhem and soaring crime headlines.
Interestingly, the public gives a far more accurate account
when asked about crime in their own neighbourhoods.
Then only 28% report that it is going up. But the
widespread public belief that national crime rates continue
to soar means people often have a far more punitive
attitude towards crime, and it is fuelled by their
misinformed belief that their chances of becoming a victim
of burglary, car crime or violent crime are far higher than
the actual rates.
Does it matter? The last ONS national well-being survey

showed that only 56% of women feel "fairly or very" safe
walking alone after dark - the same proportion as five
years ago - despite the fall in crime rate. New forms of
crime - whether it is online fraud or official recognition of
different kinds of domestic abuse - will continue to emerge
that the official stats do not necessary capture but that
does not negate the fundamental underlying trend.
Curiously the one area that the falling crime rate seems to
have had an impact is on its political saliency. The longterm Ipsos Mori index of the most important issues facing
the country shows that when crime peaked in 1995, 25%
of voters named law and order and violent crime as of
most concern to them. This rose to above 40% in 2007
when Gordon Brown was prime minister but has since
fallen to only 12% of voters replaced by such issues as
immigration as their main worry. Perhaps instinctively they
do recognise that the country is a safer place.
Further information
Crime statistics in England and Wales: how significant is
the decline?
www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2014/apr/24/statistic
s-in-england-and-wales-how-significant-is-the-decline
(2nd June 2014)
1000 PUPILS CAUGHT WITH WEAPONS IN SCHOOL

(Sky News website, dated 23rd April 2014 author Afua
Hirsch)
Full article :
http://news.sky.com/story/1247235/1000-pupils-caughtwith-weapons-in-schools
Almost 1,000 pupils were caught with weapons including

guns, axes and a meat cleaver in schools in the last three
years, a Sky News investigation has found.
New figures show 981 children have had weapons
confiscated on school premises since 2011.
They include at least 80 primary school children, the
youngest of whom was an eight-year-old caught with a
knife.
Some 36 pupils were found with an assortment of guns,
including two hand guns, seven air-powered weapons and
27 BB guns.
Of those found with weapons, 329 caught with items
including an axe, a cut-throat razor and a stun gun were
charged with a criminal offence.
One 18-year-old, who is taking part in a young offender's
programme in London, said: "I carried a weapon ... but
only because of the environment I was in.
"My generation is a bit wild ... so it's a normal thing to
carry a weapon because you know everyone else is. It's
making it fair, basically."
Campaigners warned the scale of the problem is likely to
be much worse, as 21 of the UK's 52 police forces did not
supply figures requested under the Freedom of Information
Act.
Data from West Midlands Police, which alone recovered
weapons from 538 people during the same period, was not
included because it also accounts for colleges and
universities.
The figures raise questions about whether schools and the
Government have failed to tackle the problem.
Jayne Walmsley, whose son Luke was murdered at a
Lincolnshire school in 2003 aged 14, said: "Something is

happening to the society we live in.
"We need to think and educate these kids. It's got to stop.
We've got to do something about it."
Patrick Regan, CEO of charity XLP, which was founded in
response to a school stabbing, added: "There's a culture of
fear that needs to be broken down."
The Government said it had given teachers powers to take
action if they suspect a pupil has brought a weapon into
school.
"Teachers can now search pupils without consent,
confiscate prohibited items and use force to remove
disruptive pupils from the classroom when necessary," a
spokesman for the Department for Education said.
"We've also given heads the final say on expulsions by
removing the right of appeal panels to put pupils back in
the classroom."
However, Chris Douglas, a youth worker with St Giles
Trust, which engages with young people caught up in
crime, warned the use of weapons is a growing problem.
"We're not hearing about stabbings because they're
becoming more common," he said.
Last year, a study by UCL and charity Kids Company found
half the young people working with the organisation had
seen someone shot or stabbed in their community in the
past year.
In 2009, the then-Government announced new measures
to curb the problem of weapons in schools after a spate of
attacks against children.
There were plans to introduce airport-style metal
detectors as part of a violent crime action plan.
But campaigners are concerned the issue has disappeared

from public discourse, leaving children vulnerable.
"Sometimes it's a bit like banging your head on a brick
wall," Mrs Walmsley said.
"Schools won't admit to the problem because all they want
is more pupils for more money."
Total weapons confiscated from pupils since 2011
Knives : 249
BB Guns : 27
Baseball Bats : 18
Hammers : 17
Metal Bars : 16
Lead piping : 14
Sticks with nails : 13
Other : 31
Knuckle dusters : 8
Unspecified weapons : 588
Hand guns : 2
Air weapons : 7
Taser stun gun : 1
Axes : 3
(2nd June 2014)
LONDON CRIME FALLS 6% IN A YEAR SAYS

METROPOLITAN POLICE
(BBC News, dated 22nd April 2014)
www.bbc.co.uk
Reported crime in London has fallen by 6.2% in the last
financial year, according to figures released by the
Metropolitan Police.
It said 46,000 fewer crimes were reported, with burglary at
its lowest level in 40 years.

The figures show that rape and domestic violence have
increased, but, the force said, victims now feel more
confident in reporting incidents.
The force has been set a target by the mayor of reducing
crime by 20%.
The figures show that:
- Recorded rapes have increased by 31.6% from 3,168
offences reported in 2012-13 to 4,170 in 2013-14
-Robberies are down by 19% with nearly 6,500 fewer
offences - which is the lowest level for 15 years
- In the last year, the force has focused on robberies which
involved a mobile phone theft; this has seen a 24%
reduction
- Theft from a person - when no threat or violence has
been used - fell 13% (6,500)
- Burglaries fell 8% (7,500) - this is the lowest level in
London since 1974
- Violence with injury is up on last year by 852 more
offences - an increase of 1.5%. This has been attributed to
domestic violence offences rather than street violence
- Racist and religious hate crime has increased by 3.1%,
whilst homophobic offences have increased by 5.6%
- Offences involving weapons have reduced with more
than 300 fewer gun-related crimes (-17%) and over 1,300
fewer knife offences (-11.5%). Similarly, youth violence fell
by 4.1% (nearly 600 fewer victims)
- There were three more murders reported last year, with
110 compared with 107 the previous year
The force has also changed its tactics towards gangrelated crimes, with more emphasis on enforcement and
preventative measures.
The force said that during the last financial year, more
than 1,400 gang members have been arrested and those
involved in gang-related crime were jailed for over 1,270
years.
A further 1,331 gang members are subject to judicial
restrictions such as gang injunctions, ASBOs, electronically
tagged or managed under License or Youth Referral
Orders.
Trident officers have seized more than 940,000 in cash
and about 330 firearms.
There has also been a 40% increase in officers visiting
victims of crime with 203,562 appointments held.
The decrease in reported crimes has been attributed to an
increase in "Big Wing operations" - whereby staff across
the Met join in on a day of action to target specific areas of
crime.
In November, a Met Police whistleblower said police forces
were routinely manipulating crime statistics in order to
meet targets; however, the force said how it recorded
crimes had been audited with a compliance rate of 95%.
But Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe later said
there was "some truth" to the allegations, and that an
investigation into the claims would report back later this
year.
(2nd June 2014)
US SECURITY EXPOSED BY JET WHEEL STOWAWAY

(London Evening Standard, dated 21st April 2014 author
David Gardner)
www.standard.co.uk
An airport security review has been ordered across
America amid claims that a teenage stowaway who
sneaked onto a flight from California to Hawaii could just
as easily have been a terrorist bomber.
Video footage from San Jose Airport shows the 16-year-old
climbing over a perimeter fence at 1am on Sunday before
hiding in the left rear wheel well of a Boeing 767.
The boy, who has not been named, slipped through
multiple layers of security, including video cameras,
German shepherds and police officers on Segways.
He climbed onto the first plane he saw on the tarmac, not
realising that it was bound for Kahului Airport on the island
of Maui.
He passed out during the freezing five-hour, 2,350-mile
flight but survived relatively unscathed. Medical experts
say he sank into a hibernation-like state and only regained
consciousness an hour after the plane landed.
Authorities said the temperature at the jet's cruising
altitude of 38,000 feet could have dropped to 50 degrees
below zero or lower. Oxygen would have also been in short
supply at that height.
Jeff Price, an aviation security expert at Metropolitan State
University in Denver, told the Los Angeles Times: "People
go over the fence, they're caught. But he got all the way
to the aircraft.
"The question it brings up is: What's to stop somebody
from putting a bomb on the plane with the same method?"
(2nd June 2014)
OPERATION SANCTUARY
ARRESTS REACH 75
(BBC News, dated 17th April 2014)
The number of people arrested as part of an investigation
into allegations of sexual crime against vulnerable women
and girls on Tyneside has risen to 75.
Northumbria Police set up Operation Sanctuary in January
and have identified about 80 women and girls who are
potential victims.
The total number of people arrested is now 72 men and
three women.
Of these, 11 men are going through the court system
charged with various sexual offences, including rape.
---------------------------------------------SEX EXPLOITATION PROBE UNCOVERS HIDDEN CULTURE
OF ABUSE
(Chronicle Live, dated 28th March 2014 author Sophie
Doherty)
www.chroniclelive.co.uk [Option 1]
A police probe into the sexual exploitation of teenagers on
Tyneside has uncovered a hidden epidemic of abuse
stalking our streets.
A police probe into the sexual exploitation of teenagers on
Tyneside has uncovered a hidden epidemic of abuse
stalking our streets.
Northumbria Police launched Operation Sanctuary in
January with a wave of arrests after receiving a report
expressing concern for one girl.
But as the investigation continues detectives have
discovered a widespread problem of vulnerable women
and girls being abused by predatory men.
Operation Sanctuary has now been broadened to include
all incidents of females being sexually assaulted after

being targeted because of their vulnerability.
A dedicated team of detectives has been charged with
identifying potential victims and bringing their abusers to
book.
So far 67 people have been arrested and officers have
identified around 80 potential victims.
But Northumbria Police's Deputy Chief Constable, Steve
Ashman, told the Chronicle those figures are likely to rise
as detectives learn more about a secret culture of abuse
that is blighting Tyneside communities.
He said: "We have made 67 arrests, nine people have
been charged and we have identified 80 women and girls
we need to speak to. Sadly I think that 80 will grow.
"This investigation has broadened considerably since it
was first launched at the start of the year. The amount of
information coming in has been staggering.
"But what binds all these victims together is that they are
vulnerable. That could be because they are drunk, or it
could be because they are homeless, have learning
difficulties, or have a drug addiction. This has been a very
difficult investigation so far, but I think we have got to
grips with it."
In the early stages of Operation Sanctuary was looking
into a number of "conspiracies" between linked suspects
and potential victims.
Detectives are probing situations in which predatory men
have befriended vulnerable girls and women and started
relationships with them, before taking advantage of them
and passing them around other men to be sexually
abused.
However, officers have since uncovered a culture of
predatory behaviour of individual men targeting individual
women, often because they are drunk, with incidents of

men posing as taxi drivers to pick up drunken women.
"There are elements of men sharing women between
them. Some will approach a vulnerable young woman and
over a period of time they will end up in a relationship.
They will become boyfriend and girlfriend. But we would
say it was an abusive relationship. And she might then be
taken to a party, abused and passed between other men."
Mr Ashman explained. "But that's only one part of this.
"We have also had two cases where males have purported
to be taxi drivers. They have rocked up in a vehicle and
these women were drunk and not in a position to look
after themselves. They were not vulnerable for any
reasons other than they had had to much to drink.
"There will be a sizeable number of those arrested that
know each other, but others will not. The one common
factor is the vulnerability of the victim."
DCC Ashman said the force was now aiming to make
Operation Sanctuary a recognisable 'brand' to raise
awareness of this type of crime and encourage people to
report it.
He said the public are already playing a vital role in the
investigation.
"There have been some great examples of public support,"
he explained. "For example, hotel receptionists refusing to
allow men to check in with young women that are
intoxicated and reporting it to us, and that's exactly the
response we want. We have also had a member of the
public reporting to us that they saw a drunk woman
getting into a vehicle that did not look like a taxi. We were
able to get to the scene in time and that driver was
arrested and charged.
"I would urge the public to keep this up and tell us if you
see something that just doesn't look right. If we can create
a brand the public have confidence in and that's no bad
thing."
Police are currently half way through speaking to the 80
females they need to talk to.
But Operation Sanctuary is expected to continue long into
the future.
(2nd June 2014)
LONDON GANGS EXPLOIT LAW TO GET GUNS

Justin Davenport)
Criminals are using a legal loophole to import guns into
Britain for use in street shootings and robberies, the
Standard can reveal.
They are exploiting legislation allowing people to own
firearms legally if the weapons are classified as "antiques",
according to police and officials.
The guns - which detectives say are lethal weapons - are
brought from Europe, where they are easily and legally
bought at antique arms fairs. Police say they are also
being traded in the UK on the internet, with gang
members receiving them in the post.
Among them are high-powered weapons such as a 1935
Browning Hi Power pistol - versions of which have been
used by the British Army until recently - and the classic
Webley Mark VI revolver from the First World War.
It came as police made what they said was one of their
biggest ever hauls of guns in London.
Thirty firearms including assault rifles, sawn off shotguns,
Uzi and a Thompson machine gun were seized from an
address in E10.
A 51 year old man was arrested at the address is being
held in custody, police said.
Under Home Office guidance, neither gun is classified as
an antique but a legal loophole allows both to be
considered as "antiques" under the law. All handguns were
banned in the UK in 1996 after the Dunblane school
massacre. However, the anomaly revolves around section
58 of the 1968 Firearms Act, which gives an exemption to
"antique" weapons if they are considered as "curiosities
or ornaments."
Campaigners say the Act fails to define "antique" but
leaves the matter to the police and courts to decide.
Detectives say there is evidence that "antique" guns have
been used in shootings in London, while police in
Birmingham say similar guns have been taken on at least
two robberies - one involving injury to a person.
Working guns traded online are sent in the post for 300
to 400 a time.
Detectives in London are understood to be investigating
several cases where individuals have arranged the
purchase of antique guns for gang members.
One gang squad detective in the capital said a boy aged
17 quoted the Firearms Act to officers when he was
stopped with a historical gun in east London. Police say
gang members are buying guns from dealers, often with
few questions asked, and then obtaining home-made
ammunition from underworld armourers.
The trend has prompted law enforcement agencies to
lobby the Home Office for tighter laws on the sale and
possession of antique guns.
The National Ballistics Intelligence Service, which keeps a
database of all guns seized by UK police forces, is calling
for a series of changes with support from senior officers in

Scotland Yard's Trident gangs unit. Nabis spokesman Clive
Robinson said: "Our concern is that at the moment you are
entitled to walk down the street with an antique firearm
capable of firing real bullets.
"Criminals are finding it difficult to acquire modern
weapons so they are having to find alternative sources of
supply such as antique weapons.
"We are finding criminals with a knowledge of the law.
They recognise that they can carry these weapons with
little or no risk of jail."
Officials and senior police officers want new laws making it
an offence for someone convicted of a serious crime to
possess an antique weapon.
They also want new legislation similar to the recent Scrap
Metal Act, forcing dealers to record all transactions and
ensure sales cannot be made in cash.
Mr Robinson said: "Guns like these have not really
changed in 100 years and we know there are hundreds
and hundreds of these in the country."
He warned that as the centenary of the First World War
passes, more modern weapons such as automatic pistols
will become classified as antiques and legal to own. Det
Supt Gordon Allison, of the Yard's Trident Gang Crime
Command, said: "We are not talking about converted
weapons - these guns are capable of firing live
ammunition."
Other examples of "antique" guns include the 1920s Dutch
revolver carried by the killers of Drummer Lee Rigby.
(2nd June 2014)
SALES OF ALCOHOL BLOCKED IN 999 HOTSPOTS

Ross Lydall)
Supermarkets and off-licences are being banned from
selling alcohol in areas where ambulances are frequently
called to drink-related emergencies.
Councils are using statistics on 999 call-outs, hospital
admissions and crime to argue that longer opening hours
are detrimental to public health.
Islington has pioneered the use of computers to map highrisk areas and has refused 13 licensing applications and
modified two others in the last year and a half.
Firms including Sainsbury's and many independent
retailers have had permission to sell alcohol round the
clock curtailed or rejected outright.
Areas affected include the Nag's Head area of Holloway
Road, Archway and areas popular with late-night revellers,
such as Upper Street, Old Street and Clerkenwell.
Sainsbury's had an application to sell alcohol from 8am11pm at its store at 91-93 St John Street refused last April.
Residents complained of revellers "pre-loading" with
cheaper alcohol from shops before attending nearby
nightclubs in Clerkenwell.
A Sainsbury's spokesman said: "Naturally we are
disappointed with the decision of Islington Council.
Sainsbury's is committed to being a responsible retailer
and the overwhelming amount of alcohol purchased in our
stores is consumed by customers at home."
A report drawn up by council officers and put to the
licensing committee said there had been 42 alcoholrelated ambulance call-outs in the immediate vicinity in
2011/12 - more than double the average for the rest of the
borough.
The Emirates Express store at 35-43 Hornsey Road, only

yards from Arsenal's stadium, had its licence revoked last
October due to "under-age sales". Test purchases by
trading standards officers resulted in a 17-year-old being
sold two cans of Fosters lager. The store was also found to
be selling illicit whisky.
Police had become alarmed at the shop's failure to ensure
its customers abided by the council's ban on street
drinking on Arsenal match days and when the stadium
hosted concerts. Prior to a Muse gig last May, a long
queue was seen by officers tailing back to Holloway Road.
Janet Burgess, Islington's executive member for health and
wellbeing, said: "The night-time economy is important to
Islington but excessive alcohol consumption can have
repercussions for the wellbeing of the wider community
and we have to strike a balance.
"Our database tool links public health with licensing
objectives, helping us to protect our communities from
harm."
The initiative, which has also been adopted by
neighbouring Camden, has been ramped-up since councils
were given public health duties a year ago.
Previously, police would be able to make representations
to council licensing committees. Now the use of detailed
NHS data is able to pinpoint - down to neighbourhoods
with an average of 1,500 residents - areas with an aboveaverage number of ambulance calls and corresponding
crime rates.
Ambulance call-outs are not included in crime figures but
tend to reflect crime and disprder hotspots - enabling a
more detailed picture of problem areas to be gathered.
The database also includes the number of late-night shops
already selling alcohol.
Unlike in Scotland, improving public health is not a
licensing objective in itself. As a result, applications can

only be blocked on health grounds if there is overlapping
concern with one of four key areas: prevention of crime;
public safety; prevention of nuisance; protection of
children.
A Costcutter spokesman said the Emirates Express was no
longer one of its franchises. The store could not be
contacted for comment.
(2nd June 2014)
TOUGHER SENTENCES FOR WAR MEMORIAL THIEVES

(The Telegraph, dated 3rd April 2014 author David Barrett)
Thieves who target war memorials, churches or other
historic sites will be hit with tougher sentences under
official new proposals.
New draft guidelines from the Sentencing Council said that
for the first time judges and magistrates should take into
account whether a theft caused "damage to heritage
structures" when calculating the starting point for a
sentence.
It means that thieves who steal plaques or other
metalwork from war memorials in order to sell them for
scrap are likely to face tougher punishments, including
longer prison terms.
The War Memorials Trust has estimated that one
monument a week is targeted by metal thieves who strip
plaques or statuary - particularly copper or bronze - to be
smelted down.
Sir Richard Ottaway, the Conservative MP who introduced
a successful Private Member's Bill in the Commons last
year to tackle the problem by regulating cash-in-hand
scrap metal dealers, also welcomed the new guidelines.

He said: "It is really important to remember that when a
plaque is stolen from a war memorial it is not fifty quid's
worth of bronze that is going, but the heritage of a
community.
"It really does have a profound effect on people in the
local area.
"I warmly welcome these sentencing guidelines and it is
absolutely critical that the judicial system responds
appropriately when punishing the perpetrators of these
crimes."
The new guidelines will also allow stronger punishments
for thefts which have caused harm to the country's
infrastructure - such as railways or the telephone network
- or which put people in danger, such as the theft of
manhole covers.
Judges and magistrates will also be able to take similar
factors into account when sentencing thieves who have
stolen items of "sentimental or personal value".
If the new measures are finalised, it will mean a thief who
steals a wedding ring or another type of keepsake could
now be given a more severe punishment than they can
currently receive.
Similar measures are already in force for burglary but the
new guidelines will introduce them for other types of theft,
such as handbag snatches or stealing from a car.
The draft guidelines said: "The impact of metal thefts will
be reflected at step one, as a key driver of the starting
point, in the consideration of harm.
"Where, for example, 'disruption is caused to
infrastructure' or there is 'damage to heritage structures'
as a result of metal theft, the court should consider
whether to increase the sentence either within the
sentencing range or sentence outside the range."

The Sentencing Council's proposals did not include specific
jail terms or other penalties for thefts from historic sites.
But in one example - of 150 brass plaques stolen from a
crematorium - they set out how the sentence could
increase from a few months in prison to between one and
four years.
The draft guidelines will be under consultation for 12
weeks.
(2nd June 2014)
MET GANG SQUAD SEES GUN CRIME HALVED

(London Evening Standard, dated 2nd April 2014 author
Justin Davenport)
The Met today hailed a major breakthrough on gun crime
as figures revealed the number of shootings in the capital
has halved in two years.
Offences where a firearm was fired fell by 47 per cent from
560 to 294 between 2011 and last year.
Detectives say gang members are using re-activated
antique guns or weapons from the two world wars because
of the difficulty in obtaining high-powered modern pistols.
A breakdown shows Lambeth has the highest number of
shootings, with 113 incidents, accounting for more than a
third of the capital's shootings.
It was followed by Lewisham, which had 80, and Newham,
which had 77 shootings. Coldharbour in Lambeth was the
worst ward with 22 separate incidents in the years
covered by the data obtained in a Freedom of Information
request. But shootings in the ward fell from 11 in 2011 to
four last year.

Dame Tessa Jowell MP, whose constituency includes
Coldharbour, said turf wars between gangs were to blame
for the number of shootings there, adding: "Coldharbour
is not a gun-ridden area. It is a gang culture that exists
and not a gun culture, 99 per cent of the people in
Coldharbour would never dream of holding a gun." The
figures show only Haringey and Barnet have seen an
increase in shootings since 2011. There were 12 shootings
in Haringey in 2013, up from 11 in 2011.
In Barnet the number doubled to 16 last year compared.
Kingston-upon- Thames is the only borough in London that
went a year without a shooting in 2012. Figures for the last
12 months show there were 299 guns fired in London,
compared to a total of 394 in the previous year. The total
number of "gun crime" offences - which include robberies
and offences where the use of guns were threatened - also
fell by 16 per cent from a total of 1,872 offences in
2012/13 to 1,564 in 2013/14.
The reduction in gun offences co-incides with the launch of
the Met's new Trident gangs squad in 2012. Since then
1,000 gang members have been jailed and 300 subject to
restrictions.
Detective Chief Superintendent Dean Hayden said: "These
are dramatic falls but there are still guns in circulation and
we are focusing on taking these off the streets."
(2nd June 2014)
10 CRIME GANGS TARGET CHILDREN FOR SEX

(London Evening Standard, dated 1st April 2014 author
Martin Bentham)
At least 10 organised criminal syndicates are targeting
girls and boys in London for sexual abuse, says one of the
Met's most senior officers.
Some men pick up runaways and other vulnerable children
in cars. Other abusers are leaders of organised street
gangs who use their power to pressure girls into sex.
Scotland Yard warns that nearly 3,000 London children
could be at risk of abuse or other mistreatment that
requires intervention by police or other child protection
experts.
The alarming disclosures were made by Met Assistant
Commissioner Mark Rowley during an appearance before
the London Assembly.
It will heighten concern about the scale of hidden child
sex abuse in the capital. The findings follow a warning last
year by the deputy children's commissioner that
thousands of youngsters nationwide are being subjected
to sexual abuse by gangs and other groups after scandals
involving the exploitation of girls in Oxfordshire and
Rochdale. Mr Rowley said the Met's new figures were the
result of a new referral system for identifying children at
risk which had already picked up 487 cases during a sixmonth pilot in a handful of boroughs.
He said that was expected to produce an overall London
figure for children at risk of between 2,000 or 3,000 as the
system was expanded, but warned that serious organised
exploitation had already been uncovered. "I currently have
of the order of 10 organised crime type operations of
people abusing, usually girls, not always, but usually
girls".
He added: "We are seeing two broadly different profiles of
gang, you have the elder males, picking up runaways and
all the rest and exploiting them, taking them to hotels, etc.
And then you have the street gang type profile, and we
are getting both of those coming into our system."
Mr Rowley added that detectives had carried out arrests in
one alleged case of gang abuse in Hillingdon following a

"good piece of work" between police and the local
authority.
The revelations follow the introduction of a new three
category referral system by the Met for children at risk.
Mr Rowley said that those classed as category one, the
lowest form of risk, might require "safeguarding" by social
workers or others, rather than police action, but that
around 1,500 cases in the other two categories would
require investigation.
He said that these would include cases at the "top end"
involving "tens" of victims of the organised crime
syndicates who were targeting children.
Mr Rowley added that police still wanted to uncover more
evidence about the role of street gangs in carrying out
sexual exploitation, which was highlighted by the Evening
Standard's Frontline London campaign.
He said this was "a sort of stone that we are lifting" and
that officers expected to find "a lot of awful things once
we look" as investigations accelerated.
He warned that one difficulty was that some of the victims
were "so in the thrall of this abusive relationship at the
age of 14, 15, 16, 17" that they did not see their
exploitation as a crime.
Complex work was needed as a result to help victims
escape and to give them the support that could help them
recover and realise "that they had been coerced,
intimidated, assaulted, abused".
Mr Rowley said covert operations were under way to
target such offenders and that although the work was
difficult, he was "optimistic" that the Met was making "real
progress" in tackling abusers.
(2nd June 2014)
SOMETHING ROTTEN IN THE METROPOLITAN POLICE

(The Independent, dated 26th March 2014 authors Tom
Harper and Paul Peachy)
The head of the Metropolitan Police has admitted that
rogue and corrupt officers may evade justice because of
the "mass-shredding" of sensitive corruption files held by
Scotland Yard.
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe suggested the decision to destroy
a "lorry-load" of intelligence from an investigation into
criminality inside the Met was wrong and said such a
decision would now only be taken at a very senior level,
throwing the spotlight back on his predecessors Lord
Stevens and Lord Blair.
During a fractious appearance in front of the Home Affairs
Select Committee, Britain's most senior police officer
professed ignorance across a wide range of embarrassing
issues for the Met - including which of his current top team
wrongly gave Scotland Yard a clean bill of health regarding
corruption in the Stephen Lawrence murder inquiry two
years ago.
With his force facing allegations of a cover-up since a
damning review into the Lawrence murder was published
earlier this month, Sir Bernard also revealed the force was
attempting to open a new investigation into the notorious
unsolved murder of Daniel Morgan, a private investigator
who is said to have been killed just as he was about to
blow the whistle on police corruption back in 1987.
His brother, Alastair, who has campaigned for 27 years to
bring Mr Morgan's killers to justice, looked on as Sir
Bernard was questioned repeatedly about the destruction
of intelligence from Operation Othona - a four-year
investigation into police corruption, going into the
Nineties, which may have contained clues about Mr
Morgan's murder.
MPs described the current situation as "terrible",

"shocking" and an "out-and-out disgrace" as they ridiculed
reports, purportedly emanating from Scotland Yard
sources, that suggested the "mass-shredding" of some of
the Met's most sensitive files was due to the force's
attempt to comply with data protection law. The MP
Michael Ellis asked: "Do you think the loss of this material
will affect the prosecutions of police officers?"
Sir Bernard replied: "It is difficult to say it may have an
impact, I can't be sure." Asked if he would authorise the
"mass shredding" of such files, he said bluntly: "I would
expect to keep it." He also said that such a decision now
would have to be taken at deputy commissioner level or
above, raising pressure on Lord Blair and Lord Stevens,
who were in charge at the time.
Nicola Blackwood also questioned the police chief over a
discredited Scotland Yard review of the Stephen Lawrence
case published under his watch in 2012, which failed to
mention the destruction of Operation Othona.
David Hurley, the detective superintendent who led the
review, has since claimed he had "no control" over the
"editorial content" which was turned over to unspecified
"senior officers" in the final analysis. Sir Bernard
apologised for the review and said he did not know which
senior officers were in charge of Mr Hurley's work, which
he agreed to disclose to the committee along with many
other highly sensitive Met reports into police corruption,
including Operation Tiberius, details of which were
revealed by The Independent in January.
Ms Blackwood asked Sir Bernard about the general
practice, saying: "So you wouldn't like to see investigating
officers' reports rewritten by senior officers for PR
purposes?" He replied curtly: "I wouldn't."
The MPs' committee chairman, Keith Vaz, said the
commissioner appeared to be in a state of "shock" and he
was worried that he did not have "a grip at the moment"
on his organisation. He also revealed he had been in touch

with Baroness Lawrence, the mother of Stephen, who was
stabbed to death in south-east London by a racist gang in
1993.
Mr Vaz announced his committee would launch a new,
wide-ranging inquiry into the structure, governance and
culture of the Metropolitan Police. He also said that Lady
Lawrence had told him Sir Bernard had briefed her
personally on death threats being made against her, but,
she told Mr Vaz, nothing more had been done to bring the
perpetrators to justice. The visibly-shaken police chief
said: "I will look into that immediately."
The officer at the centre of alleged corruption within the
Lawrence inquiry, Sgt John Davidson, should no longer be
investigated by the Met, the Commissioner said. There
have been at least three inquiries into the officer, one by
Scotland Yard and two by the police watchdog, the last in
2006. It followed claims by a supergrass involved in the
prosecution of corrupt officers that the officer - known as
OJ for Obnoxious Jock - had links with a mid-level criminal
and the father of one of the only two men jailed in 2012
for Stephen's murder.
Sgt Davidson retired and was running a pub in Menorca
called The Smugglers. But it has been on the market for
more than a year because, according to his sale pitch, he
wants to return to Britain to be with his grandchildren.
"He has at least been investigated although the outcome
has left a doubt," said the Commissioner. Senior officers
within the Met have stated publicly that they believed Mr
Davidson was corrupt and that the review by Mark Ellison
QC, published by the Home Secretary, found there was
evidence to back the claim.
Theresa May has also asked the head of the National
Crime Agency about possible next steps and
investigations into potentially corrupt officers. "Whatever
the investigation that may happen next I don't believe the
Metropolitan Police will be involved with it," said the
Commissioner. He said the force should not be involved in

logging into the allegations against Sgt Davidson or
anyone else from historic allegations.
(29th March 2014)
MALWARE HIJACKS WORLD OF WARCRAFT ACCOUNTS

DESPITE TWO FACTOR AUTHENTICATION
(Computer World, dated 7th January 2014 author Lucian
Constantin)
Full article :
www.computerworld.com/s/article/9245221/Malware_hijac
ks_World_of_Warcraft_accounts_despite_two_factor_authen
tication?source=CTWNLE_nlt_security_2014-01-08
A new Trojan program is targeting users of the popular
online role-playing game World of Warcraft and is capable
of hijacking accounts even if their owners use two-factor
authentication.
"We've been receiving reports regarding a dangerous
Trojan that is being used to compromise players' accounts
even if they are using an authenticator for protection," a
technical support representative from Blizzard
Entertainment, the game's developer, said Friday in a
message on the Battle.net forums. "The Trojan acts in real
time to do this by stealing both your account information
and the authenticator password at the time you enter
them."
-------------------------------------------------------(29th March 2014)
WOMENS REFUGES TO RECEIVE 20 MILLION
LIFELINE FOR VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
FLEEING HOME
(The Telegraph, dated 3rd November 2016 author Cristina
Criddle)
www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/womens-refuges-toreceive-20-million-lifeline-for-victims-of-dom/
Women's refuges will receive a 20 million boost as part of
a Government initiative that obliges councils to
accommodate those fleeing violent partners from outside
their local area.
Theresa May this week approved the funding, which forms
the first part of a 40 million pledge to support domestic
abuse victims. First announced in the 2015 Spending
Review, the initial wave will cover 2017 and 2018.
Communities secretary Sajid Javid said local authorities, in
partnership with specialist charities, can bid for a share of
the funds to safeguard existing centres and create more
accommodation for women escaping domestic violence.
Councils will only be awarded a share of the funds if they
commit to collaborating with refuge providers from across
the UK.
Previously, cuts to local authority grants have resulted in
non-statutory services being reduced, putting refuges at
risk of closure. Some councils also introduced local
connection rules, meaning that only women from the
nearby area could access support.
Charities have warned of the dangers of this policy, as it
stops women and children who are in fear of their lives
from moving across the country to a place of safety, and
away from their abuser.
Recent research by Womens Aid, who the Government
has consulted about the funding, found that 17 per cent of
specialist womens refuges had closed since 2010, with
more than 155 women a day refused accommodation, due
to a lack of space.
But national domestic violence charity Refuge, who also
worked with the Government, today welcomed the funding
as a positive step and a "lifeline for women and children
in need of protection."
Refuges are often the only escape route for women and
children in fear of losing their lives, chief executive
Sandra Horley added. Refuges provide women and
children with much needed safety, expert support and the
building blocks they need to begin a new life, free from
fear.
The Government is also publishing its new priorities for
domestic abuse services, setting out how councils can
provide services "in a collaborative and effective way".
Mr Javid said the funding was designed to ensure no victim
is turned away from refuges. "Domestic abuse knows no
barriers. It can happen to anyone of us, at any time, he
added.
The news could be seen as an indication that Mrs May
wishes to deliver on her promise of social reform. The
Prime Minister has fought to tackle domestic violence
since she was home secretary and her key adviser, Fiona
Hill, is also said to feel strongly about the issue.
Last month, Mrs May temporarily exempted womens
refuges from planned changes to housing benefit rules
which could have forced further closures.
In a previous speech to the Police Federation, she said:
Let me be absolutely clear. Domestic abuse is a crime.
Sexual assault is a crime. Child sexual abuse is a crime.
Modern slavery is a crime. And the victims and survivors
of those crimes deserve to be heard now, just as they
should have been years ago, and they deserve justice, just
as they did then.
(3rd November 2016)
MAKE ANTI-GROOMING LESSONS COMPULSORY
(London Evening Standard, dated 1st November 2016
author Kate Proctor)

www.standard.co.uk/news/education/schools-urged-tohold-compulsory-antigrooming-lessons-a3384041.html
Compulsory anti-grooming lessons could be held in
schools to protect children from falling victim to abuse.
Proposals put forward today by Labour's shadow women
and equalities minister, Sarah Champion, call for the
introduction of awareness lessons for pupils aged five and
above.
It is understood Education Secretary Justine Greening is
sympathetic to suggestions that existing sex and
relationship guidance needs to be updated.
Ms Champion - who is MP for Rotherham and campaigns
on behalf of victims of the Rotherham child abuse scandal
- said it was time to shake off the cultural "prudishness"
that had turned abuse into the Britain's "dirty little secret".
Ms Champion said of Ms Greening, who went to state
school in Rotherham: "From the work she's done in this
area before and the way she was in the [Commons], she
seems to get and understand this. I hope - because I
believe both Home Secretary Amber Rudd and Prime
Minister Theresa May get and understand this - we will be
able to push this forward."
Ms Champion has produced a National Action Plan for
Preventing Child Abuse and Violence in Teenage
Relationships, with evidence from The Children's Society,
Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, and
Children's Commissioner for England.
Her recommendations include introducing age-appropriate
education on the subject from Key Stage 1, and ensuring
sex and relationship education lessons take place in
academies, free schools and new grammar schools, which
currently have no statutory requirement to do so. She
said: "It's giving children an awareness that they respect

themselves, they respect others and no means no. So we
are not teaching little children about sex, but we are
teaching that some people can be mean and if you feel
uncomfortable you can report that to someone.
"The Government has never justified why they don't give
proper resilience education to all children from Key Stage
1. I do not think there are any arguments that are valid
about why we wouldn't be protecting our children in this
way."
The Department for Education said: "Sex and relationship
education is compulsory in all maintained secondary
schools, and many academies and free schools teach it.
We are looking at all options to ensure that all children
have access to high quality teaching of sex, relationships,
personal, social and health education."
----------------------SOMALI GANG JAILED FOR THE SYSTEMATIC RAPE AND
ABUSE OF VULNERABLE SCHOOLGIRLS IN BRISTOL
(The Telegraph, dated 1st November 2016 author Martin
Evans)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/01/somali-gang-jailedfor-the-systematic-rape-and-abuse-of-vulnerab/
gang of Somali refugees have been jailed for their part in
the systematic rape and abuse of teenage girls who were
failed by police and told their "lifestyle choices" were to
blame for their ordeal.
Victims, as young as 14, were given drugs and repeatedly
pestered for sex by the men, who were part of a wider
gang based in Bristol.
Three men - Sakariya Sheikh, 23, Mohammed Dahir, 24,
and Abdirashid Abdulahi, 23 - were convicted of 14
charges relating to four girls, following a third trial into the
sexual exploitation of vulnerable schoolgirls.
It takes to 13, the number of men convicted of the

"chilling" abuse which occurred in Bristol between 2009
and 2013.
But a report into the abuse found that many of the victims
had been let down by social services, doctors and the
police, whose failure to launch an investigation
immediately meant the gang were free to abuse the
victims for another six months.
A review, commissioned by the Bristol Safeguarding
Children Board, revealed a series of shortcomings
including by doctors, sexual health services and schools,
who failed to notice the abuse.
The report also found that in some cases the victims were
blamed by police for their "lifestyle choices" with one girl
being told she had "brought it all on herself" after she
reported two rapes.
Officers dealing with the crimes were also "under extreme
pressure" as a consequence of austerity and cuts, the
report found.
Contraception was dished out to girls as young as 12, who
went to their GPs complaining of heavy bleeding,
abdominal pains and needing tests for STDs.
Following the publication of the review, Assistant Chief
Constable Kay Wozniak of Avon and Somerset Police, said:
"We recognise that there were shortcomings.
Unfortunately, financial pressures continue not just in
Avon and Somerset but across the country."
Jailing Sheikh for 16-years and Dahir and Abdulahi for
eight-years each Judge Peter Blair QC told the men: "You
have brought shame upon your families and upon
yourselves. You are not worthy of very much further
attention in this courtroom. "
Seven men went on trial accused of 46 charges.
Three were acquitted after the jury failed to reach verdicts

and another man was found not guilty of the two charges
against him.
The trial, codenamed Operation Button, was the third in a
series of prosecutions of Somali men for child sexual
exploitation and drugs offences.
In two earlier trials in 2014, codenamed Operation Brooke,
14 men were jailed for more than 100 years.
The three convicted defendants in Operation Button rapists Sheikh and Abdulahi and Dahir - were also found
guilty in Operation Brooke.
During the trial, jurors heard how a 15-year-old girl was
simultaneously raped by Sheikh and another man in March
2013.
The majority of the offences happened between 2011 and
2012 against girls who had travelled to Bristol by train to
meet the men.
Speaking after the case, Detective Sergeant Lisa Jones, of
Avon and Somerset Police, said the offences had inflicted
"long-term pain and torment" on the victims.
"These defendants befriended these vulnerable young
people who were still at school, grooming and sexually
exploiting them.
"Their systematic abuse over a number of years slowly
eroded their confidence and made them think these
crimes were normal behaviour."
In a statement issued through police, the Bristol Somali
community said it was "deeply appalled" by the case.
"Our deepest sympathy wholeheartedly goes out to the
victims and their families who are undoubtedly
experiencing extreme pain at the moment," it said.
"Our community, a Muslim and black minority ethnic

community, in Bristol would like to underline that we
sincerely condemn the nature of these crimes."
(3rd November 2016)
TRAIN COMMUTERS URGED TO WATCH FOR SIGNS
OF TERRORISM
author Dick Murray)
www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/commuters-must-bethe-eyes-and-ears-in-fight-against-terror-police-warn-innew-see-it-say-it-sorted-a3383801.html
London commuters were told today they are the "eyes and
ears" needed to help keep the railways safe from a
terrorist attack.
It came as Government and the British Transport Police
(BTP) made an unprecedented appeal to passengers to
watch out for anything unusual - and report it the moment
they do.
Passengers today arriving at major mainline stations in the
capital were among the first to hear updated security
announcements and see posters promoting the the new
"See IT. Say It. Sorted" campaign.
Launching the new measures at Waterloo Station Paul
Maynard, the rail minister, said: "We want to send a clear
message to anyone threatening the security of the rail
network that there are thousands of pairs of eyes and ears
ready to report any potential threat to the BTP and rail
staff who are ready to respond."
Passengers were encouraged particularly to watch out for:
- Someone avoiding rail staff or police

- Unattended bags, luggage or packages
- Anyone checking out security arrangements
It was made clear the campaign is in response to a
general tightening of security measures across the
network rather than a specific threat.
Last week the Evening Standard revealed armed police are
to travel on the London Underground instead of using
patrol cars to get around the capital.
BTP Temporary Assistant Chief Constable Alun Thomas
said it was better to be safe than sorry and passengers
should not be afraid in coming forward and reporting their
suspicions.
"We rely on information from the public to help us keep
the railway safe.
"It could be someone avoiding rail staff or police, leaving a
bag on the railway, checking out security arrangements
like CCTV or trying to access staff only areas."
"If it doesn't feel right, we want to hear from you. Let us
decide if what you have seen or what you know is
important. We will check the information thoroughly."
There was simultaneous launch of the campaign at
Birmingham, Glasgow and Manchester stations and will be
extended across the country.
Gary Cooper, director of operations at the Rail Delivery
Group, which represents the passenger train operators,
said the combination of passengers, staff and police all
working together would ensure Britain's railways "remain
the safest in Europe."
The campaign complements BTP's 61016 texting service
which allows members of the public to report non-
emergency incidents on the railway 24 hours a day, 365

days of the year - receiving 50,000 messages since it
started three years ago.
More than 8,000 incidents have been investigated and
4100 crimes recorded.
(3rd November 2016)
POLISH PAIR JAILED FOR THROWING BACON AT
WORSHIPPERS IN NORTH LONDON MOSQUE
(International Business Times, dated 1st November 2016
author Ewan Palmer)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/polish-pair-jailed-throwing-baconworshipers-north-london-mosque-1589371
Two people have been jailed for throwing bacon inside a
North London mosque in a racially motivated attack. Polish
nationals Mateusz Pawlikowski, 22 and Piotr CzakZukowski, 28, both of Sneath Avenue, were sentenced for
criminal damage and racial/religious public offence order
after hurling bacon at worshippers inside Al-Rahman
Mosque in Crowndale Road on 2 October.
Blackfriars Crown Court heard how Pawlikowski
approached one of the worshippers, swore at him, and
threw a rasher of bacon towards him, before throwing
more bacon on the floor of the prayer room.
After fleeing the scene, Pawlikowski was arrested just
minutes away from the Mosque after being stopped for
matching the witnesses' description. When officers
arrested Czak-Zukowski, who again matched the witness
description, in Camden Lock, he was carrying an empty
packet of bacon in his pocket.
Both men were arrested on suspicion of inciting racial
hatred and taken into custody. The pair have now been
sentenced to eight months' imprisonment for criminal

damage and eight months' imprisonment for a racial /
religious public order offence. The sentences are to run
concurrently.
DC Tracey McMath, from the Camden Community Safety
Unit, said: "The defendants showed a complete disregard
for the faith and belief of others in this callous and highly
offensive incident; and I hope their convictions highlight
that we will not tolerate hate crime in any of its forms.
"I know this incident has had a significant impact on the
community and commend the victims for speaking up.
Hate crime is often a hidden crime and it is essential we
stand together with policing partners, colleagues and
groups to investigate all such allegations, support victims
and bring perpetrators to justice."
(3rd November 2016)
HOW MUCH OF A PROBLEM IS CYBER CRIME IN THE
UK ?
(The Telegraph, dated 1st November 2016 author Patrick
Scott)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/01/how-much-of-aproblem-is-cyber-crime-in-the-uk/
Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced a new fiveyear 1.9 billion scheme to help prevent cyber-crime in
the UK.
The National Cyber Security Strategy is to be used to
develop a strategy for tackling hackers and the problems
they pose to national security as well as to the public
individually.
In his introduction to the new strategy, Mr Hammond
writes: "From the most basic cyber hygiene, to the most
sophisticated deterrence, we need a comprehensive

response.
"We will focus on raising the cost of mounting an attack
against anyone in the UK, both through stronger defences
and better cyber skills. This is no longer just an issue for
the IT department but for the whole workforce. Cyber skills
need to reach into every profession."
How big of a problem is cyber-crime in the UK?
Cyber-crime has risen in prominence in recent years and is
no longer the stuff of spy novels. However, the full extent
of it in the UK is still difficult to gauge.
The Office for National Statistics has recently begun
asking people about their experiences of fraud and online
crime in its Crime Survey of England and Wales.
From these responses the ONS was able to estimate that
there were 5.6 million fraud and computer misuse crimes
in the 12 months up to the end of June 2016.
To put this into context, the total number of crimes
recorded in the rest of the survey stood at 6.5 million over
the same period, meaning that crime in the UK has nearly
doubled with the addition of these new questions.
Out of these 5.6 million fraud and computer misuse
offences more than two thirds were specifically labelled as
being examples of cyber-crime. This means they involved
the internet or online activity.
This would mean that there were 3.8 million instances of
cyber-crime in the 12 months to June 2016.
The figures show that bank account fraud, for example
Phishing, was the most common type of online crime with
2.4 million instances in the year to June.
As many as 708,000 people lost money in fraud cases last
year while there were 487,000 instances in which people
lost money due to hacking or computer viruses.

Of the people who lost money due to fraud, more than a
quarter lost in excess of 500 and 15.4 per cent of them
lost in excess of 1,000.
Despite the scale of cyber-crime apparently being vast,
victims were unlikely to actually report incidents to the
authorities. Only 13.2 per cent of cases were referred to
police forces or Action Fraud, the new body policing fraud
across the UK.
While the ONS is still labeling their cyber-crime figures as
being experimental and has yet to incorporate them into
the rest of the crime survey, it seems that these types of
offences are very prevalent in the UK.
###Most common UK online crime offences ( Source :
Office for National Statistics)
These are the ten most common cyber-crimes in the UK,
with number of cases reported in the year to June 2016
1. Bank account fraud - 2,356,000
Criminals trick their way to get account details. For
example: "Phishing" emails contain links or attachments
that either take you to a website that looks like your
bank's, or install malware on your system. A 2015 report
by Verizon into data breach investigations has shown that
23pc of people open phishing emails.
2. Non-investment fraud - 1,028,000
AKA Ponzi schemes. Examples include penny stocks,
pension liberation, and investment in commodities, such
as wine or art, that later prove worthless
3. Computer virus - 1,340,000
Unauthorised software damages or takes control of your
machine. For example: "Ransomware" encrypts your files
and pictures then demands a payment to restore your

access to it
4. Hacking - 681,000
Criminals exploit security weaknesses to illegally access
other machines or networks. They steal sensitive data or
subvert machines for their own purposes, such as sending
spam or launching other cyber attacks
5. Advance fee fraud - 117,000
The victim is promised access to a great deal of money in
return for a smaller upfront payment. For example, the
classic "Nigerian Prince" email scam
6. Other fraud - 116,000
One example is "solicitor scams", where a solicitor's
website is hacked, then clients asked to divert large
payments into the criminals' bank accounts.
7. Harassment and stalking - 18,826
Threats, abuse and online bullying - what's commonly
been termed "trolling" on social media
8. Obscene publications - 6,292
Pornography that meets the definition of the Obscene
Publications Act, thus generally involving some form of
physical abuse
9. Child sexual offences - 4,184
Assault, grooming, indecent communication, coercing a
child to witness a sex act. These crimes may be being
under-reported
10. Blackmail - 2,028
This includes threats to publish intimate photographs
online
(1st November 2016)
UK TO INCREASE NATIONAL CYBER-DEFENCE GRID
(BBC News, dated 1st November 2016)
Automatic defences to stop hackers hijacking websites or
spoofing official domains will get a boost from a 1.9bn
government cybersecurity strategy.
Chancellor Philip Hammond will give details of the plans in
a speech later.
Other defences that intercept booby-trapped emails or
shut down thieves impersonating bank websites will also
be expanded.
The strategy will also help enlarge specialist police units
that tackle organised online gangs.
Some cash will go towards education and training of
cybersecurity experts.
Mr Hammond is expected to formally launch the scheme,
called the National Cyber Security Strategy, on Tuesday.
The plans will set out action needed to protect the UK
economy and the privacy of British citizens, and will also
encourage industry to ramp up efforts to prevent cyberattacks.
Mr Hammond said Britain "must now keep up with the
scale and pace of the threats we face".
"Our new strategy... will allow us to take even greater
steps to defend ourselves in cyberspace and to strike back
when we are attacked," he added.
Ben Gummer, paymaster general, said in a statement: "No

longer the stuff of spy thrillers and action movies, cyberattacks are a reality and they are happening now.
"Our adversaries are varied - organised criminal groups,
'hacktivists', untrained teenagers and foreign states."
Finding talent
The 1.9bn to pay for the national strategy was allocated
last year and will fund the programme until the end of
2020.
In its strategy, the government explained what some of
the money has been spent on already.
With the aid of industry, it has set up automated systems
that limit how much malware and spam reaches UK
citizens. Other projects have helped the government verify
where emails come from to thwart specific tax fraud
campaigns aimed at the UK.
Future spending plans involved cash for recruiting more
than 50 specialists who will work at the cybercrime unit at
the National Crime Agency. These will help tackle
organised gangs and aim to raise the cost of engaging in
hi-tech crime to make it much less attractive.
The cyber-plan will also involve the creation of a Cyber
Security Research Institute that aims to unite researchers
across the UK's universities to work together on improving
defences for smartphones, laptops and tablets.
Security-based start-ups will also get help via an
innovation fund that will commercialise work on novel
tools and defences.
A national scheme will also be set up to retrain "highaptitude professionals" as cybersecurity experts.
Prof Alan Woodward, a computer security expert from the
University of Surrey, said he hoped the government spent
cash on the "high volume, low sophistication attacks" that

plague people and cause the majority of financial losses.
"I hope the 1.9bn will be spent in growing talent," he
said. "The government talk about 50 recruits here and 50
there. I'm afraid we need many more."
Prof Woodward said it was getting "increasingly difficult" to
persuade young people to study computer science and
getting them to try cybersecurity was "a real headache".
"I would really like to see money put into reaching young
people early enough to influence the subjects they decide
upon at school and pairing an image for them of just how
interesting and rewarding a career in cybersecurity can
be," he said.
uaware comment
Wow, that is some security investment ! Not really, it is
estimated that for the whole of the UK economy that
amount is lost to fraud, scams and forced computer
systems downtime in under a month.
(1st November 2016)
OCTOBER 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - OCTOBER 2016
-----------------------APPOINTMENTS ON HOLD AS COMPUTER VIRUS WREAKS
HAVOC WITH NHS TRUST SYSTEMS
(The Register, dated 31st October 2016 author Alexander J
Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/31/virus_shuts_down_nhs_t
rust/
An NHS trust in England shut down all of its IT systems

today and has all but ground to a halt in general after a
virus compromised them on Sunday.
In a bright-red warning labelled "Major incident" on the
website for Northern Lincolnshire & Goole NHS Foundation
Trust, patients are warned that their appointments have
been cancelled due to a virus infecting electronic systems.
The trust announced that it has "taken the decision,
following expert advice, to shut down the majority of our
systems so we can isolate and destroy it".
The nature of the virus has not been disclosed, but the
infection comes after NHS Digital committed to expanding
the range of cybersecurity services available to UK
hospitals and clinics.
Almost half (47 per cent) of NHS trusts have been subject
to a ransomware attack in the past year, according to
figures from a freedom of information (FOI) request
published last month. NCC Group's FOI is based on
requests to 60 trusts, 28 of which confirmed they had
been victims of ransomware.
-----------------------EU PRIVACY WATCHDOGS WANT ANSWERS FROM
WHATSAPP AND YAHOO ABOUT USER DATA
(Computer World, dated 28th October 2016 author Peter
Sayer)
www.computerworld.com/article/3136198/data-privacy/euprivacy-watchdogs-want-answers-from-whatsapp-andyahoo-about-user-data.html
European Union privacy watchdogs have warned
WhatsApp CEO Jan Koum to stop sharing users' data with
parent company Facebook until they investigated whether
the transfers comply with EU data protection law. They

also want Yahoo's Marissa Mayer to come clean about
recent leaks and spying allegations.
In an open letter to Koum published Friday, an umbrella
group representing the EU's national data protection
authorities expressed its serious concerns at the way
WhatsApp users were informed of changes to the
company's terms of service and privacy policy, and
questioned whether the company had their valid consent
to the changes.
-----------------------MALWARE FROM LAST WEEKS DDOS ATTACK CONTINUES
TO HARASS
Kan)
www.computerworld.com/article/3136354/security/malwar
e-from-last-weeks-ddos-attack-continues-to-harass.html
It's still unclear who pulled off Friday's massive internet
disruption, but the malware largely responsible for the
cyber attack has since assaulted new targets -- possibly
including video gamers.
Since last Friday, botnets created by the Mirai malware
have been launching distributed denial-of-service attacks
at seemingly random targets, in short bursts, according to
a security researcher who goes by the name MalwareTech.
He has tracked Mirai-powered botnets and helped produce
a Twitter feed that monitors their DDoS attacks. On
Wednesday alone, the feed posted close to 60 attacks,
many of them lasting from 30 seconds to over a minute
long.
-----------------------CHINESE FIRM ADMITS ITS HACKED PRODUCTS WERE
BEHIND FRIDAYS DDOS ATTACK
(Computer World, dated 23rd October 2016 author Michael

Kan)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3134097/security/c
hinese-firm-admits-its-hacked-products-were-behindfridays-ddos-attack.html
A Chinese electronics component manufacturer says its
products inadvertently played a role in a massive
cyberattack that disrupted major internet sites in the U.S.
on Friday.
Hangzhou Xiongmai Technology, a vendor behind DVRs
and internet-connected cameras, said on Sunday that
security vulnerabilities involving weak default passwords
in its products were partly to blame.
According to security researchers, malware known as Mirai
has been taking advantage of these vulnerabilities by
infecting the devices and using them to launch huge
distributed denial-of service attacks, including Friday's
outage.
See also :
Title : Chinese firm recalls camera products linked to
massive DDOS attack
www.computerworld.com/article/3134548/security/chinese
-firm-recalls-camera-products-linked-to-massive-ddosattack.html
-----------------------MASSIVE DENIAL OF SERVICE ATTACK THAT ALMOST
BOUGHT DOWN U.S. INTERNET
(International Business Times, dated 22nd October 2016
author India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/massive-ddos-attack-that-almostbrought-down-us-internet-how-it-happened-why1587696#
On Friday (21 October), hackers mounted unprecedented
concurrent global DDoS attacks on internet services firm
Dyn. The attack severely impacted Dyn's clients, which
include Twitter, Reddift, Spotify, SoundCloud, among
others. Mere hours after Dyn claimed to have restored
services, hackers hit again, leading the firm's engineers
scrambling to mitigate the attack. The cyberattacks
caused outages for many across the East Coast in the US.
Explaining the sequence of attacks in an update, Dyn said:
"On Friday October 21, 2016 at approximately 11:10 UTC,
Dyn came under attack by a large Distributed Denial of
Service (DDoS) attack against our Managed DNS
infrastructure in the US-East region. Customers affected
may have seen regional resolution failures in US-East and
intermittent spikes in latency globally. Dyn's engineers
were able to successfully mitigate the attack at
approximately 13:20 UTC, and shortly after, the attack
subsided.
###See also :
BBC article - Smart Home devices used as weapons in
website attack
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37738823
-----------------------THREE MILLION DEBIT CARDS ARE RISK AFTER HACKERS
RAID INDIAN PAYMENT SYSTEMS
(The Register, dated 20th October 2016 author Iain
Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/20/indian_banks_fear_3m_
debit_cards_at_risk/
A suspected security breach has led banks in India to warn
3.25 million customers to replace their debit cards or
change the PINs.
National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI), the
umbrella organization for the nation's retail IT systems,
said customers at 19 banks were affected. We're told 641
people have been defrauded - approximately $200,000
has been taken, largely from cloned cards used in Chinese
and US ATMs.
"Necessary corrective actions already have been taken
and hence there is no reason for bank customers to
panic," said NPCI CEO Mr Abhaya Hota. "Advisory issued
by NPCI to banks for re-cardification is more as a
preventive exercise."
The recall of RuPay, Visa and MasterCard debit cards has
hit a slew of banks: State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, ICICI
Bank, Yes Bank and Axis Bank. Early reports suggested the
problem had been at the backend systems of Hitachi
Payment Services (HPS), which runs a network of 48,000
ATMs and 230,000 sales terminals across the country, but
the firm has denied this.
-----------------------NETFLIX REMINDS PASSWORD RE-USERS TO RUN A RESET
(The Register, dated 16th October 2016 author Richard
Chirgwin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/16/netflix_reminding_pass
word_reusers_to_run_a_reset/
Netflix has reminded people whose user IDs are circulating
in breach-lists to check their security and if necessary
reset their passwords.
The issue resurfaced late last week, when an Adweek
writer posted that he'd received a "reset your password"

message:
"As part of our regular security monitoring, we discovered
that credentials that match your Netflix email address and
password were included in a release of email addresses
and passwords from a breach at another company."
-----------------------THOUSANDS OF ONLINE SHOPS COMPROMISED FOR
CREDIT CARD THEFT
Constantin)
www.computerworld.com/article/3131085/security/thousa
nds-of-online-shops-compromised-for-credit-cardtheft.html
Almost 6,000 online shops have been compromised by
hackers who added specially crafted code that intercepts
and steals payment card details.
These online skimming attacks were first discovered by
Dutch researcher Willem de Groot a year ago. At that time,
he found 3,501 stores containing the malicious JavaScript
code. However, instead of getting better, the situation is
increasingly worse.
By March the number of infected shops grew by almost 30
percent to 4,476, and by September, it reached 5,925.
More than 750 online stores that were unwillingly
skimming payment card details for attackers in 2015 are
still doing so today, showing that this type of activity can
go undetected for months, the researcher said
-----------------------NEW GCHQ UNIT TO "CHAT" TO HACKED BUSINESSES
(The Register, dated 13th October 2016 author Alexander J
Martin)

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/13/new_gchq_unit_says_it_
wont_rat_your_breached_business_out_to_the_ico/
The new National Cyber Security Centre is pitching itself to
CEOs as a friendly government organisation which won't
get the regulators involved after data breaches.
Those gathered this morning on the 18th floor of 125
London Wall heard one of the NCSC's deputy directors
address CEOs on how they should lead their businesses'
recovery from cyber attacks-and it was primarily by
contacting NCSC, a part of GCHQ.
Peter Yapp, the deputy director for the incident
management directorate, explained how his role worked:
"If something [regarding a cyber incident and your
company] breaks in the press, I'll get a call from someone
in government," he said, and he would be expected to
explain what the incident meant.
"If you haven't phoned me and told me about it, I will
phone you," stated Yapp.
"It is worth telling me about the most serious incidents,"
he told his audience, acknowledging that these were
difficult to define, before comforting them: "We do not tell
the ICO what you tell us."
-----------------------BT YAHOO CUSTOMERS - WHY CAN'T WE DELETE OUR
WEBMAIL ACCOUNTS
(The Register, dated 7th October 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/07/bt_yahoo_customers_un
able_to_delete_webmail_accounts/
BT customers are unable to delete BT Yahoo email
services - despite an exodus of users seeking to leave the
security-challenged webmail biz.
Since allegations arose that Yahoo built an app to enable it

to scan all of its users' emails at the request of US
intelligence, many users have sought to delete their email
accounts.
That was in addition to Yahoo!'s confession last month that
hackers had stolen the credentials for at least 500 million
of its customer email accounts.
BT had outsourced its webmail hosting to Yahoo - and has
a total of 7 million accounts. BT had said a minority of its
customer base had been affected by the breach, but
declined to say how many.
----------------------ONLY A RADICAL NEW APPROACH TO DIGITAL SKILLS CAN
WARD OFF CYBERTHREATS AND PROTECT UK BUSINESS
(International Business Times, dated 7th October 2016
author Ashok Vaswani)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/only-radical-new-approach-digital-skillscan-ward-off-cyberthreats-protect-uk-business-1584215
The average British household owns 7.4 internet devices.
But for a nation so seemingly tech-absorbed, we are
worryingly complacent when it comes to protecting
ourselves online, leaving individuals and businesses at
risk. With the use of online platforms and cloud storage as
well as portable devices increasingly common, the need
for vigilance, knowledge and awareness has never been
greater.
The results of The Barclays Digital Development Index
highlight this issue; workers in the UK are far less likely to
keep their phones and laptops secure than those in Brazil,
South Africa or China. This poses potential risks in the
coming years as cyber hackers find increasingly
sophisticated ways to access information.
----------------------CITIZENS DON'T TRUST UK.GOV WITH THEIR DATA

(The Register, dated 6th October 2016 author Kat Hall)
Full Article [Option 1]:
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/06/citizens_dont_trust_ukg
ov_with_their_data/
UK citizens have little faith in the government's ability to
securely handle their private data - according to a wideranging survey which echoes findings by the National
Audit Office.
Just 22 per cent believed that the government has
appropriate means to stop cyber-attacks and identity
breaches, according to 1,500 citizens polled by YouGov on
behalf of security biz Covata.
Only 37 per cent said they were confident that the
government would keep their personal data secure; while
32 per cent believed departments would not be able toe
share information securely between public sector bodies.
----------------------ONE ELECTION-SYSTEM VENDOR USES DEVELOPERS IN
SERBIA
(Computer World, dated 5th October 2016 author Patrick
Thibodeau)
www.computerworld.com/article/3126791/electionhacking/one-election-system-vendor-uses-developers-inserbia.html
Voting machines are privately manufactured and
developed and, as with other many other IT systems, the
code is typically proprietary.
The use of proprietary systems in elections has its critics.
One Silicon Valley group, the Open Source Election
Technology Foundation, is pushing for an election system
that shifts from proprietary, vendor-owned systems to one

that that is owned "by the people of the United States."
But today, election system makers can operate in much
the same manner as any vendor to build code; that
includes using overseas developers.
One major election technology company, Dominion Voting
Systems (DVS), develops its systems in the U.S. and
Canada but also has an office in Belgrade, Serbia.
----------------------TECH GIANTS SAY THEY DID NOT DO YAHOO-STYLE EMAIL
SPYING
Kan)
www.computerworld.com/article/3127162/security/techgiants-say-they-didnt-do-yahoo-style-email-spying.html
Reports of a secret Yahoo program to search through
customers' incoming emails has spurred other tech
companies to deny ever receiving a similar request from
the U.S. government.
The program, first reported by Reuters, was created last
year through a classified U.S. order, and involves Yahoo
searching through hundreds of millions of user accounts at
the behest of the National Security Agency or the FBI.
Other U.S. tech companies, including Google, Microsoft,
Twitter and Facebook, denied doing anything like it. Most
also said they would challenge such a request in court.
Privacy advocates said the government's enlisting Yahoo
to assist in email monitoring would be wrong.
----------------------YAHOO MAY HAVE ALLOWED US GOVERNMENT TO SEARCH
USER EMAILS

Kan)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3127617/security/y
ahoo-may-have-allowed-us-government-to-search-useremails.html
Yahoo has reportedly searched through all of its users'
incoming emails with a secret software program that's
designed to ferret out information for U.S. government
agencies.
The software program, which was created last year, has
scanned hundreds of millions of Yahoo Mail accounts at
the behest of the National Security Agency or FBI,
according to a Tuesday report from Reuters.
Yahoo reportedly created the program to comply with a
U.S. classified government directive. It's unclear if the
mass email-searching program is still in use.
"Yahoo is a law-abiding company and complies with the
laws of the United States," the company said in a
statement.
----------------------ANDROID MALWARE THAT CAN INFILTRATE CORPORATE
NETWORKS IS SPREADING
Michael Kan)
www.computerworld.com/article/3126390/security/android
-malware-that-can-infiltrate-corporate-networks-isspreading.html
An Android malware is spreading across app stores,
including Google Play, and has the capability of stealing
sensitive files from corporate networks.
DressCode, a family of Android malware, has been found

circulating in at least 3,000 Trojanized apps, security firm
Trend Micro said on Friday.
DressCode hides itself inside games, user interface
themes and phone optimization boosters. It can also be
difficult to detect because the malicious coding only
makes up a small portion of the overall app.
On Google Play, Trend Micro found more than 400 apps
that are part of the DressCode family, it said. That's 10
times more than what security researchers at Check Point
noticed a month ago.
----------------------NHS HEALTH APPS PROJECT PLAN : POWERED BY YOUR
MEDICAL RECORDS
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/09/nhs_health_apps_conce
rns/
UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt plans for NHS-approved
health apps to play a role in patient records and
healthcare have already spawned a rash of privacy
concerns.
The NHS.UK site will have a new collection of NHSapproved health apps to guide patient choice. Data from
health apps and wearable activity trackers such as Fitbits
will feed directly into people's personal health records.
NHS England will approve a library of apps so people can
have confidence in the technology that they are using to
manage their healthcare, as explained in a Department of
Heath statement. The decision last year to shelve the NHS'
Apps Library amidst security and more general criticisms
of the software on offer hardly inspires confidence on this
front. Health ministers - unbowed by this set-back - are

determined to prescribe more technology.
-----------------------(1st November 2016)
FAKE TRAIN TICKETS SOLD ON THE DARK WEB
(The Telegraph, dated 31st October 2016 author Lydia
Willgress)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/31/fake-train-ticketssold-on-dark-web-as-criminals-take-advantage/
Fake train tickets are increasingly being sold on the dark
web as criminals take advantage of customers' anger over
expensive travel, an investigation has found.
Tickets are being sold on the "hidden" part of the internet
for a fraction of their original price by a self-styled "Robin
Hood" group, who claim they are offering "an affordable
public service".
Fares available include first-class and monthly tickets. The
investigation, carried out by BBC South East, found some
tickets, including a season ticket from Gatwick to the
capital, were being advertised for a third of their retail
price. Customers can use Bitcoin, a virtual currency, to
buy them.
The investigation found that although the tickets do not
have the correct metal strip that allows customers through
barriers at stations, staff let users through anyway
because the tickets appear genuine.
The group, who were not named in the investigation, told
the BBC "no one should be ashamed of getting one over
companies like Southern Rail".
"The train companies keep stuffing their pockets with

public subsidies while treating the operation of rail
services as an inconvenience," they said in a statement.
"We wish one day everyone will be able to use an
affordable public service. Until then, we will be providing
it."
A spokesman for the Rail Delivery Group, which represents
train companies, said fare dodgers "deprive" the railway of
around 200 million per year. People caught in possession
of a forged ticket risk a "hefty fine" or even a prison
sentence as it is a criminal offence, he added.
"Train companies work closely with the British Transport
Police to combat and investigate fraud, and operators take
a range of measures to make sure that customers are
buying and using the correct tickets," he said.
Staff carry out regular inspections on trains and at
stations, and automatic ticket barriers are installed in
many stations.
"Sadly there will always be people who try to get away
with not paying. The vast majority of passengers who do
pay the correct fare don't feel they should subsidise those
who choose not to pay."
It is understood that around 97 per cent of fares are put
back into helping run and improve services, with around
3p from every 1 going to the train companies.
Det Insp Jeremy Banks, from British Transport Police's
Cyber Crime Unit, said they were aware criminals were
using the dark web to exploit rail firms.
"We take all reports of criminality seriously and our
dedicated Cyber Crime Unit works closely with the rail
industry as well as police forces nationally to investigate
fraud and bring offenders before the courts," he added.
--------------------------
WHERE DOES THE RAIL TICKET FEES GO

(uaware, dated 31st October 2016, uaware Editor)
The UK probably has the most open rail network in the
World. Has this liberalisation bought benefits, bearing in
mind that no rail company directly competes with another
over the same route ? Many passengers would say no,
especially with the current Southern rail problems.
Many critics of the current franchise rail operation state
that profits go to fat cat investors. In many cases this is
true, but many of those "fat cats" are pension funds and
those profits pay UK pensioners. You could say that those
ticket fraudsters mentioned above will have some effect
on pension investments. Conversely, much of those profits
leave the UK and line the coffers of EU state railways !
The list below makes some attempt in describing who
actually runs our trains. Note, I don't say who owns our
trains, as these are leasing companies which are normally
backed by banks.
Passenger Train Operating Companies
- ARRIVA TRAINS WALES
Parent Company : Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Regio)
- C2C ( Fenchurch Street to Shoebury)
Parent Company : National Express
- CHILTERN RAIL (Birmingham, Kidderminster, Oxford,
Aylesbury, London)
Parent Company : Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Regio)
- CROSS COUNTRY (Journeys not connecting in London Aberdeen, Manchester, Glasgow, Penzance, Bournemouth)
Parent Company : Deutsche Bahn AG (DB Regio) / Arriva
- EAST MIDLANDS TRAINS ( London St Pancras, Doncaster,

Derby, Leeds, Worksop, Scarborough)
Parent Company : Stagecoach Group (Multinational, UK
HQ)
- GREAT NORTHERN ( London Kings Cross / London
Moorgate, Peterborough, Cambridge, Kings Lyn, London
Suburbs)
Parent Company : Govia which is a joint venture between
Koelis (French) and Go-ahead Group (Multi-national / UK
HQ)
- THAMESLINK ( Brighton, London (City), Luton, Bedford)
HQ)
- GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY [Formerly First Great Western]
(London, Bath, Bristol, Cardiff, Exeter, Penzance) both
inter-city and rural.
Parent Company : First Group plc (Multi-national / UK HQ)
- ABELLIO SCOTRAIL (Scotish Cities, Highland, rural and
suburban)
Parent Company : Dutch national rail operator
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
- FIRST TRANS-PENNINE EXPRESS (Manchester, Liverpool,
Glasgow, Newcastle, Hull)
Parent Company : First Group plc (Multi-national / UK HQ)
- GRAND CENTRAL ( London Kings Cross, Hull, Sunderland,
Bradford)
Parent Company : Arriva Trains a subsidiary of Deutsche
Bahn AG
- ABELLIO GREAT ANGLIA ( The majority of train services in
the counties of Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk)
Parent Company : Dutch national rail operator
Nederlandse Spoorwegen
- LONDON MIDLAND ( London Euston, Coventry, Stratford
upon Avon, Birmingham, Liverpool)
HQ)
- MERSEY RAIL (Liverpool, Chester - suburbs and rural)
Parent Company : A joint venture between Serco (UK) and
Abellio the international arm of the Dutch national rail
operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
- NORTHERN RAIL ( Durham, Whitby, Scarborough, Hull,
Blackpool, Manchester, Liverpool, Crewe, Lincoln,
Sheffield)
Parent Company : A joint venture between Serco (UK) and
Abellio the international arm of the Dutch national rail
operator Nederlandse Spoorwegen.
- SOUTHERN ( London Victoria, London Bridge to Brighton,
Hastings and other stations in West Kent, counties of
Surrey and Sussex)
HQ)
- SOUTH EASTERN ( London Charing Cross / Victoria /
Blackfriars / Cannon Street / London Bridge to Kent)

HQ)
- SOUTH WEST TRAINS ( London Waterloo, Portsmouth,
Southampton, Exeter, Bristol, Reading, Rural and
Suburban)
Parent Company : Stagecoach Group (Multinational, UK
HQ)
- VIRGIN EAST COAST ( London (Kings Cross), Lincoln,
Leeds, York, Edinburh, Aberdeen)
Parent Company : It is a joint venture between Stagecoach
(90%), and Virgin Group (10%).
- VIRGIN WEST COAST( London Euston, Rugby,
Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, Glasgow, Edinburgh)
Parent Company : West Coast Trains Limited joint venture
Virgin Rail Group (UK) and Stagecoach (UK).
Parent Organisation
If you wanted to make a personal investment in a railway
company you can via a broker. On the other hand if the
train operator is a State (country) you can't. Remember,
the UK pays rail companies subsidies, so the UK (British
taxpayers) are, in simple terms, sending money to
Germany.
Arriva - owned by Deutsche Bahn (German national
railways)
Stagecoach - mainly owned by investment companies *
First Group - mainly owned by investment companies *
National Express - mainly owned by investment companies
* (Subsidiaries operate in mainland EU)
Stagecoach - mainly owned by investment companies *
Source * - Morningstar (http://corporate.morningstar.com)
Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent

investment research in North America, Europe, Australia,
and Asia. They offer an extensive line of products and
services for individual investors, financial advisors, asset
managers, and retirement plan providers and sponsors.
Interesting note, the Government Pension Fund of Norway
is a institutional investor in National Express !
(1st November 2016)
TERRORIST ALERT ISSUED OVER MACHINE GUN ON
STREETS OF LONDON
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/terrorist-alert-issuedover-machine-guns-on-the-streets-of-londona3383346.html
Law enforcement chiefs today made an unprecedented
appeal for the public to help police prevent terrorists from
using machineguns and other illegal weapons to inflict
"immeasurable harm" on Britain's streets.
The National Crime Agency and the country's most senior
counter-terrorism officer, Met Assistant Commissioner
Mark Rowley, said they were making the appeal because
of rising concerns about the flow of weapons entering the
UK.
They said the public could "save lives" by tipping off police
about anyone who might own or have access to an illegal
firearm and that it was "imperative" that weapons were
found before they reached terrorists.
The new appeal, with the hashtag #GunsOffOurStreets,
came as Mr Rowley and NCA director general Lynne Owens
released figures showing that 884 firearms - including 62
found to have been used in a crime - have been seized by

law enforcement officers in the past year.
The weapons included a Skorpion sub-machine pistol, an
Uzi 9mm machine pistol, a Mac-10 machine pistol and an
assault rifle. Around 128 suspects have also been
arrested.
At least 9,000 rounds of ammunition have been seized
over the past 18 months.
The Met has also reported a big leap in the number of
shots fired in the capital this summer. A key fear is that
weapons sought by organised crime gangs will be sold on
to terrorists.
Urging the public to help police, Mr Rowley said that
counter-terrorism officers in Britain had a "unique tactical
advantage" over their overseas counterparts because of
the "relatively low level of weapons, especially
automatics" in circulation.
But he said that law enforcers could not be "complacent"
and were now mounting "intensified counter-firearms
operations" because of the growing danger posed by
terrorists.
He added that "about half" the terrorist plots foiled by
police involved extremists seeking to obtain guns and said
that the risk of a Paris-style attack being attempted here
meant that information from the public about illegal
weapons could be vital.
"It is imperative that we intercept these firearms before
they can do immeasurable harm to our communities," he
said.
"Ultimately it is communities that defeat terrorism and our
collective safety depends on everyone's efforts to report
criminality and a possible firearms incident.
"Law enforcement, together with security and intelligence
services, are working tirelessly to locate these weapons

and confront the terrorist threat.
"We also need more help from the public and are
appealing for people to come forward with information
that will help keep communities safer from guns and
prohibited weapons.
"Our message to the public is this: if you know anyone
who may own or have access to an illegal firearm then
please call Crimestoppers. Your call could help save lives.
The current threat to the UK from international terrorism
remains severe, meaning an attack is highly likely.
"Of the attack planning plots that we have disrupted since
2013, nearly half of these have involved a firearms angle
to some degree."
NCA director general Ms Owens said that the families and
friends of gang members or organised crime groups
should also be ready to alert police and be aware that
weapons could fall into terrorists' hands.
She added: "Suppressing the availability of illegal firearms
in the UK has never been a more significant priority for law
enforcement. Criminal networks, who think nothing about
who they sell firearms to, present a significant route by
which extremist groups will try to access the sort of
weapons used in recent attacks in Europe.
"To stop weapons getting into the wrong hands we need
intelligence about the firearms being used, both the
supply and the access to them.
"Today's appeal is to raise awareness amongst the general
public and also families, partners, friends and associates
of criminal or gang members and make them consider the
deadly consequences of keeping silent."
The new campaign follows a warning last month in the
National Crime Agency's annual "strategic assessment" of
threats facing Britain that the number of firearms offences
rose last year for the first time since 2008.

The report said that weapons were "commonly sourced
from eastern Europe and the Balkans" and often
transported here via the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
Anyone who has information about illegally-held guns or
ammunition should either contact the police or if you wish
to remain anonymous call Crimestoppers on 0800 555
111.
(1st November 2016)
5,000 POLICE STRIP SEARCHES CARRIED OUT ON
CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 12 OVER JUST TWO YEARS
author Matt Thomas)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/5000-police-strip-searches-carried-outchildren-young-12-over-just-two-years-1589001
According to figures released by 13 police forces in
England and Wales, more than 5,000 children aged 17 or
under have been strip-searched between 2013 and 2015.
Four thousand of these searches, normally aimed at
discovering weapons or drugs, were carried out by
London's Metropolitan Police - which described the ability
to carry out strip searches as "a vital power".
Across subjects of all age groups, 113,000 searches that
involved the removal of more than a suspect's outer
clothing were undertaken.
The figures emerged as part of a Radio 5 Live
investigation into policing practices, which asked all 45 UK
police forces for strip-search information. Only 13
responded with figures.
Georgia Wood was taken into police custody and stripsearched when she was just 12 years old. She remembers
being taken into custody in south Wales eight years ago
by officers who suspected her mother of possessing drugs.
"They didn't explain to me until we got to the police
station. And they literally just said 'this is what's going to
happen and we're going to do it'," she told BBC Radio 5
Live Investigates.
"For someone to just be so horrible and demeaning, I just
thought 'well, if I'm meant to respect my elders, aren't my
elders meant to respect me'? And I really didn't feel
respected in that situation."
Another young person subjected to a strip search was
Marion - not her real name - who says she was handcuffed,
pinned to the floor, and had all her clothes cut from her
body by female officers at a London police station.
She says male officers stood at an open door while she
was naked on the floor before she was later "paraded
through the station" in just a paper suit.
She was 24 when she had been taken into custody while
trying to help a young man she saw being arrested.
"I was pinned to the ground with three officers on me. It
felt like there were more than that because they were
grabbing me from all sides," she told 5 Live.
"They were also talking with male officers who were
standing at the open door. They were chatting together
about what implements to use on me, like leg restraints,
scissors, things like that. They were saying things like,
'there's a good girl' which I found really humiliating.
"Once they had me completely naked they put me into a
paper suit which didn't do up properly so my breasts were
exposed and they paraded me like that through the
station then dumped me on the floor of another cell."
She was subsequently found not guilty of obstruction and

two charges of assaulting police officers.
The Metropolitan Police said two officers were dealt with
under misconduct regulations for failure to maintain
adequate records.
"The complainant appealed the Met's decision to the IPCC
[Independent Police Complaints Commission]. This appeal
is currently under consideration," it said.
The Met added that 5.1% of children arrested in 2015 were
strip-searched compared to 12.2% of adults.
It said: "Strip-searching is a vital power in police custody
to not only identify and seize evidence but also to ensure
the safety and security of all detainees and staff.
"Each search must be based on an objective assessment
of the need and proportionality to search the person to
that extent. Legal safeguards are applied to ensure the
welfare needs of the detainee are considered and met."
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Home Affairs
Select Committee, described the figures as "very
troubling".
"I think this is quite concerning because we know so little
about why so many strip-searches are taking place," she
said.
"It's really distressing for people and I think the thing
about a strip-search is it is so intrusive, especially if you're
talking about children or teenagers."
(1st November 2016)
TOP 5 CYBERTHREATS THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS TO
BE AWARE OF
author India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/top-5-cyberthreats-that-everybodyneeds-be-aware-1588897
Cyberspace has increasingly become a battleground for
malicious entities intent on creating havoc. Whether it be
scamming unsuspecting users, profiting by stealing
sensitive user data or targeting big businesses and
governments to ferret out classified information,
cyberspace offers avenues for all this and more.
Cybercriminals have been leveraging various tools and
creating new ones at alarming speed. However, the best
way to stay safe is to arm yourself with knowledge about
the various threats out in the wild, as in this case,
knowledge truly is power.
IBTimes UK spoke to cybersecurity researchers, and
experts from various law-enforcement agencies to find out
more about serious threats and what one can do to keep
safe.
Here are the top five cyberthreats that everyone should be
on the lookout for:
1. Phishing campaigns
Phishing campaigns are one of the most common tools
used by hackers seeking to surreptitiously steal user data
and credentials. Phishing campaigns generally involve
hackers sending out malware-laced emails purporting to
be from legitimate businesses and/or sources, which then
trick victims into divulging sensitive information such as
usernames, passwords, card numbers and other
credentials.
Of late, social media scam phishing campaigns have
gained ground. Hackers have taken to posing as customer
care accounts of legitimate businesses and brands on
Twitter to hijack conversations of customers and deliver
malware. According to Duo Security, it takes less than five

minutes for cybercriminals to put together an effective
phishing campaign and less than half an hour to gain
access to data from a victim's system.
ESET malware researcher Robert Lipovsky told IBTimes UK,
"There are a great number of techniques to achieve that
(and a persistent actor would choose the best way of
getting in after doing reconnaissance on the target), such
as spear-phishing, drive-by-downloads using exploits,
watering hole attacks, manual installation with physical
access, and so on. Interestingly, spear-phishing is one of
the most commonly used techniques, because it is simple
and effective: when the attacker knows their target, they
will send them a malware-carrying email with a topic of
interest to the recipient so that they're very likely to open
it without a second thought, or even something they might
be expecting to receive."
It is essential that users proceed with caution when
opening emails that appear to come with suspicious
subject lines. Emails that advertise too-good-to-be-true
deals or claim to need "urgent" attention are some of the
commonly used subject lines by hackers in the past.
Additionally, when approaching customer support on
social media, it is advisable that users contact verified
accounts and closely check for any minor spelling
differences from main accounts to customer support
accounts.
2. Malware
Malware is a malicious code designed to infect a victim's
system and render it damaged. In recent years malware
has progressed to have gained the ability to infect almost
any device. Among the various kinds of malware are
banking malware, mobile malware, specifically Android
malware, which recently has become a potent tool in
posing as fake apps infecting phones, spyware and
ransomware.
There are various anti-malware security software
available, which can be installed on both PC and mobile

phones. Additionally, users are also advised to be wary of
suspicious apps, and programs. It is best not to download
any program or app from an unfamiliar or untrusted
source.
3. Ransomware
Ransomware has quickly become one of the deadliest and
most effective tools used by hackers to steal credentials
and/or make a quick buck. This is a type of malware,
which after infecting a target's system, encrypts all data
and locks out the user from accessing anything within.
Ransomware authors generally demand ransom in the
form of bitcoins, in exchange for releasing the victim's
data.
Some of the most common strains of ransomware in the
wild are Locky, CryptXXX, TeslaCrypt, KeRanger and
CryptoLocker, among others.
Since decryption is often tricky, ransomware attacks have
become extremely popular among cybercriminals. Carbon
Black co-founder and chief security strategist Ben Johnson
told IBTimes UK, "Ransomware attackers do not need to be
sophisticated, in fact, it's fairly simple to buy ransomware
and kick-off a campaign. Ransomware's rise in popularity
parallels the development of fileless attack methods that
traditional antivirus (AV) simply cannot stop. Cyber
criminals are quick learners and eager to make fast
money. Whether extorting $300 per user from a small
business or $30 million from a multinational enterprise,
the level of effort is often similar.
"A few of the more successful ransomware campaigns
include Cryptolocker, Teslacrypt, CryptoWall, Locky,
KeRanger, CryptXXX and PowerWare."
Former FBI national security executive Bob Anderson, who
now serves as MD at cybersecurity firm Navigant
Consultants told IBTimes UK, "This is very lucrative in the
criminal cyberspace. Hackers attack thousands of people
around the world instantly for historically low ransoms.

They get away before law enforcement has been called.
They then move on to the next victim or entity.
"Russian organised crime and other nation states have
utilised ransomware attacks. For the most part it is
organised and very sophisticated. Currently in the US, the
hospital and health care industries are targeted regularly."
4. Cyberespionage
In the run-up to the highly anticipated US presidential
elections, talk of cyberespionage has moved from the
infosec community to the streets. Although this has been
an effective means by which to spy on corporations and/or
governments, only recently has the public become aware
about cyberspying.
Johnson said, "Cyber is the new face of espionage. Statesponsored actors have increasingly invested energy and
money into cyber attacks and intel gathering. Previously,
espionage utilised undercover agents trying to recruit
moles or cracking safes to steal sensitive information.
While I'm sure that still occurs on some level, the game
has certainly shifted to cyber espionage. As we've seen
with recent major hacks against political and government
organisations, this level of espionage is certainly paying
dividends for attackers."
Anderson added, "In today's world, cyber espionage is
everything! Adversaries 10 years ago had to physically
penetrate the company or Agency. In today's world they
can do it remotely and obtain far more access to the
victim's IT."
Lipovsky said, "Perhaps the most common way for an
intruder to get inside of their target's computer network
and spy on them (by stealing files, logging keystrokes,
capturing screenshots, and so on) is by using malware. In
suspected state-sponsored cyberespionage attacks, we
often see malware that is custom-built and state-of-theart, which indicates that significant amount of resources
have been put into the operation. But that is not the only
type that we see. There is a lot of espionage malware that
can achieve the same goals, that is either offered for sale
on the black market, or even freely available. Another
possibility is not to use outright malware but to abuse
legitimate software for remote control. While that may
generally be easier to detect, if the attackers do succeed,
it is even more difficult to fingerprint than a 'limited use'
malware family and attribute it to a threat actor."
5. DDoS attacks
In light of the recent massive DDoS attack that nearly shut
down internet services in the US, public awareness of this
type of cybercrime has become vitally important.
Distributed Denial of Service attacks occur when multiple
systems flood the bandwidth of servers with
unprecedented traffic, effectively taking them offline.
Cybercriminals have now begun leveraging unsecured IoT
(Internet of Things) devices to create botnet armies of
compromised devices to launch DDoS attacks.
Jay Kaplan, former NSA analyst and CEO of security firm
Synack, told IBTimes UK, "DDoS attacks are one of the
oldest tricks in the book, but they continue to be a very
real threat - especially as of late - with hackers targeting
the latest exposed vulnerabilities in the IoT space, like
poorly crafted passwords.
"Cybercriminals do not need much technical proficiency to
launch a DDoS attack, and the scale of these attacks is
rapidly increasing. While sophisticated hacking groups no
doubt utilize DDoS as one "tool in the toolkit," a recordbreaking attack like seen with Dyn last week is believed to
be the work of amateur hackers. Even further, individuals
with no technical/hacking proficiency can hire DDoS-as-aservice companies if there's enough motivation."
Johnson added, "IoT devices are often created and
marketed to make consumers' lives easier. The
unfortunate reality is that security is often an afterthought
during the production cycle. The focus is on creating an

easy-to-use, marketable product. Security comes after the
fact, if at all. IoT botnets are designed to target the lowhanging fruit when it comes to vulnerabilities in IoT
devices. If the botnets continue to work, attackers will
continue to use them.
"With DDoS attacks, 'protection' is all about increasing
bandwidth so that an overflow of traffic doesn't cripple the
infrastructure. In that regard, there's very little any single
business or user can do other than to lean on internet
provides to put the proper security controls and hygiene in
place. When it comes to IoT devices and home computers,
though, individuals can make sure the software being used
on baby cameras, thermostats, etc. are always patched.
You should always be using the latest software version
provided by the manufacturing company. This way, when a
botnet targets a known vulnerability, your specific device
is not contributing to the traffic overflow. The onus of
responsibility, though, is on IoT manufacturers to think
security first."
(1st November 2016)
LONDONERS SHOULD BE SENT WARNINGS ABOUT

TERROR ATTACKS STRAIGHT TO THEIR MOBILE
PHONES
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/londoners-should-besent-warnings-about-terror-attacks-straight-to-theirmobile-phones-a3380901.html
A ring of mobile security barriers should protect
Government buildings from a Nice-style terrorist lorry
attack, a major report says today.
The capital should also trial a new public alert system to

inform Londoners of a fast moving terror incident with
messages to their mobile phones.
The recommendations are contained in a wide-ranging
review of security in the capital ordered by Mayor Sadiq
Khan following the Bastille Day lorry attack in France
which 84 people were killed.
The terror preparedness review by Lord Toby Harris of
Haringey puts forward a total of 127 recommendations for
the Mayor, the Government and other agencies.
The report outlines how a marauding terrorist firearms
attack is now considered the most significant terrorist
threat to the UK and Europe.
While London is a natural target with 50 out of 73 of the
highest risk crowded places across the UK, the
consequences of a terrorist atrocity in London similar to
the Paris massacres in November 2015 could be more
than 1 billion.
The study says that around 850 UK nationals have
travelled to join Islamic State in Syria, around half of
whom have returned and represent a "real threat."
Lord Harris said : "The quality and effectiveness of the
work done by the intelligence services and the counterterrorist police is amongst the best in the world, and if
London were subject to a terrorist attack today, our
emergency services response would be substantially
faster than five years ago.
"Nevertheless, a serious terrorist attack remains highly
possible and we cannot be complacent.
"London needs to become a city where security and
resilience is designed in and is part of the city's fabric, and
where everyone who lives and works here sees security
and resilience as their responsibility just as much as it is
for the emergency services and civic authorities."

Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "Lord Harris's many
recommendations deserve careful consideration and
exploration over the coming months so we can take steps
to ensure we are as prepared as possible."
The report makes a series of recommendations to tighten
security which include:
- Mobile temporary barriers and security bollards to
protect the central London Government area against a
Nice-style attack.
- More affordable housing for specialist emergency
services workers in the capital.
- A change in protocols to allow Mayor to attend Cabinet
Office COBR meetings and have a greater defined role in
the event of a terror attack.
- The Met should merge with the City of London force and
take over policing the London Underground.
- All schools in London should have evacuation plans in
place for a terror attack and appoint a governor
responsible for security.
The report also calls for a full review of security at City
Airport after the Black Lives Matter protest group
breached the airport perimeter last month.
In a controversial recommendation Lord Harris also urges
the Government to consider merging the Met and the City
of London police force saying the City's fraud role could go
to the National Crime Agency.
Lord Harris also said the mobile barriers should be

available for specific events in central London involving
large crowds.
He said there a number of central London locations which
needed permanent "pop up" barriers.
The City of London police dismissed the review saying it
was outside the remit of the report to consider the merger.
He also says the Met should take over policing of the
London Underground from the British Transport Police to
improve the response to incidents.
The report outlines details of the Met's response to a
marauding firearms attack saying it would trigger a plan
codenamed Operation Plato.
A 24-hour immediate response team of highly trained
Counter-Terrorism Specialist Firearms Officers would be
deployed to an onslaught by air, car or by motorcycle.
Lord Harris says the Met should review the number
motorcycles for armed officers to speed up the response
to incidents. He also urges the force to increase the
number of Taser equipped officers.
An attack as serious as the Paris massacre would result in
soldiers being deployed on the streets and the report says
military leaders are now routinely involved in counter
terrorism planning in London.
The report states: "When needed, the military would
deploy under Operation Temperer which would see
potentially hundreds of troops deployed to backfill armed
police roles, or deployed alongside British Transport Police,
to increase the operational capacity and capability of
specialist counter-terrorism and armed policing."
Lord Harris also proposes tighter controls on boats using
the River Thames while the Mayor should review security
on the river amid the possibility of a water born firearms
attack.
The report also raises concerns that a proposed new
communications system for the emergency services may
not work effectively underground.
It also urges that cuts to the number of health personnel
trained in dealing with Chemical, Biological, Radiological
and Nuclear attacks should be reversed
(1st November 2016)
THREAT OF COMPLEX MOBILE MALWARE IS ON THE
RISE WARNS EUROPOL
author Jason Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/threat-complex-mobile-malware-risewarns-europol-1588558#
Europol said it had enlisted the help of 22 EU member
states, three non-EU countries, two EU agencies and
"numerous public and private partners" to speak out about
the dangers of sophisticated malware that can attack
smartphones and tablets.
"Law enforcement and our industry partners continue to
report the proliferation of mobile malware, which is now as
complex as PC malware," said Rob Wainwright, director of
Europol, in a statement, adding that if users start to report
mobile cyberattacks it will help to combat the threat.
He continued: "We need to send an awareness message to
citizens and business, and this global campaign is the first
step to create a common alliance between public and
private sectors within the EU and beyond".
In the agency's latest 'Internet Organised Crime Threat
Assessment', released this year, mobile malware featured
in law enforcement investigations across 14 European

countries. Europol said this is a "clear indication" that this
form of attack is finally being taken seriously in criminal
probes.
"As mobile devices increasingly operate less as simple
phones and more as mobile computers, the nature and
complexity of malware attacking mobile devices and the
methods of infecting those devices are beginning to more
closely mirror those of 'conventional' desktop malware,"
the report found.
While most of the headline-grabbing hacks largely revolve
around alleged nation state cybercrime activity - from the
WikiLeaks disclosures to the infiltration of the World AntiDoping Agency (Wada) - the general public is more likely
to be hit with financial fraud attacks, malvertising or
phishing.
There have been a number of notable pieces of mobile
malware exposed by security researchers in recent years.
One major strain, dubbed Pegasus, was a form of spyware
that could turn on the devices' camera, intercept text
messages and alter existing applications.
Meanwhile, a different strain called YiSpecter was
uncovered by Palo Alto Networks in 2015 that specifically
targeted non-jailbroken iOS devices. It could launch apps,
replace existing apps, display adware and upload device
information straight to the hacker's command and control
server.
According to mobile cybersecurity firm Lookout, the
developers of malicious software will "always find creative
ways" to infect devices to steal sensitive data. In a blog
post, it advised users to only download applications from
official app stores, be aware of the signs of phishing scams
and keep all mobile devices up-to-date with the latest
security upgrades.
uaware Further information
Europol originating article :

https://www.europol.europa.eu/content/malware-has-gonemobile-stopthinkconnect-keep-cybercriminals-out-yourmobile-device
(1st November 2016)
CITY HALL TO LAUNCH ONLINE "LIVE CHAT" SERVICE
SO CRIME VICTIMS DON'T SUFFER IN SILENCE
www.standard.co.uk/news/mayor/city-hall-to-launchonline-live-chat-service-policing-chief-sophie-lindenreveals-a3379986.html
Note : This is an extract from that published as the
remainder of the article covered other subjects
London's deputy mayor for policing today pledged that
victims of crime would not be left to "suffer in silence" as
she announced plans for an online "live chat" to provide
extra support.
Sophie Linden, 46, a former Hackney councillor and aide
to David Blunkett at the Home Office, said the free and
anonymous service - the first of its kind in Britain - would
target those who found it difficult to get help over the
phone or face-to-face.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has vowed to put victims at the heart of
his policing plans and his number two said the "live chat"
facility, which starts today, would play a key role in
tackling the "devastating" impacts of crime.
From Victim Support Homepage (uaware addition)
Live chat is currently available for people affected by
crime in London, England only.

When you're ready to talk to one of our trained supporters,
use the 'chat now' button at the bottom right of the screen
to start. You'll need to be using an up-to-date internet
browser to use live chat.
Live chat is available from 12 noon to 7.30pm Monday to
Friday within London only. If the service is offline or busy,
or if you are outside of London, you can:
- Find support near you :
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/gethelp/support-near-you
- If you're under 18, find out what support is available on
our You & Co site :
https://www.youandco.org.uk/support-next-steps/supportavailable
- Request support online :
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/help-and-support/gethelp/request-support
- Ring us on freephone 0808 178 5184
- Online chat (Open Monday to Friday 12pm to 7.30pm)
https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/livechatlondon
(1st November 2016)
BLACK PEOPLE SIX TIMES MORE LIKELY THAT
WHITES TO BE STOPPED AND SEARCHED
author Jamie Bullen)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/black-people-six-timesmore-likely-than-whites-to-be-stopped-and-searcheda3380736.html
Black people are over six times more likely than whites to
be stopped and searched by police, new figures reveal.
Overall use of the controversial powers reduced by more
than a quarter across all ethnicities but stops of white
people fell more sharply.
Official figures showed those from black and minority
ethnic (BME) groups were three times as likely to be
stopped and searched as those who are white in 2015/16.
Black people were over six times more likely to be
stopped.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd branded the statistics
"unacceptable" but added stop and search powers
remained "vital" in the fight against crime.
The findings emerged as new standards and training for
officers using the tactic will be rolled out.
A Home Office report said the difference between BME and
white groups narrowed to twice as likely between the
years ending in March 2011 and 2015 but has risen again
in the latest year.
It went on: "A similar story has been seen for the black
group, which fell from over six times more likely to just
over four times more likely between the years ending
March 31 2011 and 2015, before rising again to over six
times more likely in the year ending March 31 2016."
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the Commons
Home Affairs Committee, said the figures raise "important
questions" for the police and the Home Office.
Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "The decline in
stop and search clearly shows there is some effort to use
these police powers more reasonably. But there are clear

signs that some communities are being disproportionately
targeted.
"The overwhelming majority of all searches result in no
further action."
Officers can stop and search people if they have
"reasonable grounds" to suspect they are carrying items
such as drugs, weapons or stolen property.
Figures showed that 16% of stops led to an arrest, up 2
percentage points from 14% in the previous year.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: "The Government is
clear that the power of stop and search, when used
correctly, is vital in the fight against crime.
"However, when it is misused, stop and search is counterproductive, wastes police time and can have a hugely
damaging effect on community confidence.
"While today's statistics show that our stop and search
reforms are working, with a continuing fall in the overall
number of stops and the highest ever recorded arrest rate,
it is completely unacceptable that you are six times more
likely to be stopped and searched if you are black than if
you are white.
"I am clear that in a Britain that works for everyone, no
one should be stopped on the basis of their race or
ethnicity."
Further information (uaware)
NEW STOP AND SEARCH TRAINING AND GUIDANCE FOR
POLICE
(College for Policing, dated 27th October 2017)
Full article : www.college.police.uk/News/Collegenews/Pages/Stop-and-search-APP.aspx
Police officers across England and Wales will receive new

training and guidance on the use of stop and search.
The training and guidance will give officers confidence to
use their powers legally, fairly, professionally and
transparently and help them recognise the potential for
unconscious bias.
For the first time, evidence-based standards for training
and police practice on stop and search will be set
nationally. They will focus on the law, how to decide when
to stop and search and how officers handle encounters as
part of their continuing professional development.
To create the training the College of Policing undertook the
first ever randomised controlled trial on stop and search
and involved more than 1,300 officers across six police
forces.
The training and guidance will help officers to recognise
and challenge unconscious bias in stop and search.
Unconscious bias affects everybody's decision-making. It
happens when we make quick decisions in ambiguous
situations that, without us realising, disadvantage
particular groups of people. Our biases are influenced by
our background, culture and personal experiences.
Equality and Human Rights Commission
involvement
CEO at the Equality and Human Rights Commission,
Rebecca Hilsenrath said: "Stop and search must be lawful,
non-arbitrary, non-discriminatory and based on reasonable
suspicion. This is why we commissioned the College of
Policing to develop a comprehensive stop and search
training programme to help ensure officers meet these
obligations.
"We worked closely with the College to develop and design
the training to help police officers understand the
importance of applying the rules fairly when stopping
members of the public. Doing so is vital in building and
maintaining trust between the police and the communities

they serve, and increasing public confidence in the police."
(1st November 2016)
GRADUATE RECRUITMENT SITE EXPOSED 50,000 CVs
SENT TO VIRGIN MEDIA UK
(The Register, dated 25th October 2016 author Darren
Pauli)
Full articl [Option 1]:
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/25/virgin_media_uk_site_ex
posed_50000_resumes/
Virgin Media has shuttered a kindergarten-grade bug in a
third party website that exposed up to 50,000 rsums it's
received over the years, complete with names, street and
email addresses of applicants.
The vulnerability was due to entirely absent access
controls on a public server to which applicants were
directed to upload their rsums.
British student hacker Alikhan Uzakov (@alikhan_uzakov)
found he was able to peruse the entire directory without
restraint or being challenged to log in.
"About 30,000 to 50,000 applications, past and present,
were accessible," Uzakov says in a blog.
"Personal information including telephone numbers,
emails, where someone lives, and other details were out
there in the open: my personal information was exposed
as well.
"The problem is patched now but had I been someone with
malicious intentions, I could have done a lot more and
might not have reported it at all."
Uzakov phoned Virgin Media's London Hammersmith office
to report the flaw and "walked" a security engineer

through resolving the mind-bending bug.
He says Virgin Media would not comment on the
vulnerability nor award him a bug bounty or name
recognition for the bug.
The graduate recruitment site has been fixed and is back
online.
(1st November 2016)
UK BANKS ALLEGEDLY STOCKPILING BITCOIN TO PAY
OFF CYBERCRIME EXTORTION
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-banks-allegedly-stockpiling-bitcoinpay-off-cybercrime-extortion-threats-1587974#
As cybercrime tools become cheaper and easier to use,
financial institutions in the UK are reportedly stockpiling
reserves of cryptocurrency that can be used to pay off
criminals who threaten to disrupt key computer networks.
Some major banks now take the position it is more
effective to agree to the extortion demands of
cybercriminals rather than risk a full-blown cyberattack,
according to Dr Simon Moores, chairman of the e-Crime
Congress and former technology ambassador for the UK
government.
"Financial institutions are now exploring the need to
maintain stocks of bitcoin in the unfortunate event that
they themselves become the target of a high-intensity
attack," he told The Guardian, adding: "The police will
concede that they don't have the resources available to
deal with this because of the significant growth in the
number of attacks."
One of the most recent incidents was a distributed-denialof-service (DDoS) attack against the US-based DNS
provider Dyn.
The subsequent outage - since blamed on the notorious
Mirai botnet - took out a slew of websites including Twitter,
Reddit, Netflix, PayPal and Amazon Web Services (AWS).
The botnet, which infects Internet of Things (IoT) devices
such as home internet routers and CCTV cameras, was
exploited by an unknown cybercriminal to send waves of
traffic towards the Dyn website servers, which hosted
these major sites, and used to force the platform offline.
The same DDoS tactic - deployed on an unprecedented
scale last month - was used to target security researcher
and journalist Brian Krebs. Later, the source code for the
malware was published online and has since been used as
a basis for extortion demands.
On such threat, as published on the Web Hosting Talk
forum, warned: "If you will not pay in time, DDoS attack
will start, your web-services will go down permanently.
After that, price to stop will be increased to 5 BTC with
further increment of 5 BTC for every day of attack."
The weaponisation of hacking tools
This evolution, according to Moores, is the
"weaponisation" of [hacking] tools. He said: "Big
companies are now starting to worry that an attack is no
longer an information security issue, it's a board and
shareholder and customer confidence issue."
In 2016, the size of DDoS attacks in the wild have spiked now reaching well over 600 gigabits of data a second
being directed at a victims' server. Moores predicts the
situation is getting out of control. "Once it goes above a
terabit, that wipes out any protection," he said. "No
current protection systems can deal with that sort of
flood."
Alongside an alarming rise in ransomware attacks, the

introduction of botnets enhanced by IoT devices - many of
which remain easy to hack - now appears to be of major
concern to financial institutions, all of which rely on online
infrastructure to operate effectively.
Back in August, Marcin Kleczynski, chief executive of
cybersecurity firm Malwarebytes, also said UK banks were
hoarding Bitcoin as a method of paying extortion
attempts. "I talked to a couple of banks and they say they
have 50-100 bitcoin ready at all times in a wallet to deploy
if a ransomware attack hits," he told Business Insider.
(1st November 2016)
POLICE IN US SELLING CONFISCATED WEAPONS TO
RAISE CASH
(The Telegraph, dated 23rd October 2016 author David
Millward)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/23/police-in-us-sellingconfiscated-weapons-to-raise-cash/
Police departments across the United States have been
selling confiscated weapons to raise money, it has
emerged.
At least 16 states have authorised or, in many cases,
compelled police to auction firearms they have seized
rather than destroy them.
The states include Connecticut where 28 people, including
the gunman Adam Lanza, were killed at the Sandy Hook
elementary school in December 2012.
While many oppose the policy, the sales are supported by
the National Rifle Association which has said destruction of
the weapons would be wasteful.
The sales have been taking place despite fears among

some officers that the weapons could end up back on the
streets in the hands of criminals.
In January last year Raymond Kmetz, 68, who was banned
from owning guns, used a straw buyer to get his hands on
a weapon which had been sold off by the police in Duluth,
Minnesota.
He wounded two officers before being shot and killed. Two
more guns were discovered in his car - they too had
originally been sold off by the Duluth police department.
A Las Vegas court security officer was killed by a man who
stormed into the building using a gun which had been
previously sold by the Memphis Tennessee area sheriff's
office.A number of senior officers have made little secret
of their opposition to the policy, including Fred Fletcher,
the police chief in Chattanooga, Tennessee where last year
there were more than 100 recorded shootings.
He has stopped selling guns. "My feelings are very strong.
Chattanooga police officers place themselves at great risk
every day to take guns off the street which threaten our
community," he said.
"This will contribute to an environment in which these
brave men and women will have to face these same
weapons again."
Seattle has now banned the sale of confiscated guns.
Other cities including Chicago, which could make $2
million a year selling weapons, New York and Los Angeles
destroy them.
However, David Davis, the sheriff of Bibb County in
Georgia, said he was obliged to comply with the law and a
sale a couple of months ago raised $18,000.
"Before that we used to crush them. We had accumulated
so many guns we had no space for them," he said.
"There is a risk they could fall into the hands of someone

who would do something wrong with them and some of
my colleagues have reservations.
"We use a contractor and people are thoroughly checked.
If people are really intent they will get one whether they
steal it from a gun or a car.
"My position is the law requires it and it does raise a
substantial amount of money for our outreach and crime
prevention programme."
Police anxiety at the gun sales is shared by senators such
as Chris Murphy from Connecticut.
"Senator Murphy is working hard in Congress to take
simple steps to keep guns away from dangerous people
and drastically reduce rates of gun violence," his
spokesman said.
"By closing the loopholes in the background check system
and cracking down on straw purchasers and gun
trafficking, policymakers can stop the flow of guns flooding
our streets and prevent guns from being used in crimes in
the first place.
"Police departments shouldn't be compelled to sell guns
already used in crimes to raise revenue."
The stance of the NRA, which declined to speak to the
Telegraph, has been condemned by anti gun groups.
Accusing the NRA of hypocrisy Christian Heyne, Legislative
Director, Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, said it opposed
the group of opposing policies which would keep weapons
out of dangerous hands.
"We applaud police departments for doing what politicians
will not, standing up to the dangerous policies of the
corporate gun lobby."
The Violence Policy Centre added: "Guns seized by law

enforcement should be destroyed, not resold, which places
both the police and public at risk."
----------------------UAWARE BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Being "devils advocate", does it really matter if there is
another gun dealer (the police) selling guns in the USA ?
Cynically you could say that re-cycling "second hand"
guns will deflate the new gun market and make it less
profitable for new ones to be produced. In addition, the
police could become more proactive with the additional
funds from their sales.
How many gun dealers in the USA
It depends on what you define as a gun dealer. Some
articles define a dealer as someone or an organisation
whose sole operation is selling / trading in firearms. Whilst
others, including the ATF (the licensing body) consider
anyone who sells / trades firearms as being a gun dealer.
This includes supermarkets (ie. Walmart, Pawn shops,
sporting goods shops etc).
There were more than 139,000 FFLs in fiscal year 2015.
This includes firearm licenses for dealers, manufacturers,
importers, and collectors. During that time, ATF conducted
8,696 firearms compliance inspections. Source : Bureau of
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) :
www.atf.gov/resource-center/fact-sheet/fact-sheet-federalfirearms-compliance-inspections-and-revocation-process
Other articles try to define an actual number, stating that
the ATF figures don't just included full time gun dealers,
but individuals who make an occassional sale to clear part
of their collection for example. So using their information
the "real" figure is nearer to 58,000.
Source : Politifact.com
Article :
www.politifact.com/georgia/statements/2013/feb/11/marke
l-hutchins/are-there-more-places-buy-gun-big-mac/
How many guns are there in the USA ?
In short, they don't know.
From a Guardian newspaper article from October 2015
(https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/oct/27/howmany-guns-are-in-america-state-secrecy-means-no-oneknows) :
"The best available data comes from a private survey by
the University of Chicago, not the federal government, and
that is still an estimate, finding that 79 million US
households have guns. Other surveys have estimated
there are between 270 and 310m guns."
But using some figures from The Independent (October
2015 : www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/gunowners-now-have-eight-weapons-on-average-double-whatit-used-to-be-a6703751.html) where it is quoted that each
gun owning households now own 8.1 guns each ; the
previously quoted estimate is considerably outstripped to
640m guns.
Sadly, whatever way you look at it; be it 58,000 or
139,000 gun dealers. Will the police recycling
comparatively a few guns make much difference ?
Definition of an FFL
A Federal Firearms License (FFL) is a license in the United
States that enables an individual or a company to engage
in a business pertaining to the manufacture or importation
of firearms and ammunition, or the interstate and
intrastate sale of firearms. Holding an FFL to engage in
certain such activities has been a legal requirement within
the United States since the enactment of the Gun Control
Act of 1968.
See Wikipeadia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federal_Firearms_License
(1st November 2016)
DETECTIVES SENT INTO COMMUNITIES TO PROTECT
CHILDREN FROM PREDATORS
(London Evening Standard, dated 21st October 2016
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/detectives-sent-intocommunities-to-protect-children-from-predatorsa3375306.html
Hundreds of specialist detectives are to be posted to frontline local policing roles to protect children from "sexual
predators" in an overhaul of the way the Met tackles the
threat of sex abuse, violence and radicalisation.
Scotland Yard said it would also be beefing up action to
stop young Londoners being lured into gangs as it warned
of "new and frightening " dangers fuelled by online
pornography and extremist propaganda.
The reforms form part of a new blueprint for fighting crime
in the capital which also involves significant changes to
police efforts to combat rape and offences against
"vulnerable" adults.
They came as the force issued a raft of statistics
highlighting the threat to the capital's children. The figures
show that:
There are about 1,500 children in London identified as
being at risk of sexual exploitation.
Another 8,100 "very young" children are on protection
plans because of the risk of violence or abuse.
A "staggering" 400 cases a month of a person viewing

child porn are being uncovered, with the numbers so great
that officers can only pursue offenders posing a direct
threat.
Nearly 6,000 sex offenders are being monitored in the
community.
More than 17,000 child sex abuse investigations were
launched by the Met last year.
Unveiling the new police approach today, Met Assistant
Commissioner Martin Hewitt said the attacks by Jimmy
Savile and other sex abuse scandals demonstrated the
scale of the potential danger to children.
He added: "Child protection is an incredibly complex task
in a modern world with numerous threats to children being drawn into gangs their smartphone with all the
temptations of pornographic and violent content being
groomed for sexual exploitation and abuse by predators
[and] grooming by terrorists who want to lure them into
radicalisation and violence.
"It's a new and a frightening landscape. Despite all we do
at present to protect against these threats, we must do
more."
Mr Hewitt said the response would include shifting
hundreds of specialist detectives to local policing teams.
There would also be more officers working in schools.
The aim was to create a new "safeguarding service
embedded in local policing" which will focus on "protecting
vulnerable people, adults as well as children, from
violence, abuse, sexual offending and radicalisation."
(1st November 2016)
ATTACK US AND YOU ARE BASICALLY ATTACKING
AMERICA, SAYS UK DEFENCE SECRETARY
(The Register, dated 21st October 2016 author Gareth

Corfield)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/21/britain_investing_cyber_
warfare_offensive_capability/
Britain is splurging 265m on military cyber security - and
that includes offensive capabilities, according to Defence
Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.
Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute yesterday,
Sir Michael said the investment into the Cyber
Vulnerability Investigations programme would "help us
protect against these threats".
"The average cost of the most severe online security
breaches for bigger companies starts at almost 1.5m, up
600,000 from 2014," said Sir Michael, adding: "It's only a
matter of time before we have to deal with a major attack
on UK interests."
So far Britain has managed to avoid the sort of targeted
large-scale hacks that have seen big US tech companies
such as Yahoo! see 500 million user accounts
compromised, or the Target hack which saw millions of
credit card and debit card details as well as names and
addresses leaked into the hands of cyber-criminals.
It seems, from Sir Michael's speech, that Blighty is gearing
up to proactively attack any cyber-villains with designs on
British internet infrastructure.
Lauding various government security initiatives, including
the National Cyber Security Centre in Victoria, London, the
Defence Secretary said: "This cannot just be about our
defence. It must be about our offence too. It is important
that our adversaries know there is a price to pay if they
use cyber weapons against us, and that we have the
capability to project power in cyberspace as elsewhere."
Given that most large-scale hacks tend to be backed by

states such as China and Russia, it seems that Sir
Michael's speech is a public shot across their bows,
warning them not to target Blighty - while simultaneously
urging NATO to treat the Article 5 collective defence
provisions as applying to cyberspace.
Originally, Article 5 of the Washington Treaty, which
founded NATO, was intended to ensure that any westward
expansion of the Soviet Union would trigger World War
Three by dragging Britain and America in, thereby keeping
the Soviets and the Eastern Bloc's expansionist aims firmly
under control.
It is unlikely that many countries would take Article 5
seriously in the context of cyberspace, given that many
NATO member states effectively ignore the treaty
requirement for them to spend two per cent of GDP on
military spending.
(1st November 2016)
VIOLENT CRIME IN ENGLAND AND WALES IS UP 24%,
POLICE FIGURES SHOW
(The Guardian, dated 20th October 2016 author Alan
Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/20/violent-crimein-england-and-wales-rises-police-figures
Violent crime in England and Wales has risen by 24%,
including a 9% rise in knife crime and a 7% rise in gun
crime in the 12 months to June, according to police
recorded crime figures.
The number of murders in England and Wales also jumped
20% to 681, a rise of 144 - the highest level for more than
five years. The murder rate includes the 96 killed at
Hillsborough in 1989 following the conclusion of the official
inquests.
Police figures also show that the number of reported rapes
and other sexual offences rose by 14%, reflecting a
slowing of the recent increase in reporting rates for these
types of crime.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the 24% rise
in violent crime was largely due to improvements in
recording practices and increased coverage but did
include "a small but genuine increase in some categories
of violent crime".
But the overall crime rate remained broadly flat as
measured by the Crime Survey of England and Wales,
which estimated that there were 6.5m crime incidents in
the 12 months to June - a fall of 1% compared to the
previous year.
The ONS also published its second ever estimate of online
crime, which it put at 5.6m fraud and computer misuse
offences, confirming its high volume on a level
comparable with offline crime. The two sets of figures will
be merged into the overall headline figure in January.
John Flatley of the ONS said: "Violent crime covers a wide
spectrum from minor assaults, harassment and abuse that
result in no physical harm to the victim through to
incidents of wounding and murder.
"The latest figures present a complex picture, with the
crime survey for England and Wales estimating similar
levels of violent crime to that seen in recent years, but the
number of offences recorded by the police increasing.
"We think the rise in the police figures is due to a
combination of factors. First, the expansion of the police
series to cover new harassment offences. Second, a
greater proportion of incidents reported to the police being
recorded as crimes. At the same time, the crime survey
has shown a greater proportion of victims of violent crime
reporting to the police. Finally, it appears there has been a
small but genuine increase in some categories of violent

crime."
(1st November 2016)
HIGH STREET BANKS SECURITY FLAWS ARE LEAVING
CUSTOMERS VULNERABLE TO ONLINE FRAUD
(Daily Mail, dated 20th October 2016 author Sean Poulter)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3853678/High-streetbanks-security-flaws-leaving-customers-vulnerable-onlinefraud-hitting-pocket.html
High Street banks are opening the door to fraudsters by
failing to adopt effective security around online banking, it
was claimed last night.
The criticism comes from Which? amid a 64 per cent
increase in online banking fraud last year, taking it up to
133.5 million. At the same time, phone banking fraud
rose by 28 per cent to 322.3 million.
The scandal is hitting customers in the pocket as banks try
to pass on the cost of fraud - which they could and should
prevent - to victims.
Which? has launched a super complaint with the Payment
Systems Regulator over claims the banks are failing to
protect customers duped into transferring money from
their accounts to fraudsters. In the majority of these
cases, the banks wash their hands of responsibility,
leaving victims penniless.
The consumer group says some banks have failed to
implement two-factor security steps that can help keep
online accounts safe. Two-factor authentication at log-in
combines two different types of ID checks - typically
something you know, such as a password or PIN, with
something you have, such as a card reader or a mobile
phone or device on which you get a single-use pass code.

A Which? test of 11 high street banks found that only five
have adopted two-factor security checks. It named and
shamed Halifax, Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Bank, which
are all part of the same group, along with Santander and
TSB as scoring poorly on security over a number of years.
It said none of these banks offers two-factor
authentication at log-in, despite having the technology.
The research, which involved the security consultancy
SureCloud, also tested online security features at different
stages, including logging in via a browser, adding a new
payee and transferring money, and password complexity
requirements.
Best for online banking security are First Direct, HSBC and
Barclays. First Direct and HSBC have introduced customer
voice recognition for their telephone banking customers.
Which? spokesman Alex Neill said: 'The best banks in our
test manage to use two-factor authentication without it
being too onerous for their customers, so there's no
excuse for others to sacrifice security.
'Online banking is increasingly part of our daily lives and
at the same time online scams are becoming more
sophisticated.
'People can only do so much to protect themselves from
fraud - it's time for banks to shoulder more of the
responsibility and introduce extra protections to safeguard
their customers.'
The Lloyds group challenged the validity of the Which?
criticism, saying: 'The findings do not provide an accurate
reflection of the highly sophisticated security our
customers benefit from that is undetectable in this
research. We don't consider the results accurately reflect
these factors which have a material impact on how we
protect our customers' daily needs.'
TSB said: 'Customers are at the very forefront of
everything we do at TSB, and we take their safety and

security very seriously. It is our number one priority to
offer safe and secure banking facilities for our customers
across all of our products and services.
'To achieve this we maintain complex and multi-layered
fraud prevention controls which will not be visible to the
customer - or reflected in this survey. We continually
review and improve our services to ensure they remain
robust and fit for purpose.'
Santander said: 'We continually look to improve and
enhance our customer experience. In doing so we seek to
maintain an appropriate balance between customer
usability and security.
'Our security model is robust and this is reflected by the
low ratio of fraud incidents compared to the rest of the
market based on our market share.'
HOW THEY RATE ( % Security Score)
First Direct : 78%
HSBC : 76%
Barclays : 75%
M&S Bank : 73%
Nationwide : 73%
NatWest / RBS : 68%
Metro Bank : 64%
Halifax (Bank of Scotland) : 62%
Lloyds Bank : 62%
Santander : 59%
TSB : 56%
Note : Score is a measure of security around log-in,
encryption levels, account management, site navigation
and log-out. Source : Which?
(1st November 2016)
LONDON FINANCIAL SECTOR PRIME TARGET OF
RANSOMWARE ATTACKS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-financial-sector-prime-targetransomware-attacks-security-researchers-find-1587105#
Ransomware attackers have set their sights on the UK's
capital. Security researchers have uncovered that London
has been under attack from threat actors, who are
specifically launching ransomware attacks to target
individuals and businesses.
Some of London's top banks, law firms and other
businesses were found to have suffered nearly 10,500
ransomware hits, Malwarebytes researchers uncovered.
Additionally, the City of London was found to be the top
ransomware target in the UK, with 670% more
ransomware attacks than the rest of the UK's top 10
vulnerable areas combined.
Malwarebytes researchers' analysis of London's Square
Mile, which is home to a significant number of financial
service companies and other businesses, revealed that the
city was hit more times than many other countries,
including Sweden, Malaysia and Hungary.
Malwarebytes data science analyst Nima Samadi told
IBTimes UK: "When analysing the data it gave us an
interesting snapshot into a growing problem facing
companies. These nefarious threats, which essentially
demand money with menaces, are becoming a real
problem for big business - encrypting company files for
ever unless the ransom is paid. It is a modern day
protection racket.
"Given that only 7,000 people live in the City of London,
but hundreds of thousands commute there every day, it is
not a great leap to assume these attacks involved
compromised work systems. With over 80m square ft of
office space in just 1.1 miles - that is a hugely tempting

target for the bad guys."
In August, Malwarebytes CEO Marcin Kleczynski told
Business Insider in an interview that banks had begun
stockpiling bitcoins, in the event that they were hit by a
ransomware attack. "I talked to a couple of banks and
they say they have 50-100 bitcoin ready at all times in a
wallet to deploy if a ransomware attack hits," he said.
Researchers were able to identify the top 10 ransomware
campaigns targeting people in the UK. The File Cryptor
ransomware was found to be the most common, closely
followed by File Locker. Trojan Ransom, Cryptowall and
TeslaCrypt were among the other top campaigns
identified.
UK businesses are not the only sector to be targeted by
ransomware authors. Hospitals across the UK have also
been targeted by ransomware, but unlike banks, the NHS
claims to have not paid up the hackers.
(1st November 2016)
UK'S AGE VERIFICATION PROPOSAL OUTRAGES
PRIVACY ADVOCATES
(Computer World, dated 19th October 2016 author
Darleen Storm)
www.computerworld.com/article/3132964/security/uksporn-age-verification-proposal-outrages-privacyadvocates.html
Although Britain's GCHQ and the NSA seem to be in bed
together on most things, invading the privacy of innocent
users supposedly in the name of national security, every
once in a while the UK does something that makes the US
online surveillance machine seem like it is tamer in
comparison; its online age check is one of those times.
The GCHQ has already expressed a Chinese-esque plan to

create the Great UK firewall, but now the UK, which
previously dabbled in porn blocking, wants online age
verification services to ensure that people viewing porn
are age 18 or over; the dangerous implementation of the
system has outraged privacy advocates.
Age-checking kids
In the US, when a person wants to view "mature" content
for gaming or something more risqu, the online age
verification allows you to simply pick some dates, usually
from a birth date drop-down; if a person is 18-years-old or
older, then the content is available. It's up to the user to
decide if that answer is truthful.
At the symposium "Online Age Checking: The Time Has
Come," one proof of concept for the UK's plan suggested
verifying kids' attributes "against school data" or verifying
"against school user account." One "benefit" would be that
notifications would be sent to parents for consent. One
explanation for how it would work suggested that a child
would need to register with a service provider which then
makes sure the child had signed in on a "trust platform"
with a school ID.
On top of that, "out of band authentication, e.g. Google
authenticator, device ID, location awareness, parental
consent, phone number match, etc. could be added."
There is a video about the online age-checking POC here.
Porn-browsing adults please verify age via banking
account?
But the UK's proposed age verification to view porn won't
stop at checking for ages from 5 to 18. Forget about
privacy and anonymity for porn viewing since adults will
also hit an Age Gate. As the Open Rights Group pointed
out, "Current proposals for age-verification systems
suggest using people's emails, social media accounts,
bank details, credit and electoral information, biometrics
and mobile phone details. The use of any of this

information exposes pornography website users to threats
of data mining, identity theft and unsolicited marketing."
Proposed age verification plan
The proposed online age-checking draft, a provision in the
Digital Economy Bill, did not specify any particular agechecking tools to be used in the age verification
framework; however, it suggested the age-checking could
be used not only for accessing porn or other adult content,
but also for "buying age-restricted merchandise online
[e.g. e-liquids (nicotine), adult materials, dangerous
goods]; using online services (e.g. dating services, gaming
or gambling websites); and accessing online age-gated
material (e.g. education and health)."
The BSI Group, which prides itself in having been the
world's first National Standards Body, has taken down the
draft of the BSI Security Standard, also called a publicly
available specification (PAS), so that it is "no longer
available to be viewed;" public comments were only
allowed until October 13 at any rate.
Nevertheless, it seemed to hit Cory Doctorow's radar after
network security consultant Alec Muffett, who is also on
the Open Rights Group board of directors, ripped into the
ridiculousness of PAS 1296.
No privacy safeguards
David Austen, who will most likely become the regulator of
the Age Gate, said, "Privacy is one of the most important
things to get right in relation to this regime. As a
regulator, we are not interested in identity at all. The only
thing that we are interested in is age, and the only thing
that a porn website should be interested in is age."
That's nice except there are no privacy safeguards and
Austen will leave the market to implement age verification
systems; the Open Rights Group asked, "What could
possibly go wrong?"
The group pointed out that some implementations may

involve "vast data trawls through Facebook and social
media," or linking "people's identity across web services,"
or piggybacking "upon payment providers." The UK
government has a privacy-friendly age verification system
called Verify, but doesn't intend to use it.
Open Rights Group wrote:
If the government wants to have Age Verification in place,
it must mandate a system that increases the privacy and
safety of end users, since the users will be compelled to
use Age Verification tools. Also, any and all Age
Verification solutions must not make Britain's
cybersecurity worse overall, e.g. by building databases of
the nation's porn-surfing habits which might later appear
on WikiLeaks.
What if it's not just WikiLeaks? Let's take a freaky
hypothetical scenario. As the creepy clown epidemic in the
US moved to also include clown sightings in Britain, there
has been a 213 percent spike in clown-related porn on
Pornhub and a 50 percent increase on xHamster.
Whether or not that is a Halloween thing or based on
some other twisted reason, who would want that linked to
their banking, credit and electoral information, or even a
social media account using a "real" name such as
Facebook supposedly enforces? Stupid comments on
Facebook and other social media platforms have cost
people jobs, loans, insuranceand the list goes on.
It won't stop kids, but opens adults to chances of
life-wrecking leaks
The UK cracked down on revenge porn, but that does
nothing to stop people from requesting photos be
nudeshopped via Photoshop so it can be used for revenge
porn; nor can it stop "porn bombing, the worrying new
face of revenge porn." As sick as revenge porn is, a
determined person will find a way.
In the same way, determined under-aged people will find a

way to browse porn; a simple solution would be using a
proxy to view porn which is hosted outside of the UK.
It's not that the idea to keep inappropriate material out of
the reach of children is a horrible one, just that it will likely
fall short of that goal. Meanwhile for adults, as Open
Rights Group said, viewing porn will be linked to real-life
identities and "could be vulnerable to Ashley Madisonstyle leaks."
uaware comment
Do you get the impression that the firewall will be
controlled by the BBC at a charge to supplement licence
fees. Whats next licencing brothels !
(1st November 2016)
NHS PATIENTS MUST BE TAUGHT TO SHARE THEIR
DATA, SAYS EU LOBBY GROUP
(The Register, dated 18th October 2016 author Alexander J
Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/18/nhs_patients_need_to_l
earn_to_give_their_data_to_us_says_lobby_group/
Bemoaning the results of a survey showing that more than
a third of people don't trust the NHS with their personal
information, a new EU-funded lobby group has stressed
the need for a "new culture of openness" in allowing
patient data to be shared between studies.
eTRIKS, which describes itself as "the result of a
collaboration between 17 different partners" including
Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, AstraZeneca, Imperial College
London, and the University of Oxford's e-Research Centre,
has reported the results of its own survey.
The survey is released ahead of a data sharing event

taking place at the EU parliament on 20 October, which is
being introduced by Soledad Cabezn Ruiz, a Spanish
Socialist Worker's Party MEP, and professional cardiologist,
alongside Scott Wagers, the CEO of BioSci Consulting.
The project, which aims to "reduce the effort needed to
combine different types of data and making collected data
from one project usable in other research projects"
complained how "a total of 56 per cent of the 2,000
people surveyed in the inaugural National Personal Data in
Research Survey would also stand in the way of advances
in medical science by not allowing their data to be shared
for research."
eTRIKS stands for the European Translational Information
and Knowledge Management Services, and is funded by
the controversial Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI). IMI
sources its own 3.2bn funding from the EU and also from
the pharmaceutical industry's Brussels-based lobbying
association, EFPIA. It has been criticised in an article in
Nature noting how it uses public funds to facilitate the free
flow of intellectual property from public research
organisations and academia to the large pharmaceutical
giants also funding it.
IMI's executive director, Pierre Meulien, said: "Medical
researchers rely on data from patients to advance our
understanding of diseases and develop new treatments.
By bringing together different stakeholders in research,
projects like eTRIKS are well placed to facilitate the use of
this data to advance research while respecting patients'
wishes and addressing wider ethical and legal issues."
Almost 65 per cent of the survey's respondents said they
trusted the NHS with their personal data, while 16 per cent
said they did not and 20 percent were unsure - but only 43
per cent said they would be happy to share their medical
data "in the pursuit of research" as eTRIKS phrased it.
A further 21 per cent said their personal data had already
been shared without their consent, while 38 per cent were

unsure whether their healthcare information had been
flogged to third parties, while only 40 per cent said that
their details had not been taken.
Paul Houston, a spokesman for eTRIKS, was quoted as
"urging a 'new culture of greater willingness' to support
medical scientists." Houston, who is also the head of
operations for eTRIKS partner, CDISC, a research data
standards organisation, added: "Medical research
continues to provide more and more breakthroughs,
resulting in improvements to the lives of millions of people
across the world."
He continued to explain that eTRIKS wanted "to create a
new culture of openness in research, making the sharing
of data much easier and opening up more opportunities to
pursue medical advances. But to support our new smarter
approach to research, we also need a new culture of
greater willingness from research participants and the
general public."
(1st November 2016)
IS YOUR NETFLIX ACCOUNT SAFE ? USERS URGED
TO CHANGE PASSWORDS TO PROTECT FROM
HACKERS
www.ibtimes.co.uk/your-netflix-account-safe-users-urgedchange-passwords-protect-hackers-1586779#
When it comes to protecting its millions of users against
the threat of cyberattack, streaming giant Netflix is taking
a "proactive" approach by combing through recent leaks in
order to locate users at risk due to password reuse across
multiple services.
A number of major technology and social media

companies have been hit with cybersecurity scandals this
year - including LinkedIn, MySpace and Tumblr - with the
incidents now being coined 'mega-breaches' due to the
sheer size of data being released into the public domain.
Now according to an email sent to Adweek writer Steve
Safran on 14 October, Netflix is contacting those with
vulnerable accounts and enforcing password changes even in cases where its security teams find no evidence
the account has been tampered with.
"We discovered that credentials that match your Netflix
email address and password were included in a release of
email addresses and passwords from a breach at another
company," the firm said in an email, adding it uncovered
the credentials as part of "regular security monitoring.
As noted by cybersecurity researcher Brian Krebs,
similarly-worded notices have been spotted in circulation
since early June. Since that time, however, Yahoo has <a
title="Yahoo reveals 'state-sponsored' hackers stole a
massive 500 million of its users' accounts were
compromised in a late-2014 breach.
There is no suggestion that Netflix itself - which boasts 83
million members in over 190 countries - has been hacked.
In a statement sent to The Register, Netflix said the latest
round of password change notifications were simply "a
precautionary measure due to the recent disclosure of
credentials from other internet companies.
It continued: "This is part of our ongoing, proactive efforts
to alert members to potential security risks not associated
with Netflix. There can be a variety of triggers such as
username and password breaches at other companies,
phishing schemes, and malware attacks.
On its website, Netflix warns about the dangers of
password reuse. "If any of those services are
compromised, the attacker can try the user's email
address and password on Netflix and take over the
account. We strongly encourage you to select strong

passwords that are unique to Netflix," it said.
As such, the service stated that users should always strive
to make a unique password that is at least eight
characters in length and contains a mixture of letters,
numbers and symbols.
(1st November 2016)
FRONTLINE POLICE ARE GIVEN BODY CAMERAS
authors Justin Davenport, Ben Morgan, Chloe Chaplain)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/bodyworn-camerasrolled-out-to-thousands-of-met-police-officersa3370696.html
Scotland Yard today launched the world's biggest ever rollout of body worn video cameras to frontline police officers
in London.
Around 22,000 cameras are being issued to all
neighbourhood and response officers in the capital at a
cost of nearly 10 million.
The first of the cameras were deployed in Lewisham today
with further boroughs being issued with the equipment
each week.
Once completed next summer the Met will have the
largest number of officers equipped with body worn video
cameras of any force globally.
The Met hopes the cameras will help restore trust among
communities angered by stop and search and events, such
as the police shooting of Mark Duggan in 2011.
Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "The
cameras will support our officers in the many challenging

situations they have to deal with, at the same time as
building the public's confidence.
"What we do every day will be seen by the public - that
has to be good."
He was joined at the launch in Lewisham this morning by
Mayor Sadiq Khan who said the technology brings the
police force "into the 21st century".
He added: "This will lead to more transparency and
accountability. I hope this will lead to the principal of
policing by consent being more meaningful. By its nature
police need public confidence to move forward.
"The more confidence that the police have from the public,
the safer our streets will be."
The cigarette pack-sized cameras are being issued to
London's 32 boroughs and a number of frontline specialist
roles, including overt firearms officers.
However, the cameras are not yet being deployed to
covert firearms or surveillance teams because their size
could give them away.
Cameras have also been fitted to the Met's prison vans.
The move follows a trial which saw 550 body cameras
used across 10 London boroughs as well as armed
response teams.
The Met said the cameras had already proved successful
in bringing about speedier justice for victims, and have
been particularly successful in domestic abuse cases.
The force said there has been an increase in earlier guilty
pleas from offenders who know their actions have been
recorded.
A video recording of the arrest of a violent suspect was
issued by the Met as part of today's launch.

Last month, a study by the University of Cambridge found
a 93 per cent decrease in complaints made against
officers clearly wearing body cameras.
Sir Bernard added: "Our experience of using cameras
already shows that people are more likely to plead guilty
when they know we have captured the incident on a
camera.
"That then speeds up justice, puts offenders behind bars
more quickly and most importantly protects potential
victims.
"Video captures events in a way that can't be represented
on paper in the same detail, a picture paints a thousand
words, and it has been shown the mere presence of this
type of video can often defuse potentially violent
situations without the need for force to be used."
"People have pleaded guilty when seeing evidence on film
rather than challenging what our officers said happened.
It's powerful because it captures the emotional state of
everyone at the scene. It will capture the suspect, the
victim or how children appear affected.
This is a vital piece in the chain to make sure what we do
is transparent. "
The cameras will be attached to the officer's uniform and
will not be permanently recording.
Police said members of the public will be told as soon as
practical that they are being recorded, and when the
camera is recording it is highly visible - notable by a
flashing red circle in the centre of the camera and a
frequent beeping noise when the camera is activated.
Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about the
technology, particularly around how it will be kept and
how it could be used.
Footage from the Axon cameras will be automatically

uploaded to secure servers once the device has been
docked, and flagged for use as evidence at court or other
proceedings.
Video not retained as evidence or another policing
purpose will be automatically deleted within 31 days.
People will be able to apply for any footage of them under
freedom of information law.
(1st November 2016)
BURGLARIES WHERE WINDOW LEFT OPEN SHOULD
NOT BE INVESTIGATED, POLICE CHIEF SUGGESTS
(The Guardian, dated 17th October 2016 author Press
Association)
https://www.theguardian.com/uknews/2016/oct/17/burglaries-linked-to-carelessnessshould-not-be-investigated-police-chief-suggests
A senior police officer has been criticised for suggesting
some burglaries should not be investigated if doors and
windows have been left open.
Phil Kay, assistant chief constable of Leicestershire police,
said he would "far rather" officers focus on preventing
crime and protecting the public than investigate break-ins
where carelessness may have played a role.
The senior officer posed the question while discussing a
high rate of burglaries at properties occupied by students
at Loughborough University.
In order to get students to "take notice", Kay suggested
police could employ similar methods to NHS services when
providing treatment for the clinically obese.
"What the National Health Service will say is 'we are not
going to operate on you because your body mass is too
high'. They have not helped themselves to prevent an
illness," he told the Loughborough Echo.
"Yet if people leave doors or windows open there is an
expectation the police will investigate.
"I would far rather my officers were spending their time
preventing crime, protecting the public and focusing on
other stuff than things that are preventable."
Under a long-running operation Leicestershire police have
attempted to tackle the problem by raising awareness
among students.
"It is right that we try and stop it but it is right that people
take responsibility," Kay said.
Kay said he was not suggesting Leicestershire police had
any plans to change their practices, adding: "I pose that
as a question."
However the suggestion was met with criticism.
Tory MP Andrew Bridgen, who represents north-west
Leicestershire, said: "I would like to hope that the force are
putting this out there as a way of reminding the public of
the importance of not leaving doors or windows open.
"But it is their job to detect and investigate such crimes,
not to penalise law-abiding citizens who may have made a
mistake."
Sandie Forrest, a local councillor, said she was
"astounded" the question had been posed. "I think the
comparison that the police are making with the NHS is a
poor one because at the end of the day the NHS will
intervene at some stage," she said.
"I appreciate that the police have an enormously difficult
job to do, but this would be extremely unpopular with the

public," she told the Echo.
(1st November 2016)
MET FAILING TO COMBAT RISE IN PETROL THEFTS
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-police-failingmiserably-to-tackle-london-petrol-thefts-a3369136.html
Police are "failing miserably" to tackle a soaring number of
thefts of fuel from petrol stations in London, it was claimed
today.
Figures show that there have been 22,910 thefts of petrol
from stations in the capital in the past three years - but
only 249 suspects were charged, slightly over one per cent
of the total.
The number of thefts has risen steadily since 2013. In the
12 months to the end of August this year there were 8,336
petrol thefts compared with 7,590 in the same period in
2014/15 and 6,984 the previous year.
In the year to August the number of people charged with
thefts was 70 compared with 106 the previous year and 73
in 2013/14.
Conservative London Assembly member Steve O'Connell,
who obtained the figures, said the number of people
charged was "staggeringly low when you consider the
amount of CCTV evidence the police must have available
to them", and added that "it would appear the Met is not
taking these crimes seriously".
Mr O'Connell, the chairman of the Assembly's police and
crime committee, said: "It is quite clear from the data that
more and more people are getting away with this every
year and it is a problem that will only get worse unless
something is done.
"This is a matter I'll be raising with the Mayor to try and
find out why the police are failing so miserably to pursue
these criminals."
A Met spokesman said that allegations of this type of
crime are taken seriously and "where there are
investigative opportunities, incidents are pursued".
The spokesman added: "We continue to work with retailers
to identify opportunities to reduce the theft of fuel from
forecourts.
"One proven method is to adopt 'pre-pay' technology for
fuel, which we would recommend, this is a matter for
retailers to consider."
(1st November 2016)
REPORTED RAPES IN ENGLAND AND WALES DOUBLE
IN FOUR YEARS
(The Guardian, dated 13th October 2016 authors Vikram
Dodd and Helena Bengtsson)
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/13/reporte
d-rapes-in-england-and-wales-double-in-five-years
The number of rapes recorded by police has doubled in
the past four years while the percentage of allegations
resulting in conviction has fallen, official figures indicate.
Police and prosecutors believe that the rise in reported
cases indicates that people are more willing to report
sexual attacks in the aftermath of the Jimmy Savile sexual
abuse scandal and other recent high-profile historical
cases, and amid promises that a culture of disbelief in the
justice system has been banished.

In 2015-16, police recorded 23,851 reports of adults being
raped - nearly all of them women - compared with 10,160
in 2011-12, according to data released today by HM
Inspectorate of Constabulary on behalf of its rape
monitoring group.
Recorded rapes of children rose from 5,878 in 2011-12 to
11,947 in 2015-16. The figures suggest that 109 out of
every 100,000 children were recorded as being attacked in
England and Wales.
The number of reported rapes has risen by 123% since
2011/12. Over the same period convictions rose only 11%.
"It may be that in the wake of publicity associated with the
late Jimmy Savile and other historical abuse cases, more
adult survivors of child sexual abuse, as well as more
recent victims, have felt empowered to come forward to
tell the police," the report says.
Convictions in court compared with recorded allegations
halved in four years. But because more cases were going
through the system, the actual number of convictions
increased.
Thus last year there were 2,689 convictions recorded, a
rate of 7.5% of recorded allegations by adults and
children. The same figure four years earlier was 15%,
while the number convicted in 2011-12 was lower, at
2,414.
Liz Kelly, professor of sexualised violence at London
Metropolitan University, said: "We have always argued you
should calculate it [the conviction rate] as a proportion of
reports. The vast majority of cases are lost at the
investigation stage. If you don't look at the whole process
then you get a skewed picture 80% of cases don't get
to prosecution."
Data in the report suggests rape cases take longer than
other types of crime to process; they take 247 days to be

completed, compared with 171 days for all crown court
cases.
"The increase in volume of rape cases may have an
impact on the timeliness," the report adds. "However,
groups representing victims have expressed concern that
the longer it takes for a case to go to court, the harder it
becomes for the victim to give evidence. Timing is crucial
and delays may have a detrimental psychological impact
on victims."
A CPS spokesperson said: "In our 2015-16 Violence Against
Women and Girls Report the volume of prosecutions and
convictions were shown to be the highest ever recorded,
while the conviction rate saw an annual rise from 56.9% to
57.9%. The statistics are clear - today a rape is more likely
to be prosecuted and convicted than ever before."
Sarah Green, from Rape Crisis England and Wales and the
End Violence Against Women Coalition, said there was an
"ongoing enormous rise in victims reporting rape to the
police". She said "the shame around this abuse may be
declining and the desire to seek justice increasing. Police,
courts, government and everyone in frontline services and
public life should do everything to keep driving this,
including speaking out against victim-blaming attitudes."
Only a fraction of the total number of rapes are reported
to police and thus enter the criminal justice system. The
report says: "It is widely recognised that rape is underreported, with many more rapes committed than are
reported to and recorded by the police."
Crime statisticians estimate that the number of actual
rapes is about six times greater, which if true would mean
that the proportion of people actually convicted for rape is
tiny. The report says: "Convictions of the guilty are
extremely important outcomes but convictions are not the
only important outcomes for victims of rape." It adds:
"Cases involving sexual offences can often, by their
nature, lack corroborating evidence and come down to
complex decisions around consent and one person's word

against another.
"The process of preparing for court, and the trials
themselves, can be very lengthy and involve levels of
scrutiny of the victim not seen for other offences. At any
time victims may withdraw from the process for fear of
giving evidence in court, fear that the process will be too
distressing, fear of being disbelieved or judged, or as a
result of delays from start to finish."
Kelly said problems remained with attitudes: "People
within the criminal justice system are working with
antiquated ideas and so is the public, which makes up
juries."
Kelly said these include issues to do with victims not being
believed because they have not suffered internal injuries
or because they froze and did not fight back. She said an
alleged victim's drug or alcohol consumption could also
sway opinions within the criminal justice system. "There is
a whole set of social assumptions about what a rape looks
like, which most rapes don't look like."
The reports were prepared for 42 local police force areas.
Vera Baird, police and crime commissioner for
Northumbria, said: "It is straightforward to increase the
percentage of convictions to prosecutions - only take the
certainties to court. That is now a thing of the past as
more complainants have the confidence to report and the
police believe that they deserve a prosecution."
This article was amended on 13 October 2016. The
conviction rate in an earlier version was calculated on the
assumption that the number of convictions was for crimes
against adults only. It included crimes against children as
well. As such, the conviction rate in 2015-16 was 7.5% of
recorded allegations, not 11%, and the rate in 2011-12
was 15%, not nearly 24%. This has been corrected in the
text and graphics. The article has also been amended to
clarify that while the data covered a five-year period, the
statistical changes referred to occurred over four years.
Further information - uaware counterbalance

WHAT IF THERE'S MORE SEXUAL VIOLENCE NOW, NOT
JUST REPORTS OF IT (Extract)
(The Guardian, dated 13th October 2016 author Joan
Smith)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/13/
more-sexual-violence-reports-rape-victims
e've been saying it for years: the huge increase in
recorded rapes in this country is because victims are more
confident about reporting it. Women have read about
Jimmy Savile, they've heard about well-known men going
to prison and they trust the police more than they used to.
But the trend is so relentless that I think we now have to
consider a much more alarming possibility - that more
rapes are being committed.
First, the figures. The number of rape claims - from both
adults and children - recorded annually by the police has
more than doubled in the past four years, from just over
16,000 to almost 36,000, according to figures just
published by HM Inspectorate of Constabulary. I've got
used to arguing that these increases are a good thing
because we need victims to go to the police, to get justice
for themselves and to protect other women.
All of that is true, but it doesn't look to me as though it's
happening. There is a long-running argument about how
to calculate the percentage of rape reports that end in
convictions but the actual figure - only 2,689 this year tells its own story. While that number is slightly up on the
2,414 convictions four years ago, over the same period
the proportion of reported cases that led to conviction already stubbornly low - has dropped by half, from 15% to
7.5%.
I'm not dismissing the idea that some victims have more
confidence in the criminal justice system, post-Savile. But
I'm worried that the assumption may hide an actual

increase in the number of rapes and serious sexual
assaults. If the conviction rate had kept pace with the
increase in reported cases, there would have been 5,400
convictions this year - more than 2,700 higher than the
actual figure.
----Continued
(1st November 2016)
LONDONS HUMAN SLAVERY SHAME REVEALED
www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-revealed-asmodern-slavery-hotspot-a3367316.html
London was today revealed as Britain's modern slavery
hotspot as a new report to Parliament warned that there
are "too many gaps" in the action taken to protect victims.
Kevin Hyland, the independent anti-slavery commissioner,
said that "domestic slaves abused in wealthy London
residences" and Nigerian women trafficked into
prostitution were among those being forced unlawfully into
servitude.
He also warned that eastern European men are being
"exploited in shocking conditions in car washes" and
raised fears that people traffickers are using the migrant
crisis to lure people into slavery.
Mr Hyland said the homeless, including in London, were
also being exploited as he called for major improvements
to help victims.
The warnings came in Mr Hyland's first annual report to
Parliament, which shows that the details of 1,242 potential
victims in London were passed to the "National Referral

Mechanism" during 2015/16 - over a third of the national
total of 3,146 referrals.
London also accounted for a quarter of cases logged as
crimes with 248 offences recorded during the period, a
quarter of the national total of slavery offences.
But only 71 suspected slavery offenders were arrested
during the same period in the capital, with 18 summonsed
or charged so far.
Mr Hyland, appointed to his role by then-Home Secretary
Theresa May, said that although police action to tackle
slavery in London and elsewhere had increased during the
past year, "dramatic" improvements were needed.
He added that the number of offenders brought to justice
was "still relatively low given the scale of offending".
Mr Hyland also said it was "unacceptable that nothing is
known about victims' futures once they leave support
accommodation" and then warned: "There is strong
evidence that the migration crisis is being used by human
trafficking networks to target and exploit the most
vulnerable and that there is a need for urgent action."
He said: "Victims of modern slavery are robbed of their
right to life and liberty... The domestic slaves abused in
wealthy London residences.
The Nigerian women and girls trafficked across the Sahara
to work as sex slaves in Europe.
These are all individuals - someone's mother, father,
brother, sister, daughter or son - with a freedom and a
future that must be fought for."
Mrs May has made tackling modern slavery one of her
priorities as Prime Minister, and today she told a service at
Westminster Abbey to honour 18th-century abolitionist
William Wilberforce that Britain would "target every aspect
of this despicable trade and put the slave-drivers out of

business for good".
(1st November 2016)
POLICE NOT RECORDING MOST UK SLAVERY CASES
AS CRIMES
(The Guardian, dated 12th October 2016 author Peter
Walker)
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/12/policenot-recording-uk-slavery-cases-crimes-report-kevin-hyland
UK police forces are failing victims of modern slavery by
not recording what happens to them as crimes, meaning
many cases are never investigated, the independent antislavery commissioner has said in his first annual report.
Kevin Hyland, whose job was created under last year's
Modern Slavery Act, said just over a quarter of the 3,000plus slavery cases identified in England and Wales last
year under the national referral mechanism (NRM) for
recording the offence resulted in crimes recorded by
police.
The situation was similarly bad in Scotland, Hyland noted
in his report, although the Police Service of Northern
Ireland (PSNI) logged every one of the offences referred to
it.
This meant too many police forces were failing victims,
Hyland said. "When NRM referrals are not recorded as
crimes, investigations are not launched and victims do not
receive the justice and support that they both need and
deserve."
The report identified some areas in which anti-slavery
procedures had improved but said a series of other areas
needed improvement and there were "too many gaps in
the system for victims to fall through", especially once

they left supported accommodation.
Hyland's biggest concern was the failure by police to
properly record slavery referrals. Among English and
Welsh forces, he found, 3,146 NRM referrals brought just
884 recordings of slavery crimes, or 28% of the total. This
amounted to "chronic weaknesses" in recording the crime,
Hyland said.
More than half of the English and Welsh forces had
difficulties answering whether any referrals via the NRM
had resulted in a crime record, while four could not find
their internal records about NRM cases.
In Scotland the situation was, if anything, worse, the
report found, with police forces having a policy - since
changed - that slavery crimes would only be recorded if
there were "conclusive grounds" connected to the NRM. In
contrast, the PSNI logged 100% of NRM referrals in 201516.
Matters were not all bad, Hyland said. In the foreword to
the report, he wrote: "Evidence I have collected does
demonstrate that some UK police forces are taking a
proactive approach to combating modern slavery through
the development of bespoke units, quality assurance
mechanisms and training."
He added: "I am disappointed, however, that many
instances of substandard modern slavery crime recording
remain."
Hyland said he had raised the issue with the National
Crime Agency and the National Police Chiefs' Council.
Shaun Sawyer, who leads on anti-slavery for the NPCC,
said police wanted to do more to tackle the "vile crime".
"This complex and cross-border-type offence presents the
police with unique challenges," he said. "However, it does
not excuse the gap between national referrals and
recorded crime in some areas. We also believe there are

many victims of modern slavery who are yet to be
identified."
In a statement following the report, Theresa May said the
government was committed to tackling the issue.
"So let us send out this message," the prime minister said.
"To the victims of modern slavery: we will not ignore your
plight. We will not turn away. We will not shut our eyes and
pretend your suffering does not exist.
"We will work tirelessly, relentlessly pursuing the
perpetrators of these appalling crimes so that victims of
slavery can go free. And my message to these criminals is
simply this: we are coming after you."
According to the report, there are believed to be up to
13,000 victims of modern slavery currently in the UK,
including domestic slaves, forced agricultural workers and
people exploited in brothels.
Hyland said a visit to Italy and Greece this year had
uncovered "strong evidence that the migration crisis is
being used by human trafficking networks to target and
exploit the most vulnerable, and that there is a need for
urgent action".
Hyland also noted concerns about the potential numbers
of women and girls trafficked from Nigeria for sexual
slavery.
In 2015, more than 5,600 Nigerian women and girls
arrived in Italy by sea, almost four times as many as in
2014, the report said. The majority of these came from the
Nigerian state of Edo.
Hyland also highlighted the issue of homeless people
being exploited by traffickers for what is described as work
in the informal economy. He said a number of them were
"being held in exploitation and slave-like conditions across
the UK".
The report warned: "As there is currently no national

evidence base or recording mechanisms for this
phenomenon, and despite the best efforts of organisations
working in this field, the response to date has not been
effective."
(1st November 2016)
WHITEHALL PLANS NATIONAL ARMED POLICE FORCE
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/new-national-armed-policeforce-planned-by-government-a3365941.html
A new national armed police force to respond to a Parisstyle terror attack is under consideration by the
Government.
The 4,000 strong unit would combine firearms officers
from the British Transport Police, the Civil Nuclear
Constabulary and the Ministry of Defence police, according
to the Financial Times.
The new unit is expected to be a highly mobile team with
unified equipment and communications.
As well as protecting the country's infrastructure, including
power stations, airports, railways and ports, the unit would
be expected to respond to marauding attacks by armed
gunmen such as the atrocities in Paris and Mumbai.
Local police forces would continue to operate their own
armed units and the proposals would not involve the
recruitment of any extra armed officers.
Former prime minister David Cameron announced the
recruitment of an extra 1,500 firearms officers to bolster
defences against a terror attacks, including an extra 600

officers in London.
(1st November 2016)
THREE QUARTERS OF UK POLICING WEBSITES LACK
SECURE ENCRYPTION
(Computer Weekly, dated 11th October 2016 author
Warwick Ashford)
www.computerweekly.com/news/450400830/Threequarters-of-UK-policing-websites-lack-secure-encryption
A quarter of UK policing websites have secure foundations,
but half have room for improvement, and the remaining
quarter are in need of serious and urgent improvement,
according to the Centre for Public Safety.
Only just over a quarter of UK policing and related
websites demonstrate high standards of secure
encryption, a study by the Centre for Public Safety has
revealed.
The remaining 73% have significant room for
improvement, with some putting sensitive information at
risk, according to a public safety briefing on UK police
cyber security.
The briefing is based on a scan of 71 police and policingaffiliated websites in the first independent assessment of
UK policing's cyber security, according to the centre,
which is a non-profit organisation aimed at promoting
world-class policing and public safety and providing
supporting frontline professionals.
The majority of the websites assessed either lacked a
secure (SSL/TLS) connection for visitors or their
implementation was deemed deficient or insecure.
Almost a quarter of sites lacked any automatic secure

connections, meaning information is communicated in
plain unencrypted text across the internet, with more than
70% of these sites inviting users to submit personal data.
In some cases, information specifically relating to criminal
activity was sought in plain text without any form of
secure connection, which the briefing said should be
halted because it puts members of the public at risk.
The briefing said it is ironic that the police service
encourages the public to "look for the padlock" that
indicates secure internet connections, while many policing
sites do not offer this security benefit.
Even some of the newest implementations fell short of the
highest standards, the briefing said, with the Cheshire
Constabulary scoring a 'C' grade in July 2016, but in
September 2016 - following the launch of a new
"upgraded" website - the connection was less secure,
achieving only an 'F' grade.
The new version of the website was found to be vulnerable
to Poodle and man-in-the-middle (MITM) attacks and
lacked support for the latest version of TLS.
With the move towards digital transformation, the briefing
said police service and related agencies must ensure their
services are secure.
"While the rest of the world moves to secure-by-default,
some forces and their IT providers seem intent on
delivering not-enough-by-default," said Rory Geoghegan,
founding director of The Centre for Public Safety. "Take the
Met Police - spending hundreds of millions per year and
only achieving a grade C," he said.
According to Geoghegan, those police forces accepting
personal data and information on criminal activity over
plain text should implement secure connections as a
matter of priority.
The websites of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and

Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) were
found to be the most secure, while those achieving Agrades included the police forces of Cleveland, Cumbria,
Devon and Cornwall, Dorset, Durham, Gwent, Kent,
Leicestershire, Merseyside, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Suffolk, Warwickshire,
West Mercia, and West Yorkshire.
The worst performing, were the websites of the British
Transport Police, College of Policing, Dyfed-Powys, Greater
Manchester, Hampshire, HMICS, Humberside, Ministry of
Defence Police, National Crime Agency, National Police Air
Service, National Police Chiefs' Council, North Wales,
Northumbria, Police Investigations and Review
Commissioner (PIRC), Surrey, Sussex, and the UK Missing
Persons Bureau.
"It's 2016 - the internet is not new, the cyber security
threat is not new - and yet some police forces and their IT
providers seem to think it is acceptable to pay large sums
of taxpayer money for insecure technology," said
Geoghegan.
"Police and crime commissioners and chief officers are
banking on savings from digital transformation. They must
ensure the online services provided are secure, or they
risk public trust and public safety," he said.
(1st November 2016)
UK PASSPORTS 10 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE LOST
OR STOLEN AT HOME
(BT News, dated 10th October 2016)
http://home.bt.com/news/uk-news/uk-passports-10-timesmore-likely-to-be-lost-or-stolen-at-home-11364104453946
UK passports are 10 times more likely to be lost or stolen
within this country than overseas, new figures show.

Some 300,000 passports were recorded as missing in
2014/15, but just 7% were reported through embassies
overseas.
The majority are being mislaid within this country, with
one leading travel association blaming people's habit of
throwing the document "in a drawer or an old travel bag".
The figures were obtained by the Press Association
through Freedom of Information requests from the Foreign
and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and Her Majesty's
Passport Office (HMPO).
Spain is the most common foreign place for passports to
go missing, followed by the US and then France, the FCO
statistics show.
The total number of passports lost or stolen jumped by a
quarter in the three-year period between 2013/14 and
2015/16 - from 261,929 to 328,228.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The annual number of
losses represents less than 1% of the total UK passports
that are in circulation.
"However, it is a valuable document and we urge all
passport holders to keep their passport safe and secure."
Gary Lewis, chief executive of the Travel Network Group,
said people tend to be "much more vigilant" when on
holiday but after returning they often throw their
passports "in a drawer" or an "old travel bag" and forget
about them.
He added: "We are always hearing about how customers
have mislaid or lost their passports prior to travelling on
holiday."
The figures also show that in the three years between
2012/13 and 2014/15 the number of lost passports
reported to embassies abroad dropped by almost a

quarter - from 27,320 to 20,663.
It follows reports that stolen British passports have
increased in value since Brexit and can sell on the dark
web for around 2,800 with the UK passport black market
worth over 46 million, according to cybercrime
researcher Stefan Fafinski.
Assuming a passport cost of 72.50, UK citizens will have
spent more than 60 million renewing the documents
between 2013/14 and 2015/16.
There are around 60 million British passports in circulation.
-----------------------MORE PASSPORTS GO MISSING IN THE POST
(The Times, dated 3rd October 2016 author Andrew Ellson)
The number of passports lost in the post has more than
doubled in the past four years, figures obtained by The
Times show.
Almost 600 passports or supporting documents were sent
to the wrong address or completely disappeared last year
compared with 248 four years ago.
Since 2006 nearly 4,500 passports or supporting
documents have suffered a similar fate, a freedom of
information request reveals
A spokeswoman for Cifas, a fraud prevention charity, said:
"Your passport is a valuable document that contains
important personal information, information that can be
used to commit identity fraud against you if it falls into the
hands of criminals. A lost document is more than an
inconvenience, it is a real threat".
Katy Worobec, of Financial Fraud Action UK, said: "
Information is the life blood of the financial fraudster."
Some people whose documents have gone astray say the

Passport Office shows a cavalier attitude. Sarah Lebutsch
was horrified when her passport, her husbands passport
and her eldest childs birth certificate went to a stranger
after she sent the documents as supporting evidence for
passport applications for her two children.
She said: "We received an email from a lady we do not
know who lives in Northampton, who informed us that she
had received our older daughters birth certificate and our
passports. "She had immediately called the Passport
Office, only to be casually told to stick them in an
envelope and freepost them back. She did not feel
comfortable doing this and instead tracked us down via
the internet.
"I called the Passport Office immediately, expecting them
to be apologetic. I was told to await a call back within 4
hours but heard nothing. I called again only to be advised
that no one was around until after the bank holiday."
The freedom of information request found that the
problem is getting worse. Based on the number that went
missing in the first three months of this year, more than
550 passports will disappear this year and a further 300
will be sent to the wrong address.
The delivery of passports is handled by DX, a private
company that has had the 21 million delivery contract for
12 years.
The cost of a passport has risen by 75% since 2005 and
now 72.50. Inflation increase by 39% during the same
period.
The Passport Office said the problem was small compared
with the number of passports issued. A spokesman added:
"The safety of our customers personal data is of
paramount importance and every attempt is made to
recover lost or misdelivered documents.
"Once reported, passports are cancelled on the system
immediately to itigate against the risk of misuse and we

work with DX to develop measures to reduce the number
of losses overall.
-----------------------Further information (uaware addition)
Always go to a "gov.uk" website when dealing with a UK
passport.
Cancel a lost or stolen passport :
https://www.gov.uk/report-a-lost-or-stolen-passport
Sadly things don't change !
FIVE PASSPORTS ARE LOST IN THE POST
(Daily Mail, dated 12th November 2008 author Ian Drury)
Five passports are lost in the post on an average day,
ministers have admitted.
Since February 2004, when the Identity and Passport
Service - a Home Office agency - ditched Royal Mail and
awarded a multi-million-pound contract to a courier
service to deliver the documents, 3,000 have gone
missing.
Experts estimate that the black market value of the
passports, which can fetch 1,700 a time from criminals, is
20million.
-------------------------CRACKDOWN ON MAIL TO HALT THEFT OF PASSPORTS
(The Observer, dated 25th May 2003 author Martin Bright)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/may/25/ukcrime.im
migrationpolicy
Parliamentary answers from Home Office Minister Beverley
Hughes to Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow show that

losses of new passports sent out by the Passport Agency
soared by 17 per cent to 2,982 last year, with a total of
11,733 lost over the past four years. A fresh passport,
newly stolen from the post, fetches between 500 and
1,000 on the black market. The price rockets to 5,000
when it has been adapted by the counterfeiters to fit the
new identity.
(1st November 2016)
CYBER-BLACKMAILERS INCREASINGLY TARGET NHS
TRUSTS WITH RANSOMS FOR PATIENTS DATA
(The Telegraph, dated 10th October 2016 author Telegraph
Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/10/10/cyberblackmailers-increasingly-target-nhs-trusts-with-ransomsf/
NHS IT systems are increasingly vulnerable to attacks by
cyber-blackmailers trying to extort ransoms from
hospitals, according to reports.
At least 28 NHS trusts in England have been victims of
ransomware incursions in the last 12 months, according to
figures handed to the i in Freedom of Information request.
NHS Digital, the body which oversees cyber-security for
the health service, admitted there has been an increase in
attacks but said that no ransom was paid and no data was
lost.
It said patient records had not been affected and added
that other organisations have been targeted in the
attacks.
Ollie Whitehouse, technical director of NCC Group, the
internet security company which obtained the data, told
the paper: "Ransomware has become the bottom line of
cyber-crime - if hackers break into a system and can't find

any other way to monetise what they find, they encrypt
the data and demand a ransom.
"We have seen a 400 per cent increase in these attacks.
The health service is by no means alone in facing this kind
of attack.
"But NHS trusts are being increasingly targeted and any
loss of patient data would be a nightmare scenario. Like
everyone else, they need to be applying robust controls."
Ransomware, among other malicious software, has long
been known to target computer users, generating millions
of pounds a year for cyber-criminals.
Europol issued a warning about the malware last week,
warning that it is now the top form of online theft.
The virus works by implanting a piece of software, often
sent disguised in an email, which locks the user out of the
system or files.
The hackers then demand a BitCoin ransom, which can be
the equivalent of thousands of pounds.
About Ransomware
What is ransomware? A virus which locks a device, such as
a computer, tablet or smartphone and then demands a
ransom to unlock it
Where did ransomware originate? It first emerged in 2005
in the United States, but quickly spread around the world,
along with other so-called malware
How does it affect a computer? The virus is normally
contained win an attachment to an email that
masquerades as something innocent. Once opened it
freezes the machine, making it impossible to access or
retrieve anything stored on there such as photographs,
documents, music etc
How can you protect yourself? Anti-virus software can

protect your machine, although cybercriminals are
constantly working on new ways to override such
protection
How much are victims expected to pay? The ransom
demanded varies but when there was an attack in the UK
in 2014, people were charged 500
The 4 most popular cyber crimes
Phishing - The aim is to trick people into handing over
their card details or access to protected systems. Emails
are sent out that contain either links or attachments that
either take you to a website that looks like your bank's, or
installs malware on your system.
A report by Verizon into data breach investigations has
shown that 23% of people open phishing emails.
Identity theft - According to fraud protection agency
Cifas, the number of victims rose by 31 per cent to 32,058
in the first three months of 2015. Criminals use online
'fraud forums' to buy and sell credit cards, email
addresses and passports.
Hacking - In a Verizon study of security breaches there
were 285 million data exposures, which works out to about
9 records exposed every second. 26% of these attacks
were executed internally within organisations.
It is estimated that 90% of all data records that were used
in a crime was a result of hackers employed by organised
crime.
Online harrassment - Over half of adolescents and teens
have been bullied online, while 73% of adult users have
seen someone harassed in some way online and 40% have
experienced it.
(1st November 2016)
THREE POLICE OFFICERS ACCUSE IPCC OF CRIMINAL

CONDUCT OVER TASER CASE
Tom Powell)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/three-police-officersaccuse-independent-watchdog-of-criminal-conduct-overtaser-case-a3364286.html
Three police officers accused of racially discriminating
against a black firefighter have officially complained about
the independent watchdog which handled the case.
Inspector Sutinderjit Mahi and PCs Daniel Roberts and
Mark Gatland made official allegations to Scotland Yard
over the Independent Police Complaints Commission
(IPCC) probe into their treatment of Edric Kennedy-Macfoy.
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy was helping officers identify a
teenager who had thrown a rock at a police van in Harrow,
north London, in September 2011 when he was Tasered
and arrested.
He was later cleared in court of obstructing police and
received damages from the Metropolitan Police.
Mr Mahi and PC Roberts were accused of using abusive
and offensive language motivated by racial discrimination
and/or racial stereotyping.
Firearms officer PC Gatland - who used the Taser - was
accused of using unreasonable force motivated by racial
discrimination and/or racial stereotyping.
But a misconduct hearing against the three in July
collapsed when the IPCC withdrew its case over
"procedural shortfalls".
The officers' lawyer, John Downes, from Slater and Gordon,
said: "We welcome the news that officers from Scotland
Yard are assessing the criminal claims against the IPCC.
"My clients have suffered for the past five years since the
original incident and the spurious claims against them
have tarnished their lives.
"They now hope the allegations they have made against
the IPCC are taken seriously by the Metropolitan Police and
look forward to being updated soon."
The IPCC admitted at the July hearing that it failed to take
into account statements corroborating the officers'
accounts from independent witnesses, did not interview
those witnesses and failed to disclose those statements
during disciplinary proceedings.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said on Saturday: "We
can confirm that in September the MPS received two
linked allegations of crime, relating to issues arising from a
misconduct hearing in July 2016 which was halted because
of issues with disclosure.
"The allegation has been recorded and is being assessed."
An IPCC spokeswoman said: "The MPS has made us aware
that two linked allegations are being assessed and as such
it would be inappropriate to say more at this stage."
Mr Kennedy-Macfoy's lawyer, Shamik Dutta, said he had
yet to be informed by the Metropolitan Police of any
complaints and would expect Mr Kennedy-Macfoy to be
notified. He also said the firefighter should be "invited to
participate" if there is an investigation.
Mr Dutta added: "It is worth reiterating that after Mr
Kennedy-Macfoy was found not guilty in the magistrates'
court, both the Metropolitan Police and the IPCC
investigated his police complaint. In the course of those
investigations, independent witnesses supported Mr

Kennedy-Macfoy's account.
"Senior Metropolitan Police officers have invited Mr
Kennedy-Macfoy to a meeting to discuss my client's
concerns about the case and my client intends to help
them learn from his terrible experience."
(1st November 2016)
SCALE OF SEXUAL ABUSE IN UK UNIVERSITIES
LIKENED TO SAVILE AND CATHOLIC SCANDALS
(The Guardian, dated 7th October 2016 author Sally Weale
and David Batty)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/oct/07/scale-of-sexualabuse-in-uk-universities-likened-to-savile-and-catholicscandals
The scale of sexual harassment and gender violence by UK
university staff has been likened to the scandals involving
the Catholic church and Jimmy Savile in accounts shared
by more than 100 women with the Guardian.
Their stories - including those of verbal bullying, serial
harassment, assault, sexual assault and rape - expose an
alarming pattern of abuse and harassment in British
universities which remains largely hidden.
A number of contributors drew parallels with the abuse
scandals affecting the Catholic church and Savile, the
disgraced late TV star.
Many women said they had not pursued complaints for
fear of jeopardising their academic careers. Those who did
complain said they felt isolated and unprotected, while the
more powerful men they accused appeared to be
untouchable.
The women's accounts follow an exclusive Guardian report

on the use of non-disclosure agreements in university
sexual harassment cases.
Rachel Krys, the co-director of End Violence Against
Women, called for urgent change within universities to
both prevent senior male academics abusing positions of
power and develop better processes to bring them to
account.
"We know this is happening to young women at
universities across the country and they continue to be
failed by the institutions in which they put their trust,"
Krys said. "Our universities need to listen more to the
women who are coming forward and telling these stories.
They need to investigate properly when there is an
allegation of abuse, and act quickly to protect all women
from these perpetrators."
According to EVAW, UK universities are legally obliged
under human rights and equality laws to protect female
students from sexual assault and other forms of violence
against women. Their analysis of universities' policies
concluded that many were likely to be in breach of these
obligations.
Later this month Universities UK (UUK) is publishing its
long awaited report on sexual violence and harassment in
universities, but there is concern that it will focus on "lad
culture" and incidents between students, rather than
those involving staff and students, which have remained
largely under the radar.
The majority of cases reported to the Guardian involve
senior male academics, often professors, harassing and
abusing younger female PhD students whose work they
supervise. There are also accounts from undergraduates
and female academics, while a small number of other
allegations involve assault, male-on-male harassment and
one allegation of sexual assault by a female lecturer.
Many of the accounts indicate that universities are failing
in their duty of care to students and staff who are

harassed. One female academic who made a complaint of
sexual harassment against a more senior male colleague against whom there had been previous complaints - said
she was marched off the university premises and
suspended for three months after he accused her of
making a false allegation.
Another female academic who complained to HR of being
sexually assaulted by a more senior male colleague, was
then interviewed by two male colleagues. "I was so
traumatised and ashamed, not only by the assault but by
having to give details of the assault to two men (one of
whom seemed to regard me as a waste of space) that I did
not take my complaint to the next formal level."
In another statement, a PhD student, who brought a
complaint after being raped by a senior member of staff
with whom she was in a relationship, described her sense
of utter powerlessness: "He is a renowned professor. He
can do what he wants."
The incidents are reported to have taken place at a variety
of institutions across the UK, including prestigious and
high-ranking Russell Group universities. Some date back to
the 1980s and 90s, but most are recent and many are
ongoing, and in the majority of cases the women involved
have asked to remain anonymous, and their institutions
unnamed, because of fear of repercussions.
Jennifer Saul, professor of philosophy at the University of
Sheffield and an expert on sexual harassment in higher
education, said she was not surprised by the deluge of
stories: "There's a systemic problem. Too often, victims are
afraid to come forward for fear (well-justified) of
retaliation.
"When they do come forward, often they are brushed off
or not believed. When they are believed, their allegations
are still often dismissed as unprovable. Even when things
are taken more seriously, harassers are generally allowed
to leave quietly, which enables them to move some place
else and do the same thing."

Many of the women who made complaints to their
institutions said they felt they were the ones on trial, while
alleged perpetrators were often protected by management
who feared losing a star researcher and their funding.
A number of respondents said their harassers were
allowed to remain in post; some moved to other
institutions without facing any formal investigation or
disciplinary action, leaving them with an unblemished
employment record and the opportunity to continue
preying on students elsewhere.
"They don't know where he is or what he is doing, and
they don't care. He is not their problem any more," said
one female academic whose sexual harassment complaint
resulted in her senior colleague leaving with a financial
settlement and a non-disclosure agreement which
prevents any discussion of the case.
A number of PhD students described their excitement to
be working with eminent professors, only to find
themselves under pressure to enter into more intimate
relationships. When they refused, they were ostracised
and neglected by their supervisor, putting their academic
future at risk.
"My (much older) supervisor kept messaging me for naked
photos of myself," said another student who didn't report
the incidents. "When I refused he told me I was probably
going to get raped. He was very well liked, and I knew he
would never be punished for it."
Another contributor said: "The culture [in universities] is
very sexualised. It's very, very macho. Whenever
complaints arise, they are covered up. In general society
there's been a shift in the way in which complaints of
sexual misconduct are dealt with - in higher education, not
so much."
A UUK spokesperson said the forthcoming report would

identify best practice in a range of areas which would be
shared across all universities. "The university sector has
been clear that there is no place for violence and sexual
harassment on a university campus, nor anywhere else.
"Universities across the UK already have a range of
initiatives and policies in place to address these issues,
including policies on student-staff relationships."
How far the higher education sector will enforce the
report's recommendations remains to be seen. A number
of universities have instigated reviews of their own
policies and practices in response to individual cases
within their institution.
The University of Sussex has commissioned an
independent inquiry into its handling of the assault of a
postgraduate student by a lecturer. The media lecturer Lee
Salter met Allison Smith during induction week and they
began a relationship. But in September 2015, he punched
her, knocked her out, stamped on her and threw salt at
her face. He was found guilty of assault by beating and
causing criminal damage on 13 July at Brighton
magistrates court.
In the 10 months between his arrest and sentence, he
continued to teach at the university, to Smith's distress.
"Their policies were clear that he should have been
suspended," she said. "It felt very damaging that the
institution would do this. It started to feel that their
reputation was more important. They swept me under the
carpet and that was that."
Salter, who pleaded not guilty in court and received a 22week suspended jail sentence, was issued with a
restraining order not to contact Smith. He has appealed
against his convictions.
More than 300 Sussex University staff and students sent a
letter to the vice chancellor, Adam Tickell, calling on the
university to "investigate and publicly acknowledge its
mishandling of the case [and] establish a taskforce to

comprehensively examine university policy and practice
on issues of violence and harassment".
Tickell, who was appointed after the alleged incident and
launched the inquiry at the start of his tenure, has
promised to appoint a deputy pro-vice chancellor for
equalities. "I believe strongly that this institution should
learn lessons from this case and rectify any failings, and
I'm committed to ensuring that Sussex does what is right
for our community," he said.
(1st November 2016)
YOUNG KNIFE CRIMINALS WHO FILM OFFENCES TO
SHARE ONLINE MAY FACE TOUGHER SENTENCES
author Nandini Krishnamoorthy)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/young-knife-criminals-who-filmoffences-share-online-may-face-tougher-sentences1585053
The Sentencing Council has proposed that young knife
criminals should face tougher punishments if they film
their offences to post them on social media. The draft
states that youngsters in England and Wales, who carry
knives or blades in public - when in a group - could face
longer jail sentences.
The proposal noted that young people film their offence to
"deliberately humiliate" victims and listed a number of
probable "aggravating factors" for judges and magistrates
to consider when deciding a punishment. These include,
"deliberate humiliation of victims, including but not limited
to filming of the offence, deliberately committing the
offence before a group of peers with the intent of causing
additional distress or circulating details/photos/videos etc
of the offence on social media or within peer group", the
Press Association reported.

These factors also include attempts to hide their identity
and targeting victims working in the public sector or
someone, who they find vulnerable.
Speaking about the proposal, Justice Minister Sam Gyimah
said: "Knife crime ruins lives. Our crackdown is working under this Government more people are being sent to jail
for carrying a knife, and for longer. I want those who carry
knives to feel the full force of the law. These new
guidelines will help ensure sentences reflect the
devastation caused to families and communities."
While the new proposals are aimed at bringing about
changes to knife crime laws, they do not cover offences
where another weapon is used to injure a victim. It also
does not include the use or possession of guns.
The Sentencing Council stressed that it was aware of the
use of social media to intentionally embarrass victims of
knife crimes and that it has increasingly become common
practice among young offenders. The council is seeking
tougher sentences to help address public concerns as
knife crimes are on the rise.
Nearly 29,000 knife-related crimes were recorded in the
12 months up to March 2016, while 7,800 adults and
1,400 young offenders were sentenced for the crime in
2015. The possession of knives and blades also increased
from almost 10,000 to 11,500 during the period, BBC
reported.
Meanwhile, Council Member and District Judge Richard
Williams said: "Too many people are carrying knives and it
only takes a moment of anger or drunkenness for one to
be pulled out with fatal results or serious injury. Through
these guidelines, we want to provide courts with
comprehensive, up-to-date guidance to ensure that
sentences reflect the seriousness of offending."
Last year, the government introduced a new compulsory
"two strikes" jail sentence for adults caught with a knife

more than once, who would face a minimum six-month jail
term. However, figures have revealed that nearly half of
the repeat offenders escaped jail sentences arguing that
there were exceptional circumstances to their case.
(1st November 2016)
LONDON KNIFE CRIME IN SHOCKING RISE AS 4000
PEOPLE INJURED BY KNIVES LAST YEAR
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revealed-4000-peoplewere-stabbed-in-london-last-year-a3362201.html
London's epidemic of stabbings and knife injuries is at its
highest rate for five years - with 11 people being injured in
attacks each day.
The latest Met police statistics show more than 4,000
people suffered knife injuries in the capital in the last 12
months, a rise of 4.4 per cent on the previous 12 month
period.
Deputy Mayor for Policing Sophie Linden described the rise
as "deeply concerning," saying Mayor Sadiq Khan had
called a knife crime summit later this month to tackle the
crisis.
The figures also show the number of shootings in London
is also rising, though the numbers involved are smaller.
Outgoing Met police chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe told a
recent City Hall meeting that the force was worried about
the involvement of gang members in the number of
stabbings and the casual carrying of knives by young
people.
He said while overall knife crime offences were falling,

often cases where people reported seeing a blade, more
people in London were getting stabbed.
He said : "We have too many casually carrying knives.
Most of these events happen in public, they don't appear
to be that pre-arranged. Casual or random arguments turn
into very serious issues."
Sir Bernard said stabbings involving gangs were often
linked to organised crime.
Figures show the number of young people being stabbed is
rising at a rate of five per cent - a total of 1,751 people
under the age of 25 suffered knife injuries in the last 12
months, compared to 1,668 over the same period a year
ago.
A total of 4,015 people suffered knife crime injuries in the
12 months to August, compared to 3,844 in the previous
period, a rise of 4.4 per cent.
The last highest total was in 2011 when they were 4,135
victims of stabbings.
The figures are revealed as the Sentencing Council for
England and Wales recommended tougher sentences for
people caught carrying knives in the street.
Carrying a knife while in a group or gang, or filming
attacks for social media could also spell more jail time.
The Council, who produces guidlines for the judiciary, says
it wants sentences to better recognise public concern
amid a rise in recorded knife offences.
Justice Minister Sam Gyimah said sentences should reflect
the "devastation" caused by knife crime.
Ms Linden said: "Every death or serious injury of a young
Londoner is an utter tragedy and the recent rise in knife
crime is deeply concerning.
"This is a complex issue that cannot be solved by policing

alone, which is why we are working with communities,
partner organisations, local authorities, and schools to
understand the causes, identify those at greatest risk and
intervene more effectively to stop people carrying knives."
Statistics also show that guns were fired 302 times in
London in the year to the end of August 2016, 91 more
than the previous year There was also a leap of a third in
the number of guns fired in the month of August this year
compared to June.
There were 46 firearm discharges in both July and August
this year.
Sir Bernard said he believed the rise in gun crime was due
to an increase in the number of weapons being smuggled
into the UK.
The Met seized 714 guns in 2015, including semiautomatic guns, which he said was "worrying".
Sir Bernard said one reason more people were carrying
and using knives was the mistaken belief that they would
feel safer if they carried a blade, when the opposite is true
because often the same weapon was used against them.
The Met chief said he had ordered more stop and searches
to be carried out in areas where there were the most
stabbings. Figures compiled by the Mayor's Office for
Policing and Crime show victims under 25 experience half
of all knife injury robberies and 48% of all serious knife
assault offences.
A Met operation to tackle knife crime launched in October
last year had resulted in the seizure of 4,700 knives in
London.
The figures were revealed after a series of shocking knife
attacks on London's streets.
Last month Ricky Hayden, 27, a celebrities' bodyguard

who worked at the wedding of ex-England footballer Peter
Crouch, was killed and his father Paul, 46, suffered serious
injuries after they confronted four masked men armed
with machetes who were allegedly trying to steal a moped
outside the family home in Chadwell Heath. One man has
been charged with murder.
In August 19-year-old Andre Aderemi became the eighth
teenager to be stabbed to death in London this year.
He allegedly suffered multiple stab injuries. Four
teenagers have been charged with his murder.
Sixteen people suffered knife injuries at this year's Notting
Hill carnival while a teenager who 'stabbed people for fun'
when a water fight in Hyde Park exploded into violence is
facing years behind bars.
Joshua Clements, 18, has admitted wounding two men
with a hunting knife at the London park.
Concern that gangs were increasingly carrying so-called
Zombie knives led to a Government ban on the sale knives
with 25 inch serrated blades earlier this year.
(1st November 2016)
POLICE IN INDIA DETAIN 750 OVER US CALL CENTRE
SCAM
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india37564408
Police in the western Indian city of Thane have arrested
more than 750 people suspected of defrauding US citizens
from a fake call centre.
Officers say the suspects obtained lists of US tax
defaulters and used threats to obtain their bank details.
The scam is said to have netted more than $150,000

(118,000) a day, making it one of the biggest frauds in
India's history.
Thane police officials said they were contacting the FBI to
ask for help.
Some 70 of those detained were formally arrested, police
said, with the rest released pending further inquiries. Nine
people believed to have led the scam have been
identified.
The scammers pretended to be members of the US
Internal Revenue Service, and told victims they owed back
taxes.
In some cases, the victims were duped into buying gift
vouchers from different companies and bullied into
revealing voucher ID numbers, police said.
The scammers then made purchases with the voucher
numbers.
Police say those involved in the scam at the Indian end
retained 70% of the earnings, with 30% going to their US
collaborators.
Paramvir Singh, the police commissioner of Thane, told
reporters that 851 hard disks, high-end servers, and other
electronic equipment had been seized.
Mr Singh said overnight raids on Wednesday had lasted
well into the morning, and involved more than 200
policemen who had raided buildings in three locations in
the city.
Thane police superintendent Mahesh Patil told BBC Hindi
that the investigation could open up cases from other
countries as well.
A US State Department official said: "We have seen
reports and are following the situation closely to confirm

any US citizen involvement. We would refer you to the
local Indian authorities for further details on the case."
(1st November 2016)
MRSA VARIANT FOUND IN BRITISH PORK AT ASDA
AND SAINSBURYS'S
(The Guardian, dated 3rd October 2016 authors Andrew
Wasley, Kjeld Hansen and Fiona Harvey)
www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/03/revealedmrsa-variant-found-in-british-pork-at-asda-and-sainsburys
Meat produced from British pigs has been shown to be
infected with a livestock strain of MRSA, the Guardian can
reveal, raising concerns that the UK is on the brink of
another food scandal.
Tests on a sample of 97 UK-produced pork products from
supermarkets show that three - sold at Asda and
Sainsbury's - were contaminated with the superbug strain
which can cause serious health problems.
The Guardian, working with the Bureau of Investigative
Journalism (BIJ), has also established that a loophole in
import regulations is leaving an open door for MRSA
CC398-infected live pigs from countries such as Denmark,
where the disease is rife.
The findings have serious implications for human health.
MRSA CC398 is a potentially deadly bacteria which can be
resistant to even the strongest antibiotics. It is less
harmful to humans than the MRSA bug that kills about 300
people in hospitals in England and Wales each year. But it
causes unpleasant persistent infections and can seriously
harm people with compromised immune systems, such as
those already suffering other illness.
It is known to have been responsible for at least six deaths

in Denmark, though that is likely to be the tip of the
iceberg. People can contract the disease from infected
meat, and from infected animals.
The superbug, like other foodborne germs, is killed by
thorough cooking - but it can be passed on through lapses
in hygiene. Workers on pig farms can also catch the
disease from infected animals and pass it on to other
people.
Without action to halt it, the spread of the bug could follow
the pattern in Denmark, where MRSA CC398 became
established over a decade, now afflicts about two-thirds of
pig farms and is viewed as a major public health crisis,
with 12,000 people believed to have contracted it.
Currently, there is no screening programme for MRSA
CC398 on British farms.
Prof Tim Lang, of the Centre for Food Policy at City
University in London, said: "If we don't have tight infection
control and we don't try to control the movement of live
animals, infection can spread. The British are up in arms
about the movement of people, but the EU also has a
large movement of animals. We need biosecurity, we need
to tighten up this livestock movement. You may get cheap
meat, but in the long term it's going to add to your public
health problems."
Prof Erik Millstone of Sussex University added that the
emergence of antibiotic-resistant superbugs from
agriculture was "a huge threat to human health" and that
there was a clear risk that MRSA CC398 could spread
among British livestock herds and to people. He
anticipated that the government would downplay this risk
but warned: "While the [government] tries its customary
tactics of blaming the victim, it won't work."
The tests were carried out by Dr Mark Holmes, director of
studies in clinical veterinary medicine at Churchill College,
Cambridge University, and commissioned by the Alliance
to Save Our Antibiotics, founded by the Soil Association,
Compassion in World Farming and Sustain. Two samples of

minced pork from Asda and one from Sainsbury's were
found positive.
Last year, tests by the Guardian on 100 samples of pork in
UK supermarkets, including a mix of imported and UK-bred
meat, found nine contained the superbug. However, all
but one of the infected products were of Danish origin, the
other Irish. That investigation marked the first time MRSA
CC398 had been publicly found in products in UK
supermarkets.
Today's follow-up tests are the first to name supermarkets
whose UK-produced pork has been contaminated with the
superbug. It is not possible to say whether these products
originally came from imported pigs, or whether UK pig
herds have been infected through imports. Either way,
imports are likely to be the main agent spreading the
disease, as the UK's pork production has remained
relatively free from MRSA CC398 until now, and the main
method of spreading the disease is from animal-to-animal
contact on farms.
At least one regular Danish supplier of imported pigs to
the UK was found to be contaminated with the drugresistant bacteria in 2014, the Bureau of Investigative
Journalism has established. The company -Breeding Centre
Rnshauge A/S - refused to say how many pigs it had
exported to the UK and whether they could have been
contaminated. But official export figures show that the
company supplied 41 pigs to the UK in July this year, 65 in
2013 and 16 in 2012.
But the UK government does not screen for the infection in
imported animals, citing a low risk of serious illness. The
main initial effect is a nasty skin infection that is
disfiguring, unpleasant and highly infectious, but not fatal.
Emma Rose, from the Alliance to Save Our Antibiotics,
said: "It is extremely worrying to find LA [livestockassociated]-MRSA in British-produced pork."
"Scientists are now warning that the extensive MRSA

reservoir in animals could ultimately lead to a pandemic
spread in the human population. LA-MRSA is able to cause
serious and potentially fatal infections in humans, and as
the bacteria is resistant to antibiotics, it is extremely
difficult to treat. What's more, even more dangerous
variations are emerging as the superbug evolves."
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
(Defra) said: "Livestock-associated MRSA is not the same
as MRSA strains that can cause healthcare-associated
infections and if meat is handled and prepared properly
the risk to people is low. Defra and the National Pig
Association recommend that pigs imported to Britain are
screened for LA-MRSA.
"The government is reviewing options for surveillance,
which will be proportionate to the very low health risk
posed by livestock-associated MRSA."
Asda said: "Our customers can be assured that we are
working closely with industry groups and farmers to make
sure that antibiotics are used
responsibly in farm animals." Sainsbury's told the
Guardian that MRSA CC398 was "very uncommon" in
British pork and that it worked with farmers "to ensure
antibiotics are used responsibly and are taking advice
from leading industry experts".
The rise of the CC398 variant has been linked to the
overuse of antibiotics in factory farming, where often
cramped and dirty conditions allow disease to flourish and
farmers become dependent on frequent doses of
antibiotics.
The threat from imports of live animals has been
overlooked, according to experts. When animals are
imported, they have to undergo screening for a variety of
other diseases, but screening for MRSA CC398 is purely
voluntary. As a result, there is no way of knowing how
many infected animals may have been brought to Britain.
There have been at least two confirmed cases of the

disease found at UK pig farms, one of them in Northern
Ireland and the other in eastern England. However, as no
systematic tests are carried out on UK farms, it is
impossible to know how many may harbour the bug.
Defra does not collate statistics on the number of farm
animals imported, but figures from the Danish government
show the UK imported more than 3,000 breeding pigs from
the country in the past six years, including 916 in 2013,
598 the following year and 283 last year.
In the last three years, the UK food industry has been
rocked with revelations from the Guardian of
campylobacter in chicken, which can cause serious illness,
stronger versions of salmonella with greater resistance,
and of drug-resistant forms of E coli, recently found in one
in four supermarket chickens, that thwart all but the
strongest antibiotics. Most of the problems are thought to
be down to the pressure towards factory farms producing
the cheapest possible meat.
(1st November 2016)
UK MUST PROTECT EU CRIME PREVENTION LINKS NCA SAYS

(The Guardian, dated 30th September 2016 author Jamie
Grierson)
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/30/ukmust-protect-eu-prevention-links-nca-says
Law enforcement chiefs have urged the government to
ensure cross-border crime prevention measures are not
jeopardised by Brexit negotiations, it has emerged.
The director general and deputy director general of the
National Crime Agency said they asked ministers to

protect Britain's arrangements with Europe, including use
of the European arrest warrant and membership of
Europol, amid concerns about the impact of leaving the
union.
Membership of the EU gives the NCA and UK police forces
access to tools which allow them to share intelligence
quickly and efficiently with European counterparts.
Lynne Owens, the NCA's director general, said at a briefing
on Friday that the agency had approached the Home
Office and Brexit department to raise its concerns.
"We've been describing what we need to be in place postBrexit," she said. "We're absolutely clear the policy
decisions are not for us but we need to be spelling out the
operational case.
"In bluntest form, we must be able to continue to
exchange intelligence and we must be able to understand
the movement of criminals and criminal behaviour across
international borders. We are supplying that information to
the Home Office and it's for them to make the policy
negotiation."
Before the 23 June referendum, Owens said a vote to
leave the EU could put efforts to fight crime at risk.
Her deputy, David Armond, said on Friday that a
"substantial paper" on the current arrangements had been
compiled by the NCA, which has a broad remit, to tackle
serious and organised crime, cybercrime and child sexual
exploitation.
"We're coming up with a strong operational case for why
those arrangements are necessary," he said. "Obviously
[Brexit] is a concern and we are all over this and
contributing quite significantly."
He said the NCA was considering alternatives measures if
the UK was no longer able to use those in Europe.
"It won't be easy. But Europeans need us as much as we

need them, probably more so."
Armond said he was confident the negotiations would
deliver the right outcome. "I cannot envisage a situation
where we cannot continue to do business with our
European partners," he said. "It's important for all of our
security in protecting our citizens."
He said the European arrest warrant, which allows police
forces to request the detention and extradition of an
offender, would be a particular "tricky" issue.
"If we can't stay in that we've got to negotiate a series of
new treaties with overseas territories about what
extradition will look like."
Theresa May argued strongly in favour of the European
arrest warrant when she was home secretary. Rejoining
the warrant, which also allows for swift extradition of
foreign offenders in the UK was put to a vote in 2014,
ahead of which May said it was a vital tool for keeping
Britons safe.
Europol, the EU's law enforcement agency, helps member
states fight serious international crime and terrorism.
Before the referendum, former security chiefs, including
the former head of MI5 Lady Manningham-Buller, and the
former head of MI6 Sir John Sawers, said that voting
remain was in the best interests of the country's security.
Asked if law enforcement officials did enough before the
referendum to argue the case to remain, Owens said there
was a concern that security chiefs would be seen as
"political animals".
(1st November 2016)
UK's FIRST NATIONAL ANTI-CYBERSECURITY CENTRE
TO OPEN WITH 700 STRONG TEAM

(Mail Online, dated 30th September 2016 author Press
Association)
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3816285/UKsnational-anti-cybercrime-centre-open-700-strongteam.html
Britain's first national centre for combating cyber criminals
is set to open next week, as the threat posed by online
attacks continues to increase.
Terrorists, hackers and online gangs will be targeted by
intelligence bosses at the new National Cyber Security
Centre (NCSC) in central London.
A team of around 700 people are expected to be
advancing the Government's war against cybercrime.
It is hoped that the new organisation will both respond to
attacks and reduce the risk of future threats, as well as
providing leadership in cyber security.
Pooling expertise at the centre will help make the UK "the
safest place to live and do business online", its CEO said.
Previously, GCHQ said one of the first tasks will be to work
with the Bank of England to produce advice for the
financial sector for "managing cyber security effectively".
In the summer of 2015, the listening post was dealing with
200 cyber national security incidents a month, the then
chancellor George Osborne said in a speech last year.
But the likelihood of anyone becoming a victim of
cybercrime is also on the rise, with crime survey figures
suggesting there were some two million computer misuse
offences in the year which ended in March.
It fuelled concerns that the face of crime is changing and
there were subsequent suggestions that people were more

likely to be "mugged" online that in the street.
The centre will be led by Ciaran Martin, who was formerly
the director general for cyber security at GCHQ.
Mr Martin said: " Our role is helping to make the UK the
safest place to live and do business online. So we're going
to tackle the major threats from hostile states and criminal
gangs.
"But we're also going to work tirelessly to automatically
protect people from those smaller scale and deeply
damaging attacks that cause so much disruption and
frustration.
"We'll also continue our work helping people and
businesses understand better what they need to do to
protect themselves."
Ben Gummer, Minister for the Cabinet Office and
Paymaster General, said: "London leads the world in so
many ways already. It is only right that we establish the
country's first Cyber Security Centre in the heart of the
capital as Britain continues to lead in tackling this global
issue.
"Whilst retaining access to the world leading capabilities,
partnerships and people of the intelligence community,
this new centre will have an 'open-door' policy which will
make it easier for businesses of all sizes to get the best
support available for cyber issue."
(1st November 2016)
SEPTEMBER 2016
COMPUTING SECURITY REVIEW - SEPTEMBER 2016

----------------------CHINA'S 400,000 CYBERCRIMINALS
(International Business Times, dated 29th September 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/chinas-400000-strong-hackingcommunity-costing-nation-estimated-15bn-year-1583931
China has become one of the prime targets for hackers,
thanks to limited availability of encryption and security
resources. The most common perception of Chinese
hackers is that of state-backed operatives targeting
foreign governments, which in some cases may be
accurate. However, both the government as well as
businesses in China are plagued by cyberattacks, costing
the nation billions of dollars every year.
According to Zheng Bu, a former executive at
cybersecurity firm FireEye, there exists a 400,000-strong
criminal hacker community in China and its proliferate
activities is costing the country around 100 billion yuan
($15bn, 11.5bn) every year.
----------------------BT's WIFI EXTENDER WORKS GREAT - AT EXTENDING YOUR
PASSWORD TO HACKERS
(The Register, dated 21st September 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/21/bt_wifi_booster_fix/
BT is urging folks to patch the firmware in its Wi-Fi
Extender following the discovery of multiple security flaws.
Fortunately, upgrading the firmware of the Wi-Fi Extender
to version 1.1.8 resolves the problem. In a statement to
The Register, BT thanked Pen Test Partners for its help in

flagging up the software weaknesses:
We are grateful to Pen Test Partners for alerting us to this
issue. We have been working to address this potential
weakness and issued an update which corrected the
problem in August 2016. We are not aware of any cases
where customers have suffered any issues. Customers
should ensure they download the firmware update from
the BT website.
----------------------AUSTRALIA : POLICE WARN OF MALWARE-LADEN USB
STICKS DROPPED IN LETTERBOXES
(The Register, dated 21st September 2016 author Simon
Sharwood)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/21/letterbox_usb_police_w
arning/
uaware note : If it has happened in one country, how long
before the scam comes to the UK ?
Police in the Australian State of Victoria have warned
citizens not to trust un-marked USB sticks that appear in
their letterboxes.
The warning, issued today, says "The USB drives are
believed to be extremely harmful and members of the
public are urged to avoid plugging them into their
computers or other devices."
"Upon inserting the USB drives into their computers
victims have experienced fraudulent media streaming
service offers, as well as other serious issues."
Only the suburb of Pakenham in Victoria's capital
Melbourne has experienced the dodgy stick drop, but
Victoria Police nonetheless saw fit to issue a state-wide
alert.
----------------------LORD BLUNKETT LAUNCHES NEW CYBER SECURITY

SCHEME FOR BIG BUSINESS
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/21/cyber_highway/
A high-profile project has been launched with the aim of
strengthening UK enterprises' IT security.
The Cyber Highway was launched in London on Tuesday by
Lord David Blunkett. The resource offers a "user-friendly
online portal for large enterprises that want to strengthen
the cyber defence of their supply chain."
Corporations will, essentially, be able to monitor in realtime the progress their suppliers are making en route to
Cyber Essentials certification.
Cyber Essentials is a UK government scheme that
launched in June 2014 and is designed to help
organisations protect themselves against hackers and
malware infections. It's largely about baseline security
controls.
So basically, Cyber Highway ensures that your suppliers
are following the Cyber Essentials requirements of good
security - which is crucial as more and more Whitehall
departments insist on suppliers being Cyber Essentials
certified.
-----------------------RESEARCHERS SHOW OFF REMOTE ATTACK AGAINST
TESLA MODEL S
Lucian Constantin)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3121908/security/r
esearchers-show-off-remote-attack-against-tesla-models.html
Tesla Motors is considered one of the most cybersecurityconscious car manufacturers in the world -- among other
things, it has a bug bounty program. But that doesn't
mean the software in its cars is free of security flaws.
Researchers from Chinese technology company Tencent
found a series of vulnerabilities that, when combined,
allowed them to remotely take over a Tesla Model S car
and control its sunroof, central display, door locks and
even the braking system. The attack allowed the
researchers to access the car's controller area network
(CAN) bus, which lets the vehicle's specialized computers
communicate with each other.
-----------------------CAN BANKS DO BIOMETRIC SECURITY ? WE'D TRUST THEM
BEFORE THE GOVERNMENT
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/19/british_biometric_surve
y/
Brits have more faith in their banks than government
agencies to roll out authentication technologies based on
biometrics, according to a new survey from Visa.
Consumers are nearly twice as likely to trust banks to
store and keep their biometric information such as
fingerprints and iris scans safe (60 per cent), than they are
to trust government agencies (33 per cent).
Nearly two-thirds of consumers (64 per cent) want to use
biometrics as a method of payment authentication. The
growth in fingerprint authentication for mobile payments
via Apple's Touch ID technology and the like is driving
increased acceptance of the technology.
Consumers favour fingerprint authentication (88 per cent)

as the most secure form of payment ahead of other
biometric authentication options such as iris-scanning (83
per cent) and facial recognition (65 per cent).
-----------------------WINDOWS SAFE MODE CAN BE USED TO CONDUCT
"UNDETECTABLE" CYBERATTACKS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/windows-safe-mode-can-be-usedconduct-undetectable-cyberattacks-putting-billions-pcsservers-1581832
Security researchers have uncovered that Windows Safe
Mode may not be as safe as it is believed to be, deeming
the feature to have a "significant risk". The feature, which
is built into all Windows OS (operating systems), both on
PCs and servers, can potentially be used by hackers to
steal PC login credentials and disable security software "all
while remaining undetected", according to research
conducted by security firm CyberArk.
CyberArk security researchers have also said that
Windows 10 is not immune to such exploits, despite the
presence of Microsoft's Virtual Secure Module (VSM).
---------------------ONE RANSOMWARE GANG RAKED IN OVER $120m IN JUST
6 MONTHS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/one-ransomware-gang-raked-over120m-just-6-months-says-mcafee-labs-threats-report1581801
Security researchers have uncovered that a group of

cybercriminals or an individual involved in a widespread
ransomware delivery operation has earned over $120m
(189,813 Bitcoins) in just 6 months. The group still holds
$94m in Bitcoin wallets, with the rest likely spent on
amassing botnets, servers, other cyber tools and personal
costs.
McAfee Labs security researchers noted in their quarterly
report that ransomware attacks have grown over 128%
"year over year". Additionally, researchers observed that
ransomware attacks targeting hospitals have also spiked
recently. Such is the propensity and profitability of
ransomware that developers have even taken to showing
off the functions and abilities of codes on underground
forums.
----------------------NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY CENTRE TO SHIFT UK TO
"ACTIVE" DEFENCE
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/16/uk_gov_active_cyber_de
fence/
The head of the UK's new National Cyber Security Centre
(NCSC) has detailed plans to move the UK to "active
cyber-defence", to better protect government networks
and improve the UK's overall security.
The strategy update by NCSC chief exec Ciaran Martin
comes just weeks before the new centre is due to open
next month and days after the publication of a damning
report by the National Audit Office into the UK
government's current approach to digital security.
Martin called for the "development of lawful and carefully
governed offensive cyber capabilities to combat and deter
the most aggressive threats".
Active cyber defence means hacking back against

attackers to disrupt assaults, in US parlance at least.
Martin defined the approach more narrowly as "where the
government takes specific action with industry to address
large-scale, non-sophisticated attacks".
---------------------GOVERNMENT, CARMAKERS MORE WORRIED THAN EVER
ABOUT VEHICLE CYBER ATTACKS
Lucas Mearian)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3120390/cartech/government-carmakers-more-worried-than-everabout-vehicle-cyber-attacks.html
Automakers and legislators appear to be coming together
on the need for greater cybersecurity for vehicles that are
increasingly connected to the internet and controlled by
ever-more sophisticated computer systems and software.
Volkswagen today announced it will form a cybersecurity
company headed by Yuval Diskin, the former head of
Israel's security agency. The company, CyMotive
Technologies, will be 40% owned by the German
automaker and the rest will be controlled by Diskin and
two other former leaders in Israel's Shin Bet intelligence
agency.
A modern car has dozens of computers with as much as
100 million lines of code -- and for every 1,000 lines there
are as many as 15 bugs that are potential doors for wouldbe hackers.
Last year, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), the world's
seventh largest automaker, issued a recall for for 1.4
million vehicles to fix a software hole that allowed hackers
to wirelessly break into some vehicles and electronically
control vital functions.
Last month, the same hackers who proved FCA's Jeep

Cherokee could be hacked wirelessly demonstrated at the
Black Hat conference in Las Vegas that the vehicle's
Controller Area Network (CAN) could also be hacked.
Along with the Jeep Cherokee, the report identified the
2014 Infiniti Q50, the 2015 Cadillac Escalade, the 2010
and 2014 Toyota Prius and the 2014 Ford Fusion as the
most hackable.
By 2020, the number of Internet-connected vehicles will
reach 150 million, according to Gartner, and 60% to 75%
of them will be capable of consuming, creating and
sharing Web-based data.
And, by 2035, there will be 21 million autonomous
vehicles on roadways, according to research firm IHS
Automotive.
---------------------THIS USB STICK WILL FRY YOUR UNSECURED COMPUTER
(Computer World, dated 8th September 2016 author Lucas
Mearian)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3118344/computerhardware/this-usb-thumb-drive-will-fry-your-unsecuredcomputer.html
A Hong Kong-based technology manufacturer,
USBKill.com, has taken data security to the "Mission
Impossible" extreme by creating a USB stick that uses an
electrical discharge to fry an unauthorized computer into
which it's plugged.
"When the USB Kill stick is plugged in, it rapidly charges
its capacitors from the USB power supply, and then
discharges -- all in the matter of seconds," the company
said in a news release.
To do that, the USB stick discharges 200 volts DC over the
data lines of the host device. This charge/discharge cycle

is repeated many times per second, until the USB Kill stick
is removed.
---------------------GOOGLE SAFE BROWSING DELIVERS DETAILS TO
COMPROMISED WEBSITE OWNERS
Lucian Constantin)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3117300/security/g
oogle-safe-browsing-delivers-details-to-compromisedwebsite-owners.html
Google is now providing more information to website
owners whose online properties are temporarily blocked as
unsafe by its Safe Browsing technology as a way to help
them fix the identified problems faster.
Google Safe Browsing is a technology used by Google's
search engine, the Google Chrome browser, Mozilla
Firefox, Apple Safari, and Android to steer users away from
websites that host malicious or deceptive content.
On the back-end, Google uses robots to scan the web and
build a list of websites that host malware, harmful
downloads, or deceptive ads and pages. Software
developers can then plug into an API to integrate this list
into their own applications.
The problem is that many websites hosting malware or
bad ads don't do so intentionally but were hacked by
attackers.
--------------------(1st October 2016)
POLICE BODY CAMERAS LEAD TO 90% DROP IN
PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AGAINST OFFICERS, STUDY

FINDS
(The Telegraph, dated 29th September 2016 author
Telegraph Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/29/police-bodycameras-lead-to-90pc-drop-in-public-complaints-again/
An increase in the use of body cameras by police has led
to a huge drop in complaints made against officers,
research shows.
A study by the University of Cambridge found a 93 per
cent decrease in complaints made against officers clearly
wearing the cameras, which record what happens during
police incidents, compared to the previous year.
Researchers said the result "assumes that BWCs (bodyworn cameras) reduce officer non-compliance with
procedures, improve suspects' demeanour, or both".
The study, which involved West Midlands Police, West
Yorkshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and the
Police Service of Northern Ireland, suggests that the
"observer effect" of the cameras influences the behaviour
of both officers and citizens.
Dr Barak Ariel, leading the research, said that the results
suggested wide use of BWCs could reduce violence
conflicts with officers and mark a significant cultural
change in policing.
His report stated: "Cooling-down potentially volatile policepublic encounters to the point where official grievances
against the police have virtually vanished may well lead to
the conclusion that the use of BWCs indeed signals a
profound sea change in modern policing."
But the study comes only a few weeks after it was
revealed that there is a "complete lack of consistency" in
the use of BWCs by officers armed with Tasers.

A survey of the UK's 45 territorial forces showed that
many have not completed a full roll-out of the equipment
among staff and at least one has said it has no current
plan to adopt the cameras.
The issue was highlighted following the death of former
football star Dalian Atkinson after he was Tasered in
Telford, Shropshire, on August 15.
But the College of Policing said there was "no specific
guidance" for issuing armed officers in the UK with
bodycams, although it did issue advice on usage in 2014.
Both the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs'
Council (NPCC) have said the use of BWCs is an
"operational" decision for each force.
During the Cambridge study, conducted across seven
sites, researchers found that the number of complaints
lodged against officers dropped from 1,539 (which
equates to 1.2 per officer) to 113 in 12 months.
But the report pointed out that these results give no
evidence of other areas in policing and that the BWCs do
not necessarily have a long-term effect on general police
"legitimacy".
It said: "Even if BWCs can lead to perfectly executed police
procedures ... what happens before or after the encounter
might still be perceived as unfair, racist, unprofessional, or
malicious."
Commenting on the report, Dr Ariel said: "We couldn't
analyse exactly what happened in every police incident
involved, but we think the change has more to do with
officers' behaviour.
"They are the ones well-trained to deal with these
situations and know how to behave, so now there is a tool
to make sure they are doing their job.
"But we think the cameras can also reduce frivolous

complaints and false allegations that are made even when
officers have done nothing wrong. In the study we saw
that all complaints went down - in some areas they went
down to zero."
He added that the use of cameras by police has become
increasingly important as more and more members of the
public record police incidents on phones and cameras.
"Everyone is recording the police, except for themselves,"
he said.
Commenting on the slow take-up of BWCs by some police
forces, he said: "It's a question of money, even though the
cameras eventually pay for themselves.
"Some forces just don't have the money, so it's time for
the Home Office and other authorities to help fund this.
But we are about to face a turning point. I think in 25
years all officers will be using a camera."
(1st October 2016)
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS TAKE UK AND USA

TO COURT OVER EXCESSIVE SURVEILLANCE
(The Register, dated 29th September 2016 author
Alexander J Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/29/echr_surveillance/
Human rights organisations have today made the most
direct legal challenge against the UK and USA's
surveillance activities since they were first revealed in
2013.
Despite the outcry against surveillance which followed the
outpourings of rogue NSA sysadmin Edward Snowden, and
a few successful legal challenges, the utility and

lawfulness of bulk interception has been consistently
upheld by courts on both sides of the Atlantic.
Ten organisations including Privacy International, Liberty,
and Amnesty International, have today filed a direct
complaint against the UK and USA to the European Court
of Human Rights.
The 115-page complaint is the first to directly challenge
programmes such as GCHQ's system Tempora, as well the
NSA's Upstream collection programme, on the grounds
that they are in breach of Article 8 of the European
Convention of Human Rights.
Article 8 provides for a qualified right to privacy, a right
that may be abridged if particular conditions are met,
including that there are clear legal regimes regulating how
governments may engage in surveillance against their
populations.
The claimants are concerned that domestic courts and
independent oversight mechanisms haven't been able to
tackle the bulk interception of transnational data flows,
and the sharing of such data between different
government agencies, due to "institutional deficiencies" in
some cases and "the geographically bounded jurisdiction
of these mechanisms" in others.
Caroline Wilson Palow, General Counsel at Privacy
International, said:
For years, the UK Government has been secretly
intercepting enormous volumes of internet traffic flowing
across its borders.
At the same time, it had and still has access to similarly
vast troves of information intercepted by the US
Government.
The UK court tasked with overseeing the UK intelligence
agencies has sanctioned these bulk surveillance practices,
normalizing state interception, retention, analysis and
dissemination of personal communications and data at

this scale.
Palow added: "We call on the European Court of Human
Rights to reject this disturbing trend by finding that bulk
surveillance is incompatible with the rights to privacy and
freedom of expression enshrined in the European
Convention on Human Rights."
The applicants are: the American Civil Liberties Union,
Amnesty International, Bytes for All, the Canadian Civil
Liberties Association, the Egyptian Initiative for Personal
Rights, the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union, the Irish
Council for Civil Liberties, the Legal Resources Centre,
Liberty, and Privacy International.
(1st October 2016)
FINGERPRINT TECHNOLOGY MAKES ATMs SUPER

SECURE, SAY BANKS ! REALLY ?
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/29/biometric_atm_fraud/
Cybercriminals are hawking their claimed ability to exploit
newly introduced biometric-based ATM authentication
technologies.
Many banks view biometric-based technologies such as
fingerprint recognition to be one of the most promising
additions to current authentication methods, if not a
complete replacement to chip and PIN.
Crooks, however, regard biometrics as a new opportunity
to steal sensitive information, research by Kaspersky Lab
shows.
Credit card-related financial fraud against ATMs started
many years ago with primitive skimmers - homemade

devices attached to an ATM and capable of stealing
information from the card's magnetic strip and PIN with
help of a fake ATM pin pad or a web camera. This
information was subsequently used to make counterfeit
cards.
Over many years, the design of such skimmers has been
improved to make them less visible. Following the
introduction of much harder (but not impossible) to clone
chip-and-pin payment cards, the devices evolved into socalled "shimmers". These shimmers added the ability to
gather information from the card's chip, giving sufficient
information to conduct an online relay attack. The banking
industry is responding with new authentication solutions,
some of which are based on biometrics.
Crooks have recently begun boasting about the ability to
offer next generation ATM skimmers that circumvent these
additional biometric-based authentication controls.
According to a Kaspersky Lab investigation into
underground cybercrime, there are already at least twelve
sellers offering skimmers capable of stealing victims'
fingerprints. Moreover, at least three underground sellers
are already researching devices that could illegally obtain
data from palm vein and iris recognition systems.
Researchers at the Russian security software firm spotted
the first wave of biometric skimmers in "presale testing"
last September. Evidence collected by Kaspersky Lab
researchers since suggests that during this prototype
development process, developers discovered several
bugs. The main problem was the use of GSM modules for
biometric data transfer - they were too slow to transfer the
large volume of data obtained. As a result, new versions of
skimmers will use other, faster data transfer technologies.
Ongoing discussions in underground communities cover
the development of mobile applications based on placing
masks over a human face. With such an app, attackers
might be able to take a person's photo posted on social
media and use it to fool a facial recognition system.

"The problem with biometrics is that, unlike passwords or
pin codes which can be easily modified in the event of
compromise, it is impossible to change your fingerprint or
iris image," said Olga Kochetova, a security expert at
Kaspersky. "Thus, if your data is compromised once, it
won't be safe to use that authentication method again.
That is why it is extremely important to keep such data
secure and transmit it in a secure way."
"Biometric data is also recorded in modern passports called e-passports -- and visas. So, if an attacker steals an
e-passport, they don't just possess the document, but also
that person's biometric data," she added.
The use of tools capable of compromising biometric data is
not the only potential cyber-threat facing ATMs, according
to the Kaspersky Lab researchers. Hackers will continue to
conduct malware-based attacks, blackbox attacks and
network attacks to seize data that can later be used to
steal money from banks and their customers.
(1st October 2016)
UK.GOV IS DOING NOTHING TO BREAK 20bn OF

LOCKED-IN IT CONTRACTS
(The Register, dated 28th September 2016 author Kat
Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/28/government_20bn_it_co
ntract_lock_in_/
If IT wasn't perceived to be such a boring topic by Joe
Public, the amount the government still spends on
expensive clunky technology would be viewed as a
national scandal.
Across the entire public sector the annual figure has been
pegged at around 20bn. No one knows for sure.

As long as Whitehall's money is locked into costly longterm tech contracts, there's little hope of dramatically
cutting its ludicrously high IT spend.
The Cabinet Office tactic of stopping expensive projects
before they happen has only worked up to a point. Even
then, an analysis reveals there has been major push-back
from departments since former Cabinet Office minister
Francis Maude stepped down.
About 6.3bn was spent with IT suppliers during the year
2014/15 - with 42 per cent going to just three suppliers,
according to government data shared with The Register
earlier this year.
Sixty-five per cent of the total figure was hoovered up by
10 suppliers, with HP coming top at 1.2bn, followed by
Capgemini at 861m, and BT at 561m, according to our
analysis of Cabinet Office data from the National Audit
Office.
Major contract reform is clearly yet to happen.
Dodging the controls
Many departments have been getting round the Cabinet
Office's mandate that no contract should be worth more
than 100m by extending their existing deals.
The exceptions to that are: the Department for Transport,
which has brought its IT in-house; the Cabinet Office; and
HMRC, which has already begun to take a staggered
approach to throwing off Fujitsu and Capgemini and
bringing in 400 smaller suppliers.
In order to establish how close Whitehall is to throwing off
the shackles of its SI overlords, The Register sent a
Freedom of Information request to each government
department to details its main IT supplier, any extensions
from the original start date, and what the total contract
value will be by the time they end.

Given each department was asked exactly the same
questions, responses wildly varied from not knowing how
much spend goes on suppliers, refusing to release the
information due to "commercial confidentiality", or
seeking clarity on the exact questions.
The genuine responses did not make for encouraging
reading.
Total contract spend? Dunno...
The Ministry of Justice named Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Services, Sopra Steria, Atos and CGI as its main suppliers,
with all of those deals set to run out this year. The CGI
contract was first signed in 2006 and was extended for
three years.
Incredibly, the department could not say what the total
contract value of those deals will be because "it does not
hold the information." Neither could it say what its exit
strategy is for not signing new contracts worth more than
100m.
The Home Office signed a deal with Fujitsu in 2000, which
it extended for five years in 2015 and now expects to
expire in the first quarter of 2017. The total contract value
of that deal is 640m.
On the topic of what next, it said:
The department has adopted a strategy aligned to the
Cabinet Office and Government Digital Service approach
of disaggregating large legacy IT contracts into smaller
component services, which can be re-competed to capture
technical innovation as it emerges, at lowest market cost.
The department will be the controlling service integrator,
managing a mixed economy of collaborating suppliers and
Home Office service provision.
The Department for Work and Pensions would not name its
suppliers, contract lengths or give the value of its

contracts because it has "many IT service contracts across
a scope of technology services".
In a boilerplate statement it said: "The department is
currently working towards the DWP 2020 Vision, pursuing
flexibility across the breadth of Technology Service
contracts to achieve better value for money."
Don't understand the question
Four weeks after the request was submitted, the Ministry
of Defence responded it could not answer the question as
it needed clarity to know "specifically what you mean by
main IT contractor to enable us to provide you with a
response."
Perhaps the most transparent response came from the
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra).
The main IT contract for Defra is with IBM and was signed
in 2004, said the department. The contract is due to
expire in 2018, following an extension in 2010, and is
estimated to cost 1.4bn in total.
It even appeared to have the most coherent response for
an exit strategy, saying:
Defra has set-up a programme to procure a new set of IT
contracts that will replace the current incumbent supplier.
The programme business case sets out the strategy and
approach and has been shared and communicated with
Cabinet Office and received Treasury approval.
In support of Defra's key strategies and wider business
benefits including reducing deliverability risk, the exit
strategy is to adopt a disaggregated model. This is in line
with Government strategy and emerging best practice.
'Must protect supplier'
In contrast, the Department for Business, Energy and
Industrial Strategy (BEIS) named its main IT contractor as

CGI but refused point blank to provide any more
information because "disclosure of this information would
weaken CGI UK Limited's ability to participate
competitively in a future commercial activity."
That approach is in stark contrast to how other
departments responded to the same request, the Cabinet
Office's transparency agenda, and the public interest,
given the fact this is taxpayers' money which must be
traceable.
On how it will split up its CGI deal, BEIS said: "The
Department will exit from the current contract to
replacement services procured against defined
requirements. It is expected that the department will
continue the current strategy of disaggregating IT
services. It is not expected that any single contract will
exceed 100m."
For anybody who would rather tens-of-billions of
government spending go on something else (in other
words, everyone), it would be in all our interests to hold
their feet to the fire and find out what their plan is next.
(1st October 2016)
NUMBER OF MOTORISTS CAUGHT USING MOBILE
WHILE DRIVING FALLS BY HALF DESPITE RESEARCH
SHOWING THE CRIME IS ON THE RISE
Telegraph Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/28/number-ofmotorists-caught-using-mobile-while-driving-falls-by-h/
The number of motorists caught using a mobile phone
behind the wheel has fallen by almost half in four years, it
has been reported.
Over two-thirds of police forces across the UK recorded a

drop in the number of drivers being stopped for mobile
phone use since 2011, with one of England's largest
constabularies seeing stops fall by more than 80 per cent.
The figures were revealed after research suggested illegal
mobile phone use by drivers is on the rise and ministers
agreed to toughen penalties.
Police officer leaders have blamed the fall in those being
caught on a reduction of traffic officers as a result of
budget cuts, saying the two go "hand in hand".
Of the 43 police forces in England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland who were asked by the BBC to release
data on mobile phone stops, 37 responded.
The figures showed there were 178,000 people stopped by
police in the UK in 2011-12 for using their phones.
This compared to fewer than 95,000 in 2015-16, a drop of
just under Kent Police saw the biggest drop over the
period from 4,496 to 723, a fall of 84 per cent, while
Wiltshire Police saw its stops fall from 2008 to 412
between 2011-12 and 2015-16 - nearly 80 per cent.
Jane Willetts, from the Police Federation of England and
Wales, told the BBC there were now fewer than 4,000
officers policing the roads - half the figure in 2000.
"The two go hand in hand," she said.
Ten police forces - City of London, Gloucestershire,
Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Warwickshire,
West Mercia, West Midlands, West Yorkshire and DyfedPowys - recorded a rise in cases between 2014-15 and
2015-16.
Norfolk Constabulary's figures were the highest for five
years, with officers stopping 2,287 drivers in 2015-16
compared to 836 in 2014-15.
Earlier this month, the RAC said a recent survey of more

than 1,700 motorists showed almost one-third (31 per
cent) of motorists admitted to using a handheld phone
behind the wheel compared to just eight per cent in 2014.
The proportion of drivers who confessed to sending a
message or posting on social media rose from seven per
cent to 19 per cent over the same period.
Some 14 per cent of motorists even owned up to taking
photographs or videos with their phone while driving.
The survey prompted an outcry and Transport Secretary
Chris Grayling pledged to introduce tougher sanctions for
illegal mobile phone use as soon as possible.
Motorists caught using a handheld phone are currently
given three penalty points and a minimum fine of 100,
but this is set to be increased to six points and 200 under
the plans, with tougher penalties for new drivers and
drivers of HGVs.
Department for Transport figures show that a driver
impaired or distracted by their phone was a contributory
factor in 492 accidents in Britain in 2014, including 21 that
were fatal and 84 classed as serious.
uaware comment
You do not need to carry out research to discover that the
use of mobile phones whilst driving is on the increase. Just
observe the school run in the morning and see how many
"caring Mums" use their mobiles whilst driving. Could it
also be the case that police are turning a blind eye due to
the paperwork ? For example, during one school run last
week every car I drove past had a driver on their mobile,
the vehicle behind me was a police van !
(1st October 2016)
EUROPOL - CYBERCRIMINALS GETTING MORE

DEVIOUS
Oates)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/28/europol_warns_on_cybe
rcrime_trends/
Europol's annual cyber-crime survey warns that the quality
of spearphishing and other "CEO fraud" is continuing to
improve and "cybercrime-as-a-service" means an ever
larger group of fraudsters can easily commit online
attacks.
Many threats remain from last year - banking trojan
attacks are still an issue for businesses and individuals
although this has now been eclipsed by ransomware which
is growing more quickly.
The ease of access to cyber-crime tools means that it now
exceeds real world crime in terms of value in many
European countries.
The report warns that although there is very limited use of
these tools by extremist groups, the fact that they're
simple to use, and fairly simple to access via the Dark
web, means that could quickly change. It notes that such
groups make wide use of social media for propaganda and
recruitment there is little evidence of use of cyber-attack
capabilities beyond website defacement.
Europol is also seeing the first evidence of organised
criminal gangs beginning to exploit contactless cards.
It warns of increasing use of booter/stresser tools to run
DDos attacks.
It has also seen a marked improvement in the quality and
apparent authenticity of spear-phishing attacks - making
them ever harder to separate from genuine

communications.
Data remains a key target for cybercrims. But they're
increasingly using it either to encrypt, for ransom, for
direct extortion or to further more complex fraud, not just
for immediate gain.
Another change this year is an increase in live streamed
child sexual abuse.
Europol said: "The use of end-to-end encrypted platforms
for sharing media, coupled with the use of largely
anonymous payment systems, is facilitating an escalation
in the live streaming of child abuse. Offenders target
regions where there are high levels of poverty, limited
domestic child protection measures and easy access to
children."
Beyond recommending more resources for cyber-crime
law enforcement Europol wants more collaboration and
intelligence sharing to deal with Darknet investigations
and prevent duplication of effort and improve sharing of
tools and tactics.
More broadly it calls for a phenomenon-based approach to
replace incident response. It notes that successes in
combating fraud in the airline industry could be replicated
for other industries. Equally operations to target offenders
who need to be in a physical location - like car rental - in
order to collect the proceeds of cyber-crime.
(1st October 2016)
SEX CRIME IN SCOTLAND SURGES TO 45 YEAR HIGH
(The Telegraph, dated 27th September 2016 author Simon
Johnson)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/27/sex-crime-inscotland-surges-to-45-year-high/
Sex crime in Scotland has surged to its highest level in 45

years, according to "extremely alarming" official statistics
published yesterday that prompted demands for SNP
ministers to toughen up the justice system.
The Scottish Government's annual report on recorded
crime showed 10,273 sex offences were committed in
2015/16, seven per cent more than the previous year and
a 53 per cent rise from 2006/07.
This is the highest total since 1971, with the total
increasing every year since 2008/09, the year after the
SNP came to power. In nearly half of cases, 43 per cent,
the victim was a child under the age of 18.
The number of attempted rapes increased by 13 per cent
last year to a record high. Although the total for rape and
attempted rapes fell slightly, it has increased by 60 per
cent over the past five years.
Sexual assaults increased by six per cent over the past
year and 36 per cent over four years, with one of the main
reasons a 56 per cent rise involving "penetration" of a
female in 2015/16. The total number of sex assaults in the
Highlands also rocketed by an astonishing 56 per cent in a
single year.
The number of "other" sex crimes increased 20 per cent
from 3,555 to 4,254 in a single year. This category
included those with victims aged between 13 and 15,
indecent photographs of children, incest and indecent
exposure.
Non-sexual violent crime also increased, by seven per
cent, with the number of attempted murders and serious
assaults surging by 27 per cent.
SNP ministers yesterday hailed figures showing overall
crime is down four per cent to the lowest level since 1974.
They blamed historic cases for the marked rise in sex
offences.
But the Conservatives accused them of "crowing" about

the total but said this would be "no comfort" to the
increasing number of sex attack victims.
The statistics were published the week after it emerged
that some rapists and child-sex offenders have been
punished with the SNP's community payback order (CPO)
scheme rather than prison.
Douglas Ross, the Scottish Tories' Shadow Justice Minister,
said: "Reporting of historic crime may make up part of
this, but it's clear there is an extremely alarming trend
here.
"These are among the most traumatic crimes that can
take place, and we owe it to the public to ensure the levels
of these crimes reduce rather than increase." He argued
that using CPOs to punish serious sex crimes "sends out
the wrong message and has to change as a matter of
urgency."
Claire Baker, his Labour counterpart also argued that the
45 per cent rise in sex crimes could not be entirely
attributed to more victims coming forward or historic
cases. She said: "We need to accept that Scotland has an
issue that needs to be seriously addressed."
The figures also showed cases of fire-raising and
vandalism went up by four per cent, while instances of
stalking rose 15 per cent from 1,251 to 1,435. Meanwhile,
illegal importation of drugs soared by a remarkable 148
per cent.
However, crimes of dishonesty fell by nine per cent and
the number of instances of handling offensive weapons fell
to its lowest level since 1984.
Michael Matheson, the Justice Minister, said the increase in
sex crimes was "unacceptable" but said the Scottish
Government had taken "tough action" to ensure the
culprits are brought to justice.
(1st October 2016)
COUPLE REALISED THEY HAVE BEEN ROBBED ON

HOLIDAY AFTER SEEING THIS PHOTO
Helena Horton)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09/27/couple-realisethey-have-been-robbed-on-holiday-after-seeing-thi/
A couple on holiday in Thailand got a nasty surprise when
they flicked through their pictures following a visit to a
temple in Chiang Mai.
They realised they had been ripped off after one of the
snaps appeared to show a child stealing the woman's
watch.
The man, who posted the image to Reddit, wrote:
"Girlfriend in the progress of getting her watch stolen".
Not noticing the child slipping the watch off her wrist, the
woman smiled for a photograph at a temple in Chiang Mai,
Thailand, as her partner captured the image.
The man wrote under the photograph: "This pic solved the
mystery of the missing watch".
People on Reddit were shocked by the age of the thieves.
One person wrote: "Adorable, adorable thieves. I didn't
suspect a thing when I saw them."
Others on the thread said they had seen those children on
their own travels to Chiang Mai.
One said they must be the "two most popular child thieves
in all of Asia", while another commented he dodged a
bullet by not getting his photograph taken with them.
People commented on their clever technique - how the

children touched the woman in several places so she did
not notice the watch being taken.
Someone commenting on the thread said: "Notice how the
thief is touching her hand in several places? It's a
pickpocket technique so that the mark gets accustomed to
being touched by the thief and stops registering all of the
touches."
Another wrote: "There are a number of factors that affect
the success of a pickpocket. One is a good distraction. The
two girls holding her hands will keep her from noticing
what is going on.
"The other is that the body tends to recognize the stronger
of two forces directed against it. You can demonstrate by
hitting your thighs with something small in one hand
(matchstick) and with your fist. You will typically, only
acknowledge the heavier blow (fist).
"In this case the force of the girl holding her hand/arm far
outweighs the force required to unbuckle the watch."
(1st October 2016)
POLICE CRITICISED AS ORGANISED GANGS GAIN

CONTROL OF SEX INDUSTRY
(The Guardian, dated 25th October 2016 author Alex
Hacillo and Mark Townsend)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/24/organisedcrime-behind-uk-sex-trade
Organised crime is far more involved in running Britain's
sex trade than previously thought, with more than threequarters of brothels found to have links to criminal gangs,
according to pioneering research. It claims that sex

workers' movements were controlled by brothels in a third
of cases and criticises police for failing to tackle the
criminals who control much of the off-street sex industry.
Published by an independent thinktank, the Police
Foundation, the study is the first of its kind to document
the links between organised crime and prostitution in a
comprehensive way.
Using police data, researchers examined 65 known
brothels in Bristol over two years, a figure which is a
fraction of the true total, and interviewed more than 100
officials from the police and supporting agencies.
The report criticises the failure of local police to protect
vulnerable sex workers, quoting one source saying that
organised crime in the sex trade is "too hard [to tackle] for
the amount of harm it causes", while admitting that
operations against brothel owners are rare.
The findings come shortly after the conviction of
Christopher Halliwell for the murder in 2003 of 20-year-old
Becky Godden, a Swindon sex worker, a development that
has prompted debate about the ability of the police to
provide sufficient protection to sex workers.
The cost of tackling trafficking for sexual exploitation in
the UK is estimated to be 890m a year, but the study
highlights a near absence of proactive police strategies.
"Occasional welfare checks were completed at brothels by
a local police team and partners, but sex workers rarely
came forward," it states.
"Consequently, there were few calls to respond to and
little information to direct more proactive policing efforts."
It says that police welfare checks at brothels are "sporadic
and not core business for any local agency".
Sex workers most vulnerable to trafficking are those at
"pop-up brothels", which constitute up to a fifth of the
number identified and move location frequently. Almost
half of the sex workers identified in Bristol are Romanian.

The combined failure of any agency to take full
responsibility for exploitation in the off-street sex trade,
the Police Foundation claims, is leaving many sex workers
isolated and vulnerable to exploitation by organised
criminals.
"The relative impunity with which pimps and traffickers
operate, combined with the almost total exclusion of many
off-street sex workers - particularly foreign nationals - from
mainstream society, requires a radical reconsideration of
what the police and other relevant agencies should be
doing,"the report adds.
Overall, the Police Foundation recommends a radical
overhaul of local police approaches to organised crime in
the sex trade. It urges the police, working with other local
agencies, to do more to help victims of exploitation to
come forward and offer more protection when they do.
The study also outlines a need for police forces to gather
more robust intelligence: "The police and other local
agencies need to do more to identify the hidden victims
exploited in the off-street sex market and facilitate
investigations for which no victim comes forward."
Although the buying and selling of sex is legal in Britain,
pimping and running brothels are illegal. The International
Union of Sex Workers, a trade union affiliated with the
GMB, advocates complete decriminalisation as the only
way to ensure that sex workers have the full protection of
the law.
(1st October 2016)
WHICH - FILES SUPERCOMPLAINT AGAINST BANKS

OVER TRANSFER FRAUD
(The Guardian, dated 23rd September 2016 author Rupert
Jones)

www.theguardian.com/business/2016/sep/23/which-filessupercomplaint-against-banks-over-transfer
UK banks should do more to protect customers tricked into
transferring money to fraudsters, according to a consumer
body that has lodged a "supercomplaint" with financial
regulators. The move by Which? means banks could now
face a formal investigation into whether they can continue
refusing to reimburse victims.
The organisation submitted its first supercomplaint this
year in the same week that official data revealed that
fraud in the UK payments industry had soared by 53% as
criminals develop increasingly sophisticated tactics to
steal bank customers' cash.
Which? said banks should "shoulder more responsibility"
when someone is conned into transferring money to
another person's account, just as they reimburse
customers who lose money due to scams involving debit
and credit cards or fraudulent account activity.
Some customers have lost considerable sums. In March
this year the Guardian featured the case of Sarah and
David Fisher, who were conned out of 25,000 after a
fraudster posed as their builder and emailed them a fake
invoice that was virtually identical to the one they were
expecting.
The explosion in online and mobile banking means UK
consumers now make more than 70m bank transfers a
month, compared with just over 100m in a whole year just
a decade ago. Which? claims that "protections have not
kept up".
Using its legal powers, the organisation has submitted a
supercomplaint to the Payment Systems Regulator, the
watchdog for the UK's 75tn payment systems industry,
which must now respond within 90 days.
There are many financial frauds that directly target

customers, such as phishing emails and phone- and textbased scams. However, among the biggest growth areas
are impersonation and deception scams where fraudsters
hack into someone's email account and then pose as the
builder, solicitor, landscape gardener or other
tradesperson that the consumer has legitimately
employed. Typically, the victim receives an invoice via
email, which does not rouse suspicion because they were
expecting it. It looks authentic and is usually for the
correct amount - however, unbeknown to the consumer,
the bank account number and sort code have been
changed to those of the fraudster.
This is what happened to the Fishers, from north-west
London. Last October they received a genuine invoice for
building work that was being carried out, then what
appeared to be a follow-up email from the same firm with
a fresh invoice attached that included "our new banking
details". The couple duly paid the requested 25,000, and
while it quickly emerged they had been scammed, by the
time the bank that operated the account used to accept
their money was alerted, the cash had been withdrawn.
Almost a year after the incident, they have yet to recover
a penny of their money. Sarah Fisher, a record label
manager, told the Guardian this week that the police had
identified the fraudster as someone living in Denmark. As
a result, the case was "not being progressed" and had
effectively come to a halt.
She added: "We took it to the financial ombudsman, who
said that Barclays [which operated the account] had not
behaved improperly." However, she said their MP, Tulip
Siddiq, had said the case raised important issues and
intended to pursue the matter in parliament.
Victims conned in this way currently have no legal right to
get their money back from their bank, said Which?. Banks
typically refuse to refund customers on the basis that they
made the payment voluntarily. However, Which? said:
"Consumers can only protect themselves so far. People

cannot be expected to detect complex scams pressuring
them to transfer money immediately, or lookalike bills
from their solicitor or builder."
The organisation said banks had invested in security
systems to detect and prevent fraud where they were
liable to reimburse the victim, but added: "There aren't
sufficient checks if someone is tricked into transferring
money directly to another person's account."
Which? said it wanted the regulators to formally
investigate the scale of bank transfer fraud and how much
it was costing consumers, and propose new measures and
greater liability for banks to ensure consumers are better
protected.
The Payment Systems Regulator confirmed that it had
received the supercomplaint and said it would examine
the evidence Which? had supplied and gather its own, "to
build a clearer picture of the issue and decide a course of
action".
Possible outcomes might include regulatory action, a
review or a referral of the complaint to another body.
(1st October 2016)
ATTACK ON YAHOO HIT 500 MILLION USERS
(BBC News, dated 22nd September 2016)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada37447016
Hackers stole information from about 500 million users
from Yahoo, the company has confirmed.
The breach occurred in late 2014 and included swathes of
personal identifiable information, as well as "unencrypted
security questions and answers".
It did not include any credit card data, the site said,
adding it believed the attack was state-sponsored.
In July, Yahoo was sold to US telecoms giant Verizon for
$4.8bn (3.7bn).
It is not yet known if the breach will have an impact on
that sale or its valuation.
###'Massive breach'
News of a possible major attack on Yahoo emerged in
August when a hacker known as "Peace" was apparently
attempting to sell information on 200 million Yahoo
accounts.
Yahoo on Thursday confirmed the breach was far bigger
than first thought.
It recommended all users should change their passwords if
they had not done so since 2014.
"Online intrusions and thefts by state-sponsored actors
have become increasingly common across the technology
industry," the company said in a statement.
"What is noticeable here is that this breach is massive,"
said Nikki Parker, vice-president at security company
Covata.
"Yahoo is likely to come under intense scrutiny from
regulators, the media and public and rightly so.
Corporations can't shy away from data breaches and they
must hold their hands up and show that they are
committed to resolving the problem."
She added: "Let's hope the ink is dry on the contract with
Verizon."
The scale of the hack eclipses other recent, major tech
breaches - such as MySpace (359 million), Linkedin (159
million) and Adobe (152 million).
--------------------------BT OPENS INVESTIGATION INTO YAHOO DATA HACK

(London Evening Standard, dated 23rd September 2016
authors Benedict Moore-Bridger and Jamie Nimmo)
www.standard.co.uk/business/business-news/yahoohacking-scandal-bt-investigating-whether-its-customersmay-be-affected-by-statesponsored-a3352396.html
BT is investigating whether its customers may be affected
by the "state-sponsored" hacking of 500?million Yahoo
accounts.
Personal data has been stolen from the accounts in a
security breach which dates back to 2014 but was
discovered only recently.
The stolen data includes names, email addresses,
telephone numbers, birth dates, hashed passwords, and
the security questions - and answers - used to verify an
account holder's identity.
Last month, the technology site Motherboard reported that
a hacker who uses the name Peace boasted he had
account information belonging to 200?million Yahoo users
and was trying to sell the data on the web.
BT, which has used email services provided by Yahoo,
said: "BT is currently investigating the Yahoo data breach.
As a precaution for the minority of our customers who use
Yahoo mail, we are advising those who haven't changed
their passwords post-December 2014 to change them."
Sky, whose email service is powered by Yahoo, told
customers: "We advise that you change your passwords
online and follow good password management practices."
Customers have attacked Yahoo for not discovering the
hack in 2014 and failing to tell them about it until
yesterday. They also called on boss Marissa Mayer to quit.

News of the security lapse could also damage Yahoo as it
tries to sell its digital operations to Verizon
Communications for 3.7?billion.
Yahoo said the attack was committed by a "statesponsored actor". A spokesman added: "Yahoo is working
closely with law enforcement on this matter."
(1st October 2016)
THE "FREE TRIALS" THAT ARE ANYTHING BUT FREE

(BBC Watchdog, dated 21st September 2016)
www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/item/b4205c76-9989-4069-9b0a7c2933ea428b
Ever been tempted to sign up to an online 'free trial' of
miracle face cream, quick fix diet pills or muscle growth
supplements?
Before you do, it's worth remembering that only rarely is
anything on the internet actually free. One way or
another, it's gonna cost you.
Julian Simms from Castleford, West Yorkshire, saw an
advert pop up on his phone for a 'free trial' for some face
cream. He paid 3.95 for postage and packaging and it
arrived the next day. But two weeks later he noticed that
his bank balance was significantly lower than it should
have been. He checked his account and noticed two
payments, one of 59 and another of 69, had been
debited from his account. Julian says, "When I saw the
amounts of money that had been taken from my account I
just panicked. I was scared that hundreds of pounds was
going to get taken out".
Julian says he found it very difficult to track the company

down. When he finally found their contact details he called
them and complained. He managed to get one payment
refunded and the other stopped, after speaking to his
bank. Unbeknown to Julian, he had inadvertently set up a
Continuous Payment Authority (CPA).
He tells Watchdog, "I'd never heard of a Continuous
Payment Authority before, let alone how to set one up. I
should have read through the terms and conditions
properly".
What's a Continuous Payment Authority when it's at
home?
A CPA, also known as a 'recurring payment', is a regular
payment linked to your credit or debit card. The company
can take payment on whatever day they want for
whatever amount they choose. A typical payment is
around 80. They can be set up in person, online or over
the phone and often there's no written record of them.
They are often used for magazine subscriptions, gym
memberships and payday loans.
Watchdog also spoke to Caroline Acheson who fell foul of
the same scam, albeit a different product. She ended up
nearly 250 out of pocket after seeing an Ad pop up on
Facebook for a free trial of health supplements. She says "I
fell into a trap and there was nothing I could do about it.
That feeling of helplessness was just awful".
How it works
In order to get the 'free trial' you're asked to fill out your
name, address and credit or debit card details to cover the
cost of postage and packaging - usually a minimal
amount. At this point you may, or may not, be able to read
the small print and see what you're signing up to. But, by
handing over your details you unwittingly sign up to a
'Continuous Payment Authority'.
They don't need your account number or sort code, just
your card details. If you're someone who doesn't regularly

check your bank statement you could end up hundreds of
pounds out of pocket before you realise what's happened.
Last year, 4 out of 5 people who had a problem with an
unwanted recurring payment didn't realise they'd signed
up to the payments until money was taken from their
account. Cancelling them can be quite tricky as many
people struggle to track down the company taking the
money and speak to them. During 2015, over two million
people had problems cancelling recurring payments.
Citizens Advice Chief Executive Gillian Guy says, '"People
are trapped into losing hundreds of pounds because they
can't cancel payments. All too often card companies and
sellers are standing in the way of people ending recurring
payments because they wrongly refuse to cancel. In some
cases misleading advertising has meant people didn't
know they had signed up to payments which were buried
in the small print".
How can I cancel the payment?
You have a legal right to cancel a Continuous Payment
Authority. Your first port of call is to contact the company
and cancel with them directly. If that doesn't work, speak
to your bank or credit card company. The bank/card
provider MUST cancel it. Don't let them tell you any
different. Also, if you are still being charged after you have
tried to cancel you have a legal right to get that money
refunded to you by the bank or card provider. As a last
resort - if you don't have any joy with your bank - contact
the Financial Ombudsman Service, they can usually sort
out the problem quite quickly. Click here for more
information.
The Financial Ombudsman Service tells Watchdog, "Many
consumers don't realise they have the right to cancel a
CPA directly with their bank, and while it is advisable to
get in contact with the business that's debiting them, it's
not necessary if they find they are difficult to deal with.
The rules that allow the bank to cancel the payment have
been in place since 2009. If someone finds their bank
won't cancel the CPA they can get in touch with the
Financial Ombudsman Service".
Top tips to avoid getting caught out
- Before signing up to a trial read the small print VERY
carefully, it could save you a lot of agro in the long run
- If there are no terms and conditions - walk away
- Check your bank statement regularly to spot any
unexpected charges
- Remember - almost nothing is free on the internet
(1st October 2016)
RINGLEADER OF GANG RESPONSIBLE FOR 113m

FRAUD JAILED FOR 11 YEARS
(The Guardian, dated 21st September 2016 author Jamie
Grierson)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/21/feezanhameed-fraud-gang-jailed-11-years-southwark-crown-court
The head of a fraud ring has been sentenced to 11 years
in prison for his part in a 113m scam, which funded
purchases including a fleet of customised Porsches and
shopping sprees at Harrods.
Feezan Hameed, 23, partied with pop stars while splashing
out on Rolex watches, jewellery and trips to Dubai,
London's Southwark crown court heard.
The Glasgow-based criminal, known as Fizzy, owned
several luxury cars including a Bentley and a Lamborghini,
paid for from the takings of a 3m-a-month fraud, which
involved duping victims over the phone into thinking they
were having a conversation with their bank.
He was eventually caught after targeting 750 RBS
customers in the biggest cyberfraud the Metropolitan

police had seen.
It can be revealed that he was jailed for 11 years last week
at Southwark crown court after restrictions were lifted. He
admitted conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to convert
and transfer criminal property.
Hameed flew people 8,000 miles from Scotland to Pakistan
to polish his fleet of Porsche Cayennes outside his villa in
Lahore, the court heard.
Michael Shorrock QC, prosecuting, described the fraud as
"a nationwide conspiracy to defraud companies and
businesses by hacking into their bank accounts and
stealing large sums of money" between January 2013 and
October 2015.
"Literally within a blink of an eye, this money was being
moved from one account to another," he said. "The
fraudsters were able to interfere with the telephone
system of the bank customers, so the customer was
unable to receive calls while the fraud was taking place."
Pitman Blackstock Solicitors were fleeced out of
2,260,625.89 after getting a call from someone called
"Peter", who claimed that he was from the security
department of Lloyds Bank.
In another instance, 750,000 was transferred in seconds.
Hameed used aliases including "Simon Hughes" and
"Matthew Fraser" and would tell unwitting customers that
they had been hacked by "someone in Aberdeen called
Stevenson or King".
He was the "leader and prime mover" and made almost all
the calls, the court heard, making sure that they appeared
to be coming from a location that would not arise
suspicion.
Hameed would claim to be a member of the bank fraud
department when he called customers, before persuading

them to reveal their internet banking details in a "very
persuasive, very articulate" manner, Scotland Yard said.
While Hameed kept victims talking, his associates would
gain access to their bank accounts and empty them. The
fraudsters used a "network of money mules" to disperse
the cash, before it was laundered to Dubai and Pakistan.
Between January 2013 and October 2015, the gang took
113m from victims, of which 47m has been recovered.
The outstanding amount is believed to have been
laundered from the UK.
The scam was brought to an end in a series of police raids
in Glasgow and the West Midlands last year.
Hameed took 500,000-1.5m a month, prosecutors said.
He spent time with the Pakistani singer Bilal Saeed and
claimed to have been producing a music video for him, the
court heard.
Hameed was arrested after trying to board a flight from
Paris to Pakistan with a fake passport last November. He
was then returned to the UK to face trial.
DCI Andrew Gould said: "When they were at their height,
when they'd really got the hang of this, they were
probably making 1m-2m a week.
"It was a Monday-to-Friday, nine-to-five operation, and
when they were busy and active, they were just smashing
victims all day, every day, running their criminal business
like a proper business."
The gang were extremely sophisticated in their
techniques, displaying false telephone numbers on the
phones of victims and disposing of prepaid phones and
dongles once they had completed a hit.
Hameed kept clear of the cash and was treated with
"respect and deference" by the rest of the group, despite
only being in his twenties.

"He is very much the controlling guy, totally in charge,"
Gould said. "The kind of guy that when he flies to Dubai
for a weekend shopping with his chums, they all fly
economy, he flies first class."
DC Neil O'Sullivan of the Metropolitan police's Falcon
(online crime and fraud) unit said: "This was the largest
covert proactive operation the Met has ever undertaken
against cyber-enabled crime."
Other members of the gang were also sentenced.
Hameed's brother Nouman Choudhary, 22, acted as the
accountant, investing money in properties in Scotland and
Pakistan. Nouman was sentenced to three-and-a-half years
in prison for conspiracy to launder money. A confiscation
hearing is set for 3 May 2017.
Abdul Iqbal, 23, of Edinburgh, was sentenced to 21
months for conspiracy to money launder. Hameed treated
him as a butler or servant, but he received a 3,500 watch
from the scheme and was present at Harrods when
70,000 was spent.
Syed Ali Amish, 24, of Luton, Bedfordshire, was sentenced
to 32 months for conspiracy to launder money.
Mohammed Mehtab, 35, of Watford, Hertfordshire, was
given an eight-month suspended prison sentence after
pleading guilty to conspiracy to launder money. He
allowed more than 9,000 to go through his account. Syed
Haider, 31, of Slough, Berkshire, and Bilal Ahmed, 26, of
Ilford, east London, are due to be sentenced later. They
have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money.
(1st October 2016)
NUMBER OF FEMALE VICTIMS OF YOUTH VIOLENCE

IN LONDON SOARS BY 58% IN FOUR YEARS
(London Evening Standard, dated 21st September 2016

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/number-of-femalevictims-of-youth-violence-in-london-soars-by-58-in-fouryears-a3350306.html
The number of young women and girls becoming victims
of serious youth violence in London has soared in the past
four years, a report reveals today.
Last year, there were 6,287 young victims of violence
including stabbings and serious assaults. These included
1,509 girls and young women under the age of 19 - a rise
of four per cent on the year before but an increase of 58
per cent compared with four years ago.
The report, by the London Assembly's police and crime
committee, says this rise is due to a greater awareness
and reporting of domestic violence. But it also shows the
number of young women facing prosecution for serious
violence has doubled in recent years, adding that they are
increasingly involved in "working with drugs and holding
knives".
Although youth violence is often seen as a gang issue,
data from the Met shows a gang element was identified in
just five per cent of incidents of serious youth violence in
2015/16, the study reveals.
It concludes that while there is some under-reporting of
gang activity, youth violence is a broader issue. The study,
which comes after a mass brawl involving about 100
youths in Erith on Monday, says there has been a 20 per
cent rise in the number of victims since 2012/13 - bringing
youth violence close to the levels seen during the 2011
riots.
The Met says one reason for the rise is a change in
recording practices. But some experts blame a changing
"criminal economy" in which young people are more
involved in serious crimes such as drugs. Other possible

causes include rising tensions in different communities
and the greater willingness of young people to carry
knives.
Committee chairman Steve O'Connell, a London Assembly
Tory member, said: "One of the report's findings was that
young people are afraid and leave home with knives to
defend themselves. We need to understand why."
A spokesperson for Sadiq Khan said: "The Mayor is
working with communities, partner organisations, local
authorities, and schools to understand the causes and do
more to stop young people falling victim to this way of life.
We will carefully consider the findings of this report as we
develop the Mayor's Police and Crime Plan, and next
month the Mayor will be hosting a knife crime summit to
help inform his decisions."
(1st October 2016)
BT's WIFI EXTENDER WORKS GREAT - AT EXTENDING
YOUR PASSWORD TO HACKERS
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/21/bt_wifi_booster_fix/
BT is urging folks to patch the firmware in its Wi-Fi
Extender following the discovery of multiple security flaws.
Security researchers at Pen Test Partners discovered
vulnerabilities with the consumer-grade kit, including
cross-site scripting and the ability to change a password
without knowing it.
Pen Test Partners found it was possible to combine these
flaws and exploit them to snatch a victim's WPA wireless
network passphrase after tricking them into visiting a
maliciously constructed webpage while connected to their
home network.
"Authentication bypass is not good. Together with the XSS
and some poor UI design, this means I can steal your Wi-Fi
password," Pen Test Partners warns.
Fortunately, upgrading the firmware of the Wi-Fi Extender
to version 1.1.8 resolves the problem. In a statement to El
Reg, BT thanked Pen Test Partners for its help in flagging
up the software weaknesses:
We are grateful to Pen Test Partners for alerting us to this
issue. We have been working to address this potential
weakness and issued an update which corrected the
problem in August 2016. We are not aware of any cases
where customers have suffered any issues. Customers
should ensure they download the firmware update from
the BT website.
The bugs - the latest in a long line of vulnerabilities in
SOHOpeless networking kit - is explained in a blog post by
Pen Test Partners :
https://www.pentestpartners.com/blog/bt-wi-fi-extendermultiple-security-issues-upgrade-asap/
BT information
Check out the BT website and confirm the model number
of your equipment matches the ones requiring updating.
Make these checks BEFORE updating the firmware.
Hardware version: V1.0.2
Firmware version: V1.1.5 (the upgraded versions is 1.1.8 available here :
http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/54345)
(1st October 2016)
MARGARET HODGE'S BOOK OUTLINES "MIND

BOGGLING" UK PUBLIC SECTOR WASTE
(The Register, dated 20th September 2016 author Kat
Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/20/margaret_hodge_details
_mind_boggling_public_sector_waste/
It's impossible to read former b*******-in-chief Margaret
Hodge's account of being chair of the government's
spending watchdog without repeatedly banging your head
against the wall.
Hodge presided over the House of Commons' Public
Accounts Committee between 2010-2015, during the
coalition government's austerity programme. From that
bird's eye perspective, she witnessed "mind-boggling
waste of taxpayers' money right across government,"
which she documents in her new book Called to Account:
How Corporate Bad Behaviour and Government Waste
Combine to Cost us Millions.
Sadly for those who triumph hope over experience, there
is little to suggest the situation has materially improved.
"We identified an alarming and deep-rooted culture where
all too often the responsible officials displayed a
nonchalant attitude to spending the hard-earned money
we entrust them when we pay our taxes," she writes.
"They felt no sense of personal responsibility because it
was not their own money."
In what can only be described as a shit-show of waste,
Hodge singles out the Ministry of Defence for being
"unbelievably awful".
"I recall one memorable hearing, when during around two
hours of taking evidence we uncovered 8bn of wasted
expenditure, where taxpayers' money had been spent with

absolutely no benefit for the armed services in terms of
new equipment and support."
She adds: "It was as if the MoD tore up 8bn worth of
banknotes and tossed them into the air, as though they
were a shower of confetti."
IT delivered on time? Don't make us laugh
And of course IT disasters received a special mention. "[If]
any official mentioned a new IT project in their evidence to
the committee, we would laugh at the idea that this might
be introduced on time, within budget and save money."
During the last 25 years the committee produced 75
reports on IT procurement, Hodge notes three for being
particularly abysmal.
Unsurprisingly Labour's 11.4bn National Programme for
IT, which was originally costed at 2.3bn, gets top billing.
The government said it was axing that programme in
September 2011 but "in reality, they have remained tied
into the contracts with both BT and CSC, contracts that are
delivering far less functionality to far fewer sites."
She also remains sceptical of plans in 2015 to hand the
NHS another 1bn for new technology to produce and
support integrated care records by 2020. "I simply observe
that the ambition has not been moderated and the
political and electoral imperatives have dictated the
timeframe. It seems like a case of plus a change."
The second IT programme to attract her teacherly ire were
two big Home Office IT projects in 2010, which were
subsequently cancelled at a cost of 1bn.
One was for immigration casework system, intended to
overhaul the paper-based applications work - much of
which is still done by hand. In August 2013 that project
was canned at a cost of 347m. "The Home Office has now
decided to spend a further 200m on incremental

improvements to their IT capability, abandoning the big
bang approach. I have no doubt that sum will creep up
over time."
The so-called e-Borders was the second botched Home
Office contract, commissioned by the Labour government
and cancelled by the coalition after 260m had already
been spent. In the process the Home Office had to settle
to pay 150m with the supplier Raytheon and 35m on
legal fees.
The BBC's disastrous Digital Media Initiative in 2011,
which was written off two years later at a cost of 100m
also gets a special mention.
Groundhog Day
Unfortunately Hodge is no less optimistic about a number
of "in-flight" projects.
She notes that even if the coalition government's
Universal Credit programme under Iain Duncan Smith
finally succeeds, the Department for Work and Pension still
have to write off most of the 344m early investment in
IT, a figure she says may even rise to around 600m.
But it wasn't entirely a Sisyphean struggle. She perceives
the PAC's successes to include its work on tax avoidance,
which she believes helped put the subject on the map;
stopping government from using premium phone lines;
and halting off-payroll arrangements. She reckons 88 per
cent of the committee's recommendations were
implemented.
"But we had some defeats. We failed to convince the
Department for Culture Media and Sport that they should
not give BT all of the 2bn of public subsidy for the rollout
of broadband to rural areas, which we thought represented
extremely poor value for money for the taxpayer. We did
not persuade the government to think again about the
Work Programme or Universal Credit. We have not stopped
PFI.
"Taxpayers' money continues to be wasted on ill-conceived
and badly planned capital projects, IT investments and
major reform programmes. We have not secured the
reforms to the Civil Service that we thought were
necessary to achieve better value."
###Stephen Kelly:'the human Ken doll'
And what of the major players behind IT reform during this
period? Former chief operating officer of the Cabinet Office
Stephen Kelly and current Sage chief executive gets a
mention, as does Francis Maude.
"[Kelly] was known as the 'human Ken doll' by my office
and others knew him to be the 'best friend of Francis
Maude, the Minster for the Cabinet Office - one of the few
minsters really hated by the Civil Service, perhaps
because he was so strongly committed to reform."
Former head of the Government Digital Service Mike
Bracken is named only in passing and former chief
technology officer and current digital tsar Liam Maxwell is
not mentioned at all.
Of former Cabinet Office minister and current digital policy
at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Matt
Hancock - who previously sat on the PAC - Hodge sniffs:
"Matt Hancock was not universally popular with his
Conservative colleagues on the PAC, but because of his
close links with the Conservative Party leadership, he was
feared and one could always sense the atmosphere when
he entered the room."
Her prescription is a heavy dose of transparency,
accountability and training.
"The civil service continues to lack the appropriate skills
and expertise required for modern government."
Commercial and IT expertise are particularly wanting as
there are "simply not enough civil servants with those
skills."
Hodge's book lays bare the case for why waste within the
public sector badly needs addressing. Unfortunately the
evidence suggests it still has a long way to go.
(1st October 2016)
NUMBER OF STUN GUNS SEIZED AT UK BORDERS

RISE 70% IN FOUR YEARS
(The Guardian, dated 15th September 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/15/number-of-stunguns-seized-at-uk-borders-rises-70-in-four-years
The number of stun weapons seized at UK borders has
soared by more than 70% in four years, official figures
show.
Stun guns deliver powerful electric shocks that can be
deadly and are illegal in the UK.
Border officials confiscated 729 of the weapons in the
financial year of 2015/16 - up from 604 the year before
and 633 in in 2013/14, according to Home Office figures.
And the number of seized stun guns has increased by 71%
from 2012/13, when 425 of the weapons were found.
The numbers were released by the Home Office in answer
to a parliamentary question from Kerry McCarthy, the
Labour MP for Bristol.
Stun guns are increasingly the weapon of choice for
criminals and gangs who find it hard to get real guns in
the UK.
Nathan Matthews took a kidnap kit, which included stun
guns disguised as torches, when he went to the home of

his teenage stepsister Becky Watts and murdered her last
year.
The 16-year-old suffered 40 injuries as she tried to fight off
Matthews and his girlfriend, Shauna Hoare, during the
attack. The pair, who are both serving lengthy jail terms,
then dismembered her body, wrapped the parts in cling
film and stashed them in a garden shed.
McCarthy told the Press Association: "The use of disguised
stun guns seems to be a growing problem in this country,
including among organised crime gangs. I was deeply
troubled by their connection to the tragic murder of Becky
Watts, which was how I was first made aware of the issue.
"I hope that border staff are taking this problem seriously
in order to prevent these weapons from getting into the
hands of criminals in this country."
Stun guns have been used in armed robberies, aggravated
burglaries and in rows between drug dealers, and those in
possession of them face a maximum sentence of 10 years
in prison.
But while some people are purposely buying the weapons,
there are concerns Britons are unwittingly purchasing stun
guns disguised as torches or mobile phones abroad and
accidentally bringing them into the UK.
In January last year the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)
warned that some Britons buying "silly novelty" souvenirs
could face jail.
Baljit Ubhey, chief crown prosecutor for CPS London, said:
"This is an issue that holidaymakers must be aware of and
they need to make sure they know what they are bringing
back in their suitcases."
He added: "What can seem like a silly novelty object can
result in a criminal conviction and even imprisonment and
I would urge all holidaymakers to make sure they know
what they are buying when shopping for souvenirs

abroad."
(1st October 2016)
ILLEGAL MOBILE PHONE USE BY MOTORISTS IS

INCREASING, SAYS RAC
(The Guardian, datd 15th September 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/15/illegal-mobilephone-use-by-motorists-is-increasing-says-rac
Illegal mobile phone use by drivers is rising, according to
new research that found 31% of motorists admitted to
using a handheld phone behind the wheel compared with
8% in 2014.
The survey by the RAC found that the proportion of drivers
who confessed to sending a message or posting on social
media rose from 7% to 19% over the same period, while
14% of motorists have taken photographs or videos with
their phone while driving.
The RAC believes a 27% fall in the number of full-time
dedicated roads policing officers in England and Wales
(excluding London) between 2010 and 2015 has left
drivers with no fear that they will be caught for offences
which are not detected by automatic cameras.
The survey of 1,714 UK motorists for the RAC's annual
Report on Motoring found that 7% of those who admitted
using a mobile while driving said they did it because they
knew they would get away with it.
Almost a quarter (23%) claimed it was an emergency, 21%
said they needed information for their journey and 12%
replied it was something they were in the habit of doing.
Department for Transport (DfT) figures show that a driver

impaired or distracted by their phone was a contributory
factor in 492 accidents in Britain in 2014, including 21 that
were fatal and 84 classed as serious.
RAC road safety spokesman Pete Williams said: "There is
clear evidence that the illegal use of handheld phones by
drivers to talk, text, tweet, post, browse and even video
call is, if anything, on the increase.
"It is alarming to see that some drivers have clearly
relaxed their attitudes to the risks associated with this
behaviour but more worrying is the increase in the
percentage of motorists who actually admit to using a
handheld device when driving.
"The fact that drivers have little or no confidence that they
will be caught when breaking these laws is a likely
contributor to the problem and it is sadly the case that
every day most road users see other drivers brazenly
using their handheld phones when in control of a vehicle a sight which should be a thing of the past.
"The use of handheld mobile phones is the biggest road
safety concern among motorists today."
The government is due to publish the results of a
consultation that proposed introducing tougher
punishments for illegal mobile use by drivers.
For non-HGV drivers, the minimum fine is expected to rise
from 100 to 150 while penalty points are set to increase
from three to four.
(1st October 2016)
POLISH POLICE DEPLOYED TO HARLOW AFTER

ARKADIUSZ JOZWICK MURDER
author Paul Wright)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/polish-police-deployed-harlow-afterarkadiusz-jozwiks-murder-reassure-community-1581505
Two Polish police officers are patrolling the streets of
Harlow in Essex to allay fears following the killing of a
Polish man and a rise in hate crime in the area. The death
of Arkadiusz Jozwik, 40, at the hands of a gang of
teenagers is said to have left the town's sizeable Polish
community "scared and worried", with Essex Police
treating the attack on 27 August as possibly racially
aggravated.
Three other Poles have also been attacked in separate
incidents in the town.
Essex police took up an offer by the Polish state police to
deploy two officers in Harlow to help reassure the
community. Second lieutenant Bartosz Czernicki and chief
sergeant Dariusz Tybura started work on Wednesday (14
September) and will initially be on patrol for a week.
It is understood that the officers will not have police
powers but will be there in a community support role.
The town's district commander said their arrival had split
opinion among the Polish community in the town, with
some saying they do not trust the police.
Chief Inspector Alan Ray said: "The Polish government
made the offer to Essex Police to send Polish officers to
Harlow to help with community engagement and we
thought that was a good idea.
"We welcomed them with open arms and they're now
policing the town, not using any powers as such, but just
on the community engagement side, to meet and greet
the public and to reassure the community."
Asked if there has been any feedback from the Polish

community, he said: "We've had mixed messages from the
Polish community. Some are saying to us that, 'We don't
trust police officers and that's from our experience from
Poland'. Others are saying, 'We welcome these Polish
police officers in'.
"And the experiences we've had on the street with the
Polish police officers have all been positive. They've been
welcomed by the community."
The presence of the Polish officers is "about reassurance in
all communities", Ray said, pointing out that over the last
year only 2% of victims in Harlow were Polish nationals.
The deployment comes as European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker used a speech to the
European Parliament to condemn attacks on Polish people
in the UK.
"We Europeans can never accept, never, Polish workers
being harassed, beaten up or even murdered in the
streets of Essex," Juncker said at his state of the EU
address on Wednesday. He added: "The free movement of
workers is as much a common European value as our fight
against discrimination and racism."
Critics accused Juncker of unfairly linking Jozwik's death to
Brexit, with Nigel Farage saying: "I don't actually think that
it's ever very wise to pick any one incident against an
individual and to use it for political ends."
Harlow MP and Minister of State for Education Robert
Halfon added: "The vast majority of people in Harlow and
Essex are the kindest and most decent people and Harlow
is one of the most community-minded towns in Britain.
"It's very important that people like Juncker don't give the
opposite impression, having never been to Harlow." He
invited the European Commission boss to visit the town.
A surge in hate crime was recorded in England, Wales and
Northern Ireland in the wake of the EU referendum vote

and, although incident numbers have since dipped, they
still remain higher than at the same time last year.
The National Police Chiefs' Council's figures show a 49%
rise in incidents to 1,863 in the last week of July compared
with the same time the previous year. The week after the
vote saw a 58% increase in incidents to 1,787.
Meanwhile, between August 5 and 18, forces in England,
Wales and Northern Ireland logged 2,778 hate crimes, a
fall of 479 on the previous fortnight, but a 14% increase
on the equivalent period last year.
One incident last week saw a Polish man attacked and
beaten by a group of up to 20 teenagers in a suspected
racially-aggravated assault in Leeds.
Responding to Juncker's comments, Prime Minister
Theresa May's official spokeswoman said "we need to let
the police investigations take their course", adding: "The
Prime Minister has herself already expressed concern
about hate crime in this country.
"That's why the government has set out an action plan. As
we said last week, the Prime Minister has spoken to the
Polish prime minister about some of the incidents we have
seen.
"Of course, we need to let the police investigations take
their course, but the Prime Minister is absolutely clear
about the values that make this country great - we are a
tolerant nation and we should continue to be one."
Six teenagers, aged 15 and 16, have been arrested, and
released on bail, in connection with Jozwik's death.
(1st October 2016)
UK GOVERNMENT INFORMATION SECURITY IN 2015 -
"CHAOTIC", COSTS 300m AND HAS 9,000 DATA

BREACHES
(The Register, dated 14th September 2016 author
Alexander J Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/14/cabinet_office_failing_to
_coordinate_ukgovs_infosec_practices_says_national_audit
_office/
The Cabinet Office is failing to coordinate the UK's
government departments' efforts to protect their
information according to a damning report by the National
Audit Office.
The NAO found that the Cabinet Office failed in its duty
and ambition to coordinate and lead government
departments' efforts in protecting such information.
The Cabinet Office has "tried to take a more strategic role
in offering support and guidance to central government
departments," the NAO report found. "However, seniorlevel governance remains complex and unclear and, until
recently, a wide array of central teams have been involved
in information assurance and protecting information,
sometimes offering overlapping and contradictory advice."
Reporting personal data breaches is chaotic, with different
mechanisms making departmental comparisons
meaningless. In addition, the Cabinet Office does not have
access to robust expenditure and benefits data from
departments, in part because they do not always collect or
share such data. The Cabinet Office has recently collected
some data on security costs, though it believes that actual
costs are "several times" the reported figure of 300
million.
As a result, NAO stated that GCHQ dealt with 200 "cyber
national security incidents" per month in 2015, double the
number of attacks it had addressed in 2014, though the
result of these attacks has not been reported.
The report certainly suggests that departments need to

get their own houses in order before they start opening up
access to even more of citizens' data, as per the pornblocking Digital Economy Bill, with 8,995 data breaches in
the 17 largest government departments in 2014-15.
Government departments are being challenged by the
increasing need to share data with other public bodies,
with delivery partners, service users, and citizens.
According to the NAO, recent years' "cuts to departmental
budgets and staff numbers, and increasing demands form
citizens for online public services, have changed the way
government collects, stores and manages information".
At the same time "the threat of electronic data loss from
cyber crime, espionage and accidental disclosure has risen
considerably. Alongside this new challenge, reporting to
the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) by public
bodies shows that the loss of paper records remains
significant."
Efforts have complicated by the lack of coordination by
the 12 separate teams and organisations which play a role
in governmental infosec, including: GDS; GCHQ; CESG,
CERT-UK; and the UK National Authority for Counter
Eavesdropping (UKNACE).
That this work hasn't been coordinated "has meant that a
large number of bodies continue to have overlapping
mandates and activities" according to the NAO, which
noted how last November the then-Chancellor of the
Exchequer noted this acronym-heavy problem and the
need to "address the alphabet soup of agencies involved
in protecting Britain in cyberspace."
As part of that address, Osborne announced the launch of
a new National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) which will
act as a hub for sharing best practices in security between
public and private sectors, and will tackle cyber incident
response.
Speaking to The Register earlier this month, the former

head of GCHQ Sir David Omand said: "Next month, the
new National Cyber Security Centre starts its work, under
the Director of GCHQ, drawing on the technical expertise
of GCHQ staff in operating in cyberspace, a further major
development in harnessing the skills of the intelligence
community in protecting the public."
NAO's head, Amyas Morse, said: "Protecting information
while re-designing public services and introducing the
technology necessary to support them is an increasingly
complex challenge. To achieve this, the Cabinet Office,
departments and the wider public sector need a new
approach, in which the centre of government provides
clear principles and guidance and departments increase
their capacity to make informed decisions about the risks
involved."
(1st October 2016)
GCHQ PLANS "GREAT BRITISH FIREWALL" TO

PROTECT UK AGAINST HACKERS
www.ibtimes.co.uk/gchq-plans-great-british-firewallprotect-uk-against-hackers-1581299
The Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ),
the UK's secretive signals intelligence agency, is
developing 'automated defence' tools - already dubbed
the 'Great British Firewall' - to help combat a spike in
cyberattacks over the past year.
The scheme, which is still in the early planning stages,
would see major UK service providers working alongside
GCHQ in a voluntary capacity to help filter malicious
website domains that could potentially be used by hackers
or state-sponsored rivals to infect computer systems.

The main base for the operation is likely to be the
agency's upcoming National Cyber Security Centre
(NCSC), set to launch later this year, which will bring
together experts from MI5, Cert, local law enforcement
and private industry to help fight the threat of hacking.
"We know automated defences work on the internet,"
Ciaran Martin, GCHQ's director-general for cyber security,
said during a conference in Washington DC on 13
September.
"It's possible to filter unwanted content or spam. It's
possible to filter offensive content. It's possible to block
malicious content. So why aren't we doing more of it?
Well, in the UK now, we're really trying.
"We're exploring a flagship project on scaling up DNS
[domain name system] filtering," he continued. "What
better way of providing automated defences at scale than
by the major private providers effectively blocking their
customers from coming into contact with known malware
and bad addresses?"
This blocking system, which will reportedly be opt-out for
any privacy-conscious citizens, will have to be heralded by
the private sector firms like BT, Virgin Media and Sky,
Martin said. "The government does not own or operate the
internet," he asserted. "Consumers [must] have a choice."
The GCHQ cyber chief said the agency is already testing a
number of 'automated defence' methods on government
networks and domains. "Whoever was sending 58,000
malicious emails per day from the delightfully named
taxrefund@gov.uk isn't doing it anymore," Martin told the
conference.
Additionally, the agency is piloting a number of ways of
sending "automated takedown requests" to registrars and
other websites hosting malicious domains.
"We're starting to see real, measurable results," Martin

said, adding "looking at phishing attacks against UK
government brands, the median time the phishing site is
up has dropped from 49 hours to 5 hours. A clear,
verifiable improvement."
From GCHQ's perspective, the need for strong digital
defences is required more than ever. According to the
government, one eighth of the UK's GDP comes from the
digital economy and the nation's digital industries grew
two-and-a-half times more quickly than the economy as a
whole between 2003 and 2013.
Furthermore, critical infrastructure is turning to the
internet, with electricity, gas and power grids increasingly
relying on an internet connection to operate effectively.
Meanwhile, the amounts of external threats faced is
quickly rising. According to Martin, GCHQ detected 200
national security level cyberattacks a month last year,
double the figure recorded the year previous. From rival
nations like Russia and China to UK criminal gangs, the UK
agency is fighting cybercrime on all fronts - despite
typically being a foreign intelligence gathering operation.
Major attack is coming
"Unlike some of our allies, there has not yet been a single
stand-out incident of hostile foreign cyberattack that's
resonated as a first-order national crisis with the public
and media," the cyber chief said. "But I expect - frankly I
know - that we will face one, and we prepare on that
basis."
It remains to be seen how civil liberties and privacy rights
groups will react to the notion of DNS filtering or increased
automation scanning of the internet. As noted by the
Financial Times, the same technical ideas are the basis of
China's 'Great Firewall', routinely used to censor the web.
Martin, who will also head up the NCSC when it launches,
did not make a reference to who would be in charge of
deciding what exactly is blocked and how such algorithms

would be programmed. GCHQ, when contacted by
IBTimesUK, declined to comment further.
Yet for Martin, and one suspects British Intelligence as a
whole, protecting national security remains the ultimate
priority. "The majority of successful cyberattacks are not
sophisticated," he said. They can be defended against, but
they're doing serious damage and we're not yet as well we
want to against them.
"[As] security officials we're sometimes accused of wishing
this new world away and seeking to thwart or slow the
onset of the technology that underpins this revolution," he
said. "I emphatically reject this."
(1st October 2016)
UK GOVERNMENT PLANS TO CRACK DOWN ON

WHITE COLLAR CRIME ON COMPANY BOARDS
author Brendan Cole)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-government-plans-crack-downwhite-collar-crime-company-boards-1580789
Company boards will become criminally liable if they do
not stop their staff from committing fraud under plans
being considered by ministers.
A new criminal finance bill will make employers
responsible for preventing money-laundering, false
accounting and fraud, which would bring Britain more into
line with the tough approach to white-collar crime in the
United States.
In measures that will shake up corporate criminal law, the
prime minister Theresa May will announce putting
workers' representatives on boards and restricting

executive pay.
Currently companies are liable only for a failure to stop
bribery and the new legislation would mean in future
British businesses could be prosecuted for crimes such as
the Libor manipulation.
The move would mean an end to a board distancing itself
from a company's operations and an offence of failure to
prevent economic crime would give prosecutors more
powers to hold a company to account.
The attorney-general Jeremy Wright said at a symposium
in Cambridge on economic crime that ministers would
consult on the plans with a view to introducing legislation.
A government source told the Times that a consultation
document would soon be released, with Barry Vitou,
partner in fraud and white-collar crime at Pinsent Masons,
telling the paper that the new law would be the biggest
change in corporate criminal law.
"The present regime makes it practically impossible to
hold corporate boards to account for corporate misconduct
because evidence of that misconduct must be found at the
highest level. In practice the evidence trail usually dries
much lower down the corporate tree.
"There is no responsibility for the damage caused by
failing to prevent economic crime nor incentives offered
which motivate people to do the wrong thing," he said.
However David Kirk, a fraud lawyer at McGuireWoods told
the paper it would still be difficult to assess the adequacy
of procedures adopted by a company to prevent
wrongdoing.
(1st October 2016)
THE WORST TUBE STATIONS FOR PICKPOCKETING

www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/revealed-the-worsttube-stations-for-pickpocketing-a3342606.html
King's Cross St Pancras has emerged as the worst Tube
station for pickpocketing in figures which show that
passengers in London have suffered nearly 4,000 thefts in
a year.
The statistics, obtained from the Met under the Freedom of
Information Act, show 215 pickpocketing crimes at the
station between the start of February 2015 and the end of
January this year. That puts it just ahead of Oxford Circus,
which saw 195 thefts, as the station with the most thefts.
Other badly affected stations include Victoria, Liverpool
Street and Stratford - which each saw more than 100
thefts during the period - followed by Bank/Monument,
Leicester Square and Holborn.
The figures also reveal that the most pickpocket-plagued
line was the Central line, where there were 632 occasions
on which passengers had items stolen during the year. The
total number of thefts at Tube stations was 3,926, an
average of 275 crimes per month.
Purses, wallets, credit cards, foreign identity cards and
travel cards were the items most frequently stolen and
accounted for three quarters of all the thefts.
Pickpockets also took phones, laptops, tablets and
cameras, as well as entire handbags.
The average value of the thefts was 426.85 per crime
and the total value of the items taken was 1.47 million.
The figures cover crimes committed while victims were on
trains and when they were within a station.
Methods used by thieves included distraction tactics, in

which they try to divert a person's attention so that items
can be stolen, and the exploitation of crowded situations
to get close to a victim without it appearing unusual.
Adam Powell, the head of operations at insurance
company Policy Expert, which obtained the figures from
British Transport Police, said travellers should be alert on
the Tube.
"It's important to ensure you're not a target for
opportunistic thieves when swept up in the crowds," he
added. "Keep an eye on your bags and any other
valuables and be vigilant around other passengers."
A British Transport Police spokesman said that officers
sought to identify offenders and prevent crimes, but urged
passengers to take precautions to minimise the risk of
being targeted by a pickpocket.
"Thefts on the network are very rarely opportunistic; they
are committed by determined thieves whose sole intention
is to steal from other passengers," he said.
"Always remember to keep your belongings close by and
check on them regularly and don't allow yourself to be
distracted. Keep your valuables hidden and be aware of
your surroundings when you board a train or Tube. Always
zip up any hand- or shoulder bags."
He added that the public could also help by installing
tracker applications on smart phones that would make it
easier for police to locate stolen devices, but said police
were determined to protect passengers.
"Officers use a range of tactics to create a really difficult
environment for criminals to operate within, including
intelligence-led patrols by uniformed officers and
plainclothes theft squad officers," he said.
The most common age for pickpocketing victims was 25 to
31 (accounting for 963 victims) followed by 18- to 24-yearolds and those aged 32 to 38.
The day of the week with the highest number of thefts was
Friday, when 650 crimes took place during the year.
Women were more likely to fall victim to the crime than
men.
This is thought to be because women often carry their
valuables in a handbag, rather than in pockets which are
difficult for a thief to access.
'Gang surrounded me and stole my wallet'
Tom Foreman, 22, was a recent arrival in London when he
was surrounded by a gang of pickpockets who stole his
wallet at King's Cross.
The recruitment consultant, who lives in Bounds Green,
was on his way to the gym when he was targeted by the
group in April.
He said: "I was talking to my friend, minding my own
business, when a group of people gathered around us.
"My friend saw someone waiting behind me sneak my
wallet out of my pocket. I noticed straight away, but there
were so many people around us the guy slipped into the
crowd.
"I was devastated as it had practically everything I owned
and my whole month's wages. It felt so invasive - I had to
ring around my family and ask for money to get me
through the month."
He called for more police at the station to deter pickpocket
gangs: "There are just not enough officers for the sheer
amount of people. The police I spoke to said it pretty much
happens all the time and informed TfL staff but they don't
have the resources to investigate."
He added: "I've definitely become more aware of these
types of crimes. I never carry cash any more.

"I definitely feel more cautious around King's Cross."
Top 20 incidents of theft per station
1. King's Cross St Pancras : 215
2. Oxford Circus : 195
3. Victoria : 160
4. Liverpool Street : 107
5. Stratford: 107
6. Bank/Monument complex : 99
7. Leicester Square : 93
8. Holborn : 92
9. Green Park : 88
10. Euston : 84
11. Waterloo : 80
12. Piccadilly Circus : 77
13. London Bridge : 69
14. Paddington : 59
15. Mile End : 52
16. Baker Street : 51
17. Finsbury Park : 47
18. Bond Street : 46
19. South Kensington : 44
20. Hammersmith : 43
(1st October 2016)
NHS HOSPITALS TOLD TO SWALLOW STRONGER

ANTI-RANSOMWARE MEDICATION
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/09/nhs_cyber_security_exp
ansion/
NHS Digital is set to start expanding the range of

cybersecurity services available to UK hospitals and
clinics.
CareCERT (Care Computer Emergency Response Team)
launched in November 2015, offering a national service
that helps health and care organisations to improve their
cybersecurity defences by providing proactive advice and
guidance about the latest threats and security best
practices.
A service that initially focused on pushing out alerts about
threats will be expanded to include three new services,
each of which begins testing this month:
- CareCERT Knowledge - a new e-learning portal to help all
health and care organisations train their staff in
cybersecurity basics.
- CareCERT Assure - a service to help organisations assess
their local cybersecurity measures against industry
standards, including recommendations on how to reduce
vulnerabilities.
- CareCERT React - advice on reducing the impact of a
data security incident.
Public health and innovation minister Nicola Blackwood
announced the expansion at the Health and Care
Innovation Expo on Thursday. The rollouts come at a time
of increasing security threats to UK hospitals and clinics,
particularly from file-encrypting ransomware.
Almost half (47 per cent) of NHS trusts have been subject
to a ransomware attack in the past year, according to
figures from a freedom of information (FOI) request
published last month. NCC Group's FOI is based on
requests to 60 trusts, 28 of which confirmed they had
been victims of ransomware.
Independent infosec consultant Brian Honan, the founder
and head of Ireland's CERT, told El Reg that the increase in
security services ought to be considered as a move to
drive security improvements in UK hospitals in general,
rather than a specific response to the ransomware threat.

"I do not see this as a reaction to ransomware as a recent
FOI request submitted by Channel 4 showed that out of
152 NHS Trusts 39 were affected by ransomware," Honan
explained. "However, with the rising number of threats
against computer systems this is a welcome and prudent
move to enhance the security of the data, computers,
systems, and networks the NHS increasingly relies on to
provide its services."
(1st October 2016)
NHS HEALTH APPS PROJECT PLAN : POWERED BY
YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/09/nhs_health_apps_conce
rns/
UK health secretary Jeremy Hunt plans for NHS-approved
health apps to play a role in patient records and
healthcare have already spawned a rash of privacy
concerns.
The NHS.UK site will have a new collection of NHSapproved health apps to guide patient choice. Data from
health apps and wearable activity trackers such as Fitbits
will feed directly into people's personal health records.
NHS England will approve a library of apps so people can
have confidence in the technology that they are using to
manage their healthcare, as explained in a Department of
Heath statement. The decision last year to shelve the NHS'
Apps Library amidst security and more general criticisms
of the software on offer hardly inspires confidence on this
front. Health ministers - unbowed by this set-back - are
determined to prescribe more technology.
"We are going to make very big moves in the next 12

months into apps and wearables," Hunt said, as the BBC
reports.
"I wear a Fitbit; many people use apps. What is going to
change with apps is the way that these apps link directly
into our own medical records. And by March next year NHS
England are going to publish a library of approved apps in
areas like mental health and chronic conditions like
diabetes," said the Health Secretary.
Infosec experts responded cautiously to the development,
pointing out the potential security and privacy problems
that might lie ahead.
"Creating a truly digital NHS requires both investment in
the latest apps and wearables alongside a rigorous
security policy to give patients and healthcare
professionals complete assurance that their data is
secure," said Paul Farrington, EMEA solution architects
manager at Application security specialists Veracode.
"This is a bold initiative from our world class health service
and one which will undoubtedly provide more personalised
and efficient healthcare to millions, but there are
inevitable risks around privacy and security which must be
tackled from the outset."
"With apps becoming ubiquitous in our daily lives, hackers
are increasingly seeking to exploit coding vulnerabilities to
steal identities and personal information. That's why it's
vital that our NHS ensures approved apps for both patients
and professionals are thoroughly tested and secure to
enable confidence in the service's digital journey."
Going digital
The relaunched NHS Choices website will allow patients to
book appointments, views medical records and order
prescriptions as part of longs standing and delayed plans
to move towards a paperless NHS. The services, which will
be available from the end of next year (2017). The existing

NHS 111 non-emergency phone line service will be
expanded to include a new online 'triage' service for less
serious health problems. Patients will be able to enter their
symptoms online and get tailored advice or a call-back
from a healthcare professional.
Tony Pickering, professional services director of Ricoh UK,
said: "Providing patients with instant access to healthcare
records through approved apps and wearables is a positive
step towards a paperless NHS. But this initiative must be
supported by a wider strategy designed to improve the
management of health records, safely and securely.
"Accelerating the digitisation of paper-based records,
designing improved sharing processes and new ways of
working should all be top of the health secretary's to do
list," he added.
More on the UK government's plans to improve healthcare
using data and technology can be found in a post by
Professor John Newton, interim chair of the National
Information Board :
https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/progress-onimproving-healthcare-using-data-and-technology
(1st October 2016)
HEALTHCARE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT ARE MOST
LIKELY BODIES TO SUFFER INFORMATION SECURITY
BREACHES
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/09/01/data_breaches_doubled
_uk_12_months/
The number of security incidents reported to UK data
privacy watchdogs nearly doubled in the past year, with
organisations increasingly becoming overwhelmed with

security problems.
Data disclosed in error and security breaches were the two
primary reasons for an 88 per cent rise in self-reported
data protection breaches between 2014-15 and 2015-16,
according to a Freedom of Information request by security
tools firm Huntsman Security.
The number of security breaches reported to the
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) rose from 1,089
between April 2014 and March 2015 to 2,048 over the 12
months ending March 2016. This was driven primarily by
those disclosing data in error (i.e. accidentally emailing a
customer database to the wrong recipient, as in the
extreme case of WHSmith) and incidents where hackers
broke through organisational defences.
Healthcare and local government organisations reported
the highest volume of incidents to the ICO, with 941 and
202 recorded breaches respectively. Despite a reputation
in previous years for poor performance, local government
shows some signs of improvement compared to many
other sectors, with the number of security breaches rising
by only 14 per cent.
Financial firms are most at risk of costly fines, attracting
over a third of all penalties levied by the ICO, despite only
being accountable for 6 per cent of all reported breaches.
The ICO took no action over 1,544 of the 2,048 cases
reported to it in 2015-16. Data Controller action was
required in 381 of the remaining cases while an
improvement action plan was put in place in response to
50 incidents. Undertakings to improve security practices
were extracted in 26 cases.
UK utilities firms reported just two breaches to the ICO
over the past 12 months, but given the high value of these
firms as targets, it seems unlikely this is the full picture.
Huntsman Security warns that many breaches go
unreported, or worse still, undetected.
"Unfortunately, this is not the full story. The average

organisation is subject to multiple breaches, of which only
some will be detected, so the figures reported to the IOC
are likely to be understated," said Peter Woollacott, chief
exec of Huntsman Security. "The root of the problem is
that organisations are under such an intense barrage of
cyber activity that threat alerts; many of which turn out to
be benign are overwhelming cyber security teams. There
is simply too much data to analyse and verify manually."
(1st October 2016)
POLICE IN ENGLAND AND WALES CONSIDER MAKING

MISOGYNY A HATE CRIME
(The Guardian, dated 10th September 2016 author Mark
Townsend)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/sep/10/misogynyhate-crime-nottingham-police-crackdown
Police forces across England and Wales are considering
expanding their definition of hate crime to include
misogyny after an experiment in one city that saw more
than 20 investigations launched in two months.
The initial success of Nottingham's crackdown against
sexist abuse has drawn national interest after the city's
police revealed that they investigated a case of misogyny
every three days during July and August, the first months
to see specially trained officers targeting behaviour
ranging from street harassment to unwanted physical
approaches.
Several other forces have confirmed they are sending
representatives to Nottingham this month to discuss the
introduction of misogyny as a hate crime.
Police and campaigners said the initial figures were

broadly in line with other categories of hate crime such as
Islamophobia and antisemitism but were likely to rise
significantly as awareness increased.
Dave Alton, the hate crime manager for Nottingham
police, said: "The number of reports we are receiving is
comparable with other, more established, categories of
hate crime. We have received numerous reports and have
been able to provide a service to women in
Nottinghamshire who perhaps wouldn't have approached
us six months ago. The reality is that all of the reports so
far have required some form of police action."
Incidents reported by Nottingham women ranged from
verbal harassment to sexual assault. Initial claims from
sections of the media that wolf-whistling would be
reported by women have proved unfounded. So far, two
men have been arrested for public order offences and
actual bodily harm in incidents classified as misogynist.
Melanie Jeffs, the manager of Nottingham Women's
Centre, said: "Women are groped, or groups of lads shout
abuse or very sexualised comments at them. We have
incidents of sexual touching, women being grabbed and
men trying to get women into a car with them."
Loretta Trickett, a criminologist at Nottingham Trent
University, predicted that the number of reports of
misogyny in the city would increase after much of the
large student population - more than 60,000 attend its two
universities - arrived later this month. In 10 days' time,
Nottinghamshire police will release a film featuring firsthand accounts of street harassment victims to encourage
more women to report incidents.
Jeffs said: "We know it's a big issue that happens on a
daily basis - it's part of the everyday wallpaper of women's
lives. This is about raising awareness, making women feel
that they don't have to put up with it - and that's very
empowering. Already women are ringing through to the
police saying: 'I want this to be recorded as a misogynistic
hate crime'."
Other forces understood to be interested include Devon
and Cornwall, Durham and Lincolnshire, which are all
sending officers to Nottingham to discuss the experiment.
Alton said: "There has been quite a lot of interest in the
action we have taken. Both our chief constable and our
commissioner have been contacted by forces and
commissioners nationally to discuss how we have made
the changes and what the impact has been so far."
The force defines misogyny hate crime as "incidents
against women that are motivated by an attitude of a man
towards a woman and includes behaviour targeted
towards a woman by men simply because they are a
woman".
The new classification means women can report incidents
that might not be considered a crime and the police will
investigate.
Last week it was revealed that prosecutions relating to
violence against women and girls in England and Wales
have reached record levels amid warnings that the
increasing use of social media is fuelling the rise.
Campaigners believe misogyny is spilling over from the
virtual world of the internet into the real world.
Trickett said: "Street harassment is at the root of a lot of
the sexualised violence that we see - the idea that women
are sexual commodities. It's also linked to online abuse. A
lot of it has gone unchallenged for so long that it has
almost become normalised."
Campaigners in the city said the reaction to the
classification of misogyny as a hate crime had been
overwhelmingly positive, with many men also registering
their approval.
"We've had women say how proud they are to be from this
city, and that this makes them feel like they're walking 10
feet taller," said Jeffs.

One issue that has concerned campaigners is street
harassment aimed at schoolchildren, with Trickett saying
that sexist abuse could be aimed at youngsters as young
as eight.
uaware information - Definition of Mysogny
Noun :
-
dislike of women,
contempt for women
ingrained prejudice against women
hatred of women
mistrust of women
Misogyny can be manifested in numerous ways :

-
including social exclusion

sex discrimination
hostility
male privilege ideas
belittling of women
violence against women
sexual objectification of women
Sources : Oxford English Dictionary and Wikipedia

(10th September 2016)
SMARTPHONE APP LETS WOMEN REPORT AREAS
WERE THEY FEEL UNSAFE
(Euronews, dated 8th September 2016)
www.euronews.com/2016/09/09/smartphone-app-letswomen-report-areas-where-they-feel-unsafe
Dark alleyways and empty spaces can often mean danger
and a sense of anxiety for the most vulnerable members

of society.
Now in a bid to improve safety, the Australian capital of
Canberra has come up with a new interactive website
where people can give their feedback about where they
feel unsafe and why.
For some people certain areas at night are a 'no go', once
it gets dark.
Frances McNair is one of many people using the Safety
Mapping Tool.
"There are so many places in Canberra where the lighting
is just so insufficient, it's so dark and you kind of, you just
don't feel comfortable," she says.
The site is designed and managed by the Women's Centre
for Health Matters (WCHM) and is funded by the Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) government.
"Over the years we know that women often tell us that
they find it hard sometimes to be feel safe in public so
we've designed a digital tool to try and be able to collect
some of that information from women," says Marcia
Williams from the Women's Centre for Health Matters.
The WCHM site is accessed via an app or website.
Frances McNair demonstrates how the program works.
"So you've got three selections, you can either choose the
rectangle, circle or just the drop pin. And how do you feel?
I'm going to say unsafe and why do I feel this way, there's
a lack of lighting on the bike paths," she says.
Having the map online makes it accessible and portable.
"If I'm sitting somewhere and I feel really good about the
place or I'm not feeling too great, I can take out my phone
and I can put in all the information and it gets collected
then and there." says McNair.

Like most things on the web, the map is open to
comments but the centre says it has safeguards in place
to prevent abusive or troll-like behaviour.
"We've deliberately designed the system so the
information that's put in isn't available to everyone and
we'll be able to sort through that data," says Marcia.
By bringing the feedback together, the site will be able to
pass on useful information to government and planning
bodies about what works and what doesn't.
"If we can get that information through an interactive
portal then we can look at ways that we can make the city
feel safer and be more usable for everybody," says ACT
Minister for Women Yvette Berry.
Technology giving a voice to the most vulnerable in the
community.
I AM SICK OF LIVING IN A CULTURE THAT TOLERATES

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
(The Guardian, dated 6th September 2016 author Joan
Smith)
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/sep/06/
violence-against-women-epidemic-female-equality
It's always there, isn't it? Most of us don't like it, but what
can we actually do about gender-based violence? Sure, the
figures are terrible - violent crimes against women in
England and Wales reached record levels last year - but
they've been going up for ages. Rape and domestic
violence are the new poor, always with us no matter how
much we wish it were otherwise.

If that sounds cynical, it's because I'm sick of a glaring
disconnect at the heart of our culture. The criminal justice
system is struggling to cope with the number of women
coming forward with terrible stories of rape, beatings and a relatively new one, this - online forms of abuse such as
revenge porn.
The annual report of the director of public prosecutions,
Alison Saunders, told exactly this story when it was
published earlier this week. Offences against women,
including domestic abuse, rape and sexual assault, rose by
almost 10% in 2015-16. Stalking prosecutions were up by
7.1%, child sex prosecutions by 15.4% and there were a
record number (4,643) of rape prosecutions.
Cue a great deal of hand-wringing and a weary sense that
perhaps violence against women, while regrettable, is
inevitable. Just think of all the training, initiatives and
public awareness work that's been done in recent years,
yet the picture just keeps on getting worse. Is there really
anything that someone - police, prosecutors, legislators hasn't already thought of and tried?
There is, but it requires a dramatic shift in public attitudes.
How many times have you heard people express
sympathy with a man on trial for rape, asking why the
victim had had so much to drink or agreed to go back to
his hotel room? Public understanding of the law relating to
consent is woefully lacking, and there is a persistent
tendency to view women's behaviour much more critically
than that of the men who commit even violent assaults.
The same unthinking callousness is shown to victims of
domestic abuse, who are often criticised for staying with
violent partners even when they have nowhere else to
live. There are nothing like enough safe places for victims,
a situation that's going to get even worse when a housing
benefit cap hits refuges in 2018.
If we are to change the dire situation revealed in annual
crime statistics, there has to be an end to a culture of

suspicion, denial and victim-blaming. Sometimes I think
we're making progress but every apparent advance is
quickly followed by a return to the status quo. Three
months ago, after the horrific killing of the Labour MP Jo
Cox, there was an outpouring of shock and sympathy. That
consensus didn't last long. When other female Labour MPs
talked publicly about receiving rape and death threats,
some people went on social networking sites to mock
them. They even laughed at Jess Phillips when she posted
photographs of a locksmith fixing stronger locks at the
home she shares with her children.
The attitude that being threatened with sexual violence is
just another hazard of the job seems to be widely held,
with the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, telling his female
colleagues to ignore it. When even the leader of the
opposition cannot correctly identify a gender-specific form
of abuse, we have reached a startling level of denial.
But that is exactly where we are, as I was reminded on the
Sunday morning after Cox's killing part in a BBC TV
programme that began by discussing the attack on Cox
and then moved on to a call by several public figures,
including Sir Cliff Richard, for anonymity for men accused
of serious sexual offences. Another of the guests
immediately began to talk about false rape accusations,
as though the biggest problem we face is the number of
men being wrongly accused.
This claim was debunked by research published by Keir
Starmer, Saunders's predecessor as DPP. Yet in no time at
all we had moved from talking about women as victims of
horrendous violence to the idea that they make
untrustworthy witnesses. There is nothing unusual about
that, sadly, but such assumptions cannot be ignored when
we look at the shockingly low rate of convictions in rape
cases.
According to the DPP's latest report, just over half of rape
prosecutions ended in a conviction last year. That means
that fewer than 3,000 men were found guilty in the whole
of England and Wales, yet almost 6,000 women reported

rapes to the police in London alone. The vast majority are
telling the truth but few will ever see their attacker in a
courtroom.
Violence against women is at epidemic proportions. Some
of it is driven by technology but the biggest problem by far
is tolerance. A society genuinely committed to gender
equality wouldn't put up with this situation for a moment.
REVENGE PORN PROSECUTIONS TOP MORE THAT

200 AS OFFENCES AGAINST WOMEN SOAR
author Francesca Gillett)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revenge-pornprosecutions-top-more-than-200-as-offences-againstwomen-soar-a3337696.html
The number of prosecutions for rape in 2015-16 was the
highest ever recorded at 4,643. Out of them, nearly 58 per
cent of defendants were convicted of either rape or an
alternative or lesser offence.
Britain's top prosecutor Alison Saunders warned of a
"growing trend" of offences carried out on or through
social media.
Child sexual abuse convictions increased by almost 17 per
cent in the period.
The number of people prosecuted for revenge porn has
topped more than 200 as crimes against women soar.
Violent offences against women including rape and

domestic abuse rose by 10 per cent in the last year, new
figures from the Crown Prosecution Service have shown.
New laws to tackle revenge porn - which is when private
sexual images of an ex-partner are put on the internet
without their consent - came into force in April last year.
Since then there have been 206 cases against people
accused of the crime, which carries a maximum sentence
of two years in prison.
The figures come from the CPS' annual Violence against
Women and Girls report and also showed prosecutions and
convictions for sexual offences against women were at
record levels.
Rape, domestic abuse and sex offences make up nearly a
fifth of the CPS's total workload, this year's report showed.
The number of prosecutions for rape in 2015-16 was the
highest ever recorded at 4,643. Out of them, nearly 58 per
cent of defendants were convicted of either rape or an
alternative or lesser offence.
Britain's top prosecutor Alison Saunders warned of a
"growing trend" of offences carried out on or through
social media.
Child sexual abuse convictions increased by almost 17 per
cent in the period.
HOPE FOR BANK FRAUD VICTIMS

(The Telegraph, dated 3rd September 2016 author Amelia
Murray)
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/hope-forbank-fraud-victims-we-were-robbed-of-47000--but-theomb/
In what could be a breakthrough ruling for victims of
banking fraud, the financial ombudsman is to order a high
street bank to repay an elderly couple who lost tens of
thousands of pounds in a conveyancing scam.
The ombudsman, which settles disputes between
customers and financial services firms, will tell Lloyds
Bank to repay 47,508 plus interest to Donald Kelly, a
retired professor, and his wife, Patricia.
Its decision was based on what Lloyds knew about the
fraudsters.
Banks are supposed to check the credentials of all
customers when they open an account and to be
especially vigilant when large sums are paid into or taken
out of new accounts.
Prof Kelly, 83 and Mrs Kelly, 82, are just two of many
victims who have contacted Telegraph Money after being
swindled out of life-changing amounts of money while in
the process of buying a property.
Like other victims, the Kellys received a convincing-looking
email from a criminal who pretended to be their solicitor
and requested payment into an alternative account.
The Kellys believed they were paying a deposit of 47,508
to their solicitor on September 2 last year, just over a
month before moving from Wirral, Merseyside, to their
new home in a retirement village in Exeter. In fact, the
fraudsters received the money.
Prof Kelly said: "The email looked no different except that
two letters in the solicitor's name had been swapped
around."
The Kellys said they were not aware that they had been
victims until October 5, the day before they were due to

move, when Ford Simey, their solicitor, called them to say
their payment had not been received.
Luckily the couple were able to borrow the missing funds
and move as planned.
The next day they visited the local branch of their bank,
NatWest, to report the scam.
However, the fraudsters' account had been cleared in five
transactions on the day the payment was made - a month
previously.
The couple complained to both banks and then took their
case to the ombudsman.
In an email to the Kellys with her provisional findings,
Sandra Quinn, the ombudsman for banking and credit,
said: "As you know this account was newly opened.
"I can review whether the payment coming into the
account was consistent with what [Lloyds] knew and
whether it could have done anything.
"I believe [Lloyds] had time to be alerted and take some
action and there's no evidence it did."
Prof Kelly said the ombudsman had told him that this
decision had been confirmed in its final ruling, although
the ombudsman declined to comment, saying it had not
yet sent a letter with its final decision.
Prof Kelly reported the fraud to Action Fraud, the UK's
cybercrime and fraud reporting centre, in October. He was
not contacted by Surrey Police until January. The crime is
currently under investigation.
Lloyds said: "We would like to apologise for the
inconvenience caused to Prof Kelly. We will accept the
decision from the ombudsman once it is received and will
offer him compensation in line with the ombudsman's
findings."
David Williams, managing director of Ford Simey, said the
firm had conducted an investigation as soon as it became
aware of the scam and had found no evidence that its
systems had been compromised.
What the Kellys' case means for other fraud victims
The couple's success will give hope to other victims that
they have grounds to demand compensation from banks
that allow fraudsters to open accounts.
Banks are supposed to carry out checks on new customers
to ensure that they are who they say they are.
Andrew Goodwill, founder of the Goodwill group, which
fights fraud, said: "The ombudsman's ruling, while it will
not set a formal precedent, suggests there was a flaw in
the due diligence that Lloyds should have carried out
when the fraudsters' account was opened."
He said that although the ombudsman could comment on
banks' processes, it did not have the power to enforce
changes. But he said the ruling showed it was worth
reporting disputes to the ombudsman.
"It's nice that a member of the public has taken on the
banks and won, as it hardly ever happens," Mr Goodwill
said.
Prof Kelly said: "It was only when the ombudsman began
to investigate Lloyds that we started getting information
from the bank."
AUGUST 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - AUGUST 2016

----------------------DOING BUSINESS WITH ASIA ? THEN WORRY MORE ABOUT
SECURITY
(The Register, dated 25th August 2016 author Darren
Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/25/wtf_is_lateral_pivot_asia
_pac_orgs_suck_at_security_mandiant_finds/
Organisations across the Asia Pacific are terrible at
information security, a Mandiant report contests.
While businesses in the United States will detect a hacker
in their networks within four months, in line with the global
average, it takes 17 months for those in the Asia Pacific
region to notice their intruder.
The region is diverse, with some countries faring better
than others, Rob Van Der Ende, Asia Pacific vice president
of Mandiant parent firm FireEye tells Vulture South.
Van Der Ende points to a focus of regional businesses in
perimeter defence rather than the modern best practice
approach of hardening network internals in a bid to
minimise the damage from breaches.
There are dozens of persistent attack groups in the Asia
Pacific willing plunder organisations on their own turf. The
capabilities of these bold groups coupled with a lack of
awareness of internal network hardening makes for a
potential storm of breaches of which many the public may
be unaware of, Van Der Ende agrees.
----------------------A QUARTER OF BANKS DATA BREACHES ARE DOWN TO
LOST PHONES AND LAPTOPS
(The Register, dated 25th August 2016 author John

Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/25/us_bank_breaches_surv
ey/
One in four breaches (25.3 per cent) in the US financial
services sector over recent years were due to lost or
stolen devices, according to a new study.
More than 60 financial sector organisations suffered
recurring breaches in the last decade, including most
major banks.
While hacking accounted for a disproportionate number of
the individuals affected by financial services breaches,
only one in five leaks were caused by hacking. Other
breaches were the result of unintended disclosures (14 per
cent), malicious insiders (13 per cent), and lost paper
records.
JP Morgan Chase, the US's largest bank, has suffered
several recurring breaches since 2007. The largest breach
event, the result of a cyber-attack in 2014 affected an
estimated 76 million US households. Other breaches at
JPMorgan stemmed from lost devices, unintended
disclosures, and payment card fraud.
----------------------POOR SECURITY "AIDED" ASHLEY MADISON HACK
(BBC News, dated 23rd August 2016)
The Ashley Madison dating site had "inadequate" security
systems and used fake icons to make people think it was
safe, reveals a report.
The Toronto-based firm's security systems were
investigated by privacy watchdogs in Canada and
Australia.
The attack on Ashley Madison in July 2015 took data on

millions of users.
Avid Life Media, which owns Ashley Madison, has already
said it will abide by the report's findings to improve the
way it handles data.
Canada's Office of the Privacy Commissioner (COPC) and
the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
started an investigation into how Avid Life Media handled
customer data soon after the attack.
The report released this week revealed that Avid Life
violated privacy laws in both countries thanks to the lax
way it oversaw data that users surrendered to it when
they signed up.
----------------------TELECOMS INDUSTRY "TOP TARGET" FOR CYBERATTACKS
(International Business Times, dated 23rd August 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/telecom-industry-top-targetcyberattacks-by-hackers-luring-insiders-gain-accesssystems-1577519
Hackers are increasingly targeting employees, in efforts to
launch cyberattacks against businesses. Security
researchers have found that the telecommunications
industry is particularly vulnerable to such threats and is a
"top target" for cyberattacks. Hackers are now luring
insiders via underground channels, either paying or
blackmailing them, as part of their malicious "toolset" to
help breach telecom providers' security and conduct
attacks.
According to Kaspersky Lab, telecom providers are
attractive targets for cybercriminals and state-sponsored
hackers as they collectively oversee global networks,
voice and data transmission and store colossal amounts of
sensitive data. Researchers also noted that "28% of all
cyberattacks, and 38% of targeted attacks now involve

malicious activity by insiders".
----------------------SWIFT "AWARE OF HACKING THREAT FOR YEARS BUT
FAILED TO ACT" SAYS FORMER CEO
(International Business Times, dated 19th August 2016
www.ibtimes.co.uk/swift-aware-hacking-threat-yearsfailed-act-says-former-ceo-1576968
Nb : Also see full article in News 2016 section.
Top officials in charge of Swift, the financial messaging and
transfer system used by over 10,000 banks around the
world, had suspected cybersecurity vulnerabilities in
customer terminals 'for years' but failed to address
concerns.
That's the accusation made by over a dozen current and
former senior managers and board members of the
Belgium-based organisation, who spoke to Reuters in the
wake of a number of high-profile, and highly damaging,
cyberattacks on banks using Swift mechanisms to transfer
funds.
-----------------------HACKERS ONLY NEED 5 MINUTES TO FORGE A PHISHING
SCAM AND 25 MINUTES TO BREAK INTO SYSTEMS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hackers-only-need-5-minutes-forgephishing-scam-25-minutes-break-into-systems-report1576554
How long do you think it may take cybercriminals to hack
into your computer? According to a new report by cloudbased cybersecurity firm Duo Security, it may take less
than half an hour for hackers using phishing email
campaigns to access systems and steal sensitive
information.
Duo Security collected data from 400 organisations using
its free web-based tool Duo Insight, which allows internal
IT teams to test employee response by sending out
phishing campaign simulations. The firm said that of the
11,542 users who received such phishing emails, 31%
clicked on links that could have potentially compromised
systems via malware or virus attacks.
The phishing simulation links sent out by Duo did not
install malware, instead it prompted users to enter their
login credentials. Alarmingly, 17% of users ended up
providing their usernames and passwords "giving an
attacker in a real-world scenario the keys to corporate
data".
-----------------------PHARMACEUTICAL AND MANUFACTURING FIRMS HIT BY
"OPERATION GHOUL" HACK ATTACK
www.ibtimes.co.uk/pharmaceutical-manufacturing-firmshit-by-operation-ghoul-hack-attack-1576601
A sophisticated cybercrime operation targeting industrial
and engineering firms in over 30 countries across the
world with the aim of stealing financial data has been
exposed by security researchers at Kaspersky Lab.
The cybercriminals behind the campaign, dubbed
Operation Ghoul, have reportedly attacked over 130
businesses so far using email phishing tactics to spoof
letters from banks in an attempt to get unsuspecting
recipients to hand over sensitive corporate information.
The fake emails are most frequently made to look like

payment documents, and often include Zip files loaded
with malware, Kaspersky said. Additionally, the hackers
have been known to use phishing links - which are still
shockingly effective to the untrained eye.
----------------------HYATT, MARRIOTT AND OTHER HEI - OPERATED HOTELS
HIT BY MALWARE ATTACK
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hyatt-starwood-other-hei-operatedhotels-hit-by-malware-attack-customer-data-feared-stolen1576037
Hackers have attacked 20 hotels run by HEI Hotels and
Resorts, including Hyatt, Marriott, Starwood and
Intercontinental with a targeted malware. The cyberattack
may likely have resulted in personal and financial
information of thousands of customers being stolen and
leaked.
Privately-owned HEI, which is headquartered in Norwalk,
Connecticut, confirmed that the data breach was first
discovered in June this year and was found to be targeting
PoS (point-of-sale) systems. The firm also said that the
malware was specifically designed to steal card data used
by customers to make payments.
HEI said that the malware was active from 1 March 2015
to 21 June 2016 and affected 12 Starwood hotels, six
Marriott International Inc hotels, one Hyatt hotel and one
other Intercontinental hotel
----------------THIEVES CAN WIRELESSLY UNLOCK UP TO 100 MILLION
VOLKSWAGENS, EACH AT THE PRESS OF A BUTTON
(The Register, dated 11th August 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/11/car_lock_hack/
Security researchers will demonstrate how crooks can
break into cars at will using wireless signals that can
unlock millions of vulnerable vehicles.
The eggheads, led by University of Birmingham computer
scientist Flavio Garcia alongside colleagues from German
engineering firm Kasper & Oswald, have managed to clone
a VW Group remote control key fob after eavesdropping on
the gizmos' radio transmissions.
The hack can be used by thieves to wirelessly unlock as
many as 100 million VW cars, each at the press of a
button. Almost every vehicle the Volkswagen group has
sold for the past 20 years - including cars badged under
the Audi and Skoda brands - is potentially vulnerable, say
the researchers. The problem stems from VW's reliance on
a "few, global master keys."
----------------ANDROID BUG FEAR IN 900 MILLION PHONES
(BBC News, datd 8th August 2016 author Mark Ward)
www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-37005226
Serious security flaws that could give attackers complete
access to a phone's data have been found in software
used on tens of millions of Android devices.
The bugs were uncovered by Checkpoint researchers
looking at software running on chipsets made by US firm
Qualcomm. Qualcomm processors are found in about 900
million Android phones, the company said.
Affected devices included:
- BlackBerry Priv
- Blackphone 1 and Blackphone 2

- Google Nexus 5X, Nexus 6 and Nexus 6P
- HTC One, HTC M9 and HTC 10
- LG G4, LG G5, and LG V10
- New Moto X by Motorola
- OnePlus One, OnePlus 2 and OnePlus 3
- US versions of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Samsung S7
Edge
- Sony Xperia Z Ultra
----------------------HACKERS UNLEASH SMART TWITTER PHISHING TOOL THAT
CATCHES TWO USERS IN THREE
(The Register, dated 5th August 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/05/hackers_unleash_smart
_twitter_phishing_tool_that_snags_two_in_three_users/
Don't Click on dodgy short URLs.
Twitter scammers have a new weapon with the release of
an effective spear phishing tool that lands a victim almost
two thirds of the time, dwarfing the usual five-to-fifteenper-cent-open-rate for spam tweets.
It sifts through a user's previous tweets using its machine
learning capabilities to craft tweets relevant to a target's
interests.
-----------------------200 MILLION YAHOO ACCOUNTS MAY BE UP FOR SALE ON
BLACK MARKET
(Computer World, dated 2nd August 2016 author Michael
Kan)
www.computerworld.com/article/3102916/security/200myahoo-accounts-go-up-for-sale-on-black-market.html
Yahoo users might want to reset their passwords. A hacker
claims to have stolen the login information for 200 million
Yahoo accounts and is selling them on the black market.
Writing a resume means knowing your audience. If you try

to please everyone, you'll only wind up with
The stolen records are up for sale on TheRealDeal, a
darknet marketplace that offers illegal goods. For 3
bitcoins, or $1,824, anyone can buy them.
The hacker, known as peace_of_mind, has claimed to have
previously sold login credentials for LinkedIn and Tumblr
users.
In a brief message, peace_of_mind said the Yahoo
database came from a Russian group that breached
LinkedIn and Tumblr, in addition to MySpace.
----------------------FBI TO LEAD NATION'S CYBERATTACK RESPONSES
(Computer World, dated 26th July 2016 author Patrick
Thibodeau)
Full article [option 1]:
www.computerworld.com/article/3100625/security/fbi-tolead-nations-cyberattack-responses.html
President Barack Obama issued a policy directive Tuesday
putting the FBI in charge of cyberattack responses. For
businesses, this means the FBI should be in the speed dial
if help is needed.
The intent of the directive is to improve management of
the U.S. response to "significant" cyberattacks.
Analysts say this action was needed because it was never
clear just what agency was taking the lead in response to
a cybe attack -- the U.S. Secret Service, an agency within
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) or some
other federal agency.
The decision to put the FBI in charge "was essential," said
Alan Paller, president of the Sans Technology Institute and
director of research. "The FBI is the only non-DoD agency
with a very high concentration of ninjas on staff -- people

with the advanced forensics skills needed to find out what
happened."
The FBI will now "take the lead in coordinating the
response to the immediate threat," said Lisa Monaco,
assistant to the president for Homeland Security and
Counterterrorism, in a speech today at a security
conference in New York.
---------------------(1st September 2016)
UK HOSPITALS TARGETED BY RANSOMWARE BUT

NHS DID NOT PAY UP
(International Business Times, dated 31st August 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-hospitals-targeted-by-ransomwarenhs-did-not-pay-1578832
Ransomware is increasingly becoming the go-to
cybercrime exploit used by hackers to make a quick buck.
In particular, targeted attacks against hospitals across the
globe have escalated in the recent past. UK hospitals have
also been targeted and successfully infiltrated by hackers
via ransomware attacks. However, unlike some victims,
NHS has not paid up hackers when struck by ransomware.
According to information gleaned by Motherboard from
Freedom of Information requests, UK hospitals, despite
having been successfully penetrated by ransomware, are
not paying hackers any ransom. According to
Motherboard's report numerous NHS trusts had been
hacked, since as far back as 2012. However, the attacks
allegedly appeared to be small scale, infecting only a
limited amount of systems. Additionally, all of the NHS
hospitals contacted confirmed they had been infected but

not paid the hackers.
This, however, in no way mitigates the security
implications of such attacks. According to cybersecurity
firm NCC Group, which researched 60 NHS Trusts, nearly
50% of them were infected by ransomware in 2015.
However, with ransomware, successful ransom payments
are considered to be more important than successful
infections. Reports speculate that if victims of
ransomware, especially hospitals, do not pay up, then
there is a possibility that they may have been able to
protect or recover sensitive data, making payment
unnecessary.
The East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust said it was
twice successfully infected by Crypto Locker, a particular
strain of ransomware. "In both cases for the Trust, we did
not pay the ransom, we simply recovered the data from an
internal backup," Freedom of Information Officer Jude
Archer wrote in her response. "We back up all Trust data
each and every day. I can confirm that there is no
evidence the data that was encrypted [by the
ransomware] was copied or moved off site at any time."
Officials at The Health and Social Care Information Centre
(HSCIC) also followed a similar approach when struck by
ransomware attacks.
"According to records HSCIC has been infected with
ransomware on 3 occasions since January 2012, in every
instance HSCIC has been prepared for this eventuality and
has been able to contain and eradicated the ransomware
infection and restore all affected systems and files from
full backups, without any breaches to patient data or
disruptions to the delivery of patient care," said
Information Governance Advisor Graeme Holmes.
Ransomware boom
Ransomware attacks against hospitals are becoming
increasingly common. Hospitals in the US, Japan and South
Korea were recently targeted by a massive Locky

ransomware attack. Security researchers noted that
hackers are constantly evolving their techniques in order
to target more victims and avoid security detection. This is
evidenced by the rapid evolution of the Cerber
ransomware. Security firm Check Point had released a
decryption key for the ransomware, which was available
for a day before Cerber's developers modified the
ransomware to render Check Point's decryption key
ineffective.
Symantec also recently released a report that highlighted
how hackers have more than doubled the amount of
ransom demanded from victims. "The perfection of the
ransomware business model has created a gold-rush
mentality among attackers, as growing numbers seek to
cash in," Symantec said.
EIGHT OUT OF 10 PEOPLE HAPPY WITH POLICING,
WATCHDOG FINDS
(The Guardian, dated 31st August 2016 author Amelia Hill)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/31/eight-out-of10-people-happy-with-policing-watchdog-finds
uaware note : article has many links to further sources of
information.
Almost eight in 10 people are satisfied with policing,
according to a report published by the police watchdog.
The survey of 26,000 people also found that the majority
of the population felt that crime and antisocial behaviour
was not much of a problem (62%), while a further one in
10 did not consider it a problem at all (10%).
The study, conducted last summer but published for the
first time on Wednesday, was carried out by Ipsos Mori on

behalf of Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary to
monitor public views of policing. It is the first time the
study has been done.
The findings reveal that 76% of people are happy with
policing in their area despite 36% not having seen a police
officer on patrol over a period of 12 months. Another 23%
said they had seen police on foot only once or twice over a
year. Those living in the most deprived neighbourhoods,
however, are more likely to report having seen a
uniformed police presence on foot.
But the survey also found a quarter of respondents
believed that crime and antisocial behaviour was a big
problem in their local area (25%). Age appears to have an
impact on feelings of safety with 33% of 16 to 24-year-olds
feeling unsafe, compared with 21% of those aged 65 and
over.
The study questioned people aged over 16 across the 43
police forces in England and Wales, between 15 July and 6
August 2015.
Last October, the chair of the National Police Chiefs'
Council, Sara Thornton, and Craig Mackey, deputy
commissioner of the Metropolitan police, said the era of
routine patrols by "bobbies on the beat" had come to an
end.
They also said funding cuts would lead to a transformation
in investigating crime, but the Home Office said at the
time police reform was working and crime was falling.
Police budgets in England and Wales were protected in
real terms in the former chancellor George Osborne's
spending review last November.
People's overall contentment with policing appears to
reflect the national picture of falling crime rates, as
recorded by the latest Crime Survey for England and
Wales (CSEW). The CSEW shows overall crime has been
falling since a peak in 1995, with some fluctuations from

year to year. The latest survey ending March 2016 showed
a 6% fall in the number of incidents against adults aged
16 to 59. There were 6.3m incidents, compared with 6.8m
in the previous survey year.
Improved crime rates, however, do not reliably result in
people feeling safer. The same ONS survey showed that
around 6 out of 10 adults (61%) perceived crime in the
country as a whole to have risen over the past few years.
Fewer people, however, perceived that crime had risen in
their local area (32%). Instead, when asked about the level
of crime in their local area, compared with the level
nationally, only a small proportion (9%) thought crime in
their local area was above average and 55% felt it was
below average.
News programmes on TV and radio are most often cited as
the main source of information influencing people's
perceptions of national crime levels (cited by 67% of
people).
The 2013-14 survey found 12% of adults classified as
having a high level of worry about violent crime. Almost
one in five adults (19%) thought it was either "very" or
"fairly likely" that they would be a victim of crime within
the next 12 months. All of these measures were at a
similar level to the previous year and the general trend
has been flat for a number of years.
LONDON POLICE CHIEF SAYS ACTION FRAUD GETS
40,000 REPORTS EVERY MONTH
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-police-chief-says-action-fraudgets-40000-reports-every-month-1578552#
Despite budget cuts and a steadily rising cybercrime rate,

the London police force, led by the commissioner, Ian
Dyson, continues to battle the menace even enlisting the
help of tech giants like Google and Microsoft.
According to Dyson, almost half of all cybercrimes
reported to Action Fraud, Britain's national fraud reporting
service, comes from overseas attackers located as close
as Russia and Ukraine or as far off as India. Dyson said
that among the emerging crimes is "CEO fraud", referring
to scam phishing emails distributed to junior employees in
a firm. The scam emails sent out by hackers, generally
pose as being sent from a senior company official and
involve prompting the receivers to divulge sensitive
information.
"Every month Action Fraud receives 40,000 reports, half a
million a year, and we know from the ONS stats that's only
a small percentage of what is going on. There were 3.8
million frauds and two million cyber offences. You cannot
enforce your way out of this. It's physically impossible,"
Dyson told the Guardian.
The reports received by Action Fraud are first analysed to
determine which of them have "actionable leads", after
which they are passed along to either the National Crime
Agency (NCA), the Serious Fraud Office or the 43 other
police forces spread across the UK, while the remaining
are dealt with by the City of London police.
"There are 700 cases the City of London police are
investigating at the moment. That's me rather than ones
disseminated to other forces. In the top 10 there is about
half a billion pounds worth of fraud being investigated,"
Dyson said. "The public have to shift their mindset around
crime. The public have to understand we cannot enforce
our way out of this, [given] the volume of crime, the fact
that it is global and happening so fast, and that money
can be moved so quickly. It has to be about prevention
and protection."
"Policing has taken a 20% hit in its budget so I've got to do

what I can with what I've got," Dyson said, adding that
almost every public sector organisation faces similar cuts.
"You have to be realistic with the volumes [of crimes]
you've got, [and] about the global nature of the crime
issue. I cannot possibly sit here and say I am going to
investigate every crime. You can't. But policing has never
investigated every crime."
Dyson also said that the a pilot project is in the works,
which would involve hiring private law firms to help seize
the money involved in a crime, which would then be used
to repay victims. "We're an innovative police force," he
added. "The investment in the last 10 years was in
neighbourhood policing and the visibility of police officers.
We are shifting, in fairness, policing is shifting to deal with
online."
Disruption is key
According to Dyson, disruption or public reporting of
crimes is a major source of intelligence, which can be used
by the police force to fight cybercrime. "Last year 180,000
websites, phonelines and bank accounts involved in fraud
were closed down following police intelligence. So
disruption is a big thing... Your report, combined with
hundreds of others could lead us to close down that
website and prevent people from becoming victims of
fraud. While you might not get your money back, it will go
at least some way to stopping others [from being a
victim]," he said.
HUNDREDS OF POKEMON GO INCIDENTS LOGGED BY
POLICE
(BBC News, dated 29th August 2016 author Tom Mullen)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-37183161
Pokemon Go players have been involved in hundreds of
police incidents since the gaming app phenomenon

launched, the BBC has learned.
Robberies, thefts, assaults and driving offences were
among 290 incidents recorded across England and Wales
throughout July.
Lancashire Constabulary logged 39 incidents - the highest
figure from 29 forces that provided data.
The force has reiterated safety advice for fans of the
monster-hunting game.
A spokesman for Pokemon Go developers Niantic also
urged people playing the game to "abide by local laws".
Data released to the BBC under the Freedom of
Information Act revealed officers have dealt with
complaints ranging from the disturbing to the bizarre.
In some cases Pokemon players have been victims of
crime, while others have been accused of committing
offences or being involved in antisocial behaviour.
Surrey Police attended reports of 30 people fighting after a
Pokemon hunt turned into a brawl.
Officers in north Wales discovered a man had invited
children back to his home "as he had lots of Pokemon at
his address".
In Cheshire, concerns were raised about children walking
over graves in a cemetery as they took part in the
augmented reality craze.
Both Greater Manchester Police and the Met noted
incidents of Pokemon "lures" being set up, as robbers used
the game to distract victims before snatching their mobile
phones.
British Transport Police recorded two incidents of children
trespassing on railways while playing the game, while
several drivers have been spotted playing the game

behind the wheel.
Other incidents were less clear. West Midlands Police
referred to someone being "offered sexual favours" but
provided no further detail.
West Mercia Police recorded a "road accident while playing
Pokemon" but declined to elaborate.
A woman contacted West Yorkshire Police concerned that
Pokemon characters were trying to "get into her home".
Cumbria Police received a complaint regarding a picture
posted on Facebook, in which "the image had been altered
to depict the person as a Pokemon character".
In another traffic-related incident, officers in Surrey
discovered nine cars "parked across a junction" while
looking for Pokemon.
Police in Devon were called to reports of a motorist driving
down one-way streets and "stopping in the middle of the
road playing Pokemon".
South Yorkshire Police said a Pokemon player had been
punched and had their phone taken by three "unknown
assailants".
West Mercia Police recorded 32 incidents, the second
highest total, while the forces with the joint lowest were
Thames Valley and North Yorkshire, which each logged two
incidents.
The majority of forces declined to specify how many
arrests had been made, with several citing ongoing
investigations.
Sgt Neil Dewson-Smyth, of Cheshire Police, said the
figures were "worrying".
"It was out in America first and there seemed to have
been a few problems there. Nationally and internationally

I'm well aware of quite a few circumstances that have
come up," he said.
"But for me the key message is do not play it while
driving. It's a fun game, but play safe and don't put lives
at risk."
'Avoid dangerous locations'
A spokesman for Niantic said the company takes the issue
of "player safety" seriously.
"We encourage all people to be aware of their
surroundings and to play alongside friends or family,
especially when you're exploring unfamiliar places," he
added.
"Please remember to be safe and alert at all times, don't
drive and play, abide by local laws and respect the
locations you visit."
Lancashire Constabulary said Pokemon players should
never trespass on private land or put themselves in any
sort of risk for the sake of the game.
"People should avoid potentially dangerous locations that
could make you vulnerable to injury or become a victim of
crime," a force spokesman said.
"Never enter any body of water. Pokemon do not appear
beyond the safety of the shoreline. And don't enter
derelict structures, unlit footpaths or alleyways."
MORE THAN 1,000 RAPES AND SEX ASSAULTS IN
LONDON SCHOOLS IN JUST FOUR YEARS
author Hannah Al-Othman)

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revealed-more-than1000-rapes-and-sex-assaults-at-london-schools-in-justfour-years-a3330726.html
More than 1,000 rapes and sexual assaults have taken
place at schools and nurseries across London in the past
four years, it can be revealed.
Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act
show 83 rapes alleged to have taken place in schools or
nurseries in London were reported to police.
This was coupled with 921 other sexual assaults that were
also reported as taking place in schools and nurseries meaning 1,004 sex attacks in total were recorded by
police.
Of the rape allegations, more than 15 per cent were
reported in the borough of Croydon, where 13 rapes were
recorded.
There were also eight rapes reported in Haringey and a
further seven in Lewisham over the period spanning four
school years.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman stressed that although
the crimes had taken place in schools, the victims were
not neccessarily pupils.
They could also be parents, teachers, caretakers, or even
trespassers, police said.
The spokesman added that some crimes that happened
just outside a school building, or within the vicinity of a
school, could also be included in the data.
Police said they were unable to break the information
down by school year, or provide any information on the
age or gender of the victims, as this may lead to victims
being identified.
As well as the 83 rapes, police received reports of more

than 900 other sexual assaults at London schools and
nurseries.
Of these, the highest number was Lewisham, where 50
assaults took place, followed by Greenwich, which saw 46
reports, and Newham and Lambeth where there were 45
apiece.
In response to the figures, an NSPCC spokesman said:
"Schools should be safe places where pupils can fulfil their
potential, so it's disturbing that so many children have
been victims of sexual crimes.
"These figures should be a wake up call to all schools to
review their safeguarding procedures and ensure all pupils
feel able to speak out and seek help whenever they need
it.
"And all children need to be educated about what sexual
abuse is and how to get help immediately if they or
someone they know has suffered an attack at school."
A Department for Education spokesman said that sexual
offences take into account a large range of incidents,
including things like sexting.
He added: "Incidents of crime in schools are very rare. Any
offence, however, must be reported to the police. No
young person should feel unsafe or suffer harassment in
any circumstance.
"We regularly issue safeguarding guidance to schools and
Ofsted checks that schools have robust procedures in
place to ensure the safety of children as part of its
inspections."
###Sexual offences recorded at schools and nurseries
Rapes and other sexual offences recorded by the
Metropolitan Police between 2012 and 2016
: n = Rapes recorded (n) = Recorded other sexual offences

Barnet : 6 (26)
Barking and Dagenham : 2 (26)
Brent : 4 (25)
Bexley : 2 (33)
Bromley : 0 (32)
Camden : 3 (19)
City of London : ?
Croydon : 13 (44)
Ealing : 1 (30)
Enfield : 2 (52)
Greenwich : 1 (46)
Hackney : 4 (23)
Hammersmith and Fulham : 1 (23)
Haringey : 8 (34)
Harrow : 2 (26)
Havering : 3 (30)
Hillingdon : 2 (26)
Hounslow : 0 (23)
Islington : 2 (23)
Kensington and Chelsea : 2 (7)
Kingston upon Thames : 0 (5)
Lambeth : 3 (45)
Lewisham : 7 (50)
Merton : 1 (11)
Newham : 3 (45)
Redbridge : 1 (31)
Richmond upon Thames : 0 (5)
Southwark : 0 (36)
Sutton : 1 (28)
Tower Hamlets : 1 (26)
Waltham Forest : 2 (36)
Wandsworth : 4 (34)
Westminster : 2 (21)
THE LONDON BOROUGHS WITH THE MOST CRIMERIDDEN BUS ROUTES
author Hatty Collier)

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revealed-the-londonboroughs-with-the-highest-levels-of-bus-crimea3330706.html
Bus passengers are most at risk of becoming a victim of
crime when travelling through Westminster, it can be
revealed.
Figures obtained from Transport for London showed 1,424
crimes recorded on buses in the borough over a 12-month
period.
Lambeth had the second highest rate of crimes on buses
with 1,065 crimes reported from July 2015 to June 2016,
according to the statistics obtained by the Standard under
the Freedom of Information Act .
Southwark was the third most dangerous borough with
911 incidents and Hackney fourth with 817.
Transport for London said it was working hard alongside
police to tackle all forms of crimes on London's bus
services.
In contrast, Sutton had the lowest numbers of crimes on
buses with 189 incidents over the 12-month period.
Richmond, Bexley and Kingston also had low bus crime
rate with 211, 246 and 212 incidents reported
respectively.
Some 17,468 crimes were reported across London's bus
network over the year.
The figures included reported crimes of theft, violence
against a person, sex offences, criminal damage, robbery
and harassment.
The number of incidents for City of London were not

available.
Steve Burton, TfL's Director of Enforcement and On-Street
Operations, said: "The bus network is a safe, low-crime
environment with very few people ever experiencing or
witnessing crime.
"During 2015/16 there were around 7.5 crimes for every
million passenger journeys and the vast majority of these
were low-level.
"However, one crime is one too many and we are working
closely with the Metropolitan Police Service to further
improve the safety and security of those using London's
buses."
A Met Police spokesman said: "The MPS works with
Transport for London to ensure a very safe and secure
travelling environment for the public on the bus network thoroughly investigating any crimes or incidents, targeting
offenders and supporting victims.
"In an emergency always call 999. For all other police
related enquiries call our non-emergency
101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111."
###Crime on the buses
Crimes recorded by Transport for London between July 1,
2015 and June 30, 2016
Barnet : 559
Barking and Dagenham : 329
Brent : 625
Bexley : 246
Bromley : 351
Camden : 725
City of London : ?
Croydon : 561
Ealing : 616
Enfield : 500
Greenwich : 491
Hackney : 817
Hammersmith and Fulham : 624
Haringey : 794
Harrow : 282
Havering : 380
Hillingdon : 485
Hounslow : 434
Islington : 781
Kensington and Chelsea : 293
Kingston upon Thames : 212
Lambeth : 1065
Lewisham : 634
Merton : 313
Newham : 721
Redbridge : 356
Richmond upon Thames : 211
Southwark : 911
Sutton : 189
Tower Hamlets : 496
Waltham Forest : 514
Wandsworth : 529
Westminster : 1424
NHS SLAPS PRIVATE FIRM HEALTH IQ FOR MOVING
BRITS' DATA OFFSHORE
(The Register, dated 26th August 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/26/health_iq_rapped_by_nh
s_digital_data_security/
Health insurance and financial data management biz
Health IQ is the latest outfit to have its wrists slapped by
NHS Digital in the UK for failing to comply with data
processing rules.
A technical audit of Health IQ concluded the company had
breached its Data Sharing Agreement with the NHS "by

holding and processing data outside of the UK," according
to a report by the recently-rebranded NHS Digital, formerly
known as the Health and Social Care Information Centre.
The audit (PDF) said: "As a result of this breach Health IQ
had been required to delete NHS Digital data from the
non-UK systems and to cease processing data in its
London office. As a result of the incident, Health IQ has
moved some of its infrastructure to a UK data centre."
It is not the first company to be take to task by NHS Digital
in its regular audits and follow-up visit to companies to
ensure they meet the obligations in their Data Sharing
Contracts and Data Sharing Agreements.
"This helps to ensure that organisations abide by the
terms and conditions we set and data is kept safe and
secure," said NHS Digital.
The audits were put in place followinga review by Sir Nick
Partridge , which disclosed that 588 data sharing packages
were sold to "a range of private sector organisations,
typically for the purpose of analytics, benchmarking and
research" between April 2005 and March last year.
The spot checks apply to companies, charities, universities
and government bodies that have received medical
records after an investigation uncovered "significant
lapses" in protecting patient confidentiality.
Phil Booth, coordinator of pressure group medConfidential,
questioned why private companies are continue to break
the rules around data sharing.
"We get told that there are rules in place to protect the
privacy of patients. But yet again they've been ignored
without penalty." He added that the errors are often basic
and avoidable.
The sharing of patient records remains a highly
contentious issue, with the government having officially
canned its Care.data scheme.

The Register has contacted Health IQ for a comment.
GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE FAIL TO RECORD
38,000 REPORTED CRIMES
(The Guardian, dated 25th August 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/25/greatermanchester-police-fail-to-record-38000-reported-crimes
One of the biggest police forces in the country fails to
record more than 38,000 reported crimes each year,
including a quarter of violent offences.
Greater Manchester police (GMP) were graded
"inadequate" at recording crime, and a watchdog found
officers were also wrongly cancelling recorded violence,
robbery and sex offences.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said
GMP recorded about 85% of crimes that were reported,
but that the force was under-recording some serious
offences. A quarter of violent crimes, equivalent to more
than 16,800 offences, went unrecorded in a year.
Dru Sharpling from HMIC said: "Despite making some
progress following our 2014 inspection, the force is failing
some victims of crime. We estimate that the force fails to
record over 38,000 reported crimes each year. The
reported crimes that go unrecorded include serious
crimes, such as violence and sexual offences.
"The failings are often a consequence of a lack of
knowledge on the part of the officers and staff as to their
responsibilities for crime-recording, including the
cancellation of recorded crime records."

In samples of cancelled recorded crimes, 18 out of 20
rapes were found to have been correctly dropped, and 17
out of 21 other sexual offences.
But only 10 out of 20 violent crimes and 15 out of 22
robberies that were audited had been correctly cancelled.
GMP said recording levels had risen from 68% to 85% in
the past two years, and that further progress would be
made once a new IT system had been introduced.
Deputy Ch Con Ian Pilling said: "Many victims of crime are
satisfied with the service they receive, even when the
crime is not recorded properly and the report doesn't
highlight this.
"Whilst there are some unacceptable crime recording
failings, many are simply administrative issues and do not
mean we have failed the victim. A significant amount of
activity has taken place to address these administrative
problems and we will continue to work hard to address
this."
He also stressed that the majority of unrecorded violent
crimes were "in the less serious categories".
Another force, Staffordshire police, was graded as
"requires improvement" when recording crime. HMIC said
that 91% of reported crimes were recorded, including
every rape, but that the force was under-recording
offences including violence, sex offences and modern
slavery.
Wendy Williams from the watchdog said: "The force is still
not recording a large number of crimes each year properly
- approximately 6,700 crimes, including some serious
crimes, such as violence and sexual offences. There is a
lack of knowledge amongst officers and staff about their
responsibilities to record crime."
Meanwhile, Sussex police were judged to be "good" at

recording crime, with a rate of nearly 95%, although 5,300
offences were going unrecorded, including some serious
allegations.
Ch Con Giles York said: "Some victims may not have had
their crimes recorded entirely accurately and if they have
felt let down by that, then I am really sorry.
"We will need to keep working hard to maintain and
improve this very high standard for recording crime to
ensure that victims get the services they need."
POKEMON GO - SAFETY TIPS FOR PARENTS

(BT News, dated 25th August 2016 author Hannah
Bouckley)
http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/internet/pokemon-gosafety-tips-for-parents-11364081820971
The 1990's gaming phenomenon Pokmon is back with
Pokmon Go - but the game, which takes players outside
to hunt the critters, throws up safety issues parents need
to be aware of.
With over 100 million downloads, Pokmon Go has
become a global phenomenon and its popularity has sent
maker Nintendo's share price rising.
Unlike most smartphone games, Pokmon Go is a bit
different in that it encourages activity, requiring players to
go outside and interact with other people. Yes, it gets the
kids off the sofa, but it also brings up safety issues parents
need to be aware of. Here's everything a parent needs to
know about Pokmon Go.
What is Pokmon Go?

In Pokmon Go you are trainer bidding to catch Pokmon a menagerie of weird and wonderful creatures - but
instead of catching them in a game-based make believe
world, you catch them in real-world locations.
The game uses your phone's GPS to pinpoint your location
and create a map of the world around you, which you can
travel around to find the Pokmon. Find one, tap it and you
can then try to capture it using Pok Balls.
The game incorporates Augmented Reality, which uses the
phone's camera to overlay the Pokmon on the streets
and buildings that appear on your screen.
Pokstops are typically close to landmarks and allow
players to capture Pok Balls, while trainers can battle
each other at Pokmon Gyms.
Pokmon appear close to their natural habitat, so water
Pokmon will live near rivers and lakes, for example.
Pokmon Go safety tips
The action in Pokmon Go predominantly takes place
outside, so is great way for your child to keep active, but
brings up some safety issues.
Tip 1: Don't talk to strangers
People of all ages are playing Pokmon Go, which means
adults as well children are searching for Pokmon Gyms
and Pokstops. As a result, there is a risk your child may
interact with strangers, some of whom might have
dangerous intentions.
If you have young children, play Pokmon Go together,
and if your child is older, it's really important to talk to
them about the dangers of talking to strangers and remind
them that they should never meet up in real life with
someone they've met online. Find out where your child is

going to play Pokmon Go and what time they'll be back.
Internet Matters has useful advice on online grooming
If your child uses an iPhone to play Pokmon Go, make
sure they use your iCloud account. As long as the phone
has power, by logging into iCloud.com and clicking Find
iPhone you'll be able to see where they are.
Tip 2: Be careful with your phone
Smartphones are a target for thieves - three students were
robbed in Manchester playing Pokmon Go one evening.
Encourage your child to avoid taking their phone out in
busy areas and to use it discreetly.
They should be aware of what's going on, which leads to
our next tip
Tip 3: Pay attention to surroundings
People have been getting distracted when playing
Pokmon Go, such as the pair who fell off a cliff in the US
while hunting Pokmon.
UK police have issued warnings to players to be aware of
hazards such as cars and busy roads, so warn your child
about the importance of paying attention to risks around
them.
Pokmon Go has a vibrate option. Activate this and dim
the screen and it will vibrate when a Pokmon is nearby,
allowing them to continue playing while concentrating on
the world around them.
Tip 4: Don't trespass
Some Pokmon Gyms are located on private property and
not everyone wants to join in: some businesses have
already put signs up warning players not to enter. You do
not need to enter buildings to access a gym, and the

Pokmon user agreement prohibits people entering private
property without permission.
Ensure your child knows it's illegal to trespass, even if the
game suggests they are free to do so.
Tip 5: Battery issues
Heavy Pokmon Go use drains smartphone batteries,
which means your child may not be able to communicate
with you if their battery runs out.
Make use of the 'battey saver' option in the settings of the
app and consider buying a battery pack,
Tip 6: Watch out for hidden costs
Pokmon Go is free to download for Android and Apple
devices, but once you load the game, it is possible to buy
Pokcoins (the game's currency) as in-app purchases. You
can use these to buy items to make the game easier to
play, but they don't come cheap: 100 Pokcoins cost 70p,
but 14,500 costs 79.99.
Your child may order these without realising the cost, so
avoid bill shock and restrict in-app purchases by following
guides for iphone and Android phones linked within the full
article.
http://home.bt.com/tech-gadgets/internet/pokemon-gosafety-tips-for-parents-11364081820971
Pokmon Go uses mobile data, so if your child plays a lot,
it could eat up their data allowance and be expensive if
they are on a contract. Contact your network to see if you
can set a spend cap, or if they are on PAYG, regulate how
much they use the game.
ABOUT - INTERNET MATTERS

Internet Matters.org was founded by BT, Sky, TalkTalk and
Virgin Media and helps parents to ensure their children
learn, create, share and have fun online whilst staying
safe.
Research conducted by Internet Matters revealed that
74% of parents want more information and advice about
online safety. To meet this demand, Internetmatters.org
has been created as a one-stop hub, directing parents to
valuable help and advice from the leading experts at
organisations and charities in the child internet safety
field.
https://www.internetmatters.org
#NOTGUILTY CAMPAIGN - MY OPEN LETTER
SPARKED A GLOBAL MOVEMENT
author Ione Wells)
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/notguiltycampaign-how-ione-wells-open-letter-sparked-a-globalmovement-a3328206.html
It has been 18 months since I wrote an open letter to the
man who assaulted me. It was published in Oxford
University's student newspaper and at the end of the
letter I encouraged others to write in with their
experiences under the hashtag #NotGuilty.
I hoped to reach out to other students who might have
gone through something similar and felt unable to talk
about it or get help. Little did I anticipate that, almost
overnight, the published piece would go viral. Soon my
letter was all over the national press. My words were
translated into several other languages and the hashtag

became a global campaign.
The response was overwhelming. Since last April hundreds
of people around the world have shared their stories with
the Not Guilty campaign. My letter was the spark that fired
up a movement which aims to break the taboo of talking
about sexual assault.
We want to send a clear message to perpetrators that "we
will not tolerate this", and to victims that "we are with
you". The good news is that it seems to be working.
One woman wrote to us after being assaulted by someone
she had trusted and cared about, and said: "I have read
many of the stories posted on here, and feel more hopeful
that if so many women can move forward then I can too."
Another contributor, who was assaulted on public
transport in London, said: "I am so proud to be part of
#NotGuilty, for why should we suffer this form of abuse?"
A woman who attended one of our workshops later told
me that writing about her experience that day had finally
allowed her to tell her family about the impact the attack
had on her. She also wrote a letter to her assailant,
"although they may never understand, I showed them that
I can survive this unimaginable ordeal, and that empowers
me".
Working on the campaign has taught me a great deal,
primarily that sexual assault is an issue everyone needs to
talk about - not just those who have experienced it. As one
recent contributor says, "If you have been made to feel
uncomfortable or damaged by a sexual encounter... there
are millions of women and men who have felt like you feel
and who want to help you."
Open discussion about sexual assault is crucial for
education, not only about the nuances of consent but also
about how and where to get help if you, or somebody you
know, is assaulted - I certainly didn't know about the
support structures that existed until it happened to me.

One woman told me that after she was assaulted she
"Googled 'what to do if you've been raped'".
The key, as with anything, is to begin as early as possible.
This year I ran #NotGuilty workshops in schools covering
issues from "sexting" to dispelling myths about assault
and talking about the appropriate ways to support a friend
who has experienced abuse.
Consent workshops have become more common at
campuses and schools across the world and have been the
cause of controversy. One Warwick student condemned
them in an article for student website The Tab as being a
"smug, righteous, self-congratulatory intervention". But in
my experience their importance is demonstrated by the
huge grey areas I have witnessed in people's
understandings of what constitutes consent - particularly
when alcohol or close relationships are involved - and I
have no doubt a large part of that is down to a lack of
adequate sex education.
Talking with students gave me a real buzz, so I began to
think about ways we could bring our online community
together. Given that I had personally found it an incredibly
restorative process, I decided to hold writing workshops
for survivors.
In collaboration with Pavan Amara and My Body Back,
which works to help women to reclaim their body image
and sexuality after abuse, we held a workshop that
allowed writers to address either their perpetrator or
anyone else they thought they needed to get through to.
Despite one of the ground rules being "you can tear what
you write up at any time, this is primarily for you, not
anyone else" by the end every attendee wanted to read
theirs to the group.
But I'm also passionate about the need to involve
everyone in these conversations. Speaking at events such
as the Clear Lines Festival, where I talked about enjoying
sex again after assault, made me realise that we need to
get creative if we are to avoid preaching to the converted

and attract audiences who aren't already invested in the
issue.
I ran an arts festival this year in Oxford called We Need to
Talk, for example, featuring three plays and a drama
workshop that all incorporated themes of sexual violence with the aim of engaging people with the issue through
mediums they are perhaps more likely to approach off
their own accord.
One play we put on was a one-man show by Tanaka Mhishi
called This is How it Happens, which traces the struggles
of a male rape survivor - many audience members
commented on how didn't realise how much the issue
affected men too.
Seeing the response that some of the more harrowing
plays we showcased was moving. People were shocked to
see the manifestations of trauma performed, and many
told me they had "never quite realised the impact of it"
before - which is exactly what I had hoped to change.
Though the campaign has given me a way to transform a
negative experience into something I can feel hugely
positive about and encouraged by, I can't pretend it has
been an easy process to get here.
Dealing with the repercussions of sexual assault is a
difficult, hugely up-and-down process for anyone, and
going through this process in the public sphere was
additionally overwhelming.But when people ask me how I
have changed 18 months on as a result, as well as the
campaign,
I think it is important to stress that, despite the media
attention last year, I'm still much like I was 18 months ago.
I'm still a normal student, still plagued with the bugbears
of essay deadlines and overdrafts, still enjoying the
glorious freedoms and relative lack of responsibilities as
one should in their twenties. Part of normalising discussion
about sexual abuse is also normalising the individuals and
lives affected by it. We need to emphasise that, just like

the victims of any other crime, we shouldn't be defined by
something that happened to us, we aren't just statistics or
news stories - but individuals just like everybody else.
UK WILL KEEP ACCESS TO EU TERROR DATA
(London Evening Standard, dated 23rd August 2016
author Joe Murphy)
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/uk-will-keep-access-to-euterror-data-a3327246.html
Counter-terror chiefs in Europe have pledged to maintain
intelligence co-operation during Brexit, a minister has
said.
The assurances will help allay fears stoked during the
referendum campaign that MI5 and the police faced being
frozen out from access to vital data and policing tools after
the UK leaves the EU.
Security minister Ben Wallace told an MP that "key
partners have confirmed their commitment to continue to
work closely in an area where the UK has played a key role
in advancing European capability".
Government sources had insisted that there was no
blanket assurance for the post-Brexit era because of the
EU's refusal to hold formal negotiations talks until after
Britain starts its formal exit procedures.
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the powerful Home Affairs
Committee, said Mr Wallace's words were "in total
contrast" to dire warnings given by the David Cameron
before the referendum, but warned that "key questions"
remained.
"I welcome the minister's positive statement of cooperation with EU partners on security and policing
issues," he said. "This is in total contrast with what the
then-home secretary and her ministers said to us before
Brexit, namely that we would be cut adrift on these issues
if we voted out, and we would need to negotiate 27
separate arrangements.
"The key questions remain: will we have still have special
access to Europol and will we still be part the European
arrest warrant?"
In April, former home secretary Theresa May concluded in
a keynote speech that, on balance, Britain would be more
secure within the EU.
"Outside the EU, we would have no access to the
European arrest warrant, which has allowed us to extradite
more than 5,000 people to Europe in the last five years,"
she said.
GERMAN MINISTER SEEKS FACIAL RECOGNITION AT
AIRPORTS AND TRAIN STATIONS
(The Register, dated 22nd August 2016 author Darren
Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/2/german_minister_seeks_f
acial_recognition_at_airports_train_stations/
Germany's interior minister Thomas de Maiziere wants
facial recognition systems in the country's airports and
train stations to identify terror suspects.
Europe has experienced a wave of attacks, many terrorrelated, over recent months, which has in turn triggered a
heightened state of security.
De Maiziere told the German Sunday newspaper Bild am

Sonntag he wants a system to match against intelligence
databases of known terror suspects, something the
country has resisted.
"There are opportunity for individuals to photograph
someone and use facial recognition software on the
internet to find out if they have seen a celebrity or a
politician," De Maiziere says.
"I want to use such face recognition software on video
cameras at airports and train stations.
"Then the system will show if a suspect is detected."
De Maiziere cites video surveillance systems in place in
German airports that detect luggage unclaimed after a set
time.
"The authorities must use technology they are legally
allowed to use," he says.
The Interior Minister also told the newspaper he is in
favour of a ban on backpacks at some festivals.
Authorities have already banned backpacks at Munich's
upcoming Oktoberfest beer bash, implementing regular ID
and security checks and extra fencing.
De Maiziere says the controls restrict personal freedoms
less than cancelling public events for security reasons.
CALLOUS THEFT OF DISABLED DRIVERS BLUE
BADGES TREBLES
author Sebastian Mann)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/callous-theft-of-disabled-
drivers-blue-badges-trebles-a3325351.html
Thousands of people are stealing disabled drivers' blue
badges, with the number of cases trebling in the past
three years.
The badges enable disabled people to park for free in pay
and display bays and for up to three hours on yellow lines.
In London they exempt holders from having to pay the
congestion charge.
There were 2,056 instances of blue badge theft in the UK
in 2015, according to an analysis of Department for
Transport data by the Local Government Association.
The figure represents a 17 per cent increase on the 1,756
instances recorded in 2014.
In 2013, the number of recorded blue badge thefts stood
at 656.
The LGA, which represents more than 370 councils across
England and Wales, said the increase has been
accompanied by a rise in the number of people prosecuted
by councils for using stolen or lost badges to park for free
dishonestly.
The number of people caught abusing the scheme has
almost trebled in five years with 985 successful council
prosecutions in 2015 compared with 330 in 2010.
But the LGA is calling on people to help councils to further
crack down on the problem.
Councillor Martin Tett, the LGA's transport spokesman,
said: "The theft of blue badges is clearly a crime on the
rise and it is alarming that incidents have trebled in just
three years.
"Illegally using a blue badge is not a victimless crime. For
disabled people, blue badges are a vital lifeline that helps
them get out and about to visit shops or family and
friends.
"Callous thieves and unscrupulous fraudsters using them

illegally are robbing disabled people of this
independence."
FBI RELEASES NEW BANK ROBBERS MOBILE APP
(FBI Website, dated 19th August 2016)
https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/fbi-releases-new-bankrobbers-mobile-app
uaware note : FBI = Federal Bureau of Investigation (USA)
Back in December 2012, the FBI launched its Bank
Robbers website featuring a gallery of unknown bank
robbery suspects wanted by the Bureau. Because the FBI,
in its own bank robbery investigations, focuses on the
most violent and/or the most prolific serial offenders who
often cross jurisdictions, the suspects included on
BankRobbers.fbi.gov are a dangerous lot and public
assistance in identifying them plays a crucial role in our
efforts to apprehend them.
Today, we're enhancing our efforts to publicize these
dangerous criminals by launching our mobile Bank
Robbers application for iPhones (plus iPads and iPods) and
Android smartphones, which should make it even easier
for the public-as well as financial institutions, law
enforcement agencies, and others-to view photos and
information about bank robberies in different geographic
areas of the country. The app, which works with
BankRobbers.fbi.gov, can be downloaded for free from
Apple's app store or Google Play.
Using the app, bank robberies can be sorted by the date
they occurred, the category they fall under (i.e., armed
serial bank robber), the FBI field office working the case,
or the state where the robbery occurred. If the location
services on your device are enabled, you can view a map
that shows the relevant bank robberies that took place in

your geographic area. You also access surveillance photos,
physical description information, robbery details, and the
FBI's wanted poster for each suspect. Users can also
select push notifications to be informed when a bank
robbery has taken place near their location.
The app also provides quick access to a link directly to the
FBI online tips page so users can contact us immediately if
they have information on any of the robberies or suspects.
Some of the unknown bank robbers currently being sought
by the FBI include the following:
- A suspect, wanted for nine bank robberies in Maryland,
Virginia, and West Virginia, displayed at various times
handguns and even a sawed-off shotgun during eight of
those robberies. Details
- Another suspect, wanted in connection with 11 bank
robberies in Pennsylvania, either carried or wore a semiautomatic handgun while verbally demanding money.
- In California, a suspect who reportedly wears various
disguises has committed four robberies at California banks
while displaying a handgun.
- And in Phoenix, this subject entered a bank, pushed an
elderly woman out of his way, and pointed a handgun at
bank employees and customers demanding money.
According to the FBI's bank crime statistics for 2015, there
were 4,091 robberies, burglaries, and larcenies committed
under the federal bank robbery statute in a variety of
financial institutions-including commercial banks, savings
and loan associations, credit unions, and armored carrier
companies. Demand notes were a favorite tool used by
bank robbers (2,416 times), but actual firearms were used
877 times, the threat of weapons was used 1,762 times,
and explosive devices used or threatened occurred 108
times.
That's certainly proof that these crimes-and these

criminals-can be extremely dangerous. And during 2015,
actual acts of violence-from discharging a firearm to
setting off explosives to committing assaults-were
committed in 137 of the 4,091 incidents. Unfortunately,
these violent acts led to 57 injuries, nine deaths, and 66
people being taken hostage.
The FBI continues to provide assistance to state and local
partners investigating bank robberies, according to
Gregory Adams, chief of the FBI's Violent Crimes Unit in
Washington, D.C. "But we focus our investigative
resources on those suspects who pose the greatest safety
threats to the public" he explained, "and our new Bank
Robbers mobile app is another tool we can use to help
mitigate those threats."
Bank Robbers Website Success Story

The FBI's Bank Robbers website-and the new Bank
Robbers mobile app-were created to help publicize
unknown violent and/or serial bank robbery suspects who
are wanted by the Bureau. The publicity works and really
does help to get dangerous criminals off the streets.
Here's a BankRobbers.fbi.gov example:
After the website featured a suspect believed to have
been responsible for 11 armed takeover style robberies in
Delaware and Pennsylvania, local police received a tip in
the mail which broke the case open-a printed page from
the Bank Robbers website featuring the unknown suspect
believed responsible for the robberies. Across the piece of
paper was a handwritten name. A subsequent
investigation led to the positive identification of the
suspect as well as charges being filed against him in both
states. That suspect is currently awaiting trial.
The FBI has always depended on the assistance and the

support of the public in carrying out its mission, beginning
back in its early days when some of our wanted criminal
posters were tacked up onto post office walls. But today's
technology-like websites and apps-can work as force
multipliers and allow us to ask for and receive assistance
from larger segments of the public.
BEWARE OF THE CYBER-ATTACKERS
author David Williams)
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/motors/david-williamsbeware-of-the-cyberattackers-a3325111.html
How connected is your car? A new report by TNS and
BearingPoint says that by 2020, eight in 10 cars will be
'plugged in' via wireless, enabling features such as engine
updates or diagnostics, emergency roadside assistance,
in-car entertainment and so on all to be controlled and
manipulated - by remote control.
Already, Ford SYNC Connect technology, for instance, lets
you remotely start your vehicle, unlock the doors and
check the fuel level, all from your smartphone.
But there is a flip side to these advances as I discovered
when I met Alex Moiseev, managing director for Europe of
software security specialists Kaspersky Lab. He says that
the rush by the car industry to improve connectivity could
also leave motorists vulnerable to cyber crime, perhaps
with malicious ransomware - or worse. "It already happens
with desk computers - it's just a question of time before
the bad guys move into cars too," he told me.
Kaspersky has direct experience. It's contracted by Ferrari
F1 which relies on hundreds of sensors to provide
thousands of data points at race events on factors such as
tyre pressure, fuel burn efficiency and brake force - all
sent wirelessly to engineers' laptops. It's Moiseev's job to
ensure this valuable data remains under lock and key.

It wasn't until last year - when US hackers remotely took
control of a Chrysler Jeep's vital functions including
brakes, wipers and engine during a filmed stunt
(bit.ly/1UgED6f) - that the apparent ease with which car
computers can be hijacked came to light. It's the kind of
incident that Kaspersky - and security firm SQS - are being
hired by manufacturers to avoid.
Head of security services at SQS, Stephen Morrow, says:
"As we start putting software in cars connected by the
internet, we are getting to the point where computer
security intersects with public safety. Manufacturers need
to get on top of things."
Moiseev says that for years, car firms bought open source
codes which run the computers now controlling vital
functions in the average car, rather than creating their
own, bespoke systems. "Who vetted the people who wrote
the codes?"asks Moiseev. "What bugs already lie dormant
inside our vehicles, just waiting to be manipulated?"
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and
Traders, more than 1.5 million UK motorists a year now
leave showrooms in cars featuring self-activating safety
systems, controlled by computers. Asked if it was doing
enough to fight cyber crime, the SMMT said:
"Manufacturers are always striving to stay one step ahead
of organised criminals, and constantly monitor for
potential breaches."
SWIFT "AWARE OF HACKING THREAT FOR YEARS

BUT FAILED TO ACT" SAYS FORMER CEO
www.ibtimes.co.uk/swift-aware-hacking-threat-yearsfailed-act-says-former-ceo-1576968
Top officials in charge of Swift, the financial messaging and
transfer system used by over 10,000 banks around the

world, had suspected cybersecurity vulnerabilities in
customer terminals 'for years' but failed to address
concerns.
That's the accusation made by over a dozen current and
former senior managers and board members of the
Belgium-based organisation, who spoke to Reuters in the
wake of a number of high-profile, and highly damaging,
cyberattacks on banks using Swift mechanisms to transfer
funds.
In a series of shockingly candid admissions, the executives
claimed that Swift had not regarded the security of
customer terminals as a priority until the February attack
against the Bangladesh central bank, which successfully
compromised $81m (56m).
The managers claimed they did not receive vital
information about hacking attempts but also admitted
their own liability in failing to recognise the malicious
intrusions.
Leonard Schrank, chief executive of Swift from 1992 to
2007, told Reuters: "The board took their eye off the ball.
They were focusing on other things, and not about the
fundamental, sacred role of Swift, which is the security
and reliability of the system." Schrank said he was
"broadly aware" of the security issues but failed to act. "I
am partially responsible," he admitted.
The senior bosses said that Swift failed to track live
security incidents and consistently failed to monitor the
extent of how its smaller banks were handling security. As
a likely result of this, millions of dollars remain missing
from the Bangladesh central bank, while a slew of other
institutions - including in Vietnam, Ecuador and Ukraine also having reported hacking attempts.
Arthur Cousins, another former board member, said the
organisation believed it was banking regulators around the
world that were responsible for protecting smaller banks
against hacking and fraud attempts, not Swift.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Swift has defended the
organisation against the board members' claims, saying:
"Swift and its board have prioritised security, continually
monitoring the landscape and responding by adapting the
specific security focuses as threats have evolved.
"Today's security threats are not the same threats the

industry faced five or ten years ago - or even a year ago and like any other responsible organisation we adapt as
the threat changes."
As control of Swift still remains firmly under the control of
large banks like Citibank, Deutsche Bank and PJ Morgan,
most senior officials believed security was already taken
of. However, many failed to take into account the
thousands of institutions joining from emerging markets.
Alessandro Lanteri, who served on Swift's board between
1995 and 2000, indicated this was when the problems
really started to take hold. He said: "The difficulty is
always to keep the security system very effective when
you deal with little banks and emerging countries. There, it
is very difficult to be sure that all the procedures of
security are managed in the correct way."
The assertion is backed up the numerous reports claiming
the Bangladeshi bank, at the time of the hack, was using
no firewall on its computer network and cheap routers to
connect to the Swift network. However, it has also
emerged that large organisations - including the New York
Federal Reserve - may have also missed a number of 'red
flags' in the run-up to what is now considered the largest
financial cybercrime operation in history.
uaware note : SWIFT is similar in concept to the BACS
bank clearing system used within the UK.
BUS DRIVER AMONG GANG OF FRAUDSTERS JAILED

FOR CHARGING 2,500 TO TAKE TESTS
author Paul Wright)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/bus-driver-among-gang-fraudstersjailed-charging-2500-take-driving-tests-1576741
A gang of fraudsters who charged 2,500 to take people's
driving tests on their behalf has been jailed for a total of
three years.
The group, headed by Belgian national Dzemail Trstena,
offered to take both theory and practical driving tests for
provisional license holders at centres across the Home
Counties and West Midlands.
Police say the scam allowed an unknown number of
potentially "dangerous and unskilled" drivers on UK roads.
One fraudster, Bulgarian national Emil Petkov, was caught
on CCTV being turned away from more than 30 theory test
centres between 2010 and 2014 when the photo ID he
presented was discovered not to be his. Others were
caught taking practical tests.
Spencer Barnett, of the Met Police's Organised Crime
Partnership, said: "We will never know how many tests
they successfully cheated, but they were brazen and
persistent in their repeated attempts. I have no doubt that
they would have kept going had we not stopped them
when we did."
A court heard how Trstena, 45, would ferry fake candidates
to test centres around the country while claiming to be
their driving instructor.
One member of the gang, Musa Matluma, aged 34, from
Macedonia, was arrested in June 2014 while caught
fraudulently sitting a theory test.
A 42-year-old British bus driver, Colin Julian, and Trstena
were then arrested at their homes the following month
after fraudulently taking practical driving tests at a centre
in Kettering. The final member of the gang, Petkov, 31,
handed himself in to Leytonstone Police Station on the
same day.
The group was sentenced at Blackfriars Crown Court on
Friday (12 August).
Searches by National Crime Agency (NCA) and Met Police
officers had found the gang to be in possession of a large
number of provisional licences and theory test booking
documents.
The find led to seven provisional licence holders also being
prosecuted, with detectives saying their main motive for
not wanting to take the tests was difficulty reading or
speaking English. They were given between four and
eight-month prison sentences, except one defendant who
was handed a suspended sentence.
Andy Rice, head of Counter-Fraud and Investigations at the

Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA), said:
"Although instances of impersonation fraud are rare in
relation to over 3m theory and practical driving tests
which are taken each year, DVSA continues to take them
seriously, and work closely with the police and NCA to
bring offenders to justice.
"Impersonators taking tests on behalf of others allow
untested and unqualified drivers onto our roads. These
unqualified individuals pose a real risk to other road users
and pedestrians as they have never been tested to ensure
that they meet the minimum standards for driving and are
unsafe."
"This sentence sends out a clear message that those who
put road users and the public at risk by cheating the
driving test process, will be pursued and prosecuted."
Impersonators convicted
Dzemail Trstena (Belgium)
Address: Hainault, Ilford, Redbridge
Sentenced to 15 months in prison for conspiring to commit
fraud by false representation.
Emil Petkov, 31 (Bulgaria)
Address: Wanstead, London
Colin Julian, 42 (UK)
Address: Holloway, London
Musa Matluma, 34 (Macedonia)
Address: Battersea, London
Sentenced to eight months in prison for conspiring to
commit fraud by false representation.
Provisional licence holders convicted
Pershaw Yawar Saeed, 22 (Iraq)
Address: Enfield, London

Given a four month sentence suspended for 12 months for
conspiring to commit fraud by false representation.
Pajtim Demaj, 30 (Kosovo)
Address: Palmers Green, London
Sentenced to four months in prison for conspiring to
Gentian Mamica, 36 (Kosovo)
Address: Corby, Northamptonshire
Petrica Mazilu, 51
Address: Cranbrook, Ilford
Yasar Kaygun, 44
Address: Morecambe, Lancashire
Cornel Mihai, 31
Address: Edgeware, London
commit fraud by false representation
Flamir Kortoci, 33
Address: Ilford, Redbridge
Sentenced to four and a half months in prison for
conspiring to commit fraud by false representation.
"ZOMBIE KNIVES" BAN TO COME INTO FORCE

Full article [Option 1]: www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-37080682
A ban on the sale of so-called "zombie knives" is set to

come into force in England and Wales later this week.
Inspired by horror films, the curved blades with serrated
edges are often sold as collectors' items, but police say
they are increasingly being carried by criminals.
Last year a north London teenager was killed with one of
the weapons.
Safeguarding minister Sarah Newton said the ban would
"keep communities safe".
Sold under brand names like "head splitter" and "zombie
killer", the weapons can be bought on the internet for as
little as 8.
Product descriptions suggest they are for use in horror-film
situations like "defending oneself from the undead", or as
part of an "apocalypse kit".
The new legislation, banning the sale, manufacture, rental
or importation of zombie knives will take effect on
Thursday. Anyone caught breaking the law will face up to
four years in prison.
In April, 17-year-old Blaise Lewinson was convicted of
manslaughter after stabbing teenager Stefan Appleton to
death with a zombie knife in Islington, north London.
Following the conviction the Metropolitan Police issued
guidance about "zombie" knives:
- There is no specific shape or style, but they are very
ornate and intended to shock
- In varying lengths and often with a serrated edge, the
knives carry logos or words that glamorise and promote
violence
- They can cause greater damage due to their size
- They are being sold as collectors' items online and in
some shops
Ms Newton said "zombie killer knives" glamorise violence,
cause devastating damage and have "no place
whatsoever in our society".
Alf Hitchcock, lead on knife crime at the National Police
Chiefs' Council, said police were pleased that legislation
had been introduced "early" to tackle the "growing
problem" of zombie knives.

He said the "vast majority" of knife crimes involved
kitchen knives, but zombie knives had "suddenly become
very popular as a sign of bravado in gangs".
"In weapons sweeps we've been finding these weapons on
the street, hidden in places for use," he said.
"When we've seen gang videos being uploaded on to the
internet they've been bragging about having these
knives."
Yvonne Lawson, whose son Godwin was stabbed to death
in north London in 2010, welcomed the ban.
Her son was not killed with a zombie knife, but she said
she was "terrified" when she first saw one, and said young
people could "easily" buy them online.
'Responsible sale'
Morris Bright, of the Local Government Association, said
the ban would "help reduce the number of lethal blades in
society and stop online retailers unwittingly fuelling
criminal activity".
"An industry-backed code of practice on the naming,
promotion and packaging of all knives also needs to be
created - similar to that of the alcoholic drinks industry which would promote their responsible sale," he added.
Carrying a knife in public without good reason is already
illegal across the UK.
The legal change in England and Wales will outlaw selling,
manufacturing, renting or importing zombie knives.
In Northern Ireland, Justice Minister Claire Sugden has said
action is being taken to ban zombie knives.
A Scottish government spokeswoman said: "While we are
not aware of any specific incidents in Scotland of 'zombie
knives' being carried or used, we do keep the law in
relation to knives under review and will consider carefully
whether further steps are necessary in this area."
She said zombie knives were covered by existing laws on
possessing weapons in public and restrictions on selling
"any knife in such a way which suggests it can be used in
combat or violent behaviour".
Knife crime statistics
There has been a 12% decrease in crimes involving knives

in the last five years, according to police figures for
England and Wales.
However, police recorded 28,664 such offences in 2015-16
- a 10% rise on the previous 12 months.
There were 214 suspected homicides in England and
Wales where a knife or sharp instrument was used in
2015-16. The number of deaths has varied between 187
and 237 in the past five years.
Crime in England and Wales: year ending Mar 2016 :
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/cr
imeandjustice/bulletins/crimeinenglandandwales/yearendi
ngmar2016
ACCOUNTANCY SOFTWARE FIRM SAGE BREACHED IN

APPARENT INSIDER ATTACK
(The Register, dated 15th August 2016 author Richard
Chirgin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/15/sage_breached_in_appa
rent_insider_attack/
Accounting software outfit Sage Group has been hit by a
data breach affecting between 200 and 300 of its
customers.
The company told Reuters the breach was a misuse of an
employee login. This post by Richard De Vere at "The
AntiSocial Engineer" claims an employee was behind the
breach.
Sage says it doesn't know how much data leaked, if any,
or if whoever logged in just had a look around.
De Vere's post says most customers were notified with a
phone call, warning them to watch out for suspicious
activity on their accounts.
The breach may have let attackers get access to
employee information from Sage's customers, including

bank account details and salary information, according to
the Financial Times.
The company has been moving its business from license
sales to subscriptions and the cloud, with only moderate
success in the latter.
Sage isn't clear exactly when the breach happened,
beyond saying it was in "the last few weeks". It's called in
the police and the UK's Information Commissioner's Office
which enforces the Data Protection Act.
----------------------SAGE EMPLOYEE ARRESTED AT HEATHROW AIRPORT
FOR "INSIDER THREAT" DATA BREACH
www.ibtimes.co.uk/sage-employee-arrested-heathrowairport-insider-threat-data-breach-1576809
Police in the City of London have arrested an employee of
UK technology firm Sage in connection with an ongoing
investigation into a recent data breach believed to have
impacted between 200 and 300 of its customers.
The arrest of the 32-year-old woman, who remains
unnamed at the time of writing, comes only days after the
finance and accounting software firm admitted it had
suffered "unauthorised access" on its computer systems
that left data at risk.
The suspect was apprehended at Heathrow Airport on
suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, police confirmed to the
BBC, adding the arrest was a result of its data breach
probe. The woman has since been released on bail.
Sage, a software company based in Newcastle, previously
said it had informed all businesses that were impacted by
the breach - which reportedly took place after the
employee used an internal login credential to access a
large amount of customer data without permission.
At the time of the incident, Sage, which provides
accounting and payroll services in 23 countries globally,
did not specify what data was accessed. However, one
person close to the situation, who spoke anonymously,

told the Financial Times the employees' details were used
to access to data on "between 200 and 300 companies."
"We continue to work closely with the authorities to
investigate the situation," the firm said in an updated
statement on its UK website. It added: "Our customers are
always our first priority so we continue to communicate
directly with those who may be affected and give
guidance on measures they can take to protect their
security."
Following the breach, shares in Sage fell as much as 4%,
however they have since re-balanced.
Commenting on the incident, Johnathan Sander, vice
president of product strategy at Lieberman Software, said:
"The breach is a reminder that despite all the headlines
about bad guys trying to break in there is an ever-present
danger from within, too.
"Often firms spend tons of money protecting against
outsiders getting in, but fall into the 'we trust our people'
tap when it comes to insider threat. The trouble with
trusting staff is that they're likely worthy of that trust until
the moment they become disgruntled - and there's no way
to see that moment happen."
MET TO LAUNCH 1.7M TROLL-HUNTER SQUAD

AFTER STEEP RISE IN ONLINE THREATS AND ABUSE
(The Telegraph, dated 14th August 2016 author Nicola
Harley
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/14/met-to-launch17m-troll-hunter-squad-after-steep-rise-in-online2/
Scotland Yard has created a new unit to police Facebook
and Twitter by investigating offensive comments.
A team of volunteers will search out material they deem
inappropriate on social networks and report it to the unit.
The allegations will then be investigated and the culprits
prosecuted, if caught.
Dubbed the "Twitter squad", the unit is costing the
Metropolitan Police 1.7 million to create and will be
staffed by five detectives. The Home Office is also said to
be pouring 452,756 into the Online Hate Crime Hub,
which is due to run for two years.
It comes after a number of incidents of online trolls
making racist and sexual threats. In 2014, a troll
threatened to rape Stella Creasy, MP for Walthamstow,
and branded her a "witch", after she supported a
campaign for author Jane Austen to become the new face
of the 10 bank note. Peter Nunn, 33, from Bristol, was
jailed for 18 weeks after he retweeted the "menacing"
posts.
In the same year, Robert Riley, from Port Talbot, was jailed
after he made comments about the fatal stabbing of Leeds
teacher Ann Maguire claiming he would have killed all the
teachers at her school.
However, civil liberties campaigners have raised fears that
the new unit could stop people expressing opinions for
fear of arrest. It follows cases where people have faced
court action after making light-hearted statements.
In 2010 Paul Chambers was taken to court and fined after
posting a tweet joking he would blow up an airport if it
was closed by snowfall. The conviction was quashed two
years later Tim Farron, the Liberal Democrat leader, told
the Mail on Sunday: "Online bullying is an increasingly
serious problem but police should not be proactively
seeking cases like these and turning themselves into
chatroom moderators. With such measures, even if well
intentioned, there is a real danger of undermining our very
precious freedom of speech".
Andrew Allison, from the Freedom Association libertarian
group, added: "There's a risk of online vigilantism, where
people who are offended by the least thing will have a
licence to report it to the police."
The paper says Twitter and Facebook will be asked to help
fund a "community" element to the unit, in which
volunteers "skilled in the use of social media" will
"identify, report and challenge online hate material", it
reports. The detectives' role will be "identifying the
location of the crime" when online abuse is reported, and
refer it to "the appropriate force area and social media

providers".
It follows a 42 per cent rise in reports of hate crimes in the
wake of the EU referendum.
An offence of malicious communication carries a prison
sentence of up to two years.
Last month serial offender John Nimmo was told he faces
jail for telling Jewish MP Luciana Berger she would be killed
like her fellow Labour MP Jo Cox.
ELECTION FRAUD REPORT CALLS FOR STRINGENT ID

CHECKS
(The Guardian, dated 12th August 2016 author Heather
Stewart)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/aug/12/reportstringent-id-checks-cordons-electoral-fraud-pickles
Voters could face more stringent identity checks and
police cordons around polling stations, as part of a
crackdown on electoral fraud recommended by Eric Pickles
in a government-commissioned report.
The former communities secretary was asked by David
Cameron last year to examine how safeguards could be
toughened up, after revelations of electoral malpractice in
Tower Hamlets, east London, led to the removal of the
mayor, Lutfur Rahman.
In his report, presented to Theresa May, who has retained
him as "anti-corruption champion", Pickles warns that
unless the government makes it harder to fiddle the
system, Britain's reputation for democracy could be
undermined.
"Our nation has a proud heritage as the 'mother of
parliaments', yet the worrying and covert spread of
electoral fraud and state of denial by some bodies
threatens that good reputation. It is time to take action to
take on the electoral crooks and defend Britain's free and
fair elections."
As communities secretary, Pickles sent commissioners into
Tower Hamlets when the allegations of fraud emerged. His
report makes 50 recommendations, including calling for
pilot schemes under which voters would be asked to bring
identification with them to polling stations.
"A driving licence, passport or utility bills would not seem
unreasonable to establish identity. The government may
wish to pilot different methods. But the present system is
unsatisfactory; perfection must not get in the way of a
practical solution," it says.
With intimidation of the public on their way to cast their
votes one of the issues identified in Tower Hamlets, Pickles
also says returning officers, who oversee elections, and
the police, should be given powers to establish cordons
sanitaires around polling stations where particular
problems are identified.
He argues that rules on the use of postal votes, which
have previously been identified as ripe for fraud, should be
toughened up - with party activists no longer allowed to
handle them, for example, and an end to the possibility of
applying for a permanent postal vote.
Rahman was found guilty of multiple charges of corruption
and kicked out of office last year. He and his allies were
found to have used vote-rigging and religious intimidation
through local imams to return him to power.
Backers of the Bangladeshi-born Rahman initially
dismissed the claims against him as racism; and Pickles
says in future, concerns about damaging community
relations must not be an excuse for failing to investigate
allegations of fraud.
"There are sometimes challenging issues over divisive
community politics, but this is no excuse for failing to
enforce British law and protect the integrity of our
democratic process. The law must be applied equally and
fairly to everyone," he said.
The report cites evidence that pressure was put on
vulnerable members of some minority ethnic communities
to vote in accordance with the will of elders. "There were
concerns that influence and intimidation within households
may not be reported, and that state institutions had
turned a blind eye to such behaviour because of 'politically
correct' over-sensitivities about ethnicity and religion," it

says.
Pickles would like to see the National Crime Agency, which
looks at organised crime, be given a remit to examine
complex cases of electoral fraud.
The report also condemns the Electoral Commission, the
government-backed body that scrutinises polls, for
straying beyond its remit. "The Electoral Commission
continues to act as a commentator and lobbyist on both
policy and law. Yet government should not be lobbying
government. It would be clearer for electoral law and
electoral policy to be determined by the Cabinet Office,
subject to parliamentary scrutiny and approval."
TOP ST JOHNS AMBULANCE STAFF TRIED TO

DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM ABUSE CASE
(The Telegraph, dated 11th August 2016 author John
Bingham)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/11/top-st-johnambulance-staff-tried-to-distance-themselves-from-ab/
The St John Ambulance service has apologised after it
emerged that senior figures tried to distance themselves
from dealing with allegations of abuse of young volunteers
in the 1990s.
Legal papers from the case of one former cadet who was
sexually abused by a leader in the north of England show
how senior figures asked not to be involved in dealing with
the fallout.
One memo seen by the Telegraph shows how officials
openly discussed fears that any involvement by the
organisation's headquarters in handling media inquiries
about the case might "insinuate" the organisation had a
"serious problem".
The leader in question, a local superintendent, was jailed
in the late 1990s after admitting sex offences against two
boys in his group.

But the papers reveal that senior staff knew at the time of
the suspicions that there could have been up to 10
victims.
Details of their strategy emerged in legal papers disclosed
to one of the two victims, now in his mid-30s, who was of
primary school age when the abuse began.
He has received an out-of-court settlement from the
organisation for failing in its duty of care.
The current chief executive, Sue Killen, wrote a carefully
worded apology for the handling of his case.
She expressed "deep regret" about the abuse he had
"reported suffering" and apologised "that you feel this was
inappropriately dealt with".
Documents disclosed as part of the case include a memo
written when the abuser was first arrested.
It reads: "Spoke twice, faxed through guidelines and draft
statement. Commander has expressed view that NHQ
[National Headquarters] should not be involved as it may
insinuate that there is a serious problem (!)
"I stated that in view of the current climate NHQ must be
involved. I also said this needn't involve anything more
than being informed of media inquiries as and when they
occur and overseeing the preparation of media
statements."
A further memo dated a few days earlier, before the
arrest, notes: "Telephone call with further details on case.
"Could now involve up to 10 cadets from the division."
The man, who cannot be identified, described the apology
as a "cop out" and a "face-saving exercise".
He acknowledged that the size of the charity could have
made it more difficult to deal with the case he brought as
an adult quickly and more effectively.
"But that doesn't negate the fact that they've got a moral
responsibility when things go wrong to say 'sorry' and
'how can we put it right?'," he said.
"That shouldn't take two years of lawyers and an out of
court settlement.
"It's a cop out and it's still a face saving exercise."
His lawyer, Thomas Beale, a senior associate at AO
Advocates, said: "Given that the primary function of St
John Ambulance is to care for others it is alarming that
they failed so egregiously to safeguard their own young

cadets."
A spokesman for St John Ambulance said: "We have
expressed our sincere regret to the victim regarding the
abuse that he suffered.
"We also regret that he feels we did not support him
appropriately at the time and for that we can only
apologise.
"Processes in the past did not always involve escalating
issues to our national headquarters, as individual counties
were run separately and autonomously by their own
commanders."
TWO ARRESTS OVER PLOT TO SELL HEATROW

AIRPORT SECURITY PASSES
author Hatty Collier)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/two-arrests-over-plot-tosell-heathrow-airport-security-passes-a3316621.html
Two women have been arrested by Scotland Yard
detectives over an alleged scam involving airside security
passes at Heathrow.
The two women, aged 20 and 24, are both thought to work
at the airport and were held after police investigating
fraud uncovered the suspected misuse of the passes.
Scotland Yard declined to give further details but Heathrow
said that it had taken "appropriate action".
The Department of Transport said that it was also "aware
of this issue" and that airport security was kept constantly
under review to protect the public.
The incident, revealed by Sky News, is not thought to
involve the illegal sale or cloning of passes, but will
inevitably raise concerns that any weaknesses could be
exploited by terrorists or other criminals.
The alleged scam was discovered after a fraud
investigation was launched at the airport two weeks ago.

The two women were arrested on suspicion of fraud and
money laundering.
Airside passes are issued to many of Heathrow's 70,000
workers and can give access to areas of the airport where
luggage and cargo is loaded onto planes as well as other
sensitive security areas.
Those given the passes are forced to undergo strict
vetting and include flight crews, shop and restaurant staff,
baggage handlers and those working with cargo or in
aircraft hangers.
Scotland Yard confirmed the arrests and said that the two
women had been released on bail until November.
A spokesman added: "They have been arrested in relation
to an allegation that money has been fraudulently taken
from a bank account. Other matters have come to light
during the enquiries and form part of the ongoing
investigation."
Heathrow said it was unable to comment on the specifics
but had taken "appropriate action" while the police probe
continued.
The Department for Transport said: "We are aware of this
issue. Safety and security of passengers is our priority
"We keep aviation security under constant review, but as
this matter is the subject of an ongoing police
investigation we are unable to comment further at this
time."
----------------------300 HEATHROW STAFF HAVE PASSES SUSPENDED
AMID SECURITY SCAM PROBE
author Hannah Al-Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/investigation-launchedinto-security-pass-scam-at-heathrow-airporta3317371.html
Scotland Yard has launched an investigation into a scam
involving airside security passes at Healthrow Airport.
Three hundred staff working for Sodexo, which supplies

airline lounge services have had their passes suspended,
Sky News reports.
Those affected as said to mostly work as cleaners or
caterers.
The police investigation was launched following the arrest
of two women at the airport over alleged fraud.
The pair, who are aged 20 and 24 and from Surrey, were
held on suspicion of money laundering and fraud on
August 3 after money was taken from a bank account.
The bank account involved belongs to a private individual
rather than a business, police said.
It is understood that the fraud investigation then triggered
an inquiry into airside passes.
Scotland Yard stressed that there is no counter-terrorism
link and that there is no evidence that staff airside passes
have been sold.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Officers from the
Met's Aviation Policing Command are investigating an
allegation of fraud, reported to them on July 28.
"Detectives arrested two women from Surrey, aged 24 and
20, on suspicion of fraud and money laundering on August
3.
"They have been arrested in relation to an allegation that
money has been fraudulently taken from a bank account.
"Other matters have come to light during the inquiries and
form part of the ongoing investigation."
Scotland Yard said the women have been released on bail
until late November.
A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: "Our top priority is
the security and safety of our passengers and colleagues
and we have taken appropriate action until the
investigation is completed."
THAILAND - FOREIGN TOURISTS MAY SOON BE

REQUIRED TO USE LOCATION TRACKING SIM CARDS
IN MOBILE PHONES
author Rachel Middleton)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/thailand-foreign-tourists-may-soon-berequired-have-location-tracking-sim-cards-their-mobiles1575187
Thailand is considering forcing all foreign tourists to have
location-tracking SIM cards on their mobile phones in a
move to crack down on over stayers and those who
commit crimes. The country's National Broadcasting and
Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) has, in principle,
approved the requirement that foreigners use the special
SIM cards to ensure that they can be tracked by the
authorities.
Takorn Tantasith, the Secretary General of the NBTC, said
that the move was in the interest of national security,
according to a report by the Bangkok Post. The
commission will discuss the proposal with mobile phone
operators, the Customs Department and other related
state agencies, including tour operators, tourism
authorities and the police.
Takorn explained that mobile operators can preset some
technical features on SIM cards to ensure that the users
can be located at all times. The feature would not be able
be turned off by the mobile phone user, he also said.
At a news conference in Bangkok on Tuesday 9 August,
Takorn said: "It is not to limit tourists' rights. Instead it is to
locate them which will help if there are some tourists who
overstay or run away [from the police]."
AFP noted that there were little details given. Takorn did
not say if tourists would have to buy the SIM cards or if
they would be issued free of charge. He did not give
details about the plan's cost or when it will be
implemented.
The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security is
also backing the plan. Its official spokesman, Pongsathorn
Chansri, said: "It will be helpful if any foreigner comes and
commit crimes because in the past they have been able to
flee or it can be difficult to find them."

Foreigners working in Thailand would be spared the new
requirement as they would have already registered their
details with the authorities in line with existing laws.
Around 32 million foreign tourists are expected to descent
in Thailand in 2016. The tourism industry accounts for
one-tenth of the country's economy.
POLICE FAIL TO SOLVE NEARLY A QUARTER OF

KILLINGS
(Daily Mail, dated 7th August 2016 author Keiligh Baker)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3727858/Police-EnglandWales-fail-solve-nearly-quarter-killings.html
Police forces in England and Wales have failed to solve
almost a quarter of all killings and have nearly 1,600
unsolved cases on their books, an investigation has found.
An investigation by The Sunday Times found there are
currently 1,583 unsolved cases - most of them 'cold cases'
where no one has even been brought to justice.
While the UK population has risen, the number of
homicides in England and Wales has been steadily falling
since 2002.
But despite huge technological advances in forensic
science the number of unsolved murder cases has risen
from 13 per cent in 1995 to 1996 to 23 per cent in 2014 to
2015 - leading some to suggest that government cuts to
police budgets could be to blame.
Data from the Home Office homicide index shows more
than 17 per cent of killings from the past 20 years have
not resulted in a conviction.
The Home Office Homicide Index also showed there were
518 homicides - consisting of murder, manslaughter and
infanticide - in the year ending March 2015 in England and
Wales - the lowest since 1983.
Of the 518 homicides in that year, 99 cases remain
unsolved and no one has been convicted of them.

Among the most high profile homicide cases which remain
unsolved in the UK today are the 1999 shooting of TV
presenter Jill Dando, the 1978 disappearance of Genette
Tate and the 1997 murder of Billie-Jo Jenkins.
Former detective Mark Williams-Thomas told The Sunday
Times: 'No police force wants to have unsolved murders,
but sadly with the ever increasing reductions to policing
staff this does impact on the quality and time that can be
given to some cases.'
The figures were revealed after a possible breakthrough in
a 40-year-old murder case.
Police have launched a renewed appeal to solve the
murder of a 'sweet-natured' nurse 40 years ago after
obtaining the killer's DNA profile.
Mother-of-one Susan Donoghue, 44, was sexually
assaulted and battered to death in her basement flat in
Sneyd Park, Bristol, on August 5, 1976.
She had taken the night off from work at a psychiatric
hospital because of a cold and was found dead in her bed
by her fiance when he returned to the flat at 7.15am.
Ms Donoghue, who was described as 'sweet and
considerate', was bludgeoned with a truncheon.
The bloodied weapon was found at the scene together
with a pair of gloves.
There was also a footprint on the inside sill of a halfopened window in the room next to her bedroom.
A major investigation was launched involving more than
80 officers and lasting over a year. Several men were
arrested but eliminated.
In 1995 there was a review of the case and DNA from
semen recovered at the scene was put on the National
DNA Database but there was no match.
A further review in 1997/98 also drew a blank and there
was a mass screening of potential suspects identified from
the original investigation.
In 2005 the DNA profile was upgraded thanks to advances
in technology. Familial DNA screening was carried out and
again in 2009 but still without a hit.
But last week detectives announced that due to advances
in DNA technology they now have a full DNA profile of the
offender - and are confident of getting their man.
DCI Julie MacKay, who led the cold case team which
recently cracked the 1984 murder of Melanie Road in
nearby Bath, is heading up the investigation.
She said: 'As we saw with the Melanie Road case, the
passage of time since a murder is no longer an obstacle in
securing justice for these victims.
'The technology used in DNA forensics has come a long
way since Susan was murdered and we now have a full
DNA profile of the man who sexually abused and murdered
her.
'Similarly to the Melanie Road murder investigation, the
key to solving this horrific crime is in the painstaking and
methodical work my team is undertaking to make sure all
the information we have is on the right systems.'
She added: 'I am convinced that someone out there has
information on what happened that August night in 1976.
'I would appeal directly to them, or the killer himself, to
come forward now and bring an end to the 40 years of
heartache Susan's family and friends have had to endure.
'Susan was a well-liked and respected woman who was
brutally murdered in her own home and I am determined
to bring her killer to justice.'
Anyone with information is asked to call 101 now and
quote Operation Radar. Alternatively, information can be
left anonymously with Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
----------------------------------------------ARTICLE FROM 9 YEARS AGO, UNDER A LABOUR
REGIME
----------------------------------------------RATE OF UNSOLVED MURDERS DOUBLE IN A DECADE
(The Telegraph, dated 2nd September 2007 author Tom
Harper)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1561945/Rate-ofunsolved-murders-doubles-in-decade.html
Unsolved murders have doubled over the past decade,
raising fears that police and courts are unable to tackle
violent crime.
Last year, an average of one murder a week was

committed only to remain unsolved. In 1997, the number
was almost one a fortnight.
There have been 564 unsolved murders across the country
in the past 10 years, with the majority occurring in urban
areas The Metropolitan Police Force area covering London
accounts for 269. Greater Manchester Police is next with
41 unsolved murders, followed by the West Midlands with
30 and West Yorkshire with 20.
Alan Gordon, the vice-chairman of the Police Federation
said: "These figures are very disturbing and bring into
question the amount of police resources being directed at
serious crime. With the advances in forensics, I would
have thought that the police service would have an
improved rate and this is a matter of concern. The service
needs to take stock and find out why there has been this
failure."
David Davis, the shadow home secretary, said: "This is a
direct outcome of police being overwhelmed with red tape,
bureaucracy and government targets that distract officers
from protecting the public."
Under the Freedom of Information Act, The Sunday
Telegraph requested the number of unsolved murders
year-on-year from all 43 police forces in England and
Wales.
Extrapolating the data of the 38 forces that responded to
cover the whole country, it means that 564 murders over
the past decade remain unsolved. Merseyside Police Force
was the only major metropolitan force to withhold the
figures.
In 1997, there were 30 unsolved murders but by last year,
the number had almost doubled to 52.
London, while having the highest population in the
country, also had the greatest proportion of unsolved
murders, with one for every 28,000 people. The next
largest totals over the decade were in Greater Manchester,
West Midlands and West Yorkshire, followed by Surrey and
the Thames Valley.
But when the population of each force is taken into
account, some of the rural squads, who traditionally enjoy
lower rates of crime, also feature prominently in the
league table.
Norfolk Constabulary, which polices just over 500,000

people, had seven unsolved murders over the past
decade, giving a rate of one per 72,217. Gloucestershire,
which polices fewer than 600,000 people, has also
suffered seven, giving a rate of one per 81,827. West
Mercia, Staffordshire, Bedfordshire, Dyfed-Powys, Gwent,
Humberside and South Wales all claim to have solved
every murder in their area in the past decade.
Richard Garside, director of the Centre for Crime and
Justice Studies at King's College London, said: "These
figures suggest the rate of unsolved murders has risen
quicker than the number of murders, raising important
questions about the police and courts' ability to deal with
serious violent crime. But they can only deal with murders
after the event - the challenge is to the government to
implement policies that reduce the likelihood of a murder
being committed."
Norman Brennan, director of the Victims of Crime Trust,
said: "One unsolved murder over any period of time is
unacceptable. To discover one is happening every week is
deeply worrying."
-----------------------uaware information - Further articles
Police fail to solve three in four crimes
(The Telegraph, dated 21st July 2012 author Tom
Whitehead)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/9415793/Police-fail-to-solve-three-in-fourcrimes.html
--------------------Wikipedia list of unsolved murder victims :
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_unsolved_murders_in_
the_United_Kingdom
--------------------(1st September 2016)
INSURER WON'T PAY

(The Sunday Times Magazine, Car Clinic, dated 7th August
2016 author Nick Freeman)
Question from a reader (SD, London) : My car was hit by a
driver who admits responsibility but says he "blacked out".
His insurer won't pay and is checking for an undisclosed
health problem, which would make the policy void. What
can I do ?
Response : Issue proceedings against three defendent's :
the driver, the insurer and the Motor Insurers' Bureau
(mib.org.uk). The driver is likely to be found liable. You can
then claim against the insurer.
If the insurer succeeds in arguing the policy is void,
damages can be claimed against the driver. If he cannot
afford to pay in full, the MIB will meet the shortfall. All car
premiums include a payment to the MIB to enable it to
settle claims against uninsured drivers.
NEW MET POLICE FIGURES REVEAL THE SCALE OF

DOGNAPPING IN LONDON
(London Evening Standard, dated 6th August 2016 author
Hannah Al-Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/new-figures-reveal-thescale-of-dognapping-in-the-capital-a3311956.html
More than 200 pet dogs were stolen across London last
year, new figures from Scotland Yard have revealed.
The figures, which are the latest available and cover
January 2015 to April 2016, have exposed the extent of
dognapping in the capital, with 276 hounds taken overall.
The data shows that by far the most popular breed for
dognappers is a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, with 54 of them
pinched across the capital, as well as 35 Staffie cross
breeds, making up a third of dog thefts in total.

Chihuahuas were the second most popular choice for dog
thieves, with 27 taken from across London.
Yorkshire Terriers and Jack Russels also proved popular
with criminals, with 19 and 12 taken respectively.
The London borough with the most dog thefts was
Wandsworth, where 18 were taken, while Harrow had the
least, with just two.
In some cases several dogs were stolen at once, including
six chihuahuas that were taken in Richmond upon
Thames, and three English bulldgs that were stolen from
Brent.
Stolen pets are often sold on on the black market.
There have been several dog thefts in the capital in recent
weeks, including an incident in Streaham where four
animals were allegedly stolen when a dog walker's van
was driven off.
Angela Norton, owner of Complete Pet Care, had parked
the vehicle outside an owner's house on Glennie Road on
July 13 when a thief allegedly drove off with the van with
five dogs inside, before dumping the male dog in
Sydenham.
Tracie McGrory, Pet Bereavement Support Manager at Blue
Cross said: "A pet is an integral part of so many families
who are absolutely devastated if they are stolen.
"Not only are they missing their pet they are also
desperately worried about what is happening to them."
The charity has offered a number of tips for protecting
pets including thinking twice before leaving a dog alone in
the car or tied outside a shop; taking clear photographs of
your pet from different angles to help prove ownership if
needed; training your dog to come back to you when
called; being wary of strangers asking questions about a
dog; and ensuring pets are micro-chipped.
Becky Thwaites, Blue Cross Public Affairs Officer, added:
"The effect of having your pet stolen can be absolutely
devastating for owners.
"This is why we want the Government to do more to deal
with this increasing problem.
"Penalties need to be tougher for those committing these
crimes to act as deterrent to others.
"We also believe that police forces need to ensure they
deal with these cases in a sensitive manner and highlight

where owners can go for further support."
An RSPCA spokewoman added: "We would strongly urge
pet owners to ensure their animals are micro-chipped and
the details on the log are kept up-to-date so that if in the
sad event that their pet is stolen then there is a higher
chance they can be reunited."
O2 HANDS OUT FREE WINDOWS VIRUS WITH USB

PEN
(The Register, dated 8th August 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/08/o2_sent_customers_a_w
indows_virus_on_usb_pens/
A marketing campaign by O2 that sent customers USBembedded pens backfired last week - after it transpired a
number of devices contained a "Windows-specific virus."
The UK cellphone network sent out the USB pens to its
business customers followed by a marketing email
encouraging them to download a free eBook. That was
then followed by another email warning that the USB drive
inside the pen contained malware.
The email titled "Urgent: Information about potential virus"
warned that some of the promotional USB embedded pens
had a Windows-specific virus, that "may not be picked up
by out-of-date Anti-Virus software."
The message, seen by The Register, warned that for
anyone using their computer as a web server, the virus
would also attack anyone who visits their website.
"The virus has the ability to install new programs onto
your system including updated versions of itself and
programs that might grant the virus's author remote

control over your computer."
The mobile network said the majority of the USBs were not
infected and blamed the gaffe on a supplier issue, adding
it had "notified the relevant organisations."
"If you have already and your antivirus has flagged a risk,
please follow the instructions your antivirus software gives
you and then remove and dispose of the USB," said the
email.
The virus infects program files and web files on computers
running the following systems: Windows 2000, Windows
95, Windows 98, Windows ME, Windows NT,Windows
Server 2003, Windows Vista, Windows XP.
An O2 spokesman said the business had contacted all
customers who received the USB and advised them to
discard it.
He said: "For any customers that have already used the
USB or are concerned, we have a specialist team on hand
to support them and guide them through any action they
may need to take. We apologise for any inconvenience."
(11th August 2016)
FORGET CARD SKIMMERS - ATM CHIP-CARD
SHIMMERS WILL BE YOUR NEXT NIGHTMARE
(The Register, dated 3rd August 2016 author Iain
Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/03/card_shimmers_wave_o
f_the_future/
America's belated move to EMV (Europay, MasterCard and
Visa) chip-equipped cards won't be the panacea some had
hoped. As it turns out, the cards are just as easy to clone
as their magnetic stripe predecessors.

At the Black Hat 2016 security conference in Las Vegas
this week, engineers from Rapid7 demonstrated how a few
small pieces of electronics could be used to stage a manin-the-middle attack against an ATM.
The shimmer device is so named because it is inserted in
the card slot like a shim, and it then takes a snapshot of
the transaction data as a request for cash is processed.
Tod Beardsley, security research manager at Rapid7, told
The Register that the equipment needed was tiny - it's
basically RaspBerry-Pi-powered - and could be installed
quickly without access to the internals of the cash
machine. The PIN typed into the keypad is obtained via a
passive man-in-the-middle attack - all the technical details
are in the presentation's slides, here [PDF].
Once retrieved, he was able to use the information to set
up fraudulent accounts and potentially start siphoning
money.
Shimming systems have already started cropping up,
particularly in areas of South America where tourists
congregate, he said. With the introduction of chipped
cards in the US you can expect shimmers to spread north,
and he predicted that petrol pump card readers would be
a likely target, since they are easily accessible and in
frequent use.
The move to chipped cards isn't all gloom and doom,
however. Data stolen from a magstripe card is easy to sell
online and reuse on cloned cards for long periods after it's
stolen. With chip cards, the window of opportunity to sell
the information is much smaller. Beardsley said that banks
had gotten much better at spotting likely cases of fraud
using the technique, and blocking access to accounts.
Rapid7 has contacted vendors of ATMs to tell them about
the research, and praised the pioneering work of the late
Barnaby Jack for making this possible without lawsuit
threats. Jack's ATM hacking nearly got him arrested, but

these days manufacturers recognize that white-hat
hackers can do them a lot of good.
(11th August 2016)
MASTERCARD ARMOURS ITS CONTACTLESS CARDS
AGAINST RELAY ATTACKS
(The Register, dated 4th August 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/08/04/contactless_cards_relay
_attack_mastercard/
Elements of the payment card industry have introduced a
new contactless payment card security feature, designed
to defend against relay attacks.
Relay attacks were first demonstrated nine years ago by a
team of computer scientists Saar Drimer and Steven
Murdoch.
The pair also suggested how the security flaw can be
mitigated using a technique called distance bounding).
Mastercard has taken up this defence, meaning its cards
(at least) are protected.
"Finally the banks are now implementing this defence,
though only for contactless cards (as they are more
vulnerable than the contact Chip and PIN cards that were
available in 2007), and so far only for MasterCard cards,"
Murdoch told El Reg.
Murdoch says that although the relay attack is real it's
unclear whether or not fraud based on the security
weakness has actually taken place.
"I'm not aware of any confirmed cases, other than
academic experiments. However, unless this were a
widespread fraud, I don't think I would have heard about it
even if it had happened," Murdoch explained.

"There have been bank customers who have come to me
or colleagues to say that they have been refused a refund
for a Chip and PIN transaction that they said did not take
place. In some of these cases it might have been a relay
attack, but in almost every case it is never established
what happened."
"The banks have taken the position that a relay attack is
unlikely and since the decision of whether a bank refunds
the customer is based on the most likely explanation, the
bank always presents another scenario as being the most
likely (normally customer negligence)," he added.
Murdoch only found out that MasterCard had moved to
defend against the relay attack because he regularly looks
at the EMVCo specifications and noticed this change.
"While the new feature is far from a secret, I don't think
MasterCard are drawing attention to it," he explained.
"Now that the MasterCard specification is out I am sure
the other card schemes have considered what they will do,
but I have no indication of a decision."
The security researcher has put together an article on
Mastercard's move and relay attacks more generally for
the University College London information security group's
Bentham's Gaze blog, which can be found here.
(11th August 2016)
BBC TO DEPLOY DETECTION VANS TO SNOOP ON
INTERNET USERS
(The Telegraph, dated 6th August 2016 author Patrick
Foster)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/05/bbc-to-deploydetection-vans-to-snoop-on-internet-users/
The BBC is to spy on internet users in their homes by

deploying a new generation of Wi-Fi detection vans to
identify those illicitly watching its programmes online.
The Telegraph can disclose that from next month, the BBC
vans will fan out across the country capturing information
from private Wi-Fi networks in homes to "sniff out" those
who have not paid the licence fee.
The corporation has been given legal dispensation to use
the new technology, which is typically only available to
crime-fighting agencies, to enforce the new requirement
that people watching BBC programmes via the iPlayer
must have a TV licence.
The disclosure will lead to fears about invasion of privacy
and follows years of concern over the heavy-handed
approach of the BBC towards those suspected of not
paying the licence fee. However, the BBC insists that its
inspectors will not be able to spy on other internet
browsing habits of viewers.
The existence of the new strategy emerged in a report
carried out by the National Audit Office (NAO).
It shows that TV Licensing, the corporation's licence-fee
collection arm, has developed techniques to track those
watching television on laptops, tablets, and mobile
phones.
The disclosure of the controversial new snooping
technique will lay to rest the persistent claims that
detector vans are no more than an urban myth designed
to intimidate the public into paying the licence fee.
Sir Amyas Morse, the comptroller and auditor general of
the NAO, writes in the report: "Detection vans can identify
viewing on a non-TV device in the same way that they can
detect viewing on a television set.
"BBC staff were able to demonstrate this to my staff in
controlled conditions sufficient for us to be confident that

they could detect viewing on a range of non-TV devices."
Currently, anyone who watches or records live
programming - online or on television - needs to buy a
145.50 licence. But from September 1, those who use the
iPlayer only for catch-up viewing will also need to pay the
fee, after the BBC successfully lobbied the Government to
change the law.
Under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, the
corporation is entitled to carry out surveillance of
suspected licence-fee dodgers.
The BBC confirmed that its newly developed detection
techniques had been authorised under the legislation.
While the corporation would not disclose how the new
technology works, the report states that the BBC has ruled
out combing its own records of computers that have
logged into the iPlayer website to hunt down non-paying
viewers.
Sir Amyas writes in the document: "The BBC rightly
acknowledges that this would be an inappropriate invasion
of privacy."
Instead, electrical engineering experts said that the most
likely explanation for how the BBC would carry out its
surveillance was a technique known as "packet sniffing",
which involves watching traffic passing over a wireless
internet network without hacking into the connection or
breaking its encryption.
Researchers at University College London disclosed that
they had used a laptop running freely available software
to identify Skype internet phone calls passing over
encrypted Wi-Fi, without needing to crack the network
password.
Dr Miguel Rio, a computer network expert who helped to
oversee the doctoral thesis, said that licence-fee
inspectors could sit outside a property and view encrypted

"packets" of data - such as their size and the frequency
with which they are emitted over the network - travelling
over a home Wi-Fi network.
This would allow them to establish if devices at homes
without television licences were indeed accessing BBC
programmes online.
Dr Rio said: "They actually don't need to decrypt traffic,
because they can already see the packets. They have
control over the iPlayer, so they could ensure that it sends
packets at a specific size, and match them up. They could
also use directional antennae to ensure they are viewing
the Wi-Fi operating within your property."
Privacy campaigners described the developments as
"creepy and worrying".
A spokesman for Privacy International, the human rights
watchdog, said: "While TV Licensing have long been able
to examine the electromagnetic spectrum to watch for and
investigate incorrect usage of their services, the revelation
that they are potentially developing technology to monitor
home Wi-Fi networks is startlingly invasive."
A spokesman for TV Licensing said: "We've caught people
watching on a range of devices, but don't give details of
detection as we would not want to reveal information
helpful to evaders.
"Our use of detection is regularly inspected by
independent regulators."
The broadcaster included the NAO report in a list of
documents that it claimed to have published alongside its
annual report last month, but never distributed the review
or uploaded it to its website. It has now been placed online
by the public spending watchdog.
(11th August 2016)
SELF SERVICE CHECKOUTS TURN HONEST

SHOPPERS INTO THIEVES, WARN CRIMINOLOGISTS
(The Telegraph, dated 2nd August 2016 author Sarah
Knapton)
www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/08/02/self-servicecheckouts-turn-honest-shoppers-into-thieves-warn-cr/
Self-service tills are criminalising 'normally-honest'
shoppers who resort to theft because it is so easy and the
technology so frustrating, a report by University of
Leicester has found.
Although shops may think they are saving money by
ditching staff in favour of automated systems, in fact, the
amount of money lost through theft rockets after the
introduction of self-checkouts.
Leicester criminologists found that the cost of stolen items
more than doubles after the introduction of self-scanning.
And it is not just criminals taking advantage of the lax
security. The report found that people who are usually
honest resort to theft simply because they can, and do not
feel it is as wrong when there is no human interaction.
The frustrations many people feel at the self-service till
may also lead shoppers to feel justified in stealing, the
report found, while technology gives offenders 'readymade excuses' for failing to scan items.
Self-checkouts were found to provoke aggressive
behaviour particularly when products would not scan
correctly, or when staff had to intervene to over-ride faults
or check age verifications.
Giving customers the freedom to self-scan also gives them
the opportunity to blame faulty technology, problems with
the product barcodes or claim that they are not technically
proficient as reasons for non-scanning, said the report.

Professor Adrian Beck, of the Department of Criminology,
said: "Both loved and loathed by consumers, with the
phrase 'unexpected item in the bagging area' striking
dread into many a shopper, self-scan technologies are
growing in use and likely to become even more prominent
as we begin to be encouraged to use our own mobile
devices to both scan and pay for products in the stores we
visit.
"From the retailers' perspective, the benefits seem obvious
- less investment required in staff and checkout
technologies, with the former being the biggest expense
they face.
"For the shopper it could mean the end of checkout
queues as product scanning and payment can in theory be
performed anywhere in the store at their convenience. To
borrow a well-warn phrase, 'what could possibly go
wrong'?
"Well, our research found that quite a bit could and does
go wrong, with some potentially rather worrying long term
consequences."
The study involved data from nearly 12 million shopping
trips from four major British retailers as well others in the
US, Belgium and Holland between 2013 and 2015
The researchers found that introducing self-checkouts
raised the rate of loss by 122 per cent to an average of 3.9
per cent of turnover.
It is also difficult for retailers to identify whether a
customer wilfully took items without scanning or were
simply absentminded. The report found that prosecutions
were a 'legal and customer relations minefield' with one
company admitting it never prosecuted because a
shoplifting charge could never be proved in court.
The study concluded that retailers have made theft so
easy that customers who would 'normally and happily pay'

are tempted to commit crime and may start to see it as a
normal part of shopping.
Scanning items using hand-held devices or mobile phones
was also fund to lead to errors. At the end of one shopping
trip in a large supermarket researchers found that 10 per
cent cent of items in a basket had not been scanned
through genuine error caused by distraction because the
'shopper is being asked to do too many things at once."
Co-author Dr Matt Hopkins said: "All innovations in
retailing are a business choice - hopefully done to make
the shopper happier and the business more profitable.
"But those same choices can also produce negative
outcomes as well, such as increased opportunities for
losses to occur.
"Retailers are becoming aware of these problems and
introducing ways of 'amplifying' risk in the mobile scan
and pay environment, trying to ensure that all that ends
up in the basket also makes it onto the receipt."
Some supermarkets now carry out random audit checks
and technology is being developed to tag items so that
they set off alarms if they have not been scanned.
(11th August 2016)
YAHOO PROBING POTENTIAL DATA BREACH AS 200

MILLION USER ACCOUNTS APPEAR ON DARK WEB
(International Business Times, dated 2nd August 2016
www.ibtimes.co.uk/yahoo-probing-potential-data-breach200-million-user-accounts-appear-dark-web-1573716
A hacker using the pseudonym "Peace" has uploaded what

purports to be a data dump of 200 million Yahoo accounts
to an underground marketplace called The Real Deal. The
technology giant, which has not yet confirmed the
authenticity of the data, admitted it was "aware" of the
potential leak.
The suspected leak comes in the wake of other "mega
breaches" at Myspace and LinkedIn that each
compromised millions of customer records and were both
uploaded by the same cybercriminal. Like prior hacks,
usernames, hashed passwords and date of births appear
to have been compromised.
Alongside the listing, which was uploaded with a sample of
the data, Peace wrote the credentials were "most likely"
from 2012 and that passwords in the data dump were
hashed with an MD5 algorithm.
At the time of writing, the credentials are being sold for
three bitcoins, a form of cryptocurrency that is equivalent
to 1,395 ($1,838). Based on the sample, a number of the
records correspond with real accounts, while others do not
- to be expected for a dataset containing older
information.
A Yahoo spokesperson told IBTimes UK via email: "We are
aware of a claim. We are committed to protecting the
security of our users' information and we take any such
claim very seriously. Our security team is working to
determine the facts.
"Yahoo works hard to keep our users safe, and we always
encourage our users to create strong passwords, or give
up passwords altogether by using Yahoo Account Key, and
use different passwords for different platforms."
As noted by Vice Motherboard, which first reported news
of the potential breach, the firm did not confirm nor deny
the data was legitimate. IBTimes UK contacted Peace for
comment via The Real Deal however did not receive a
response by the time of publication. It remains unclear if

Peace hacked Yahoo to get access to the credentials,
whether the data was obtained from a secondary source
or even if it is simply made up from records taken from
other major hacks.
Little is known about the individual - or group - behind the
Peace persona. However, in one interview given to Wired,
he or she claimed to once have been part of a Russian
hacking group that targeted major technology firms.
Once the group reportedly split, data dumps from 2012/13
that were previously only shared with an "inner circle"
started to appear online. These included 160 million
accounts from LinkedIn, 100 million from Russian social
media platform VK.com and 360 million from Myspace.
uaware comment
Yahoo operates some of the email platform for BT. If you
don't regularly change your email password, you may
want to consider it now.
(11th August 2016)
LONDONERS TOLD TO "RUN AWAY AS FAST AS
POSSIBLE" IF ISIS TARGETS THE CAPITAL
Martin Bentham)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/londoners-told-to-runaway-as-fast-as-possible-if-isis-targets-the-capitala3308836.html
Londoners were today told to "run away as far as possible"
if Islamic State terrorists hit the capital as Britain's most
senior counter-terror officer made an unprecedented
appeal to the public to prepare for an attack.
Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley said

people should also hide once they were unable to flee any
further and call the police.
He said that by learning the "basic" rules people could
save their own lives and help to reduce the death toll if IS
terrorists began a mass casualty attack.
"It may seem blindingly obvious, but some people don't
run, they will duck down where they are, do all sorts of
different things in the panic," Mr Rowley told the Standard.
"So let's be really clear - run as far away as possible and
when you can't run any further, hide, and then tell - call
the police because we've got the people, the resources,
the firearms to deal with it. It's very straightforward."
Mr Rowley also called on workers across London "from
Canary Wharf to local high streets" to help police foil terror
plots by looking out for "suspicious" individuals who might
be carrying out reconnaissance in a shopping centre or
buying a vehicle to use as a weapon.
His appeal to the public to prepare for terrorists to hit
London follows the recent spate of attacks in France and
Germany and a warning from Met Commissioner Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe that it is a matter of "when, not if"
an IS outrage is carried out in Britain.
Mr Rowley, the police national head of counter-terrorism,
said that officers were currently carrying out "hundreds of
investigations" into terror suspects and facing a "steady
flow" of plots by stay-at-home jihadis inspired online.
He said that more armed officers were already being
deployed across London in response and that the number
of "high calibre" firearms specialists would rise further
over the coming weeks.
But he insisted that no individual attack was inevitable
and that public vigilance could be crucial in foiling plots.
Appealing for the public to follow police advice on how to

cope with the terrorist threat, Mr Rowley added: "Every
Londoner can help the fight against terrorism, whether it's
being more prepared personally or at work or if you are
suspicious about something or someone - if you see
someone acting suspiciously near where you work then
straight away contacting us, whether you are working in
Canary Wharf or the local high street.
"That person who's suspicious may be someone doing
reconnaissance because they want to attack a shopping
centre or it may be someone who is preparing in a
different way, hiring a car or a lorry, it could be all sorts of
ways, but we say to the public, trust your instincts and
pick up the phone to us.
"We the police aren't being defeatist, we are arresting
more and more people, we are bringing more firearms
officers on patrol, we're putting more on foot patrol in
crowded places, doing everything we can to flex our
resources to protect the public and what we are saying is
we aren't being defeatist, it's important the public aren't
defeatist as well.
We need more help, more preparedness from the public.
We are asking the public to roll the sleeves up and help
us."
On the advice to "run, hide, tell", which is set out in full in
a "Stay Safe" online film published by police, Mr Rowley
added:
"We should all do everything possible to stop attacks
happening, but when we look at the events of the past few
months in Europe it would be foolish if we were not to put
out advice saying if you get caught in something here are
some simple rules about what to do and give yourself a
better chance of survival.
"This is based on what's happened in attacks across the
world. If you get a chance, run to get away, hide and call
us.
"I know the case of somebody who had seen the video
who was a British citizen who was caught up in the attack
in Tunisia in Sousse and she would say that it changed
what she did and saved her life.
"She went to her bedroom on the fifth floor, buried herself
in that and locked the door. It's basics but it's really
important."
Funding for an extra 600 firearms officers was announced
by the government last year following the Paris attacks. Mr
Rowley said they were still being trained, but that by
working overtime and "other methods" police were putting
more armed patrols on the streets.
"The critical point is that this 24/7, specialist officers with
the weaponry and equipment to confront a terrorist. This
is high calibre, highly trained specialist people.
"They are on patrol in vehicles across London, sometimes
they will be on foot, and based on intelligence, based on
disrupting terrorism, they will vary between shopping
centres, places like Oxford Street, sometimes sporting
events, religious premises.
"We will have a much bigger, stronger capability to deal
with anything that hits us in London."
On the scale of the threat, Mr Rowley added: "What we
see reflects what's going on across Europe.
"Most of them aren't people who have travelled to Syria,
but they are being inspired, trying to pick up weapons, to
plan an attack here. That's what we've been wrestling with
most of all. We've had a steady flow of people thinking
about that sort of attack.
"The second thing that we've got to guard against is
people returning from Syria more determined, more
deadly, more highly skilled in weaponry. If those people
were to reach the UK that would be a major concern.
"We have got hundreds of investigations ranging from

extremists right on the periphery through to small
numbers of the highest risk operations of people who are
looking to do an attack.
"We've got large numbers of people we have got degrees
of concern about, we've got high risk individuals, the
highest-risk operations, and that's one of the reasons that
public information helps us.
"We are constantly trying to sift who are the highest risk
individuals on our radar, and a member of the public
might spot something about someone we think is low
priority that we haven't."
Mr Rowley also confirmed that counter terror officers are
helping Norfolk Police investigate the attempted kidnap of
an airman outside RAF Marham earlier this month, but that
the motive for the crime was still unclear.
Safety Video
An official "Stay Safe" video on what to do in a terror
attack can be viewed at :
www.npcc.police.uk/NPCCBusinessAreas/WeaponAttacksSt
aySafe.aspx
(11th August 2016)
JULY 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - JULY 2016
----------------------MALWARE FOUND IN 75% OF TOP 20 COMMERCIAL BANKS
IN THE US
author India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/malware-found-75-top-20-commercialbanks-us-says-security-scorecard-1573769
US financial organisations are at increased risk of falling
victim to cyberattacks, according to a new report by
cybersecurity rating and continuous risk monitoring firm
Security Scorecard. The firm's research revealed that 75%
of the top 20 commercial banks in the US were infected by
malware.
Several malware families, including Ponyloader,
Vertexnext and Keybase were detected among many of
the top 20 banks. "Over 422 malware events over the past
year were detected in just one of the commercial banks. A
total of 788 malware events were detected in all 20
commercial banks over the past 365 days," Security
Scorecard said in its report.
----------------------POEKMON GO : ISREALI ARMY BANS SOLDIERS FROM
PLAYING SMARTPHONE APPLICATION AMID
CYBERSECURITY FEARS
www.ibtimes.co.uk/pokemon-go-israeli-army-bans-soldiersplaying-smartphone-application-amid-cybersecurity-fears1573861
The Israeli military has reportedly banned its soldiers from
playing Pokmon Go amid fears the popular smartphone
application could be a cybersecurity risk.
According to the Associated Press, the Israel Defense
Force (IDF) has officially instructed its troops and officers
the augmented reality game, which relies on location
services and phone cameras to operate, could leak

sensitive information on its secretive bases.
The military said it is also concerned soldiers could fall
victim to one of the many malicious Pokmon Go
applications available online. "The game is a source for
gathering information!" states the warning issued by the
IDF's Information Security Department. "The game cannot
be used on an army base!"
-----------------------MALVERTISING CAMPAIGN ADGHOLAS TARGETED 1
MILLION VICTIMS PER DAY
(International Business Times, dated 29th July 2016 author
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/malvertising-campaign-adgholastargeted-1-million-victims-per-day-1573135
A malvertising campaign dubbed AdGholas has been
found to have targeted one million victims, successfully
infecting thousands, everyday. The campaign was active
for a year before being shut down by security researchers.
Cybercriminals used a complex combination of
"sophisticated filtering and steganography" to evade
detection and reach as many targets as possible.
A collaborative effort by security researchers from
Proofpoint and Trend Micro revealed that the malvertising
campaign has been active since October 2015. The two
firms also uncovered that while not all AdGholas
campaigns worked in the same way, they, however,
shared the same "multi-layered filtering and obfuscation"
in efforts to evade detection.
-----------------------RUSSIA BASED WEBSITE IDENTIFIED AS CYBERCRIME HUB
LINKED TO HACKER BEHIND LINKEDIN BREACH
India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/russia-based-deer-io-identifiedcybercrime-hub-linked-hacker-behind-linkedin-breach1573040
A new Russia-based online business hub has been
uncovered, which has been identified by security
researchers as a one-stop shop for cybercriminals. Deer.io,
a website development platform, is estimated to be
hosting over 1,000 shops, most of which were found to sell
stolen products from compromised accounts.
Deer.io, which claims to offer "technical hosting including
anonymity and security, payment handling, website
design and distributed denial of service (DDoS)
protection", was also found to be hosting darkside.global the online shop linked to the pseudonymous hacker
Tessa88, who was found to have been behind the highprofile database breach sustained by various social
networking sites, including LinkedIn and MySpace.
-----------------------O2 DENIES HACKING BREACH AS CUSTOMER DATA
EMERGES ON THE DARK WEB
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hackers-gain-access-o2-customer-dataput-it-sale-dark-web-1572533
Hackers have listed purported O2 customer data for sale
on the dark web. The data was reportedly first
stolen from a gaming site in November 2013, which was
later used by the hackers to access O2 customer data.
The personal data on sale on the dark web includes
names, phone numbers, date of birth, emails and
passwords.
An O2 statement said: "We have not suffered a data

breach. We have reported all the details passed to us
about the seller to law enforcement and we continue to
help with their investigations."
-----------------------WHAT PRIVACY ? YAHOO STILL RETAINS A COPY OF YOUR
EMAILS AFTER THEY ARE DELETED FROM YOUR INBOX
Mary-Ann Russon)
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-privacy-yahoo-still-retainscopy-your-emails-after-they-are-deleted-your-inbox1572381
Yahoo is in hot water over giving UK police and the FBI
access to six months' worth of deleted emails as
part of a transatlantic drug trafficking investigation, which
might possibly be illegal.
A US judge has granted a motion forcing Yahoo to explain
how exactly it is able to recover emails that
have been deleted from a user's inbox, when its privacy
policy on dealing with law enforcement explicitly
declares that "Yahoo is not able to search for or produce
deleted emails".
The motion has been granted as part of a convicted UK
drug trafficker's appeal to try to get evidence
against him thrown out of court by arguing that the
information was illegally obtained by Yahoo.
-----------------------FLAWS FOUND IN SECURITY PRODUCTS FROM AVG,
SYMANTEC AND MCAFEE
(The Register, dated 20th July 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/20/hooks_cooked_hackers_
crack_tonnes_of_security_apps_for_new_cloak_yoke/
Hundreds of security products may not be up to the job,

researchers say, thanks to flawed uses of code hooking.
The research is the handiwork of EnSilo duo Udi Yavo and
Tommer Bitton, who disclosed the bugs in anti-virus and
Windows security tools ahead of their presentation at the
Black Hat Las Vegas conference next month.
The pair says 15 products including those from AVG,
Symantec, and McAfee are affected. Scores more may be
vulnerable thanks to their use of Microsoft's Detours, code
Redmond says is used for "re-routing Win32 APIs
underneath applications [and] is licensed by over 100 ISVs
and used within nearly every product team at Microsoft."
The researchers did not specify if Microsoft's enhanced
mitigation experience toolkit (EMET) is affected.
Attackers would already need access to a system to reap
the benefits of the vulnerabilities and neuter the security
platforms running on the target system.
"We found six different common security issues that stem
from incorrect implementation of code hooking and
injections techniques," the pair say.
----------------------GOOGLE'S NEXII STAND TALL AMONG ANDROID'S
INSECURE SWILL
The Register, dated 15th July 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/15/android_security/
Nexus devices are, unsurprisingly, the most secure
Androids, says security outfit Duo.
The devices are regarded as Google's flagship Android
device on account of its operating system running the
stock Android open source project (AOSP).

Android phones from other manufacturers nearly always
add custom modifications and are slow to update AOSP
updates, when mobe-makers bother to do so.
Duo Labs security intern Olabode Anise (@justsayo) says
in analysis that Nexus users are the most secure on
account of the rapid provision and application of updates.
"Google's publicity around the stronger security model of
Nexus phones, combined with the fast update rollout, has
clearly resulted in safer users," Anise says.
"Tech-savvy users might frequently upgrade mobile
phones, and so they benefit from the stronger security
that gets baked into each newer model, but that's not the
norm.
----------------------HACKERS STEAL MILLIONS FROM ATMs USING JUST THEIR
SMARTPHONES
(The Register, dated 15th July 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/15/taiwan_atm_hack/
Authorities in Taiwan are trying to work out how hackers
managed to trick a network of bank ATMs into spitting out
millions.
Police suspect that two Russian nationals wearing masks
cashed out dozens of ATMs operated by Taiwan's First
Bank on Sunday and left the country the following day. The
crooks stole an estimated T$70m ($2.2m) hours after a
typhoon battered the region around Taipei, the Taiwanese
capital.
The two (or perhaps at least three) crooks behind the theft
didn't use bank cards, judging from security camera
footage. Instead, the cybercriminals appeared to gain

control of the machines with a "connected device,"
possibly a smartphone, according to police.
Targeted ATMs were made by German manufacturer
Wincor Nixdorf, which admits some of its machines in
Taiwan were hacked as part of a "premeditated attack."
Three different (unspecified) strains of malware were
found on the compromised machines.
First Bank and other Taiwanese banks suspended
withdrawals from their ATMs as a precaution following the
attack, pending inspections to determine whether any
cyber-tampering took place.
----------------------TOP BANKS IN TAIWAN ON HIGH ALERT AS THIEVES USE
ATM MALWARE TO STEAL MILLIONS
Jason Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/banks-across-taiwan-high-alertsuspected-russian-criminals-use-atm-malware-stealmillions-1570185
The top eight banks in Taiwan have been forced to shut
down activity on hundreds of ATMs after a coordinated
group of thieves used malware to steal NT$70 million
($2.17m, 1.64m, 1.9m) in cash.
Bank of Taiwan, Chang Hwa Bank, First Bank and five other
institutions have reportedly suspended transactions on
900 cash machines following a major theft by three
suspects on 9-10 July across 20 branches of the First
Commercial Bank in Taipei and Taichung.
----------------------OMNI - SHAMBLES ! CARD STEALING MALWARE CHECKS
INTO HOTEL CHAIN
(The Register, dated 11th July 2016 author Shaun Nichols)

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/11/strike_omni_from_list_of
_safe_hotels/
Yet another US hotel chain has admitted malware infected
its computer systems and stole guests' bank card
information.
Omni Hotels said today an attacker managed to infiltrate
its IT network and inject a software nasty into its payment
terminals that siphoned off copies of people's credit and
debit cards.
The malware was present on Omni sales kit between
December 23, 2015 and June 14 of this year. Information
lifted from credit and debit cards included cardholder
name, card number, expiration date, and security code.
The hotel did not say which of its 52 North America
locations were infected with the card-stealing malware.
----------------------HACKERS CAN EXPLOIT SMATWATCHES, FITNESS
TRACKERS TO STEAL YOUR ATM PIN
(Computer World, dated 7th July 2016 author Darlene
Storm)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3092407/security/h
ackers-can-exploit-smartwatches-fitness-trackers-to-stealyour-atm-pin.html
If you don't trust wearable devices, then you weren't being
paranoid as new research proved how smartwatches and
fitness trackers, which are recording your movements, can
be exploited by attackers to steal your ATM PIN or
password.
Yan Wang, an assistant professor of computer science at

the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied
Science at Binghamton University, won't wear a smart
watch. "It knows too much," he told IEEE Spectrum.
Wang should know as he was one of five researchers who
developed a technique which combined data from
embedded sensors in wearables with an algorithm; it
could crack PINS and passwords with an 80% accuracy in
just one try. After three tries, they achieved a 90%
accuracy.
He admitted, "At the beginning, I thought this would be
science fiction, but it can actually be done. There are just
so many sensors on these wearable devices. It provides
sufficient information of your hand movements."
----------------------ANTIVIRUS MERGER
(Computer World, dated 7th July 2016 author Peter Sayer)
www.computerworld.com/article/3092501/security/antiviru
s-merger-avast-to-buy-avg-for-13-billion.html
Antivirus vendor Avast Software has agreed to buy rival
AVG Technologies for $1.3 billion in cash.
The deal will give Avast access to more than 400 million
"endpoints," or devices running its and AVG's software,
160 million of them phones or tablets, the company said
Thursday.
Avast hopes the deal will make the combined company
more efficient, as well as allowing it to take advantage of
new growth opportunities such as securing the internet of
things.
"This combination is great for our users. We will have over
250 million PC/Mac users enabling us to gather even more
threat data to improve the protection to our users," Avast
CEO Vincent Stickler wrote on the company blog.

----------------------PROBLEMS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES USING SYMANTEC
ANTI-VIRUS
(The Register, dated 6th July 2016 author Iain Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/06/symantecs_unfixed_zer
oday_flaws/
If you're using Symantec's Endpoint Protection Small
Business Edition (SEP SBE) then you can forget about
security for a week or so, as the company won't be
patching the "as bad as it gets" security holes in its
software for a while.
A Register reader who wishes to remain anonymous
received an email from Symantec confirming users of the
cloud SEP SBE package will be getting patched in the next
few days. But the workstation version patches won't be
pushed out until the middle of the month, and the Mac
version by the end of July.
Meanwhile, if you're still using the older SEP SBE (onpremises) product, then you can forget about it - the
system isn't going to get a fix for the problems that allow
an attacker full run of a Symantec system without the
need for a user to be involved in any way.
"Symantec has released antivirus definitions to detect and
block exploitation," the company told us in an emailed
statement. "In addition, updates to Symantec Endpoint
Protection Small Business Edition will be available by midJuly. We recommend that customers apply these updates
as soon as they are available."
-----------------------EU E1.8bn IN CYBERSECURITY INVESTMENT

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/05/eu_cybersecurity_invest
ment_plan/
The EU Commission has launched a public-private
partnership on cybersecurity that is expected to trigger
1.8bn ($2bn) of investment by 2020. The EU is promising
to invest 450m ($502m) in a bid to spur innovation in
cybersecurity with the remainder coming from the private
sector.
Some security commentators reckon the Brexit vote
means that British organisations are set to lose out on the
benefits of this investment. However given the uncertain
political climate in the UK - which remains a full member
of the EU for a t least two years and possibly longer - a UK
lockout is far from definite.
UAWARE : See full article with main section for July 2016.
-----------------------GET READY FOR MANDATORY PORN SITE AGE CHECKS
(The Register, dated 5th July 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/05/digital_economy_bill_ag
e_verification_smut_sites/
The UK government is to lay its digital bill before
Parliament today, which, among other things, is intended
to create a legal right for every household to access
10Mbps broadband.
Age verification will also be required for people browsing
pornographic websites, supposedly for the protection of
children from online porn.
The Digital Economy Bill was first announced in the
Queen's Speech earlier this year. It has the lofty aim of

"mak[ing] the United Kingdom a world leader in the digital
economy" via legislation.
The Bill also contains contentious plans to allow
government departments to better share citizens'
information between themselves. However, those
proposals have been criticised for being too hastily
introduced - despite a lengthy consultation process around
the initial proposals.
-----------------------WHY BREXIT VOTE TO LEAVE THE EU WIL HAVE LITTLE
EFFECT ON ITS DATA PROTECTION RULES
(Computer World, dated 24th June 2016 author Peter
Sayer)
www.computerworld.com/article/3088313/cloudcomputing/why-the-uks-vote-to-leave-the-eu-will-havelittle-effect-on-its-data-protection-rules.html
With the haircut that the sterling-euro exchange rate has
taken in the wake of the U.K.'s vote to leave the European
Union, the U.K. has suddenly become a low-cost country
for companies wishing to host or process the personal
information of EU citizens.
As for U.K. businesses hoping for more relaxed data
protection rules in the wake of the referendum vote, they
will have to wait -- perhaps for a very long while.
That's because many of the rules that the 51.9 percent
who voted to leave the EU hoped to escape are, in fact,
firmly part of U.K. law, and will only go away if the U.K.
Parliament votes to repeal them.
And it can't do that until it has negotiated its exit from the
EU, which is a matter of international treaty and not the
will of the people.
-----------------------(3rd August 2016)

NEW DATA REVEALS SCAM HOTSPOTS - DO YOU LIVE
IN ONE ?
(Love Money / BT News, dated 31st July 2016)
http://home.bt.com/lifestyle/money/money-tips/new-datareveals-scam-hotspots-do-you-live-in-one11364076353910
Here's a round-up of the 20 towns in England and Wales
where victims lose the biggest sums of cash.
Scam victims tend to lose an average of 2,500, according
to new research.
Citizen's Advice found that Hemel Hempstead,
Hertfordshire, is the area people were likely to lose the
largest sums, with the typical victim losing 9,036.
This is followed by Exeter, where losses were around
5,736 per person.
Llandudno, which saw each victim lose an average of
5,501 is third, followed by Lincoln with 4,567.
Citizen's Advice gathered its data by examining 5,000 calls
from victims across England and Wales.
Types of scams
The most common scam methods identified were up-front
payments - where people were asked to pay for a service
that never materialised - and fake services, including
scammers telling victims their computer has a virus, which
they can fix remotely.
Others were targeted with vishing scams, where

scammers cold-call and attempt to get people's bank
details.
The findings were revealed as part of Scams Awareness
month, a national campaign run by Citizen's Advice and
Trading Standards to help people avoid falling prey to
scams.
Commenting on the findings, Gillian Guy, chief executive
of Citizen's Advice, said con-artists are using different
tricks to rob people up and down the country.
"Some areas are suffering a blight of cold-calls about
computer viruses, while others are bombarded with letters
about lottery winnings which actually cost the victim
money," she said.
"If you think you may have lost money to a fraudster, seek
advice straight away so you can try and get your money
back. Reporting scams is the only way to stop scams from
spreading, and get them closed down for good."
How to protect yourself
Here are some tips on how to avoid this being conned out
of your money through a phone scam:
- Be wary of unsolicited phone calls and especially cold
callers who suggest you hang up and call them back.
Fraudsters can keep your phone line open by not putting
down the receiver at their end.
- If you feel something is suspicious, hang up, wait five
minutes to clear the line, or where possible use a different
phone line to call your bank or card issuer on their
advertised number.
- If you don't have another telephone to use, call someone
you know first to make sure the telephone line is free.
- Remember your bank will never ask you to check the

number showing on your telephone display matches their
registered telephone number. The display can't be trusted.
- Bear in mind criminals may already have basic
information about you, like your name, address and
account details, so don't assume a caller is genuine based
on these.
- Never tell anyone, including the bank or police, your fourdigit PIN, your password or online banking codes and any
personal detail unless you are sure who you are talking to.
It's also important to remember that your bank and the
police will never:
- Ask for your four-digit card PIN or online banking
password, even by tapping them into the telephone
keypad.
- Ask you to withdraw money to hand over for
safekeeping.
- Ask you to transfer money to a new account for fraud
reasons, even if they say it is in your name.
- Send someone to collect your cash, PIN, payment card or
cheque book if you are a victim of fraud.
- Ask you to purchase goods using your card and then
hand them over for safe-keeping
If you fall victim to fraud or even if you're unsure contact
your bank and tell them what has happened. You should
report the crime to the police through Action Fraud by
calling 0300 123 2040.
###Average loss per person in the top 20 biggest scam
hotspots
1. Hemel Hempstead : 9,036
2. Exeter : 5,736
3. Llandudno : 5,501
4. Lincoln : 4,576
5. Chester : 3,642
6. Gloucester : 3,508
7. Coventry : 2,678
8. Swansea : 2,285
9. Norwich : 1,814
10. Tonbridge : 1,447
11. York : 1,414
12. Torquay : 1,226
13. Brighton : 974
14. Rochester : 734
15. Telford : 695
16. Salisbury : 537
17. Bournemouth : 469
18. Redhill : 336
19. Lancaster : ? (not shown in article)
20. Dorchester : ? (not shown in article)
(1st August 2016)
POLICE FIND 30 MILLION IMAGES OF CHILD ABUSE
IN MAJOR ANTI-PAEDOPHILE OPERATION
(The Telegraph, dated 29th July 2016 author Martin Evans)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/29/police-find-300million-images-of-child-abuse-in-major-anti-paed/
Police in Scotland have recovered more than 30 million
images of child sex abuse and have identified more than
500 victims, it has been announced.
In the first major operation of its kind in Scotland,
detectives arrested 77 people on suspicion of a range of
offences involving the abuse of youngsters as young as
three-years-old.
Dubbed Operation Lattise, the investigation focused on
the distribution of indecent images, online grooming and
the live streaming of abuse on webcams.

Police said much of the work to identify culprits was still
ongoing but charges including rape sharing indecent
images, bestiality and drug offences had already been
executed.
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm
Graham, said: "Online child sexual abuse is a national
threat - the reality is it is happening now, not only in
Scotland but across the world, to children of all ages, from
infants to teenagers.
"Operation Lattise was about shining a light on the scale
of this issue - it was focused activity to tackle the many
forms of online child sexual abuse by identifying those
who pose a risk to children online and, more importantly,
identifying victims of online sexual abuse and exploitation,
as well as preventing more youngsters becoming victims.
"Let me make it clear - child sexual abuse and
exploitation, which can range from sharing images
depicting the rape, sexual torture or assault of a child to
grooming or sexually extorting a child takes place solely
because of decisions made on the part of the abuser.
"Online child sexual abuse is not a victimless crime:
children, from toddlers to teenagers, are being sexually
abused and exploited now in Scotland and when an image
or video clip is shared or viewed, they are being revictimised.
"Police Scotland is committed to Keeping Children Safe
and the protection of children was absolutely at the heart
of Operation LATTISE. All children have a right to
protection against abuse, exploitation, neglect and
violence.
"We will continue to work with our partners to protect and
promote the wellbeing of all children. Our commitment to
tackling this horrific threat will continue."
Joanna Barrett, NSPCC Scotland Policy and Public Affairs

Manager, said: "We are increasingly concerned about the
harm caused to children through online activity. Too many
children are exposed to dangerous and harmful content
through the internet, or are subjected to online
harassment, grooming, and sexual exploitation.
"We recently highlighted how the internet is playing an
increasing role in the sexual abuse of younger children in
Scotland, with a 60 per cent rise recorded over a year in
the number of indecent communications offences carried
out by adults against children aged under 13.
"It is vital we learn more about the nature and scale of this
offending in Scotland and its impact on children and young
people. Everyone has a responsibility to ensure that
children are protected online and we welcome the work
carried out by Police Scotland and others to tackle online
abuse and help keep children safe from abuse."
(1st August 2016)
DON'T USE A VIRTUAL PRIVATE NETWORK (VPN) IN
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
(The Register, dated 28th July 2016 author Iain Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/28/vpn_users_in_uae_face_
544k_fine/
A royal edict from the president of the United Arab
Emirates (UAE) may have effectively made it illegal for
anyone in the country to use a VPN or secure proxy
service.
Those caught could face jail time and fines of between
500,000 and 2,000,000 UAE dirham (US$136,130 and
$544,521). The change was announced this week by the
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al
Nahyan in a proclamation that amended federal laws.
The wording is ambiguous and technologically illiterate.
Essentially, it seems, you are not allowed to use systems
that hide the fact that you're committing a crime or

covering one up. If you're routing your network traffic
through a secure VPN or proxy server, you could be
evading the eyes of the state while breaking a law, and
that's now a big no-no.
You could claim you were using the VPN or proxy for legit
reasons, and that no criminal activity was being
committed or concealed, but since your packets were
encrypted, you may have a hard time proving your
innocence.
-----------------------The tweaked law now reads as follows:
Whoever uses a fraudulent computer network protocol
address (IP address) by using a false address or a thirdparty address by any other means for the purpose of
committing a crime or preventing its discovery, shall be
punished by temporary imprisonment and a fine of no less
than Dhs 500,000 and not exceeding Dhs 2,000,000, or
either of these two penalties.
------------------------Less than 15 per cent of the desert kingdom's inhabitants
are locals, with the rest of the population made up of
expatriates, many of whom want to access private
corporate networks and the internet at large without being
limited by the filtering systems the country has set up.
The state telco blocks anything seen as being against UAE
values, any Israeli domains, and pornography sites, as well
as many VoIP services for calling home.
There are two state-sanctioned VoIP services, Etisalat and
Du, but they are relatively expensive. Skype was outlawed
in the kingdom, but that ban was lifted in April after
Microsoft and business leaders complained that the
blockade was discouraging businesses from coming to the
country.
In the meantime, if you're visiting the UAE, using a VPN or
proxy server may be problematic. The new law is now in
effect, and you may get a knock on the door by the police
if you try using one of those services.
(1st August 2016)
LIE DETECTOR TESTS FOR SEX OFFENDERS
(The Telegraph, dated 27th July 2016 author Cristina
Criddle)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/27/lie-detector-testsfor-sex-offenders-police-catch-criminal-reoff/
A convicted sex offender had admitted reoffending after
police asked him to take a lie detector
test when concerns were raised about his behaviour.
Essex Police said the man, who had previous convictions
for indecent exposure, was tested
following a referral from detectives.
He consented to the test and, when questioned about his
results, admitted reoffending.
The man in question was not on probation, Essex Police
confirmed.
Officers then secured a sexual harm prevention order
through the courts, which included a
condition that he must submit to a polygraph test when
requested by police.
If he refuses it will be a breach of the order and he will be
arrested, interviewed and could
face the courts.
Essex Police now plans to extend the scheme to test
previous offenders.
Detective Chief Inspector Jim Sandford said: "We use the
polygraph test to get information
about whether or not a sex offender is reoffending, so that
we can assess the risk they pose
to the public and ensure they are complying with sexual
harm prevention orders imposed by the
courts.
"We can't force people to take part unless it forms part of
a court order and the results of
a polygraph test can't be used as evidence in court.
"But the benefits are that it shows they are willing to
engage and co-operate with the
authorities, and it can prevent us relying on more intrusive
methods of monitoring."
The test is carried out in three stages, with an interview,
followed by the polygraph test
and a post-test discussion.

Last year it emerged 63 sex offenders were sent back to
prison after probation officers
used lie detector tests while they were on early release.
"We have seen some participants tell us about reoffending
during the pre-test interview and
others make admissions after undergoing the polygraph,"
Mr Sandford added. "We have had
occasions where offenders have admitted further offences
or breaches of preventative orders,
which have triggered investigations that are ongoing.
"We have also seen some admit that they may have
potential contact with children, which has
allowed us to directly intervene and keep people safe."
Essex Police is one of just four forces in the country to use
polygraph testing to manage the
risk posed by convicted sex offenders.
Two officers have completed a course to become trained
polygraph examiners. Select police
officers from Hertfordshire, Kent and South Yorkshire have
also undertaken training.
Officers from Northumbria and Manchester police forces
are also understood to be taking
an 11-week course in the autumn.
(1st August 2016)
"UNMARKED POLICE" CARS WARNING TO ESSEX

DRIVERS AFTER VANS STOLEN
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex36902057
Drivers are being warned not to stop if an unmarked police
car tries to get them to pull over after two vans were
stolen by fake officers.
Essex Police issued the warning after the vehicles were
stopped on the M11 and the M25 recently and stolen.

The thieves, dressed in police uniforms and, in one
incident, carrying a handgun, used blue flashing lights.
Officers have been told they should not pull people over
when in unmarked cars unless it is an emergency.
Det Ch Insp Stuart Smith said: "We have taken this
decision to safeguard motorists in Essex while these
offenders remain outstanding.
"Our victims have told us that the suspects are purporting
to be police officers and are wearing body armour to
further enhance this deception in order to steal these
vans.
"Anyone who is signalled at to stop by someone in a car
which may appear to be an unmarked police is asked not
to stop but to call 999 immediately to verify whether the
vehicle and its occupants are genuine."
(1st August 2016)
POLICE SET UP UK's FIRST eBAY HANDOVER ZONE IN

MANCHESTER AS THOUSANDS FALL VICTIM TO
FRAUD AND ROBBERIES
ONLINE
(Daily Mail, dated 26th July 2016 author Alex Matthews)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3708430/Police-set-UK-seBay-handover-zone-Manchester-thousands-fall-victimfraud-robberies-online.html
The area has been dubbed the 'internet purchase
exchange location' and while it is the pilot - there are
hopes that more sites will be announced.
eBay and Gumtree customers will be the first allowed to
use the new area but GMP hope other companies will
follow suit.
Consumers can both buy and sell on the site and officers
believe that it will help the battle against
online crime.
Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry, Head of the City of
Manchester Policing team, said: 'We are always looking for

ways to keep up with the times, and make our policing
reflective of the people who make up our communities.
'As the number of people using online sites to do their
shopping continues to rise, so does the need for such
safety and crime prevention schemes.
'People who live alone, or who perhaps do not feel
comfortable giving their home address to a stranger on
the internet, can now arrange to meet outside our North
Manchester HQ safe in the knowledge that help is close by
if they need it.
'As well as providing that immediate sense of security, this
will hopefully double up as a useful crime prevention tool,
as those criminals who use internet sites to defraud their
victims with false goods or empty boxes will think twice of
doing so in full view of CCTV cameras outside a busy
police station.'
------------------------GREATER MANCHESTER POLICE TO TRIAL INNOVATIVE
INTERNET SHOPPING SAFETY SCHEME
(GMP website, dated 25th July 2016)
Full article :
www.gmp.police.uk/live/nhoodv3.nsf/WebsitePages/39145
B58AF0BF0FC80257FFB003B1F3F?OpenDocument
Greater Manchester Police have become the first force in
the UK to launch an innovative new scheme to prevent
crime and keep people safe in an increasingly digital age.
Today, Monday 25 July 2016, GMP launched their 'Internet
Purchase Exchange Location' scheme, a place where
people who are trading goods online can meet potential
buyers or sellers in a safe environment.
The concept is simple, with an 'Internet Purchase
Exchange Location' being a designated area outside a
public building or police station where people can meet to
exchange money and goods following purchases on
internet sites such as Ebay, Craigslist and Gumtree.
The idea is currently being trialled in North Manchester
and the first sign of its type is already in
place outside the North Manchester Headquarters, where
it will be under CCTV surveillance.
As the number of people making purchases online

increases exponentially year on year, so too does the
number of crimes reported to police forces which are
related to such activity.
An 'Internet Purchase Exchange Location', however,
reduces the risk to individuals by removing the
need for people to divulge their home addresses and by
providing neutral ground in close proximity
to police officers for people to make exchanges.
The location of the trial site can be found immediately
outside GMP North Manchester Headquarters,
Northampton Road, M40 5BP, and GMP hope that as the
scheme is rolled out across Greater Manchester, more and
more sites will become available for the public to use.
Chief Superintendent Wasim Chaudhry, Head of the City of
Manchester Policing team, said: "We are always looking for
ways to keep up with the times, and make our policing
reflective of the people
who make up our communities.
"As the number of people using online sites to do their
shopping continues to rise, so does the
need for such safety and crime prevention schemes.
"People who live alone, or who perhaps do not feel
comfortable giving their home address to a
stranger on the internet, can now arrange to meet outside
our North Manchester HQ safe in the
knowledge that help is close by if they need it.
"As well as providing that immediate sense of security,
this will hopefully double up as a useful
crime prevention tool, as those criminals who use internet
sites to defraud their victims with
false goods or empty boxes will think twice of doing so in
full view of CCTV cameras outside a
busy police station."
(1st August 2016)
PUBLIC WARNED OF FRAUD RISK FROM RISE IN

BOGUS LAW FIRMS
(The Times, dated 26th July 2016 author Frances Gibb)
Bogus law firms set up by fraudsters who clone a genuine
one to harvest money have doubled in number to more
than 700, the solicitors' watchdog said yesterday.
Almost half of all reports of fake law firms involved the
identity theft of a firm or solicitor, often involving the
cloning of a genuine firm's website with a view to
persuading members of the public to send money or
information.
The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) said there had
been a doubling of bogus law firms since 2012. It said that
genuine law firms were being targeted by cybercriminals,
and in one in ten cases money had been stolen.
One of the newest tricks is "CEO fraud", where senior
figures in law firms are impersonated and the accounts
team is ordered by email to transfer money to pay an
invoice. This is often don on a Friday to give the criminals
more time to avoid detection.
The SRA's Risk Outlook report urges the public and law
firms alike to be vigilant. The regulator also noted an
increase in fraudsters sending bulk emails and confidential
information. This is of particular concern, it says, because
victims of bogus activity are not covered by protections
that apply when dealing with a regulated firm, such as
access to the solicitors' compensation fund.
As for law firms, the key risk is reputational damage from
being cloned by a bogus firm, the report adds. "This may
lead to the loss of future clients and income. There is also
the possibility that firms may be held liable for losses
attributed to having dealt with a bogus firm."
The SRA warns law firms and consumers to watch out for
potential signs of bogus firms. These may include the firm,
branch office or individual not being recorded on the Law
Society's "find a solicitor" web page; unsolicited
correspondence or correspondence containing error of
spelling, grammar or terminology, inconsistencies in the
spelling the name of the firm and firm using only
telephone numbers or email addresses.
Paul Philip, SRA chief executive, said: "We want to see
firms proactively making sure their clients are also aware
of the risks in this area. For instance, we would
recommend that people avoid sharing bank details over

email of transferring money before confirming the source
of any request".
The report suggests that firms make regular internet
searches to check if anyone is using their name or those of
their partners and staff without authorisation.
It adds: "The increasing presence of bogus firms in the
legal services market may be due to ineffective systems
and controls in genuine firms and the general rise in
cybercrime across the UK".
(1st August 2016)
COURT CRACKDOWN PLEDGED TO STEM POSTBREXIT HATE CRIME SURGE

Nicholas Cecil)
www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/court-crackdownpledged-to-stem-postbrexit-hate-crime-surgea3304671.html
England's top prosecutor today signalled that more people
spewing out hate-filled attacks will be brought to court
following a surge in such cases after the Brexit vote.
Quizzed on the rate of hate crime offenders being
charged, director of public prosecutions Alison Saunders
told ITV's Good Morning Britain: "We would like to see it
higher because I do think that these cases are not
reported enough."
Prosecutions for these offences, she said, were already
going up which suggested some victims were more
"confident" of coming forward.
However, she added that new documents would be
released later this year to explain to the public what is a
hate crime and to encourage people to tell police about
such abusive behaviour.
Tougher sentences were also be issued by the courts for
offenders whose crimes involved racial or
religious prejudice, she stressed.

The police watchdog, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
Constabulary, is to assess how forces are responding to
the recent spike in hate crimes.
Home Secretary Amber Rudd also announced that levels of
anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic, homophobic and racist bullying
in schools will be examined under the Government's hate
crime action plan.
Teachers and parents will be encouraged to report
incidents to the police and steps taken to prevent such
offences on public transport.
The moves come after police figures indicated that young
people were the victims of 10 per cent of faith hate crime
and eight per cent of race hate crime for the three-week
period between June 16 and July 7.
A 2.4 million fund will also be set up for security
measures and equipment at synagogues, mosques,
churches and other places of worship that need increased
protection.
Ms Rudd said: "Hatred has no place whatsoever in a 21st
century Great Britain that works for everyone.
"We are Great Britain because we are united by values
such as democracy, free speech, mutual respect and
opportunity for all.
"We are the sum of all our parts - a proud, diverse society.
Hatred does not get a seat at the table,
and we will do everything we can to stamp it out."
A spate of reports after the EU referendum sparked fears
of a new wave of xenophobic and racial abuse.
Figures released last week showed more than 6,000
alleged hate crimes and incidents were reported to police
in England, Wales and Northern Ireland in four weeks from
the middle of last month.
The daily rate peaked at 289 reports on June 25 - the day
after the referendum result was announced.
The main type of offence reported was "violence against
the person", which includes harassment and
common assault as well as verbal abuse, spitting and
"barging".
Public order offences and criminal damage were the
second and third most common incidents respectively.
Abusive messages have also been put on Twitter and other
social media.
(1st August 2016)
GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES "HATE CRIME ACTION

PLAN" AS OFFENCES SOAR FOLLOWING BREXIT
VOTE
(International Business Time, dated 24th July 2016 author
Mark Piggott)
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/government-announces-hatecrime-action-plan-offences-soar-following-brexit-vote1572207
Home secretary Amber Rudd has announced the creation
of a new task force to tackle hate crime, which has
become a significant problem since the UK voted to leave
the European Union. Violent crime, public disorder and
criminal damage against people because of their religion,
race and nationality have risen sharply in the month since
the Brexit vote, with 289 hate crimes recorded the day
after the result was announced (25 June) and more than
6,000 in the following month.
The government also announced it will set up a fund to
protect mosques, synagogues and other religious buildings
at a cost of 2.4m ($3.1m). Crimes against Muslim women
on public transport and antisemitism will be prioritised
with prosecutors issued with fresh guidance in a bid to
crack down on the problem. The hate crime action plan
will be published by the Home Office at the end of July.
"Hatred directed against any community, race or religion
has no place whatsoever in our diverse society and it
needs to be kicked to the kerb," said Rudd. "We are Great
Britain because we are united by values like democracy,
free speech, mutual respect and opportunity for all."
Rudd continued: "At a time of increased concerns about a
climate of hostility towards people who have come to live
in our country, let me be absolutely clear that it is

completely unacceptable for people to suffer abuse or
attacks because of their nationality, ethnic background or
colour of their skin. We will not stand for it."
Of 6,000 alleged hate crimes in the last month, the most
common complaint was "violence against the
person",which includes spitting, shoving, assault and
verbal abuse. Public order offences came second and
criminal damage third. Immediately after the Brexit vote,
there were a number of incidents including graffiti on a
Polish community centre and the vandalism of German
cars. In Huntingdon members of the Polish community
received laminated cards printed with the message:
"Leave the EU - no more Polish vermin."
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prosecuted 15,442
hate crimes in 2015/16, a rise of 4.8% on the previous
year. This resulted in 13,032 convictions - a conviction rate
of 83.8%.
(1st August 2016)
CYBERCRIME FIGURES PROMPT POLICE CALL FOR

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN
(The Guardian, dated 21st July 2016 author Alan Travis)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/21/crime-rateonline-offences-cybercrime-ons-figures
Police chiefs have called for a national campaign against
online fraud and other cybercrime on the scale of last
century's seatbelt and drink-driving campaigns in the
wake of figures showing that one in 10 adults have been
victims of such offences in the past year.
Chris Greany, the City of London police's economic
command head, said that with around 1m cases reported
to Action Fraud in the last year alone, it was not possible
for all cases to be investigated.
On Thursday the Office for National Statistics said there
had been more than 5.8m incidents of cybercrime in the

past year, far more than previously thought and enough to
nearly double the headline crime rate in England and
Wales.
The first official estimate of the true scale of online
shopping scams, virus attacks, thefts of bank details and
other online offences was much higher than an initial ONS
estimate in October last year, which put the annual figure
at 3.8m, or 40% of all crimes.
Greany said fraud now cost an estimated 193bn a year
and with half of all crimes against people in the UK being
committed from abroad, it was becoming more
challenging for police to tackle.
"Law enforcement agencies are becoming increasingly
successful at targeting the most serious offenders;
however, the scale of the challenge is such that
prevention, and helping businesses and individuals protect
themselves, is the only long-term way of combating the
escalating threat," he said. "That includes all industries
taking proper steps to protect their customers from
becoming victims of fraud."
Greany endorsed a call for a national fraud and
cybercrime campaign on a par with the seatbelt and drinkdrive campaigns of the 1980s and 90s to create a more
internet-savvy society.
Deputy chief constable Peter Goodman, the National Police
Chiefs' Council lead on cybercrime, said such offending
was no longer a curiosity or a new specialism in policing.
"The priorities for law enforcement are to make the UK a
hostile place for cybercriminals to operate, improve the
response to victims and develop capabilities in local
forces. Transforming our response to these crimes is a
challenge but it is a priority for investment in policing," he
said.
In March the Metropolitan police commissioner, Sir
Bernard Hogan-Howe, was criticised for suggesting bank
customers who were victims of online fraud should not be
refunded by banks if they had failed to protect themselves
from cybercrime.
The ONS said one in 10 adults had been victims of
cybercrime in the past year. The chance of being a victim
was the same regardless of social class or whether

someone lived in a deprived or affluent, urban or rural
area.
The 5.8m offences were made up of 3.8m fraud offences,
including 2.5m incidents of bank and credit card fraud,
and 2m computer misuse offences, including 1.4m virus
attacks. The remaining 600,000 estimated offences
related to unauthorised access to personal information,
such as hacking of email, social media or other online
accounts.
The latest overall figures, excluding online crime, in the 12
months to March 2015 showed there were an estimated
6.3m offences - 6% fewer than in the previous year.
Police crime figures showed that the murder rate rose by
34 to 571, the highest in five years. This is still far below
the peak in 2002-03, when 1,047 homicides were
recorded, but the recent rise is one of the more
authoritative indicators that Britain is experiencing an
increase in violence. The 96 deaths at Hillsborough in
1989 will be added to the official homicide figures and
included in the next set of crime figures after the inquests
finished in April.
Knife crime offences rose by 10% in the past year and gun
crime increased by 4% over the same period.
Incidents of harassment, including new categories of
offence such as malicious communications online, social
media abuse and revenge porn, had risen 90%, from
82,000 to 156,000.
The police figures also showed a 27% rise in offences
against the person and a 21% increase in sexual offences.
Those figures include a 22% increase in reported rapes
from 29,300 to 35,798. By contrast, the crime survey
showed no significant change in the proportion of adults
who said they had been a victim of sexual assault in the
past year. The ONS said the 21% increase in sexual
offences reflected both an improvement in police
recording of the offences and a greater willingness of
victims to come forward.
But the overall picture of all crime - excluding the 5.8m
online offences - according to the crime survey of England
and Wales, which is regarded as the best measure of

crime trends, showed a 6% fall to 6.3m offences involving
adult victims in the 12 months to March 2016.
The long-term trends in "traditional" crimes such as
burglary, car thefts and criminal damage showed that the
fall in crime since its 1995 peak had slowed down since
2005. The crime survey found there had been no change
in the overall level of violent crime compared with the
previous year.
The online crime numbers give the first official snapshot of
the scale of the threat from online attacks and scams.
However, ONS statisticians said it would be "misleading to
conclude that this means actual crime levels have
doubled, since the survey previously did not cover these
offences".
The first estimate is based on a 9,000-strong sample size
from six months of interviews from the crime survey. Only
when the ONS has 12 months of data in January will the
online crime figures be incorporated into the headline
crime rate.
Separate Home Office figures for police officer numbers
show they fell by a further 3,126 last year to 124,000 - the
lowest level since 2003.
Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, said: "At long
last, we have the true picture of crime in England and
Wales and it puts the former home secretary's record in a
new light.
"Our new PM [Theresa May] was fond of saying that crime
is falling but, as people can see, crime has moved online
and until now the official statistics haven't shown that. Her
complacent claims do not read well alongside these
worrying increases in violent crime, sexual crime and
homicide.
"The only conclusion that can be drawn is that it is the
wrong time to be cutting the police. The PM promised realterms protection but has failed to deliver it. Now that
decision is entirely within her hands, she must honour the
promise that she made and protect frontline policing," he
said.
The policing minister, Brandon Lewis, said: "As crime falls,
we know that it is also changing. Fraud and cyber-offences
are not a new threat and the government has been
working to get ahead of the game, committing to spend

1.9bn on cybersecurity and cybercrime over the next five
years. We have also established the joint fraud taskforce,
bringing together law enforcement and the banking
sector, while Action Fraud, the National Fraud Intelligence
Bureau and the National Crime Agency are working to
improve our response.
"We welcome today's experimental ONS figures on fraud
and cybercrime - offences which we have always known
were happening but were previously unable to quantify.
Having an accurate national picture will be crucial to
inform future action."
(1st August 2016)
HACKER SHOWS THE REGISTER HOW ONE LEAKED

HOME ADDRESS CAN LEAD TO RUIN
(The Register, dated 20th July 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/20/silver_tongue_hacker_s
hows_how_one_home_address_can_lead_to_ruin/
It takes nothing more than a home address for hacker
"Nixxer" to find enough information to ruin your life.
Nixxer is one of Australia's most skilled good-guy social
engineers and at a recent event, and in subsequent chats
with The Reg, demonstrated the potential damage rather
than actually ruining a life. But the arsenal he showed - a
mix of open source intelligence, custom tools, a knack for
correlation and experience in how to siphon personal
information - show how identity theft and worse are not
hard to accomplish. And also how the most locked-down
Facebook accounts leak like sieves.
Nixxer himself is a ghost. He doesn't use his real name
and his real-self can't be found online.
His hacker identity is, however, used in public at events
like the Unrestcon security confab in Melbourne, where he
demonstrated how he can find enough information to
access bank accounts.
To the gallows
On this occasion, Nixxer targeted an address that will lead
to a family man in Kansas, US. Nixxer selected the address
through a random search of online clipboard Pastebin for
the keyword "dox" - the name given to private personal
information made public.
Those records did not yield a name and Nixxer did not
know if the street address was even real.
But it didn't take long to verify the address, through
Google's and Microsoft's online mapping services, and in
geospatial databases. Along the way he found not only
details of the man he sought but also the previous owners
of the property. Checks against other public databases
revealed how much the house cost, allowing the social
engineer to make estimates on the household income
necessary to purchase the home. He reckoned the
combined income was about US$120,000.
Photos of the house on mapping services revealed a car
parked in the driveway. Although the license plates were
blurred, it was enough for the hacker to learn of the make,
model, and US state in which the car was registered. "You
can see they are Kansas plates because of the colour, the
way they are shaped, and how many letters and numbers
it has," Nixxer says.
A well-loved playground in the house's back yard points to
at least some young children in the home. A football field
visible behind the house is also useful information.
"There is a local school in town, and a local gridiron team,
and that's information you could use to help craft phishing
attacks," Nixxer says.
Noose tightening
Online identification services are the scourge of privacy
advocates. One service widely-regarded as a notorious
treasure trove by social engineers is Salesforce web
property data.com which allows tit-for-tat trading of
personal information and encourages professionals to
upload their contacts in order to access the same number
of identities stored within its servers.
The site's impact on privacy can be severe: one of your

correspondent's previous home addresses was captured
by the site and offered to anyone willing to share their
own contacts or open their wallets, despite my efforts to
keep it concealed.
And data.com is just one such service among many: the
likes of Wayin boast that they hold data on one in 14
humans.
Nixxer used such sites to look up the address from the
original Pastebin document and retrieved names for
current and former residents of the Kansas property.
Armed with this target's name he then established the
man's previous addresses, personal and work email
addresses, and date of birth from the service.
"These sites are everywhere," Nixxer says with disdain.
"You just pay a dollar or something and you get access to
whatever you want, it's all there. It's scary."
Facebook is poison to those who take privacy seriously,
and it is unsurprising that Nixxer has resisted the
temptations to join the online watercooler. Not even with
an alias.
He has better reason than most. The hacker has cooked
up some nightmarish tools that lay waste to Facebook's
non-default privacy controls that Zuckerland offers as an
token effort to entice and retain the tin-foil hat community.
The tools, custom-built during Nixxer's government
agency engagements, can spin up fake profiles to help
capture associations and familiar links to a target who has
ratcheted up Facebook privacy settings to its fullest effect.
None of the seven fake profiles he loads into the tools
need to be accepted as a friend by the target in order for
Facebook's privacy controls to be neutered.
At this point in Nixxer's demo, he had learned the
identities of his target's brothers and sisters, parents, and
cousins thanks to Facebook and LinkedIn. He also had a
pile of personal photographs and information that
confirmed all previous findings.
Each of the target's siblings and children worked at what
Nixxer now learned was a family-run company.
"Facebook is a spider web of people who can be
leveraged," Nixxer says. "You can use fake profiles to
triangulate a target's movements using nothing more than
Facebook."
Nixxer switches targets to the man's business and learns
that his victim is the director.
"I have enough information at this point to open and close
his bank accounts, or do whatever I want," he says.
With his noose of personal information tied, Nixxer's next
step is infiltrate the website of his victim's business. That
site is powered by an un-patched instance of Linux. Nixxer
quickly gains access to the web server with root privileges.
"It worked just like that," Nixxer says, clicking his fingers.
With a malicious site in place, all sorts of other attacks
become possible.
Cutting the rope
Can you avoid attacks like that Nixxer outlined above? The
hacker thinks you can, with the first step being to avoid
Facebook.
"There is no reason to write down where you actually grew
up, who your real brothers and sisters are, or where you
went to buy clothes yesterday," he advises.
Yet locking down accounts still will not stop Nixxer and the
growing army of skilled social engineers across the world
from gaining sufficient information on users to bring them
ruin.
He recommends users use fake online personas and
deploying a handful of tools including web browser tools
such as uBlock Origin, AdBlock Plus, and script blockers.
(1st August 2016)
TfL AND POLICE LAUNCH #WESTANDTOGETHER

ANTI-HATE CRIME CAMPAIGN
Ross Lydall)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-and-tfl-launchwestandtogether-antihate-crime-campaign-a3300126.html
Police and Tube staff today launched a campaign to

encourage passengers to report hate crime, including
incidents sparked by the Brexit vote.
They vowed to investigate all incidents as part of the
#WeStandTogether campaign to provide reassurance that
the Underground is safe for all passengers.
Transport for London was unable to say whether the UK's
decision to leave the EU had resulted in increased attacks.
One woman passenger said she was the victim of an
incident two days ago at Covent Garden station when her
head scarf was pulled by a man who pulled "monkey
faces". She said: "I was not harmed but I was very upset."
Today's launch at King's Cross was the first in a number of
events planned across London over the coming months.
Mayor Sadiq Khan, said: "I am proud of the incredible
diversity of our city and I will not tolerate hate crimes of
any form, anywhere in London. We must stand together
and anyone who sees or is targeted by abusive behaviour
should report it to the police immediately."
The initiative, involving the Met police, British Transport
Police and TfL, runs alongside the Mayor's #LondonIsOpen
campaign. Launched earlier this week, it aims to reassure
the one million foreign nationals who live in London.
British Transport Police divisional commander Martin Fry
said: "People can report an incident to us discreetly by
texting 61016 from a mobile phone and of course, in an
emergency, 999."
(1st August 2016)
MILLIONS OF CALLS TO POLICE 101 NUMBER GOING

UNANSWERED
(The Telegraph, dated 16th July 2016 author Sam Blewett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/16/millions-of-calls-topolice-101-number-going-unanswered/
Almost three-and-a-half million calls to 101, the police's
non-emergency number, went unanswered in the last four
years, according to new figures.

Some callers to the number, designed to deal with reports
of crime such as drug dealing and theft, waited for more
than two hours before they either gave up or were
answered.
The number of abandoned calls between 2012 and May
this year is 3,469,984, according to Freedom of
Information requests by the Daily Mail that were answered
by the Daily Mail that were answered by 36 out of 43 UK
police forces.
The figures were branded "utterly unacceptable" by
Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron.
"This research shows that people are being left hanging on
the phone for hours or putting the phone down because
they can't get someone to pick up," he told the
newspaper.
"This is utterly unacceptable and makes a mockery of the
101 idea.
"Millions of calls are going unanswered and millions of
crimes are going unreported".
The number is designed to relieve some of stress from 999
and to replace individual police station numbers.
The worst offender was Lancashire Constabulary, with
486,284 out of 3,552,756 calls ended before someone
answered them.
Derbyshire Constabulary came in second with 356,222
unanswered calls and Hampshire followed with 306,749.
The longest wait for someone to answer a witness or
victim's call was two hours and two minutes and came
within the last 13 months, according to the Lib Dem
research.
Inspector Matt Johnson, of Cambridgeshire Police, told a
public meeting last year that "life was too short" to use
the service.
The service was first introduced by Labour in 2006 but was
scrapped because of vast costs and its failure to reduce
emergency calls.
It was reintroduced throughout 2011 and 2012 costing 15p
regardless of the call duration.
(1st August 2016)
FRANCE'S SAIP EMERGENCY SMARTPHONE APP

FAILED DURING NICE ATTACK
(The Guardian, dated 16th July 2016 author Angelique
Chrisafis)
www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/16/nice-terroistattack-france-saip-emergency-smartphone-app-failed
The French government has vowed to overhaul its
emergency smartphone app designed to alert the public to
an ongoing terror attack after it malfunctioned during the
attack on Nice.
The government's instant alert app, created after last
November's terrorist attacks across Paris and launched
last month just before the Euro 2016 football tournament,
is supposed to send instant warnings, information and
advice directly to people's phones if a bombing, shooting
or other terrorist incident happens near them.
But when a truck driver drove at full speed into crowds on
the Nice seafront during the Bastille Day fireworks display,
killing 80 people and injuring hundreds more, it took
almost three hours for the instant alert to be issued by the
app.
The attack began just before 11pm, but the first so-called
instant warning was not issued until almost three hours
later, arriving on users' smartphones at 1.34am.
The app, known as Saip (Systme d'alerte et d'information
des populations), is supposed to turn the smartphone
screen red and gives advice such as where to take cover.
It is is also seen by the government as an official
counterpoint to possible inaccurate speculation on social
media.
Several rumours spread amid confusion on the night of
attack, with some fearing there was a shooting or hostagetaking incident.
The French interior ministry said the information had been
sent out too late by the app and summoned the
contractors for talks on what went wrong. A ministry
statement said there would be a swift action plan to
ensure it never happened again.

(1st August 2016)
PHONE SCAMS : A CRIMINAL CONVINCED ME HE

WAS FROM TALKTAK AND STOLE 13,600
(The Telegraph, dated 15th July 2016 author Amelia
Murray)
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/phonescams-a-criminal-convinced-me-he-was-from-talktalk-andsto/
When Jacqueline Klag, a 77-year-old reader from Newquay
in Cornwall, received a telephone call from a man who
claimed to be from TalkTalk, she was convinced he was a
genuine employee of the company because he knew
details about her subscription and that she had upgraded
her TV package the week before.
By gaining her trust in this way, he was able to drain
almost 14,000 from her bank account.
The man, who gave his name as "Jonathan Marsalin",
telephoned Ms Klag at 9am one day in October last year.
He told her that her computer system had been
compromised and he needed to clean it up.
After he kept Ms Klag on the phone for three hours, he
persuaded her to give him access to her computer using a
remote desktop connection, supposedly to install security
software. But once connected, he was able to take control
of her computer and access her information.
By midday, Ms Klag told him she was exhausted and asked
if she could disconnect the call. But "Jonathan" insisted
she remain on the line to speak to another engineer about
her router.
Apparently sensing her fatigue, he then persuaded Ms
Klag to hand over her bank details with an offer of 200
compensation "for the inconvenience". Next he claimed
that he had accidentally paid 5,000 into her account and
asked Ms Klag to transfer 4,800 back, which she did via
online banking.
The next morning Ms Klag discovered that 13,600 had
been taken out of her Santander account in three separate
transactions, presumably because the fraudster had been
able to access Ms Klag's internet banking from his remote
connection.
Ms Klag called Santander that morning. It contacted the
recipient bank to see if any funds were remaining in the
fraudster's account. It later recovered 4,023 before
closing the case.
She also notified Action Fraud, the cybercrime reporting
service. Her case was assessed by the National Fraud
Intelligence Bureau, but because there were judged to be
insufficient lines of inquiry it was not passed to police for
further investigation.
When Ms Klag contacted TalkTalk, the company was
unsympathetic. It said: "In these circumstances we do not
believe we have a responsibility to reimburse you for the
money stolen since that theft would not have occurred if
you had not allowed the scammers to have access to your
PC and provided them with certain aspects of your
banking details."
Santander said it could not accept any responsibility for
the losses on the account as Ms Klag authorised the initial
payment.
A spokesman said: "While we are very sympathetic to Mr
Klag's situation and the distress caused by being the
victim of a scam, Ms Klag initiated and used a 'one-time
passcode' to validate and authorise the transfer, a security
measure we put in place to protect customers against
fraud, and confirmed the payment as genuine when we
called to check."
Ms Klag said she was disappointed by the responses. She
said: "Surely someone must be able to help me get my
money back?"
But victims of crimes such as these often have no hope of
seeing their savings again. Banks will insist that they
simply obeyed the customer's instructions.
However, Martyn James, from the Financial Ombudsman
Service, said victims might be able to get their money
back if their own bank or the recipient bank did not act
correctly once the fraud was reported. The police are also
unlikely to investigate. Action Fraud passes only 30pc of

fraud cases on to the police.
Even then, some are likely to be dropped.
'Treat every phone call as a scam'
The kind of fraud that deceived Ms Klag is the "equivalent
of criminals conning their way into your house", said David
Emm, principal security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, the
online security group.
He said: "The flexibility of the internet is what we love
about it. But we forget that people are hiding in the
cracks."
Tony Neate, the head of Get Safe Online, a cybercrime
initiative, advised people to "treat every phone call as a
scam". Research by his organisation found that British
people were now more likely to receive a landline phone
call from a criminal then from friends and family.
Mr Neate said an organisation such as a bank, the police
or HMRC was highly unlikely to call you and ask for
payment details over the phone.
He suggested keeping a list of questions by the phone to
reel off if you are unsure about the identity of a caller.
The questions include:
- What business are you calling from?
- What is your phone number?
- What is the email address?
- What is the website address?
Make a note of what you are told and hang up, then call
the organisation using genuine contact details found
online and let it know that you have been contacted. The
organisation should then be able to tell you whether the
caller was genuine or not. If you suspect a scam, report it
to Action Fraud.
Mr Neate said fraudsters knew that we were particularly
worried about being defrauded online and might not be as
vigilant over the phone.
He said: "Criminals are coming at us at all angles and they
are especially convincing on the phone. These scams
require intelligence and empathy. The fraudsters are

highly trained individuals."
Telephone scams, sometimes called "vishing", are one
element of "social engineering" - where criminals
psychologically manipulate people, convincing them to
disclose confidential information such as bank details or
make a payment to a "safe account".
They often claim to be from trusted bodies such as a bank,
government organisation or even the police and may
reference personal details gleaned from social media or
other sources to appear more credible.
(1st August 2016)
FAKE POKEMON GO GAME LOCKS PHONE,THEN

SECRETLY DRIVES PORN AD
(Computer World, dated 15th July 2016 author Michael
Kan)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3095457/security/f
ake-pokemon-go-game-locks-phone-secretly-drives-pornad-clicks.html
A newly discovered fake Pokemon Go game will actually
lock your phone and then secretly run in the background,
clicking on porn ads.
Security firm ESET found it on Google Play and its called
Pokemon Go Ultimate. However, once downloaded, the
app itself doesn't even pretend to offer anything remotely
like the hit game.
Instead, it simply appears as an app called "PI Network."
Once it runs, the app will then freeze the phone with a
screen lock of a Pokemon Go image, forcing the user to
restart the device, ESET said on a blog post on Friday.
Following a restart, the PI Network icon will disappear from
the phone, but the malicious app is actually still running in
the background. It will then go online, secretly clicking on
porn ads to generate revenue for the app's developers.
Fortunately, users can easily delete it, by going into app
section of the phone's settings, and manually uninstalling.

Google Play has also removed the Pokemon Go Ultimate
app. ESET said the fake game was only available for a
short time and generated between 500 and 1,000
downloads.
Some users, however, may still be tempted to download
knock-offs of Pokemon Go. That's because, outside of the
U.S., the official game isn't available in many parts of the
world.
This week, it launched in five European countries,
including the U.K., Germany, and Italy, but there's still no
word on when it might arrive Asia.
Security experts have warned that fake versions of the
game could contain malware. In addition, shady
developers have been trying to take advantage of the
Pokemon Go craze, by coming out with unofficial apps that
offer cheats, tips, and music from the game.
However, these products are also hungry for personal data
and can collect sensitive information from users' phones
including contact lists and login info to social media
accounts. RiskIQ, a firm that tracks mobile malware, has
detected dozens of these questionable apps.
On Friday, ESET also warned that these unofficial Pokemon
Go apps could also contain scareware. It found two other
apps that when installed will display fraudulent pop-up ads
that will claim the user's phone is infected with a virus.
"Of course, the app promises to clean up the device, which
could cause the user to unwillingly send a subscription
SMS to bogus - yet expensive - services," ESET said.
The two apps, "Guide and Cheats for Pokemon Go" and
"Install Pokemongo," have both been removed from
Google Play.
(1st August 2016)
NOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE TO COUNT WOLFWHISTLING IN STREET AS HATE CRIME

(The Guardian, dated 13th July 2016 author Nadia
Khomami and Agency)

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/jul/13/nottingham
shire-police-count-wolf-whistling-hate-crime
Uninvited sexual advances and unwanted verbal contact
with a woman, including catcalling or wolf-whistling in the
street, are to be recorded as a hate crimes in a new effort
to tackle sexist abuse.
Nottinghamshire police has expanded its categories of
hate crime to include misogynistic incidents, characterised
as behaviour targeted towards a victim simply because
they are a woman.
This means incidents ranging from street harassment to
unwanted physical approaches can be reported to and
investigated by the police, and support put in place for
victims.
The force is the first in the country to adopt the separate
misogyny hate crime category, and has provided specific
training to selected officers in the past three months.
Commenting on the new procedures, introduced in
partnership with Nottingham Women's Centre, Ch Con Sue
Fish said: "I'm delighted that we are leading the way
towards tackling misogyny in all its forms.
"It's a very important aspect of the overall hate crime
work being conducted and one that will make
Nottinghamshire a safer place for all women. What women
face, often on a daily basis, is absolutely unacceptable and
can be extremely distressing."
Work on the change began in June 2014 after a research
project, which led on to a conference at which women
gave examples of harassment they had faced.
Fish encouraged anyone affected by misogynistic hate
crime to contact police without hesitation. "The work we
are doing with Nottingham Women's Centre is so valuable
and I am looking forward to continuing that work," she
added.
Melanie Jeffs, the manager at the centre, said: "We're
pleased to see Nottinghamshire police recognise the
breadth of violence and intimidation that women
experience on a daily basis in our communities.
"Understanding this as a hate crime will help people to see
the seriousness of these incidents and hopefully
encourage more women to come forward and report

offences."
The Nottinghamshire force defines a hate crime as "any
incident which may or may not be deemed as a criminal
offence, which is perceived by the victim or any other
person, as being motivated by prejudice or hatred".
Domestic abuse is not included within the scope of
misogyny hate crime as it is dealt with under its own
procedures.
Misogyny hate crime is classed under the new policy as
"incidents against women that are motivated by an
attitude of a man towards a woman, and includes
behaviour targeted towards a woman by men simply
because they are a woman".
Examples of such incidents may include unwanted or
uninvited sexual advances, physical or verbal assault,
unwanted or uninvited physical or verbal contact or
engagement, and use of mobile phones to send unwanted
or uninvited messages or take photographs without
consent.
Last year, a building firm was investigated by police after
a 23-year-old woman, Poppy Smart, reported men wolfwhistling at her in the street.
While the matter was dropped when dropped Smart was
satisfied it had been handled internally by the firm, it was
believed to be the first time police had investigated wolfwhistling as a potential crime.
Rachel Krys, co-director of the End Violence Against
Women Coalition, said: "It is great that police in
Nottingham will be capturing the way a lot of harassment
in public spaces is targeted at women and girls. In a
recent poll we found that 85% of women aged 18-24 have
experienced unwanted sexual attention in public places
and 45% have experienced unwanted sexual touching,
which can amount to sexual assault.
"This level of harassment is having an enormous impact
on women's freedom to move about in the public space as
it makes women feel a lot less safe. The women we spoke
to do a lot of work to feel safer, including avoiding parts of
the city they live in, taking taxis and leaving events in
groups."
Krys said recording such incidents would give police and

policymakers a much clearer grasp on the levels of
harassment women and girls are subjected to, and better
understand measures which could reduce it.
"It should also challenge the idea that women and girls in
public or online spaces are 'fair game'," she added. "We
know that ignoring harassment and sexist bullying creates
the impression that other types of violence against women
will be tolerated so we welcome any action which counters
this."
(1st August 2016)
BARKING NEW SCHEME SEES COUNCIL USE DNA

FROM DOG MESS TO CREATE "PUGSHOTS" OF
WORST OFFENDERS
(The Telegraph, dated 13th July 2016 author Lexi Finnigan)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/13/barking-newscheme-sees-council-use-dna-from-dog-mess-to-create/
In a drive to reduce dog mess, people who fail to clean up
after their pets will see them shamed with canine
photofits, or "pugshots", put up in public places and
published in a council newsletter.
DNA taken from samples of dog faeces will be issued to
create a computer-generated image of the offenders.
Key information taken from the samples will include
gender, coat texture, length and colour and nose and eye
colour.
Details of face type - whether the animal has a flat face or
a projecting nose - will also be revealed.
The use of DNA technology to cut down on dog mess in
parks and gardens is being pioneered by the borough of
Barking and Dagenham.
The council has already announced plans to require
owners to have their dogs' DNA tested and registered and
those with unregistered dogs could face fines of 80,
issued by an enforcement officer.
The council hopes that in publishing photofits of offending

dogs on "wanted" style posters in parks will shame owners
into cleaning up mess.
The council's online newsletter, which is sent to 70,000
residents, will also feature the images.
Darren Rodwell, the council's Labour leader said the
newsletter would feature a "crime wall of shame".
He told The Times: ""People with dogs are the first to
complain about irresponsible owners because they give all
dog owners a bad name."
"Millions of pounds have been invested in upgrading our
parks and we want to protect them."
The council has spent 5,000 informing residents about
the scheme, which is expected to fund itself as owners
must pay to have their dogs DNA registered.
Mr Rodwell said that any proceeds from the 80 fines
would be used to subsidise DNA registration for vulnerable
households and to provide dog ownership classes.
Mr Rodwell decided to introduce DNA testing of dog faeces
after reading about a service called PooPrints being
offered in Britain.
(1st August 2016)
BRITISH TRANSPORT SYSTEM HAD FOUR

CYBERATTACKS IN ONE YEAR
Jason Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-network-rail-darktrace-revealsbritish-transport-system-had-four-nation-state-hacks-oneyear-1570236
Four major cyberattacks have been reported on UK railway
computer networks over the past year, according to new
statistics revealed by UK-based security firm Darktrace,
which is employed to guard much of the UK's rail network
from attack.
While detail about the full extent of the hacks remains
unknown, experts indicate that such breaches are typically

"exploratory" rather than disruptive.
Speaking with Sky News, Sergey Gordeychik,
cybersecurity researcher at Russian firm Kaspersky Lab,
said access to UK rail could give hackers control over
everything from online information boards to the computer
systems that manage signals, internal messages and even
the trains themselves.
"If they have enough knowledge, then they can create real
disaster related to train safety," he said. "We see at the
moment that state-sponsored attackers are already inside
critical infrastructure."
Gordeychik continued: "So they have access, they
monitor, they collect intelligence but they don't try to
create a disaster. Why? I believe that they don't have the
order at the moment. But in case of any maybe warfare, it
can be an option to use cyber weapon against civil
infrastructure. This is scary."
In response to the figures, Network Rail, the main
authority responsible for the UK's railway network,
stressed that Britain has "the safest major railway in
Europe."
It added: "Cybersecurity is a key part of our plan for
introducing digital train control technology. Safety is our
top priority, which is why we work closely with
government, the security services, our partners and
suppliers in the rail industry and security specialists to
combat cyber threats."
With more critical infrastructure - from nuclear power
stations to electrical grids - increasingly moving online,
the threat from hackers and nation-state infiltrators has
never been greater.
In one major example from December last year, security
experts believe that Russian hackers were responsible for
a widespread power grid outage in Ukraine. In the most
recent case, US cybersecurity experts named the nation
as the culprit in the hack at the Democratic National
Committee (DNC).
"Hackers will target anything they can [and] it's no
surprise the attacks are happening," Mark James, security
specialist with security firm ESET told IBTimes UK via
email.
"Some companies will still be using older operating

systems or running bespoke applications that will be a
logistical nightmare to upgrade. Although at first glance
[UK Rail] may seem an insignificant target, the stakes are
high when we have large volumes of users in flimsy metal
containers passing, sharing lines and travelling at high
speeds."
(1st August 2016)
CRIMINALS ARE BEING GIVEN UP TO 10 SUSPENDED
SENTENCES BEFORE BEING SENT TO PRISON
(The Telegraph, dated 11th July 2016 author Telegraph
Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/10/criminals-arebeing-given-up-to-10-suspended-sentences-before-be/
Criminals are being handed up to 10 suspended sentences
at a time before they are finally put in prison, according to
new figures .
The numbers have prompted concerns that career
criminals are being left to walk the streets of Britain.
Police national computer records show that criminals
appearing before crown courts, which hear the most
serious cases, had received up to eight suspended
sentences before being put behind bars.
And in the magistrates' courts, which usually hear less
serious matters, criminals had up to 10 suspended
sentences without being put in prison, according to figures
up to the end of last year that were released by the
Ministry of Justice.
Philip Hollobone, the Conservative MP for Kettering and a
former special constable with British Transport Police, said:
"I think most people would be horrified that a criminal
needs to get so many suspended sentences before they
actually end up in jail.
"The way to crack down on crime is to ensure that career
criminals are put in prison as early as possible, not as late
as possible, because they will then be unable to commit
further crimes whilst inside."
The figures emerged in a parliamentary question asked by
Philip Davies, a Tory MP who sits on the Commons justice

committee.
Justice minister Dominic Raab, in his reply, told Mr Davies:
"Where the court imposes a custodial sentence of two
years or less it may suspend the sentence, for up to two
years, and also impose one or more community
requirements.
"This is a decision for the independent judiciary.
"If the offender breaches a suspended sentence order,
there is a statutory presumption that the custodial
sentence will be given effect, unless it would be unjust to
do so in view of all of the circumstances
"The highest number of suspended sentences received by
one person who has not also received an immediate
custodial sentence, as recorded on the Police National
Computer (PNC) up to 31 December 2015, and the latest
sentencing occasion being (a) in a magistrates' court was
10 and (b) in the Crown Court was six.
"The highest number of suspended sentences received by
one person, as recorded on the PNC up to December 2015,
before receiving an immediate custodial sentence in; (a) a
magistrates' court was nine and (b) the Crown Court was
eight."
(1st August 2016)
WOMEN'S INSTITUTE IS THE "BIGGEST ORGANISED

CRIME GROUP", POLICE SERGEANT SAYS
(The Telegraph, dated 11th July 2016 author Telegraph
Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/11/womens-instituteis-the-biggest-organised-crime-group-police-ser/
They may be the very heart of middle England, with their
famed jam and Jerusalem, a century of campaigning and
membership including the Queen.
But it seems the genteel faade of the Women's Institute
may in fact be the masking a hotbed of crime.
A police officer has described none other than the WI of

being the "biggest organised crime group" the UK faces,
thanks to their network of members picking wild berries to
sell at fetes.
Sergeant Colin Norden of Cambridgeshire Police said
making a profit on the berries is technically breaking the
law.
Speaking at a public council meeting, he reassured
members that the police did not intend to prosecute, as WI
joked they had been "slow to react" with the organisation
recently celebrating its 100th anniversary.
Sgt Norden appeared at a Cambridge City Council
committee meeting as part of a discussion into why police
do not always prosecute people for anti-social behaviour,
illustrating his point with the example of the venerable
Women's Institute.
"The WI are the biggest organised crime group," he said.
"That would be quite a controversial thing to say but they
pick wild berries with the intent to sell them at a fete.
That's a crime."
His comments, filmed at the meeting by a resident,
sparked laughter from his amused audience.
Cambridgeshire Police confirmed the offence is classed as
theft and falls under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981
and Theft Act 1968, under which it is illegal to pick
flowers, fruit or foliage for commercial purposes without
authorisation.
The maximum sentence for anyone prosecuted over this
offence is seven years imprisonment.
WI members were quick to point out police failure to
enforce the law for over a century.
Sally Kingman, chairman of Cambridge Federation of
Women's Institutes, said: "I think it shows that WI ladies
are very sensible and resourceful especially as one of our
recent campaigns is entitled "Love Food Hate Waste"!
"The WI members probably consider that it is much better
to pick fruit off the public hedgerows and turn it into
delicious pies, tarts and puddings rather than leave it to
rot and go to waste on the trees and bushes.
"What a treat it is to end a meal with a homemade
blackberry fruit crumble; even better if washed down with
a glass of homemade elderberry wine!
"If Cambridgeshire Police think that the WI are the biggest

organised crime group then they have been slow to react
as the WI movement was 100 years old last year!"
Richard Taylor, a Cambridge resident who filmed the
meeting as part of a campaign for openness and
accountability, said: "It is about the discretion the police
have. We put them in quite difficult positions sometimes.
We make something illegal but as a society it would be
terrible if they used it against the WI. "It was just a joke
but the context of that was important."
He added: "It is nice to see the police being human and
having a joke like that with councillors and the public.
"He was highlighting an issue about policing in this
country. We give constables the ability to use their
discretion."
Britains strangest laws
- The 1313 Statute Forbidding Bearing of Armour means
no one can take weapons into Prime Minister's Questions.
- The Library Offences Act of 1898 means it is still illegal to
use your local reading room as a casino.
- It is legal for a male to urinate in public, as long as it is
on the rear wheel of his motor vehicle and his right hand is
on the vehicle.
- It is illegal for a lady to eat chocolates on a public
conveyance.
- It is illegal to beat or shake any carpet rug or mat or
erect washing lines in any street in London.
- A licence is required to keep a 'lunatic'.
(1st August 2016)
HOW TO SECURE YOUR ROUTER AND HOME

NETWORK
Constantin)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3093427/security/h
ow-to-secure-your-router-and-home-network.html
Many computer users don't realize it, but for most people
their internet router is the most important electronic
device in their home. It links most of their other devices
together and to the world, so it has a highly privileged
position that hackers can exploit.
Unfortunately, many consumer and small-business routers
come with insecure default configurations, have
undocumented backdoor accounts, expose legacy services
and have firmware that is riddled with basic flaws. Some
of these problems can't be fixed by users, but there are
many actions that can be taken to at least protect these
devices from large-scale, automated attacks.
Don't let your router be a low-hanging fruit for hackers.
Basic actions
- Avoid using routers supplied by ISPs. These routers are
typically less secure than those sold by manufacturers to
consumers. They often have hard-coded remote support
credentials that users can't change and patches for their
customized firmware versions lag behind patches for the
same flaws released by router manufacturers.
- Change the default admin password. Many routers come
with default administrator passwords and attackers
constantly try to break into devices using these publicly
known credentials. After you connect to the router's
management interface for the first time through your
browser - the address should be the router's default IP
address found on its bottom sticker or found in the set-up
guide - make sure the first thing you do is change the
password.
- The router's web-based management interface should
not be reachable from the internet. For most users,
managing the router from outside the LAN (local area
network) is not necessary. If remote management is
needed, consider using a VPN (virtual private network)
solution to establish a secure channel to the local network
first and then access the router's interface.
- Even inside the LAN, it's good to restrict which IP

(Internet Protocol) addresses can manage the router. If this
option is available, it's best to allow access from a single
IP address that is not part of the pool of IP addresses
assigned to computers via DHCP (Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol). For example, configure the
router's DHCP server to assign IP addresses from
192.168.0.1 to 192.168.0.50 and then configure the web
interface to only allow access from 192.168.0.53. The
computer should be manually configured to use this
address only when you need to connect to the router.
- Turn on HTTPS access to the router interface, if available,
and always log out when done. Use the browser in
incognito or private mode when working with the router so
that no session cookies are left behind and never allow the
browser to save the router's username and password.
- Change the router's LAN IP address if possible. Most of
the time, routers will be assigned the first address in a
predefined netblock, for example 192.168.0.1. If offered
the option, change this to 192.168.0.99 or something else
that's easy to remember and is not part of the DHCP pool.
The entire netblock used by the router can also be
changed to one of those reserved for private networks.
Doing this will protect against cross-site request forgery
(CSRF) attacks that try to access routers through users'
browsers by using the default IP addresses commonly
assigned to such devices.
- Choose a complex Wi-Fi password and a strong security
protocol. WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access II) should be the
option of choice, as the older WPA and WEP are
susceptible to brute-force attacks. If the router offers the
option, create a guest wireless network, also protected
with WPA2 and a strong password. Let visitors or friends
use this isolated guest network instead of your main one.
They might not have malicious intentions, but their
devices might be compromised or infected with malware.
- Disable WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup). This is a rarely used
feature designed to help users set up Wi-Fi networks easily
by using a PIN printed on a sticker. However, a serious

vulnerability was found in many vendor implementations
of WPS a few years ago that allows hackers to break into
networks. Because it's hard to determine which specific
router models and firmware versions are vulnerable, it's
best to simply turn off this feature on routers that allow it.
Instead, you can connect to the router via a wired
connection and access its web-based management
interface and, for example, configure Wi-Fi with WPA2 and
a custom password (no WPS needed).
- The fewer services your router has exposed to the
internet, the better. This is especially true if you haven't
enabled those services yourself and don't know what they
do. Services like Telnet, UPnP (Universal Plug and Play),
SSH (Secure Shell), and HNAP (Home Network
Administration Protocol) should not be reachable from the
internet as they can pose serious security risks. They
should also be turned off on the local network if they're
not needed. Online services like Shields UP by Gibson
Research Corporation (GRC), can scan your router's public
IP address for open ports. Shields Up can also scan for
UPnP separately.
- Keep your router's firmware up to date. Some routers
allow checking for firmware updates directly from the
interface while others even have an automatic update
feature. Sometimes these checks might be broken due to
changes to the manufacturer's servers over the years. It's
a good idea to regularly check the manufacturer's support
website manually for firmware updates for your router
model.
(1st August 2016)
GERMANY PASSES "NO MEANS NO" RAPE LAW

(The Telegraph, dated 7th July 2016 author Justin Huggler)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/07/germany-passes-
no-means-no-rape-law/
Germany passed a "no means no" rape law on Thursday,
making any form of non-consensual sex punishable and
helping authorities deport migrants and refugees who
commit sex crimes.
The new law, partly inspired by the New Year sex attacks
in Cologne, came as the first perpetrators in the Cologne
sex attacks were convicted.
Two asylum-seekers, from Iraq and Algeria, were found
guilty of taking part in the assaults.
But there was anger after they were both given suspended
jail sentences and released.
The German parliament voted overwhelmingly in favour of
a reform popularly known as the "No means no" statute.
The measure was passed by 601 votes, with none against
and only a handful of abstentions.
Under the new law, any case where sexual contact is
forced on a victim who withholds consent will now be
punishable as a crime. Previously, only cases where a
victim physically resisted were punishable under German
law.
"In the past there were cases where women were raped
but the perpetrators couldn't be punished," Manuela
Schwesig, the minister for women, said.
"The change in the law will help increase the number of
victims who choose to press charges, reduce the number
of criminal prosecutions that have to be shelved and
ensure sexual assaults are properly punished."
Currently only one in ten rapes are believed to be reported
in Germany, and only eight per cent of rape trials result in
convictions, according to the justice ministry.
The new law includes provisions for cases where victims
are unable to withhold consent because they are
inebriated or unconscious. But critics say it does not make
allowance for cases where victims may feel unable to
withhold consent for other reasons.
Calls to reform the law attracted huge support after the
Cologne sex attacks, when hundreds of women trying to
celebrate the New Year were groped and molested in the
area around the city's main train station.
A 21-year-old Iraqi named only as Hussein A under
German privacy laws became the first person to be

convicted of sexual assault over the Cologne attacks on
Thursday.
He was found guilty of trying to kiss a woman and licking
her face.
A 26-year-old named only as Hassan T was convicted as
an accessory to sexual assault.
Both men were part of a group of 15 to 20 who surrounded
women and harrassed them. One of the women was
groped, though it was not clear which of the men was
responsible.
Both men were handed one year suspended jail
sentences. Hussein A was also sentenced to 80 hours'
community service.
There was anger after Hassan T was pictured smiling as he
left the courtroom. "I've done nothing wrong," he claimed.
An earlier case against another man over the Cologne
attacks collapsed when it became clear witnesses could
not clearly identify him as a perpetrator.
One man has been jailed over similar attacks which took
place at the same time in the neighbouring city of
Dsseldorf.
The new law includes a controversial measure making it
easier to deport foreign nationals convicted of rape or
sexual assault.
It is the latest in a series of measures by Angela Merkel's
government to strip foreign citizens convicted of crimes of
residence rights in Germany.
Most of the perpetrators in the Cologne attacks are
believed to have been asylum-seekers or illegal
immigrants.
(1st August 2016)
BT AND KPMG RESEARCH FINDS CYBERCRIME HAS

NOW BECOME AN INDUSTRY
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/bt-kpmg-research-finds-cybercrimehas-now-become-industry-1569196
The increase in cyberattacks against businesses indicates
that the age-old perception of cybercriminals being lone
hackers conducting attacks may no longer be valid. A
recent report suggests that cybercriminals are now part of
an organised crime enterprise driven by demands on the
dark web and the marketplace.
According to a collaborative research report by BT and
KPMG, cybercriminals now function similar to businesses,
conducting extensive research on victims and launching
successful large-scale attacks by blackmailing and/or
bribing employees to gain access to sensitive information.
Mark Hughes, CEO Security, BT, said: "The industry is now
in an arms race with professional criminal gangs and state
entities with sophisticated tradecraft. The twenty-first
century cybercriminal is a ruthless and efficient
entrepreneur, supported by a highly developed and rapidly
evolving black market. Businesses need to not only defend
against cyber-attacks, but also disrupt the criminal
organisations that launch those attacks. They should
certainly work closer with law enforcement as well as
partners in the cyber security marketplace."
Paul Taylor, UK Head of Cyber Security, KPMG, said: "It's
time to think differently about cyber risk - ditching the talk
of hackers - and recognising that our businesses are being
targeted by ruthless criminal entrepreneurs with business
plans and extensive resources - intent on fraud, extortion
or theft of hard won intellectual property."
According to the report, "digital crime currently costs the
world in the region of $400bn every year". It adds that
while new malware and malicious campaigns are created
and launched "every second", existing and old malicious
tools also remain functional, adding more weapons to
cybercriminals' arsenal.
Organised cybercrime syndicate
The report sheds light on instances where international
police cooperation was necessitated in order to apprehend
cybercriminals running massive scam operations. "In
December 2015, an Interpol operation that took down call

centres in China, Hong Kong, Korea and Vietnam involved
law enforcement from more than 23 countries. Fifteen call
centres were taken down and 500 people arrested. This
not only indicates the scale of the criminal operation but
also the effort needed to take effective action," the report
states.
Researchers also found that 99% of malware is used only
"under one minute" before the codes are changed, in
efforts to evade detection. It was also found that recent
"botnet takedowns" have put cybercriminals on the
offensive, who are now improving their own security and
"developing new modus operandi".
Highlighting the need for businesses to not only be aware
of existing cybercriminal exploits but also fight back
against malicious entities, the report points out: "On a
pay-per-use basis, it can cost as little as $0.50 to install
malware on individual PCs, and a DDoS attack costs just
$5 per hour10 to mount but more than $40,000 an hour11
to defend against.
To take the fight to a well-resourced and sophisticated
enemy, sustained by a dark market that develops attack
tools and strategies more effectively than legitimate
organisations build defences, we must develop a
streamlined and coordinated approach that sees
businesses working together with law enforcement."
(1st August 2016)
BITCOIN CHILD ABUSE IMAGE PERVERTS WILL BE

HUNTED DOWN BY THE INTERNET WATCH
FOUNDATION
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/06/blockchain_forensics_iw
f_elliptic/
Blockchain forensics are being harnessed in an effort to
clamp down on the trade in images of child sex abuse on
the dark web.

The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) is teaming up with
Elliptic, a UK blockchain intelligence start-up, in a bid to
track individuals who use Bitcoin to pay for images of child
sex abuse.
The IWF is providing Elliptic with its database of Bitcoin
addresses associated with child sexual abuse content.
Elliptic will integrate this data set into its transaction
monitoring and investigation products, automatically
alerting its financial institutions and law enforcement
clients about sales of illicit content.
Elliptic works with the largest US and European Bitcoin
exchanges and payment processors as well as Western
law enforcement agencies.
Elliptic - whose technology uses machine learning and
data analytics technologies - provides law enforcement
and intelligence agencies with actionable evidence, it
says, in cases where Bitcoin has been used to fund crimes.
The IWF has identified more than 68,000 URLs containing
child sexual abuse images. UNICEF Malaysia estimates two
million children across the globe are affected by sexual
exploitation every year.
Susie Hargreaves, IWF CEO, said, "Over the past few
years, we have seen an increasing amount of Bitcoin
activity connected to purchasing child sexual abuse
material online. Our new partnership with Elliptic is
imperative to helping us tackle this criminal use of
Bitcoin."
The collaboration means Elliptic's clients will be able to
automatically monitor transactions they handle for any
connection to proceeds of child sex abuse.
In addition, Elliptic is working closely with IWF's hotline
team to implement joint best practices for identifying and
preserving evidence of illicit Bitcoin activity.
(1st August 2016)
FRAUD VICTIMS OUTSIDE LONDON HAVE "LITTLE

CHANCE" OF POLICE HELP
(The Telegraph, dated 6th July 2016 author Amelia Murray)

www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/fraudvictims-outside-london-have-little-chance-of-police-help/
Fraud victims outside London whose cases are reported to
the police have "little chance of any kind of investigation",
an authoritative study has found.
In a damning assessment the Fraud Advisory Panel said
yesterday that Britain's anti-fraud and cyber-crime
measures were "under resourced" and suffered from
"widespread ignorance of threats and [an] uncoordinated
approach".
The report echoed Telegraph Money's recent disclosure
that one in three cases of high value solicitor scams are
not passed on for further investigation.
Most of these cases involve life changing sums - the
average loss is 101,000 - and yet even where these are
passed on to police forces many are not pursued, it
emerged.
Fraud Advisory Panel chair David Kirk described the official
support offered to victims as "poor" and the local police
response to growing fraud threat as "inadequate".
The Panel, made up of 300 public and professional experts
across a range of fields, said many initiatives introduced in
2006 have "fallen victim to policy change and costcutting".
It also highlighted the difference in treatment of victims
inside London and elsewhere.
The handling of cases outside the capital was "patchy and
varied", it said.
"If a fraud victim involves their local police force they
quickly find that much fraud policing outside London is no
better than in 2005, with little chance of any kind of
investigation."
The Panel suggested that since the national fraud and
security reporting service, Action Fraud was rolled out in
2013, local police forces do not feel fraud is their
responsibility.
David Kirk commented: "Local fraud policing is so
important in preventing repeat victimisation and further
loss.
"We need a nationwide fraud policing response that can

match the challenge and government should find the
resources to create it. It is a national embarrassment that
these failings persist a full decade after the Fraud Review."
Reports made to Action Fraud, the national fraud and
cyber crime reporting service, are passed to the National
Fraud Intelligence Bureau which analyses the information.
If there are enough viable lines of enquiry it is sent to
police force. However, according to a City of London
spokesman just 30pc of reported fraud cases are
investigated.
Mr Kirk said: "It's the Wild West out there. It is not enough
to leave these people with only an Action Fraud crime
number and no hope of seeing a police officer, never mind
an investigation."
Commander Chris Greany, national coordinator for
economic crime for the City of London Police, was quoted
in the Fraud Advisory Panel report. He said victims should
understand not every fraud will be investigated but it
helps police in the long run.
He said: 'It should be in our culture to report criminal
matters to the authorities for the greater good;
recognising that not every fraud will be investigated, and
that the police are not a money recovery service, but that
the more we can see of the threat, the better we can
design what we do to prevent it."
(1st August 2016)
EU E1.8bn IN CYBERSECURITY INVESTMENT

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/07/05/eu_cybersecurity_invest
ment_plan/
The EU Commission has launched a public-private
partnership on cybersecurity that is expected to trigger
1.8bn ($2bn) of investment by 2020. The EU is promising
to invest 450m ($502m) in a bid to spur innovation in
cybersecurity with the remainder coming from the private

sector.
Some security commentators reckon the Brexit vote
means that British organisations are set to lose out on the
benefits of this investment. However given the uncertain
political climate in the UK - which remains a full member
of the EU for a t least two years and possibly longer - a UK
lockout is far from definite.
Kevin Bocek, chief security strategist at Venafi,
commented: "It's good to see the EU increasing funding
and making cybersecurity a top priority and sad that, due
to Brexit, UK universities and businesses will miss out on
this investment."
More broadly, Bocek expressed concerns about whether or
not the investment will be going to the right place. "One of
the key areas identified that the public/private partnership
will focus on is 'securing identities online' - however, I
think beyond this they need to recognise the need to
secure identities of machines, software, devices and the
foundation internet itself, not just people," Bocek
explained.
According to a recent survey by management consultants
PricewaterhouseCoopers, at least 80 per cent of European
companies have experienced at least one cybersecurity
incident over the last year. The number of security
incidents across all industries worldwide rose by 38 per
cent in 2015. The EU uncontroversially asserts that
cybersecurity issues damage trust in e-commerce.
Security risks to infrastructure providers in energy
distribution, banking and health also pose a growing risk.
As part of its Digital Single Market strategy, the
Commission wants to "reinforce cooperation across
borders, and between all actors and sectors active in
cybersecurity, and to help develop innovative and secure
technologies, products and services throughout the EU".
The EU strategy (announced Tuesday) involves the launch
of the first European public private partnership on
cybersecurity. The EU will invest 450m (384m) in this
partnership, under its research and innovation programme
Horizon 2020. Cybersecurity firms, represented by the
European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO), are
expected to invest three times more. The partnership will
also include members from national, regional and local

public administrations, research centres and universities.
The partnership is designed to foster cooperation at early
stages of cybersecurity research and development. Ii's
hoped the program will yield infosec products and services
to cater to the energy, health, transport and finance
sectors. in particular.
The UK's Cyber Security Strategy is based on a similar
assessment of risks but is pitched more towards protecting
critical infrastructure systems than is apparent from the
EU blueprint. The UK also wants to encourage cybersecurity startups but this aspect of the strategy only gets
a supporting role whereas for the EU it gets star billing.
Last year UK Chancellor George Osborne announced plans
to double investment in protecting "Britain from cyber
attack and develop our sovereign capabilities in
cyberspace". with a budget totalling 1.9 billion over five
years.
Part of the spending increase will go towards previously
announced plans to hire 1,900 more staff at GCHQ. GCHQ
director Robert Hannigan said last year that private
industry wasn't doing enough to improve cyber-security.
Earlier this year, the outgoing Obama administration
proposed increasing federal cyber-security spending by
$5bn, or around a third, in the hope of reaching $19bn in
2017.
Jeux sans frontiers
The Commission is also seeking to tackle the
fragmentation of the EU cybersecurity market. Vendors
currently need to undergo different certification processes
to sell its products and services in several Member States.
The Commission is considering plans to develop a possible
European certification framework for ICT security
products.
Eurocrats wants to ease access to finance for smaller
businesses working in the field of cybersecurity, perhaps
with an eye to emulating the success of cyber-security
startups in Israel, where close co-operation between
government and private industry is the norm.
Finally the EU Commission is bringing forwards its
evolution of the long established European Union Agency
for Network and Information Security (ENISA).This review

will assess whether "ENISA's mandate and capabilities
remain adequate to achieve its mission of supporting EU
Member States in boosting their own cyber resilience".
The Commission also plans to look into how to improve
cybersecurity cooperation across different sectors of the
economy, including in cybersecurity training and
education.
"This is good news and a welcome move by the
Commission," independent infosec consultant Brian
Honan, the founder and head of Ireland's CERT, told El
Reg. "It demonstrates a concrete and sizeable support in
making cyberspace in Europe more secure."
"While the NIS [Network and Information Security] and the
GDPR [ General Data Protection Regulation] puts the focus
on cybersecurity from a legislative point of view, this type
of investment and support provides industry with a strong
incentive in relation to security," he added.
(1st August 2016)
MET POLICE COULD USE DRONES TO CHASE MOPED

RIDERS IN LONDON
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/police-could-use-dronesto-chase-moped-riders-a3287106.html
Scotland Yard is examining the use of drones to pursue
moped-riding thieves through the streets of London.
The Met has launched a review of pursuit tactics after an
inquest jury found Henry Hicks, 18, died when his moped
crashed during a high-speed chase.
The teenager, who was not suspected of theft, was trying
to flee police in two unmarked cars when he died in
Islington in 2014, the jury at St Pancras coroner's court
found last week.
One police driver denied it had been a pursuit.
Separately, two officers are under criminal investigation

after Lewis Johnson, 18, died when his scooter crashed
near Clapton Common in February, following a chase by
police cars and a helicopter. Officers were pursuing the
scooter following an earlier theft.
Deputy Commissioner Craig Mackey, speaking at a
meeting of the London Assembly's Police and Crime
Committee, said crime involving thieves on two wheels
was rising but that police face difficulties in tackling
moped gangs due to the dangers of pursuing them.
The pursuit of two-wheeled vehicles is not outlawed but Mr
Mackey said there were factors for officers to consider. He
said the Met was reviewing all its options and considering
all available tactics, including the use of drones.
Police are battling to combat a rise in drive-by snatches
focused in Camden and Islington. Figures have showed
there were 3,000 phone thefts in the two boroughs in the
past 12 months.
The Met said: "The possibilities of unmanned aerial
vehicles to tackle suspects using two-wheeled and fourwheeled vehicles to commit crime are currently being
discussed at a national level by the National Police Chiefs'
Council's steering group and the Centre for Applied
Science and Technology.
Aviation expert Julian Bray said police could use drones in
place of a helicopter. He said: "It would be much cheaper
and the drone could sit over an area and direct ground
units to the fleeing car or motorbike.
"There are issues with Civil Aviation Authority rules but I
am sure they will make it work because it could save
money and it may save lives, because you would not have
police cars tearing after suspects in high-speed chases."
(1st August 2016)
SHARP RISE IN IDENTITY FRAUD AS SCAMMERS USE

FACEBOOK AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA SITES TO
HUNT FOR INFORMATION
(The Telegraph, dated 5th July 2016 author Tara Evans)

www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/sharp-risein-identity-fraud-as-scammers-usefacebook-and-other/
Fraudsters are increasingly using social media sites such
as Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn as a "hunting ground" for personal information,
leading to huge rise in identity
theft, according to a new report.
The number of victims of identity theft rose by 57pc last
year, Cifas, the fraud
prevention service, said. There were more than 148,000
victims in the UK in 2015,
compared with almost 94,500 in 2014.
Identity fraud happens when a criminal pretends to be an
innocent individual in order to
take out a financial product, such as a loan or credit card,
in their name.
Victims often do not realise they have been targeted until
a bill arrives for something
they did not buy or until they have a problem with their
credit rating.
Fraudsters often trawl social media sites to find personal
information, such as your
name, date of birth, address and name of your bank.
They will gather the information in a number of ways,
including hacking if a company that
holds information about you doesn't protect its data
properly. They will also use social
media to "put the pieces of someone's identity together",
the report said.
Simon Dukes, chief executive of Cifas, said: "Fraudsters
are opportunists. As banks and
lenders have become more adept at detecting false
identities, fraudsters have focused on
stealing and using genuine people's details instead.
"The likes of Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other online
platforms are much more than
just social media sites - they are now a hunting ground for
identity thieves.
"We are urging people to check their privacy settings
today and think twice about what

they share."
Commander Chris Greany of the City of London Police, a
national co-ordinator for economic
crime, said: "We have known for some time that identity
fraud has become the engine that
drives much of today's criminality and so it is vitally
important that people keep their
personal information safe and secure."
How to protect your personal information on social
media
Websites such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest and
LinkedIn have grown enormously
in popularity in the past 10 years. However, you should be
wary about how much personal
information you share.
- Take time to learn about privacy and security settings on
social networks. If you want
to keep your account private, you can usually choose this
in the "settings" section on
the website or app.
- Whatever you post on social media stays normally online
for ever. Think twice before
posting information. For example, do you really need to
have your date of birth on your
Facebook profile?
- Social media can be used for a variety of purposes, from
keeping in touch with family
and friends to making new business connections and
advancing your career. Think twice
before accepting someone as a friend who you do not
know. You can also use tools in
social media sites to manage the information you share
with people. On Facebook, for
example, you can set up groups if you'd like to limit what
you share.
- Regularly change your password and make sure that it

isn't something obvious that a
hacker could guess, such as your maiden name or date of
birth.
- Keep security software up to date. Insuring that you have
the latest security software,
web browser and operating system is the best defence
against viruses and other "malware".
- Pick a username that doesn't include too much personal
information. For example,
"RichardJohns_London" or "Isabel.Duke.Bournemouth" may
not be a good idea.
What to do if you think you're a victim of identify
fraud
1. Get a copy of your credit report. It may be one of the
first places where you can spot
if someone has set up an account in your name. The
biggest firms are Equifax, Call Credit
and Experian. It may be worth checking all three if you're
worried as firms report
information to different credit reference services. You can
do this for nothing by
signing up to a free trial and cancelling before the end of
the free period. You can also
pay 2 for a one-off "statutory" report.
2. If you receive letters from a company that seem
suspicious and imply that you have an
account with the sender, do not ignore it. Inform the
company that you did not set up the
account and ask to speak to its fraud team.
3. Report the fraud to Action Fraud either online at
actionfraud.police.uk or by calling
0300 123 2040.
4. You can also access free victim support by contacting
victimsupport.org.uk.
(5th July 2016)
ONE IN THREE CASES OF "SOLICITOR FRAUD" NOT

EVEN LOOKED AT. POLICE ADMIT
(The Telegraph, dated 3rd July 2016 author Amelia Murray)
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/one-inthree-cases-of-solicitor-fraud-not-even-looked-at-police/
One in three cases of conveyancing fraud - where victims
lose an average of 101,000 - is not even passed on to the
police for further investigation, Telegraph Money has
learned.
Conveyancing fraud is on the rise and the consequences
for victims are devastating and often life-changing.
The fraud typically involves emails between solicitors and
house buyers or sellers being intercepted and forged.
Despite the large sums involved, just 60pc of cases are
passed to the police.
This is because detectives will look into a case only when
they are confident that it will result in a conviction. After
victims submit their case to Action Fraud, the national
fraud and cybercrime reporting centre, the information is
assessed by the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, part of
the City of London Police.
If there are "insufficient lines of inquiry", the information is
not acted on.
In March, property transactions spiked as buyers rushed to
beat the new stamp duty charge. Fraudsters took
advantage of the situation and the number of
conveyancing scams reached its highest level - 28 cases
were reported that month.
Andrew Goodwill, a fraud expert, said that even if the case
is passed to a police force, it may still not be investigated
because of dwindling resources.
The City of London Police is Britain's principal anti-fraud
force. Other forces' fraud capabilities vary and are "few
and far between", according to Mr Goodwill. He said that

unless fraud involved "vast sums" or numerous victims, it
was unlikely to reach police agendas.
"If there were lots of pensioners scammed out of billions,
the police would have to investigate," he said.
This approach leaves individuals such as Ellen Wright, who
had more than 130,000 stolen, with little hope. Dr Wright
was targeted in January 2015 by fraudsters purporting to
be her solicitor.
They told her their bank details had changed and
instructed her to pay the 137,000 for her property into
the new account. She reported the crime to Action Fraud
but was told there were "insufficient viable lines of inquiry"
for an investigation.
Mr Goodwill condemned such responses as "scandalous".
A spokesman for the City of London Police said: "The
National Fraud Intelligence Bureau assesses every
allegation made via Action Fraud and disseminates those
cases that have viable lines of inquiry.
"We have to maximise our resources where there is the
best chance of a successful outcome."
Another victim, Anne Cook received a similar response
from Action Fraud when she was duped into paying a
10,000 deposit for three flats into a criminal's account.
Her money was ring-fenced although it was only after
Telegraph Money got involved that the funds were
released.
The scams usually follows a similar pattern. Fraudsters
hack into their victims email and monitor the
correspondence between the solicitor and client.
Just before completion, the criminals will email the
property buyer purporting to be the solicitor and ask them
to pay the money into an alternative account.
The fraudster's often clears the account the same day the
payment is made. The money is then filtered through a
number of accounts to prevent it being traced and may be
used to make large transactions or withdrawn, often
abroad.
Mr Goodwill said: "It feels like these cases just get put on a
pile and forgotten about."
(4th July 2016)
JUNE 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - JUNE 2016
----------------------ANDROID MALWARE MASQUERADING AS WHATSAPP, UBER
AND OTHERS
(International Business Times, dated 29th June 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-malware-masqueradingwhatsapp-uber-others-google-play-store-targets-userseurope-1567980
A new Android malware campaign has been uncovered by
security researchers that mimics the user interfaces of
popular apps like WhatsApp, Uber, Google Play, WeChat
and others to trick Android users into divulging their credit
card details.
Cybersecurity firm FireEye has uncovered several strains
of malware spreading via SMS phishing campaigns, which
have so far targeted Android users in Germany, Austria,
Italy, Denmark and Russia. The firm pointed out that other
European countries could also be impacted by the
malware.
The firm explained that hackers send victims SMS
messages with an embedded link that redirects users to
the malware app. Once installed, the malware has been
designed to stay dormant until it detects users launching a
benign app, like a banking app...... The malware then
activates and sends the unwary users "secure" data to the
criminals.
-----------------------DATA BREACH EXPOSES FRENCH POLICE OFFICERS TWO
WEEKS AFTER ISIS-INSPIRED MURDER
(International Business Times, datd 28th June 2017 author
Jason Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/data-breach-exposes-112000-french-
police-officers-two-weeks-after-isis-inspired-murder1567873
A data breach has impacted 112,000 French police officers
after a file containing home addresses and telephone
numbers was uploaded to Google Drive without strong
protection - roughly two weeks after a police official was
murdered in an Isis-inspired attack.
In a move that has been branded an "act of revenge" at
the hands of a disgruntled former employee, the data
reportedly came from a health and benefit insurance firm
closely linked to the police, called the Mutuelle Generale
de la Police (MGP).
According to the local media RTL details on officers - both
serving and retired - alongside family members were
uploaded to Google's cloud storage service on 2 June and
were only protected by "a simple password." The
investigation into the leak, which took three weeks to
uncover, is now underway to find out if anyone accessed
the compromised data.
-----------------------ACER SECURITY BREACH EXPOSES DATA OF 34,500
ONLINE SHOPPERS
(Computer World, dated 20th June 2016 author Ian Paul)
http://www.computerworld.com/article/3086155
Computer maker Acer recently revealed to California's
Attorney General (AG) that hackers broke into the
company's online store and grabbed sensitive customer
data. The leaked data includes information such as
customer names, addresses, and credit card numbers
including expiry dates and three-digit CVC security codes.
The hack affects 34,500 customers based in the United
States, Canada, and Puerto Rico, as first reported by
ZDNet, which Acer later confirmed to PCWorld.
-----------------------HALF OF SMALL BRITISH BUSINESSES HIT BY CYBERCRIME
(Computer World, dated 14th June 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/14/sme_cybercrime_survey
/
Almost half (48 per cent) of Britain's small businesses
were hit by cyber-crime in the last year, with 10 per cent

targeted many times.
Despite this only one in five see cybersecurity as a
business priority, and just 15 per cent are confident that
they have adequate measures in place to prevent
cybercrime, according to a Barclaycard-sponsored study.
Ten per cent of the 250 small businesses surveyed have
never invested in improving website security.
The consequences of cyber-attack include business
disruption, lost sales, recovery of assets, fines and
compensation.
Andy Herrington, head of cyber professional services at
Fujitsu UK and Ireland, said that SMEs need to realise that
they're a target of DDoS, hacking and malware attacks
just like bigger firms.
"Small business are often part of larger organisations'
supply chains and are therefore a target entry point.
Successful small businesses should recognise that good
basic security practice is a 'differentiator' for them as a
supplier and will be key in building the trust of their
clients," he added.
-----------------------FRESH HELL FOR TALKTALK CUSTOMERS
(Computer World, dated 13th June 2016 author Gavin
Clarke)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/13/talktalk_teamviewer_cu
stomer_scam/
TalkTalk customers are getting caught up in the
TeamViewer remote-control PC seizure storm.
Customers of the ISP with TeamViewer accounts say they
are being hit by opportunists trying to seize control of their
PCs.
Faced with this fresh assault on their long-suffering
customers' privacy, TalkTalk's board will discuss the matter
at a meeting this week.
It is not clear - yet - what action the firm can or will take to
protect customers from this new assault.
However, customer Mercedes Valentino, who says she has
been targeted by apparent TalkTalk scammers, told The
Reg that the board must take a lead on warning
customers.
"The moment [TalkTalk] gets information like this they

should put it on the website immediately and email
customers to say there's an issue, that TeamViewer has a
problem and other customer are affected," she said.
-----------------------EU AND US OFFICIALS SIGN "UMBRELLA" DATA
PROTECTION AGREEMENT
(Computer World, dated 3rd June 2016 author Peter Sayer)
www.computerworld.com/article/3078779
The European Commission has signed a landmark
agreement with the U.S. in its quest to legitimize the
transatlantic flow of European Union citizens' personal
information.
No, it's not the embattled Privacy Shield, which the
Commission hopes to conclude later this month, but the
rather flimsier-sounding umbrella agreement or, more
formally, the U.S.-EU agreement "on the protection of
personal information relating to the prevention,
investigation, detection, and prosecution of criminal
offenses."
It covers the exchange between EU and U.S. law enforcers,
during the course of their investigations of personal data
including names, addresses and criminal records.
One benefit of the agreement for EU citizens caught up in
such investigations is that they will benefit from the same
rights to judicial redress as U.S. citizens if a privacy breach
occurs, thanks to the recently passed Judicial Redress Act.
----------------------LINKEDIN's DISTURBING BREACH NOTICE
(Computer World, dated 1st June 2016 author Evan
Schuman)
Late last Wednesday (May 25), LinkedIn casually sent a
note to its customers that opened with one of the leastcalming phrases possible: "You may have heard reports
recently about a security issue involving LinkedIn." It
continued to say, in effect, "Let us now distort and
misrepresent those reports to make us sound as good as
possible."
The upshot of the notice was that LinkedIn was breached
back in 2012 and that much of that stolen information has

now resurfaced and is being used. From the LinkedIn
notice: "We took immediate steps to invalidate the
passwords of all LinkedIn accounts that we believed might
be at risk. These were accounts created prior to the 2012
breach that had not reset their passwords since that
breach."
----------------------BLOATWARE ON ACER, ASUS, LENOVO, DELL AND HP PCs
CAN GET YOU HACKED IN 10 MINUTES
(Computer World, dated 1st June 2016 author Darlene
Storm)
No one actually likes the preloaded bloatware that comes
installed on new Windows PCs, but if your computer is an
Asus, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Acer or Lenovo, then that
crapware can could get you hacked. In some cases, it
would take less than 10 minutes for an attacker to fully
compromise your PC.
You know bloatware slows down your computer, but Duo
Security's Duo Labs warned, "The worst part is that OEM
software is making us vulnerable and invading our
privacy." The researchers said every one of the five major
OEM PC vendors it investigated had at least one update
tool as well as at least one vulnerability which a hacker
could exploit for a man-in-the-middle attack, then execute
code, to completely compromise the affected PC.
-----------------------LENOVO ADVISES USERS TO REMOVE A VULNERABLE, PREINSTALLED SUPPORT TOOL
(Computer World, dated 1st June 2016 author Lucian
Constantin)
PC maker Lenovo is recommending that users remove an
application preloaded on their computers because it
contains a high-severity flaw that could allow attackers to
take over their systems.
The vulnerable tool is called Lenovo Accelerator
Application and is designed to speed up the launch of
other Lenovo applications. It was preinstalled on more
than 100 laptop and desktop models shipped with

Windows 10, but not those from the ThinkPad and
ThinkStation lines.
---------------------(1st July 2016)
THE STORY OF THE MYSTERIOUS HARRY POTTER
PLAQUE
(BBC News, dated June 2016 author Kat Collins)
Full article :
www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36488273/the-story-ofthe-mysterious-harry-potter-plaque
A plaque mysteriously appeared overnight outside Bristol's
children hospital 18 months ago.
The sign claims the giant coloured rings outside the
hospital are in fact the 1998 Quidditch World Cup goal
posts, dedicated to the children of Bristol.
Thousands of "muggles" see the plaque every week but in
all that time, the hospital had no idea it was even there.
So was it the work of a wizard with a marauders' map and
invisibility cloak? Or possibly down to a revealing charm?
Nobody knew, until now.
It's been revealed the plaque was the idea of Bristol
University graduate Cormac Seachoy, who died of cancer
last year.
The 27-year-old used crowdfunding to pay for it, before
sneaking out at midnight in November 2014 to glue it onto
the wall.
He tweeted a picture the next day, but very few people
seemed to notice.
The Lollypop Be-Bop sculpture is actually an interactive art
installation with coloured lights that can be turned on and
off by children inside the hospital, by remote control.
But Cormac's accomplice, and friend, James Carberry told
Newsbeat: "He always used to say how the sculpture
looked like the Quidditch posts.
"He wanted the children at the hospital to think they were
a gift from wizards."
"We met outside the hospital and he came with this
beautiful bronze plaque and a tube of industrial strength
adhesive," he says.
The only problem was, they didn't have anything to open

the tube with.
"He sent me to a pub around to ask for scissors,
pretending we were opening a pop-up shop around the
corner.
"I'll never forget the look on the barman's face as I asked
him for the scissors, but he reluctantly agreed and we
were able to put the plaque up."
The plaque claims the rings were enchanted by Adou
Sosseh, the captain of Senegal's Quidditch team which
lost the 1998 World Cup to Malawi.
That's something only diehard Potter fans would know. It
was only ever revealed on JK Rowling's Pottermore
website.
The hospital has now said it will keep the plaque but asks
that other "magical beings" who want to put up plaques
ask permission first so "muggles" at the hospital can thank
them and maintain them.
It says: "The appearance of this plaque was a magical and
mysterious event that we did not know anything about,
but we are sure that our patients and their families will
appreciate it".
James says Cormac, who was passionate about fundraising
and helping good causes, would be thrilled.
"It would really put a smile on his face to think that people
are now talking about the plaque and that the hospital's
decided to keep it.
"He didn't really want much attention from the plaque.
"He just wanted to do something that would make people
smile on their way in and out of the hospital."
uaware comment
Cormac was really a Wizard !
(1st July 2016)
POLICE FAIL TO FINE A SINGLE DRIVER FOR

SMOKING WITH CHILDREN IN CAR
(The Telegraph, dated 29th June 2016 author Danny Boyle)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/29/police-fail-to-finea-single-driver-for-smoking-with-children-in/
Police are not enforcing a new law to protect children from
adults smoking in cars, it has emerged, as figures showed
no one has been fined since legislation was introduced.
Since October last year, anyone caught smoking in a
vehicle carrying someone under the age of 18 has been
breaking the law and could face a 50 fine.
The clampdown was introduced by the Department of
Health after widespread research highlighted the damage
that was done to youngsters' health from second-hand
smoke in cars.
However, police chiefs had signalled that forces would turn
a blind eye to the offence.
While they have the power to stop drivers and issue onthe-spot fines, chief officers have indicated they will not
apply the law "forcefully" and will focus instead on taking
a "non-confrontational" approach.
The National Police Chiefs' Council said drivers would be
"educated" rather than prosecuted, leaving some critics to
wonder if the message will succeed in getting through to
drivers.
Now figures obtained under the Freedom of Information
Act have confirmed that police are choosing not to enforce
the law, which was hailed as "a landmark in protecting
children from second hand smoke".
In the first seven months, just three police forces in
England and Wales reported incidents that were all dealt
with by verbal warnings, the BBC reported.
The forces that recorded warnings were the Metropolitan
Police, which issued two, Dyfed-Powys Police, which issued
four, and Devon and Cornwall Police, which gave one
warning.
The data, from 42 English and Welsh police forces, showed
no fines have been issued.
Nigel Rabbits, branch spokesman for Devon and Cornwall
Police Federation, told the BBC: "It is poor legislation that
hasn't been thought through and it's very difficult to
enforce because you are talking about looking at a vehicle
and trying to figure out what's going on inside.

"If you're looking for someone under the age of 18 that's
difficult without stopping the vehicle and once the vehicle
has been stopped getting the evidence for prosecution is
extremely difficult."
Experts think up to three million children are exposed to
smoke in cars, putting them at risk of serious conditions
including asthma, bronchitis and infections of the chest
and ear.
The introduction of the legislation followed similar changes
in the law to make all work vehicles smoke-free and
outlaws even those who smoke with their window wound
down.
The Department of Health said many people smoking with
children in the car were unaware of how harmful it could
be.
"In changing the law we always said the measure of
success would be in changes in attitude and behaviour,
not number of enforcement actions," it said in a
statement.
"As with other smoke-free legislation, we expect high
levels of compliance with this change that will continue to
grow."
(1st July 2016)
GLOBAL "TERROR DATABASE" WORLD-CHECK

LEAKED
(The Register, dated 29th June 2016 author Darren Pauli
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/29/global_terror_database_
worldcheck_leaked_online/
The "terrorist database" World-Check used by global banks
and intelligence agencies has, we're told, leaked online.
The mid-2014 version of the database contains some 2.2
million records and is used by 49 of the world's 50 largest
banks, along with 300 government and intelligence
agencies. Access to its contents is granted via a strict
vetting process and the signing of NDAs.

The Thomson Reuters database is accused of falsely
designating citizens and organisations as terrorists. Banks
have used this data in whole or in part to shutter
accounts, effectively locking people out of vast swathes of
the global banking system.
Top security researcher Chris Vickery found a copy of the
database sitting on an unsecured Couchbase-powered
system online, and told The Register it is still exposed to
the internet even after he disclosed its location to
Thomson Reuters.
"As far as I know, the original location of the leak is still
exposed to the public internet," Vickery says. "Thomson
Reuters is working feverishly to get it secured."
Thomson Reuters says it will provide citizens and
organisations information about their designation on
individual request. Alerts are not issued to known contacts
of those affected when terrorist designations are assigned,
however.
Publicly revealing the database beyond the
aforementioned leak could be reckless: World-Check
contains sensitive information on citizens regarding their
alleged criminal histories and possible terrorist links.
Thomson Reuters urges banks and other customers use
multiple sources alongside World-Check and requests that
the secretive database not be cited in any public decisionmaking materials.
The organisation rejects accusations that World-Check is
controversial or simply flat out wrong. However,
inaccurate terror designations were revealed by the BBC's
Radio 4 which gained 30 minutes of access to the
database in August 2015 from a disgruntled customer.
That program revealed various British citizens who had
their HSBC bank accounts closed in 2014 without the
possibility of appeal, because what they claimed were
incorrect records in World-Check identifying them as
having terrorist links.
One of those was the account for the UK Finsbury Park
Mosque which was described in a HSBC letter as having
"fallen outside of HSBC's risk appetite". The mosque was
in years past visited by Al Qaeda operatives, Beslan Siege
members, and had convicted terrorist Abu Hamza al-
Masrim as its imam in 1997.

Since that time the Mosque has been run by a group
supported by the Metropolitan Police. Sources say HSBC
closed on the mosque because it donated money to
Palestine during the 2015 Israel-Gaza war.
At the same time HSBC shuttered the account of the
Cordoba Foundation, a UK think tank which was
designated by the United Arab Emirates as a terrorist
organisation for its alleged links to the Muslim
Brotherhood - a political opponent in the region.
HSBC shuttered the accounts of Foundation chief
executive Anas Altikriti, including his three-decade old
personal account, and that of his wife and two teenage
children.
The BBC reported finding information in World-Check
based on Wikipedia entries, biased blogs, and statebacked news agencies. Vice also gained access to the
World-Check database in February. It found terrorist
profiles including the Council on American-Islamic
Relations executive director Nihad Awad, joined former US
President George W. Bush in a post 9/11 press conference,
and the organisation itself.
Former World Bank and Bank of England advisor Mohamed
Iqbal Asaria awarded a Commander of the Order of the
British Empire award in 2005 was also listed as a terrorist.
Vickery has reported recent large-scale breaches including
information on 93 million Mexican voters in April. The
records were exposed thanks to a configuration error in a
MongoDB database.
He also earlier revealed the exposure of 13 million records
of MacKeeper, Zeobit, and Kromtech, and some 1700
records of children from website uKnowKids.
(1st July 2016)
FACEBOOK "HACK" VICTIM EXPOSES PASSPORT

SCAM
(BBC News, dated 29th June 2016)
Facebook user Aaron Thompson has exposed an online

thief who gained access to his account simply by sending
the support team a fake passport to unlock the account.
It granted the "hacker" access to Mr Thompson's personal
and business Facebook pages.
Mr Thompson shared his experience on news site Reddit
when he realised he was locked out of his accounts.
Facebook later restored them to him and apologised. The
social network decline to comment.
But the BBC understands that the decision to accept the
fake ID was a mistake that violated the firm's internal
policies.
###Offensive photo
Mr Thompson, from Michigan in the US, was made aware
of the chain of events that led to the hack in an email from
Facebook, headed: "Description of the issue you're
encountering."
It included this request: "Hi. I don't have anymore access
on my mobile phone number. Kindly turn off code
generator and login approval from my account. Thanks."
In fact that email had not been sent by Mr Thompson but
by the hacker. He did not have access to Mr Thompson's
email address or passwords.
Facebook replied with a message, advising the impostor to
send a photo or scan of their ID to "confirm you own the
account".
That scanned image was also forwarded to Mr Thompson's
email account with the response: "Thanks for verifying
your identity. You should now be able to log into your
account."
Once the hacker had gained access to the account, he
removed all the administrators for the sites and sent Mr
Thompson's fiancee a picture of his genitals.
Mr Thompson wrote on Reddit that he was "pretty
devastated" when he realised what had happened.
"It's blatant harassment," he said.
At that point, he picked up the email conversation with
Facebook, attempting to inform them that he was in fact
the owner of the account and that previous emails and the
passport ID had not been sent by him.

"Please look further into this, it will be easy to see the
account has been hacked. They sent a fake ID to
Facebook's help team to reset the email, and password,"
he wrote.
Mr Thompson also reached out to Facebook via Twitter and
received a response from its security communications
office Melanie Ensign.
He responded: "You need to make sure it can never
happen again. Your security policy needs to be examined
and fixed."
Following the publication of his Reddit post, Facebook
restored all his accounts.
Mr Thompson later offered the social media giant some
security advice.
"This hacker was able to submit this request and hack the
profile in four hours, all while I was sleeping. I didn't even
have time to see that someone was requesting this. There
was no notification on Facebook, no notification on my
cellphone.
"Given the severity of the theft of information if someone
were to hack into your account, I think Facebook should
freeze the account to see if the owner does eventually use
the original email or phone number to get back into the
account."
He also pointed out that if a request comes from a
"suspicious IP address that seems unrelated with the
normal IP of the account", it should not be accepted.
(1st July 2016)
HOW TO SPOT AN ATM SKIMMER

(International Business Time, dated 27th June 2016 author
Owen Hughes)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-spot-atm-skimmer-securityengineer-posts-video-after-finding-fake-card-reader-vienna1567667
uaware note : The online article shows a video of the

suspicious device
This video proves why it pays to be vigilant when money is
involved. Security engineer Ben Tedesco was touring
Vienna in Austria when he came across a suspiciouslooking cashpoint, and decided to hit the record button
when his instincts told him something wasn't quite right.
As it turns out, the cashpoint had been equipped with an
ATM skimmer, a fraudulent card reader used by thieves to
capture information from bank cards. The device had been
placed over the machine's real card reader and had been
designed to look exactly the same as the genuine article,
making it hard to spot. They can be built from scratch made easier in recent years, thanks to the rise of 3D
printing - or purchased on the dark web.
The skimmer had been installed on an ATM in Vienna's
main square, close to a metro station and a number of
hotels which made this a prime spot for tourists. There's
no way of knowing how many fell foul of the ploy before
Tedesco arrived, however thanks to him it was removed
before any more damage could be done.
Tedesco, who works for a security company called Carbon
Black, plans to reverse-engineer the ATM skimmer to see
how it was made.
ATM skimmers can come in various shapes and sizes, and
are usually installed alongside hidden cameras used for
capturing your PIN. The general advice for spotting them
is to look out for anything that isn't flush with the machine
- in this instance, Tedesco spotted the glue around the rim
of the card reader where it had been attached to the ATM.
Sometimes, skimming keypads are also installed to
capture you PIN, so it's always worth giving dubious ATM
parts a tug if you're ever in doubt. If you're still unsure,
just move on - the risk isn't worth it.
(1st July 2016)
BOTNET-POWERED BALLOT STUFFING SUSPECTED IN

2ND REFERENDUM PETITION
(The Register, dated 27th June 2016 author John Leyden)

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/06/27/ballot_stuffing_ref_petiti
on/
A petition for a second EU referendum in the UK has been
hit by suspicions of computer automated ballot stuffing,
possibly by politically motivated hackers.
77,000 fraudulent signatures have been removed from a
petition calling for a second vote on the UK's relationship
with the European Union.
The so-far identified fraudulent votes represent a tiny
fraction of the overall count, though not perhaps the full
extent of the issue. Reg reader Rob has uncovered
evidence that a botnet (i.e. automated computer program
rather than human) is stuffing the second referendum
ballot.
"It's continuously been getting roughly 10 signatures per
*SECOND* since it started and all throughout the night
when people would be sleeping," Rob explained. "I
monitored it from 2.30 to 3.30am this morning and in that
space of time it received over 90,000 new signatures."
The json data on the referendum link provides further
evidence that all is not perhaps kosher.
"There are 2,371 signatures from The Vatican - a place
that only has a population of 1,000," Rob notes. Also the
json data shows 2735 signatures from the Antarctic and
23,694 signatures from North Korea."
A blackhat hacker from Syria claimed responsibility for the
"hack" which he claimed he was doing in order to show
"your democracies are a joke". He also claimed to be
"voting like crazy" on this petition.
Both claims are unsubstantiated and therefore ought to be
treated with caution.
House of Commons staff said that they are on top of the
ballot-stuffing issue in a series of tweets that seek to
dispel rumours that any Parliamentary site had been
hacked.
"The petitions website has not been hacked. Fraudulent
signatures have been and will continue to be removed, to
ensure the site's integrity," the Petitions Committee said
on Sunday through its official Twitter profile. "The petition
site is working and secure. We're monitoring the site to

ensure it's used properly," it added.
So far more than 3.6 million people have signed up the
petition on the parliament.uk website. Any petition with
more than 100K votes is considered for debate in
parliament, irrespective of its merits either way.
The second EU referendum petition states:
We the undersigned call upon HM Government to
implement a rule that if the remain or leave vote is less
than 60% based a turnout less than 75% there should be
another referendum.
Demand on the petition's site in the immediate aftermath
of the surprise result of Thursday's vote caused the site to
crash.
(1st July 2016)
IS YOUR CAR THE MOST STOLEN MODEL IN

ENGLAND AND WALES
(The Guardian, dated 25th June 2016 author Chris Menon)
www.theguardian.com/money/2016/jun/25/hi-tech-thieveskeyless-car-crime-electronic-security
After two decades of decline, the number of cars stolen in
England and Wales rose by 9% in 2015, with 75,656
incidents reported by unlucky motorists.
Luxury cars stolen by organised gangs feature prominently
on the list of stolen cars, but the humble Ford Escort
makes an appearance in the top 10 even though it fell out
of production more than a decade ago.
Figures from the National Vehicle Crime Intelligence
Service reveal the most-stolen car was the Audi S3.
Boasting acceleration that takes it from 0-60mph in less
than five seconds, the basic model will set you back
32,330.
The rest of the top three are also expensive cars - the
Land Rover Defender and the Range Rover. Production of
the much-loved Defender was discontinued in January, but
it retailed for between 23,000 and 62,000, while the

Range Rover sells for upwards of 75,850.
"Due to desirability and demand, many of these vehicles
are stolen to order for distribution overseas," says Steve
Launchbury, a vehicle crime engineer at Thatcham
Research. "These thefts are carried out by organised
gangs who have invested in specialist tools to reverse
engineer the vehicle's security systems, as opposed to
your opportunist thief."
The surge in thefts of Land Rover Defenders prompted the
insurer NFU Mutual, which focuses on farmers, to urge
owners in April to be more security savvy. Claims from its
customers following thefts of Defenders rose to 1.8m in
2015, an increase of 8% over 2014. A spokesperson for
the insurer said: "Now that Defenders are out of
production they are rapidly gaining classic status and
rising in value. This is making them more attractive to
thieves - either to sell as complete vehicles or to break up
to sell as parts."
Jaguar Land Rover said it was constantly working to
improve security on new and discontinued models.
"Threats are constantly evolving and Land Rover works
tirelessly to update and adapt to new threats," it said.
"Land Rover has implemented a new security feature for
all new vehicles. This is also available to existing
customers through our retailers and resolves the current
threat."
The Ford Escort, despite ceasing production in 2004, is still
popular and becoming increasingly valuable as models
more than 25 years old are now classed as classic cars.
There is therefore also a high demand for spare parts,
further fuelling thefts.
According to Dr Ken German, a director at the
International Association of Auto Theft Investigators:
"Enthusiasts and collectors will pay thousands sometimes tens of thousands - of pounds for a nice
example. When you add in the fact that most don't have
the security systems that come as standard on modern
cars, you can see the attraction for criminals."
The most common way luxury cars are stolen is by
hacking their electronic systems, known as keyless vehicle
theft. According to the Metropolitan police, thieves gain
entry either by using a device to block the radio signals

when a victim uses their electronic key to lock the vehicle,
or by smashing the driver's side window. Once inside they
plug a device into the onboard diagnostic port and
download the vehicle's electronic information on to a
blank key. This key allows them to drive the vehicle away.
The whole process can take just seconds.
Technology to overcome vehicle immobilisers, a standard
security feature in many cars, is also widely available. A
Home Office report, Reducing Criminal Opportunity,
published in January, warned: "Once the knowledge of
electronic compromise spreads from more seasoned
offenders to more casual ones, thefts will start to rise."
Tim Pollard, digital editor-in-chief of Parkers and Car
magazine, says car manufacturers do take security
seriously, "but it's a game of cat and mouse". He says: "As
with all electronic hacking, the manufacturers make a
security upgrade one day, the criminals then try their
damnedest to unpick that update. Car makers spend
millions trying to secure their cars, but the thieves are
becoming very sophisticated."
While thieves become ever smarter, they are also helped
by the carelessness of car owners. Ian Crowder, an AA
spokesman, says: "The weakest link remains the driver
and how they look after their keys."
He warns against leaving keys where they can be "fished"
for through the letterbox, or leaving the car unattended
with the keys in. "Thieves loiter at places such as car
parks or fuel stations looking for an opportunity," he says.
So how can you best protect your car against theft? The
police recommend the following measures:
- Park your vehicle in an open, well-lit and secure area
where possible. Always park in a garage if you have one,
or in view of CCTV cameras.
- Ensure that all windows, the sunroof and boot are shut
and locked when leaving your vehicle unattended, no
matter how briefly.
- Fit an alarm or immobiliser.
- Use a steering wheel lock and/or a gearstick lock.

- Consider having an onboard diagnostics lock fitted.
While it is possible to make it harder for a thief to steal
your vehicle, it's never going to be impossible. According
to Thatcham Research, police only recover about 43% of
all cars stolen, so it's advisable to have a tracker fitted if
you want to stand a good chance of having your vehicle
recovered. "There are varying features with these products
and therefore varying costs - from basic tracking to
systems that can provide additional immobilisation of the
vehicle." says Launchbury. "[The latter] are particularly
useful when the manufacturer's original immobiliser
systems have been compromised."
One such system is Tracker Cat 5 Plus, which costs 799 to
install and 199 a year subscription. According to Andy
Barrs, head of police liaison at Tracker, the company that
supplies it, more than 95% of stolen vehicles fitted with its
tracker system are returned to their owner, and 86% of
these are recovered within 24 hours. One reason for its
success may be that it is the only system supported by
every police force in the UK, with its detection units fitted
in police patrol vehicles and helicopters. It also supplies
Mercedes, Lexus and Toyota with their tracking systems.
According to the AA, a tracker may be required by some
insurers - and, even if not required, having one fitted could
lower your premium. For example, NFU Mutual offers a
15% discount on insurance premiums for cars fitted with a
tracker approved by Thatcham. It also offers a discount of
10% if you have an electronic alarm and immobiliser; 5%
for just an electronic immobiliser; or 2.5% for a
mechanical immobiliser.
The top 10 stolen cars
(Theft rate per 1,000 vehicles on the road)
Audi S3: 8.6
Land Rover Defender: 5.8
Land Rover Range Rover: 3.8
Audi Q7: 3.7
Ford Escort: 3.6
BMW X5: 3.1
Audi A5: 3.1

Mitsubishi Shogun: 2.4
BMW 5 Series: 2.4
Toyota Hilux: 2.4
Source: National Vehicle Crime Intelligence Service
(1st July 2016)
POLICE PLEDGE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH EUROPEAN

FORCES
(Police Oracle, dated 24th June 2016 author Press
Association)
British police must continue to work closely with their
European counterparts following the Brexit vote, senior
officers have said. The outcome of the referendum raises
questions about a number of EU law enforcement
arrangements. Assistant Commissioner Martin Hewitt, vice
chairman at the National Police Chiefs Council, said:
"Ahead of the EU referendum, we stated our need to work
closely and at speed with European countries to keep
people in the UK safe from organised crime, cyber-attack,
terrorism or violent offenders. This operational
requirement must be maintained as the UK leaves the
European Union."
He added: "It is now for the Government to negotiate the
terms of our relationship with Europe but we will work with
them to ensure we retain our ability to share intelligence,
biometrics and other data at speed and to work with
foreign police forces on linked investigations, inquiries and
arrests."
Meanwhile, the body that represents rank-and-file officers
said their rights must be protected. Andy Fittes, general
secretary of the Police Federation of England and Wales,
said: "Now that the public has voted for the UK to exit the
European Union it will be vitally important that we
continue to work closely with the Government and key
stakeholders to protect those rights our members receive
that stem from European Union legislation. Many of these

have been incorporated into police regulations including
working time directives, various elements of equality
legislation such as paid maternity leave and parts of
health and safety legislation. It's important these are not
affected and we, as will other large organisations, will seek
reassurances that they remain unchanged. What other
changes will take place and what these will mean for those
we represent remains to be seen. What is important is that
we are involved in those discussions and negotiations
throughout.
(1st July 2016)
FIRST TEENAGER FITTED WITH GPS TAG UNDER

CRIMINAL BEHAVIOUR ORDER
(Police Oracle, dated 22nd June 2016 uthor Helena Hickey)
A 15-year-old boy convicted of a number of offences has
become the first child in the UK to be fitted with a GPS tag
as part of a Criminal Behaviour Order.
The teenager, who cannot be named, was convicted in
April of brandishing an imitation firearm to threaten a girl
in Oxford and had previously been convicted of burglary
offences.
At Oxford Youth Court, a CBO was made, with
requirements for the boy to wear a GPS tracking tag at all
times for six months.
Thames Valley PC Mike Ellis, Oxford anti-social behaviour
officer, said: "The tag allows us to see if he has been in
the area where the crime took place or whether he is
behaving himself. This is really to act as a deterrent to the
offender as they know we will be able to see whether they
were near where a crime took place.It is also in his interest
because if he is not doing anything wrong, and not going
to the places he should not be going to then we will have
that recorded too."
The tag is produced by British technology company Buddi,
which provides GPS tags to 29 police forces across
England and Wales to assist with the rehabilitation of

offenders and preventing crime.
A spokesman for the company said although other
children across the country are wearing the same GPS
tags, this is believed to be the first occasion when one has
been fitted under the terms of a CBO.
(1st July 2016)
DON'T BE TRICKED INTO BEING A "PERSONAL

SHOPLIFTER" THIS SUMMER
(BBC News, dated 21st June 2016)
Full article :
www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/36576170/dont-gettricked-into-being-a-personal-shoplifter-this-summer
There are some pretty rotten summer jobs out there, but it
doesn't get much worse than being tricked into one that
could land you in jail.
One girl found out the hard way when she took on a role
as a "personal shoplifter".
It's a job that, of course, doesn't actually exist.
Manchester police have issued a warning to people about
the scam, which was first uncovered in Devon.
A female, in Boots and Wilkinsons in Torquay, claimed she
was employed by a company called Mystery Shopping UK
when she was arrested.
Their website (shared by the police) is still advertising a
"Shoplifting / Theft Service", but Boots tells officers it does
not use such a service.
The woman told officers she was given a list of items to
shoplift, which she was then to send to Mystery Shopping
UK.
When she later attempted to contact the company, there
was no response.
Newsbeat has also attempted to contact Mystery
Shopping UK, but they did not return our calls.
"Quite a cunning scam," Greater Manchester Police
Failsworth & Hollinwood wrote on its Facebook page.
"If anyone of you have students looking for a summer job,

it's something to bear in mind."
"The website exists and at first looks legitimate but it is
not possible to get through to anyone or leave any
messages when calling the advised number."
The woman was told to "play out her role unless she was
arrested", the police write.
Real website WMystery Shoppers offers advice to anyone
seeking work as a secret shopper or anyone approached
with the offer of a job.
"If an offer looks too good to be true, it probably will be," it
says on its website.
"Mystery shopping does not normally pay large amounts,
so if you are offered 100 to conduct a basic enquiry it is
very unlikely to be a genuine assignment.
"If you apply for non-mystery shopping work on a job site,
and are then told that the vacancy is filled but there is
mystery shopping work available as an alternative, this is
likely to be a scam."
(1st July 2016)
UK BUSINESSES LOST OVER 1bn TO CYBERCRIME

IN THE PAST YEAR
author Hyacinth Mascarenhas)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-businesses-lost-over-1bncybercrime-past-year-1565305
UK businesses have reported losses of over 1bn as a
result of cybercrime in the past year, according to new
figures released by the government's Get Safe Online
initiative and Action Fraud, the UK's national fraud and
crime reporting centre.
The report found a 22% increase in reported cyber
offences, jumping from 30,475 in 2014-2015 to 37,070 in
the last year.
In the UK, each police force reported an average of over
19m in losses by businesses in their area. However, the

report notes that the figures could be much higher since
some local businesses may not have disclosed the full
extent of losses incurred or may have chosen not to report
online crime to the police altogether.
"From these latest statistics, it's evident that businesses
need to do more to ensure staff across the board have
appropriate online fraud awareness training, so that
everyone understands their role in keeping the business
secure," Get Safe Online said. "A substantial amount of
attempted fraud against businesses is successful due to
lack of knowledge or sloppy habits by their employees.
"Get Safe Online notes that mandate fraud is quickly
becoming a growing concern for UK firms and has seen a
whopping 66% increase over the past year with 2,323
reported cases compared to 1402 in 2014-2015. Mandate
fraud takes place when a criminal tricks a business into
changing a standing order, direct debit or a bank transfer
by claiming to be an organisation they make regular
payments to, such as a supplier, membership or
subscription organisation.
In the past 12 months, retail fraud was the No 1 most
reported type of online crime, accounting for about a
quarter of the total recorded crimes. The report found that
retail fraud has risen by 71% to 8,163 reported cases in
the last year.
Hacking is also proving to be a major threat facing UK
firms with 1,314 reported cases between 2015-2016,
making it one of the most widely reported types of fraud,
according to Get Safe Online. The report also found that
reports of have shot up in the last 12 months.
However, Get Safe Online does note that fraud is not an
exclusively external threat, but can occur from within a
company as well.
Corporate employee fraud, one of the top 10 most
reported crimes by businesses between 2015-2015, is also
rising with 1,440 cases reported in the past year.
"These latest figures show the enormous and quite frankly
daunting impact online crime can have on a business, its
reputation, its employee and even its continued
operation," Get Safe Online's CEO Tony Neate said in a
statement. "It also highlights the abundance of ways a
business can be targeted, both externally, and from

within."
Research found that London Metropolitan and Essex police
forces had to deal with the largest number of reported
online crimes, with 5,742 and 2,505 cases respectively,
followed by Thames Valley, Kent and West Midlands. The
Metropolitan Police area also reported the highest losses
with 240m, followed by Essex (196m) and Leicestershire
(188m).
"Businesses are a major target for fraudsters and these
figures illustrate the significant rise in Action Fraud
reports," said the City of London Police's Commander Chris
Greany and Police National Coordinator for Economic
Crime. "The true figure will be much higher and
businesses need to take steps as many of these crimes
could be prevented."
As cybercriminals become increasingly more
sophisticated, strategic and bolder in their attacks,
cybercrime continues to become a growing threat and
serious concern for firms and lawmakers across the globe.
We are living in the middle cyberage, the dark ages of
cyber," Eugene V Kaspersky, founder and chief executive
of global security firm Kaspersky, told the New York
Times."Right now, it is more functionality, more
technology, more services, but not enough security."
(1st July 2016)
HACK THE PENTAGON : HOW THE US GOVERNMENT

USED CHEAP LABOUR TO FIND 100 CYBERSECURITY
FLAWS
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hack-pentagon-how-us-governmentused-cheap-labour-find-100-cybersecurity-flaws-1565339
Top officials at the US Department of Defense (DoD) have
praised the work of a 1,400-strong pool of white-hat
(ethical) hackers that took part in the Pentagon's bug

bounty programme, while boasting the cost of the audit
was "essentially free".
Speaking during a technology forum in Washington DC,
and first reported by the Washington Times, Defense
Secretary Ashton Carter said the so-called Hack the
Pentagon initiative, which ran from April to May this year,
exceeded the US government's expectations by finding
roughly 100 security flaws in non-classified computer
systems.
"It's essentially free," Carter said. "You get all this talent
and they're having a great time and you're getting a
security audit for free. It's like, 'Wow, pretty good deal.'"
He added that the hackers who registered were "helping
us be more secure at a fraction of the cost".
"Why hasn't anybody in the federal government done
that?" Carter reportedly asked the conference,referring to
bug reporting. "There's not a really good answer to that,
right? It's a pretty successful thing."
For many large technology firms such as Google, Facebook
and Microsoft, bug bounties are common practice and
routinely help to uncover and responsibly disclose security
vulnerabilities in exchange for a financial reward.
When the Hack the Pentagon scheme was first launched,
Carter said: "I am confident that this innovative initiative
will strengthen our digital defences and ultimately
enhance our national security." It initially planned to offer
white-hats up to $15,000 (10,600) to uncover security
problems, however a detailed summary of how much has
been paid out to date is yet to be released.
The federal government has long employed the use of socalled Red Teams to test its sensitive computer networks
for security concerns, however Hack the Pentagon,
marked the first time the opportunity was opened up to
academics and the cybersecurity industry.
The US government has long been aware of the need for
strong online protections. Indeed, the launch came amid
rising tension after a number of high-profile cyberattacks
targeting major US government departments - including
one major incident that impacted the DoD, FBI and
Homeland Security all at once.
(1st July 2016)
BOBBIES ON THE BEAT REALLY DO PREVENT CRIME,

CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PROVES
(The Telegraph, dated 14th June 2016 author Sarah
Knapton)
www.telegraph.co.uk/science/2016/06/14/bobbies-on-thebeat-really-do-prevent-crime-cambridge-university/
Bobbies on the beat really do prevent serious crime and
police could cut thousands of assaults each year simply by
sending officers to problem areas for just 21 minutes a
day, a Cambridge University study suggests.
Over a period of 12 months Cambridgeshire Constabulary
allocated just two extra police community support officers
(PCSOs) to 34 crime hotspots around Peterborough to see
if their presence could make a difference.
They found there was a substantial drop in crime in those
areas, which if reflected across the city would have
prevented 86 assaults a year, six burglaries, or six sex
crimes. If extrapolated to all Britain's 69 cities, the extra
officers could have prevented thousands of crimes.
The findings are in direct contrast to comments made by
Sara Thornton, chair of the National Police Chief's Council,
last October who said that extra officers on the street do
not make the public feel safer or stop criminal behaviour.
Crime experts said the evidence was now 'indisputable'
that officers on the beat stop crime even if they do not
have full police powers.
"These findings suggest that the probability of
encountering an officer is more important than the powers
that officer has, and that the frequency and duration of
proactive patrolling deserves far more attention," said
study co-author Professor Lawrence Sherman, Director of
the Cambridge Institute of Criminology.
"This study should give both Police and Crime
Commissioners and Chief Constables a benchmark for
evaluating any other uses of police time other than
hotspots patrols."
Often dubbed 'plastic police' or 'Blunkett's bobbies' PCSOs
are civilian members of staff, used to bolster police
presence and support constables.
They have no power of arrest, and cannot investigate
crimes, but do have specific powers to deal with minor
public order offices, in what is often referred to as 'soft
policing'.
In most forces PCSOs are the only officers who now
conduct proactive and visible foot patrols.
In the experiment, the support officers were told to make
themselves as visible as possible and GPS devices
embedded in radios were used to track the time they
spent in each location.
On average per hotspot, there were 39 per cent fewer
crime incidents and 20 per cent fewer 999 emergency
calls compared with 38 non-patrolled high crime areas.
Every additional PCSO visit per day decreased calls to
police by approximately 34, with the number of crimes
declining by around four.
"The experiment suggests that the number of visits to
each hot spot may matter more than the total minutes - as
if each time the police arrive they renew their deterrent
effect on crime," said Dr Barak Ariel, lead researcher on
the trial.
The extra 21 minutes of PCSO time per day amounts to
3,094 hours across all high crime areas in Peterborough,
roughly equivalent to two fulltime PCSOs whose annual
salaries would cost no more than 50,000.
But the extra cost of the PSCOs would be more than met
by the money saved from court appearances and jail time,
the researchers estimated.
Prison time from the prevented crimes would have
amounted to 2,914 days at a cost to taxpayers of
280,000. The researchers calculate that for every 10
spent on extra policing, 56 would be saved in prison
costs alone.
"Any other investment in policing can now be challenged
to match the benefits of foot patrols in preventing the
equivalent of either 86 assaults, or six burglaries, or six
sexual crimes," added Professor Sherman.
Crime 'hotspots' are defined as small urban areas, streets
or intersections, where there is a concentration of crime usually offences such as theft, burglary, violence and
criminal damage.
"The deterrent role of police and PCSOs patrolling crimeharm hotspots is now indisputable," said Professor
Lorraine Mazerolle of the University of Queensland and
Editor of the Journal of Experimental Criminology, where
the research was published.
"The police can, and do, prevent crime, they just need to
be appropriately deployed to crime-harm hotspots."
Cambridgeshire Constabulary's Assistant Chief Constable
Mark Hopkins said: "We're keen to look at the findings in
further detail and explore how they could help to influence
our future policing plan."
Police recorded crime in 2015
Recorded crime % change year-on-year
Sexual offences : +36%
Violent crime : +27%
Homicide : +14%
Knife crime : +9%
Fraud : +5%
Firearm offences : +4%
Robbery : -4%
Criminal damage : -9%
(1st July 2016)
MET TO TRAIN RIOT POLICE AS BACK-UP GUN SQUAD

IN CASE OF TERROR ATTACK
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-to-train-riot-policeas-backup-gun-squad-in-case-of-terror-attacka3269921.html
Scotland Yard is to train a squad of riot police as firearms
officers to act as a reserve force to cope with a Paris-style

terror attack.
Around 200 officers from the Territorial Support Group are
to get firearms training to create a back-up squad in case
of a massive terrorist assault on London.
The officers will not carry weapons in their normal public
order duties or while on patrol in London, but will be called
on if all the Met's firearms capability is committed to
dealing with a co-ordinated multiple attack.
The TSG group will be part of a "second wave" of armed
officers sent in to tackle fanatics.
It will form part of the extra 600 firearms officers
announced by Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
in January after the Paris atrocities last November.
About 400 of these will be deployed into armed response
vehicles, or Trojans, dramatically increasing the number of
units on patrol across London.
Scotland Yard is spending around 25 million on equipping
the units, which patrol in three-man teams, carrying Sig
Sauer semi-automatic carbine rifles and Glock pistols.
They routinely patrol boroughs with the highest levels of
gun crime.
Last year it was revealed firearms officers are being told to
walk over casualties and go forward to confront terrorists
if there is an attack.
The TSG is in the front line of policing violent protests and
disorder in the capital and carries out routine patrols of
crime hotspots. The squad has faced criticism over its
policing methods in the past but the number of complaints
has fallen in recent years.
The unit came under particular criticism after the death of
newspaper seller Ian Tomlinson in 2009 during a protest.
Images emerged of Tomlinson being struck by TSG officer
Simon Harwood, who was later found not guilty of
manslaughter but sacked for gross misconduct.
Insiders say the TSG officers will be recalled to be issued
with weapons in a terror attack.
Sir Bernard told a recent London Assembly meeting they
could be used to provide a "surge capacity".
A Met spokeswoman said: "There is no change in the plan
to raise the number of armed officers by about 600. Of
those, 400 will be officers in the Force Firearms Unit
(SCO19) and the remaining number of officers within other

roles across the Met, and one of those options includes
officers from the TSG."
(1st July 2016)
SEVEN ESSENTIAL TIPS TO BEAT PHISHING SCAMS

(Norton, dated 11th June 2016)
http://uk.norton.com/7-tips-to-protect-againstphishing/article?
om_em_cid=hho_email_GB_TRIG_ACT_LC_NIS_T142_PHISHING
Phishing scams are among the most prevalent forms of
cybercrime, especially in the UK. Although phishing is
widespread, it is beatable. Apart from ensuring you install
security software, the best way to combat scams is to
learn what phishing looks like.
What is Phishing?
Phishing (pronounced "fishing") is a kind of identity theft
which is growing in popularity amongst hackers. By using
fraudulent websites and false emails, perpetrators attempt
to steal your personal data - most commonly passwords
and credit card information.
Criminals gain this information by sending you links to
sites that look like sites you trust, such as your online
banking provider or social networks, and are able to steal
your data as you enter it. Some of the sites spoofed most
regularly include PayPal, eBay, Yahoo! and MSN, as well as
financial institutions - so don't think that an email is
guaranteed to be safe when it's not from a bank.
ONE
Be wary of emails asking for confidential information especially information of a financial nature. Legitimate
organisations will never request sensitive information via
email, and most banks in the UK will tell you that they
won't ask for your information unless you're the one

contacting them.
TWO
Don't get pressured into providing sensitive information.
Phishers like to use scare tactics, and may threaten to
disable an account or delay services until you update
certain information. Be sure to contact the merchant
directly to confirm the authenticity of their request.
THREE
Make sure you familiarise yourself with a website's privacy
policy. The majority of commercial websites have a privacy
policy, which is usually accessible at the foot of the page.
The most useful thing to look for is the website's policy on
whether it will or will not sell its mailing list.
Most of the spam you receive on a daily basis - as well as
potentially dangerous phishing emails - is coming to you
because a site you have signed up to has sold your email
address to another company. If you're not ok with this
happening, it might be worth reconsidering whether you
want to sign up to the site.
FOUR
Watch out for generic-looking requests for information.
Fraudulent emails are often not personalised, while
authentic emails from your bank often reference an
account you have with them. Many phishing emails begin
with "Dear Sir/Madam", and some come from a bank with
which you don't even have an account.
FIVE
Never submit confidential information via forms embedded
within email messages. Senders are often able to track all
information entered.
SIX
Never use links in an email to connect to a website unless
you are absolutely sure they are authentic. Instead, open
a new browser window and type the URL directly into the
address bar. Often a phishing website will look identical to
the original - look at the address bar to make sure that this
is the case.
SEVEN
Make sure you maintain effective software to combat
phishing. Norton Internet Security automatically detects
and blocks fake websites. It also authenticates major
banking and shopping sites.
uaware comment
Other security software is available from other providers :
Kaspesky, McAfee, Eset, Avast, Panda. Pick your
preference, but check out there performance first by
reading a computer magazine; ie. Computer Active.
(1st July 2016)
MET BOOSTS SEX OFFENCES UNIT AFTER SHARP

RISE IN NUMBER OF REPORTED RAPES IN LONDON
Martin Bentham)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-boosts-sex-offencesunit-after-sharp-rise-in-number-of-reported-rapes-inlondon-a3268431.html
An extra 196 officers have been drafted in by Met chiefs to
tackle sex offences after a rise in the number of rapes
being reported in the capital.
Scotland Yard chiefs said the staffing boost was part of a
package of measures intended to increase the number of
offenders convicted and create a "unique support service"
for victims.
Other changes include an increase in the number of
prosecutors working with police on sex offence cases and
new training for officers about the law on consent and the
"myths and stereotypes" that could cause victims'
complaints to be wrongly dismissed.
Two new "child houses", to provide specialist care for
young sex abuse victims, will open next year in a move

funded by City Hall and the NHS.
The Met has also trained 25 volunteers to work as
"wellbeing ambassadors" to provide "welfare support" to
officers struggling to cope with a large number of sex case
investigations.
The latest figures show that 5,625 rapes were reported in
London in the year to the end of April. That compares with
a total of 5,133 in the previous 12 months, a rise of 9.6
per cent.
The reforms come after major report for the Met and the
CPS - following a fall in the number of rape cases reaching
court - found flaws in how sex offence investigations were
conducted.
The report, by Scotland's former chief prosecutor Dame
Elish Angiolini QC, made 46 recommendations when it was
published last year.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe today said
that the addition of 196 more officers to the Sexual
Offences, Exploitation and Child Abuse Command would
help to deliver "a vision for the future" which "focused on
increased reporting, bringing offenders to justice and
providing a truly unique support system for all victims of
sexual violence."
He added: "I'm confident the changes we are seeing and
which continue to be made will make this vision a reality."
Baljit Ubhey, London's chief crown prosecutor, said the
CPS was also determined to "improve our service to rape
victims and bring perpetrators to justice".
(1st July 2016)
CYBERCRIME ON THE RISE IN IRELAND AS POLICE

BATTLE WITH BACKLOG OF CASES
www.ibtimes.co.uk/cybercrime-rise-ireland-police-battlebacklog-cases-1564842
In its recently-released five year plan, the Irish police

service has announced a restructuring of its cybercrime
divisions in order to help deal with a "backlog of cases".
The force, called An Garda Sochna, has said it will now
ramp up efforts to help deal with "computer-related fraud,
online paedophilia, and illegal trading over the darknet."
The document, titled Modernisation and Renewal
Programme 2016 - 2021, states: "Cyberattacks can have
devastating impacts on governments, state bodies,
individuals, businesses and critical national
infrastructure". However, the Garda did not elaborate
further on what exactly the backlogged cases involved.
It added: "To ensure Ireland can protect itself from
cyberattack from rogue States and individual criminal
elements an holistic all-of-government approach is
required."
The Irish cybercrime division, known as the Computer
Crime Investigation Unit (CCIU) is managed at the Garda
Bureau of Fraud Investigation (GBFI) and while the fiveyear plan notes it has had "many successes in detecting
crimes", it admits change is now needed.
The document states: "Additional resources and a change
in process at CCIU has led to a reduction in the backlog,
but to ensure it has the capacity and capability to deal
with current and future volumes of work CCIU will be
restructured."
Now, the Garda will establish a new National Cyber
Security Desk (NCSD) and liaise with law enforcement
groups at Interpol, Europol and even the FBI. "A new
structure will see a Superintendent heading CCIU and two
Detective Inspectors appointed - one to look after
cybercrime, the other to be responsible for the forensic
examination of computers. Each will be supported by
additional members and staff," the report states.
"An Garda Sochna's Cyber Strategy has been developed
to protect the organisation's critical information
infrastructure from a cyberattack and deal with the ever
increasing threat of cyber intrusion on government
networks."
Based on a table of key programme initiatives the
estimated completion time for its cybercrime changes is
currently the end of 2017. Commissioner Nirn O'Sullivan

said: "We must continually adapt to meet the needs,
expectations and challenges of a modern society. We must
also remain agile and responsive to meet the emerging
threats of an ever changing policing and security
environment."
In March last year, high-level Garda officials warned about
a spike in cybercrime activity hitting Ireland and said it
was a "growing threat."
As reported by The Irish Times, assistant Garda
commissioner Derek Byrne said: "[Cybercrime] is a very
fast-growing phenomenon. It reinvents itself every so
often, as we're closing in there's people all the time
inventing new methods and processes to infect.
Sometimes people are not aware that they're working on
open networks, and that the criminal networks are out
there seeking to infect and take control of their
computers."
(1st July 2016)
PUBLIC SHOULD "GET STUCK IN" WHEN THEY SEE

VIOLENT CRIME, SAYS MET POLICE CHIEF
(The Telegraph, dated 9th June 2016 author Tom
Whitehead)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/09/public-should-getstuck-in-when-they-see-violent-crime-says-met/
The public should "get stuck in" and help victims of
violence and extremist fanatics, the country's most senior
police officer said as he called for more have-a-go heroes.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
said anyone who witnesses an assault or crime should
"never turn their back" and "give it their best shot" to help
the victim.
He was talking after members of the public were praised
in court for confronted a crazed knife man at a London
tube station after he had tried to behead an innocent
passenger in revenge for bombings in Syria.

Muhiddin Mire, 30, was convicted at the Old Bailey on
Wednesday of the attempted murder of musician Lyle
Zimmerman at Leytonstone station last December.
Immediately after the frenzied attack, other passengers
confronted Mire, who suffered from mental illness, and
helped contain him until police arrived despite him
threatening them with his knife.
Asked on LBC radio whether the public should get involved
like that, Sir Bernard said: "My intuition is always, yes if
you can. I think you should never turn your back.
Immediately after the frenzied attack, other passengers
confronted Mire, who suffered from mental illness, and
helped contain him until police arrived despite him
threatening them with his knife.
Asked on LBC radio whether the public should get involved
like that, Sir Bernard said: "My intuition is always, yes if
you can. I think you should never turn your back.
"Whether it's somebody being ill in the street, or needing
some help, even if you only shout out your disapproval.
"I mean, the least you can do is ring the police. But if
you're physically able, and you can get some people round
you, then I would say, give it your best shot."
He said people should "think twice" if there is a risk they
may get hurt but added: "my encouragement would
always be for people, first of all, to try and get help on the
phone, secondly, if they can get some help, somebody to
go and get involved with them, thirdly, if you can make
some noise, you know, put that person on the back foot.
"And if you can actually get stuck in, then give it a go. You
could be that person waiting for help, and you'd hope
somebody in the crowd is going to step forward."
Sir Bernard also criticised plans by Westminster City
Council to switch off dozens of CCTV cameras and warned
it could be dangerous given the heightened terror threat.
The council plans to cut around 75 cameras later this year
but Sir Bernard said it was "ironic" given that authorities in
Paris are now installing more in the wake of the recent
terror attacks.
"It would be bizarre if we end up in the West End with very
little CCTV," he said.
"I believe that his is the wrong decision by Westminster,
It's causing me to be very concerned.

"Not only what's happening in Westminster but what might
happen in the other boroughs. It might be seen as a
signal."
(1st July 2016)
ALBANIAN DOUBLE MURDERER ON THE RUN IN

BRITAIN FOR 18 YEARS FACES EXTRADITION AFTER
ARREST IN WATFORD
(The Telegraph, dated 9th June 2016 author Telegraph
Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/09/albanian-doublemurderer-on-the-run-in-britain-for-18-years-face/
An Albanian double murderer on the run in the UK for 18
years faces extradition after being caught in the Home
Counties.
Avni Metra was wanted by Interpol after a court in Albania
convicted and sentenced him in his absence to a 25-year
jail term over two killings.
The 53-year-old was arrested as he drove through Watford,
Hertfordshire, on Wednesday by officers from the
Metropolitan Police.
He will appear in custody at Westminster Magistrates'
Court on Thursday for an extradition hearing.
Metra is reported to have claimed thousands of pounds in
welfare benefits since being granted a UK passport after
sneaking into Britain in 1998.
He is believed to have falsely claimed to be a Kosovan
refugee, the Daily Mail reported.
Interpol is thought to be seeking at least six Albanian
murderers living in Britain under false identities.
Earlier this year Justice Secretary Michael Gove said an
estimated one in 20 of Britain's 10,000 foreign criminals is
from Albania.
Metra left the former communist state in 1998, a year
after killing two brothers.
A year earlier, he had ambushed a man as he crossed a

bridge and beat him to death with a machine gun. He was
later part of a gang that attacked the victim's brother,
gouging his eyes and slicing his ears before shooting him
dead.
Detective Chief Superintendent Tom Manson, of the
Metropolitan Police, said: "Avni Metra, 53, was arrested in
Watford as a result of a targeted Automatic Number Plate
Recognition operation.
"He was arrested on behalf of the Albanian authorities
having been convicted of a double murder and sentenced
in his absence.
"He will appear in custody at City of Westminster
Magistrates' Court on Thursday."
(1st July 2016)
POACHER TURNED GAMEKEEPER AS BURGULARS

SHED SECRETS
(Police Oracle, dated 8th June 2016 author Martin
Buhagiar)
Prolific burglars are revealing tricks of their trade to a
criminology researcher who plans to rewrite longestablished crime prevention guidelines. Professor Rachel
Armitage, Director of the Secure Societies Institute at the
University of Huddersfield, is also a leading researcher in
the field of designing out crime New building
developments can apply for a police-recognised Secured
By Design Award.
Professor Armitage said: "I was becoming increasingly
aware that many of the principles behind designing out
crime came from academics or the police. So, together
with Chris Joyce, Crime Prevention Officer for West
Yorkshire Police, she embarked on a series of in-depth
interviews with burglars serving sentences in Armley Jail,
Leeds.
So far, 24 prisoners have taken part. Some of them were
such prolific offenders they had committed up to ten
burglaries a day over many years.

Selected prisoners were offered the opportunity to take
part in interviews lasting up to two hours.
They were shown a sequence of photographs of houses
and residential areas and asked to comment.
Professor Armitage says some of the responses have
made her realise many of the long-established
recommendations need a rethink.
She has already presented her findings to experts in the
UK and is working with MOPAC (Mayor's Office for Policing
and Crime) on revisions to some of the principles.
For example, jailed burglars told said high fences at the
rear of properties were not a deterrent because once they
had been scaled they provided concealment. Measures
such as the word "private" stencilled into the road surface
in housing estates simply told the criminals the occupants
had plenty worth stealing. One of the research findings
that I have often spoken about in the past is that offenders
will generally try to break into a house for up to five
minutes and if they don't get in, they go away, she said.
But these burglars were telling us they would just keep
going until they got in. Fifty minutes is nothing to them
because drug taking leads to a lack of inhibition. I would
say that 90 per cent of the offenders we spoke to were on
a combination of crack and smack as they committed
burglaries.
The test that we do on windows and doors to see how long
they will withstand attack currently lasts about five
minutes. We need to alter that now.
We are finding that theories and principles of designing
out crime that have been around from the 1970s and 80s
are not necessarily applicable to the criminal modus
operandi of 2016.
Many unexpected details have emerged from the
interviews with burglars, added Professor Armitage.
For example, they always knock or ring the doorbell before
they break in. If someone answers, they make an excuse
and move off. If not, they go in, but if there were some
signs of occupancy they won't go near the house. If they
hear music or someone shouting, they just would not
touch it.
There were no advantages to the prisoners from talking to
the researchers, but some hoped it could help put right

some wrongs, said Professor Armitage.
A lot of them do feel bad about what they have done.
One talked about breaking into a house on numerous
occasions because it was a perfect target, but one time he
realised that the object on the sofa what he thought was
blanket was an old woman. He couldn't get over that he
had been breaking into this house once every couple of
weeks he was nearly in tears.
(1st July 2016)
EU RULES STOPPED BRITAIN DEPORTING

MURDERERS, RAPISTS AND VIOLENT CRIMINALS
(The Telegraph, dated 6th June 2016 authors Ben RileySmith and Laura Hughes)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/06/eu-rules-stoppedbritain-deporting-murders-rapists-and-violent-c/
Murderers, rapists and violent offenders from across
Europe have been able to remain in Britain after their
crimes, the Justice Minister will say on Tuesday as he
reveals a dossier of 50 offenders who have used EU rules
to avoid deportation.
Dominic Raab, who works closely with Michael Gove in the
Justice department, said that British families are "at risk"
because European courts are refusing to allow UK judges
to deport dangerous and violent criminals back to EU
countries.
Mr Raab has compiled a dossier of the 50 most serious
offenders who have been allowed to remain in the UK
because of Brussels red tape. As justice minister, Mr Raab
has had first-hand experience of many of the cases the UK
has seen thwarted.
His dossier includes an Italian man who stabbed a head
teacher through the heart, a Polish woman who kicked her
husband to death and a Romanian rapist who was given
permanent residence in this country under the orders of
the EU.
Mr Raab said: "This is yet more evidence of how EU
membership makes us less safe. Free movement of people
allows unelected judges in the rogue European Court to
decide who we can and can't deport. This puts British
families at risk."
The list of offenders will fuel claims that Britain is
hamstrung by EU freedom of movement rules and will only
be able to deport violent convicts if the country backs a
Brexit on June 23.
A report last week warned that 5,789 criminals from
overseas are free to walk the UK's streets - the highest
number since 2012 - because they are protected under EU
human rights laws.
Mr Gove on Monday warned that the EU's lack of border
controls on the continent "actively abets terrorism".
"One of the things that we can do if we else the European
Union is control our borders and also control who we
deport," Mr Gove said.
"At the moment, unfortunately, the European law, which
the European Court of Justice takes, has prevented us from
getting rid of some people who are terrorists, or criminals
who have been supporting terrorists."
Under current British law, any foreigner who commits a
"serious crime" or is sentenced to more than a year in jail
qualifies for automatic deportation.
However if the convict is from the EU, that rule can be
meaningless because of the bloc's "freedom of
movement" rules that allow migrants to live and work in
any member state.
Research released by the Leave campaign has identified
50 cases - most occurring under Mr Cameron's
premiership - when attempts at deportation where blocked
by EU law.
They include six EU nationals convicted of murder, five
found guilty of sexual offences and thirteen locked up for
drug dealing or similar crimes.
Many of the European Court decisions were linked to the
fact convicts are only released by a parole board when
incarceration is no longer "necessary" to protect voters calling into question why they should be made to leave
the UK.
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, admitted the

Government needs to do more but said a record number of
foreign offenders were deported last year.
And James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, insisted
that the Prime Minister's renegotiation with Brussels has
made it easier for the UK to deport foreign criminals.
"The UK sought greater control over the deportation of
foreign criminals in its EU renegotiation - and that's
precisely what the Prime Minister's deal delivered.
"The International Law Decision we secured means our
ability to deport foreign criminals is strengthened, and it is
now clear that the UK can take into account the full
background of a criminal in a decision over whether to
deport."
ABOUT - The deportation of foreign criminals
What does the law state?
Under current British law, any foreigner who commits a
"serious crime" or is sentenced to more than a year in jail
qualifies for automatic deportation.
What if the convict is from the EU?
If the convict is from the EU that rule grates against their
right to live within any of the 28 member states, enshrined
in freedom of movement rules.
Many of the European Court decisions were linked to the
fact convicts are only released by a parole board when
incarceration is no longer "necessary" to protect voters calling into question why they should be made to leave
the UK.
However Eurosceptics argued the bar for deporting EU
nationals was far higher than citizens from other countries
and said British ministers should be the ones making the
decisions.
Further information
www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jun/07/vote-leavelists-50-criminals-it-says-eu-has-stopped-uk-deporting
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/677400/Violent-criminal-
offenders-cannot-deported-EU-open-borders-Brexit
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/676421/
(1st July 2016)
7,800 DRUG-DRIVING ARRESTS IN ENGLAND AND

WALES IN YEAR AFTER CRACKDOWN
(The Guardian, dated 1st June 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jun/01/7800-drugdriving-arrests-england-and-wales-crackdown
Nearly 8,000 people were arrested for drug-driving in
England and Wales in the last year, figures show.
Regulations were introduced last year to crack down on
motorists who drive under the influence of drugs.
According to figures obtained through freedom of
information requests by BBC Radio 5 Live, 7,796 people
were arrested on suspicion of drug-driving between March
2015 and April this year.
Data was supplied by 35 out of 43 police forces. The
Metropolitan police made the most arrests, 1,636, followed
by Greater Manchester police with 573 and Cheshire police
with 546.
Drivers can be prosecuted if they are caught exceeding
limits laid down for eight illegal drugs - including heroin,
cocaine and cannabis - and eight prescription drugs.
With the introduction of the new law, police were issued
with testing kits. Officers can use use "drugalysers" to
screen for cannabis and cocaine at the roadside, and they
can test for these and other drugs including ecstasy, LSD,
ketamine and heroin at a police station even if a driver
passes the roadside check.
The legislation was introduced to run in conjunction with a
previously existing law that made it illegal to drive when
impaired by any drug.
For some forces, the changes have had a huge impact on
the number of arrests. South Yorkshire police drug-driving-
related arrests rose from 13 in the year the test was

introduced to 456 the following year.
Gloucestershire's chief constable, Suzette Davenport, the
roads policing lead for the National Police Chiefs' Council,
told the BBC: "The drug testing kit and the legislation are
immensely helpful and have provided the operational
officer with the tools necessary to help catch those who
take the risk of drug-driving.
"People who previously got away with driving under the
influence of controlled drugs are now being detected and
prosecuted."
(1st July 2016)
BORDER GUARDS FACE 18 MONTH WAIT FOR

MIGRANT PATROL BOATS
(The Times, dated 1st June 2016 author Richard Ford)
Article [Option 1]:
www.thetimes.co.uk/article/border-guards-face-18-monthwait-for-migrant-patrol-boats-scj3mlmch
New boats being deployed to patrol the UK coastline will
not be fully operational for 18 months, despite warnings
that people-smugglers will target isolated ports.
Security at ports around the 7,000-mile coastline is under
scrutiny after two men from Kent were charged with
attempting to smuggle 18 Albanians into the country at
the weekend.
Downing Street claimed that an increasing number of
people are using "more dangerous" routes because of
better security measures at the Channel Tunnel and ferry
port in Calais.
Theresa May, the home secretary, has ordered eight new
boats similar to rigid inflatable dinghies to bolster UK
Border Forces existing fleet of four cutters. Four are due to
come into service later this year, but Downing Street said
full deployment will not take place until the end of 2017.
Similar to, but slightly bigger than standard rigid-hulled
inflatable boats, the new raft will complement the work of
the cutters.
Keith Vaz, the chairman of the Commons home affairs
select committee, said:" This development defies belief.
The migration crisis will not wait for these vessels to be
fully operational. I shows a lack of planning and a woeful
failure of management."
Mr Vaz also criticised the Home Offices decision last year
to scrap a 4 million contract providing Border Force with
its own surveillance aircraft to help guard the coast. "The
National Crime Agency has not acquired new capabilities
in this area so it was either a case that there was
duplication of services or we a making do with fewer
capabilities. At this time we need to increase aerial
surveillance, not decrease it," he said.
Chris Hobbs, a former Scotland Yard border control officer,
said:" The problem of migrants risking their lives across
the Channel is happening now. By next year it is going to
be too late".
Volunteers with the National Coastwatch Instition, who act
as "eyes and ears" for the Border Force have been given a
telephone number to call if they see suspicious activity.
Small airports are also a weak link. A borders inspection
report published in January found that regions seldom had
the capacity to scrutinisze light aircraft beyond those
assessed as high risk.
-----------------------"DEFENCE AGAINST MIGRANTS A JOKE" POLICE SOLD
350K BORDER PATROL BOAT FOR 80k AMID CUTS
(Daily Express, dated 2nd June 2016 author Vickiie
Oliphant)
www.express.co.uk/news/uk/676134/UK-migrant-crisiskent-police-sold-top-border-patrol-boat-immigrationfunding-cuts
BRITAIN'S feeble attempts to secure its own borders faced
further pressure today after it was revealed officers
fighting people smugglers in the Channel sold off their
350K boat - for just 80K.
Kent Police first bought the Princess Alexandra III formerly an RNLI lifeboat - in 2006 and kitted it out as a
patrol boat for the south east coastline.
But it was flogged at auction just eight years later after a
restriction of the marine unit that saw police facing heavy

cuts.
Now its new owners have offered to sell it back to the
force - for a staggering 250,000.
The 16-metre or 54-foot vessel - as long as four family
cars - is currently the only Tamar class boat in use outside
of the RNLI.
Despite weighing 30 tonnes, the ship is capable of 26
knots (30 mph) and buoyancy means it cannot be
capsized.
A maritime expert said the vessel, which would cost
around 2million new, would have been "fantastic" for
chasing people smugglers.
He said: "They have really messed up. They had a superb
craft that they let go for a stupidly low price.
"The private buyer must have thought that he had the
bargain of the century because the engines alone are
worth 80,000.
"It was a fantastic piece of kit. It is extremely fast, can go
out to sea in all conditions and has room for a smaller
speedboat that can be deployed for boardings.
"It was the perfect vessel to track down people smugglers
who use quick light crafts when they get close to the
English coast."
Steve Adams, 61, manager at Wakering Boatyard in Essex
where the Princess Alexandra III is moored, put the boat
on sale at 250,000 on behalf of the owner.
He said: "It has everything on it to be fully operational and
could be back to work tomorrow.
"This area is massively under-policed and I would have
thought after reading the news this week that police would
have wanted a boat like this to catch people smugglers."
The boatyard manager has since had interest from several
potential buyers, including foreign governments.
He added: "They can have a fast boat for a fraction of
what it would cost to build themselves. It's completely
intact and would happily do a job for the next 20 years.
"If Kent Police need it they can get in touch."
On Sunday, May 29 two Brits were charged with trying to
bring 18 Albanians into the country illegally after they
were rescued from a boat off the Kent coast near
Dymchurch.
The incident comes after a separate incident where 17

men, thought to be Albanian migrants, were detained after
a catamaran arrived at Chichester Marina in West Sussex
on Monday, May 23 - along with a 55-year-old British man
wanted on suspicion of murder in Spain.
The Briton, who was the subject of a European Arrest
Warrant, was detained on suspicion of facilitating illegal
immigration and the 17 men were held on suspicion of
entering the UK illegally.
Last month, two Iranian men were rescued after being
found floating in a dinghy in the English Channel.
A Kent Police spokesman said monitoring immigration was
a matter for the UK Border Force, but admitted its Marine
Unit would tackle people smugglers if they came across
them while on other duties.
He added: "The force took the decision to sell the Princess
Alexandra III as the cost of maintaining such a large vessel
was not proportionate to the benefits it provided.
"We have other vessels that are cheaper to run and which
provide effective capacity."
(1st July 2016)
MAY 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - MAY 2016
-------------------------ANDROID MALWARE MASQUERADING AS FAKE BANK APP
EMPTIES ACCOUNTS BY LOCKING USERS OUT OF THEIR
PHONES
(International Business Times, dated 28th May 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-malware-masquerading-fakebank-app-empties-accounts-by-locking-users-out-their-
phones-1562499
Hackers have unleashed a new variant of Android malware
that poses as a fake banking app to trick users into
compliance, after which it locks users out of their
smartphones and sets about emptying their accounts,
while victims scramble to access their phones again. The
malware is called Fanta SDK and has been around since
December 2015.
Security firm Trend Micro identified the threat and noted
that the hackers were sending victims emails in efforts to
distribute their malware encased app. Trend Micro mobile
threat analyst Jordan Pan said: "We acquired a sample of a
fake banking app in Russia named Fanta SDK that is
capable of changing the phone's password when the user
tries to remove or deactivate the application's admin
privileges. It also has a unique way of running its routine
by waiting for certain commands before it launches its
attack."
----------------------ANDROID MAILWARE SPYLOCKER TARGETING EU BANK
CUSTOMERS FOR LOGIN CREDENTIALS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/android-malware-spylocker-targetingeu-bank-customers-login-credentials-1562356
An android malware variant is targeting customers of EU
banks as well as some popular Android apps, in hopes of
accessing login credentials. The malware, dubbed
SpyLocker, was previously identified as masquerading as a
flash player app for Android and targeted banks in
Australia, New Zealand and Turkey. However, security
researchers have now noticed that the new variant of the
malware has focused on targeting customers of European
banks.
Intel Security, which first identified SpyLocker, has
unveiled a new wave of attacks which resort to phishing
tactics in efforts to infect users' systems. The attacks
employ either the same fake flash player for Android app
or a fake Android system update app, using compromised
Wordpress and Joomla sites to distribute malware
impersonating a "porn player".
-----------------------WON'T PAY ? NO PROBLEM, CERBER RANSOMEWARE ADDS

YOUR PC TO A BOTNET
(International Business Times, dated 23rd May 2016
author Mary-Ann Russon)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/wont-pay-no-problem-cerberransomware-adds-your-pc-botnet-send-out-ddos-attacks1561552
For the first time ever, cybersecurity researchers are
seeing instances where ransomware is being bundled
together with bots in order to turn computers into zombies
that can send malicious Distributed Denial of Service
(DDoS) attacks.
So if victims are refusing to pay to decrypt their files,
cybercriminals have found another way to make trouble.
According to researchers from enterprise security software
firm Invincea, attackers have modified the existing Cerber
ransomware so now, not only does it hold a victim's files
and PC hostage, but the new malware variant also quietly
starts sending out a huge amount of network traffic from
the infected PC.
Cerber originates from Russia and even without the DDoS
bot, it is pretty terrifying as it comes with a text-to-speech
function that will literally read you the demands of the
cybercriminal out loud, demanding 1.24 bitcoins ($550,
380) in ransom to unlock the files.
At the moment, there is no way to decrypt the files
without paying the ransom, and it is believed that Cerber
is being touted as a "Ransomware-as-a-Service"-type of
product where criminals deploy the ransomware, and pay
a percentage of the ransom fee back to its developers.
----------------------SMUT APPS INFECTING ANDROID DEVICES WIH MALWARE
(The Register, dated 16th May 2016 author Team Register)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/16/vxers_splurt_borked_dr
oid_lockscreens_in_budding_campaign/
Dell security researcher Alex Dubrovsky says malware
writers have started a campaign that will soon see
financially-motivated and/or data-stealing attacks plunder
older Android devices through infected porn apps.
Android allows users to install apps that replace the lock

screen and imbue it with different functionality. It's that
facility that attackers are exploiting, by fooling users into
installing hard-to-remove lock screen apps.
For now, those apps do not appear to steal data or request
cash. But Dubrovsky says the apps request a huge number
of permissions including device administrator rights which,
if granted by users, make the apps difficult to remove.
----------------------SYMANTEC SOFTWARE FLAW DISCOVERED ALLOWING
HACKERS TO TAKE OVER YOUR COMPUTER
www.ibtimes.co.uk/symantec-software-flaw-discoveredallowing-hackers-take-over-your-computer-1560565
Users of Symantec and Norton products are being urged to
update their software after a security researcher disclosed
a serious vulnerability that can be exploited by hackers to
gain complete control over computer systems.
Disclosed by Google Project Zero bug-hunter Tavis
Ormandy, the cross-platform bug in Symantec's core
product range can be used to attack Windows, Mac and
Linux systems. As the flaw exists in the core scan engine,
the "majority" of Symantec products are vulnerable, the
researcher said. This includes Endpoint Antivirus, Norton
Antivirus, Symantec Scan Engine and Symantec Email
Security.
-----------------------UK.GOV IS ABOUT TO FLING YOUR DATA AT ANYONE WHO
WANTS IT
(The Register, dated 13th May 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/13/ukgov_data_sharing_wh
ats_thine_is_mine_peons/
The government is poised to legislate on how it intends to
use your data for public services - but its woefully worded
"data sharing" consultation suggests it hasn't learnt much
from the ongoing controversies of Care.data.
Whitehall is due to publish a response to the consultation,
set out in Better Use of Data - Consultation Paper, which
recently closed following a two-year series of "open policy"

meetings.
That will feed into the long-rumoured Digital Economy Bill
and is expected to get a mention in the Queen's Speech
next week.
It will create the governance framework for how
mandarins share our information between government
departments and with third parties, as well as setting out
the security principles for using personal information.
Given the poor handling of Care.data and the continuing
breakdown of public trust over the scheme - most recently
the outcry over Google gaining access to health records
via its Deep Mind project - one would have hoped the data
sharing proposals would provide a much-needed
governance framework.
-----------------------HACKERS PARADISE - CAUSED BY OUTDATED INTERNET
EXPLORER AND OTHER PROGRAMMES
(The Register, dated 10th May 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/10/ie_flash_vulns_rife/
A quarter of all Windows devices are running outdated and
unsupported versions of Internet Explorer, exposing users
to more than 700 known vulnerabilities in process.
A study by mobile two-factor authentication firm Duo
Security released today further reports that three in five
(60 per cent) Flash users are running an out-of-date
version, while 72 per cent have an outdated version of
Java - exposing them to hundreds of vulnerabilities.
The stats are based on an analysis of a dataset of more
than 2 million devices used by Duo Security's customers
(ranging from small startups to Fortune 500 enterprises)
around the world. This issue of poorly patched Windows
boxes is important because it leaves workers exposed to
drive-by download attacks, a favourite hacker tactic
readily put together using tools such as the Angler Exploit
Kit and others. These attacks are routinely used to sling all
sorts of nasties, including ransomware.
-----------------------KIDDICARE HACK
(International Business Times, dated 9th May 2016 author
Jason Murdock)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/kiddicare-hack-uk-retailer-warns800000-users-about-data-breach-test-server-1559134
UK retailer Kiddicare has admitted suffering a data breach
on a test server that compromised names, delivery
addresses, telephone numbers and email addresses of up
to 800,000 customers. The firm, which sells a wide range
of parenting and family orientated products, has now sent
a breach notification email to a total of 794,000 people it
believes could have been impacted.
Kiddicare said it was first alerted to a possible breach after
a "small number" of customers reported receiving
'phishing' attempts posing as an online survey. In a
subsequent investigation, the firm was able to match
compromised credentials to information it had loaded into
a test server in November last year - however it remains
unclear exactly when the breach took place.
---------------------MICROSOFT CAUTIONS OF PHISHING ATTACK BY
SCAMMERS POSING AS FAKE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/microsoft-cautions-phishing-attacks-byscammers-posing-fake-social-media-sites-1559032
Microsoft recently released its annual security report, in
which it highlighted the current software and security
vulnerabilities that are commonly exploited by
cybercriminals across the globe. The 178-page report
cautions that online scammers are wont to pose as
popular social media sites to launch phishing attacks
against victims.
Cybercriminals are increasingly masquerading as popular
online services like Facebook, Google, Amazon and eBay,
in order to lure in more unsuspecting victims. Microsoft
security researchers also pointed out that phishing attacks
are now targeting individual users instead of banking
institutions as it is comparatively easier to launch
successful phishing campaigns against civilian users in
comparison to stealing login credentials from banks, which
usually have high-end security systems.
-----------------------
ANONYMOUS LAUNCHES DDoS ATTACKS ON

INTERNATIONAL BANKS
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/op-icarus-anonymous-launches-ddosattacks-8-international-banks-1558987
Hacktivist collective Anonymous has begun launching
cyberattacks on banks across the world. The hacker group,
joining hands with Ghost Squad, has claimed to have
launched DDoS attacks on eight international banks,
shutting down the official websites.
The Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, the Guernsey
Financial Services Commission, the Central Bank of
Maldives and the Dutch Central Bank were briefly offline
on 6 May, while the National Bank of Panama and the
Central Bank of Kenya were reportedly taken offline a day
later. The Central Bank of Mexico and the Central Bank of
Bosnia and Herzegovina were also brought down by a
DDoS attack. However, at the time of writing, all the
websites of the banks hit by the hacktivist collective
appear to be up and running.
----------------------FLING.COM BREACH : PASSWORDS AND SEXUAL
PREFERENCES OF 40 MILLION USERS UP FOR SALE
Jason Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/fling-com-breach-passwords-sexualpreferences-40-million-users-sale-dark-web-1558711
Tens of millions of credentials reportedly stolen from an
adult dating website called Fling.com have been put up for
sale on the dark web. Currently listed on an underground
marketplace called The Real Deal the information
reportedly contains email addresses, plain text passwords,
usernames, IP addresses and date of birth records.
Additionally, the compromised data includes sexual
preferences, whether the account was a free or paid
version and the gender of the user.
The hacker responsible for selling the credentials, using
the pseudonym 'peace_of_mind' claims the data dump
contains over 40 million records. It is currently on sale for
0.8874 bitcoins which is equivalent to approximately 280

based on the exchange rate at the time of writing.
----------------------QATAR NATIONAL BANK CLAIMS CUSTOMER DATA
RELEASED BY HACKERS IS AUTHENTIC
(Computer World, dated 2nd May 2016 author John
Ribeiro)
Qatar National Bank has admitted that its systems were
hacked but said that the information released online was a
combination of data picked up from the attack and from
other sources such as social media.
The incident will not have a financial impact on the bank's
customers, whose accounts are secure, the bank said -without providing details of how its systems were hacked,
the possible identity of the hackers and what information
was harvested.
The announcement Sunday by one of the leading financial
institutions in the Middle East follows the posting online
last week of leaked documents. The attack targeted only a
portion of Qatar-based customers, the bank said, claiming
the hack attempted to target the bank's reputation rather
than specifically its customers.
----------------------PHISHING APPS POSING AS POPULAR PAYMENT SERVICES
INFILTRATE GOOGLE PLAY
(Computer World, dated 29th April 2016 author Lucian
Constantin)
Google's efforts to police the Android app store -- Google
Play -- are far from perfect, with malicious apps routinely
slipping through its review process. Such was the case for
multiple phishing applications this year that posed as
client apps for popular online payment services.
Researchers from security firm PhishLabs claim that
they've found 11 such applications since the beginning of
2016 hosted on Google Play, most of them created by the
same group of attackers.
The apps are simple, yet effective. They load Web pages
containing log-in forms that look like the target
companies' websites. These pages are loaded from

domain names registered by the attackers, but because
they are loaded inside the apps, users don't see their
actual location.
-----------------------(8th June 2016
THESE BIG NAME LAPTOPS ARE INFESTED WITH
SECURITY BUGS
(The Register, dated 31st May 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/31/laptop_security_weak_c
rypto/
Computers from many of the biggest PC makers are
riddled with easy-to-exploit vulnerabilities in pre-loaded
software, security researchers warn.
The research from Duo Security shows that bloatware is
not just a nuisance that causes a lag in system boot-up,
but a security risk. Laptops from Acer, Asus, Dell, HP and
Lenovo all have at least one security vulnerability that can
lead to a full system compromise. Most of the
vulnerabilities would be straightforward to exploit even for
technically unsophisticated hackers, according to Duo
Security.
Lenovo copped an enormous amount of flack after it
began bundling Superfish adware with some of its
computers in September 2014. Superfish adware was
installed on some Lenovo PCs with a trusted root
certification authority (CA) certificate, allowing an attacker
to spoof HTTPS traffic.
A machine with Superfish VisualDiscovery installed will be
vulnerable to SSL spoofing attacks without a warning from
the browser, as US CERT warned around the time the
scandal broke in early 2015.
Duo's research shows the Superfish controversy was but
an extreme example of a wider security problem involving
pre-installed software from multiple manufacturers.
"The OEM software landscape is complicated and includes
a depressing amount of superfluous tools for vendor
support, free software trials, and other vendor-incentivized
crapware," Duo Security researchers warn.

"Some apps do nothing more than add a shortcut to
launch your web browser to a specific site.
"The OOBE [out-of-box experience] is annoying to most
people for a number of reasons. In addition to wasting disk
space, consuming RAM, and generally degrading the user
experience, OEM software often has serious implications
on security. A few examples include Superfish, which
abused the Windows Platform Binary Table to install
persistent adware on unwitting Lenovo users' personal
computers. The eDellRoot fiasco made a mess of the
Windows root certificate store for Dell users."
The two-factor authentication firm reckons "simple
enhancements" like the consistent use of encryption,
specifically transport layer security (TLS), would have
significantly raised the bar for attackers.
Duo Security identified and reported twelve different
vulnerabilities across all of the vendors:
- Dell - one high-risk vulnerability involving lack of
certificate best practices, known as eDellRoot.
- Hewlett Packard - two high-risk vulnerabilities that could
have resulted in arbitrary code execution on affected
systems. Five medium-to-low-risk vulnerabilities were also
identified.
- Asus - one high-risk vulnerability that allows for arbitrary
code execution as well as one medium-severity local
privilege-escalation flaw.
- Acer - two high-risk vulnerabilities that allow for arbitrary
code execution.
- Lenovo - one high-risk vulnerability that allows for
arbitrary code execution.
Every vendor shipped with a preinstalled update that had
at least one vulnerability, resulting in arbitrary remote
code execution and thereby complete compromise of the
affected machine.
"OEM updaters are highly privileged, easy to exploit, and
not difficult to reverse engineer - coupled with limited
security review, this creates a perfect storm for an
attacker," Duo concludes.
Duo's study of OEM updates was put together by Darren
Kemp, Chris Czub and Mikhail Davidov.
The Register passed on Duo's research to Acer, Asus, Dell,
HP and Lenovo with a request for comment. No word back,

as yet
(8th June 2016)
MYSPACE HACK, MORE THAN 360 MILLION USER

ACCOUNTS LEAKS ONLINE
(International Business Times, dated 31st May 2016
author Jason Murdock)44
www.ibtimes.co.uk/myspace-hack-33gb-file-containingmore-360-million-user-accounts-leaks-online-1562926
A huge 33GB dataset containing more than 360 million
account credentials from MySpace.com, the former
heavyweight of social media, has surfaced online. The
trove of data, which upon analysis appears to date to 2008
and 2009, holds a massive 360,213,024 records reportedly
featuring email addresses, usernames and passwords.
The breach, which was first revealed on LeakedSource, a
website that collates compromised credentials, consists of
427,484,128 passwords in total - an inflated number due
to roughly 68 million accounts also having a secondary
password attached. Of the 360m-plus accounts,
111,341,258 come with a username attached.
According to an initial assessment of the data, passwords
were stored in SHA1 with "no salting". A researcher said:
"We noticed that very few passwords were over 10
characters in length [in the thousands] and nearly none
contained an upper-case character, which makes it much
easier for people to decrypt."
The passwords in the breached data were suitably weak
and included 'password1' (585,503 instances), '123456'
(487,945) and 'abc123' (569,825).
The compromised information has since appeared on a
dark web-based marketplace called The Real Deal.
A vendor under the pseudonym 'Peace', who in the past
has also posted millions of accounts from breaches at
Fling.com and LinkedIn, listed the accounts for a total of

six bitcoin, which is equivalent to 2,200 ($3,200) at the
time of writing.
In a statement posted on 31 May, Myspace acknowledged
the breach and blamed the incident on Peace - who it
branded a "Russian cyberhacker." The firm admitted:
"Email addresses, Myspace usernames, and Myspace
passwords for the affected Myspace accounts created
prior to June 11, 2013 on the old Myspace platform are at
risk."
It continued: "As you know, Myspace does not collect, use
or store any credit card information or user financial
information of any kind. No user financial information was
therefore involved in this incident; the only information
exposed was users' email address and Myspace username
and password." Myspace said law enforcement has been
informed and will now investigate the "criminal act."
Dating the breach
Based on fresh analysis from independent security
researcher Troy Hunt, who operates breach notification
website HaveIBeenPwned.com, the hacked MySpace data
is from "mid-2008 to early 2009".
Upon inspection, Hunt found three major email providers
were used to sign up to the platform at the time the
breach occurred: Gmail (25,190,539 accounts), Hotmail
(79,747,196 accounts) and Yahoo (126,053,251 accounts).
By comparing the dataset to the information recently
compromised from LinkedIn, Hunt was able to begin to
date the data - one piece of information that was glaringly
absent from previous reports.
"There are likely some interesting insights to take away
from the passwords alone, but it's the email addresses
that can help us actually date the thing," he said.
"What we need to remember with Gmail is that they're a
relatively new player. They entered private beta in April
2004 and didn't hit the mainstream until February 2007.
There are still 25m accounts in the MySpace data, so the
incident certainly happened after that early 2007
timeframe."
After contacting a number of people who confirmed being
in the leaked dataset, Hunt was able to further narrow
down the window of when the breach took place. By

comparing the percentage of emails compromised from
each provider in the LinkedIn incident, Hunt found Gmail
was the most common. "Keep in mind that LinkedIn was
hacked in May 2012 so now we have a window somewhere
between then and 2007," Hunt said, noting that MySpace
started running into significant difficulties from mid-2008.
He added: "It may be that the incident occurred after
2008, but I doubt it was much later as they were still
getting registrations and they would have been very
heavily Gmail biased by that time."
Hunt told IBTimes UK the leaked data is now in the process
of being uploaded into HaveIBeenPwned.com, which will
allow users to search the trove of data to check if their
credentials are included in the leak.
Since its fall from grace after being dethroned by social
goliath Facebook, MySpace has made an attempt at
resurrection. In November last year, as reported by
Vice.com, the platform claimed to have clawed back one
billion registered users.
(8th June 2016)
WHICH COUNTY HAS THE MOST AVERAGE SPEED

CAMERAS ?
(The Telegraph, dated 31st May 2016 Alex Robbins)
www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/average-speed-cameranetwork-more-than-doubles-in-size-in-three/
New research released today has revealed that the
number of miles of British roadways monitored by average
speed cameras has more than doubled in just three years.
The research, which was commissioned by the RAC
Foundation and carried out by road safety research firm
Road Safety Analysis, revealed that average speed
cameras had been installed on 137.3 miles of British roads
between the start of 2013 and the end of 2015.
That compares with the 117.26 miles' worth of average

speed cameras which had been installed since the first
section of average speed cameras was activated in August
2000, on the A6514 in Nottingham.
The figure represents an increase of 54 per cent in the last
three years, compared with the relatively steady growth in
the preceding 13-year period. In 2015 alone, 12 new
systems were added, out of a total of 50 that had been
installed by the end of the year.
The data did not factor in temporary average speed
camera zones, such as those often installed at motorway
roadwork sites.
Much of the extra mileage can be accounted for by the
average speed camera system which was installed on the
A9 by Transport Scotland in October 2014.
The cameras operate on single-carriageway stretches of
the road, which total 98.55 miles, broken down into 79
different sub-sections, according to the report.
Other notable average speed camera installations since
2013 have include the 50mph zone which stretches across
the Dartford crossing, and the shortest average speed
camera run in Britain, on Winchester Street in Nottingham,
which is just 0.37 miles long.
Richard Owen, Operations Director of Road Safety
Analysis, suggested that one reason for the sharp rise
could be the decreasing cost of installing average speed
camera systems.
"One reason for the increase in usage has been the
reduction in how much it costs to install permanent
cameras - it's now typically around 100,000 per mile,
compared with around 1.5m per mile in the early 2000s,"
he said.
"Some of the old fixed speed cameras have been around
for 25 years and they are based on 35mm film. They are
coming to the end of their life and are starting to be
replaced, in some cases with average speed camera
systems."
Meanwhile, Steve Gooding, Director of the RAC
Foundation, said that the organisation would be
conducting further research into the link between average
speed cameras and accident rates by comparing pre- and
post-installation data.
"Unsurprisingly, the indications are that compliance with

the speed limit through stretches of road managed by
average speed cameras is high," he said. "But the acid
test is whether accident and casualty rates have also
fallen. That is what the next part of this research project
should tell us."
(8th June 2016)
ONLINE FRAUD VICTIMS SHOULD BE BETTER

PROTECTED, NOT BLAMED
(The Guardian, dated 31st May 2016 author Patrick
Collinson)
www.theguardian.com/money/2016/may/31/online-victimsshould-be-better-protected-not-blamed
There was a grand bargain struck between individuals and
banks when we began moving away from cash and
towards electronic payments. Transactions would become
faster, more efficient and more profitable for the banks,
and in return individuals would be protected from fraud.
That bargain is perilously close to falling apart.
Financial Fraud Action UK (FFA UK) has issued its
"definitive overview" of payment fraud in the UK, and the
figures make for miserable reading. Total fraud jumped by
more than a quarter in 2015, with 1.5m card accounts in
Britain raided by scam merchants who stole more than
750m.
To put that figure in context, it is 15 times Britain's biggest
ever single cash heist, the 2006 raid on a Securitas depot
in Tonbridge in Kent, which netted 53m. Two years later
the five criminals were jailed for between 15 and 20 years
each.
The far more numerous victims of cyberfraud rarely see
the villains locked up behind bars. FFA UK says the banks
are collaborating on a "strategic threat management
process" and "intelligence sharing" with the police and
other agencies, but the reality is that in too many cases

they do little to pursue fraud, and far more worryingly,
seem happy to blame the victims.
The fastest growing area of bank fraud is crooks gaining
online access to, and transferring funds from individuals'
bank accounts, often by posing as a member of staff or
even the police.
In these cases, the bank's default position seems to be
that the customer has done something wrong - by
answering phishing emails or by being careless with their
personal data, usually over social media. In some cases
they are right to apportion blame, but the sophistication of
many of the scams is quite breathtaking, catching even
the most savvy online consumer.
The Guardian has previously highlighted the story of a
professional couple who lost 25,000 after hackers
intercepted emails, issued fake invoices and convinced
them to pay money into a fraudulent account.
Shockingly, Barclays, which operated the account the
fraudster used to accept their money, said it does not
report such crimes to the police on the grounds that "the
bank is not the victim". So much for "intelligence sharing".
Needless to say, the unfortunate couple have seen none of
their money back.
Given the meteoric rise in contactless payments, Apple
Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay, Paym, new online-only
banks such as Atom, Fidor, Tandem, Mondo et al and
almost daily launches of new banking apps, what
customers need is a new grand bargain.
When credit cards first launched, customers were safe in
the knowledge that 50 was the most they were down for
if it was stolen or misused. Can we have less of the
strategic threat management processes, and more simple,
easy to understand protections such as the 50 limit?
(8th June 2016)
TERMINOLOGY : TROJAN HORSE

(Search Security / Tech Target)

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition
In computing, a Trojan horse is a program that appears
harmless, but is, in fact, malicious. The term comes from
Greek mythology about the Trojan War. According to
legend, the Greeks built a large wooden horse that the
people of Troy pulled into the city. During the night,
soldiers who had been hiding inside the horse emerged,
opened the city's gates to let their fellow soldiers in and
then overran the city.
Attackers have long used Trojan horses as a way to trick
end users into installing malware. Typically, the malicious
programming is hidden within an innocent-looking email
attachment or free program, such as a game. When the
user downloads the Trojan horse, the malware that is
hidden inside is also downloaded. Once inside the
computing device, the malicious code can execute
whatever task the attacker designed it to carry out.
A Trojan horse containing malware may also be referred to
as simply a Trojan or a Trojan horse virus. Unlike a true
virus, however, malware in a Trojan horse does not
replicate itself, nor can it propagate without the end user's
assistance. Because the user is often unaware that he has
installed a Trojan horse, the computing device's security
depends upon its antimalware software recognizing the
malicious code, isolating it and removing it.
Unexpected changes to computer settings and unusual
activity even when the computer should be idle are strong
indications that a Trojan or other malware is residing on a
computer. To avoid being infected by Trojan malware,
users should keep their antivirus software up to date,
never download files or programs from untrusted sources,
and always scan new files with antivirus software before
opening them.
(8th June 2016)
M25 REVAMP LEADS TO 600 NEAR-MISSES
(The Times, dated 30th May 2016 author Zachary Spiro)

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/m25-change-leads-to-600near-misses-7bq9rqk3t
Removing a motorway's hard shoulders has led to 600
"near-misses" in just over two years and may have
resulted in at least one death.
Sections of the hard shoulder lanes were removed from
the M25 in 2014 as part of an effort to ease congestion.
Instead, in the case of a breakdown, a "red X" warning
sign indicates that a lane is closed - although many drivers
do not understand what the sign means and fail to slow
down.
Mike Wilson, Highways England chief operations officer,
told MPs: "The public are travelling through the red Xs and
coming across traffic. That is where the near miss comes
from."
Official data shows that on some parts of the motorway a
vehicle is driven through a red X sign every five seconds.
The closure of the hard shoulders has been blamed for the
death of a woman last month after a HGV crashed into the
back of a broken down car. Laura Cooper, 34, was the
backseat passenger in the vehicle, which ran out of petrol
on a stretch of the M25 near Waltham Abbey, Essex.
Prospect, the traffic officers trade union, said figures
showed that hundreds of near-crashes had taken place
since the introduction of the scheme.
It has recorded 603 incidents since 2014 where vehicles in
lanes marked with a red X nearly collided on two sections
of the M25 without hard shoulder.
Other motorways with sections using the "smart" scheme
include the M1, M6, M42 and M62. A publication from the
Highways Agency last year included data showing that a
third of road users "do not know what to do when they see
a red X sign displayed". According to the data, 8 per cent
of drivers said they would stop if they saw one.
The agency said:" A red X sign is used to identify when a
lane is closed and indicates that drivers should move into
an open lane to continue their journeys."
Jamie Hassall, national enforcement co-ordinator of the
Highways Agency, said:" It is pretty simple - if you see a

red X, don't drive in that lane. If you do, you could collide
with a broken-down vehicle or with a traffic officer,
emergency service crew or recovery operator working in
that lane."
Older Drivers
The age at which older people have to renew their driving
licences should be raised from 70 to 75, a review is likely
to recommend.
The older drivers task force, which publishes its report in
July, is expected to say that improving heath means
people are able to drive well into retirement, including
their eighties and nineties.
John Plowman, its chairman, said:" If you tell them to think
about driving asessments, they may well just give up
driving. They lose the social contacts tha they had, they
are more likely to get depressed and isolated and put a
greater burden on the care system."
He told the Daily Telegraph:" Older drivers are generally
safer than others."
The DVLA said:" Age itself is not a barrier to safe driving,
but all motorists must ensure they are medically fit to get
behind the wheel and notify us when a condition develops
or gets worse."
(8th June 2016)
POLICE CALLED TO 9000 KNIFE CRIMES IN JUST ONE

YEAR
Hatty Collier)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/revealed-police-called-to9000-knife-crimes-in-just-one-year-a3257891.html
Police were called to more than 9,000 knife crimes in
London in the past year alone, shock new figures show.

Some 1,623 victims under the age of 25 including 866
teenagers were stabbed, according to the data released
by Scotland Yard.
Twelve teenagers were knifed to death and 291 people
were seriously injured in the 12 months from April 1 last
year, police said.
Young musician Myron Yarde, 17, became the latest
teenager to lose his life to knife crime when he was
stabbed to death in New Cross, south-east London on April
4.
Just a month later, Rukevwe Tadafe, 21, was fatally knifed
less than three miles away in Lewisham town centre. The
pair shared mutual friends.
During the Met's most recent operation to tackle knife
crime, police made 439 arrests, 82 of which were for
possession of a knife or an offensive weapon.
A total of 194 knives and offensive weapons were seized
by officers during the seven-day operation from April 25.
The 9,000 knife crimes from April 2015 to April 2016
amount to about 25 a day on average.
The figures have been released as part of an online
campaign by young police cadets to encourage Londoners
to pledge their support to stop knife crime using the
hashtag :
#ChooseALifeNotAKnife.
Striking posters and a video highlighting the impact of
knife crime were produced by the cadets from Redbridge
and the Met's Youth Council.
Sixteen-year-old police cadet Olivia, who appears in the
posters, explained why she got involved in the campaign.
"For young people it can be quite scary for them to log
onto social media and see that there has been yet another
victim of a stabbing or that someone has been killed just
down the road," she told the Standard.
"I was shocked when I saw the numbers. A lot of people
carry knives for self-defence and think they are safer
carrying one. It's not something that they should have to
turn to protect themselves."
Detective Chief Inspector Noel McHugh, of the Met's Youth
Council, said: "This project came about as they like many
Londoners have had enough of violence.

"They wanted to create some energy and through
informed discussion discourage people from carrying
knives."
He added: "All they ask is, for every young person to start
having a discussion about how we stop the needless
violence and tragic deaths of young people.
"If this campaign stops one person from carrying a knife it
will have been a success."
To watch the video and find out more about the
campaign :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4nTYljVSFo
(8th June 2016)
LLOYDS CYBER ATTACKS DOWN BY UP TO 90pc

(The Telegraph, dated 29th May 2016 author Tim Wallace)
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/05/29/lloyds-cyberattacks-down-by-up-to-90pc/
Lloyds Banking Group has seen an 80pc to 90pc drop in
cyber attacks as online criminals and fraudsters have
switched their attention to other industries.
Banks have been under increasing pressure from hackers,
driving even the Bank of England to include cyber attacks
in reports on the key risks to the financial sector.
Business group TheCityUK warned that 75pc of fraud is
now online, often through malicious email scams,
indicating the scale of fraud shifting into the digital world.
Yet Lloyds' digital boss Miguel-ngel Rodrguez-Sola said
there has been a sudden drop in cyber attacks on banks.
"There had been an increase in the UK in terms of cyber
attacks, between June and February this year," he said,
noting that denial of service (DDOS) attacks became
particularly common.
"However, over the last two months I have had five-times
less than at the end of last year."

He said that was the result of greater co-ordination with
law enforcement agencies, and the implementation of
extra layers of defences, though he declined to detail the
exact nature of the enhanced protection.
"We needed to replan our digital development to make
sure that we put in new defences, more layers. [The
number of attacks] is now one-fifth or one-tenth of what it
was last year," he said.
Mr Rodrguez-Sola believe online criminals have shifted
some of their attention to less well protected industries
instead.
Telecoms is thought to be one such sector - high profile
victims recently include TalkTalk which lost some customer
data in an attack late last year. HSBC's systems also
crashed in January after coming under digital assault.
The digital boss admitted that some anti-fraud and web
security work could unnerve customers, leaving banks
with tough decisions.
"If you connect from home I can see if you have a virus in
your computer. If I know that, should I tell you? We did
research and 50pc said they didn't want us to tell them,"
he said, adding that the bank has to monitor customers'
viruses to keep its own defences up to date.
(8th June 2016)
REDDIT FORCES PASSWORD RESETS ON 100,000

USERS AFTER SURGE IN HACKED ACCOUNTS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/reddit-forces-password-resets-100000users-after-surge-hacked-accounts-1562510
Reddit has reset over 100,000 account passwords after
identifying a surge in account takeovers, which
moderators believe can be attributed to the recent slew of
massive data dumps posted online by malicious hackers.

Reddit, however, maintains that it has not been hacked
and in efforts to err on the side of caution is ramping up its
security measures.
Reddit founding engineer Christopher Slowe said in a post:
"If you haven't seen it in the news, there have been a lot
of recent password dumps made available on the parts of
the internet most of us generally avoid. With this access to
likely username and password combinations, we've
noticed a general uptick in account takeovers by malicious
(or at best spammy) third parties."
He added: "Reddit itself has not been exploited, but even
the best security in the world won't work when people are
reusing passwords between sites. We've ramped up our
ability to detect the takeovers, and sent out 100,000
password resets in the last two weeks. More are to come
as we continue to verify and validate that no one except
for you is using your account."
Reddit has also cautioned that the accounts that have
been abandoned by users and remained inactive for
several years will have their passwords reset. Accountholders who do not want to see their old accounts disabled
will have to log in within 30 days of the account's
password having been reset.
Reddit has said that it is considering implementing a twofactor authentication in efforts to defend itself against
hackers and spambots. "We're definitely considering it. In
fact, admins are required to have two-factor
authentication set up to use the administrative parts of
the site. It's behind a second authentication layer," said
Slowe.
"Unfortunately, to roll this out further, Reddit has a huge
ecosystem of apps, including our newly released iOS and
Android client. Adding two-factor authentication to the login flow will require a lot of coordination."
There has been an alarming rise in cybercrime in the
recent past, with both the financial as well as social media
community being targeted by hackers. Twitter recently
saw over 2,500 of its accounts hacked while international
banks appear to be in an ongoing assault from hackers.
In the wake of rising cybercrime activity, the security
community, not unlike Reddit, is on high alert and is
ramping up its defence against prospective attacks.

(8th June 2016)
DNA AND FINGERPRINTS OF 50,000 REPEAT

TEENAGE OFFENDERS DELETED AFTER SOFTWARE
ERROR BY POLICE
(The Telegraph, dated 27th May 2016 author Christopher
Hope)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/27/dna-andfingerprints-of-50000-repeat-teenage-offenders-deleted-a/
The DNA and fingerprints of tens of thousands of repeat
teenage offenders have been accidentally deleted by
police.
Alastair MacGregor QC, the Biometrics commissioner, said
confusion about how long profiles should be held by the
police led to the DNA profiles being deleted.
The news comes after Mr MacGregor disclosed how the
fingerprint and DNA profiles of up to 800 terror suspects
are having to be destroyed because of delays by the
security service and the police.
In the latest gaffe, Mr MacGregor said officers had wrongly
thought that they could only retain the fingerprints and
DNA of offenders under the age of 18 who have
committed more than one crime for five years, instead of
indefinitely on the Police National Computer (PNC).
He found in his annual report that "the relevant software
calculates incorrect retention periods for offenders under
the age of 18 who have multiple convictions".
This meant that their biometric information was being
wrongly deleted after five years, rather than being held
indefinitely.
He said: "I understand that, although the precise cause
and scale of this problem have yet to be established, it
may affect up to 50,000 records which are currently shown
on PNC as attracting a five year retention period".
He added that "it has almost certainly led - and will almost
certainly lead - to the erroneous deletion of large numbers
of DNA profiles and fingerprints from the national
databases".
Mr MacGregor said in the report, published in March, that
he had "recently been informed that a suitable fix to this
problem should be delivered in February 2016. I will again
keep it under review".
Tim Farron MP, the Liberal Democrat leader, said: "The
Government wants tougher legislation and plans to gather
more and more data on citizens.
"But this shows that the Government cant even safely
keep hold of information it has on criminals.
"I think the Home Office should get their own house in
order instead of proposing further illiberal and draconian
laws."
Keith Vaz MP, the Labour chairman of the Home Affairs
select committee, said the deletions were "astonishing"
and would devastate the public's trust in how the police
handle data.
He told The Daily Telegraph: "These revelations are
devastating for the public's trust in how the police manage
data. The accidental deletion of tens of thousands of DNA
profiles is astonishing.
"This lost information is vital in linking evidence from
serious crimes to individuals, and the loss of this data may
cause severe delays for current and future investigations.
"This failure in the Home Office's communication to
individual forces has led to a fiasco, and the Committee
will be raising these issues with the Home Secretary when
she next appears to give evidence."
Tim Loughton MP, a Tory member of the same committee,
added: "The police really do not make it easy for
themselves.
"The Government rightly legislated to make sure that
personal details of citizens who had been questioned but
never charged or prosecuted were not retained alongside
genuine criminals.
"Now it seems someone has been trigger-happy with the
delete button for the records of those who have a criminal
record and who we need to keep a closer eye on to guard
against future offending.
"The rules are clear so who is responsible for a potentially

huge error and what else has been lost which enables the
pole to do their job effectively?"
A Home Office spokesman said: "We welcomed the
Biometric Commissioner's annual report in March, which
stated in the vast majority of cases the DNA and
fingerprint retention system is working properly."
Officials said a fuller response to Mr MacGregor's report
will be published shortly.
The error means potentially vital forensic evidence will be
lost at a time when Britain is in a high state of terror alert.
Chief Constable David Shaw, the National Police Chiefs'
Council Lead for Forensic Databases, confirmed that the
biometric material had been "deleted when they should
have been retained".
He said: "Issues in the storage of DNA profiles and
fingerprints caused a number of profiles of young people
convicted of crimes to be deleted when they should have
been retained.
"We have worked closely with the Biometrics
Commissioner to rectify these errors and ensure changes
to minimise the possibility of this happening again. The
retention and deletion of these records is highly complex
and police have made correct decisions relating to millions
of records."
A spokesman for the Biometrics Commissioner said that
the "proposed fixes" to the procedures on the Police
National Computer were "now in place". He added that the
Commissioner "will keep their effectiveness under review".
In another report this week Mr MacGregor found that the
fingerprints and DNA profiles of 810 suspects - the "great
majority" of whom had been swabbed as part of a
terrorism investigation - had to be destroyed because of
delays by the Security Service and the police.
He found that 108 of the suspects were so dangerous that
Security Service officials had provided evidence
supporting the need to keep hold of the database.
The proportion being destroyed is nearly twice as many as
were found during an earlier audit by Mr MacGregor last
October.
The number of destroyed cases represented of one in 10
of the 8,000 extremists whose details are held on the
Government's counter-terrorism databases.

(8th June 2016)
HOW TO OPT OUT OF NUISANCE CALLS TO YOUR

MOBILE WITH ONE FREE TEXT
(The Telegraph, dated 27th May 2016 author Katie Morley)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/26/the-new-textingservice-that-could-spell-the-end-of-nuisance-cal/
Millions of mobile phone users can now send a free text
message to opt out of unsolicited sales and marketing
calls under a new campaign by telecoms watchdogs to
end the practice.
The text-to-register service, designed by Ofcom, which
regulates phone companies, lets people add their numbers
to the UK's official "do not call" database which makes it
illegal for companies to phone them without being given
prior permission.
The news will come as a relief to millions of mobile phone
users who are plagued with nuisance calls from
unscrupulous PPI claims firms and scammers selling bogus
investments, as a result of their numbers being added to
so-called "suckers lists".
Once mobile phone users sign up they should notice a
gradual reduction in unsolicited sales and marketing voice
calls after a few days although it can take up to 28 days
for the service to become fully effective.
But as the service does not prevent rogue texts from being
received, experts said firms desperate for business may
resort to sending spam messages instead.
The service, known as the Telephone Preference Service
(TPS), is already used by 18.5 million (85pc) landline
users, but only 2.9 million (3pc) of mobile users are signed
up, Ofcom said.
To sign up people must text "TPS" and their email address
to 78070.
John Mitchison, Head of the Telephone Preference Service,

said: "Rogue callers operate illegally and against the
interests of ordinary people.
"Texting will make it easier for people to register their
mobile numbers on the TPS, which is the only official nocall list, and help us stamp out rogue callers once and for
all by giving the Information Commissioner more
ammunition to prosecute these cases."
Baroness Neville Rolfe, Minister responsible for data
protection, said: "Nuisance calls are incredibly intrusive
and can cause significant distress, particularly to elderly
and vulnerable members of society.
"The Government is committed to tackling this problem,
and we have introduced a series of measures that have
already seen record fines handed out to combat these
rogue callers."
ABOUT TELEPHONE PREFERENCE SERVICE
The Telephone Preference Service (TPS) is the official
central opt out register on which you can record your
preference not to receive unsolicited sales or marketing
calls
How to register
- Visit the Telephone Preference Service website www.tpsonline.org.uk
- Call the Registration Line on 0345 070 0707
- Text "TPS" and your email address to 78070
- Post your details to: Telephone Preference Service (TPS),
DMA House, 70 Margaret Street, London W1W 8SS
- Fax your details to 020 7323 4226
- How long will it take to become effective?
Once a number has been registered it will become
effective in 28 days, but you should start noticing a
gradual decline from registration
- Is there any charge to register?
No, it's free to register on the TPS
- Who pays for the TPS?

No money is received from the Government to run the
Service, the direct marketing industry pays for it.
- What if the calls don't stop?
It is a legal requirement that all organisations (including
charities, voluntary organisations and political parties) do
not make such calls to numbers registered on the TPS
unless they have your consent to do so.
On the whole the TPS is very effective. Any reputable
company that values its customers and its brand image
takes the TPS very seriously. If mistakes happen, TPS can
contact the company and ask them why they contacted
you, warn them of their legal obligations and ask them to
add you to their own Do Not Call list so that you do not
receive any further calls.
There are also companies, usually operating from
overseas that are running scams. One of the most
common is based on a bogus PC support service where
their aim is to get you to pay for an unnecessary service
or gain access to personal information on your PC. Another
is where they claim to be from TPS and ask for a payment
for the service. Companies running scams like this from
overseas are usually outside of the authority of the UK
regulators and law.
(8th June 2016)
BANK IN THE UK ? PLANS AFOOT TO MAKE YOU

LIABLE FOR BANK FRAUD
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/26/bank_fraud_liability_sha
ke_up/
Bank customers may be obliged to bear the bill for fraud
against their accounts, under proposed changes mulled by
banks, the UK government and GCHQ.
Under the plans, individuals or companies with poor online
security could be "frozen out of banking services or even

excluded from the system whereby banks compensate
customers whose accounts are hacked", the Financial
Times reports.
UK banks - unlike those in the US - routinely cover the
costs of online fraud, at least in cases where customer
negligence (such as sharing PIN codes or cards with third
parties) is excluded. Pushing the burden of fraudulent
losses towards customers is likely to be hugely
controversial. Bankers' bonuses in the wake of taxpayerfunded bailouts of several banks in 2008 have already
caused a huge series of rows and radical changes in
liability for online banking fraud through phishing and
banking trojans is likely to be even more contentious.
The circumstances suggest that ministers are floating an
idea they already know is controversial, even politically
unpalatable. If anything comes to light it's likely to be
much diluted.
Some security vendors - normally cheerleaders for UK
government security plans - have already expressed
opposition to the possible banking liability shake-up.
Olov Renberg, the founder of behavioural biometrics firm
BehavioSec, commented: "It troubles me that bank
customers could soon be forced to cover the bill and take
liability for fraudulent activity on their accounts. Time and
time again government schemes and individual
enterprises have tried to teach consumers the best
practices of operating online, yet online fraud continues to
rise - why?
"It's not because of a lack of awareness. Quite simply,
security is no longer a consumer's number one priority
when operating online. Today we prioritise convenience
online - meaning laborious tasks such as multiple
authentication processes are often side-stepped.
"If banks want to reduce fraud for their customers, they
need to avoid making consumers the gatekeepers of their
own security. If they [banks] are selling consumers
convenience and always-on availability, then they need to
take on the bulk of the security burden themselves and
implement security measures that accurately authenticate
users without forcing them through frustrating, inefficient
authentication barriers," he added.
A study by British industry group Financial Action Fraud

shows that losses stemming from financial fraud involving
payment cards, checks and remote banking hit 755m in
2015, up 26 per cent on the previous year.
(8th June 2016)
BLIGHTY'S NATIONAL CYBER SECURITY CENTRE

(The Register, datd 26th May 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/26/uk_cyber_security_centr
e_blueprint/
The UK government has released the prospectus for its
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), ahead of the
launch of the facility this Autumn.
The blueprint outlines that the NCSC will act as a hub for
sharing best practices in security between public and
private sectors, and will tackle cyber incident response.
As previously reported, the NCSC is being set up to
aggregate the UK's cyber expertise. Working with the Bank
of England on new cyber security guidance for financial
firms is also due to be among its initial objectives.
In the prospectus, Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock
explained: "The Centre will be the bridge between industry
and government, simplifying the current complex
structures, providing a unified source of advice and
support, including on managing incidents. It will be a
single point of contact for the private and public sectors
alike."
Ciaran Martin, former director general of cyber-security at
GCHQ, has been appointed chief exec of the NCSC leading
the new centre, which will report into GCHQ.
"The Centre will bring together the capabilities already
developed by CESG - the Information Security arm of
GCHQ - the Centre for the Protection of National
Infrastructure, CERT-UK and the Centre for Cyber
Assessment, allowing us to build on the best of what we
already have, whilst significantly simplifying the current
arrangements," Martin said in a canned statement

contained within the prospectus.
The UK government has defined "cyber" as a tier-one
threat to the UK's national and economic security. This
translates in practical terms to a doubling of the
investment the UK Government will make in cyber
security, to 1.9 billion over the next five years. GCHQ is
front and center in leading the delivery of this strategy.
Gordon Morrison, director of government relations at Intel
Security, said the centre would help in fighting the
growing problem of cybercrime.
"The collaborative and open approach promised from the
forthcoming National Cyber Security Centre is critical for
tackling the fight against cybercrime," Morrison said.
"We expect that the organisation's openness will help
create a greater climate of collaboration and conversation
around this significant challenge impacting all aspects of
the lives of British businesses and individuals' digital lives.
"Assuming the role of the lead cybersecurity technical
authority in the UK, we look forward to working with the
NCSC as it embarks on its important mission of responding
to cyberattacks on the UK and promoting a diverse and
collaborative approach to cybersecurity to improve the
country's overall cyber health: between the private and
public sector, and both in the UK and internationally," he
added.
(8th June 2016)
VIPER SQUADS TO BLITZ GUN GANGS

Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/3pm-embargo-armedpatrols-police-roadblocks-and-cash-rewards-scotlandyards-new-50strong-viper-team-a3256716.html
Scotland Yard today launched new armed squads to target

gang-related gun crime in boroughs hit by a surge in the
number of shootings.
The so-called Viper teams will include detectives with
knowledge of gangs and local borough officers who are
supported by armed police.
They will be part of a 50-strong rapid reaction unit
deployed to set up armed roadblocks and carry out
firearms patrols in neighbourhoods suffering gun crime.
Police say the initiative, codenamed Operation Viper, is to
tackle an escalation in the number of shootings in London
in the past three months.
Scotland Yard also announced details of a reward scheme
for information leading to the recovery of guns and the
arrest and prosecution of people for possession of
firearms.
Informants could be paid more than 2,000 for information
that leads to the recovery of guns and conviction of
criminals in a bid to get high-powered weapons off the
streets.
In March the Met recorded 30 shootings involving "lethal
barrelled" weapons, and there were 25 in April and a
similar number so far this month.
Around half of the shootings resulted in injuries. Last year
there were 226 in the capital, an average of 18 a month,
excluding weapons such as air rifles.
Police say five boroughs - Hackney, Newham, Lambeth,
Southwark and Brent - have suffered the brunt of the
recent rise in the number of shootings which are all linked
to the activity of gangs and drug dealing.
So far this year there have been two gun murders in
London, both of which are thought to be linked to gangs.
In March innocent bystander Oliver Tetlow, 27, died in a
hail of bullets when his killer stepped from a blacked-out
car in Harlesden and opened fire with a machine gun.
Earlier this month student and part-time minicab driver
Abdi Gutale, 24, was ambushed by gunmen who fired at
least four shots into his Vauxhall Zafira in Leyton as he
drove home after a job.
Commander Duncan Ball, who is in charge of the Met's
Gangs and Organised Crime unit, said that although
figures for shootings were half those of five years ago,
there had been a recent rise in the number of discharges

involving lethal weapons, mainly handguns and shotguns.
He said: "We are concerned that there has been an
increase. London continues to be one of the safest cities
but we have seen this spike in shootings and we are not
prepared to sit back and watch this happen. We are trying
to get the community on board and get on top of this."
The Viper unit will be deployed in two teams and include
officers from the Trident gang unit, local borough officers
and detectives from the organised crime unit. The teams
will be deployed with back up from armed response
vehicles.
Commander Ball said: "The Viper teams will have an extra
capability to set up armed operations quickly. The idea is
to prevent any escalation of criminal activity.
"We know that with drug markets and gangs there is a
danger of a tit-for-tat response and with gangs you can get
a quick escalation. We hope our action will suppress that."
Armed officers will carry out automatic number plate
recognition checks on cars in the worst gun-crime
boroughs as well as taking part in more patrols. Police
have also seized more guns in recent months, including 10
weapons in Lambeth and 10 in north London.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said: "I am
very concerned about the recent increase and we are
determined to stop it.
"Our officers will use all their powers to take on the
gunmen and those that supply them. If you know of
someone who has access to a gun or supplies others with
a gun - please tell us either where the guns are or who has
them."
Anyone who has information about people who carry or
use firearms can call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800
555111.
(8th June 2016)
EXPERTS LINK 50 GUN CRIMES ACROSS EUROPE IN
NEW STUDY
author Tom Porter)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/experts-link-50-gun-crimes-acrosseurope-new-study-1561893
Governments need to improve the way they gather and
share information about illegal firearms in order to combat
gun crime, a UK-led report has concluded.
The 15-month Effect Project found that inconsistencies in
the ways European countries register firearms offences
means that gun crime was difficult to monitor.
It found that legal loopholes could be exploited by
criminals to acquire firearms, and recommends the
formation of a centralised "firearms focal point" where
information on firearms and their ballistic material can be
stored and shared by European countries.
Experts from Coventry University and UK ballistics
consultancy Arquebus took part in the study, which will be
presented at the EU in Brussels on Wednesday, 25 May.
It comes amid increasing concern about the availability of
illegal firearms in Europe, in face of the threat from
terrorist groups and organised crime gangs. Last year,
Islamist militants armed with automatic weapons launched
deadly terror attacks in the French capital Paris in January
and November.
In April, members of an organised crime gang in Kent were
convicted after being found in possession of a stash of
automatic weapons purchased from the same Slovakian
store as the Paris attackers, who targetted Parisian
satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January, 2015. The 22
Kalashnikov-style assault rifles and nine machine guns
were described by police from the National Crime Agency
as "mass casualty weapons". They had been sold legally
and reactivated by hammering out a metal pin placed in
the barrels.
In the wake of the attacks experts called for a joined-up
European strategy to combat the spread of illegal
firearms, some of which are decommissioned weapons
reactivated to fire live rounds, and others smuggled into
the EU from parts of the continent including the Balkans

and Ukraine.
The report identifies inconsistencies across Europe in
logging gun crime, and difficulties developing and
implementing new legislation. It found that instead of
focussing on the illegal firearms most commonly used in
gun crime, "firearms legislation typically focusses on the
control of legally held firearms, and that this is most often
amended in response to gun enabled crime."
It found that instead of targeting the availability of
firearms and supply networks, "investigations are reactive
and focus on identifying and apprehending the
perpetrator".
The report recommends that the status of what
constitutes an antique weapon be reviewed, with many
bought from specialist retailers and recommissioned. It
also advises common standards be adopted across
member states to ensure blanks-firing weapons cannot be
converted to fire live rounds.
As part of the study, experts from Arquebus examined
1,000 cartridge cases and found links to 50 shootings
across Europe.
"In our examination of cartridge cases in Serbia, using
Ballistic analysis systems not currently available in the
country, we were able to identify connections relating to
around 50 shootings, a considerable number of which
were previously unknown," said company director Matt
Lewis in a statement. "We also compared the results
against a number of ballistic databases in other countries
and identified potential links with the former Yugoslav
Republic of Macedonia, Kosovo and Sweden.
"Firearms are used by criminals on multiple occasions both
internally within a country and across international
borders," he said.
"Understanding more about where they originate from,
how they move within countries and cross-border, and
have been used before will enable the UK to work with
other countries to help tackle the problem at source,
rather than at our border."
Among the report's key recommendations are that "in all
EU member states one national central point shall be
established to gather, analyse and disseminate data and
intelligence information regarding GEC [gun enabled

crime]".
Dr. Anna Alvazzi del Frate, Director of Programmes at the
Swiss-based arms trafficking think-tank the Small Arms
Survey, stressed the urgent need for more data-sharing on
gun crime between EU states.
"More standardised and systematic data-sharing on crime,
guns and firearms-related crime - including non-lethal gun
violence - in Europe would allow for a better
understanding of the main policy gaps. For instance, the
use of converted and reactivated firearms by criminals
and in the 2015 terror attacks - some of which originated
from within the EU - raises different sets of challenges
than the trafficking of arms from south-eastern Europe,"
she told IBTimes UK.
"Monitoring these trends more closely would lead to the
earlier detection of the sources of illicit arms and to more
timely policy-making. It would also contribute to EU
member states' efforts to meet the targets set under the
United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals."
The report will be presented to European Parliament
members, police chiefs, and international law enforcement
organisations Interpol and Europol.
(8th June 2016)
SWIFT TO REVEAL NEW SECURITY PLAN AFTER

RECENT SLEW OF CYBERHEISTS
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/swift-reveal-new-security-plan-afterrecent-slew-cyberheists-1561643
Swift, the global financial communication service, has said
that it intends to launch a new security programme, which
will enable itself and its customers to better defend
themselves against cyberattacks. The move comes after
recent reports emerged of a slew of cyberheists, the most

prominent of which is the Bangladesh Bank hack, which is
currently being investigated by officials.
In efforts to rebuild its reputation, which was brought into
question by officials of the Bangladesh bank after hackers
stole $81m (55m) using Swift to send fraudulent money
transfer communications, Swift has already warned its
customers to be more cautious when conducting business.
It is now redoubling efforts by introducing tighter security
measures.
Swift CEO Gottfried Leibbrandt is slated to attend a
financial services conference in Brussels, during which he
is expected to announce the launch of a new five-point
plan later in the week. "I think it will prove to be a
watershed event for the banking industry; there will be a
before and an after Bangladesh," Mr Leibbrandt is
expected to say, according to a draft of his speech
obtained by the Financial Times. "Cyber risk has been the
main thing to keep me awake at night."
Leibbrandt is also expected to highlight Swift's response to
the cyberattacks while also committing to "drastically
improve information sharing among the global financial
community". He is also expected to promise to "harden
security requirements for consumer-managed software to
better protect their local environment" and "to introduce
certification requirements for third party providers."
As part of Swift's five-point plan, which is likely to be
revealed in the coming few days, the service also plans to
provide the banking community with the ability to detect
cyber fraud by encouraging them to use "payment pattern
controls", which would help them identify suspicious
activity. Swift also intends to chart out stricter guidelines,
which can then be used by auditors and regulators to
analyse the effectiveness of Swift's security protocols and
system.
Despite having been censured by some in the banking
community for not having been as active in improving
security prior to the cyberattacks, Leibbrandt is expected
to defend Swift's position regarding the attacks and
attribute the primary cause of any breach at the users'
doors.
Following the attack on the Bangladesh bank, reports of
two other banks also having been targeted in a similar

approach have emerged. A bank in Vietnam and the
Ecuadorean bank Banco del Austro, both appear to have
been targeted by cybercriminals. While the Vietnamese TP
Bank claimed to have thwarted the attempted cyberheist,
Banco del Austro reported around $9m stolen by hackers.
In each of the attacks, hackers appear to have used their
knowledge of Swift's structure to manipulate victims into
passing fraudulent transactions. However, in the
upcoming event, Leibbrandt is slated to stress Swift's
position on the attacks as well as the role it played.
"Swift, our network, software and our core messaging
services have not been compromised," Mr Liebbrandt is
likely to say, further adding: "Swift is not all-powerful, we
are not a regulator, and we are not a policeman; success
here depends on all the stakeholders in and around the
industry."
(8th June 2016)
WOMENS EQUALITY PARTY LAUNCHES NEW

CAMPAIGN TO TACKLE REVENGE PORN AND
PROTECT WOMEN ONLINE
(The Telegraph, dated 23rd May 2016 author Claire Cohen)
www.telegraph.co.uk/women/politics/womens-equalityparty-launches-new-campaign-to-tackle-revenge-po/
The Women's Equality Party is spearheading a new
campaign to protect women's rights online. The 'e-Quality'
campaign, which launches officially tomorrow, will seek to
protect women on the internet, and calls for cross-party
co-operation in creating new legislation to specifically
address harmful digital communications.
WEP wants to build a new template for dealing with online
harassment to remove the burden of responsibility from
victims and ensure they're not dependent on the goodwill
of website operators for justice.
The party, which was founded in March 2015 by Sandi

Toksvig and Catherine Mayer, wants the law to focus on
consent around the sharing of sexually explicit images and
help victims seek compensation for online abuse.
Specifically, the party - which has 45,000 members and 73
branches - is calling for:
- Existing revenge porn laws to focus more on consent and
introduce civil law, so victims can anonymously seek
compensation from the perpetrator and compel website
operators to remove explicit imagery
- Compulsory sex and relationships education in schools in
England and Wales
- The numbers of women to be increased in the police
force and technology industry.
WEP will publicise the campaign via social media, using
the hashtag #CtrlAltDelete - a comment on the fact that
'the internet was supposed to be about freedom of
speech, but instead is silencing women'.
Sophie Walker, the leader of WEP who ran for Mayor of
London, said: "I am pleased to launch our "e-Quality"
campaign today and take bold steps towards protecting
women from violence online.
"Today WE call on all political parties to set aside their
differences and work with us to deliver digital legislation
that works, so that the internet is safe and fair for all."
The campaign comes in the wake of a Women and
Equalities Committee inquiry into sexual violence in British
schools - led by Maria Miller - which showed that young
girls are being pushed into sending sexual images online,
leading to bullying and digital blackmail.
A Freedom of Information request by the BBC, last month,
found that children as young as 11 were becoming victims
of revenge pornography - the act of posting sexually
explicit images online, without the person's consent. It's
though that between 75 and 90 per cent of revenge porn
victims are female.
The same FOI request also found that out of 1,160
revenge porn reports made in the year since it was
criminalised (April 2015), just 11 per cent of suspects were
charged. Seven per cent received a caution while 61 per
cent of cases resulted in no action being taken, either due
to a lack of evidence or the victim withdrawing support.
Website operators were able to redistribute and profit from

many of the images shared. Last month, there was an
outcry after a man who posted sexual images of a 15-yearold girl online was let off with a police caution.
Currently, the revenge porn law focuses on whether the
perpetrator intended to cause distress. WEP is instead
calling for the focus to be placed on whether the victim
gave consent for the images to be shared.
Said Walker: "WE believe revenge porn is one of the most
concerning phenomena in the trend of online abuse
against women. By tackling this head on, we can set a
new template for dealing with broader online harassment
and give victims recourse to justice.
"Right now if you are harassed online, the response
depends on what the website operator or host has decided
is adequate."
UK data around online harassment is limited, but it's
though that one in 10 former partners has threatened to
post nude images of their ex online, with 60 per cent
following through. Half of revenge porn victims are then
harassed or stalked by someone who's seen the explicit
material online.
WEP is also backing mandatory sex and relationships
education in schools - something that was ruled out by
Education Secretary Nicky Morgan in February this year.
In 2013, Telegraph Women campaigned for 'better sex
education' and extracted a promise from David Cameron
to bring it into the digital age - including issues around
online porn, sexting, selfies and social media.
Added Walker: "WE will also be rolling out later this year a
nationwide campaign, with the help and contribution of all
of our members, to demand mandatory sex and
relationships education in all schools in England and
Wales, so that we can help our children navigate the
reality of their lives online.
"It is simply unacceptable that the Government has ruled
out something that is so essential to ending violence
against women."
Telegraph advice : What to do if someone posts your
naked pictures online :
www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/revenge-porn-heres-
what-to-do-if-someone-posts-your-naked-pictures-online/
(8th June 2016)
WILL YOUR CHILD BECOME A CRIMINAL IN LATER

LIFE ? THIS SIMPLE TEST COULD INDICATE THE
LIKELIHOOD
(The Telegraph, dated 23rd May 2016 author Adam Boult)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/23/will-your-childbecome-a-criminal-later-in-life-this-simple-test/
Would you rather have 100 right now - or 1,000 in five
years time?
A version of that question was put to almost every 13year-old in the Stockholm area back in 1966 - 13,606 of
them, to be precise. According to a new analysis by
Swedish researchers, the children who said they'd rather
wait for the higher sum were 33 per cent less likely than
average to have at least one criminal conviction by the
time they reached the age of 31.
The research team, led by David kerlund of the Swedish
Institute for Social Research at Stockholm University, said:
"Our results show that individuals with short time horizons
have a significantly higher risk of criminal involvement
later in life."
Researchers controlled for other influencing factors such
including parents' level of education and earnings.
"The magnitude of the relationship (between short time
horizons and criminal involvement) is substantial and
corresponds to roughly one-third of the association
between intelligence and crime," researchers said.
In a paper entitled 'Time discounting and criminal
behaviour,' the authors noted that individuals "may differ
in the way they balance the rewards of a crime that are
savored immediately and its potential costs in terms of
apprehension and punishment that are borne in the future.
"As noted by Wilson and Herrnstein 'the rewards of
crime usually precede the costs of crime [...] time
discounting becomes extremely important in explaining

criminal behaviour.'"
Time discounting - the tendency to disregard the value of
rewards that are a long way off - was found to be a better
predictor of property crimes than of violent crimes, which
researchers suggest points to time preference being
markedly different to self-control issues that may lead to
crimes of passion.
Researcher were careful to emphasise that not every child
who favours instant gratification has a life of crime ahead
of them. However, they did note that "early interventions
that make individuals more future-oriented may be used
as a tool to combat crime."
uaware comment
The article continues by describing tracts of younger
children, under the heading
"What every parent of four- to six-year-olds needs to
know"
(8th June 2016)
CITY POLICE PROBE DECEPTION ON SHIP "HIJACKED

BY PIRATES"
(London Evening News, dated 23rd May 2016 author Justin
Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/city-of-london-policeinvestigate-alleged-hijack-of-ship-by-piratesa3254741.html
City of London police are investigating 10 huge frauds with
losses totalling half a billion pounds including an alleged
scam involving the hijacking of a ship.
The cases are among 708 major live inquiries being
conducted by detectives after an explosion of online fraud
across the UK.
City police Commissioner Ian Dyson said Action Fraud, the

national fraud reporting body, was now receiving about
40,000 reports of scams every month.
He revealed how the biggest 10 cases involve 4,580
victims across the UK.
One case involves around 450 retired and serving Gurkha
soldiers who are feared to have fallen victim to a
suspected 50 million Ponzi scheme.
Another inquiry centres on allegations of deception over
claims that a cargo ship was hijacked by pirates off the
coast of Yemen.
Other investigations with alleged multi-million-pound
losses include an inquiry into an alleged City insider trader
who is claimed to have racked up losses of 4 million and
other complex deals to do with land banking and carbon
credit fraud. Mr Dyson, who was appointed in January,
revealed that the perpetrators of 50 per cent of all fraud
reports were based in foreign countries and could not be
touched by law enforcement.
He said: "We cannot investigate our way out of this, it is
global and it is online. The perpetrators in about 50 per
cent of the frauds we receive each month are abroad.
They don't even need to be people, they can be websites,
they are call centres, so it is unrealistic to think we can
lock someone up in the traditional way for every crime."
In an interview with the Standard, Mr Dyson said specialist
fraud investigators were tackling crime gangs with links
across the world.
When police could not arrest foreign offenders, officers
focused on disrupting their activities by closing down tens
of thousands of websites, phone lines and bank accounts
each year.
He said detectives were supported by around 30 civilian
experts who were on secondment to City police, including
specialists from Microsoft, the insurance industry and the
Treasury.
Mr Dyson said: "There can be a perception that it is Pc
Plod trying to track very sophisticated online internet
savvy fraudsters. I want to address that. I have got very
tech-savvy people working for me, whether they are police
officers or people on secondment from other industries or
other agencies.
"I also want to address the perception that fraud is so big

and so global that people think if they report it to the bank
nothing ever happens and law enforcement is not
interested. Well, we are interested. It is just educating
everyone that you cannot get a collar felt for every crime
that is occurring."
He predicted the Crime Survey for England and Wales
would record five million extra offences when it includes
fraud in its July figures for the first time. Mr Dyson said law
enforcement was fighting back with the launch of the
Home Office-funded Joint Fraud Task Force and an alliance
between his force and the Manhattan District Attorney's
office.
(8th June 2016)
100 THIEVES STOLE $12.7 MILLION FROM ATMs IN

2.5 HOURS
(Computer World, dated 23rd May 2016 author Darlene
Storm)
In less than three hours, at least 100 people helped pull
off a $12.7 million heist by using cloned credit cards at
ATMs in Japan. While organized crime may not equally split
the spoils, if 100 people participated in the heist, then
each of those people potentially made $127,000 for less
than three hours of work. That's a pretty slick trick.
The gang of thieves used the fake credit cards at 1,400
machines, according to a report in The Mainichi; each
person withdrew the maximum amount of 100,000 yen,
which is roughly $913, and repeated the process in each
of the "14,000 transactions" that used more than 1,600
credit cards issued by a South African bank. The BCC
reported the crooks "targeted 7-Eleven cash machines"
since those ATMs accept foreign cards and most others
don't in Japan.
The fraudsters pulled off the heist in about 2 and a half

hours on Sunday, May 15; the speedy crime spree started
at shortly after 5 a.m. and was completed a little before 8
a.m. The Japan News added that the fraudulent
withdrawals occurred in Tokyo and 16 prefectures. Since it
was a Sunday and the banks were closed, and the cards
were from a different country, it may have given the
thieves time to flee Japan before the attack was
discovered.
The Yomiuri Shimbun explained, "Since the cards were
forged based on data leaked about credit cards issued by
a bank in South Africa, police believe that an international
criminal organization is involved." The fraud was
discovered after "a report from a bank that installed some
of the ATMs." The ATM transaction records indicated "that
data related to about 1,600 credit cards issued by the
South African bank were used. It is highly likely that the
suspects abused the cashing function of the credit cards
after forging the cards based on card data illegally
obtained by hacking or other methods."
Japanese police may not have named the bank, but South
Africa's Standard Bank acknowledged the heist and
estimated its total losses at around $19 million, with the
BBC reporting the amount was $19,250,000. It's unclear
why the bank is claiming over $19 million in losses when
most news reports are claiming the thieves made off with
$12.7 million (1.4 billion yen).
Standard Bank, which is Africa's "biggest bank by assets"
according to Bloomberg, issued a statement claiming it
was a "victim of a sophisticated, coordinated fraud
incident. This involved the withdrawal of cash using a
small number of fictitious cards at various ATMs in Japan."
The bank added that there was "no financial loss for
customers."
Japanese police are reportedly reviewing security camera
footage to identify the suspects as well as working with
the bank and Interpol. Translated by Google, a Yomiuri
Online second report mentions the Chinese, but the BBC
added that no one has been arrested yet.
"From reports already released, it is evident that it is an
incident of transnational organized crime that was well
planned and executed," the South African Banking Risk
Information Center (Sabric) told Fin24. "Due to the

sensitive nature of the investigation that is being
conducted, it is understandable that the bank is not in a
position to make any other information available at this
stage."
The ATM heist scenario may sound familiar, as there have
been other cases using forged credit cards to fraudulently
withdrawal cash from ATMs. The Yomiuri mentioned a case
when thugs used fake cards at ATMs in 26 countries,
between 2012 to 2013, to cash out 4.5 billion yen, which is
a little over $41 million.
(1st June 2016)
FANS LOSE 5m AS ONLINE TICKET FRAUD

INCREASES
(Sky News, dated 21st May 2016)
http://news.sky.com/story/1699936/fans-lose-5m-asonline-ticket-fraud-increases
Social media websites must do more to tackle ticket fraud
as they are used in almost half of scams, councils say.
Music and sports fans trying to secure event tickets lost
more than 5m to online fraud in 2015, councils have
revealed.
Customers who fell victim to ticket fraud lost an average
of 444 per transaction, the Local Government Association
(LGA) has said.
It urged social media sites urged to do more to prevent the
problem as they were used for almost half of the scams.
Councils have warned that the problem is increasing, with
total losses up from 3.35m in 2014.
Officials say that summer could be "ripe for criminals to
exploit desperate fans", with a series of sporting events,
festivals and Wembley concerts by Beyonce, Rihanna and
Bruce Springsteen all expected to be targeted by
fraudsters.
Simon Blackburn, chairman of LGA's Safer and Stronger

Communities Board, said: "People should be very wary of
ticket offers for 'sold out' events as these situations are
exploited by criminals. Similarly, if the price seems too
good to be true, it's likely to be a scam."
More than a quarter of fake tickets sold online in 2015
(26%) were for sporting events including the Rugby World
Cup and Premier League fixtures, while more than 200
people complained to Action Fraud after tickets purchased
for concerts including Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran from an
online ticket site never arrived.
And 21% of ticket scams involved Facebook, while Twitter
was used in 6% of incidents.
Mike Andrews from National Trading Standards' eCrime
team said: "Criminals selling fake tickets online are
becoming more and more prevalent - to avoid
disappointment we urge fans to be on guard when
purchasing sports and music tickets."
People concerned about suspected fraudulent sales can
report them to the Citizens Advice consumer helpline on
03454 04 05 06.
(8th June 2016)
WE'VE BEEN IGNORING AN EPIDEMIC OF CHILD

SEXUAL ABUSE IN BRITAIN
(The Telegraph, dated 20th May 2016 author Joan Smith)
www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/weve-been-ignoring-anepidemic-of-child-sex-abuse-in-britain/
Joan Smith is the Chaiir of the Mayor of London's Violence
Against Women and Girls Board
At first sight, the figures are jaw-dropping: police in
England and Wales are preparing to deal with 30,000 new
cases of child sexual abuse. Reports are being passed to
the police at a rate of 100 a month by the Goddard
inquiry, which was set up after the exposure of Jimmy

Savile. One senior officer told the Guardian he predicts
that police will be investigating 200,000 cases across the
country by 2020.
Some critics will regard these figures with scepticism,
pointing to the botched inquiry into allegations of
historical sexual abuse against a number of public figures,
which has now been wound up. But the mishandling of
that investigation does not mean we can ignore a
mounting body of evidence that the scale of child sexual
abuse is much greater than most people ever suspected.
The figure of 30,000 comes from Simon Bailey, chief
constable of Norfolk and head of the national coordinating
unit, Operation Hydrant, which is handling reports passed
on by the Goddard inquiry. Justice Lowell Goddard is in
charge of 13 investigations involving a number of
institutions, including the Church, Westminster, the
borough of Lambeth and a detention centre in Durham,
along with allegations of child sexual exploitation in
Rochdale, Devon, Cornwall, Oxford and Rotherham.
Two thousand victims have already contacted the Goddard
inquiry and 600 have said they are willing to speak to its
'truth project', which was set up hear detailed testimony of
childhood abuse.
Bailey says he is surprised and shocked by the extent of
the abuse being exposed. He's right to be - we should
never lose our capacity to be shocked by crimes against
the most vulnerable individuals in society. But this is not
the first indication that the scale of child sexual abuse has
been hidden from sight for decades.
In November last year, the children's commissioner, Anne
Longfield, published a report which estimated there were
between 400,000 and 450,000 victims of child sexual
abuse in England between April 2012 and March 2014. The
NSPCC estimates that for every child known to be in need
of protection from abuse, another eight are suffering in
silence.
This is a very dark picture of childhood and it is not
surprising that some people are reluctant to acknowledge
it.
But two things have come together to tear away the veil
of secrecy. Operation Yewtree, the inquiry which
uncovered the staggering extent of Savile's crimes,

concluded that he had targeted 450 victims and
committed more than 30 rapes.
At the same times, the activities of gangs of men who
sexually exploited under-age girls have been exposed in
Rotherham, Derby, Rochdale, Oxford and other towns.
None of these problems was on the radar 10 years ago,
and a handful of people who told the police they had been
assaulted by Savile or tried to expose 'grooming' gangs
were ignored.
The idea that there is a pool of thousands of victims of
child sexual abuse up and down the country is all too
plausible, I'm afraid. In London, senior officers are already
contemplating the possibility that they may have to
handle as many as 15,000 new cases as a direct result of
the Goddard inquiry.
But the implications for victims and the criminal justice
system are even wider.
Child sexual abuse is not the only crime that has been
vastly under-reported for decades; senior police officers
believe that only one in five rapes is ever reported, and
the same is likely to be true of serious sexual assaults.
More women are going to the police than ever before, but
low conviction rates and lack of confidence in the
prosecution process still deter many victims.
They are more likely to contact a rape crisis line to ask for
advice and support, and organisations that work with
victims see many more women and girls than the police.
They have argued for years that most rapists get away
with their crimes, creating a pool of women who never see
their attackers punished.
In London, almost 16,000 sexual offences were reported to
the police last year, along with 5,410 rapes. If those
figures represent only a fifth of the total, the true picture is
likely to be very different: more like 80,000 sexual assaults
and 27,000 rapes. The true number of rape victims in
London alone each year is probably around the size of a
small town, while a staggering number of perpetrators are
walking around, free to commit further offences.
Like the failure over many years to properly investigate
child sexual abuse, this is nothing short of a scandal.
The Goddard inquiry is finally beginning to make amends
to children for years of neglect, but what it is uncovering

applies just as much to adult victims of rape and sexual
assault. The time for a public inquiry into how those cases
are investigated is long overdue.
(8th June 2016)
BANK OF ENGLAND URGES UK INSTITUTIONS TO

BULK UP CYBERSECURITY AFTER BANGLADESH
HACK
www.ibtimes.co.uk/bank-england-urges-uk-institutionsbulk-cybersecurity-after-bangladesh-hack-1561102
In the wake of an orchestrated cyberattack found to be
targeting numerous banks across the globe, the Bank of
England issued an urgent call of all UK institutions to
check for "indicators of compromise" on any computer
connected to the Swift messaging service, it has emerged.
Officials close to the UK central bank, who spoke to
Reuters on condition of anonymity, said the warning was
issued in mid-to-late April - however is only now being
made public. The order marks the earliest known case of a
central bank in a major economy ordering a formal
security check-up of its member banks in response the
cyber-heist at the Bangladesh bank in February. In this
case, which is still being investigated, hackers were able
to compromise $81 (56m) in a complex scheme.
The Bank of England reportedly told UK banks to conduct
an audit of any system connected to Swift - which is used
by 11,000 institutions across the globe to communicate
securely and transfer funds.
It also demanded a "compliance check" to ensure that
security policies put forward by Swift are being followed,
alongside a check of who exactly has access to its
sensitive applications and web portals.
Additionally, UK banks were given IP addresses and email

addresses linked to recent attacks - which recently
expanded to a second location in Vietnam - and told to
check systems for any indication they had been used to
target its systems. The private communications, Reuters
said, told banks to respond "by early May."
Both the Bank of England and Brussels-based Swift
declined to comment on plans to bolster internal security
following the security alert caused by a wave of banking
attacks. However, it is clear high-level officials are
extremely aware of the devastation any hack on UK
systems would cause.
Since the Bangladesh incident, Swift has maintained its
'core systems' were not breached by hackers and that any
culpability lies with individual banks. In a statement
released on 13 May, Swift said: "The attackers clearly
exhibit a deep and sophisticated knowledge of specific
operational controls within the targeted banks - knowledge
that may have been gained from malicious insiders or
cyberattacks, or a combination of both."
It is believed that a form of malware was used by the
hackers to target the individual banks. Now, security firms
- including FireEye - are in the process of investigating the
landmark attack. Echoing calls from the Bank of England,
other central banks around the world have been instructed
to bulk up security measures and IT systems. As
previously reported, Nestor Espenilla, the Philippines'
central bank deputy governor, said: "There is absolutely
no room for complacency."
------------------------Further Information
ECUADOR BANK
www.ibtimes.co.uk/ecuador-bank-hack-saw-9m-stolensimilar-bangladesh-bank-heist-1561063
US BANKS AND FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/opicarus-ny-stock-exchange-usfederal-reserve-many-financial-institutions-attacked-byanonymous-1560836
VIETNAM BANK
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/vietnam-cyberheist-hackerstried-transfer-funds-slovenian-bank-1560525
SRI LANKA BANK
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/commercial-bank-ceylon-websitehit-by-hack-attack-1560271
(8th June 2016)
UBER DRIVERS "ACCUSED OF 32 SEX ATTACKS ON

LONDON CUSTOMERS IN ONE YEAR"
Hatty Collier)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/uber-drivers-accused-of32-sex-attacks-on-london-customers-in-one-yeara3251706.html
Uber drivers in London are accused of sexually assaulting
customers once every 11 days, new figures reveal.
Metropolitan Police officers received 32 allegations of rape
or sexual assault involving Uber drivers over 12 months,
Freedom of Information request data shows.
The force dealt with 154 allegations of sex attacks
involving taxi and minicab drivers, private chaffeurs and
rickshaw riders in the year to February, The Sun reported.
Of those alleged attacks reported to police, 32 involved
Uber drivers - the equivalent of about one every 11 days according to the newspaper.
Uber driver Aliriza Kurt, 42, was jailed for 18 months in
January for sexually assaulting a young woman in his car
after picking her up from Brixton Tube station.
A spokesman for Uber said: "All drivers who use the Uber
app in London are fully licensed by Transport for London
and have undergone exactly the same enhanced DBS
checks as black cab drivers, teachers and care workers.
"We take any allegations of this nature very seriously - we
work closely with the police on their inquiries and prevent

drivers from using the app while investigations take place.
Our GPS technology also means that every trip - more
than one million in London each week - is electronically
recorded."
A Met Police spokesman said: "The MPS has a dedicated
Cab Enforcement Unit, part of the Roads and Transport
Policing Command (RTPC), which is responsible for
enforcing the law relating to taxis and private hire vehicles
in London.
"It works closely with the Safer Transport Teams and local
borough police on joint operations to tackle touting and
other cab related offences, with a specific focus on
reducing sex offences in cabs through detection and
deterrence activities."
(8th June 2016)
HALF OF WOMEN FEEL AT RISK OF HARRASSMENT

ON LONDON PUBLIC TRANSPORT
(London Evening Standard, dated 19th May 2016 authors
Matt Watts and Ross Lydall)
www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/half-of-women-feel-atrisk-of-harassment-on-london-public-transporta3252051.html
Three-quarters of women in the UK have suffered public
harassment or violence in cities, a survey revealed today.
This ranges from 39 per cent experiencing name-calling to
54 per cent experiencing wolf-whistling.
Twenty three per cent said they had been victims of
groping or unwanted physical contact of a sexual nature.
The findings were published by ActionAid as its
ambassadors Imelda Staunton and Jodie Whittaker opened
an exhibition at Marble Arch to highlight the plight of
victims worldwide.
It found 36 per cent of women felt at risk of harassment
on public transport in UK cities, rising to 51 per cent

among the 128 London women who took part.
Sarah Carson, of ActionAid, said: "It is incredibly worrying
so many women in London feel at risk of this every day.
This is a problem that extends to women in cities around
the world."
Between last April and December there were 1,603 reports
of sex offences on the Tube, trains and buses in London,
compared with 1,117 for the same period the previous
year.
There are more than 14 million daily journeys on public
transport in the capital. Concerns have been raised about
a possible rise in incidents with the opening of the Night
Tube.
Mayor Sadiq Khan said: "I made it very clear during my
campaign that I will make policing a priority, and a key
part of that will be tackling exactly this type of harassment
and violence.
"We must clamp down on this and my team will work with
the British Transport Police and Transport for London on
plans to do everything possible to make sure every
Londoner feels safe on the transport network."
The YouGov poll asked 2,518 women in the UK, India,
Thailand and Brazil about their fears and experience of
harassment.
In the UK, the problem was worst among women aged 1824 and 25-34, with up to 92 per cent saying they had been
victims.
Last year, BTP launched the Report It To Stop It drive after
it was revealed that just one in 10 Londoners who
experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on public
transport reported it to police.
It said: "Though it is clearly a concern that so many people
are affected, it is pleasing that previously reluctant victims
now have the confidence to report this to us."
Detective Chief Superintendent Paul Rickett from the Met's
Roads and Transport Policing Command, said: "Initiatives
such as Operation Guardian and 'Report it to Stop it' are
designed to increase victims confidence in coming
forward.
"The more reports we receive, the more chance we have
of catching those responsible.
"Behaviour such as this is unacceptable and will result in a

swift and robust police response against identified
perpetrators."
(8th June 2016)
SAINBURY'S BANK INSURANCE SPAM SCAM CAUSES

CONFUSION
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/17/sainsburys_bank_spam_
confusion/
Numerous UK surfers were left confused on Monday after
receiving email confirmations for insurance products with
Sainsbury's Bank that they never bought.
People are receiving emails claiming they have started
new policies for travel, home and car insurance from the
UK supermarket giant's banking business. El Reg learnt of
the curious emails from three readers, one of who said
that the emails were sent to his parents. "They haven't
been customer[s] for years," he added.
El Reg has seen a copy of one of the dodgy emails and the
branding looks convincing but there's no mention of the
amount supposedly paid or details of the cover. It's
basically a "Thank you" note.
The curious spam campaign has prompted at least a
dozen separate reports on social media on Monday. The
people behind the official Sainsbury's Twitter profile have
responded with requests for more information.
PR representatives of Sainsbury's Bank have yet to
respond to our requests for comment. However the lack of
any obvious attempt to request info in the sample spam
we've seen would suggest some kind of internal snafu is
the most likely explanation, rather than a phishing
campaign. If fraudsters were behind the spam run surely
they wouldn't have chosen to frame it in the context of a
"thank you" email, unless they are being unusually subtle.
An apology email from Sainsbury's Bank forwarded to us

by one of the recipients late on Monday provides solid
evidence for the cock-up theory.
You may have received an email from Sainsbury's Bank
today about a product you don't have with us.
Please don't worry, this email should not have been sent
to you.
We're sorry for any concern or confusion caused.
And an update from Sainsbury's official customer Twitter
account confirms the supermarket giant was responsible
for the unexpected items in users' inboxes.
We're guessing either some kind of test exercise by
marketing staff using real customer emails addresses or a
mistake by a third-party is behind the slip-up.
(8th June 2016)
RIO OLYMPICS 2016 - CYBERCRIMINALS TARGETS
SPORTS FANS WITH FAKE TICKETS AND PHISHING
ATTACKS
author Hyacinth Mascarenhas)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/rio-olympics-2016-cybercriminalstarget-sports-fans-fake-ticket-scams-phishing-attacks1560415
Cybercriminals are actively exploiting the growing Olympic
fever as the games in Rio de Janeiro draw closer, targeting
sports fans with fake ticket scams, malware-ridden emails
and phishing attacks, according to a report from Kaspersky
Lab. The cybersecurity firm says scammers have been
selling fake tickets to the event since early 2015, a year
before the games are scheduled to take place.
In every major sports or cultural event, hundreds of
thousands of fans, government entities and organizations
investing in the global event often become the target of
cybercrime. Capitalising on the rising frenzy, excitement
and increasing reliance on technology, digital pickpockets
use a variety of methods to trick people into handing over
their personal and financial information.
According to Kaspersky, the most frequent topic in spam
emails is fake lottery wins for the ticket lottery organised

by the International Olympic Committee and the Brazilian
government. In these emails, fraudsters try to convince
their victims that their email was selected from a large list
and that they must respond with their personal
information to receive their prize.
Other fake emails include offers for various goods and
services including new TVs to watch the sports events and
magic pills that promise to make the recipient an "Olympic
champion," researchers Tatyana Shcherbakova and Andrey
Kostin said.
While most of these spam emails are in English, some are
in Portuguese as well due to this year's Olympic Games'
venue.
Fraudulent ticketing services for the Rio Games have also
been popping up recently, which Kaspersky Lab considers
"the most dangerous threat".
The firm reports that some cybercriminals are registering
domains with names containing "rio" and "rio2016". These
fake websites, many of which are "very well made," even
use cheap SSL certificates to provide "https" web
addresses to make them appear credible, thus making it
harder for users to distinguish between fake web pages
from the official ones.
"According to our research, the creation of fake sites
usually involves well organized, fraudulent, international
gangs," Andrey Kostin, senior web content analyst at
Kaspersky Lab, said in a statement. "They split tasks, so
that each small group is responsible for a separate part of
the work. For example, one group creates websites, the
other registers domains, another collects and sells the
victims' personal information, etc."
In 2014, Brazil was ranked the most dangerous company
for financial cyberattacks, according to an earlier
Kaspersky report, due to vague legislation and fewer
cybercrime arrests.
"In order to avoid falling victim to these fraudsters, sports
fans should be savvy when they buy tickets," Kostin said.
"They should only trust authorized resellers, no matter
how attractive the low prices from other resources can
be."
(8th June 2016)
POLICE CHIEFS STRUGGLING TO RECRUIT ARMED

OFFICERS OVER CONVICTION FEARS
(The Guardian, dated 15th May 2016 author Vikram Dodd)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/15/policechiefs-struggling-recruit-armed-officers-conviction-fears
Police chiefs are struggling to recruit enough officers
willing to carry a gun to tackle a Paris-style terror attack,
because they fear they will be treated as criminal suspects
if they use their weapon in the line of duty, the country's
top firearms officer has warned.
Deputy chief constable Simon Chesterman said potential
recruits were being deterred because of fears they could
spend years under investigation after a decision to fire on
a suspect.
After November's terrorist gun and bomb attacks on Paris,
senior security officials believe Britain needs an extra
1,500 armed officers. But because half won't make it
through rigorous training and selection, police chiefs need
3,000 volunteers to come forward.
Chesterman, the national lead for firearms, said: "We
might have a challenge attracting the right number of
volunteers and retaining the people we have got." He
added: "It is not a crisis but it might become one."
A representative of firearms officers in England and Wales
has warned that in the event of a determined terrorist gun
attack targeting civilians such as that carried out in the
French capital six months ago, significant parts of Britain
would be left vulnerable.
Che Donald of the Police Federation, who represents the
current 5,647 firearms officers, said while major cities
such as London had sufficient cover, other large towns and
cities did not. "Currently there are not enough firearms
officers who could deal with an incident in quite a lot of
areas of Britain."
Britain's police are largely unarmed and officers need to

volunteer to carry a gun.
British police chiefs devised new strategies after the
November attacks in Paris, which they viewed as a "game
changer" because the terrorists used new tactics and
displayed greater capability to kill on western territory
than previously thought.
Key among the new plans was the need to deploy armed
police officers, faster and in greater numbers than before
in the event of an attack. The theory is that it would take a
minimum of three armed officers to confront and
neutralise one armed terrorist.
Assessments after Paris suggest the loss of life was limited
to 130 people because the French police, who are
routinely armed, could get officers carrying guns onto the
streets far faster than the British state can.
This need to boost numbers coincided with increased
disaffection among firearms officers, caused by several
factors.
Chesterman and Donald say firearms officers were rocked
by the arrest in December 2015 of a police officer on
suspicion of murder.
The officer known as W80 was arrested by the
Independent Police Complaints Commission after a
suspect, Jermaine Baker, was shot dead in December in
Wood Green, north London. Baker was thought by police to
be part of a plot to spring a prisoner from custody. He was
shot while sat in the front passenger seat of a car. An
imitation firearm was found in the back of the car, on the
floor.
Donald said the arrest caused anger. "It had a huge effect.
It sent shockwaves through the entire armed policing
community."
Chesterman added: "Morale among firearms officers is
poor. They are more than prepared to put themselves in
harm's way to protect the public. What they are worried
about, in the event they have to use lethal force, is that
they make a split-second decision and are pulled apart for
up to 10 years."
He said the anger among firearms officers, at a time when
they were needed more than ever to face down a potential
terrorist attack, had led the prime minister to order a
review of the laws covering armed officers.

David Cameron's review was "reassuring" and "very
welcome" and stopped the disaffection among armed
officers worsening, said Chesterman.
He said: "No one is looking for immunity, but they want to
be treated as professional witnesses and not as suspects,
unless there is evidence."
Officers are also angered by IPCC plans to toughen up
measures after any shooting. The plans being considered
by the home secretary would mean that officers are
separated after a shooting, stopped from conferring while
making statements, and required to give detailed
accounts straight after an incident.
Chesterman "There are things in the background that, if
we don't get them right, will put people off."
Deborah Coles of Inquest, which has supported families
whose loved ones have died after police shootings, said
officers should face tougher rules. Recent killings include
the innocent Jean Charles de Menezes, mistaken for a
terrorist in 2005, and Mark Duggan, who was shot in 2011
after an officer thought he was holding a gun, which an
inquest jury concluded he had tossed away earlier.
In both cases police use of deadly force was found to be
lawful. Under the laws on self-defence, officers need to
show they have an "honest belief" that a suspect poses a
lethal threat.
Coles said: "The lack of immediate separation and
conferring by police following shootings and other deaths
involving use of force has undermined family, community
and public confidence with concerns about risks of
collusion or contamination of evidence.
"The police hold a monopoly on the use of force on behalf
of the state and this comes with a requirement to justify
the fatal use of force in a transparent manner. The rule of
law must apply equally to police officers. Police resistance
to the new proposals will further erode public confidence."
Some in policing believe the law should be changed to
further protect armed officers, but Chesterman's view is
that it does not need to, although the procedures could be
improved: "There should be a rebuttable presumption they
have done nothing wrong, unless the evidence shows
otherwise."
London is seen as the most likely target for a terrorist

attack, and the Metropolitan police are on course to recruit
300 of the 600 extra armed officers they want.
UK military special forces units such as the Special Air
Service and Special Boat Service are on standby and
response times have been cut to less than an hour, but
armed police officers are expected to be the first to
confront any attackers.
After the Paris attacks, a special squad of counterterrorism specialist firearms officers has been increased in
number and is now organised in four hubs around Britain,
as well as a squad covering London.
Donald said: "The challenge is is going to be quick
mobilisation and getting resources to where they are
needed in sufficient numbers."
---------------------------------ARMY COULD BE BOUGHT IN TO PATROL THE STREETS,
WARNS POLICE LEADERS (Extract)
(The Telegraph, dated 16th May 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/15/army-could-bebrought-in-to-patrol-the-streets-warn-police-leade/
The Army may have to be deployed on the streets of
mainland Britain to carry out routine policing duties
because constables are reluctant to train as firearms
officers, it has been warned.
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation, said
officers are not volunteering to carry guns because they
fear being "hung out to dry" and treated like a suspect if
they discharge their weapon.
It could force the Government to call in troops to carry out
day-to-day guarding and patrolling duties at major
transport hubs, city centres and key buildings such as the
Houses of Parliament, he suggested.
Mr White, who opens the federation's annual conference in
Bournemouth, Dorset, on Monday, said a national shortage
of armed police was leaving Britain vulnerable to terror
attack.
"I think there is a real possibility the Army could have to
be called in to conduct routine duties that are currently
performed by authorised firearms officers," said Mr White.
"If you cannot get police officers carrying guns then you
are going to have to have the Army on the streets."
(8th June 2016)
TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF DRUG DRIVERS ARE BEING

CAUGHT ON LONDON'S ROADS
Hannah Al Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/dramatic-rise-in-numberof-drug-driving-offences-recorded-in-londona3248006.html
The number of motorists charged with drug-driving in
London has soared over the last 12 months - increasing by
almost 300 per cent.
Research conducted by Confused.com using freedom of
information data showed that nationwide there had been a
140 per cent increase in charges, while in the capital the
rise was almost double, at a staggering 290 per cent.
The rise coincides with changes to drug-driving laws that
came into effect in March 2015, which saw new road-side
drug screening devices introduced, alongside new drug
limits for a wider variety of drugs - both illegal and
prescription.
Between March 2015 and February 2016 1,209 motorists
in London were charged with drug-driving, compared with
just 310 the year before.
The FOI data obtained reveals some of the most common
drugs that drivers have been pulled over under the
influence of, including illegal drugs heroin, cocaine,
ecstasy, amphetamines, ketamine and cannabis, as well
as prescription medications such as diazepam and
codeine.
In an online poll of motorists one in seven admitted to
drug driving, with the majority taking prescription
medication rather than illegal drugs.
The research found British motorists are four times more
likely to drive under the influence of legal drugs than their
contraband counterparts, with many saying they were
unaware of how the law applies to driving when using
prescription drugs.
And with hay fever season approaching, more than a third
of motorists claimed to suffer from with the condition, with
nearly two-thirds of hay fever sufferers admitting to
driving after taking medication to treat the allergy, despite
the potential risks of drowsiness and reduced
concentration levels.
Matt Lloyd, Motoring Expert at Confused.com said: "It's
worrying to see that so many motorists admit to driving
whilst under the influence of drugs - both prescription and
illegal. However, it would seem that new drug driving laws
introduced early last year seem to be having an impact,
with the number of drug driving arrests increasing by 140
per cent.
"This means more motorists who are found to have broken
the law are being caught, which in turn will help to make
our roads a safer place.
"There is however, another area for concern around the
level of awareness amongst drivers when it comes to how
certain medications can affect a person's driving ability.
"This is particularly alarming given the current time of
year, especially as more than a third of motorists admit to
suffering from hay fever, with many resorting to
medication to help combat the symptoms - despite the
potential risks of drowsiness and reduced concentration
levels.
"Our advice is simple, before taking any medication
people should always read the safety leaflet before
driving. Or if unsure they should ask the pharmacist or err
on the side of caution and don't drive, as road safety for
themselves and others should be a top priority for any
driver."
(8th June 2016)
SADIQ KHAN ACTS ON MANIFESTO PLEDGE TO GET

MORE POLICE ON STREETS
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/sadiq-khan-acts-onmanifesto-pledge-to-get-more-police-on-streetsa3247251.html
More police officers are to be deployed on neighbourhood
patrols in London as part of Sadiq Khan's new vision of
policing the capital.
Met chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said he was reviewing
the force's neighbourhood policing model as a result of
meeting the new Mayor.
In his manifesto Mr Khan pledged to boost local officers on
patrol in wards and he told the Evening Standard that he
had raised the issue at his first meetings with the Met
chief.
He said: "It is reassuring to have a commissioner who
understands Londoners concerns and last Thursday's
election gives me a mandate to carry through the
promises I made.
"I am clear after speaking to the current commissioner and
previous senior officers how important neighbourhood
policing is. As a dad with two teenage daughters I also
understand how important it is we tackle knife crime." He
was talking after meeting Sir Bernard at an armed police
terror training exercise in central London in which he
praised the work of firearms officers.
Sir Bernard said a review was under way of the Met's
neighbourhood policing model, saying: "We will work on
neighbourhood policing to see if we can improve that."
----------------------SADIQ KHAN : 400 NEW GUN POLICE ON DUTY NEXT YEAR

Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/sadiq-khan-400-newgun-police-on-duty-next-year-a3246351.html
Mayor Sadiq Khan today announced an extra 400 armed
officers would be deployed to tackle the terror threat next
year, saying: "Nothing is more important than keeping
Londoners safe."
Today he observed a training exercise to test the response
of armed police to a Paris-style firearms attack on the
capital.
He met Scotland Yard chief Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe who
announced last year he would boost the number of
firearms officers by 600 to meet the terror threat.
The Mayor and Commissioner revealed that 400 of the 600
officers who had volunteered would complete their
training by next April.
(8th June 2016)
GOVERNMENT TO PULL PLUG ON ONLINE ID

VERIFICATION PORTAL GATEWAY IN 2018
(The Register, dated 13th May 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/13/plug_to_be_pulled_on_g
ateway_in_2018/
A date has been set to formally decommission the
government's online identity Gateway portal by 2018 - a
move that raises serious questions as to whether the
Verify replacement will provide a fit for purpose
alternative.
The deal to pull the plug on Gateway - which is most
importantly used for self-assessment tax users - has gone
to Dell for 819,686.
There are currently 42 million Gateway online users,
according to another Freedom of Information response.

However, it is likely that individuals will be registered more
than once for a number of Gateway services.
But in 2011, the National Audit Office warned that the
system was starting to creak, identifying an "urgent need"
to find a better alternative to the Gateway.
Gateway's replacement Verify has been extremely slow to
get off the ground since it was first announced four years
ago.
Last year farmers were left unable to identify themselves
through the Verify service and had to return to pen and
paper. Users of marriage tax credit allowances also
encountered serious problems while trying to identify
themselves through the system.
There are currently no plans for Verify to provide
identification for business users and intermediaries such
as accountants acting on their behalf - something the
Gateway currently supports.
According to sources, the Department for Work and
Pensions and HMRC are looking to develop their own
version of an online identity tool intended as a way to
ensure a secure transaction with government services.
Verify so far has identified the identity of 500,000 users.
The service was supposed to move from public beta to live
last month, but has been delayed as it goes through a
service standard assessment.
The contract award notice said: "There was no alternative
supplier as Dell was the only supplier in the position to
provide software support and hardware maintenance
provision for the legacy service because the configuration
of the service is specific to dedicated hardware devices."
(8th June 2016)
ANONYMOUS SHUTS DOWN BANK OF ENGLAND AND

12 MOE INTERNATIONAL BANKS
author India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/opicarus-anonymous-shuts-down-bankengland-12-more-international-banks-1559859
Hacktivist collective Anonymous continues its assault,
titled OpIcarus, on the banks of the world with further
DDoS attacks on 13 additional international banks. Among
others, Anonymous also claims to have shut down, what
appears to be the Bank of England's internal email server mail.bankofengland.co.uk - which at the time of writing
was still down.
IBTimes UK reached out to the Bank of England, but has
not got a response until the time of writing.
Anonymous affiliated hackers going by the name of s1ege
and Scrub posted several tweets claiming to have shut
down various international banks in the span of four days.
On 9 May, s1ege tweeted about shutting down the
National Reserve Bank of Tonga and attacking the Central
Bank of Sweden the following day; while Scrub tweeted
about bringing down the website of the Central Bank of
Bhutan.
On 10 May, the websites for the Reserve Bank of New
Zealand and Central Bank of Montenegro also appeared to
be briefly down, which s1ege boasted about on Twitter. Yet
another Twitter account posting new reports about
OpIcarus also boasted about shutting down the website of
the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority. The next day yet
another tweet talked about shutting down the Central
Bank of Jordan.
However, the most number of banks were hit on 12 and 13
May. Six banks, including the Bank of Korea, the Central
Bank of Myanmar, the Central Bank of Lao, the Bihar
Gramin Bank, the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the
Bank of England appeared to have their websites taken
offline for a brief period. The exploits were once again
posted on Twitter by s1ege and scrub.
S1ege, believed to be a member of the Ghost Squad
branch of Anonymous hackers, opened up about the
motive of targeting international banks in an interview. He
said that the main focus of launching the cyberattacks was
to "start an online revolution" to retaliate against the "elite
banking cartels [are] putting the world in a perpetual state
of chaos." According to the hacker, all banks are potential

targets. However, the focus for future attacks will be on
"NASDAQ, NYSE and Paypal".
At the time of writing, the websites for the Central Bank of
Bhutan, the Central Bank of Myanmar, the Bihar Gramin
Bank, the Central Bank of Montenegro and the Bank of
England (mail.bankofengland.co.uk) were still inaccessible.
None of the affected banks have disclosed information
about the extent of damage the cyberattacks may have
caused. Every hack appears to have affected the websites
in varying degrees, with some websites being down for a
few minutes while others remaining inaccessible for hours.
Anonymous' campaign against international banks is
expected to continue throughout the month of May and
IBTimes UK will be covering the attacks.
(8th June 2016)
13,000 SUSPECTED AND CONVICTED CRIMINALS ON THE

RUN AFTER SKIPPING BAIL
(The Guardian, dated 11th May 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/11/13000suspected-and-convicted-criminals-on-run-after-skippingbail
More than 13,000 suspected and convicted criminals
facing charges including murder, rape and child sex
offences are on the run after skipping court bail, according
to information released by the police under the Freedom of
Information Act.
Some forces in England have more than 1,000 outstanding
warrants, some dating to the 1980s, for individuals who
failed to attend court hearings, figures given to the BBC
show.
As a result, thousands of potentially dangerous and violent
criminals remain at large, escaping justice and leaving
some victims in fear of further attacks, campaigners warn.

The Metropolitan police, West Yorkshire police, West
Midlands police, Greater Manchester police and Thames
Valley police reportedly have the greatest numbers of
outstanding warrants.
According to figures supplied to the BBC following FOI
requests, there are 13,492 known warrants outstanding.
The broadcaster asked all 39 forces in England to give
details of arrest warrants issued by the courts after a
suspect failed to attend hearings. Nine forces refused to
provide details or did not reply.
The oldest outstanding warrant related to a man accused
of attacking a police constable in 1980.
The warrants included those suspected or convicted of
fraud, drugs offences, grievous bodily harm, sexual
assault, child abuse, rape and murder.
David Padgett, from the charity Victim Support in Essex,
said victims feared reprisals, particularly if the accused
had been convicted. Victims could also be concerned the
same could happen to others.
He said: "This can play on how people recover from their
crime. It is pretty awful to find out someone has gone on
the run. If that person suddenly appeared can you imagine
how that would be? Some of these people are accused of
some really nasty offences; rapes and grievous bodily
harm."
The National Police Chiefs' Council lead for criminal justice
performance, DCC Gary Knighton, told the BBC officers
based their decision on who to pursue on the severity of
the offence.
Once a warrant is issued it is circulated on the police
national computer.
(8th June 2016)
RESEARCH REVEALS MORE THAN 20,000 NUMBERS

ARE STOLEN PER YEAR
(The Telegraph, dated 11th May 2016 author Alex Robbins)

www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/what-to-do-if-yournumber-plates-are-stolen--and-how-to-stop-it/
Huge numbers of drivers are now having their number
plates stolen, according to new research by the RAC.
The organisation sent Freedom of Information requests to
34 police forces and based on the responses it received, it
has revealed that more than 20,700 number plates were
stolen in England and Wales during 2014 - an average of
56 per day.
But why are criminals stealing just the car's number
plates?
Put simply, to disguise their own cars, or cars they plan to
use for criminal purposes. One of the most common ways
to use stolen number plates is in fuel theft. Drivers attach
stolen number plates to a car and then drive into a fuel
station, fill the car with fuel and drive off.
But fuel theft isn't the only reason number plates are
stolen. Cars with stolen plates have also been used in
other crimes, including shop lifting, burglaries or
robberies.
Other cases have involved drivers avoiding paying for
insurance or tax by attaching stolen number plates to cars
of a similar make, model and colour, and then driving
around without the risk of triggering automatic number
plate recognition systems on police cars.
Why do I need to be concerned?
Because if your number plates are stolen and attached to
a car used in a crime, police will use the number plate
details to trace the car, which will come back to wherever
the car is registered. So you could find the police knocking
at your door.
Worse still, if the number plates have been attached to a
car of a similar make, model and colour to yours, you
would have to prove it wasn't you. If you don't happen to
have a good alibi, that could land you in all sorts of
trouble.
Even if that doesn't happen, you could still find yourself on
the receiving end of fixed penalty notices or parking
tickets if someone is driving around with your registration

number on their car.
Let's not forget that, in addition to these worries, you
won't be able to drive your car legally on the road if your
number plates are stolen, until you buy yourself a new
pair - costing you both time and money.
How can I prevent my number plates being stolen?
First, follow the usual car theft prevention tips. Make sure
your car is always parked securely in a well-lit area, as
close as possible to your home or the place where you'll
be staying. It's a good idea to leave it in sight of buildings
or offices, or even better, to park it in an area with CCTV
coverage.
If you really want to prevent your number plates from
being stolen, you can purchase anti-tamper screws with
which to secure them to your car. These work on the same
principle as locking wheel nuts, and come with special
heads that can only be removed with a locking tool, also
supplied.
Some versions even come with a rotating sleeve around
the head, so that they can't be grasped with pliers or mole
grips.
If that's not enough for you, you can also buy theftresistant number plates, which are impossible to remove
in less than three minutes. Some versions are even
rendered unusable if they aren't removed properly, in a
particular way.
What should I do if my number plates are stolen?
Without hesitation, you should contact the police. Making
them aware that your number plates have been stolen
could help you enormously if it later turns out they were
used to commit crimes.
What's more, they may be able to track down the offender
or even stop them while out on the road.
You should also get your number plates replaced as soon
as possible, so that your car is road legal again. Be aware
that you may then be stopped by police more frequently
when out on the road, simply to check whether your
number plates are legally yours or not.

(8th June 2016)
LONDON IS THE BEST PLACE IN THE UK TO BEAT

SPEEDING TICKETS
David Williams)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/revealed-london-is-thebest-place-in-the-uk-to-beat-speeding-ticketsa3245106.html
Drivers caught by speed cameras in London are more than
twice as likely to have their fine overturned than the UK
average, new research reveals.
More than 7.6 million tickets have been issued by police
forces across Britain since 2011, with just 8.4 per cent of
drivers successfully having their fine cancelled.
However, motorists caught by the Metropolitan Police are
most likely to avoid points and a fine, with nearly one in
five tickets (17.4 per cent) being cancelled. In contrast,
those caught by Sussex Police stand just a 0.4 per cent
chance of escaping a penalty, while drivers in Cleveland
have only a 1.3 per cent chance of being let off.
Safety campaigners attacked the apparent ease with
which law-breaking motorists could escape penalties,
saying that the success rate sent out the wrong message.
The figures - uncovered by motoring magazine Auto
Express under the Freedom of Information Act - found that
drivers in Northamptonshire also had a high chance of
overturning a ticket on appeal, with 16.8 per cent of
tickets being cancelled. This was followed by drivers in
Greater Manchester, who had a 13.6 per cent of
overturning a fine.
Researchers found that 1.6 million tickets were issued in
2015, the highest figure in the last five years. Across
Britain, 2015 was the least successful year for appeals by
motorists, with just 7.6 per cent of convictions being

overturned. In 2014, drivers had a success rate of 9.2 per
cent.
Neil Greig, director of policy and research at IAM
RoadSmart, formerly the Institute of Advanced Motorists,
said: "We'd like to see no speeding tickets overturned, as
it can send the message that exceeding the limit is
something that you can get away with.
"However, there will always be a small number of
exceptions, where registration numbers are misidentified,
ownership is in question, drivers can prove they were
elsewhere or foreign vehicles are involved. Variations
between forces are a matter of concern and we'd welcome
more transparency. No safety camera partnership should
want a reputation as an area where a speeding ticket is
worth challenging."
Auto Express said fines were cancelled because of several
factors, including police unable to trace drivers and
motorists appealing in writing or in court. Fines for
emergency vehicles were also cancelled. A Met
spokesman said the force takes "all reasonable steps" to
trace offenders,.
"The MPS aims to reduce casualties and collisions by
promoting safer driving through the with "robust
enforcement of traffic legislation"., including the
enforcement of speed and traffic light offences detected
by the safety camera network.
"The vast majority of people caught speeding by the Met
on London's roads are detected and enforced. It should be
noted that cases that proceed will result in various positive
outcomes including paid conditional offer of fixed
penalties, cases referred to court or attendance at a
National Speed Awareness Course.
"In all cases, driving over the speed limit is a serious
offence. There can be consequences for the driver and
other road users. Speed can be a contributing factor in
serious and fatal collisions with devastating impact on
victims and their families."
Top 5 and bottom 5 areas for winning appeals
Percentage of speeding tickets overturned on appeal
between 2011-2015
Met Police : 17.4%
Northants : 16.8%
Gtr Manchester : 13.6%
Merseyside : 11%
Leicestershire : 9.9%
Norfolk : 4.8%
Cumbria : 3.9%
Durham : 2.1%
Cleveland : 1.3%
Sussex : 0.4%
(8th June 2016)
IBM's WATSON IS GOING TO CYBERSECURITY

SCHOOL
(Computer World, dated 10th May 2016 author Katherine
Noyes)
It's no secret that much of the wisdom of the world lies in
unstructured data, or the kind that's not necessarily
quantifiable and tidy. So it is in cybersecurity, and now IBM
is putting Watson to work to make that knowledge more
accessible.
Towards that end, IBM Security on Tuesday announced a
new year-long research project through which it will
collaborate with eight universities to help train its Watson
artificial intelligence system to tackle cybercrime.
Knowledge about threats is often hidden in unstructured
sources such as blogs, research reports and
documentation, said Kevin Skapinetz, director of strategy
for IBM Security.
"Let's say tomorrow there's an article about a new type of
malware, then a bunch of follow-up blogs," Skapinetz
explained. "Essentially what we're doing is training Watson
not just to understand that those documents exist, but to

add context and make connections between them."
Over the past year, IBM Security's own experts have been
working to teach Watson the "language of cybersecurity,"
he said. That's been accomplished largely by feeding it
thousands of documents annotated to help the system
understand what a threat is, what it does and what
indicators are related, for example.
"You go through the process of annotating documents not
just for nouns and verbs, but also what it all means
together," Skapinetz said. "Then Watson can start making
associations."
Now IBM aims to accelerate the training process. This fall,
it will begin working with students at universities including
California State Polytechnic University at Pomona, Penn
State, MIT, New York University and the University of
Maryland at Baltimore County along with Canada's
universities of New Brunswick, Ottawa and Waterloo.
Over the course of a year, the program aims to feed up to
15,000 new documents into Watson every month,
including threat intelligence reports, cybercrime
strategies, threat databases and materials from IBM's own
X-Force research library. X-Force represents 20 years of
security research, including details on 8 million spam and
phishing attacks and more than 100,000 documented
vulnerabilities.
Watson's natural language processing capabilities will help
it make sense of those reams of unstructured data. Its
data-mining techniques will help detect outliers, and its
graphical presentation tools will help find connections
among related data points in different documents, IBM
said.
Ultimately, the result will be a cloud service called Watson
for Cyber Security that's designed to provide insights into
emerging threats as well as recommendations on how to
stop them.
Some 60,000 security blogs are published each month,
and that's just one of many sources of information
cybersecurity professionals must try to keep up with,
Skapinetz noted.
"You can see why even the best analysts are missing a lot
of the information out there," he said. "What we're aiming
to do is take away some of the guesswork and help

analysts understand more context with an always-on
advisor that can help investigate and answer questions."
IBM plans to begin beta production deployments later this
year.
(1st June 2016)
POLICE REFUSE TO REVEAL THE NEW NAMES OF 800

PAEDOPHILES TO PROTECT THEIR HUMAN RIGHTS
(The Telegraph, dated 10th May 2016 author Lexi
Finnigan)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/10/police-refuse-toreveal-the-new-names-of-800-paedophiles-to-prot/
More than 800 sex offenders have changed their names by
deed poll to hide their past and police have refused to
reveal which names have been altered in a bid to protect
the criminals' human rights.
The stance by police means the offenders can move
among new communities without fear of locals identifying
them or learning about their criminal history from an
internet search.
Figures reveal that in the last five years 803 people on the
sex offenders register told cops of identity changes. This
included 83 rapists and 126 people convicted of
possessing or distributing child abuse images.
A further 44 were convicted of sexual assault and 88 of
indecent assault, according to a Freedom of Information
Act made by The Sun.
People on the Sex Offenders Register must inform police
within three days if they decide to use a new name. But
figures show the tactic is becoming increasingly popular.
The force with the highest number of name changes was
Nottinghamshire Police, with 149.
However, nationally the true figure could be far higher
because only 18 out of the country's 45 forces responded
to the request.
Three of the country's biggest forces, the Metropolitan
Police, Greater Manchester and West Midlands said it
would be too expensive for them to reveal the information.
Merseyside Police and Dyfed Powys Police said giving
further details of the offenders would put their human
rights at risk.
(8th June 2016)
UK BUSINESS IS STILL CLUELESS AT FENDING OFF

MALWARE ATTACKS, SAYS SURVEY
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/05/09/uk_gov_breaches_surve
y/
Two-thirds of large UK businesses were hit by a cyber
breach or attack in the past year, according to a UK
government-sponsored survey.
Nearly seven out of 10 attacks on all firms involved
viruses, spyware or malware according to a poll of UK
enterprises carried out as part of the Cyber Security
Breaches Survey.
Following the government's occasionally controversial
Cyber Essentials scheme would have prevented the
problems but a lack of adequate cyber security policies
means organisations are still getting caught out.
Only one in 10 firms had an incident management plan in
place - even though one in four large firms experiencing a
breach did so at least once a month, according to the
survey.
It's a familiar story. In an attempt to push change, the
government is making a record 1.9bn investment in
cyber security over the next five years, with a new
National Cyber Security Centre due to launch in autumn
this year. The centre will offer industry a "one-stop-shop"
for cyber security support.
Results from the survey are being released alongside the

government's Cyber Governance Health Check scheme,
which was launched following the TalkTalk cyber attack. It
found almost half of the top FTSE 350 businesses regarded
cyber attacks as the biggest threat to their business when
compared with other key risks - up from 29 per cent in
2014.
Minister for the Digital Economy Ed Vaizey said: "The UK is
a world-leading digital economy and this Government has
made cyber security a top priority. Too many firms are
losing money, data and consumer confidence with the
vast number of cyber attacks. It's absolutely crucial
businesses are secure and can protect data. As a
minimum companies should take action by adopting the
Cyber Essentials scheme which will help them protect
themselves."
(8th June 2016)
BLACKFRIARS TO BEDFORD TRAIN ROUTE NAMED AS

LONDONS MOST VIOLENT COMMUTER SERVICE
Mark Blunden)
www.standard.co.uk/news/transport/blackfriars-to-bedfordtrain-route-named-as-londons-most-violent-commuterservice-a3243221.html
A late-night train packed with revellers and workers
heading home from London's Blackfriars station has been
named as the capital's most violent late night commuter
service.
The 1.04am Saturday morning train bound for Bedford,
which is operated by Thameslink, recorded 23 crimes last
year, including theft, sexual assault and battery.
The 23 recorded crimes resulted in five arrests and two
convictions.
The figures were revealed in a Freedom of Information
request to British Transport Police focusing on London's

nine busiest commuter routes to the Home Counties
between midnight and 4am.
Eight crimes were recorded on services from King's Cross
to Peterborough and also Victoria to Brighton, plus seven
on Paddington to Oxford trains and five on the Waterloo to
Guildford line.
There were no reported crimes on the Marylebone to
Aylesbury service during the same period and one on the
Victoria to Maidstone East line.
Richard Fuller, Tory MP for Bedford and Kempston who
uses the Thameslink Blackfriars line, said the results were
'shocking' and that he would challenge the rail operator
over security.
He told the Daily Star: "People can have a good time but
when you have a good time you should realise there are
people on the train who want to sleep, maybe they worked
a night shift, maybe their work is stressful."
A Thameslink spokeswoman said: "These statistics of 23
crimes in one year have to be seen in the context of the
52,000 passengers we carried between Blackfriars and
Bedford in the early hours of Friday night in that same
period.
"The safety and security of our passengers and staff is of
great importance to us and crime rates on Thameslink
have fallen by seven per cent in the past year because of
the range of measures we have put in place."
(8th June 2016)
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT EXPLOITED FGM LAWS TO STAY

IN BRITAIN
(The Telegraph, dated 8th May 2016 author Martin Evans)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/08/illegal-immigrantexploited-fgm-laws-to-stay-in-britain/
An illegal immigrant from Nigeria was granted leave to
remain in Britain after falsely alleging that her daughters

would be subjected to female genital mutilation if they
were sent back.
A high court judge ruled that the three girls, aged 13, 10
and seven, needed protection from their father after
hearing claims he was making arrangements for them to
be "cut".
In a landmark case the girls became the first subjects of a
female genital mutilation (FGM) protection order, by the
British courts.
But that decision has now been overturned after a
different judge dismissed the claim, describing it as part of
an "immigration scam".
The case will raise concerns that more illegal migrants
could seek to dishonestly take advantage of tough new
rules aimed at protecting young girls from barbaric FGM
practices.
The family arrived in Britain in 2012 on a two year visitor
visa but when the husband returned to Nigeria the woman
stayed on with the children.
Last summer she twice failed to persuade the Home Office
to allow her to remain in the UK, but then 19 days later
made the claims about her daughters facing the threat of
FGM.
Mr Justice Holman said despite only hearing one side of
the story the threat was so great the family should be
allowed to remain.
But following the decision, the father travelled to London
to deny that he had ever intended to subject the girls to
FGM and a different judge declared that the woman had
"fundamentally and dishonestly misrepresented the true
position".
Mr Justice MacDonald said it was "more likely than not"
that the allegations had been part of an "immigration
scam".
The judge has also ruled that the children should no longer
live with their mother in London but be cared for by their
father - and he has given the man permission to move the
youngsters to Nigeria.
The judge also concluded that the woman was lying when
she claimed to have been subjected to FGM.
(8th June 2016)
PCC ELECTIONS : TORIES AND LABOUR CRUSH

INDEPENDENTS
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2016-36235294
The Conservatives and Labour have won almost all of the
elections for police and crime commissioners in England
and Wales, dealing a blow to independents.
With 36 of the 40 election results having been declared,
the Tories have won in 20 of the contests while Labour has
13 victories.
Independents, who were elected to 12 PCC posts in 2012,
have just three now.
The four remaining PCC elections, all in Wales, will declare
results on Sunday.
Tories won in Kent, Lincolnshire, Warwickshire, Hampshire,
Norfolk and West Mercia, which had all gone to
independents last time.
Voters in South Yorkshire re-elected Labour's Alan Billings,
who has said he will investigate claims that a former
police press officer was asked to "spin" news during the
Hillsborough inquests.
Hayley Court, who was employed in 2014, said South
Yorkshire Police wanted her to encourage the media to
report evidence favourable to the police case.
###Hire and fire
Turnout in the PCC elections was 25.2%, a substantial rise
on the 15.1% recorded in 2012, which was the lowest
recorded level of participation at a peacetime nongovernment election in Britain.
Home Secretary Theresa May had urged voters to take
part, saying PCCs "have the power to hire and fire chief
constables, control the police force's multimillion pound
budget, and set local priorities for policing and crime".
Mrs May has also suggested that PCCs could in future help
set up free schools to support children who might
otherwise fall into crime.

They may also have a role in youth justice and probation,
she has said.
A recent poll for the Electoral Reform Society found that
nearly nine in 10 people could not name their local PCC.
uaware information
The PCC role for London is combined with the Mayors role.
To support this role there is an organisationa called
"Mayor's Office for Policing And Crime" (MOPAC).
MOPAC website :
https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/mayors-officepolicing-and-crime-mopac
(8th June 2016)
FLY-TIPPERS FACE 400 ON THE SPOT FINES AS

COUNCILS GAIN NEW POWERS
(Daily Mail / Mail Online, dated 7th May 2016 author Press
Association)
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-3578001/Fly-tippersface-400-spot-fines-councils-gain-new-powers.html
Fly-tippers risk being slapped with 400 on-the-spot fines
from today as councils gain new powers to tackle the
scourge that costs taxpayers millions.
Those caught dumping small items such as old
mattresses, televisions and furniture face being issued
with a parking ticket-style fixed penalty notice (FPN), as
part of an overhaul in how local authorities combat the
antisocial behaviour.
Councils across England and Wales currently spend nearly
20 million carrying out over half a million enforcements
each year, with action against offenders often involving
expensive court proceedings.
It is hoped the new powers will bridge the gap between

smaller on-the-spot fines handed out to litterers and
criminal proceedings against large-scale illegal dumping.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said the powers
to hand out stiff fines without having to take perpetrators
to court will help councils under pressure to cut costs.
LGA environment spokesman Councillor Martin Tett
welcomed the change in the law, but called for changes in
the way more serious fly-tipping offences are prosecuted.
"The Government has responded to our call for councils to
be able to apply Fixed Penalty Notices for small scale flytipping - and this is a big step in the right direction.
"Councils also need a faster and more effective legal
system which means fly-tippers are given hard-hitting
fines for more serious offences.
"Local authorities should also be able to recoup all
prosecution costs, rather than be left out of pocket."
There are nearly 900,000 fly-tipping incidents a year in
England alone, costing nearly 50 million to clear up,
according to the LGA, which represents more than 370
councils in England and Wales.
The number of cases rose by 6% between 2014/15 and
2013/14, while the cost of clearing up increased by 11%.
Environment Minister Rory Stewart said: "It's beyond me
that anyone feels it's acceptable to simply dump their
waste by the road - whether in our cities or our
countryside. The new fixed penalty notices will provide
local authorities with another tool to crack down on the
selfish individuals who blight our neighbourhoods and ruin
our beautiful landscape.
"The fines will also act as a deterrent and we will continue
to work with local authorities to tackle the root cause of
the crime and change the mentality of the few who
commit it."
(8th June 2016)
LONDON'S NEW VIOLENT CRIME HOTSPOTS

Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/londons-new-crimehotspots-revealed-a3240796.html
Data collected from hospital A&E departments in London
has revealed dramatic new hotspots of violent crime in the
capital.
Anonymous intelligence collected from victims of knife
crime and violence shows different results from the picture
painted by police figures.
The data is collected under a scheme to cut violent crime
in which intelligence from A&E hospitals is shared with
police and local authorities.
So far, 17 hospital departments in London are involved in
the data sharing scheme, which allows police to create
maps of violent crime hotspots and plan strategies to
tackle them.
Researchers say the results also reveal new information
about weapon use and gang violence.
Professor Jonathan Shepherd, the architect of the original
violence reduction scheme in Cardiff, said: "The data
reveals new hotspots in London not apparent from the
police data.
"Also the surprise for me is that it has clearly got
relevance for understanding gang violence. This is useful
for identifying gang violence hotspots. People who are
injured do not want to go to the police, but they do go to
get their injuries treated."
In Hackney, the new intelligence is already being used by
the borough's Integrated Gangs Unit to direct police to
areas of gun and knife crime activity.
Writing in the magazine Police Professional, Professor
Shepherd and colleagues from the Greater London
Authority and the Met highlight contrasts between the
hospital data and police figures.
He says targeting hotspots at the right times is crucial: "It
is clear that scientific policing, like precision surgery, is
more effective, less harmful and less costly than
interventions informed by tradition and scattergun
approaches."
The use of hospital data by police has proved successful in

reducing violence in cities such as Cardiff but Professor
Shepherd said it was too early to say if it was having an
effect in London.
Researchers said examples of the new hotspots included
Tower Hamlets where the A&E data shows concentrations
of violence around the Royal London Hospital, Stepney
Green park and to the west of Bethnal Green Technical
College. This compared to police recording data which
shows most violence occurring around the junction of
Whitechapel Road and Mile End Road.
In Southwark, Rye Lane in Peckham and the Old Kent Road
stood out as hotspots of violence according to the A&E
data but they did not show up on the police records.
In Lambeth, the Tulse Hill estate showed up as a hotspot
from A&E data which was not reflected in information
gathered by police or the ambulance service.
There were similarities between the two recording
methods in revealing seasonal variations in violence, with
both police and hospital data showing peaks of trouble in
June and dips in December.
Professor Shepherd says targeting the hotspots at the
right times is crucial. "It is clear that scientific policing, like
precision surgery, is more effective, less harmful and less
costly than interventions informed by tradition and
scatter-gun approaches."
For example, A&E data showed there was more violence
around Camberwell Green and Leicester Square on Friday
nights whereas on Saturdays trouble was concentrated
more towards Stockwell.
The hospital data also revealed that victims of suspected
gang violence often travelled long distances for hospital
treatment. Data from nine A&Es revealed knife related
injuries that occurred in 22 boroughs.
Analysis also highlighted specific pubs and streets in
Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Hackney where glass
related injuries took place at night.
(8th June 2016)
HACKERS NOW USING CUSTOMISED COUNTRY AND

CULTURE SPECIFIC MALWARE TO TARGET VICTIMS
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hackers-now-using-customisedcountry-culture-specific-malware-target-victims-1558412
Cybercrime trends have revealed that hackers have begun
targeting victims by designing country and culture specific
malware, in efforts to lure in more unsuspecting victims.
Cybercriminals have also now begun to use regional
payment methods and vernacular to add to the
authenticity of their scams.
According to security research firm Sophos, cyber-scams
are becoming increasingly hard to identify and prevent,
thanks to "geo-malware" and regionalised email
ransomware attacks, which disguise themselves as local
and well-known brands to lure in more victims.
Sophos senior security advisor Chester Wisniewski likened
the organised effort of cybercriminals in crafting intelligent
and believable scams with running a multinational
organisation like McDonald's, which also incorporates
cultural differences in its products and services when
catering to specific countries.
"Cybercrime is now a highly competitive, multi-billiondollar business. They want to target wealthy countries
with particular kinds of malware, like ransomware and
banking malware, while utilizing other victims for more
mundane tasks like spamming or participating in denial-ofservice attacks," said Wisiniewski. "Users have been
conditioned to believe they can spot scams by the
incorrect grammar and shoddy spelling, which leads to
them falling even harder for well-crafted scam messages."
Researchers at Sophos Labs observed trends among
different strains of ransomware that have been used in the
past to target specific locations. For instance, varied
versions of CryptoWall hit victims principally in the US,
Canada, UK, France, Germany and Australia. On the other
hand, TeslaCrypt pounced on victims in the UK, US,
Canada, Singapore and Thailand, while TorrentLocker

honed in on the UK, Italy, Spain and Australia.
It has been noted that cybercriminals tend to avoid
targeting victims from certain locations. "This could be
happening for many reasons. Maybe the crooks don't want
attacks anywhere near their launch point to better avoid
detection. It could be national pride or perhaps there's a
conspiratorial undertone to create suspicion about a
country by omitting it from an attack," said Wisniewski.
There has been a recent rise in cyberattacks, be it
relatively small-scale phishing scams or global banking
hacks like that of the Qatar National Bank. With hackers
constantly evolving their techniques to deploy attacks, it
has become imperative for people to arm themselves with
more knowledge about potential threats.
(8th June 2016)
DRINK DRIVING FIGURES DEEPEN CONCERN OVER

IMPACT OF EU IMMIGRATION
(The Telegraph, dated 5th May 2016 author David Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/05/05/drink-drivingfigures-deepen-concern-over-impact-of-eu-immigrati/
Areas of the country which have seen high levels of
eastern European immigration have been revealed as
some of the most serious black spots for drink-driving.
Boston in Lincolnshire took second place with 598 offences
in five years, according to figures obtained under freedom
of information laws.
Peterborough in Cambridgeshire took third place with 589
and Wisbech in the same county was tenth with 470.
It comes after a former Cambridgeshire chief constable
warned that drink-driving was showing a sharp rise
because immigrants had "different standards" towards the
crime than native Britons.
Julie Spence, the then chief constable, said in September
2007: "We can identify a significant rise in drink-drive,

which was down to people thinking that what they did
where they came from, they could do here."
She added that immigrants' attitudes towards drinkdriving compared with British mentality of the late 1980s.
Edmund King, president of the Automobile Association,
said: "UK citizens are well aware of the drink-drive
campaigns over the last 20 years and are aware of the
strict punishments, not least the 12 month ban.
"Sometimes when people come here from abroad they are
perhaps not as aware of how strict the interpretation of
the law is here.
"You do not automatically get a 12 month ban in many
European countries, for example.
"The message to all drivers, wherever they are from, is
that the rules apply to you and the risk of drink-driving is
not worth taking, both in relation to your own safety and
that of others."
Boston is now home to a higher proportion of eastern
European immigrants than anywhere else in England and
Wales, according to the 2011 Census.
It showed 10.6 per cent of the town's 65,000 population
came from one of the former Communist states such as
Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Romania, which joined the
European Union in two waves beginning in 2004.
More concerning, it has now been named as the least
integrated place in England and Wales by a Policy
Exchange report.
One postcode in Croydon, south London, was the worst
area for drink drivers with 687 cases in the last five years,
according to the data obtained by website Motoring.co.uk.
However, the postcode-based figures showed Leicester
had three areas in the worst 21, adding up to a total of
1,545 offenders, making it the most prevalent area for
drink-driving by geography rather than post-code. The
offences covered January 2011 to December 2015.
Top 21 worst UK post codes for convicted drinkdrive offenders, by postcode
1. CR0 Croydon, London - 687
2. PE21 Boston, Lincolnshire - 598
3. PE1 Peterborough, Cambridgeshire - 589

4. CV6 Coventry, West Midlands - 589
5. LE3 Leicester - 551
6. LE4 Leicester 499
8. NN3 Northampton - 474
9. SL1 Slough, Berkshire - 470
10. PE13 Wisbech, Cambridgeshire - 470
11. ST6 Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire - 449
12. E17 Walthamstow, London - 431
13. SL2 Slough, Berkshire - 430
14. NG5 Nottingham - 427
15. E6 East Ham, London - 413
16. NW10 Willesden, London - 404
17. CV2 Coventry, West Midlands - 404
18. NG17 Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire - 392
19. SE18 Woolwich, London - 376
20. PR2 Preston, Lancashire - 376
(8th June 2016)
FIVE SECURE HABITS OF THE PARANOID PC USER

(Computer World, dated 4th May 2016 author Paul Mah)
We know how it goes: You mean to practice safe
computing habits, really you do. But when you fire up your
computer, you just want to get stuff done -- and that's
when even savvy users begin to cut security corners.
We'd all do well to take a lesson from truly paranoid PC
users, who don't let impatience or laziness stand in the
way of protecting their data. Let's take a look at some of
their security habits that you may want to practice
regularly.
After all, staying safe online doesn't have to be onerous or
time-consuming. Invest an hour or two this weekend to
put a few safeguards in place, consciously start to practice

a few good habits -- and before you know it, your good
intentions will become a daily reality.
1. Use a Virtual Private Network everywhere
A perennial concern of the security conscious is having an
interloper listen in on online activities, which can make
you a ripe target for phishing attacks or even result in a
hijacked connection. This could happen in a variety of
settings, including at unprotected public Wi-Fi hotspots,
fake cellular base towers or Wi-Fi access points or hotel
networks that have been compromised by hackers
targeting executives traveling on business.
While enabling two-factor authentication (see below) and
visiting only websites that are secured with HTTPS can
alleviate some of these risks, a hacker in any of the above
scenarios could still gain far too much information about
the sites you visit. You may also be unknowingly exposed
to threats posed by insecure apps running in the
background on your laptop.
It makes much more sense to access the Internet through
a virtual private network in which all outgoing and
incoming traffic is funneled through an encrypted channel
to a trusted Internet gateway. Another advantage of this
strategy is how it masks your current IP address, which
should further reduce opportunities for phishing.
2. Enable two-step or two-factor authentication for
your online accounts
Basic password hygiene -- creating lengthy, complicated
passwords/passphrases, using different
passwords/passphrases for different accounts and
managing them all with a password manager -- is still an
important security fundamental, but it isn't nearly enough
to protect your computer in 2016.
Bad guys use multiple methods to steal static passwords:
devices like the $99 WiFi Pineapple that can be used to
masquerade as Wi-Fi access points, $10 hardware sniffers
that spy on and decrypt the signals from wireless
keyboards, and keylogging hardware devices that can be
plugged unobtrusively into a PC (there are dozens

available on Amazon). Malware attacks, bugs in poorly
written software and man-in-the-middle loopholes open up
additional threat vectors.
The simplest and most common form that this security
measure takes is a one-time code sent to your cell phone
via SMS when you log in to an account. Just type in the
code to complete the login.
3. Always lock your PC
One habit that most users are aware of but few practice is
to ensure that laptops or desktop PCs aren't left
unattended and unlocked, even in a semi-private space
like the company office. Given that many users log in to
their computers as administrators, it takes just a few
seconds of unfettered access to a running PC to install
some form of malware or spyware tailored to evade
detection by popular antimalware software.
The solution is to password-lock your device if you will be
away from it, protecting your data while leaving running
apps and the desktop untouched. A good habit to develop
is to lock your computer manually via a keyboard shortcut
every time you walk away from it.
4. Encrypt your drive
Encrypting the data on your PC is an important step in
ensuring that your data isn't compromised. The hard disk
drives found in some business laptops can be quickly
swapped out to another PC and duplicated or implanted
with spyware. Encrypting the drive means its data will
show up as gibberish when loaded on another system.
Even if that scenario doesn't seem likely to you, drive
encryption provides an additional safety guard against
prying eyes in case your laptop is lost or stolen.
5. Make sure your own Wi-Fi network is secure
Home and small-business Wi-Fi routers and access points
(APs) are something we tend to set and forget, but it's
worth spending half an hour performing a security audit
on your network and shoring up any weak points.

Because wireless signals typically propagate in all
directions, it's critical that you use robust encryption to
defend against eavesdropping and connection hijacking.
Flaws in older security protocols such as WEP mean that
they can be broken in minutes. Although new routers and
APs have dropped WEP in favor WPA or WPA2, it's still a
good idea to check the settings of older Wi-Fi devices to
make sure that WEP (or WEP2) hasn't been inadvertently
enabled.
uaware in short comment - change your router password.
(8th June 2016)
BILL FORCING PEOPLE TO PROVE NATIONALITY

SLAMMED AS DISCRIMINATORY
(The Guardian, dated 4th May 2016 author Vikram Dodd)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/may/04/bill-forcingpeople-to-prove-nationality-slammed-as-discriminatory
Government measures making people prove their
nationality or face prosecution risk damaging community
relations and are discriminatory, critics have warned.
The Conservatives want to give police and immigration
officers the power to order people who have been arrested
to state their nationality and require those believed to be
foreign nationals to produce their nationality documents,
such as a passport.
Failure to do so within 72 hours would become a criminal
offence under the policing and crime bill currently going
through parliament.
The government's stated aim is to make it easier to
remove foreign national offenders. But concerns have
been raised by civil liberties groups, as well as some
immigration and policing experts, that people will be
targeted because of how they look, their accent and their
skin colour.
They also warn that Britons will be caught up under the

measures, and if they come under suspicion, will be
required to prove they are British.
Sara Ogilvie, policy officer at Liberty, the civil rights
organisation, said: "The only grounds on which police
could decide someone might not be British are their
appearance and their accent, so the very basis of this
policy is discrimination.
"Requiring police to make clumsy assumptions and ask
provocative questions about a person's nationality is a
toxic recipe for race relations in our towns and cities. This
policy should have no place in the criminal justice system
and risks leading to unfair trials."
Ogilvie warned it was a British version of a controversial
US anti-immigrant law introduced in the state of Arizona
and resembled a hated policy that was scrapped in Britain,
the so-called "SUS" law, that poisoned race relations and
was blamed for disorder.
"Forcing people to declare their nationality on arrest and in
court marks a disturbing return to the dark days of the
SUS laws, and brings the widely-condemned divisiveness
of Arizona's immigration law onto UK soil," she said.
The government, in a note explaining the need for the
measure, said: "Foreign nationals comprise 12% of the
prison population in England and Wales. The government
aims to remove as many foreign national offenders (FNOs)
as quickly as possible to their home countries, to protect
the public, to reduce costs and to free up spaces in prison.
"Successfully establishing identity early post-arrest helps
to facilitate overseas criminal records checks - if serious
offending is revealed this can allow the Home Office to
consider deportation action even in cases where an
individual is released without charge."
It adds: "... successful identification is particularly difficult
where an individual is not carrying a document at the time
of arrest. Although it is already possible for officers to
search premises for identity documents, this is resource
intensive and to require officers to do so in every case
would be a disproportionate use of police resources."
Barrister Adrian Berry, chair of the Immigration Law
Practitioners' Association said: "There is a risk that visible
differences will be the marker, leading to people from
minority backgrounds being disproportionately challenged.

"Making it a criminal offence for a person arrested to fail
to produce a passport on demand or state a nationality is
unnecessary, heavy handed and carries its own risks. A
police officer need only suspect a person is not a British
citizen to demand a passport."
The head of a group representing serving police officers
also expressed concerns. DS Janet Hills, chair of the
National Black Policing Association, said: "I want to see
monitoring and accountability attached. There is likely to
be the disproportionately, the over targeting of ethnic
minorities."
Lord Paddick, a former Scotland Yard chief, now Liberal
Democrat spokesperson on home affairs in the House of
Lords, said: "This is yet another measure likely to undo
decades of work trying to rebuild police and community
relations.
"In the late 70s, when I was a PC, the way some officers
dealt with difficult black youth on the street was to arrest
them for being an over stayer.
"This measure puts the police right back at the centre of
enforcing immigration law."
Paddick said it was not a measure police wanted to see.
He also said it was a step towards identity cards: "If the
police can require you to prove you are British, that is one
stage short of identity cards."
Berry added: "As a police officer need only suspect a
person of a lack of nationality, British citizens as well as
foreigners would be caught by the measure. Failure to
produce a passport without a 'reasonable excuse' will be a
criminal offence.
"That is not a sufficient safeguard given that British
citizens and others are not obliged to carry identity
documents or passports when at liberty in the UK. The
effect of the measure will be to make passports function
as ID cards for both British citizens and foreigners."
The home secretary, Theresa May, has criticised police for
using stop and search powers disproportionately against
ethnic minority communities, viewing it as damaging to
trust in the police.
The Conservatives hope to increase their share of the
growing ethnic minority vote and believe action on issues

such as stop and search will help their appeal with black
and Asian Britons.
(8th June 2016)
REFERENDUM - EUROPE - IN OR OUT

(uaware, dated 8th May 2016 author "Editor")
On the 23rd June 2016 the British public will be asked for
their opinion on whether the
country remains in the European Union.
The British Government has issued a 16 page comic (sorry
leaflet) explaining why we should
remain in the EU and those that support the country's exit
has issued; nothing !
This in the main has left the British public relying on what
the media says and "gut
feeling and instinct".
All this lack of information can then be coupled with what
David Cameron said when the
date for the referendum was announced. Quote:" it is now
the time for British Citizens to
decide". But what is a British citizen ? And how does that
compare to a British resident ?
I have a European passport emblazoned with Her
Majesty's crest, it states that I am a
British Citizen. I also reside with the UK, so I am also a
British Resident. So what is
the status of a citizen from another European country,
resident within the UK ? Will they
have the right to vote in this UK referendum ?
Well that is a comparative minor question to ask. I have
looked through the Government
leaflet with its total lack of content. It doesn't really give a
balanced arguement to
supplement my gut feeling. So I have been hunting around
for an up to date book that gives

some form of balanced facts. The one I found is called
"Europe IN or OUT - Everything you
need to know", all 260 pages by David Charter, revised
2016. So instead of making up my
own waffle I will quote the publishers advertising blurb
from the cover :
"What will happen if Britain leaves the EU - and how will it
affect you ?
Europe : vital for Britain's economy and global staning or a
bureaucratic monster hell
bent on destroying our national sovereignty ? And why is
no one talking about what leaving
the European Union would actually mean ?
Addressing the real issues surrounding a potential EU exit
including jobs, travel,
immigration, investment, sovereignty and justice - this
updated and revised edition of
David Charter's essential guide investigates the
consequences both for the country and for
the person in the street.
A clear, comprehensive and compelling account of the
impact of the EU and the implications
of Brexit, this definitive unbiased handbook, from an
expert in the field, is essential
reading for anyone with an interest in Britain's future.
David Charter spent five years living and working in
Brussels as Europe Correspondent of
The Times and is currently the paper's Berlin
Correspendent. "
Bearing in mind this website provides information on
crime, I will just provide a small
extract from the book on that subject. Remember, the
book tries to offer a balanced
approach; so there are facts to remain IN the EU, and
those to leave - OUT.
From the books section on Justice :

IN - Britain exercised its right to opt out of all 133 EU
justice policies agreed before
the Lisbon Treaty of 2009 and is opting back into thirty five
of the, including the
European Arrest Warrant (EAW) and the police cooperation
agency Europol.
OUT - Fast track extradiction would no longer be possible
to or from the EU countries
without the EAW and cases could be held up for years.
Britain could apply to join Europol
just like non-EU members Norway and Switzerland which
cooperate fully and hav liaison
officers at the headquarters.
KEY STATS - From 2009 to 2013, 507 suspects were sent to
the UK using EAW including 63 for
child sex offences, 105 for drug trafficking and 44 for
murder. 4,005 suspects were
extradicted from the UK using EAW to other EU states,
including 57 for child sex offences,
414 for drug trafficking and 105 for murder.
(8th May 2016)
WEBMAIL FIRMS PROBE LOGIN "LEAK"

Several popular webmail providers are investigating a
report that millions of their users' login details are being
shared online by a hacker. Google Gmail, Yahoo Mail,
Microsoft Hotmail and Mail.ru are among the services said
to have been affected.
The security firm that flagged the issue said that it
believed many of the usernames and passwords involved
had not been leaked before.
However, it is not clear whether users' accounts have

actually been breached.
Hold Security said it had obtained a total of 272 million
unique pairs of email addresses and unencrypted
passwords from the hacker, 42.5 million of which the
company had not seen in earlier leaks.
It said the cybercriminal had initially asked for 50 roubles
(75 cents; 52 pence) in exchange for the list, but
eventually gave a copy away without charge after Hold's
staff posted favourable comments about him in a forum.
Even if many of the credentials are out of date or
inaccurate they could still be abused, the company
warned.
"There are hacker sites that advertise 'brute forcing'
popular services and store fronts by taking a large amount
of credentials and running them one-by-one against the
site," Alex Holden, the firm's chief information security
officer, told the BBC.
"What makes this discovery more significant is the
hacker's willingness to share these credentials virtually for
free, increasing the number of... malicious people who
might have this information."
Inactive combinations
According to Hold's analysis:
- 57 million credentials were for Mail.ru accounts
- 40 million were for Yahoo accounts
- 33 million were for Hotmail accounts
- 24 million were for Gmail accounts
However, Mail.ru - Russia's most used webmail service said its initial investigation suggested the problem might
not be as bad as the figures indicated.
"A large number of usernames are repeated with different
passwords," a spokeswoman said.
"We are now checking whether any combinations of
username/password match [active accounts] - and as soon
as we have enough information we will warn the users
who might have been affected.
"The first check of a sample of data showed that it does

not consist of any real live combinations of usernames and
passwords."
Microsoft said it had measures in place to identify
compromised accounts.
"[We would require] additional information to verify the
account owner and help them regain sole access," said a
spokesman.
Google said: "We are still investigating, so we don't have a
comment at this time."
And Yahoo added: "We've seen the reports and our team is
reaching out to Hold Security to obtain the list of accounts
now. We'll update going forward."
Phishing Warning
Hold Security has a track record for bringing significant
cyber-breaches to light, including past hacks of Adobe and
the US retailer Target.
Independent security consultant Alan Woodward said
people should remain alert to the dangers of phishing
emails.
Even if the vast majority of the passwords did not work, he
explained, cybercriminals could still use the list of email
addresses to bulk-send scams.
"Assuming the email addresses are valid, they still give
criminals the ability to mount certain types of attack," he
said.
However he added there was "no need to panic" or for
people to change their passwords at this point.
(5th May 2016)
"STOP USING EMAIL, USE THE POST INSTEAD" :

SOLICITORS FIGHT BACK "AGAINST CONVEYANCING
FRAUD"
(The Telegraph, dated 4th May 2016 author Amelia
Murray)
www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/stop-usingemail-use-the-post-instead-solicitors-fight-back-agai/
An official body has reacted to the spate of "conveyancing
fraud" cases uncovered by Telegraph Money by launching
a "cyber safety" initiative to protect consumers from
scams when they buy or sell property.
The Conveyancing Association, whose members handle
one in five property transactions in Britain, has advised
solicitors to communicate sensitive information such as
bank account details by post rather than email.
Many of the cases of fraud reported by Telegraph Money,
which have seen some victims robbed of hundreds of
thousands of pounds, have involved criminals apparently
intercepting emails between solicitors and property sellers
or buyers and substituting their own bank account details
for the genuine ones.
Telegraph Money has previously consulted a number of
experts and put together a guide to stop more people
falling victim.
The new scheme stipulates that the first communication
between clients and their conveyancing firm should be by
post and include the company's bank details. Clients will
be asked to verify their own account information in the
same way.
Beth Rudolf of the Conveyancing Association said the idea
was to avoid sending any personal financial details
electronically. She said using the post was "as safe as you
can get".
She added that member firms that wanted to continue to
use digital communication were developing alternative
online systems that would allow customers to enter
information in a secure portal, with verification by text
message or a password.
Another alternative scheme would allow clients to enter
bank details via an online "widget". If the information was
wrong, the client and company would be notified.
Clients will also be given a factsheet that offers further

guidance. This includes advice about not writing about
property purchases on social media.
Ms Rudolf said: "Avoid posting statuses on social media
about buying or selling your house, or even about getting
a mortgage. Criminals can easily find this information and
know that the next step is a financial transaction."
The other part of the initiative is to educate the
association's member firms about cyber crime.
Ms Rudolf said: "The measures suggested in the scheme
are simple but it's amazing the difference it makes to
securing systems. Lots of the attacks are not particularly
sophisticated, which means 85pc could be avoided by
taking these basic steps."
Member firms meet the requirements of the scheme will
be able to display a Cyber Safety Scheme logo on their
website to reassure customers that they take security
seriously.
Ms Rudolf said a panel of experts would check that firms
were abiding by the scheme's recommendations by
regularly testing their systems. The experts plan to phone
each company periodically and see "how far they can get"
before identity and security checks are made.
She added: "You cannot say the guidance will protect you
100pc. However, it is getting the public used to the idea
that this could happen to them and helping them choose a
lawyer who is going to take cyber security seriously."
Other experts have also stressed the importance of
avoiding communication by email with your solicitor when
discussing payments.
Tony Neate, head of Get Safe Online, a governmentbacked initiative, said he had advised his daughter to
make arrangements for her property purchase over the
phone, while Rob Hailstone, founder of legal advice group
Born Legal, said many firms had gone back to using fax
machines as they were less prone to interception.
(5th May 2016)
APRIL 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - APRIL 2016
-----------------------MOZILLA CREATES PATCHES TO FIREFOX AFTER FLAWS
FOUND BY GCHQ
(The Register, date 28th April 2016 author "Register Team)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/28/firefox_patch/
In version 46 of its popular Firefox web browser, Mozilla
has patched 10 vulnerabilities, some rated either critical
or high severity, that permitted remote code execution.
One of the patched high-severity flaws was burned
reported by the Communications-Electronics Security
Group (CESG), the information security limb of the UK's
Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ).
Mozilla says in an advisory that four critical memory safety
bugs (CVE-2016-2804 to 2807) are now patched.
"Mozilla developers fixed several memory safety bugs in
the browser engine used in Firefox and other Mozilla-based
products," the security team says
"Some of these bugs showed evidence of memory
corruption under certain circumstances, and we presume
that with enough effort at least some of these could be
exploited to run arbitrary code."
The lone high severity bug was found by British security
bods Maryam Mehrnezhad, Ehsan Toreini, Siamak F.
Shahandashti, and Feng Hao of Newcastle University.
-----------------------WHAT DO YOU CALL AN OLD, UNPATCHED AND EASILY
HACKED PC ? AN ATM
(The Register, dated 26th April 2016 author John Leyden)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/26/atm_hacking_all_t
oo_easy/
Almost any cash machine in the world could be illegally
accessed and jackpotted1 with or without the help of

malware.
Security researchers at Kaspersky Lab reached this
conclusion after investigating real attacks on ATMs and
assessments of the machines carried out for several
international banks.
The susceptibility of ATMs in particular is due to the
widespread use of outdated and insecure software,
mistakes in network configuration, and a lack of physical
security for critical components of ATMs.
For many years, the biggest threat to the customers and
owners of ATMs were skimmers - special devices attached
to an ATM in order to steal PINs and data on bank card
magstripes. However, as malicious techniques have
evolved, ATMs have been exposed to a greater range of
dangers.
-----------------------GOOGLE CAN'T HOLD BACK THIS MALWARE RUNNING RIOT
IN ITS PLAY STORE
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/26/android_malware_whac
k_a_mole/
Security researchers have discovered a strain of Android
malware that keeps finding its way onto Google Play despite the store supposedly being scrubbed clean of
infiltrated apps.
The software nasty - Android.Spy.277.origin - is hidden in
more than 100 applications on Google Play. Sketchy
programs harboring the malware masquerade as
legitimate popular games and the like, but they come with
a secret backdoor.
Once the infected app is installed, the attacker can
remotely download a malicious APK called "polacin.io" to
the device. After the victim is tricked into allowing the
code to be installed, the Android device sends a wide
array of information about the hardware to command and
control servers, plus the user's email address and location.
Hackers make money from the malicious app through ad
click fraud and by pushing mobile scareware. Users are
induced into installing fraudulent apps by saying the

device has battery issues that can be solved by
downloading utilities which, in reality, have little or no use.
----------------------GOOGLE FOUND 760,935 COMPROMISED WEB SITES IN A
YEAR
(The Register, dated 19th April 2016 author/s The Register
Team)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/19/google_80000_sites_bre
ached/
There are a lot of lazy and/or lousy webmasters out there
who don't know they're compromised.
Google and university researchers say the tech giant
found some 760,935 compromised websites across the
web during a year-long research effort.
Google's Eric Kuan; Yuan Niu; Lucas Ballard; Kurt Thomas,
and Elie Bursztein joined the University of California,
Berkely's Frank Li, Grant Ho, and Vern Paxson in writing
Remedying Web Hijacking: Notification Effectiveness and
Webmaster Comprehension.
In it the team says the Choc Factory usually emails the
admins of hacked sites operating its Search Console. It
finds up to three quarters of admins will expunge malware
when emailed, while about half act when their sites are
painted with browser and search warnings.
Most admins were quicker to patch and purge when tipped
off by Google to the malware menace, with about 12 per
cent falling flat and being compromised again within 30
days.
The figures are pulled from a pool of 760,935 breaches
Google detected in the 12 months to June 2015.
"Our results indicate that browser interstitials, search
warnings, and direct communication with webmasters all
play a crucial role in alerting webmasters to compromise
and spurring action," the academics say.
----------------------HACKERS ONLY NEED YOUR PHONE NUMBER TO
EAVESDROP ON CALLS, READ TEXTS AND TRACK YOU
(Computer World, dated 18th April 2016 author Darlene

Storm)
You might know that if a hacker has nothing more than
your phone number, then he or she can listen into and
record your calls, read your texts, or track your location,
but does your grandma know it? That's what I liked about
a documentary on phone hacking; it can reach nonsecurity minded audiences who may have thought such a
hack could only happen in movies.
If you use a mobile phone, then you use Signaling System
Seven, or SS7; "Every person with a cellphone needs SS7
to call or text each other," 60 Minutes explained. "The SS7
network is the heart of the worldwide mobile phone
system. Phone companies use SS7 to exchange billing
information. Billions of calls and text messages travel
through its arteries daily. It is also the network that allows
phones to roam."
Security researchers have been warning about SS7
protocol flaws for years. Granted, most people would not
be targeted by this type of attack.
----------------------ACADEMIC NETWORK "JANET" CLOBBERED WITH DENIAL
OF SERVICE ATTACKS - AGAIN
(The Register, dated 18th April 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/18/janet_clobbered_with_d
dos_attacks_again/
British government-funded educational network Janet has
once again been hit by a cyber attack, with a fresh wave
of DDoS attacks launched against the network this
morning.
The issue first began on Friday 15 April, with the body
reporting it had been hit by a DDoS attack.
"We are seeing another targeted attack. This may cause
issues accessing sites outside of the UK. Blocks are being
applied," it said in a status update.
But it said this morning further attacks had been observed
since 10am: "Investigations are ongoing,"

However, the body now reckons "improvements are being
seen" in the service.
This is not the first time Janet has been the subject of a
major attack. In December the network was hit between
the 1 December - 8 December. Since then Jisc said it is
permanently removing open public access to Janet.
One user contacted The Register regarding the latest woes
to note the second attack also occurring at the end of
term.
"This not only puts technical strain on all IT departments
in academic institutions but could potentially overwhelm
help desks through amplification, as the majority of
students choose to do the majority of their work during
this short period prior to the deadlines."
----------------------IDIOTS ARE SAVING CREDIT CARD PINS ON THEIR MOBILE
PHONES
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/18/storing_passwords_sma
rtphone_bad_mkay/
More than one in five 18-24 year olds (21 per cent) store
PINs for credit or debit cards on their smartphones, tablets
or laptops, according to research conducted by Equifax in
conjunction with Gorkana.
In the same survey of 500 people across all ages more
than a third of young adults (38 per cent) said they also
use their personal devices to store online passwords.
The habit leaves young adults more exposed to online
scams in cases where their devices are stolen or hacked.
Once a device is breached, fraudsters can use data stored
on it to access accounts, and also use a combination of
data found to try to steal an individual's identity.
Across all age groups, 16 per cent store passwords on
personal devices, followed by PINs (10 per cent), bank
account number/sort codes (10 per cent) and answers to
security questions for online accounts (6 per cent).
Almost twice as many males as females are likely to store
passwords and PINs on their devices (21 per cent
compared to 11 per cent, and 14 per cent compared to

seven per cent respectively).
----------------------TALKTALK BROADBAND CUSTOMERS CONTINUE TO FLEE
(The register, dated 14th April 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/14/talktalk_entices_more_c
ustomers_back_post_hack/
Broadband customers at TalkTalk continued to flee the
operator during the first three months of this year, with
126,000 customers switching away from the provider.
That was on the back of 250,000 broadband customers
switching to other suppliers in the previous quarter,
according to research from Kantar World Panel.
Some 17 per cent of the operator's current broadband
base is considering leaving it "at the next available
opportunity", "a far higher proportion than anyone else,"
said Imran Choudhary, consumer insight director at Kantar
Worldpanel.
However, the biz was successful in attracting more
customers across its range of broadband, fixed landline
and paid television for the quarter. Its overall share of the
"triple-play" home services market increased by 3.2
percentage points, to a 12.2 per cent slice of the market.
That indicates the operator has made some progress
towards rebuilding trust after the mega hack last year,
which saw the personal details of more than 156,000
people being accessed by hackers and the company
estimating 60m write-off in relation to the incident.
----------------------UNIVERSAL CREDIT AT HIGH RISK OF CYBER-ATTACK,
FRAUD FROM THE OUTSET
(The Register, dated 13th April 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/13/universal_credit/
Documents released after a four-year legal battle reveal
the extent of the UK government's blithe disregard for the
risks faced by Universal Credit.

This week, internal reviews of the enormous project in
2011 and 2012 were published by the Department of Work
and Pensions under Freedom of Information laws.
The dossiers reveal a department obsessed with meeting
unrealistic targets and consequently failing to plan for key
aspects of the programme - in particular cyber-security
and fraud.
In 2012, the Major Projects Authority stepped in to reset
the programme after finding "serious concerns about the
department having no detailed 'blueprint' and transition
plan for Universal Credit."
The highest risk factor of the programme appears to be a
lack of a cyber security mitigation for the project, which
intends to roll six benefits into one with claimants
expected to apply online. On a scale of 1-5, with five being
most likely, the cyber risk was rated a four.
----------------------DUTCH WEBSITES HIT BY MASSIVE MALVERTISING ATTACKS
(International Business Times, dated 13th April 2016
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/dutch-websites-hit-by-massivemalvertising-attacks-1554573
The Netherlands has been hit by a massive malvertising
attack, which began affecting websites on 10 April. The
new malicious advertising campaign has reportedly
affected millions of users via a host of the country's most
popular websites.
Security specialist Fox-IT was the first to report the
malvertising attack. The security firm noted that around
288 Dutch websites were affected, which included Nu.nl,
the most-visited Dutch language news online portal. A
compromised advertising is believed to be responsible for
the malicious ads campaign, which aimed to infect users'
computers and phones with malware.
In March, popular news portals like the BBC and The New
York Times were affected by malicious ads spread via the
Angler exploit kit, which infected the website's visitors
with a ransomware called Teslacrypt.
----------------------RETIREMENT FUNDS BREACHED AS CRIMINALS TARGET

BROKERS UNPATCHED WINDOWS MACHINES
(The Register, dated 13th April 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/13/super_funds_breached_
as_oz_super_brokers_play_counterstrike_torrents/
Australians are having their retirement savings accounts
drained as hackers move to breach broker platforms
rather than the tougher target that is banking
infrastructure.
The Australian Federal Police AFP are investigating a spike
in breaches against devices used by brokers who
administer boutique, "self-managed" superannuation
funds. Some brokers manage hundreds of such funds, a
service that helps investors who think they can do better
by picking their own retirement savings-boosters instead
of relying on a larger fund.
Self-managing a fund may be financially prudent. But the
AFP warns that service providers are not as security-savvy
as large superannuation funds.
"Some of these brokers are running Bittorrent,
Counterstrike, and then logging into broker software and
managing hundreds of accounts," Australian Federal Police
cybercrime team leader Scott Mellis told The Register.
The easy target that is a poorly-managed PC means
criminals have "tried their trojans and are now moving
away from targeting banks," Mellis added.
-----------------------SWEDISH MILITARY UNWITTINGLY HELPED ACCESS US
BANKS IN 2012/13
(The Register, dated 12th April 2016 author Richard
Chirgwin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/12/swedish_military_hosed
_us_banks_2012_2013/
Sweden's military has told a newswire that its servers
were used in a 2012/2013 attack on American banks.
The report from Agence France Presse (AFP) quotes

military spokesperson Mikael Abramsson, who told the
agency, "The hacking attack was a kind of wake-up call for
us and forced us to take very specific security steps to
prevent such a thing from happening again."
The military has since taken unspecified measures to
improve the security of its machines.
Back in 2013, the US government claimed Iran was behind
attacks on American banks. Arbor Networks reckoned the
attacks didn't use traditional PC botnets, but were
launched from insecure Web servers - which is broadly in
line with the AFP report.
As many as 20 banks were targeted in the DDoS
campaign, including Citigroup, Capital One and HSBC.
According to Sweden's Dagens Nyheter (Daily News), the
military was alerted to the compromise of its servers by
the country's Civil Contingencies Agency, MSB.
An armed forces security bod, Dan Eriksson, told Daily
News the exposure was down to human error, and said
that exploiting the vulnerability for DDoS didn't let
attackers get into the military's systems.
-----------------------BARBIE-BRAINED MATEL EXECUTIVE FELL FOR PHISHING
AND SENT $3m TO CHINA
(The register, dated 6th April 2016 author Darren Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/06/chinese_bank_holiday_f
oils_nearperfect_3_million_mattel_fleecing/
Toy maker Mattel has recovered some US$3 million it
shipped off to Chinese hackers who sent a well-crafted
phishing email to a finance executive.
The recovery was mostly down to luck: the cash was wired
on a Chinese bank holiday which meant the funds were
held up and returned by fast-acting authorities.
Sources told Associated Press that the well-researched
phishing email appeared to be written by newly-minted
chief executive officer Christopher Sinclair, one of two
execs required to sign off on large cash transfers.
The unnamed financial executive was also on the
approved sign off list, and so the money was wired to the
Bank of Wenzhou, China.

Attackers had harvested open source information on staff,
and is thought sources say to have hacked Mattel in order
to understand its corporate hierarchy and payment
patterns.
Mattel rang the FBI and local and foreign banks, and later
sent an anti-fraud investigator for the US$5.7 billion
company into the Bank Wenzhou headquarters with an FBI
letter in hand.
The bank is located in a region infamous for tunnelling
cash stolen from CEO phishing scams.
The Barbie-making concern has since tracked a dozen
more chief executive officer scams that have arrived since
the attack.
-----------------------US DOCTORS MOBILES ARE HOPELESSLY INSECURE
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/06/doctors_mobiles_securit
y/
One in five doctors' mobile devices might be at risk of
leaking sensitive data due to either malware or poor
password security practices, according to a new study.
Mobile threat device firm Skycure reports that 14 per cent
of smartmobes and tablets containing patient data likely
have no passcode to protect them. And 11 per cent of
those running outdated operating systems with highseverity vulnerabilities may have stored patient data on
them.
More than four per cent of all Android devices were found
to be infected with malicious apps. Skycure estimates that
27.79 million devices with medical apps installed might
also be infected with high-risk malware.
According to the US Department of Health and Human
Services, more than 260 major healthcare breaches
occurred in 2015. Of those breaches, a small but
significant minority - nine per cent - involved a mobile
device other than a laptop.
------------------------
DID HACKERS REALLY JUST EXPOSE HALF OF TURKEY'S

ENTIRE POPULATION TO ID TEHFT
(The register, dated 4th April 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/04/turkey_megaleak/
A trove of leaked information, purported to be the entire
Turkish citizenship database, has been leaked.
The leaked info appears to contain names, addresses and
ID numbers of more than 49 million citizens. If confirmed,
the leak would become one of the biggest privacy
breaches, by number of records, ever.
Although billed as a Turkish citizenship database there are
doubts about that and it seems more likely that we're
looking at a residency database put together for the police
and other law enforcement agencies, and already leaked,
perhaps multiple times.
----------------------BRAZILIAN AND RUSSIAN CYBERCROOKS COLLABORATING
TO CREATE MORE POTENT THREATS
(The Register, dated 1st April 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/01/cybercrime_collaboratio
n/
Cybercriminals on opposite sides of the world in Russia
and Brazil have overcome time differences and language
barriers to work together.
The collaboration is driving a rapid evolution of malicious
tools, security researchers at Kaspersky Lab warn.
The Brazilian and Russian cybercrime undergrounds have
both created numerous, active and diverse forums.
Historically, both geographical markets have developed
independently from each other, creating distinct cyberattack techniques tailored to local conditions (eg, the
"Boleto" malware in Brazil, or malware targeting mobile
banking services in Russia).
However, an investigation by Kaspersky Lab researchers
shows that Brazilian and Russian-speaking criminals have
established a system of cooperation in recent years.
Brazilian criminals seek out samples on Russian
underground forums, buying new crimeware and ATM or

point of sale malware, or offering their own services. This
trade runs both ways, with the cooperation helping to
speed up malware evolution.
-----------------------(1st May 2016)
POLICE TRY TO KEEP RAPISTS IDENTITY SECRET TO

PROTECT HIS HUMAN RIGHTS
(The Telegaph, dated 29th April 2016 author Lexi Finnigan)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/28/police-try-to-keeprapists-identity-secret-to-protect-his-human/
Police tried to protect the identity of a Polish rapist
because of racial tensions between locals and eastern
European migrants in the area.
Marcin Jaworski, 20, was able to move to Shirebrook, in
Derbyshire, despite being convicted of rape in Poland in
2014 - for which he was given a suspended sentence.
Police discovered his criminal record only after he was
arrested in the UK in February for breaching a ban on
drinking in the town centre - a restriction brought in amid
public anger at the large groups of newly arrived migrants.
Derbyshire constabulary applied for him to be added to
the sex offenders register, so they could monitor his
movements, but asked for the hearing to be held behind
closed doors, to protect his human rights.
But the secrecy application was rejected by District Judge
Andrew Davison after The Times and other media
organisation said it breached the principle of open justice
and police had failed to show there was a "real and
immediate" risk to his life.
Judge Davison told a Chesterfield magistrates' court civil
hearing on Friday: "A fundamental principle is open justice
which is a hallmark of the law. The media plays a vital role
in the upholding of that principle on behalf of the public."
Police said they asked for the case to be heard in secret

because Jaworski "lives in an area where there are high
tensions between the Polish and British communities, to
the extent that there have been episodes of violence
between the groups.
They said about ten per cent of the town's population is
eastern European and the largest percentage of that group
is Polish, which has put "social strains" on the town's
facilities.
Residents' group Shirebrook Together has held protests
following two incidents involving Polish males and alleged
assaults including stabbing.
Local newspaper, the Mansfield Chad, argued it was in the
interest of public safety to keep the case public and that
restricting its reporting would slow down the investigation
into why Jaworski was allowed to live in the UK.
The rapist did not attend court on Friday last week and has
reportedly left Shirebrook to live in a different part of the
country, which the police did not disclose.
The hearing was adjourned.
Derbyshire Police were not available for comment.
-----------------------DERBYSHIRE POLICE TRIED TO KEEP RAPISTS NAME
SECRET
(Derby Telegraph, dated 29th April 2016 author Agency
staff)
www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/Derbyshire-police-tried-rapist-ssecret/story-29198580-detail/story.html
A POLISH sex offender living in Derbyshire can now be
named after a judge ruled that the publication of his
identity can be permitted despite police concerns about
rising community tensions.
District Judge Andrew Davison confirmed Marcin Lucasz
Jaworski's details and previous rape conviction can be
reported without a ban, during Derbyshire Constabulary's
application to place him on the sex offenders' register.
There had been an argument by Sergeant Mark Church, of
Derbyshire police, that about 10% of the population of
Shirebrook was Eastern European, that the largest

percentage of that group was Polish and this had put
"social strains" on the town's facilities. A Public Places
Order and a Public Spaces Protection Order had to be
imposed to stop street drinking causing tensions,
according to police.
Sgt Church added tensions reached a peak in 2015 and
the police's safer neighbourhood team had to be
strengthened after two incidents involving Polish males
and alleged assaults including a stabbing.
Residents' group Shirebrook Together has held protests,
according to Sgt Church, and one revealed a deep-seated
mistrust of foreign nationals.
He stated: "I am under no illusion that another trigger
incident could easily reverse all the good work that has
been achieved."
Sgt Church argued Jaworksi, 20, of Eland Road, Langwith
Junction, Shirebrook, who has a previous notice for street
drinking, is vulnerable, lives with others who could be put
at risk and he may leave the area if identified. Sgt Church,
who revealed social media had previously been used to
identify a local man accused of a sex offence, stated he
was confident police could monitor Jaworski without wider
public awareness.
However, local newspaper Derbyshire Times challenged
the proposed restriction on the grounds that publication
was in the public interest and, in the interests of public
safety and potential unrest, should not be allowed to
outweigh these greater concerns. The newspaper argued
any reporting restriction would also affect its intention to
investigate why a foreign national, convicted in Poland in
2014 of rape, was allowed residential status.
Judge Davison told a Chesterfield magistrates' court civil
hearing: "A fundamental principle is open justice which is
a hallmark of the law. The media plays a vital role in the
upholding of that principle on behalf of the public."
He added: "I am not satisfied that such a restriction can in
any way be justified."
Due to Jaworski's absence, the police application to place

Jaworski on the sex offenders' register was adjourned until
May 5.
------------------------POLICE TRY TO KEEP RAPIST SECRETIN ROW OVER RIGHTS
(Extract)
(The Times, dated 29th April 2016 author David Brown)
www.thetimes.co.uk
.....It comes as figures reveal that almost 400 foreigners
resident or visiting Britain have been identified in the past
two years as having been convicted of sex offences in
their home countries. Almost 100 are still living freely in
the UK.
Details of overseas convictions are usually discovered only
when requests are made to a suspects home nation by the
National Police Chiefs Council. Its violent and sexual
offences register (ViSOR) contains the details of 448
foreigners convicted of sexual offences abroad, with 390
added since 2014.
Romanians are the largest group, accounting for 173,
alongside 90 Poles and 63 Lithuanians. A spokesman said
that 352 of the offenders had been deported, had been
extradited, had left the country voluntarily or were in
prison.
(1st May 2016)
BRITISH DOCTORS HIGHLIGHT "UNACCCEPTABLY

HIGH REVISION RATE" FOR HIP IMPLANT
(The Oxford Times, dated 29th April 2016)
www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/national/14460220.British_do
ctors_highlight__unacceptably_high_revision_rate__for_hip
_implant/
British doctors have published evidence of an
"unacceptably high revision rate" for a hip implant that

has been the subject of a multi-million pound US lawsuit.
Almost 12,000 Britons have received the Pinnacle metalon-metal hip implant made by DePuy, part of Johnson &
Johnson, according to official joint registry data.
Now researchers say they have operated on patients with
"black tissue" caused by "high levels of chromium and
cobalt" and that patients have suffered pain.
DePuy was forced to recall a different implant (the ASR) in
2010 after the devices were linked to muscle and bone
damage and neurological issues.
In March this year, Johnson & Johnson was ordered by a
Texas federal jury to pay around 500 million US dollars
(343m) to five people who said they were injured by the
Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip implants.
The jury decided the Pinnacle hips were defectively
designed and that DePuy had failed to warn the public
about their risks. Johnson & Johnson has said the company
will appeal against that verdict. Thousands more people
have launched action against the company.
Dr David Langton, from the University Hospital of North
Tees, who led the latest study, said his team had told
DePuy in the UK, and the Medicines and Healthcare
products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), of problems with the
Pinnacle over several years.
He said: "These Pinnacle implants were advised for
younger patients who were very active.
"We have found that they fail at a higher rate than
conventional ones but they fail in a much nastier way.
"You get very high levels of chromium and cobalt around
the hip and that can go into the bloodstream. There can
be black metal-stained tissue.
"The Pinnacle was put into people in lot bigger numbers
than the ASR - up to about 500,000 people worldwide.
"What we've found is that some of our patients have come
back with lots of pain. The implants have then been taken
out by us.
"In total myself, I've looked at between 150 and 200
Pinnacle implants."
He added: "We've reported this and had several meetings

with DePuy and the MHRA.
"We physically handed the implants to DePuy and showed
them how they were not the right size and how they were
going to fail.
"In my opinion, they should never have left the factory.
"Hips should fail at no more 0.5% per year but we found
the Pinnacle has been failing at a significantly higher rate
than that."
Dr Langton said his team believed up to 20,000 people in
the UK had received the implants.
The study, published in the journal BMJ Open, found in
particular that Pinnacle metal on metal implants
manufactured and implanted since 2006 were more prone
to failure.
The team looked specifically at the long-term performance
of the 36mm Pinnacle metal-on-metal hip.
Over the study period, 489 metal-on-metal Pinnacle hips
were implanted into 434 patients.
Of these, 352 patients attended future clinics and 71
metal hips required surgical removal and replacement.
There was a revision rate of 16.4%, which researchers
described as "unacceptably high".
The study found that before 2006, only five out of 43 hips
(12%) failed to meet the manufacturer's product
specification.
But after 2006 more than a third (36% or 43 out of 118)
failed to comply.
Furthermore, in over 40% of cases, the taper surface - a
key part of the implant - was defective.
The authors said this was significantly associated with the
excessive release of metal particles.
Staining of bodily tissue had also occurred in around one
in five (19%) cases.
In 2012, the MHRA said patients who had undergone large
head metal-on-metal hip replacements should be
monitored annually for life.
They should have blood tests to check for metal ions, and
MRI scans if necessary, it said.
No comment was immediately available from Johnson &
Johnson or the MHRA.
An MHRA spokeswoman said: "MHRA take allegations of
device non-conformities seriously and will investigate

these with manufacturers when sufficient evidence is
presented to MHRA.
"We are, however, unable to comment on regulatory
matters which may involve a manufacturer due to
confidentiality restrictions within the medical device
regulations.
"The majority of patients who receive hip implants have
well-functioning hips and are at a low risk of developing
any serious problems.
"MHRA continues to monitor the performance of all hip
implants in the UK though its post market surveillance
system.
"We also work closely with our expert orthopaedic
advisory group which includes representatives from the
British Orthopaedic Association, the British Hip Society and
the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern
Ireland and Isle of Man to assess any new scientific
evidence and we will take safety action if needed to
ensure that patients are protected from unsafe hip
implants."
Law firm Leigh Day said it was acting on behalf of 333
clients who were claiming compensation from DePuy for
having to undergo early revision surgery following a
Pinnacle implant.
A three-month trial in the High Court is due to begin in
October 2017.
Spokeswoman Sarah Moore said: "We consider that this
study is highly significant to the individuals whom we
represent.
"The study reports that after analysing hundreds of
explanted Pinnacle components, the doctors involved have
found that a significant number of devices were found to
be manufactured out of their specifications.
"This is a very serious allegation that we will continue to
investigate with our expert team.
"If this allegation is proven, this may be a further factor in
explaining why so many individuals have suffered severe
injuries and early revision following their implantation with
these products.
"The evidence of an 'unacceptably high revision rate'
should put more pressure on DePuy to come to the
negotiating table rather than our clients having to drag

them through the courts."
(1st May 2016)
PHONE SCAM COSTS VICTIMS 300 - EVEN WHEN

THEY DON'T ANSWER THE CALL
(Independent, dated 27th April 2016 author Samuel
Osborne)
www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-andtech/news/phone-scam-costs-victims-300-even-when-theydont-answer-the-call-a7003486.html
Mobile phone customers are being charged hundreds of
pounds for calls to scam numbers.
Customers are being charged up to 300 pounds for calls
they insist they never made.
Victims who spoke to the Daily Mail described receiving a
call from an unfamiliar number starting with 0845 or 0853.
The customer is rarely given the chance to answer, as the
call lasts a fraction of a second and is recorded on their
mobile as a missed call.
However, they have then received large bills showing they
called the number back, with calls lasting between three
and 12 hours.
Victims had no recollection of calling the number, and
others said they did not even see the missed call.
One woman interviewed by the Daily Mail found she owed
375 for a call to an 0845 number.
When she queried the bill, Vodafone reportedly insisted
she had been on the phone for 12 hours through the night.
Her phone only showed a missed call from the number,
with no evidence she had phoned back.
It is currently unknown how the scam works.
A spokesperson for Vodafone told The Independent: "Since

this is an industry-wide issue, we are working with the
regulator Ofcom and the other mobile operators to identify
and close down this issue as soon as possible.
"This is a scam and a fraudulent activity. We have taken
proactive measures to ensure none of our customers
affected are out of pocket, and we have identified and
blocked the numbers related to the fraud."
The scam numbers have now been blocked on Vodafone
and mobile phone watchdog Ofcom is investigating.
An Ofcom spokesperson said: "We are very concerned to
hear of a number of people receiving mobile charges they
didn't expect.
"Ofcom is working with the mobile operators, industry
experts and partner regulators to establish the causes and
address the problem.
"We are pleased that Vodafone is blocking suspicious
numbers and refunding affected customers. We advise
those who believe they are affected to contact their phone
company promptly."
(1st May 2016)
FRAUDSTERS STEAL 9bn FROM BRITAINS SMALL

BUSINESSES
(The Telegraph, dated 26th April 2016 author Rebecca
Burn-Callander)
www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2016/04/25/fraudsterssteal-9bn-from-britains-small-businesses/
Britain's small businesses are losing more than 9bn a
year to fraudsters who send false invoices, viruses posing
as bills, or who pose as suppliers on the phone, it has
emerged.
Of more than 1,000 small-to-medium sized businesses
(SMEs) surveyed by invoice network Tungsten, almost half
had received a suspicious invoice or been a victim of

invoice fraud in the last 12 months.
The average firm loses 1,658 per year to invoice fraud,
and one is six companies estimates that fraud has cost
them more than 5,000 in the past year.
Steven Mitchell, founder of CompareTheCoffin.com, which
helps bereaved customers find better deals on coffins,
recently received an order for six coffins to export
overseas.
The customer placed the order via email and claimed that
he didn't own a credit card and needed to pay by cheque.
"The order seemed genuine enough so I gave him my
bank details," said Mr Mitchell. "Before I knew it there was
64,000 in my account." This was 58,000 more than
billed.
"I looked into the order and saw that a cheque had been
paid in to the Ruislip branch of Santander and realised he
wasn't abroad."
CompareTheCoffin.com manufactures each coffin on
demand but Mr Mitchell decided to wait for the cheque to
clear before making the orders.
"I contacted the shipping agent who said, 'Not him again',"
Mr Mitchel said. "The same guy had been operating with
40 different names."
Under this scam, the fraudster requests a refund of the
overpayment, which is usually arranged by the business.
In the meanwhile, the cheque is cancelled leaving the
business out of pocket.
"I'm a one-man band so I keep track of all orders and
payments but if I wasn't on top of things, I would have lost
64,000," Mr Mitchell said.
Mr Mitchell now prefers to process all payments using
credit cards for security and insists on speaking to
customers over the phone. He verifies the identity of each
customer using online tools.
The identity and location of the fraudster remains
unknown, so Mr Mitchell did not report the incident to the
police.
"I had no evidence of who he was," he claimed. "There
was no way to track him down.
"But I emailed him again and said I'd made up a special
coffin just for him and wanted to deliver it in person."
"Incidents of invoice fraud are underreported," warned

Pauline Smith, head of the UK's national centre for
reporting fraud and internet crime, Action Fraud.
"It's difficult to know the true scale of this fraud type but
we do know that it prevails across all types of business
and no one industry is immune."
(1st May 2016)
BANK-HACKING MALWARE DISCOVERY LEAVES

11,000 GLOBAL FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS ON HIGH
ALERT
author Jasson Murdock)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/bank-hacking-malware-discoveryleaves-11000-global-financial-institutions-high-alert1556631
Over ten thousand banks and financial institutions are
being urged to remain vigilant after the secure Swift
(Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial
Telecommunication) system - used to send messages
between global firms - was reportedly compromised by the
sophisticated hacking scheme that targeted the
Bangladesh central bank in March 2016.
The news comes after security researchers at British
defence contractor BAE Systems claimed to have
uncovered a stealthy piece of malware used in the
Bangladesh attack, which resulted in the loss of $81m
(56m, 71m). Previously, investigators said that
cybercriminals broke into the bank's computer networks to
steal vital access credentials. However, fresh research
claims that Swift was also likely compromised during the
hack in order to erase records of malicious financial
transfers.
Natasha Deteran, a spokesperson for the Brussels-based
Swift, told Reuters an emergency software update was
imminent. Additionally, a 'special warning' will be issued

telling financial firms to analyse their current security
procedures.
The update, Deteran said, was being issued to "assist
customers in enhancing their security and to spot
inconsistencies in their local database records". However,
she maintained the malware uncovered had "no impact"
on the core messaging services.
"While we keep all our interface products under continual
review and recommend that other vendors do the same,
the key defence against such attack scenarios is that
users implement appropriate security measures in their
local environments to safeguard their systems," she
added. The Swift messaging platform is used by 11,000
banks and other institutions around the world and is a cooperative owned by 3,000 financial institutions.
In an in-depth analysis released on 25 April, BAE
researchers unleashed evidence that malware uncovered
from the Bangladesh incident was used to 'manipulate' a
Swift client known as 'Alliance Access'. This has led to
mounting concerns that existing vulnerabilities in the
messaging software mean other systems may be
susceptible to hacking attempts.
"The analysed sample allows a glimpse into the toolkit of
one of the team in well-planned bank heist," said Sergei
Shevchenko, cyber threat researcher with BAE Systems.
"This malware was written bespoke for attacking a specific
victim infrastructure, but the general tools, techniques and
procedures used in the attack may allow the gang to strike
again. All financial institutions who run SWIFT Alliance
Access and similar systems should be seriously reviewing
their security now to make sure they too are not exposed."
According to Shevchenko the attackers put "significant
effort" into deleting evidence of their intrusion however
admitted that many pieces of the puzzle are still missing,
including how the attackers sent the fraudulent transfers,
how the malware was implanted into the banks system
and the actual identity of the culprits.
The initial breach at the Bangladesh central bank occurred

in early February as criminals orchestrated a scheme to
steal a massive $951m from the banks account at the
Federal Reserve in New York. In the subsequent probe,
officials from the victimised bank have lashed out at Swift
for not doing enough to stop the hacking. "It was their
responsibility to point it out but we haven't found any
evidence that they advised before the heist," asserted
Mohammad Shah Alam, chief investigator on the case.
However, officials at the bank also came under criticism
after it was revealed the institution's computer security
was so lax it did not even have a firewall in place to fend
off cyberattacks. Furthermore, reports indicated the
routers used to connect to the secure Swift system were
cheap second-hand devices that cost as little as $10 (7).
(1st May 2016)
PLANS DRAWN UP FOR A EUROPEAN SUPERSTATE

(The Times, dated 24th April 2016 author Tim Shipman)
Plans for a United States of Europe have been drawn up by
leading EU politicians, undermining David Cameron's
claims that Britain will not be sucked into a European
superstate.
A document signed last September in Rome by the
speakers of the national parliaments in Germany, France,
Italy and Luxembourg calls for the creation of a full blown
"federal union of states".
The paper says that "concrete proposals" to deepen EU
integration will be drawn up at a meeting in Luxembourg
next month, raising the prospect of a new row about
powers leaching to Brussels ahead of the referendum on
June 23d.
The joint declaration states: We are convinced that new
impetus must be given to European integration. We
believe that more, not less, Europe is needed to respond

to the challenges we face."
It says that deeper integration "should not be limited to
the field of economic and fiscal matters, or to the internal
market and to agriculture policy. It should include all
matters pertaining to the European ideal - social and
cultural affairs as well as foreign, security and defence
policy."
It adds: " The current moment offers an oppotunity to
move forward with European political integration, which
could lead to a federal union of states."
Chris Grayling, the leader of the Commons, who has been
sent the document, said: " This shows there are now
serious plans for a political union, where those countries in
the eurozone move towards having a single government."
He acknowledged that Britain and Denmark would remain
permanently outside, but said: "This entity will still make
our laws for us. We will have very little say in what
happens. We have to decide whether we want to be an
independent country or whether we want to be caught up
in what is heading fast towards being a United States of
Europe."
A spokewoman for the European Commission said of the
document: "I am not aware of any such initiative. This is
not something related to the commission."
Details of the document emerged as Barack Obama made
a second intervention in the referendum debate
yesterday, telling young votes that they should avoid
"isolationism and xenophobia".
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Ian Duncan Smith
attacked Cameron, saying that he does not "believe a
word" of what he is telling voters about the EU and
accusing him of having "lost faith in Britain".
(1st May 2016)
EU "THREATENS LEGAL ACTION" OVER BRITISH

LORRY TAX
(The Telegraph, dated 24th April 2016 author Matthew
Holehouse)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/24/eu-threatens-legalaction-over-british-lorry-tax/
The European Commission is threatening legal action ainst
the British government over a road charge designed to
help British hauliers compete with cheap foreign rivals.
David Cameron faces a humiliating row in Brussels ahead
of the referendum, as it emerged that the government
could be hauled before the European Court of Justice - and
ultimately fined - in a dispute over the right to give British
firms preferential treatment.
A leaked letter from Jean-Claude Juncker's powerful chief
of staff reveals plans to launch infringement procedings
against the government over a new HGV levy which is
claimed to breach EU laws around equal treatment.
It will provide ammunition to Brexit campaigners, who
argue that European law is tying the hands of ministers on
a range of policy areas.
The European Commission is determined to prevent any
hostile news coverage ahead of the vote, and on Friday
still refused to confirm or deny it was planning the
infringement action after a it was reported by a German
magazine.
The HGV levy was unveiled in 2014, and described by
Patrick McLoughlin as a "massive boost" to British hauliers
under pressure from foreign rivals.
It was designed to compensate for levies and tolls that
British lorries pay when travelling overseas that do not
exist in Britain. That, the government argued, makes it
harder for British firms to do business on the continent
than it is for their rivals to do business in the UK.
Under the policy, all HGVs, British and foreign, pay up to

10 a day to use the roads. But this is then discounted
from vehicle excise duty, meaning that in effect Britishregistered drivers are no worse off while foreign truckers
are hit.
The Department for Transport says the charge "ensures
British hauliers are better able to compete with their
foreign counterparts." It raised 44 million in its first year.
"It will create a level playing field across Europe, giving UK
firms a much better opportunity to win business," Mr
McLoughlin said at the launch.
Germany is considering a similar toll scheme for private
cars. But in a letter of April 13, Dr Martin Selmayr revealed
that Britain was being hit with infringement action after it
failed to demonstate the scheme was compliant with EU
law.
"In the course of the last year, the Commission has
notified the UK that it has not provided sufficient proof to
allay these concerns," Dr Selmayr wrote to Alexander
Dobrint, the German transport minister. "Therefore the EU
Commission is preparing an infringement procedure in this
case, following the failure of exchanges with the UK
authorities in recent weeks to produce a result."
If Britain does not change its policy, it could be hauled
before the European Court of Justice. It has the power to
impose fines of millions of pounds if rulings are not
complied with.
Asked whether Der Spiegel's account of the letter was
accurate, an EU spokesman said: "The Commission does
not comment on rumours in the press. "
David Campbell-Bannerman, a Conservative MEP, said the
leaked letter was "further evidence" of how the
Commission is attempting to suppress bad news until after
the vote.
"The charge allows us to recover some of the costs of
foreign lorries using UK roads for free. It is time foreign
lorries - and the whole EU - paid their own way," he said.
"It is yet another example of our nation's total loss of

control."
A government spokesperson said: "We believe our levy is
justified and consistent with the free movement of goods.
The UK has not been infracted on the HGV levy and we
won't comment further on speculation."
(1st May 2016)
CHEAP CAR WASHES ARE USING SLAVE LABOUR

TRAFFICKED IN TO BRITAIN, POLICE WARN
(Daily Mail, dated 24th April 2016 author Poppy Danby)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3556022/Cheap-carwashes-using-slave-labour-trafficked-Britain-policewarn.html
Motorists are being advised to avoid cheap car washes
after they have been exposed as hives of modern-day
slavery.
A combination of a lack of protective gear, poorly made
equipment and make-do accommodation, all point towards
signs of exploitation, said the former head of the
Metropolitan police trafficking unit, Kevin Hyland.
And raids on car washes across the country have
confirmed both human trafficking and servitude.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, he said: 'We are
encountering modern-day slavery like this in our day-today life and it is in plain sight.
'If it is clear that it is not right, then of course we should
boycott it. I also think we should go one step further and
report it to the authorities.
'The workers may be in an open environment but are often
in debt or feel vulnerable and do not feel free to leave.
They get stuck somewhere and don't know how to get out
of it.'
Mr Hyland added that while this doesn't mean that all car
washes are illegitimate, more robust responses must be

put in place to handle modern-day slavery.
New statistics show that human trafficking and peoplesmuggling continue to be thriving businesses.
Last October, 29 car washes were raided in Manchester
and others in Devon, Hampshire, Essex and south Wales
were also investigated.
The news comes as Al Jazeera prepare to expose the
horrific conditions in a ground-breaking report.
Alongside discovering car wash workers in Kent sleeping
together on site in cramped conditions, Al Jazeera also
filmed a woman on the north central coast of Vietnam
offering to smuggle people to London for $32,000
(22,000).
And the route was intricately planned using pick up points
from Russia to France.
However, smuggled immigrants face shocking conditions
from the moment they begin travelling - from being
doused in petrol so as not to be detected by sniffer dogs,
to having to wear large nappies because of their hours
spent in hiding.
And some aren't even being welcomed into legal trades.
For, Al Jazeera revealed that a number of Vietnamese
immigrants are recruited to work on makeshift cannabis
plantations, that are run from people's homes.
One of these workers, who is currently based in East
London, told Al Jazeera they felt like they were staying 'in
a prison.'
However, after being raided last week, police are now
struggling to decide whether he should be treated as a
criminal or a victim of slavery.
Britain's Modern Slave Trade, was broadcast on Al Jazeera
on 24th April 2016.
Further information
USA CAR WASH DENIES "MODERN SLAVERY" (extract)
(Kent Online, dated 28th April 2016 author Gerry Warren)

www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/car-wash-boss-denies-94980/
The company is based in Chartham, near Canterbury,
Kent.
A list of signs to look out for includes:
- Several adults who are not related living at a single
address
- People being regularly collected very early in the
morning and/or returned late at night
- Signs of injury, malnourishment and a general unkempt
appearance
- Isolation from the rest of the community
- People who live and work at the same address under
poor conditions
- Excessive working hours
- Sub-standard living conditions
(1st May 2016)
VIOLENT CRIME RECORDED BY POLICE LEAPS 27 PER

CENT
(The Telegraph, dated 21st April 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/21/violent-crimerecorded-by-police-leaps-27-per-cent/
Violent crime recorded by police soared by 27 per cent last
year as experts suggested the recovering economy could
be driving alcohol-fuelled violence.
Official figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS)
published revealed there were 939,518 violent offences
recorded by police in England and Wales.
All 43 forces recorded a rise, with 41 seeing double digit
increases, including West Yorkshire where violence soared
77 per cent year-on-year.
The number of sexual offences recorded by the police also

topped 100,000 for the first time on record, rising 29 per
cent year-on-year.
Peter Neyroud, a former chief constable who now lectures
in criminology at Cambridge University, said: "At times of
relative economic affluence young men, in particular, tend
to drink a lot and get into trouble.
"That may well be one factor at play here, alongside
others such as the reduction in police numbers which
means there is less high-visibility patrolling.
"If I were sat in the Home Office I would be starting to get
edgy at these figures.
"Their constant refrain over the last five years has been
'crime is going down, our reforms are working' but that is
looking less and less sustainable."
Prof David Wilson, a criminologist at the University of
Birmingham, said: "Growing levels of disposable income
will be one factor in this."
The ONS said "most" of the rise was due to improved
crime recording by the police, following allegations that
forces had been "fiddling the figures" for years.
Kent police saw an 11 per cent rise in violent crime in
2015.
The force previously showed sharp increases due to
statistical changes after becoming the first to introduce
reforms to count violent crime properly in 2013. Its latest
data may, therefore, indicate a real rise in violent crime.
Across England and Wales there was an overall seven per
cent increase in police recorded crime to 4.4 million
offences in 2015 compared with the previous year.
The year saw 573 murders - 56 more than the previous
year, an increase of 11 per cent - after the previous set of
quarterly data revealed an unexplained spike in homicides
in London and the south east.
Knife crime rose nine per cent in the year to 28,008
offences, with 35 of the 44 forces in England and Wales
recording an increase.
Firearms crime rose for the first time in a decade.
There were 5,122 gun offences recorded in England and

Wales, up four per cent on the previous year.
Among the total sexual offences, rapes recorded by police
increased by 30 per cent year-on-year to 34,741, while
other sexual offences increased by 29 per cent to 68,873
offences.
A parallel measure of crime, the Crime Survey of England
and Wales (CSEW) which asks the public about their
experiences of crime regardless of whether they were
reported to police, said overall crime fell seven per cent to
6.4 million offences.
Mike Penning, the policing minister, said: "Police reform is
working and crime is falling."
Jack Dromey, the shadow policing minister, said: "Just as
the most serious, violent, sexual and online crimes are
soaring, so too are the demands on a depleted police force
to keep the country safe. Yet officers are now more thinly
spread than ever.
"The Tories have slashed 18,000 police officers and have
broken their promise to the public to protect frontline
officer numbers.
(1st May 2016)
UK FOREIGN OFFICE ISSUES WARNING FOR LGBT

TRAVELLERS VISITING MISSISSIPI AND NORTH
CAROLINA
(International Business Times, dated 21st April 2016
author Nicole Rojas)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-foreign-office-issues-warning-lgbttravellers-visiting-mississippi-north-carolina-1555915
The Foreign Office has released an advisory to travellers
about controversial anti-LGBT laws in Mississippi and North
Carolina ahead of visits to the US. The travel advisory
update to the LGBT community was released on the
agency's website on 19 April.

"The US is an extremely diverse society and attitudes
towards LGBT people differ hugely across the country.
LGBT travellers may be affected by legislation passed
recently in the states of North Carolina and Mississippi,"
the advisory warns. "Before travelling please read our
general travel advice for the LGBT community."
The two southern states have come under fire for passing
anti-LGBT laws in the last couple of months. Earlier in
April, Mississippi passed legislation that allows businesses
to refuse service to same-sex couples due to religious
objections. In March North Carolina passed HB 2, which
limits LGBT protections and forces transgender people to
use toilets corresponding the the gender on their birth
certificate, The Washington Post reported.
Ty Cobb, Director of HRC Global, released a statement
following the Foreign Office's travel warning. "It is both
frightening and embarrassing that one of our nation's
staunchest allies has warned its citizens of the risks of
travelling to North Carolina and Mississippi because of
anti-LGBT laws passed by their elected officials."
Cobb continued: "It is now more clear than ever that these
terrible measures are not only harming individuals and
taking an economic toll on the states, but are also causing
serious damage to our nation's reputation, and the
perceived safety of LGBT people who travel here."
The controversial law in North Carolina has already cost its
capital, Raleigh $3m (2.09m) in tourism losses. According
to CBS News, the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors
Bureau told reporters that economic losses from HB 2
have quadrupled in the last week.
The bureau said the losses were due to cancellations or
scaling back of plans, including the $1.7m cancellation
from the Community Transportation Association of
America. The Washington DC association was scheduled to
bring 1,000 people to the city in June 2018. Instead, the
group will hold its event in Baltimore, Maryland.
A number of musicians have also cancelled concerts in the

state. Pearl Jam announced on 18 April it was cancelling its
concert over the law, which it called "a despicable piece of
legislation that encourages discrimination against an
entire group of American citizens." Other musicians that
have cancelled include Ringo Starr, Bruce Sprinsteen and
Cyndi Lauper.
----------------------NORTH CAROLINA CANS TRANSGENDER TOILET AND
DISCRIMINATION PROTECTION FOR LGBT COMMUNITY
(International Business Times, dated 24th March 2016
author Mary Papenfuss)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/north-carolina-cans-transgender-toiletsdiscrimination-protections-lgbt-community-1551358
North Carolina's state legislature, incensed by new
transgender toilet rights, has passed a law barring local
statutes that prevent discrimination against the LGBT
community. The state legislature took action after the
Charlotte city council approved an anti-discrimination law
that would have protected the LGBT community from
discrimination and would have allowed transgender people
to use restrooms that reflect their gender identity.
The new state law, House Bill 2, invalidates all of
Charlotte's LGBT protections. The state statute poses as
an anti-discrimination measure - but it pointedly omits the
lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender population. It bans
employers and businesses from discriminating against
their employees or clientele based only on race, country of
origin, religion, age or biological sex. It also specifically
requires people to use public restrooms that correspond
with their gender at birth.
The new law will bar Charlotte and any other municipality
from adding any protections for gays, lesbians or
transgender individuals in the future, notes the Charlotte
Observer.
The measure was passed quickly (after Democratic state
senators walked out in protest) and signed into law by

Republican Governor Pat McCrory, who considered the now
invalidated Charlotte statute a "radical breach of trust"
because it "violated" restroom privacy.
"The basic expectation of privacy in the most personal of
settings, a restroom or locker room, for each gender was
violated by government overreach and intrusion by the
mayor and city council of Charlotte," McCrory said in the
statement. "This radical breach of trust and security under
the false argument of equal access not only impacts the
citizens of Charlotte but people who come to Charlotte to
work, visit or play."
Critics lashed the new state law.
"This bill essentially repeals 50 years of non-discrimination
efforts" and gives state lawmakers "unprecedented control
over our city and local governments," said Senate
Democratic Leader Dan Blue . "This is a direct affront to
equality, civil rights and local autonomy."
(1st May 2016)
PORN SURFERS AT RISK AS PAEDOPHILES HIDE

CHILD ABUSE IMAGES ON FAKE ADULT WEBSITES
(Intenational Business Times, dated 21st April 2016 author
Paul Wright)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/porn-browsers-risk-paedophiles-hidechild-abuse-images-fake-adult-websites-1555951
People viewing pornography online are at risk of being
arrested because paedophiles are increasingly hiding child
abuse material on web pages posing as legal porn sites, a
report has warned. The Internet Watch Foundation (IWF)
said 2015 had seen a rise in illegal content discovered on
"disguised" sites which masquerade as providing over-18
material but which offer a secret route to videos and
images of children.
In 2015, the IWF uncovered 743 websites of this kind,

compared with 353 in 2013. The UK charity said people
searching for legal adult content were at risk of being
duped into visiting these commercial child porn sites and
being targeted by police.
"Some people may think they're going to legal adult
content but they unfortunately have picked up the cookies
on the way that means that they are served the child
sexual abuse material," Fred Langford, deputy chief
executive of the IWF, told the Guardian. "There's a huge
risk there."
The IWF said disguised websites show users legal adult
content on its homepage but offer child sexual abuse
images using a specific pathway of links. It warned those
who thought they'd viewed only legal content could still be
arrested due to a record of them visiting the URL on their
computer.
He said: "If somebody is arrested on suspicion of
[accessing child abuse images], it makes it much more
difficult for them to prove their innocence. Equally, it
makes it much more difficult for the police to prove the
guilt. It has really started to become an accepted practice
for the commercial side of the paedophilic community
because this obfuscation technique is more effective at
keeping its content live for longer."
The IWF report, published on Thursday (21 April), revealed
the charity had removed a "staggering" amount of child
abuse material from the internet in 2015. Almost 70,000
reports of illegal material saw images and videos taken
down, representing a more than fourfold increase over the
past two years. The rise coincides with the charity given
approval by the government to start proactively searching
for online child sexual abuse imagery in 2014.
The content removed last year included 1,788 victims who
were assessed as being aged two or under. Just over a
third of all images involved the rape or sexual torture of
children. The IWF also said paedophiles were increasingly
turning to the Dark Web - which offers anonymised
browsing - to share child porn, with 79 new services found,

an increase of 55% on 2014.
Susie Hargreaves, IWF chief executive, said: "Last year our
analysts broke all records for assessing reports. By being
allowed to actively search for these hideous images of
children, we've seen a dramatic increase in the sheer
number of illegal images and videos that we've been able
to remove from the internet. Thanks to a co-ordinated
approach from government and our internet industry
members, our work is having an incredible impact.
"But despite our success, this isn't the time to stand still.
We're employing the latest technology in our work and
we've got ambitious plans to expand our team of analysts.
What we never forget, is that behind these headlines and
every single image we remove from the internet, there is a
real child being abused."
The charity says it plans to challenge online companies
who have yet to become a member of the IWF to take
stronger action. Current members include Google, BT, Sky
and Facebook, which help remove illegal pornography
from its servers by using a database of illegal images
represented by digital fingerprints.
The IWF said the UK "leads the world" at removing this
illegal imagery of children. Only 0.2% of the world's known
child sexual abuse imagery is now hosted in the UK,
compared with 18% when the IWF was founded nearly 20
years ago.
(1st May 2016)
INTERACTIVE MURDER MAP CHARTS HISTORY OF

KILLINGS IN LONDON
Hannah Al Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/interactive-murder-map-
charts-history-of-killings-in-london-a3228661.html
A new interactive "murder map" of London gives an
insight into the history of killings in the capital.
The project was set up by Peter Stubley, a former court
reporter at the Old Bailey, who said he hoped the map
could be of use to students, academics, friends and
relatives of victims or the police.
The database has gathered information from the
Metropolitan Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, and
media coverage and court records to show where murders
where committed and what methods the killer - or killers used.
The data spans from the time of Jack the Ripper in the
19th Century to the present day, although only killings
from 2008 onwards are recorded on the map.
The murders are colour-coded by the cause of death,
which normally relates to the weapon used, although the
'none' category usually refers to murders committed by
way of unarmed violence such as punches or kicks.
Mr Stubley told Metro.co.uk: "It wasn't a particularly new
idea but nobody had done it for London and I always
thought that murder cases could tell us a lot about the
state of society at that particular moment, whether it is
teenage knife crime, homelessness, drug and alcohol
abuse or domestic violence.
"There was a mixed reaction at the start, but our intention
is to report each case in the same way."
Murder Map : www.murdermap.co.uk/murder-map.asp
(1st May 2016)
HALF OF HIT AND RUN DRIVERS "DID NOT KNOW IT

WAS ILLEGAL", STUDY FINDS
Sebastian Mann)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/half-of-hitandrun-driversdid-not-know-it-was-illegal-study-finds-a3228261.html
Nearly half of drivers convicted of hit and run offences say
they would have remained at the scene if they had known
fleeing was against the law, new research has found.
A survey also found that motorists aged 16-34 are most
likely to have failed to stop after a crash because they are
scared of the consequences. One third of those quizzed
left the scene.
The most common reason for older drivers committing the
same offence is that they did not think the incident was
serious enough.
Some 695 people convicted of carrying out a hit and run
were polled for the study, which was conducted by the
University of Leicester.
According to the survey, 45 per cent would have stayed at
the scene of the crash if they'd known it was illegal to
drive away.
Dr Matt Hopkins, a senior lecturer at the university, said:
"For a number of drivers there is clearly confusion about
the legal requirement to report an accident.
"Importantly, some differences are observed between
younger and older drivers that could be developed into
preventative strategies."
Ashton West, chief executive of the Motor Insurers' Bureau
(MIB), which commissioned the research, said: "There is a
real need to understand why there are so many hit and
run accidents.
"The completion of this independent research will provide
useful insights which we will share with the Government,
police, the insurance industry and other interested bodies
so that we can take action to tackle this problem
together."
Under the Road Traffic Act 1988 a driver involved in an

accident must stop and give their name and address to
any other person involved.
The incident must be reported to the police "as soon as is
reasonably practicable" if someone is injured or if personal
details are not exchanged.
Failure to do so is punishable by a maximum sentence of
six months' imprisonment.
(1st May 2016)
BORDER SECURITY : HOW THE US AND BRITAIN

COMPARE
(The Telegraph, dated 19th April 2016 authors David
Barrett and Nick Allen)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/19/border-securityhow-the-us-and-britain-compare/
The United States deploys a much tougher regime than
Britain to hunt down Islamists in their midst and screen
out potential extremists who attempt to reach American
soil.
Fingerprinting
At the US border, fingerprints are harvested from all
foreign arrivals to ensure anyone attempting to use a false
ID can be identified.
Prints are also retained for cross-checking if they later
show up at a crime scene.
In Britain, the national identity card scheme began
gathering fingerprints of the whole population, as well as
visitors, in 2008 but was scrapped by the Coalition in
2010.
Just two years ago a watchdog found even illegal
immigrants discovered trying to enter Britain from France
were not having their fingerprints taken.
John Vine, then chief inspector of borders and immigration,
said it was "surprising" fingerprints were not being taken

at Calais and other cross-Channel border controls to help
identify repeat offenders.
Intelligence and security
The US deploys its formidable intelligence network to keep
out extremists and other undesirables, drawing on the
surveillance capabilities of agencies including the CIA and
the National Security Agency.
In comparison, Britain takes a more softly-softly approach.
The Home Office places heavy emphasis on communitybased schemes, as part of the Prevent strategy, to
encourage Muslim families, imams and other community
leaders to report concerns about potential extremism.
Raffaello Pantucci, of the British think-tank the Royal
United Services Institute, said US intelligence agencies
take a more "vigorous, pro-active approach", including
extensive surveillance, to track down potential terrorist
threats.
"A lot of that is based on surveillance of online activities,
which then leads to further action in the offline world," Mr
Pantucci said.
Social media
The US is planning to place social media accounts under
intense scrutiny when foreigners apply to visit the States.
A review was triggered after Tashfeen Malik, a Pakistani
woman, killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, last
year with her US-born husband Syed Farook.
Malik came to the US on a K-1, or fiance, visa in 2014.
The day after the San Bernardino attack, it emerged that
Malik had posted on Facebook pledging her and Farook's
allegiance to the leader of Islamic State, and the couple
had also exchanged messages about jihad and martyrdom
before they were married.
Richard Burr, a Republican senator who heads the Senate
Intelligence Committee, said after the attack he wanted to
know how the US immigration authorities "didn't notice
the radicalisation".
US officials are now working on plans to gather such

material in advance to prevent extremists reaching
America.
Josh Earnest, the White House spokesman, has announced
the Homeland Security and State departments is
reviewing the process for screening people who apply for
visas.
The Homeland Security Department launched three pilot
programmes to carry out social media reviews into its
vetting process in 2014.
It is now reviewing policies on the US Citizenship and
Immigration Service's ability to scrutinise social media
posts on Twitter, Facebook and other sites as part of the
vetting process for visa applicants.
Britain is understood to make very limited use of social
media in immigration applications.
Physical security
The US Customs and Border Protection Agency (CBP) has
60,000 employees and describes itself as "America's front
line against terrorists".
On an average day it arrests 1,100 people for suspected
violations of US laws, including immigration rules.
CBP agents can be heavily armed and are licensed to use
"objectively reasonable force".
US officials are also more likely to use racial profiling - a
tactic which is largely prohibited in the UK due to antidiscrimination and human rights laws.
It is a far cry from the UK Border Force which, although run
by a former Second Sea Lord Sir Charles Montgomery, has
the staffing and institutional attitude of the civil service.
The UK Border Force has 7,600 staff, and so is one eighth
the size of its US counterpart.
Lord Stevens of Kirkwhelpington who, as Sir John Stevens,
was Metropolitan Police Commissioner called for a new UK
border force with 30,000 staff when he carried out a
review in 2008.
The proposal, which was backed by David Cameron as
opposition leader, suggested merging police and civilians

in a new agency with sweeping police-style powers.
Professor Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly of the University of
Victoria, British Columbia, who has researched the US and
European approaches to border security, said: "All the
infrastructure of the European approach is geared more to
integration and human rights of those arriving as
migrants.
"In North America, the US particularly, the treatment of
immigrants is from the approach that they are potential
criminals and potential terrorists."
Visa controls
US Congress passed a Bill in December which introduced
new restrictions on its visa-free travel scheme.
Anyone who has travelled to Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan
since 2011 is now exempt from the scheme and will have
to apply for a visa, including aid workers and business
executives.
The moves will affect citizens of 23 EU countries, including
the UK, who had previously been able to enter the US
without a visa providing they had been cleared in advance
under an electronic authorisation scheme.
The new restrictions also require travellers to the US to
possess a passport with embedded security microchips.
'No-fly' lists and terror databases
America also maintains a "no fly" list of people who are to
be denied the right to board US-bound flights - which
contained 47,000 names according to a 2013 leak.
The US government's main record of suspected
international terrorists, the Terrorist Identities Datamart
Environment (TIDE), holds more than one million names.
Following the foiled 2009 "underwear bomber" plot the
threshold for being place on the terror watch list was
lowered.
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian behind the failed
attack, had not been on a list despite his father warning a
US embassy he had been radicalised.
The change meant that a single credible source became
enough for someone to be placed on the watch list.

In December 2014 the Obama administration granted
exemptions to broader measures against racial profiling in
criminal investigations which it has been argued allowed
the practice to continue at airports.
Britain operates comparable databases, principally the
Warnings Index, or WI, but the numbers they contain are
not known.
In December it emerged that the WI breaks down twice a
week on average, leading to fears Britain will be left
vulnerable to terrorists and serious criminals slipping
through the border unnoticed.
The WI was introduced nearly 20 years ago but was only
designed to have a seven year life-span.
A 2013 report found the British database was "unstable
and at risk of collapsing" and contained "a great deal of
out-of-date information".
Its replacement, the eBorders system, is still not fully
operational and has been dubbed a "1 billion fiasco".
(1st May 2016)
TINY PROPORTION OF STALKING CASES RECORDED

BY POLICE, DATA SUGGESTS
(The Guardian, dated 18th April 2016 author Kate Lyon)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/apr/18/stalkingcases-recorded-police-data-lilly-allen-charity
Only a tiny proportion of all stalking cases are recorded by
police, figures have suggested, leading to calls for more
training for police to recognise the crime and provide
support to victims.
There were 7,706 cases of stalking recorded between 1
April 2013 and 4 February 2016 by all police forces in
England and Wales, according to a large-scale freedom of
information (FOI) request by the charity the Suzy

Lamplugh trust.
However, 4.9% of women and 2.4% of men aged 16 to 59,
or 1.1 million people, said they have experienced stalking
over a period of one year, according to the British Crime
Survey 2015. This suggests that a tiny fraction of all cases
of stalking were either reported to police, or recorded as
stalking when after being reported. The Suzy Lamplugh
trust says only about half of victims go to the police.
The FOI release follows news on Sunday that Lily Allen was
the victim of stalking for seven years. The singer was
critical of the police's handling of the case, telling the
Observer she was made to feel like a "nuisance not a
victim".
She added: "I want answers from the police. If they treat
me like this, how the hell are they going to treat everyone
else?"
Rachel Griffin, director of the Suzy Lamplugh trust, said
Allen's experience was common. "We know from talking to
victims that they often really struggle to have their
stalking experience recognised by the police.
"One of the things we often hear on the helpline is that
someone will have reported stalking, which often has an
online element, and they'll say: 'The police have said just
don't check your emails or why are you still on the
internet?' It's a cyber version of victim-blaming. Then
you'll have people who report that police said to them:
'Come back when he does something.'"
Griffin added: "I just don't think the training that has been
put in place to back up the changes to the law. You'll still
talk to police officers who don't know the difference
between stalking and harassment."
In November 2012, two criminal offences specifically
relating to stalking were introduced. Before this, such
crimes would have been recorded under other offences,
particularly harassment.
Stalking is defined as two or more incidents that caused
distress or alarm of receiving obscene or threatening
letters, emails, text messages or phone calls; having had
obscene or threatening information placed on the internet;

waiting or loitering around home or workplace; or
following or watching by any person, including a partner or
family member.
Stalking differs from harassment by the "obsessive fixation
of the stalker", said Griffin. "That's what makes the crime
so dangerous, because of the element of fixation and we
know it can escalate very dangerously. Stalking's the only
crime where if someone's going to kill you they warn you
first."
Research suggests that 30-40% of stalking cases involve
physical violence. The link between domestic homicides
and stalking is also believed to be very high. A study in
the US found that 76% of women murdered by their
partners or former partners had been stalked by them,
though comparable data is not available in the UK.
As part of the FOI request, the Suzy Lamplugh trust asked
all local authorities in England and Wales to report how
many of the 500 domestic homicide reviews to haven
taken place since 2010 identified stalking as occurring in
the lead-up to the murder. Stalking was identified in 27
cases. In its report the trust said they believed this
number was "the tip of the iceberg".
Griffin says that making sure cases of stalking are properly
recorded is also important because some perpetrators will
go on to stalk multiple people across a lifetime.
"If you've got something on a national police database
that says someone is a stalker, that's an indicator that
says they're a much more dangerous person, so if
someone else comes in to report them that's a red flag to
police," she said.
The figures obtained by the charity also revealed a
significant discrepancy between the number of recorded
cases of stalking across different police forces.
Between April 2013 and February 2016, only 22 cases of
stalking were recorded by police in Lincolnshire, whereas
179 cases were recorded by the Bedfordshire force,
despite the populations of those regions being roughly
similar.
According to the British Crime Survey 2015, young women

are particularly targeted by stalkers, with 10.3% of women
aged 16-19 and 7.2% of women aged 20-24 reporting they
had been stalked.
Most stalkers are mostly known to their victims, with
strangers making up only 10% of all stalkers. A stalker is
most likely to be a victim's former partner (45%) or
acquaintance (22%), while 5% are current former
colleagues, and 4% are family members.
(1st May 2016)
HOW "BRITAINS FBI" HACKS INTO COMPUTERS TO

CATCH CRIMINALS AND CYBER-GANGS
www.ibtimes.co.uk/how-britains-fbi-hacks-into-computerscatch-criminals-cyber-gangs-1555416
In a rare glimpse into the scope of its active surveillance
operations, the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), also
dubbed the 'British FBI', has outlined some examples of
the computer hacking and snooping techniques it uses to
help catch crooks involved in everything from financial
cybercrime to sextortion schemes.
The hacking - or 'equipment interference' as it's called by
UK intelligence - disclosures were published this month in
a joint submission to the UK Parliament by the NCA, HM
Revenue & Customs and the National Police Chiefs Council
as part of the ongoing scrutiny of the Investigatory Powers
Bill. The controversial law, branded a Snoopers' Charter by
critics, includes proposals that seek to enhance the
surveillance powers open to the UK government, police
and intelligence agencies while legitimising some of the
tactics exposed by Edward Snowden in 2013.
Targeted hacking ops

The evidence lists two examples of hacking operations
orchestrated by the NCA, alongside joint statements on
everything from 'lawful communications interception' to
the collection of internet records. One example explains
how the crime agency used 'targeted' hacking to help
dismantle an advanced cybercrime organisation that was
involved in infecting computers with financial Trojans to
steal money from victim's accounts.
"The criminal network [was] sophisticated in its
operations, including using encrypted means of
communication to avoid detection," the NCA wrote.
"An equipment interference technique was deployed to
capture the keystrokes of members of the criminal
network. This provided information that would not have
been obtained through any other conventional means. The
deployment of this equipment interference technique
provided insights into the activities of the individuals,
thereby informing the investigative strategy."
In another example, the NCA explained how it used
hacking to bring down an organised cyber-gang that
installed persistent malware onto devices with the aim of
harvesting banking details. "By way of advanced
equipment interference techniques, the NCA was able to
infiltrate the organised crime group," it revealed. "This
provided the NCA with vital information as to how the
criminal network operated and also enabled the NCA to
view/identify stolen data. By sharing this information with
partners and engaging with relevant third party
organisations, the NCA was able to mitigate the threat and
protect potential victims."
As reported by Motherboard, while the agency did not
disclose any information that directly named the gangs or
cybercriminals apprehended as part of these operations, it
is highly likely one is referencing the takedown of the
Dridex campaign which was undertaken alongside security
firm Trend Micro in October last year.
Enhanced internet snooping
One of the new powers the Investigatory Powers Bill seeks

to bring into UK law is the retention of so-called 'internet
connection records' (ICRs). In its latest submission, the
joint collective echoes the sentiment of FBI director James
Comey - who has long complained that technology is
increasingly hampering his agency's ability to catch
criminals.
"Without access to ICRs the intelligence that can be
gathered from CD [communications data] will continue to
decline and law enforcement will be unable to keep pace
with criminal use of communications," states the written
evidence. "The use of CD and therefore ICRs for lower
levels of crime or volume crime is key to investigating
cases of harassment, grooming, sextortion, anti-social
behaviour, theft, domestic abuse and stalking. These
crimes are often precursors to serious crimes but do not,
themselves, meet the serious crime definition in the Bill."
It added: "In such cases, and others, ICRs may often be
the only investigative lead."
The assertion that the government needs enhanced
surveillance powers has been disputed by many privacy
advocacy groups, academics and even some politicians.
Paul Bernal, a lecturer specialising in IT and media law at
the University of East Anglia Law School, was one person
called before the UK Parliament to give evidence in the
scrutiny sessions. In an analysis of ICRs published on his
website, Bernal wrote: "We should not underplay the
importance of internet connection records. They matter a
great deal - and gathering them is a major step in
surveillance."
(1st May 2016)
INTERIM APRIL 2016
MORE THAN 400 LONDON CAB DRIVERS CHAGED

WITH CRIMES LAST YEAR
Hannah Al-Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/over-400-london-cabdrivers-charged-with-crimes-last-year-a3226396.html
Over 400 taxi or private hire drivers were charged with
criminal offences last year, official figures show.
In 2015, charges were brought against 413 drivers, with
126 accused of violent or sexual offences.
The data, released by the Metropolitan Police under
Freedom of Information (FOI) laws, also showed that
between 2011 and 2015, a total of 1,948 drivers were
charged with criminal offences.
Of these, 521 were charged with violent or sexual
offences, which can include grievous bodily harm or rape.
The FOI showed the number of people charged who gave
their occupation as a taxi driver or minicab driver.
The data did not specify any outcomes of the criminal
proceedings.
Enhanced DBS checks are carried out on drivers every
three years when they renew their taxi or private hire
driver's licence, and every individual's fitness to become a
licensed taxi or private hire driver is considered on a caseby-case basis.
A separate FOI revealed that in 2014/2015, a staggering
141 drivers were named as suspects in sex offences.
These included 31 in cases of rape, and 110 for other
sexual assaults.
Angela Clarkson, 62, is secretary of the United Cabbies
Group, the second largest taxi organisation in London.
Ms Clarkson, who has been a black cab driver for 30 years
and lives in Chislehurst, has worked with organisations
including the Suzy Lamplugh Trust in a bid to increase
women's safety when travelling in cabs.
She told the Standard: "These figures are absolutely
appalling, the blame lies squarely at TfL's door.
"For every hour that TfL's offices were open at one point
they were handing out one licence every three minutes

and 40 seconds - it's impossible to do the checks and
balances."
Glen Alutto, a black cab driver for 17 years, also said that
licensing of drivers was too lax.
Mr Alutto, 47, who lives in Enfield, told the Standard: "I'm
shocked by these figures, but not surprised.
"They're licensing 700 private hire drivers a week.
"It's no longer news when you see that one of them has
crashed or driven the wrong way down a street.
"The SatNav is not a replacement for the Knowledge - I've
got a calculator on my phone but that doesn't make me an
accountant.
"They need to cap the numbers they're licensing, there
don't need to be any more - it's also causing massive
levels of congestion and pollution, it's just ridiculous."
TfL's Graham Daly, head of operations for enforcement,
said: "Under current private hire legislation, we are
obliged to license anyone applying for a private hire driver
license who meets the relevant criteria.
"All applicants for taxi and private hire driver licences
undergo an enhanced DBS criminal records check both
before they are granted a licence, and every three years
subsequently.
"We take any report of sexual offences extremely
seriously, revoking or suspending licenses whenever
necessary and pushing for the strongest possible penalties
in the courts.
"We also work closely with the police to take strong and
robust enforcement action to catch touting and unlicensed
drivers who pose a risk to the public."
(19th April 2016)
CRIME IN LONDON UP BY FOUR PER CENT IN A YEAR

Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/crime-in-london-up-byfour-per-cent-in-a-year-a3226411.html
Crime in London rose in the last 12 months by just over
four per cent - or an extra 29,192 offences, new figures
showed today.
There were rises in violent crime, up by five per cent, theft
and snatches, up eight per cent, and sexual offences,
which rose by 9.3 per cent.
However, the figures for the financial year 2015/16
showed muggings were down two per cent over the last
12 months and the number of burglaries at their lowest
level since the early 1970s.
Scotland Yard claimed the rise in violent crime was mainly
due to more accurate recording of offences though the
figures showed there were 3,700 more cases involving
violence with injury.
There were also slight increases in the number of gun and
knife offences.
Police investigated a total of 109 homicides in the 12
months to April, a rise of six on the previous 12 months.
The figures showed a big increase in the number of theft
from person offences, with 2,600 more offences than the
previous 12 months.
There were also double digit rises in domestic abuse
cases, up 10.6 per cent, and racist and religious hate
crime offences, up by 18 per cent.
The total number of sexual offences in 2015/16 rose by
9.3 per cent with an 8.8 per cent rise in the number of
rape offences.
Police believe many of these increases are due to an
increased willingness of victims to come forward while
officers say the rise in sex offences is still being driven by
the aftermath of the Operation Yewtree investigation into
Jimy Savile.
Assistant Commissioner Helen King, head of Territorial
Policing, said: "We will continue to keep up our intensified
focus on areas such as violence where we have seen a rise
in recorded offences. We must not lose sight of the
reductions we have achieved over the last five years."
(19th April 2016)
MORE TRAFFIC POLICE ARE NEEDED ON THE ROADS

TO CURB PHONE ADDICTS
David Williams)
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/motors/david-williams-moretraffic-police-are-needed-on-our-roads-to-curb-phoneaddicts-a3226131.html
Before it became illegal to use a mobile phone at the
wheel in 2003, drivers with one hand on the wheel, the
other cupping a phone, were a routine sight. But what's
changed? Spot a motorist driving erratically and there is a
good chance they are still talking, texting - or even taking
selfies.
Now a study of 4,300 motorists has underlined the impact
mobile phone use has on driving abilities, whether handheld or hands-free.
By analysing speed, road type and braking by drivers
using phones, Wunelli, a LexisNexis Risk Solutions
company, together with insurance broker Drivology, found
that drivers using a hand-held mobile almost doubled their
risk of an accident, because "hard braking" increases by
three-quarters, while those on hands-free phones increase
their risk by a fifth.
Hard braking - defined by Wunelli as "creating G-forces
sufficient to propel a bag on the front seat into the
footwell" - is apparently a strong indication of driver
distraction, with a direct correlation to car accidents. The
study established that an average driver brakes hard once
every 50 miles, while drivers using a mobile do so twice as
often.
They say that use of mobiles at the wheel by men is
almost double that of women and that drivers aged 25 to
35 are the worst offenders. Despite the risks, a quarter of

calls taken or made in the car are of the hand-held variety
and most occur on built-up roads where vulnerable road
users are present. Wunelli says it might be a factor in
these roads having 11 times more accidents than
motorways.
"Driving a car is the most dangerous activity most people
ever do," says Paul Stacy, of Wunelli. "Based on
Government data, over an average lifetime, every person
will have eight friends or family members injured in a
traffic accident and at least one killed or seriously injured.
Why do people make a dangerous activity like driving
more risky by using phones?"
It's all grist to the mill as the Government analyses its
public consultation on stricter penalties for using a handheld phone while driving.
It sought feedback on proposals to increase the fixed
penalty notice from 100 to 150. It also invited views on
increasing penalty points from three to four for non-HGV
drivers, and three to six for those who hold a large goods
vehicle licence and commit the offence while driving.
But Neil Greig, Institute of Advanced Motorists' (IAM)
director of policy and research, says: "For many,
smartphone use has become an addiction. The IAM does
not object to tougher penalties, but we do believe the real
deterrent is fear of being caught. That fear can only be
increased by increasing the numbers of traffic police on
our roads."
And there's the rub. While there were 5,635 traffic police
officers in 2010, there were only 4,365 in 2014, great
news for law-breaking drivers. No wonder the IAM found
that nine per cent of drivers admitted taking selfies while
driving within the previous month.
The Government should have sought views on police
traffic patrol numbers. Will drivers stop picking up their
phones because of an increased fine? No. Will they think
twice if there might be a cop around the corner? Probably.
(19th April 2016)
UK COPS TRIAL 250K DRONE SQUADRON

(The Register, dated 12th April 2016 author Lester Haines)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/12/uk_poice_drone_trial/
Surrey and Sussex Police have received almost 250k of
Police Innovation Fund cash to acquire four UAVs as part of
the "largest trial of police drones in England and Wales".
The forces will augment their existing capability of one
Aeryon SkyRanger - operating at Gatwick since 2014 - with
four more examples of the Canadian-built drone.
The quintet of vehicles will be deployed to Eastbourne
Neighbourhood Response Team, Guildford Targeted Patrol
Team, Gatwick Armed Response Vehicles, Shoreham
Forensic Collision Investigation and Reconstruction Unit,
and Lewes Operations Command Search and Operations
Planning, with thirty-eight operators trained to "Civil
Aviation Authority accredited standards" available to fly
the vehicles, Police Oracle explains (registration required).
Assistant Chief Constable Steve Barry, head of Surrey and
Sussex Police Operations, assured: "Our drone operations
will be overt, open and transparent, and we will use all
outlets available to us to ensure the public are informed of
our drone use."
He added: "We have consulted extensively with the
Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and the Office of
Surveillance Commissioners (OSC), both of whom are
satisfied with the approach we have taken over privacy
and data protection. The OSC recently saw the Gatwick
drone being operated and was impressed with our
operational protocols."
To date, the Gatwick SkyRanger has been involved in
"missing person searches, protester responses, airport
security and crash scene investigations".
(19th April 2016)
SPEAR PHISHERS TARGET GULLIBLE BRITS MORE

THAT ANYONE ELSE
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/12/symantec_cyber_threat
_report/
There's been a sharp (35 per cent) increase in crypto
ransomware attacks, with the UK ranked as the nation
third most targeted with ransomware.
The UK is also ranked as the most targeted nation for
spear phishing attacks and the second most hit-upon
country with social media scams, according to other
findings from Symantec's latest annual Internet Security
Threat Report (ISTR).
The report makes grim reading for anyone concerned
about privacy or corporate security. An estimated half a
billion records were lost as a result of data breaches last
year. And the number of zero-day vulnerabilities
discovered last year more than doubled to a recordbreaking 54, a 125 per cent increase from the previous
year, underlining the critical role unmatched vulnerable
can play in targeted attacks.
Advanced professional attack groups are the first to
leverage zero-day vulnerabilities, using them for their own
advantage or selling them to lower-level criminals on the
open market where they are quickly commoditised,
according to Symantec.
Meanwhile, fake technical support scams trebled last year,
with the UK the second most targeted nation globally,
suffering 7m attacks in 2015. The type of fraud is evolving
beyond purely targeting PCs with scammers sending fake
warning messages to devices like smartphones, driving
users to attacker-run call centres in order to dupe them
into buying useless services.
Finally, 430 million new malware variants were discovered
in 2015. Virus creators routinely vary their wares in a bid
to outfox security defences. This process is done
automatically and is one the main reasons that security
vendors have moved away from traditional signature

detection, which these days, only has a support role in
security software suites. At half a billion, the number of
malware variants has almost become irrelevant, akin to
asking how many grains of sand there are on a beach.
More details on the study, as well as top tips from
Symantec on improving security can be found at :
www.symantec.com/security-center/threat-report
(19th April 2016)
HALF OF PEOPLE PLUG USB DRIVES THEY FIND

(The Register, dated 11th April 2016 author Shaun
Nichols)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/11/half_plug_in_found_driv
es/
A new study has found that almost half the people who
pick up a USB stick they happen across in a parking lot
plug said drives into their PCs.
Researchers from Google, the University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign, and the University of Michigan, spread 297
USB drives around the Urbana-Champaign campus. They
found that 48 percent of the drives were picked up and
plugged into a computer, some within minutes of being
dropped.
"The security community has long held the belief that
users can be socially engineered into picking up and
plugging in seemingly lost USB flash drives they find," the
researchers reported this month.
"Unfortunately, whether driven by altruistic motives or
human curiosity, the user unknowingly opens their
organization to an internal attack when they connect the
drive - a physical Trojan horse."
The study dropped USB sticks containing HTML files that
had img tags embedded; opening the files fetched the
image from a remote server, allowing the researchers to

track the USB drives' use and rough location. It's obviously
not a perfect means to detect usage, but close enough.
And, yes, we're talking about people - students and staff who hang around a uni campus.
The drives were usually picked up within hours of being
left in the lot, with one being opened just six minutes after
being dropped off. Overall, 48 per cent of the drives were
picked up and plugged into a PC.
Additionally, the study found that just 16 per cent of users
bothered to scan the drives with anti-virus software before
loading the files; 68 per cent of the respondents said they
took no precautions whatsoever before plugging in the
drives.
The users said that, for the most part, they were acting in
good faith. 68 per cent of the users said they were only
accessing the drive in order to find its owner, though a
"handful" of respondents said they were planning to keep
the USB drive for themselves.
This led the researchers to believe that an attacker would
have no problem spreading malware in an organization by
simply dropping an infected USB drive in a public place.
"We hope that by bringing these details to light, we
remind the security community that some of the simplest
attacks remain realistic threats," the researchers said.
"There is still much work needed to understand the
dynamics of social engineering, develop technical
defenses, and learn how to effectively teach users how to
protect themselves."
(19th April 2016)
CYBER-UNDERWORLD PRICE LIST REVEALED

(The register, dated 8th April 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04/08/underground_hacking/
The underground bazaars for stolen online identities,
access to corporate email inboxes, and fake ID are

booming, we're told.
Research by Dell SecureWorks says the market for
underground hacking is increasing, particularly in Russia.
Russian hackers are expanding their working hours and
using guarantors to ensure customer happiness. There is
an honor among thieves within online cybercrime souks,
where reputation matters and repeat business is the aim.
Dell SecureWorks' report includes the latest price list for
hacker goods and services:
Banking credentials change hands for between 1 and 5
per cent of the account balances.
American Express Cards fetch $30, towards the upper
end of prices for plastic card credentials, which start at $7
and rise depending on the type of card and the amount of
associated data offered for sale.
DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks can be
contracted for as low as $5 an hour, the same price as
remote-access trojans.
Angler exploit kits - a common hacking tool that's used to
sling malware from compromised or hacker-controlled
websites - are licensed from $100.
Crooks are also expanding their offerings with a greater
range of products, including ATM skimming devices for
$400 or less.
Hacking a corporate email account costs $500 per
mailbox, about four times the price of hacking into a Gmail
or Hotmail account ($123).
A physical counterfeit French driver's license for $238 or
German, US, Israeli, UK and international driver's licenses
for about $173.
European passports are also on offer for $1,200 and
upwards, far more than the $500 or less they cost in 2014.
The prices of identity documents have gone up while the
cost of other items, particularly malware, has nose-dived.
Other items offered for sale include hacking tutorials,
airline points and complete personal information dossiers
(names, addresses, dates of birth, etc). These dossiers can
be used for identity theft or other nefarious purposes.
"The underground marketplace is booming and only
getting bigger, more sophisticated, and competitive," Dell
SecureWorks concludes.
"Knowing what you and your organization are up against
and where your information could potentially be going and
what it's worth is a great way to help prioritize what you
protect."
(19th 2016)
BUSINESS EMAIL SCAMS HAVE LED TO $2.3B LOSSES

(Computer World, dated 8th April 2016 author Lucian
Constantin)
Over the past two and a half years, cybercriminals have
managed to steal over $2.3 billion from thousands of
companies worldwide by using little more than carefully
crafted scam emails.
Known as business email compromise (BEC), CEO fraud or
whaling, this type of attack involves criminals
impersonating an organization's chief executive officer, or
some other high-ranking manager, and instructing
employees via email to initiate rogue wire transfers.
According to an alert issued earlier this week by the FBI,
between October 2013 and February 2016, 17,642
organizations from the U.S. and 79 other countries have
fallen victim to BEC attacks. The combined losses amount
to over $2.3 billion, the agency said.

The scams can take different forms. Instead of an
executive, the fraudsters can pose as one of the
organization's foreign business partners or suppliers
seeking a payment. The attackers usually do a lot of
research about the targeted companies in advance to
determine which of their employees handle money
transfers and who they should impersonate.
In the more advanced attacks, the hackers can
compromise the real email account of a company's CEO by
using phishing or malware. This allows them to send wire
transfer requests from the actual email address that the
recipient would expect to see. In other cases they use
similar domain names or address spoofing techniques.
Sometimes, the attackers gain access to a company's
network or email server weeks in advance and spend time
reading the emails sent between employees to understand
the organization's internal workflows before they act.
The amount of the rogue transfers can range between a
few thousand dollars to a few million depending on the
victim's organization's size and industry profile.
Last week, AP reported that back in 2015, a finance
executive from toy maker Mattel wired $3 million to a
bank in China after falling victim to such an email scam.
The unnamed employee received an email that appeared
to be from Mattel's newly appointed CEO requesting that a
payment be made to a Chinese vendor.
Reports earlier this year claimed that Belgian bank Crelan
lost 70 million and Austrian airplane parts manufacturer
FACC Operations lost 50 million following similar attacks.
According to the FBI's statistics, since January 2015 there
has been a 270 percent rise in the number of BEC victims
and losses. The agency advises organizations to be wary
of wire transfer requests received via email, especially of
those that invoke urgency. Employees should seek
confirmation over the phone from the company's senior
managers, business partners or suppliers when such
requests are received.
(19th April 2016)
"BRITAIN'S FBI" TO LEAD FIGHT ON LONDON'S DIRTY

MONEY
Martin Bentham)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/britain-s-fbi-to-lead-fighton-london-s-dirty-money-a3221041.html
A major shake-up of Britain's law enforcement agencies is
to be carried out by ministers in a new attempt to stop
"dirty money" flowing into London through money
laundering, corruption and tax evasion.
One key reform will see the National Crime Agency given
the power to order the Serious Fraud Office to investigate
white-collar criminals.
It follows a public outcry over disclosures in the "Panama
Papers" about the secretive financial transactions of
wealthy London property owners, and concern that City
professionals are facilitating tax dodging and the
concealment of illicit funds.
The reform is intended to pave the way for the NCA to
take over the SFO - which has come under fire over highprofile prosecution failures - in a landmark change to the
way financial crime is tackled. It aims to improve law
enforcement coordination and make it easier to track illicit
money.
Officials are also examining whether to give the NCA which has been dubbed Britain's FBI - a role co-ordinating
tax investigators, in response to fears that HM Revenue
and Customs officials are failing to pass on important
intelligence about illicit activity.
Sources say there is "serious concern" in Whitehall that
Revenue staff are ignoring evidence of organised crime
and money laundering. Efforts to identify sanction dodging
are also believed to be inadequate.
The overhaul is being prepared by Home Secretary
Theresa May and the first stage is due to be announced by
David Cameron at an anti-corruption summit in London in
May.
He will say the NCA's new power to direct SFO
investigations will strengthen law enforcement as part of a

series of changes to tackle financial crime, including
increased transparency on company ownership.
Confirming the shake-up, an official said Mrs May had
"long believed" the NCA should be put in control of the
SFO and the source said similar changes were being
considered over tax probes.
An SFO investigation into allegations of price-rigging in the
3 trillion-a-day foreign exchange market was closed last
month despite the Royal Bank of Scotland, Barclays,
Citigroup, UBS, JP Morgan and HSBC paying billions of
pounds in fines on both sides of the Atlantic for
manipulating markets.
Critics have complained that the SFO takes on a fraction of
the cases referred to it, despite a budget of 60 million. It
says its remit limits it to investigating only the "top level
of serious or complex fraud, bribery and corruption".
However, officials in Whitehall believe this creates a gap
which helps to allow other significant offending to go
unpunished.
(19th April 2016)
DRUG DEALERS USING INSTAGRAM AND TINDER TO

FIND YOUNG CUSTOMERS
(The Guardian, dated 7th April 2016 author Leah Boromeo)
www.theguardian.com/sustainablebusiness/2016/apr/07/drug-dealers-instagram-tinderyoung-customers
Drug dealers are branching out to platforms and apps,
popular with young people, such as Instagram, Tinder, Kik
and shopping app Depop to sell their wares. These can be
anything from prescription medication and research
chemicals to recreational drugs.
The process is simple. On Instagram, using the social

platform convention of hashtagging, a potential customer
trawls through the app looking for phrases like
#weed4sale or the names of the drugs themselves
(#mdma, #mephedrone etc). The customer then contacts
the owner of the account and the deal moves along
through direct messages. In the case of Tinder, potential
customers can swipe through profiles until they find a
dealer and match with them.
Buyers can either meet face-to-face or pay online and
have their purchases posted to them. While online
payments such as bitcoin and pre-paid gift cards such as
Vanilla Visa are encrypted, more traceable measures such
as unattributed bank transfers and PayPal are also used.
Online dealers mostly sell their drugs as "research" even
though pills are put in bottles or blister packs and powders
in capsules."Despite packaging them specifically for
human consumption, vendors attempt plausible deniability
when it comes to what they sell," says Moe, a former user
who bought legal and illegal drugs online from the age of
16.
There are few firm statistics about who's buying drugs
over social media but interviews I did suggests young
people are a market. Despite the risks - which include
getting scammed, getting caught and having no
guarantee about strength or composition of drugs - Moe
says the internet is popular among teens who have no
personal connections to drug dealers and users. In
particular, he says, research chemicals that are legal for
medical or clinical trial purposes are being bought online
by teenagers who don't otherwise have access to illegal
drugs.
Not everyone who buys drugs online is doing it to get
high. I have spoken to young people in the LGBTQ
community who buy hormones for gender transitioning
online because it bypasses restrictions and bureaucracy in
the NHS.
"The system doesn't guarantee what trans people need,
and illegal underground behaviour becomes the way to
get it, which in turn sustains systemic problems ...

including sex work to pay for the drugs," explains
sociologist Bilal Zenab Ahmed.
Weeding out offenders
As far as possible, social media providers act swiftly to
block or restrict links that could lead to the sale or
purchase of drugs, and repeat offenders are banned, but
the onus is on platform users.
"Promoting the sale of, or selling marijuana and other
drugs is against our community guidelines," says an
Instagram spokesperson. "We encourage anyone who
comes across violating content to report it via our built-in
reporting tools."
Anonymous mobile chat app Kik says it doesn't "tolerate
any illegal activity" and "cooperates with law enforcement
requests when appropriate". It says it will shut the
accounts of users when misuse comes to its attention.
Despite an explicit and extensive list of prohibited items,
vendors on the popular buy-and-sell network Depop have
still managed to list prescription drugs like ritalin or
dexamphetamine, and unlicensed "smart drugs" like
modafinil. Depop says it has a no-tolerance rule to
restricted sales and reacts immediately when it identifies
or is alerted to items or activities against its guidelines.
Tinder was contacted for comment but hasn't responded.
The common thread is that these social platforms and
websites rely on their millions of users to report
inappropriate content. Even the police rely on reporting
from the public, encouraging people to contact their local
force or the cybercrime unit if they see suspicious
behaviour on the internet.
Until image detection technology is sophisticated enough,
vetting images before they are uploaded would be highly
resource intensive and counterintuitive to a social platform
selling itself on being instant or quick.
Cracking down on online dealing
After being in and out of the justice and rehab system for
a number of years since the age of 17, Moe says that
arrests for drugs bought online tend to happen separately

to the initial transaction. "You get the drugs, then you do
something stupid with the drugs on you, or you sell them
in person," he says.
Cracking down on online drugs transactions has proved
difficult. "The digital world has transformed the availability
and threat of harmful drugs and we must adapt to these
challenges," says a National Police Chiefs' Council
spokesman. "Forces are committed to reducing the harm
caused by drugs but cannot do this alone; prevention,
education and health services all have a crucial role."
Karen Bradley, the UK's minister for preventing abuse,
exploitation and crime, says government and law
enforcement agencies take the unlawful advertising and
sale of drugs on the internet seriously. She says: "We
continue to work with internet providers to ensure they
comply - this can include closure of UK-based websites
where they are found to be committing offences."
(19th April 2016)
PHISHING EMAIL THAT KNOWS YOUR ADDRESS

A new type of phishing email that includes the recipient's
home address has been received by thousands of people,
the BBC has learned.
Members of the BBC Radio 4's You and Yours team were
among those who received the scam emails, claiming they
owed hundreds of pounds to UK firms.
The firms involved have been inundated with phone calls
from worried members of the public.
One security expert warned clicking on the link would
install malware.
You and Yours reporter Shari Vahl was one of the first on
the team to receive an email.
"The email has good spelling and grammar and my exact
home address...when I say exact I mean, not the way my

address is written by those autofill sections on web pages,
but the way I write my address.
"My tummy did a bit of a somersault when I read that,
because I wondered who on earth I could owe 800 to and
what was about to land on my doormat."
She quickly realised it was a scam and did not click on the
link.
"Then, a couple of minutes later, You and Yours producer
Jon Douglas piped up as he'd received one and then
another colleague said he'd received one too, but to his
home email address," she added.
Ransomware
The You and Yours team decided to contact the companies
that were listed in the emails as being owed money.
A spokesman for British Millerain Co Ltd, a waxed cotton
fabric manufacturer, told the programme that the firm
"had more than 150 calls from people who don't owe us
money".
And a spokeswoman for Manchester shelving firm
Greenoaks said: "My colleague took a call from an elderly
gentleman and he was very distressed because his wife
had had one of these emails."
Dr Steven Murdoch, principal research fellow at the
department of computer science at University College
London, told You and Yours: "Most likely it was a retailer or
other internet site that had been hacked into and the
database stolen, it then could have been sold or passed
through several different people and then eventually it got
to the person who sent out these emails."
He said that the email bore the hallmark of previous
phishing attempts from gangs in Eastern Europe and
Russia.
He said that clicking on the link would install malware
such as Cryptolocker, which is a form of ransomware that
will encrypt files on Windows-based computers and then
demand a fee to unlock them.
Anyone receiving such an email is advised to delete it and
report it to the national fraud and cybercrime reporting
centre Action Fraud.
Action Fraud : www.actionfraud.police.uk/
(19th April 2016)
AVOID CRIME HOTSPOTS IN LONDON WITH NEW APP

Mark Blunden)
www.standard.co.uk/news/techandgadgets/avoid-crimehotspots-in-london-with-new-app-a3218926.html
High-crime London neighbourhoods will be flagged up by a
controversial new social app that offers people the choice
of a "safe" or "risky" route to their destination.
RedZone aims to become a "virtual neighbourhood watch"
with GPS navigation similar to the A-to-B directions of
Google Maps, but with a verbal warning when the user
nears a crime hotspot.
Algorithms "geo-fence" troublespots using sources
including Met police data, news stories, crowdsourcing and
social media.
Users input to and from points and are offered a slower
route deemed safer or a faster, but allegedly riskier, one.
RedZone, free on Apple iOS, also features reporting
buttons for users to "broadcast an incident" by dropping
pins on a map, including the option of attaching
photographs and video.
Founder Ted Farnsworth told the Standard he planned
releasing a London version within a month and denied it
could unfairly stigmatise neighbourhoods after some
Twitter users claimed the US version was racist.
A "view crime" button shows incidents, including
stabbings, assaults and thefts, as pins over the past six
months and clicking on a pin shows the date it occurred.
Users can drop their own pins for crimes and also alert
others to hazards, traffic cameras, road closures or police
activity.
Mr Farnsworth said its uses could include allowing Tube
harassment victims an anonymous way of instantly
reporting perpetrators by dropping a pin on a map,

although this will not be sent to police.
He added it was not a substitute for calling 999, but could
be a helpful tool for police to monitor.
RedZone aims to be more comprehensive than apps such
as CrimeWatch and Crime Map, which use only official
sources, through a model similar to the Waze traffic and
navigation community app, where drivers alert each other
to incidents.
Mr Farnsworth said: "London is our next market and we will
be there in the next 30 days.
"Police can use the app as another another set of eyes on
the streets, almost as a virtual neighbourhood watch.
"If officers start to notice many pins dropped in one
neighbourhood at a certain time of day, for example, it
would make sense for them to patrol that area more
closely.
"People are still encouraged to call 999 if they witness a
serious crime but when they also report it through the
app, they're able to warn others who might be nearby.
"You can look on the map to see where there's been a
stabbing or fight or assault or incident or sexual
harassment or robbery.
"You can also put in your destination and you get two
routes, a safe route and a risky route.
"The safe route is usually about 12 to 15 per cent longer
but it will calculate and take you around those pins,
around that red zone."
It follows the shutdown of US app SketchFactor, which
crowdsourced tips for pedestrians to avoid "sketchy"
areas, but drew headlines such as: "Want to Avoid Black
Neighbourhoods? There's an App for That".
Mr Farnsworth said: "In the long-term the crowdsourcing
side of it will be even more critical, where people are
reporting what's going on.
"It's for the citizens to take control of their neighbourhoods
and work with the police to reduce crime, it's not racist at
all.
"We're taking factual data and making you aware of your
surroundings."
Scotland Yard spokeswoman said: "Any technology that
helps to reduce crime and keep the public safe can only be
seen as positive."
(19th April 2016)
MET CONDEMNED FOR AXING 15 SAFER

NEIGHBOURHOOD BASES TO CUT COSTS
David Churchill)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/met-condemned-foraxing-15-safer-neighbourhood-bases-to-cut-costsa3218106.html
Scotland Yard came under fire today over plans to slash
community bases for teams of safer neighbourhood
officers, with two boroughs losing more than a third of
their sites.
The proposals - intended to save the force hundreds of
thousands of pounds - will see 15 deployment bases shut
across seven boroughs.
Bromley and Croydon will take the biggest hits, with both
seeing their safer neighbourhood bases reduced from 13
to eight.
Bromley will go from having one base for every 24,713
people to one for every 40,159 - while
Croydon will go from one base for every 28,926 people to
one for every 47,005, according to figures seen by the
Standard.
Ealing, Greenwich, Haringey, Westminster and Hillingdon
will all lose one safer neighbourhood base each. With
fewer bases, it could take officers longer to reach
incidents.
None of the bases cost more to run each year than the
price of Met Police Commissioner Sir Bernard HoganHowe's new 65,000 Range Rover, which has a 1,000
backseat entertainment system.
Croydon North MP Steve Reed said: "Croydon was hit hard
by the London riots in 2011. Now we find Croydon is set to
lose five neighbourhood police bases - one of the biggest
cuts in London in London's biggest borough.
"With violent crime and domestic violence still on the rise,
this is a real kick in the teeth."
Mr Reed claimed that some police savings were
undermining promises to "keep our community safe".
The force said the plans to stop leasing the 15 sites will
save 123,000 in the first year and 423,000 annually
thereafter. It is part of a strategy to slash 63.6 million
from the amount spent on real estate by 2019/20 and
deliver a "leaner estate".
According to documents from the Mayor's Office for
Policing and Crime, many of the safer neighbourhood
bases are no longer needed because of the roll-out of
"street briefings" and "coffee with a copper" sessions.
The documents state that Bromley and Croydon had a
"disproportionately high number" of deployment bases.
The most expensive of the 15 bases is at Colham House in
Hillingdon, which costs 59,093 a year, followed by the
Burnt Ash Lane base in Bromley, at 53,568, and Ealing's
Arches Business Centre site, which costs 38,413.
Borough commanders and council chief executives will be
briefed about and lead the closure plans.
There are 247 safer neighbourhood bases in the capital.
After the changes, Brent will have the most, 13, followed
by Havering, with 12, and Barnet on 11. Hounslow has the
fewest: three.
Scotland Yard said only one of the bases to be axed has a
public "contact point", adding that they are no longer
needed operationally and would be "decommissioned in
the next few months".
However, it said: "All staff and officers, and equipment will
be redistributed into nearby operational facilities within
the relevant borough.
"Underused police buildings such as these, which are not

of benefit to the public, are being sold to enable the
MOPAC and the Met to provide a more efficient service and
protect frontline officers, maintaining total numbers at
around 32,000, with an additional 2,600 officers moved
into neighbourhood teams."
It will cost 300,000 to decommission them, partly
because "removing standard security measures" will be
necessary.
Scotland Yard says it will have cut 600 million from a 3.5
billion budget by the end of this financial year and expects
to need to make at least another 400 million of cuts by
2020.
(19th April 2016)
CANNABIS ARRESTS DOWN 46% SINCE 2010 POLICE FIGURES

Arrests for cannabis possession in England and Wales have
dropped by 46% since 2010, figures obtained by BBC
Breakfast suggest.
Cautions fell by 48% and the number of people charged
fell by 33%, according to data from police forces released
under the Freedom of Information Act.
One force which no longer targets cannabis users said
officers had been "freed up" for "more important" work.
The Home Office said all crimes reported to the police
should be taken seriously, investigated and, where
appropriate, taken through the courts.
"Decisions on individual investigations are an operational
matter for Chief Constables based on the evidence
available to them," a spokesperson said.
Of the 43 police forces contacted by BBC Breakfast, 32

responded with full data.
The figures showed that, from 2010-15, the number of:
- arrests for cannabis possession fell from 35,367 to
19,115
- cautions for possession fell from 9,633 to 5,036
- people charged for possession dropped from 15,366 to
10,220
Arrests for possession with intent to supply remained
about the same - 4,934 in 2010 and 5,012 in 2015.
Last July Durham Police said it would no longer target or
investigate cannabis users or those growing the class-B
drug for their own use.
Asked if this was sending out a message that smoking
cannabis was acceptable despite being illegal, Chief
Constable Mike Barton said: "I'm not condoning drug use. I
never have.
"It's freed up our staff to deal with things that are more
important."
He told the BBC his force still had "zero tolerance" for drug
dealers.
Legalisation 'crazy'
The Crime Survey for England and Wales asks people aged
16-59 if they have used cannabis in the last year, and the
figure of about 7% who say they have has remained
steady from 2010-15.
One cannabis user, Jonathan, told the BBC he used
cannabis for medical reasons but supported legalisation
for both medical and recreational purposes.
He dismissed suggestions that this would lead to more
young people using the drug, saying it was currently
easier for them to get cannabis than alcohol because the
sale of alcohol is regulated.
But Craig, a former cannabis user, said it "robbed" him of
10 years of his life and led to experimentation with other
drugs, including heroin.
He said it was "crazy" to legalise cannabis.
Home Office Report :

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/a
ttachment_data/file/462885/drug-misuse-1415.pdf
(19th April 2016)
PUBLIC WARNED NOT TO USE SANTANDER CASH

MACHINES BY POLICE
(The Telegraph, dated 3rd April 2016 author Telegraph
Reporters)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/03/public-warned-notto-use-santander-cash-machines-by-police/
The public have been warned by police not to use
Santander cash machines over fears they have been
"compromised".
Forces in Lancashire and Cheshire said they have received
reports of issues with the bank's ATMs.
The warning from Lancashire Police follows calls about
suspicious devices on the bank's machines across the
county last week.
Officers are concerned criminals have targeted the
machines in a bid to steal card details and cash, and urged
those who have lost money to contact Santander.
Lancashire Police alerted customers that security could be
compromised on Twitter.
Cheshire Police also issued a warning to avoid Santander
machines in Wilmslow, near Manchester.
The force tweeted: "Cheshire Police have received reports
of issues with Santander ATM's in Wilmslow. Please do not
use the machines and call your bank and 101."
A spokesman for the Lancashire force said it is feared the
issue could be more widespread.
He said: "We are advising the public to be vigilant, in
particular of Santander machines, but of any cash
machines.
"Report anything suspicious, have a visual check of the

cashpoint and if in doubt leave it and go somewhere else."
"It's spread across the whole of Lancashire so it's highly
likely other forces may have had reports. We do not know
how many are affected."
The force also issued advice to bank customers, including
not to use a cash machine if it appears to have been
tampered with and shielding the keypad when entering
the PIN.
Santander spokeswoman said: "Santander was contacted
this weekend by Police who requested that 5 ATM
machines in the North West and Lancashire area be shut
down due to potential criminal activity and vandalism. The
5 ATMs in question were shut down immediately. The
Santander ATM network remains fully operational and we
are assisting the Police with their enquiries in relation to
the 5 ATMs in the Lancashire area.
"Customers are always advised to remain vigilant and if
concerned about any other ATM machines, they should
contact the police immediately and not use them."
(19th April 2016)
POLICE INVESTIGATING SHOCKING NUMBERS OF

REVENGE PORN CASES IN LONDON
Hannah Al Othman)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/police-dealing-withdozens-of-revenge-porn-cases-every-month-in-londona3216436.html
Police are investigating dozens of "revenge porn" cases
every month in London, a year after it was made a
criminal offence.
Officers have received up to 47 allegations per month
since the legislation came into force 12 months ago, with
an average of 32 complaints each month.
The latest figures available show that between April 2015

and January 2016 there were 319 so-called revenge porn
offences reported to the Metropolitan Police in all.
It became a criminal offence on April 13 last year to
disclose private sexual photographs or films with the
intent to cause distress.
Although in the first month just three cases were reported
to officers, followed by only six the next month, by July
last year - just three months after the legislation was
introduced - the number of reported incidents had risen to
47.
And over the six month period to January 2016, an
average of 40 people a month were coming forward to the
Met Police to report being victims of revenge porn.
Cases include that of Samantha Watt, 31, thought to be
the first woman to be jailed for publishing revenge
pictures of another woman.
Watt, from Enfield, took intimate photographs of the
woman while they were in a relationship, which the victim
later discovered online alongside the caption: "This girl
pays for rent with sex and dirty pics lol she wants a taste
of Sam's life she's getting a taste of how I can be."
Watt admitted disclosing private sexual photographs with
the intent to cause distress and was jailed for 18 weeks in
November.
William Nelson, 52, was spared jail after he set up a fake
Facebook account and posted approximately 30 sexually
explicit photographs of a woman, then sent friend
requests to her friends and family from the fake account.
Nelson, from Lewisham, was sentenced in September at
Croydon Magistrates' Court to two months imprisonment
suspended for 18 months, for one offence of disclosing
private sexual photographs with intent to cause distress.
Former Liberal Democrat MP Julian Huppert was one of the
leading voices calling for the new law to be introduced.
However, he said that legislation alone would not solve

the problem and that "societal change" is needed in order
to stop people from posting intimate pictures as revenge.
He added that while successful prosecutions of
perpetrators may deter other potential offenders, better
education was needed in order to truly tackle the issue.
Mr Huppert told the Standard: "The legislation was very,
very important because previously people who did this
awful thing could say it was not illegal.
"They could say there was nothing wrong with what they
were doing.
"Now it's clearly illegal that stops them being able to
delude themselves into thinking it's okay.
"However, the point of the system is to catch the
perpetrators, not to stop there being victims.
"We need much more active work in schools, proper PHSE
to make it clear that this is completely unacceptable.
"We need societal change, it's about people thinking this
behaviour is not acceptable, it's not about catching a few
people."
A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said: "Police
take revenge pornography seriously and will pursue all
lines of inquiry to prosecute people where appropriate.
"Forces have more powers than ever before to prosecute
those who maliciously share private sexual images of
someone without their consent and with the intention of
causing them distress."
(19th April 2016)
FBI AGREES TO HELP OTHER LAW ENFORCMENT

AGENCIES WITH UNLOCKING PHONES
(International Business Times, dated 2nd April 2016 author
India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/fbi-agrees-help-other-law-enforcementagencies-unlocking-phones-1552802
The FBI has agreed to help other law enforcement

agencies across the US to unlock mobile phones like the
iPhone in criminal investigations. The FBI has assured all
the other agencies that within the constraints of the law
and policy, it will offer support in unlocking phones.
Following the successful unlocking of the San Bernardino
killer's iPhone, the FBI has been flooded with requests
from other state and local law enforcement agencies to
provide support and information on how to go about
unlocking mobile devices that are part of an investigation.
The FBI, in a letter to local authorities, said it was aware of
the kind of challenges that law enforcement agencies face
when dealing with technology-related obstacles blocking
investigations,according to a Reuters report. "As has been
our longstanding policy, the FBI will of course consider any
tool that might be helpful to our partners," the FBI said.
"Please know that we will continue to do everything we
can to help you consistent with our legal and policy
constraints."
The letter came just days after the FBI dropped its case
against Apple, announcing that it had successfully
unlocked the iPhone of San Bernardino killer Syed Farook,
who, along with his wife, killed 14 people and injured 22
others in a shooting rampage in California in December
2015.
The sudden end to the legal dispute was a victory for
Apple, who had vehemently opposed to succumbing to the
demands of the FBI to unlock the iPhone in question.
However, the FBI's apparent success in unlocking the
iPhone without Apple's assistance and its subsequent offer
of support to other US law enforcement agencies in similar
matters, raises the question of how secure user data and
privacy truly could be in the future.
The FBI's letter ends on a note of solidarity - "We are in
this together.
(19th April 2016)
DRONES NEARLY CRASHED INTO MULTIPLE

AIRCRAFT AT AMSTERDAM SCHIPHOL AIRPORT
(International Business Times, dated 2nd April 2016 author
Richard Cosgrove)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/drones-nearly-crashed-into-multipleaircraft-amsterdams-schiphol-airport-1552845
As many as three drones nearly crashed into a number of
aircraft that attempted to land at Schiphol airport in the
Netherlands on 1 April. At least one came within 300m of
a plane as it approached a runway.
During 1 April, pilots of an Embraer 190 and a Fokker 70,
of the KLM Cityhopper fleet, and an EasyJet Airbus A319 all
reported a drone flying close to their aircraft. But the
EasyJet flight shocked air traffic controllers by reporting
three drone sightings.
Air traffic controllers ordered one of Schiphol's runways
closed. All three aircraft were able to land safely. The nearmisses are being investigated by Dutch law enforcement
and public safety agencies. Air Traffic Control Netherlands
is carrying out an internal investigation.
The use of drones near airports is illegal in the
Netherlands, and is heavily restricted in urban areas. Local
laws mean drones must stay at least 50m away from
buildings and roads and 150m away from people and rail
tracks. This has effectively banned their use in the
Netherland's major cities, such as the popular tourist
destinations of Amsterdam and Haarlem.
Swatting drones
Near-miss incidents between drones and aircraft are

becoming an increasing concern. In December 2015, Bard
College in New York, US, released a report saying there
were 327 reported drone near-misses between December
2013 and September 2015. The reports included 28
occasions when pilots had to take evasive action, and one
drone which came within 8m of an airplane.
In February, it was revealed that Dutch police were testing
if birds of prey could be used to safely take out drones.
The Hague-based firm Guard From Above announced it
was training eagles to grab drones in mid-air without
injuring themselves.
(19th April 2016)
STOP PASSING AROUND THOSE PASSWORDS

(Computer World, dated 30th March 2016 author Mathias
Thurman aka anon)
It started when a system administrator, newly hired as a
contractor in our India
development center, asked me after just a couple of days
on the job for administrative
access to several key development servers in order to
manage accounts. He told me that the
password he had for those servers didn't work. That raised
a couple of questions in my
mind. Why wasn't he asking his local supervisor to get
that straightened out? And why was
he going straight for administrative access when all he
really needed were normal user
passwords?
I decided to get his manager's take on the situation. He
agreed; this contractor didn't
need an administrative level of access to those servers.
And he thought it odd that the

guy was saying that his credentials didn't work.
With that in mind, I looked at some logs from one of the
development servers the
contractor wanted administrative access for. I saw many
unsuccessful login attempts from a
system in India. I had access to that particular server, so I
logged in and took a look at
the contractor's home directory on his computer. It was
disconcerting to find that it was
not password protected, which is not the standard for such
user accounts. That prompted me
to dig deeper, and I discovered two files of interest.
The first, a spreadsheet file was password-protected and
appeared to be encrypted. Well,
that was good, right? But the other file, called
"password.txt," was a text file with one
entry. You guessed it: It was the password to the encrypted
spreadsheet file.
I opened the spreadsheet to find a plethora of server
names, IP addresses, server purposes
and the administrative user IDs and associated passwords.
Not good at all. The file
contained account information for resources that were
long ago retired, so it hadn't been
compiled by this new hire. In fact, I learned, the file had
been prepared by a former
employee and passed around. This was a sickening
discovery, alleviated only by the fact
that it was no longer hidden from me.
But I had to consider all of those resources to be
compromised. My reaction was swift.
First, I removed the files and reconfigured the contractor's
home directory. I then called
a meeting with the general manager for our India office
and our head of IT. We went
through the list of accounts and rank-stacked them
according to risk. For example,
anything in the DMZ that was Internet-facing and any
resources containing sensitive data

got a priority of 1, meaning that the password had to be
changed within 24 hours. The
lowest priority that we assigned called for the account
passwords to be changed within 72
hours. The extra time was needed in some cases to ensure
that we didn't impact any
business processes.
I also ordered a discovery scan to find all locations that
contained those password files.
Because we don't have a robust data loss prevention
infrastructure, I had to resort to
conducting broad file-storage searches, both on the
internal network and in the cloud, for
files containing the word "password."
I also put a rule in our firewall to trigger an event if
someone tried to transmit a file
called "password." Then I sent a companywide message
warning against the use of
spreadsheets to maintain passwords. We have a
corporate-sanctioned password vault that
allows for the secure storage, management and sharing of
passwords, so there is
(generally) no reason to keep passwords on spreadsheets.
I say "generally" because certain
passwords, such as encryption key passphrases and
passwords for critical resources, are
printed out and kept in a safe, because we're just too
paranoid to store them in an
online, digital password vault.
There was just one more thing to do to put this incident
behind us: Our general manager in
India terminated the contractor.
uaware comment
Lets get this right, they sacked the guy who was just
following custom and practice of
full time employee's in India ! Well that makes things right
doesn't it ? NO.
Does it really matter that these things happened in India ?

Well YES. Many International
and UK companies from Banks to Telecommunications to
Online retailers have their data either stored in India, or
the systems on which the data is stored is managed by
employee's or contractors
in India. In addition, India does not have any data
protection laws.
The other worrying thing was they had no idea where
these password protected files were.
This doesn't just mean what server within a building, this
probably means they don't even
know what country where the building is.
Now what about those files.They can hold customers
addresses, phone numbers, bank details.
Everything a fraudster would need to empty an account or
steal an identity.
So bearing this in mind. Do you now wonder why the
majority of the scam phone calls that
we receive in the UK are made by individuals with an
Indian accent !
(19th April 2016)
END OF THE ROAD FOR THE DEFENDERS LEADS TO

RISE IN THEFTS FOR PARTS
(The Times, dated 1st April 2016 author John Simpson)
www.thetimes.co.uk
Thefts of Land Rover Defenders have risen by 75 per cent,
according to a leading insurer,
as gangs of car thieves target vehicles in rural areas and
strip them for parts.
NFU Mutual said there had been a huge rise in claims for
thefts of the classic 4x4, the
model that the Queen drives on her Sandringham Estate,
and parts, Badges, doors, wings,
bonnets, engine parts and even seats are being tripped

from the Defender, which went out
of production in January after 65 years, with pats being
quickly shipped to foreign
markets.
It is feared that organised crime groups with links to the
US and Eastern Europe have been
targeting the vehicles, among other prestige cars, since
the announcement that the British
manufacturer planned to discontinue the line.
The insurer said that the claims were highest in the
Northeast, the Southwest and the
Midlands. In 2015 claims costs approaching 1 million
were recorded, and in the Northeast
stood at more than 445,000 - an 89 per cent increase on
2014. Claims costs in the
Southwest also rose by more than 90 per cent last year.
Police forces across the country have urged vigilance.
Avon and Somerset has recorded a
rise in thefts over the past six months which the foce said
"may increase again now the
Defender has been discontinued".
In February, forces in Hampshire and Gloucestershire
issued warnings, amid fears that the
cars were being stripped for their components.
North Yorkshire police announced a spate of thefts in
January, shortly before the model
was discontinued, and Cheshire police were forced to issue
advice to drivers the day after
the car rolled off the production line.
Sergeant Kate Jackson, from the National Vehicle Crime
Intelligence Service, said: "They
ar very desirable vehicles. They are always vehicles that
people aspire to having, whether
they want to pay for them or not.
She stressed that the longevity of the vehicle and the
length of time the production line
was active meant that the thefts were still only affecting a
smaller percentage of the
Defenders on the road, but added: "Its going to be rural
areas that are mainly targeted
because that's where these types of vehicles are located".
"There are markets all around the world and Eastern
Europe is one of those markets".
In 2014, British police took part in Operation Atlantic,in cooperation with the US
Customs and Border Protection, aimed at shutting down
the shipping of illegally imported
Defenders and Mini Coopers.
NFU Mutual has issued advice for improving security
including fitting steering wheel
locks, alarms and trackers, as well as marking components
with paint and keeping the
vehicle in a lock-up or parking in well-lit areas.
Clive Harris, agricultural vehicle specialist at NFU Mutual,
said:" I urge Land Rover
Defender owners to be vigilant and be on their guad.
Owners should ensure they have
adequate security measures in place and consider fitting
an after-market approved
immobiliser and tracking device if possible".
"When not in use, Defenders should be parked in a garage
or a secure area which is well
lit if possibe. Never leave keys in the ignition and keep
keys out of sight at home and
when out in public areas. It's essential that easy
opportunities are taken away from
thieves".
(19th April 2016)
MARCH 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - MARCH 2016
COURTS CRY OVER CUNNING CALL-CENTRE CRIMINALS
CRAFTING CONVINCING CONS
(The Register, dated 29th March 2016 author Shaun
Nichols)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/29/scammers_impersonati
ng_govt_agencies/
US federal courts have alerted Americans to a fresh crop
of scams in which conmen are
setting up call centers and impersonating government
agencies.
The advisory describes how criminals are pretending to be
US marshals and court agents,
demanding victims hand over money for a supposed
failure to appear for jury duty.
"This year's scams are more aggressive and sophisticated
than we've seen in years past,"
said Melissa Muir, director of administrative services for
the US District Court of
Western Washington.
"Scammers are setting up call centers, establishing callback protocols and using specific
names and designated court hearing times."
According to the courts, criminals are not only calling
people with demands for cash, but
carrying on the ruse by setting up numbers for the target
to call back and hand over
payment details. By using specific names and reporting
supposed court dates missed and
threatening arrest, the scammers could further scare their
targets into paying up on the
spot.
The courts note that they do not send collection agents to
claim fines for failure to
appear for jury duty, and in the event a person is charged
for skipping out, they would be

brought before a judge in person before a fine would be
levied.
While payment scams are nothing new, the additional
lengths crooks have been going to in
order to convince their victims of legitimacy has not
typically been seen before.
----------------------US BANK FENDED OFF 513 TROJANS LAST YEAR ALONE
(The Register, dated 24th March 2016 author Darren Pauli)
Full article [Option ]
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/24/ransomware_attack_sen
ds_us_hospital_back_to_paper_and_int
o_state_of_emergency/
The most beleaguered bank in the United States was hit
with 513 financial trojans last
year, says Symantec threat bod Candid Wueest.
The unnamed bank and Symantec customer was in the
crosshairs of 78.2 percent of all
financial trojans seen by the security firm last year.
It is unknown if any of the malware samples gained a
foothold in the bank's networks.
The bruised bank is but one of 547 organisations and
Symantec clients to have been hit
with some of the 656 trojans seen by the firm.
The bank would be lucky to survive unscathed; Wueest
says criminals are using less diverse
but much more capable trojans, a trend so strong that the
number of different trojans fell
75 percent last year compared to 2014.
-----------------------WATER TREATMENT PLANT HACKED, CHEMICAL MIX
CHANGED FOR TAP SUPPLIES
(The Register, dated 24th March 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/24/water_utility_hacked/
Hackers infiltrated a water utility's control system and
changed the levels of chemicals
being used to treat tap water, we're told.

The cyber-attack is documented in this month's IT security
breach report (available here,
registration required) from Verizon Security Solutions. The
utility in question is
referred to using a pseudonym, Kemuri Water Company,
and its location is not revealed.
A "hacktivist" group with ties to Syria compromised Kemuri
Water Company's computers after
exploiting unpatched web vulnerabilities in its internetfacing customer payment portal,
it is reported.
Verizon's RISK Team uncovered evidence that the
hacktivists had manipulated the valves
controlling the flow of chemicals twice - though fortunately
to no particular effect. It
seems the activists lacked either the knowledge of {their}
systems or the intent to do any
harm.
----------------------AMEX CONFESSES : YOUR CREDIT CARD DATA WAS
NICKED....AND IT'S TAKEN 3 YEARS TO ADMIT IT
(The Register, dated 17th March 2016 author Iain
Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/17/american_express_card
holder_data_breach/
American Express has told the California Department of
Justice that some of its customers
had their credit card numbers stolen, and that it happened
almost three years ago.
We're told Amex's security was not directly breached by
criminals, rather its customers'
details were leaked by a clumsy intermediary. The fact it
took three years to confirm this
is a little off.
"We became aware that a third-party service provider
engaged by numerous merchants
experienced unauthorized access to its system," American
Express chief privacy officer
Stefanie Ash said in a letter to customers, which was sent
on March 10 and shared with the

Cali DoJ.
"Account information of some of our card members,
including some of your account
information, may have been involved," Ash continued. "It
is important to note that
American Express owned or controlled systems were not
compromised by this incident, and we
are providing this notice to you as a precautionary
measure."
Ash said American Express Card account numbers,
cardholder's names, and other card
information such as the expiration date, may have been
compromised in the attack. The
company said customers would not be liable for any
fraudulent charges made due to the
attack.
----------------------ADVERTISING BASED CYBERATTACKS HIT BBC, NEW YORK
TIMES, MSN
(Computer World, dated 16th March 2016 author Jeremy
Kirk)
Major websites including the BBC, Newsweek, The New
York Times and MSN ran malicious
online advertisements on Sunday that attacked users'
computers, a campaign that one expert
said was the largest seen in two years.
The websites weren't at fault. Instead, they were unwitting
victims of malvertising, a
scheme where cyberattackers upload harmful ads to
online advertising companies, which are
then distributed to top-tier publishers.
Tens of thousands of computers could have been exposed
to the harmful advertisements,
which means some running vulnerable software may have
been infected with malware or fileencrypting ransomware.
-----------------------
NATWEST TIGHTENS ONLINE BANKING SECURITY AFTER

HACKS "HACK" EXPOSE
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/08/natwest_mobile_hack/
NatWest is tightening up its internet banking systems after
security shortcomings were
exposed by journalists.
BBC hacks were able to hijack a colleague's NatWest
online bank account and transfer money
without knowing her password. The UK bank's parent,
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) Group, is
also shoring up its security.
Radio 4's You and Yours revealed the security flaw after
investigating complaints from the
victims of SIM swap fraudsters. The SIM swap scam
involves redirecting text messages from
someone's mobe to another phone. The Register covered
the swindle three years ago.
This is how is typically goes down: using some social
engineering, the crook reports a
victim's handset as lost or stolen to their mobile network,
and asks for the victim's
phone number to be swapped over to the crim's SIM.
Alternatively, the crook just nicks the
phone.
-----------------------IF NATWEST TEXTS YOU ABOUT ONLINE BANKING FRAUD,
DON'T CLICK THE LINK
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/04/natwest_sms_phishing_
scam/
British customers of the NatWest bank should be on their
guard against a particularly
convincing SMS-based phishing scam, Action Fraud warns.
The spoofed texts being sent out by fraudsters "could
catch you out if it appears in an
existing message thread," the UK's national fraud & cyber
reporting centre advised on
Wednesday.
The Register reader Nicholas was among those targeted
by the link-containing message. He
was concerned that fraudsters had managed to get their
hands on his mobile phone number in
the first place.
"I have received two text alerts from NatWest, coming in
from their 'official' SMS number,
advising me that there has been 'unusual activity on my
on-line banking account' and
advising me to log into my account," Nicholas told The
Register.
"I am concerned how the fraudsters can spoof the text
alerts to a valid NatWest telephone
number and also how they have managed to get my own
mobile phone number."
----------------------NORTH DORSET COUNCIL HIT BY RANSOMEWARE
(The Register, dated 4th March 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/04/north_dorset_council_ra
nsomware_refusal_payout/
North Dorset District Council in England's southwest is
working with police to identify
the source of a ransomware infection in this week.
It is the latest outbreak of file-scrambling malware in what
IT security experts believe
to be a growing problem for local authorities in the UK.
According to an email seen by The Register, the attack
had infected 6,000 files on the
council's servers by Tuesday.
However, the council said yesterday evening the problem
had been fixed.
Councillor Graham Carr-Jones, deputy leader of North
Dorset District Council, said: "The
'ransomware' attack was quickly detected by our security
systems and action was taken to
minimise the impact on our systems. No customer data
was compromised.
"The council has not made, and will not make ransom
payments in such circumstances. We are
currently working with other public sector agencies,

including the police to identify the
source."
It follows an attack on Lincolnshire County Council last
month leading it to turn off all
of its networks' computers.
------------------------THIRD OF US BANKS OK WITH PASSWORDS EVEN SOCIAL
NETWORKS REJECT
(The Register, dated 3rd March 2016 author John Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/03/us_bank_passwords/
Six of 17 major US banks have weaker password
enforcement procedures than most social
networking websites, according to a new study by an
American university.
The banks ask users to set up passwords that include
letters and special symbols, but a
study by researchers at the University of New Haven
shows that in around a third of cases
these passwords may not be case sensitive. This means
any combination of upper and lower
case letters might work. Ignoring case sensitivity reduces
the entropy of login
credentials, making them less resistant to cracking as a
result.
"We were very surprised when we learned that banks have
fewer requirements for passwords
than social media sites," said Walter Gordillo, '16 of
Norwalk, Connecticut, a cyber
systems major who took a lead on the University of New
Haven Cyber Forensic Research and
Education Group (UNHcFREG) project.
Banks with the issues include Wells Fargo (70 million
customers), Capital One (50 million
customers), BB&T, Webster First Federal Credit Union,
Chase Bank (50 million customers),
and Citibank (200 million customers).
-----------------------UK BUSINESS FAILS TO REPORT TWO THIRDS OF CYBER
ATTACKS, SAYS SURVEY

(The Register, dated 3rd March 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/03/uk_firms_not_reporting_
cyber_attacks_survey/
Just one-third of cyber attacks are being reported to the
police, according to a wideranging survey from the Institute of Directors.
According to the survey of nearly 1,000 IoD members, one
quarter said they had experienced
a cyber attack in the last twelve months.
However, of those 250 directors, only 28 per cent reported
the attack to the police. That
was in spite of half the attacks resulting in interruption to
business.
The IoD said the total number of attacks on businesses
could be much higher, as directors
may not be aware of any attacks or might not define other
cyber incidents or data losses
as "attacks."
It noted many police forces have dedicated cyber crime
units.
"The use of analytics and the role of GCHQ in catching
international cyber criminals mean
that every crime as a minimum should be reported to
Action Fraud Aware," said the report.
According to the research just 43 per cent of the 1,000
businesses polled know where their
data was physically stored.
------------------------FORGET DATA THIEVES, DATA SABOTAGE WILL BE YOUR
NEXT IT NIGHTMARE
(The Register, dated 3rd March 2016 author Iain Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/03/data_distortion_next_bi
g_thing/
For years, the security industry has been primarily focused
on stopping information theft.
Now more and more people in the trade are worried that
the next wave of attacks won't
steal data - they'll alter it instead.
On Tuesday, the head of the NSA named data

manipulation as one of his top three
nightmares, and other vendors are agreeing with him.
Caleb Barlow, VP at IBM Security,
told The Reg that the firm is already seeing the first signs
of this kind of attack and
the potential problems could be huge.
On a basic level, this could be as simple as adjusting credit
scores or college grades,
but there's not a lot of money in that. When you're dealing
with bank or retirement
accounts the situation is more lucrative, but Barlow thinks
the biggest score is market
manipulation.
"Think of all the things you can manipulate if the data is
different," he said. "Changing
a company's figures could make them make decisions that
would affect the stock price. If
the attacker than shorts the stock, or buys expecting a
rise, then any funds earned will
be totally laundered, without having to worry about
Bitcoins or money mules."
The problem with such data manipulation, from an enduser's perspective, is that we have
grown so used to trusting data that convincing the
company that's been hit that there's a
problem may be very difficult.
-----------------------TWO GERMAN HOSPITALS HIT WITH RANSOMWARE
(The Register, datd 26th February 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/26/german_hospitals_ranso
mware/
At least two hospitals in Germany have come under attack
from ransomware, according to
local reports. The alarming incidents follow similar
ransomware problems at the US
Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center.
Both the Lukas Hospital in Germany's western city of
Neuss and the Klinikum Arnsberg
hospital in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia

were attacked by file encrypting
ransomware, Deutsche Welle reports.
The German broadcaster details how swift action at he
Lukas Hospital contained the
problem. Techies responded to unusual pop-up warnings
on systems combined with the network
running slowly two weeks ago by pulling the plug. This
stopped the malware spreading more
widely.
Even so, the spread caused considerable damage and
general inconvenience even though the
hospital kept backups and only a few hours of data had
been lost.
"Our IT department quickly realised that we caught
malware that encrypts data,"
spokesperson Dr. Andreas Kremer told DW. "So if the X-ray
system wants to access system
data, it failed to find it because it's been encrypted, so it
displays an error message."
----------------------(1st April 2016)
ARE YOU BEING HACKED (Extract)

(Prima Magazine, dated March 2016)
www.prima.co.uk [Option 1]
CATFISHING
"There are two main categories of vulnerability when it
comes to identity theft : finance and romance", says Adam
Levin, author of Swiped : How to protect yourself in a
World full of Scammers, Phishers and Identity Thieves.
They've been dubbed "catfishers" - conmen (and women)
who prey on lone hearts looking for love via online dating.
They create a fake identity to wheedle money out of
unsuspecting targets. A US mother and daughter duo
scammed more than $ million out of over 300 women
worldwide this way by pretending to be US soldiers
needing money for a plane ticket. Recently, the

Metropolitan Police called for victims of online dating to
come foward, describing catfishing as a growing problem.
Women aged 45 - 65 are prime targets and are typically
duped out of 50,000.
"Alarm bells should ring the moment a potential romantic
partner asks for even a smidge of financial assistance",
Adam cautions.
Safety tip : "Be wary of romantic interest from someone
who says they can't meet in person', says Adam.
"Scammers have a hundred reasons why they can't talk on
the phone or on a webcam.
FARCING
"Farcing is simple", says Adam. "People on facebook
create farce accounts, pretending to bea friend of a friend,
and, once in your circle of trust, they gather information to
scam you and gain access to your online accounts,
depending on how you have your profile set up.
Safety Tip : Be wary of friend requests from vague
acquaintances and don't post information that would be
useful to an identity thief.
SOCIAL ENGINEERING
In August 2014, the internet almost went into meltdown
after compromising photos of celebrities, including
actresses Kirsten Dunst and Jennifer Lawrence, were
published online. The photos, snapped on their mobiles,
had been automatically stored on their Apple iCloud
accounts.
The hackers accessed them by what experts call "social
engineering" . "Criminals and scammers just needed the
name of their childhood friend, their first dog's name, first
street they lived on or their Mothers maiden name", Adam
explains - the sort of detail that's available online from
interviews or biographies. Then, armed only with their
email address, the hackers were able to access each star's
account by answering security question.
Safety Tip : To keep iCloud accounts safe, be clever with

security questions. Choose strong passwords. Don't use
the same one for other accounts and keep it private.
Change it if you think privacy has been compromised.
7 SOCIAL MEDIA POSTSS THAT ARE A GIFT TO
CRIMINALS
1. Real time photographs from your holiday - you're telling
burglars your house is empty. Wait until you get home to
post beach snaps.
2. Similarly, using Facebook's checking-in feature when
you're at the airport accompanied by a photo of you and
your pre-flight glass of wine.
3. Photo of your car and house.
4. The school you attended and the dates you were there just what criminals need to compile a dossier of your
personal details.
5. Birthdays and anniversaries.
6. Your phone number and email address.
7. Pets and childrens names - often used in security
questions.
(1st April 2016)
THE LONDON GANG : FORGERS AND FAKERS

(Extract)
(Gibbons Stamp Monthly, dated February 2016 Author :
Michael Peach)
Full article : www.rpsc.org/Library/GSM%20London
%20Gang.pdf
In most fields of collecting there are fakes and forgeries to
be aware of. Philately is
one such area that has seen its fair share of this
unscrupulous behaviour. The irony is,
however, that some forgeries are now themselves highly
sought after and collected.

In the 1880s there was a period of forgeries and fakes in
London involving several
unscrupulous dealers and fakers. Among these were the
three members of the socalled
London Gang, Alfred Benjamin, Julian Hippolite Sarpy and
George Kirke Jeffryes (various
similar spellings of his name were also used), who were
convicted of conspiracy to
defraud and cheat by selling forged stamps at the central
criminal court, London,
on 14 March 1892.
The gang
Alfred Benjamin was born in 1863. He was a partner in the
firm of Benjamin and Bannister
until about 1886 when he went to Australia. He returned in
1888, when he joined forces
with Julian Sarpy. Sarpy, born in Australia in 1860, had
started in business as 'J Sarpy &
company' in Peckham. Benjamin was an excellent
salesman and ran the dimly lit little shop
at 1 Cullum Street, in the City of London, a district now
completely redeveloped.
Meanwhile, Sarpy was active in the back of the shop
producing overprints and surcharges of
the stamps that had been requested. The partners
produced a trade card announcing
their business as dealers in facsimiles, faked surcharges
and fiscal postals. On the walls
of the shop, Benjamin posted a notice that he would not
guarantee the genuineness of a
stamp unless he had given written confirmation. The small
handwritten notice was partially
obscured by another notice stating 'this is my busy day'.
Benjamin and Sarpy had in their
possession a perforator as well as a press. The activities of
Jeffryes, born in 1868,
were noted as early as 1883 by Jean-Baptiste Moens aLo
ndon dealer, Theodore Buhl, who
reported forged surcharges on South American stamps
from Colombia and Ecuador. These were

genuine stamps with fictitious surcharges. For the next
few years, Jeffryes continued in
business producing forged markings on genuine stamps of
Columbia, Ecuador, North Borneo,
Sarawak, Saint Vincent, Sungei Ujong and Zululand.
Jeffryes, Benjamin and Sarpy cleaned
the ink marks off fiscally used stamps as well as adding
postmarks. Jeffryes also produced
bogus cancellations that were often from unheard of
places.
Working from his home on Grove Road, Bow, Jeffryes
produced more sophisticated issues. The
first issues of New South Wales were some of the most
notorious forgeries. Sydney Views,
including plate 1 without clouds and plate 2 with clouds as
well as the 2d., which all
have the same basic design. The genuine plates were reengraved several times. These were
so well done that they were written about in Stanley
Gibbons'Monthly Journal. This may
have been a mistake, as the plates were later perfected.
Other forgeries included stamps from Ceylon, Grenada,
New Zealand, Tasmania, Australia
(Victoria), Hawaii. He paid Henry Ponsford of Little Street,
3.15s. to engrave the plates
and 1.9s. to print 1000 copies of each. He marketed the
stamps primarily through
Benjamin, initially Benjamin and Bannister, and then
Benjamin and Sarpy. The Sydney Views
were sold for 2s.6d. single or 5s. for a pair. The forged
stamps are now considered to be
desirable items. The shop was frequented by several
prominent philatelists.
The arrests
At the instigation of the Philatelic Protection Association,
of which Charles J Phillips,
manager of Stanley Gibbons, was secretary, Jeffryes was
arrested on Christmas Eve 1891 at

his home, 80 Grove Road, Bow, and Benjamin and Sarpy
were arrested at the shop. When
Jeffryes was arrested by Detective Sergeant White and
taken by cab to the police station,
a parcel containing a large number of stamps was later
found in the cab. Jeffryes claimed
that he had printed them for Benjamin and Sarpy. The
preliminary hearings were held at the
Thames Police Court on 24 December and adjourned until
1 January 1892 on 26 counts, of
which 23 were related to forgery.
In the interim, Sergeant White had searched Jeffryes'
home and found two printing presses
and a number of lithographic stones. He also searched the
rooms of Benjamin and Sarpy at
46 Oval Road, and the shop at 1 Cullum Street. At the
shop, there were large quantities of
stamps and documents, three perforating machines and
perforating tools, and bottles of
acid, paint and printers' ink. Resuming on 1 January, the
hearing was adjourned several
times, resuming on 8 and 22 January and 5 February,
when the trio were committed for trial
at the Old Bailey.
The trial
The trial started on Friday 11 March 1892 and lasted until
the following Monday.There were
initially 26 counts in the indictment. By a quirk of the law,
the first 23 relating to
forgery were declared inadmissible because a stamp was
not considered to be a document in
writing and could not be forged. However, three
indictments did remain for conspiracy to
defraud and cheat. The first witness was George Clayton,
a postman, who had known Jeffryes
for many years. He sold stamps for Jeffryes to, among
others, Theodore Buhl, a stamp
dealer in the City, who identified two of them as forgeries.
He had seen Jeffryes at work

cutting out wooden postmarks and printing surcharges.
Thomas Henry Ponsford confirmed that
he had engraved and printed the some Hawaiian stamps
for G K Jeffryes in August 1886.
Many of the other witnesses, besides the police, were
either stamp dealers or stamp
collectors who were all involved with purchasing stamps.
The Hawaiian forgeries were
favourites, along with the Sydney views. Many, if not all,
were aware that most of the
stamps were fakes or had had the ink removed. The small
notice on the wall of the shop not
guaranteeing the genuineness of a stamp unless written
confirmation was given was not
noticed by several customers, including Rudolph Mayer,
Theodore Buhl and Douglas MacKenzie.There was also
considerable trade with continental
dealers unaware of such a sign. Well-known philatelists
included Edward Denny Bacon, later
curator of the Royal Philatelic Collection, and Douglas
President of the Philatelic
Society. Stamp dealers included Percy May Bright of Bright
and Son, Bournemouth, who
claimed that Sarpy obtained 6s.6d. from him by false
pretenses. Another dealer was
Albert Felsenthal, a.k.a. Edward Lester, who had
purchased forgeries from the gang.
He had seen Jeffryes at work surcharging some Argentine
stamps. Although he had sold some
of the stamps to Theodore Buhl and other dealers, he had
identified them beforehand as
forgeries. His main business was in used stamps buying
them from housekeepers and wastepaper dealers.
Also among the witnesses was stamp collector Julius
Cyriax, a manufacturing chemist, who
had purchased large quantities of stamps, totalling around
300, from Benjamin in about
1886. His collection was later found to contain several

forgeries. Benjamin took these
stamps back in 1890 and refunded 100. Douglas
MacKenzie, a collector and researcher of
fakes and forgeries, had purchased stamps from Benjamin
and was privy to their operations.
He was also an occasional writer for the Philatelic Journal.
Charles J Phillips, who had
also examined many of the stamps belonging to the
prisoners and found nearly all of them
to be forged, also took to the witness stand.
The verdict
The jury returned a verdict of guilty. Jeffryes and Benjamin
were sentenced to six months
hard labour and Sarpy to four months on the count of
conspiracy to defraud and there were
identical sentences to run concurrently on the charge of
obtaining money by false
pretenses. The sentences were not severe, particularly
when compared with that of recently
convicted (8 February 1892) Dr Bernhardt Assmus on
similar charges to three years penal
servitude. The judge in this case was particularly upset by
the Queen's head being upside
down on a forgery of an Indian stamp.
So what happened next?
After their release from prison, Benjamin and Sarpy
continued trading at 1 Cullum Street,
presumably in genuine stamps or forgeries labelled as
such, for many years. When Benjamin
sold his stamps as forgeries, he doubled the price. After
Sarpy died in 1910, Benjamin
carried on as Benjamin and Sarpy. Benjamin died in 1924.
Both are listed in the 1901
census as stamp dealers and Benjamin is in the 1911
census.
What happened to Jeffryes? Doubts have been cast on
Jeffryes' role in the business. He is

recorded as being employed at Covent Garden, as a seedsalesman. Branston suggests that he
was later a greengrocer in Grove Road as a George Jeffery,
greengrocer, is listed in the
1895 London street directory. The 1901 and 1911
censuses show that George Kirke Jeffreys
was living in Newcastle on Tyne with his wife Alice and five
children. He was a General
Carrier's Manager. His children were all born in London,
the youngest, Gwendolyn, in 1899.
He is not listed in the 1891 census, but he must have been
living in Grove Road, Bow, with
his family, as he was arrested there.
Varro E Taylor and others have stated that he was also an
engraver. How did he have time
for the expert engraving? The false Hawaiian stamps ($2
and $5 labels) were engraved by
Henry Ponsford. It is noted that no engraving tools were
found when Sergeant White
searched Jeffryes' home. Had he had the other forgeries
engraved, or did he procure the
printing dies from the Belgian stamp dealer J B Moens?
The Post Office had been able to
track a number of dies to Moens. Several years later
(1934), Sir Edward Denny Bacon was
able to examine some of the stamps confiscated prior to
the trial. He found that a number
of the surcharges were similar and applied with a rubber
stamp. In particular, he
concluded that the 8c. on 2c. brown of North Borneo
(1883) and the Zululand 1888 2d. with
an inverted overprint were forgeries. These had been
listed in various catalogues and
collections as genuine.
(1st April 2016)
US AND CANADA ISSUE JOINT ALERT ON

RANSOMEWARE AFTER HOSPITAL ATTACKS
(The Telegraph, dated 1st April 2016)
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/04/01/picpub-uscanada-issue-joint-alert-on-ransomware-after-hospital/
The United States and Canada on Thursday issued a rare
joint cyber alert, warning against a recent surge in
extortion attacks that infect computers with viruses known
as "ransomware," which encrypt data and demand
payments for it to be unlocked.
The warning follows reports from several private security
firms that they expect the crisis to worsen, because
hackers are getting more sophisticated and few
businesses have adopted proper security measures to
thwart such attacks.
"Infections can be devastating to an individual or
organization, and recovery can be a difficult process that
may require the services of a reputable data recovery
specialist," the two governments said in the alert,
distributed by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security
and the Canadian Cyber Incident Response Centre.
It comes in the wake of reports of a string of ransomware
attacks on individuals, businesses and government
agencies in the past few months, including some that
interrupted services at U.S. hospitals and police
departments.
Last week the Federal Bureau of Investigation issued a
private alert to U.S. businesses, seeking their help in its
investigation into the attacks.
Thursday's alert said the consequences of ransomware
attacks include loss of sensitive or proprietary information,
disruption of regular operations, expenses to restore
access to computer systems and harm to a victim's
reputation.
The governments discouraged victims from paying
hackers to restore access to their data.
"Paying the ransom does not guarantee the encrypted
files will be released," the alert said. "It only guarantees
that the malicious actors receive the victim's money, and

in some cases, their banking information."
MedStar, the U.S. capital region's largest healthcare
provider, shut down much of its computer network this
week to slow the spread of a virus. The Baltimore Sun
reported on Wednesday that hackers had used
ransomware to encrypt data on some computers and then
demanded a ransom of $18,500.
Security blogger Brian Krebs last week reported that
Henderson, Kentucky-based Methodist Hospital declared
an internal state of emergency after falling victim to a
ransomware attack. Last month, Hollywood Presbyterian
Hospital in Los Angeles paid a ransom of $17,000 to regain
access to its systems after a similar attack.
(1st April 2016)
BIRMINGHAM NAMED WORST CITY FOR CRASH FOR

CASH CLAIMS
(BBC News, dated 31st March 2016)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35927989
The second city is the number one location where
motorists are most likely to fall victim to the scam,
according to an insurance group.
Aviva said 25% of its 3,000 crash for cash claims last year
were in Birmingham, in particular the B11 area of
Sparkbrook, Sparkhill and Tyseley.
Research showed Leeds, Harrow, parts of London,
Bradford, Luton, Coventry and Oldham were all in the top
10 hotspots.
The figures include induced accidents, where innocent
motorists are targeted, as well as staged accidents, when
two damaged cars are brought together to make it look
like an accident.
The biggest crash for cash scam in the UK involved a gang
making bogus claims worth 132,000.
And in one case, a staged accident caused the death of
another driver.
Recently, gangs have targeted bus passengers to claim
thousands in alleged whiplash injuries.
'Significant drain'
The number of induced accidents in 2015 fell by 2%
compared to a record high the previous year, Aviva said.
However, there was a 40% year-on-year drop in the
number of staged accidents, which was attributed to the
introduction of more stringent measures around taking out
a policy.
Tom Gardiner, head of fraud at Aviva, said: "Induced
accidents now account for nearly half of all organised
motor fraud we detect.
"Crash for cash does not just push up premiums for
genuine customers, it puts innocent motorists at risk.
"It is also a significant drain on scarce public resources
such as ambulance, police and A&E time, all of which are
wasted on these entirely bogus claims."
The insurer said the problem could also be moving to new
areas after some postcodes in Worcester, Margate and
Leicester were found to be hotspots.
Former West Midlands Police detective Neil Thomas who
now independently investigates fraudulent crashes, said
Birmingham and other big cities are specifically targeted.
He said: "Birmingham is quite an obvious choice - it has
been a hotspot for a number of years. There's the high
volume of traffic and also the road network.
"In any big city... there are going to be genuine traffic
collisions.
"The fraudster can then get away with having staged
incidents because people won't notice them"
What is a 'crash for cash' scam?
- A car in front of you slams on the brakes for no obvious
reason and you collide with it
- The other driver will insist it is your fault and hand over
their insurance details - often already prepared and
written down
- Your insurers will write to you with details of the other
driver's claim, exaggerated with costs like car hire,
recovery and whiplash injuries.

Source: How do I avoid being a 'crash for cash' victim?
(www.bbc.co.uk/guides/ztqt39q)
The top 10 crash for cash locations in 2015:
1. Birmingham
2. North London
3. East London
4. Leeds
5. Harrow
6. North West London
7. Bradford
8. Luton
9. Coventry
10. Oldham
Source: Aviva
(1st April 2016)
ONE IN 12 CARS "HAVE CLONED NUMBER PLATES"

(The Telegraph, dated 30th March 2016 author Paul
Hudson)
www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/news/one-in-12-cars-havecloned-number-plates/
Highly organised vehicle crime gangs are using falsified
car registrations to avoid detection by the police
One in 12 of the 37 million vehicles on UK roads could
have cloned registration plates, according to new
research.
The vast number of cloned plates, in which a car's identity
is disguised by the false use of an authorised registration
or characters amended to a registration that does not
exist, are associated with serious criminal activity.
Dr Ken German, a director of the International Association

of Auto Theft Investigators (IAATI), who collated figures
from various official sources, said that according to the
police there are thousands of cloned plates spotted every
day by their automatic number plate recognition (ANPR)
and CCTV cameras clearly in an attempt (they suggest) to
avoid detection when stealing petrol, parking illegally,
speeding or committing more serious offences such as
burglary or robbery.
About 1.75 million of the 37 million vehicles of all types in
the UK (about 32 million of those being cars) are
estimated be wearing cloned registration plates.
This is made up of 250,000 vehicles of all types - including
cars, motorcycles, HGVs, vans, caravans, motor homes,
plant and agricultural machinery - reported stolen last
year, plus the 500,000 vehicles written off by insurers.
There are also about a million vehicles still unrecovered
from the last decade.
The remainder of the one-in-12 total - about 1.25 million
vehicles - is made up of legitimate registrations that have
been doctored so they read differently.
More than 100,000 sets of number plates are stolen every
year but many more will have been altered with paint, a
felt tip pen or black tape to deceive ANPR cameras or
witnesses to a crime.
Dr German said that the IAATI has identified that thefts of
registrations are carried out by highly organised vehicle
crime gangs who not only continue to make huge profits
from auto crime but who are now almost solely
responsible for ensuring less than half of those stolen are
ever seen again.
"The police rely heavily on ANPR cameras and don't have
the time to investigate. If they spot, say, a bus number
plate on a Mercedes saloon they just have to make a note
on the computer flagging the anomaly," said Dr German.
"This flag might be triggered if the same registration crops
up in connection with a burglary, or worse, but the
criminals - or innocent motorists whose car wears a cloned
registration - have to be very unlucky to be stopped
because the police don't have the manpower."
This has left many legitimate owners both angry and
bemused when they receive letters from the police
suggesting that they in their vehicle have committed an

offence to which they have no knowledge.
Dr German said that most innocent purchasers of vehicles
with a cloned identity are cash buyers who think they are
getting a bargain.
"There are lots of rung [false identity] cars. It's only after
the purchase that buyers find out that a car has been
cloned, when they contact the DVLA to register the
change of keeper," he said.
The tricks of the criminals' trade include forged or stolen
V5 vehicle registration documents and different or
doctored chassis number identification plates.
###How to avoid buying a car with cloned number plates
The police will seize vehicles, and the innocent buyer has
no redress, according to Dr German.
He recommends that buyers thoroughly research a
potential purchase, including an identity check with firms
such as HPI or Equifax to also find out whether it has
finance owing, is stolen, written off or clocked.
He also suggests establishing that a private seller actually
lives where he claims, and not paying in cash. "There are
some real experts now," he said. "They mainly target cash
buyers and use all sorts of reasons, such as leaving the
country for a new job and having to sell 'their' car quickly.
"If it looks too good to be true, it probably is."
Buyers can easily check the legitimacy of a car's
registration by studying its number plates. The writing on
the bottom of the registration plate should bear a dealer
or plate manufacturer's name; if it doesn't, the plate is
likely to have come from an unregistered source, Dr
German said.
Top 10 most stolen and recovered cars in 2015
Range Rover Sport
BMW X5
Range Rover Vogue
Mercedes C-class
BMW 3-series
Mercedes C63 AMG
BMW 5-series
Audi RS4
Audi Q7
Range Rover Autobiography
(1st April 2016)
CHILDREN'S HOMES KIDS 20 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO

GET INTO TROUBLE, SAYS REPORT
(The Telegraph, dated 30th March 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12206653/Childr
ens-homes-kids-20-times-more-likely-to-get-into-troublesays-report.html
Children living in children's homes are up to 20 times more
likely to have got into trouble with the police, according to
a penal reform group.
An analysis of figures from the Department for Education
showed youngsters in homes reach a "tipping point" at the
start of their teens when they are likely to get involved
with the law.
The Howard League for Penal Reform claimed children in
homes are "criminalised at excessively high rates"
compared to other boys and girls, including those in other
types of care such as fostering.
Staff in the homes tended to get police involved in "minor
incidents that would never come to officers' attention if
they happened in family homes", the charity added.
It called for more support to be given children in care
during their teenage years so that they are not "pushed"
into the criminal justice system.
Frances Crook, chief executive of the Howard League for
Penal Reform, said: "These children have been taken into
care because they are in dire need and their parents
cannot, or will not, look after them.

"Private companies, charities and local authorities that are
paid a fortune by the taxpayer should give these children
what they need and deserve."
Figures showed about four per cent of children aged 10 to
12 who live in children's homes have been criminalised,
rising to more than 19 per cent among children aged 13 to
15 - a rate of prevalence 20 times that of children who live
with their parents.
More than 5,000 youngsters lived in children's homes in
2014, the charity said, and the number of children going
into care is at its highest point in 30 years.
(1st April 2016)
CRIMINAL RECORD CHECKS BACKLOG "IS MAKING

PEOPLE SUICIDAL"
David Churchill)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/criminal-record-checksbacklog-is-making-people-suicidal-a3213041.html
People are being driven to the brink of suicide as Scotland
Yard's backlog in criminal record checks leaves them
unable to work, it was claimed today.
The force today admitted it was scrambling to train and
increase staff to tackle the "high number" of outstanding
cases and was even set to redeploy more than 50 nonfrontline officers. Current employees have been working
extra shifts and Transport for London workers have been
drafted in to help with checks for black cab drivers.
The Disclosure and Barring Service, formerly the Criminal
Records Bureau, today said the force's handling of checks
was of "great concern" and hitting workers and employers
across London.
People who have been offered jobs in sensitive roles, such
as working with children or vulnerable people, are unable
to start work until the checks are completed. In January,
the Standard revealed the Met had a backlog of more than
68,000. The force today said more than 30,000 has been
cleared from this, but the average waiting time has
increased to 77 days, from 75.
According to figures seen by the Standard, Scotland Yard is
one of the worst performers of all forces in the UK for
processing the checks. About 45 per cent of cases are
completed within the target of 60 days. James Gadd, 37,
who accepted a job in October as a support worker in a
London disabled school, said he is waiting for his
clearance and has been struggling to pay the bills.
"It has had an untold effect on my family," he said. "For
months I haven't been able to earn a living.
I would have started as soon as the clearance came
through. When I phoned up about to see what was
happening the woman on the phone said she was dealing
with hundreds of calls like mine every day from people
who are at breaking point.
"She told me her job has now become 'suicide prevention'
because people are at breaking point and unable to earn
money because they can't start their jobs without
clearance."
The delays relate to enhanced checks, which are passed
by the DBS, part of the Home Office, to the relevant police
force on employers' behalf. The DBS said: "The delay in
processing DBS checks by the Met is of great concern to
us and our customers. The Met has informed us their
recovery plan includes recruiting, training and transferring
additional staff. We are told turn-around times will reduce
as a result and are monitoring this situation closely."
Scotland Yard said: "DBS checks are not simple
administrative work These decisions directly impact
children and vulnerable adults and those who seek to work
with them. For this reason, staff require significant

specialist training and supervision.
"Existing staff are working incredibly hard and have
implemented an additional evening shift. We have
recruited both police staff and agency staff to the DBS
team and now have a total of 145 production staff against
a target of 121. We have plans to place 56 non-frontline
police officers within the DBS team on a short-term basis
until May 2016."
(1st April 2016)
COURTS ALERT OVER CUNNING CALL CENTRE

CRIMINALS CRAFTING CONVINCING CONS
(The Register, dated 29th March 2016 author Shuan
Nichols)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/29/scammers_impersonati
ng_govt_agencies/
US federal courts have alerted Americans to a fresh crop
of scams in which conmen are setting up call centers and
impersonating government agencies.
The advisory describes how criminals are pretending to be
US marshals and court agents, demanding victims hand
over money for a supposed failure to appear for jury duty.
"This year's scams are more aggressive and sophisticated
than we've seen in years past," said Melissa Muir, director
of administrative services for the US District Court of
Western Washington.
"Scammers are setting up call centers, establishing callback protocols and using specific names and designated
court hearing times."
According to the courts, criminals are not only calling
people with demands for cash, but carrying on the ruse by
setting up numbers for the target to call back and hand
over payment details. By using specific names and

reporting supposed court dates missed and threatening
arrest, the scammers could further scare their targets into
paying up on the spot.
The courts note that they do not send collection agents to
claim fines for failure to appear for jury duty, and in the
event a person is charged for skipping out, they would be
brought before a judge in person before a fine would be
levied.
While payment scams are nothing new, the additional
lengths crooks have been going to in order to convince
their victims of legitimacy has not typically been seen
before.
The alert comes in the wake of another report from
Pennsylvania detailing a sophisticated email scam in
which an attacker impersonated police and used actual
GPS data to infect members of the public with a malware
payload.
The court said that if you are contacted by someone
claiming to be a federal agent or other law enforcement
officer and demanding money, the best course of action is
to hang up and call your courthouse to check for yourself.
(1st April 2016)
CHILDREN LANDED WITH GUN CONVICTIONS AFTER

BUYING WEAPONS ON THE INTERNET, POLICE WARN
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/12205721/Children-landed-with-gun-convictionsafter-buying-weapons-on-the-internet-police-warn.html
Police have warned young people not to buy starting guns

and other weapons online as new figures show children as
young as 10 have been arrested for firearms offences.
Chief Constable Dave Thompson, the national police
spokesman on gun crime, said he feared many children
were unintentionally committing serious gun offences by
purchasing what they believed to be legal weapons on the
internet.
Some weapons available on foreign-based sites - such as
"front-venting" starting pistols - are banned in Britain
despite being sold alongside legal options such as ball
bearing guns.
Purchasing the items could land the owner with a gun
conviction, the senior officer said.
It came as new figures showed the number of children
arrested for firearms offences jumped by nearly a fifth last
year.
More than 1,500 child arrests for alleged firearm offences
were carried out by police across Britain between 2013
and January this year - including more than 500 which led
to charges.
The data, obtained under freedom of information laws, will
also fuel concerns about gang culture and bullying as it
reveals the number of child firearms arrests rose from 423
in 2014 to 507 in 2015.
Mr Thompson told the Telegraph: "One of the challenges
around this is the accessibility of buying these things off
the internet.
"There are certain types of front-venting blank firing
pistols which are actually prohibited in the UK.
"We need to look at preventing their sale more widely.
"If young people go online and search for 'air soft'
weapons and air guns they may also find some of these
starting pistols on the same sites, for example those
based in the United States.
"We would discourage people from buying overseas
because these sites may not indicate what is legal and
what is not, meaning people may find they have
committed a serious offence."
The chief constable added: "We are concerned because

these starting pistols can also sometimes be converted
into live firearms."
Derbyshire Constabulary - one of 29 forces which provided
data - said a 10-year-old boy was among six children
charged with a firearm offence since 2013.
Nottinghamshire Police said seven children under the age
of 11 had been arrested for suspected firearm offences in
the same period.
The true figures will be far higher because several of
Britain's largest forces failed to provide data.
Britain's largest force, the Metropolitan Police, said 679
children were arrested for suspected firearm offences
between 2013 and January 2016, including 30 children
aged 12 or under.
A total of 212 children were charged with firearm offences
in the same period, the force said.
Merseyside Police said 73 children were arrested for
suspected firearm offences between 2013 and 2015, while
in the West Midlands there were 84 children charged in the
same period.
Cumbria Constabulary - which investigated the deadly
shootings of 12 innocent people by Derrick Bird in 2010 said 19 children arrested for suspected firearm offences
since 2013 included a 10-year-old, two youngsters aged
11 and two 12-year-olds.
The brother of a fatal shooting victim said gangs were also
using children to carry guns in a bid to avoid detection.
Ian Cameron Swanston, whose 20-year-old brother Dorrie
was shot dead in Hulme, Manchester, in 1999, said he
believed some youngsters thought carrying guns gave
them "status".
Mr Swanston, who is a counsellor and trustee of the
charity Mothers Against Violence, said: "The more guns
within the community, the more likely it is we will see
younger children getting access to them.
"Gangs use children, they use their girlfriends. They use

people who the police are unlikely to search.
"For some it's about status. Having a gun is seen as
having power and people become fearful of you.
"The impact of their choices is far greater than can be
imagined. It is so much easier to destroy a life."
A National Police Chiefs' Council spokesman said: "These
offences reflect a broad range of crimes which can include
air weapons or even possession of a BB gun if used in
criminal circumstances.
"Forces across the country and community safety
partnerships are working together to prevent young
people getting involved in gangs and firearms.
"This is a key piece of work for all agencies and
communities in breaking the cycle of young people
becoming involved in gangs and the associated
criminality."
Greater Manchester Police, which has investigated a string
of gang-related shootings since Salford gangster Paul
Massey was shot dead in July, and Police Scotland were
among the forces which did not provide figures.
(1st April 2016)
TRAFFICKING FEAR AS CHILDREN ALLOWED TO USE

ELECTRONIC PASSPORT GATES FOR FIRST TIME
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12203627/Traffic
king-fear-as-children-allowed-to-use-electronic-passportgates-for-the-first-time.html
Children are being sent through electronic passport gates
at British airports for the first time, prompting fears the
fight against child trafficking will be undermined, leaked

documents reveal.
The Home Office has approved a pilot scheme which
allows children as young as 12 to use the "eGates" which
automatically scan passports and compares them with
biometric features of the traveller's face.
It means passengers who use the eGates can enter Britain
without any human interaction with border guards.
Sources said there were concerns that children travelling
under duress - to be sold into prostitution or domestic
servitude - could be missed because they will not be seen
at close quarters or spoken to by officials.
The leaked document, seen by the Telegraph, says: "Home
Office ministers have given Border Force approval to run a
trial allowing GBR [Great Britain] passport holders aged
12-17 years of age use of gates.
"Initially the trial will be piloted at Stansted and Glasgow
airports, before national roll out is considered."
A Border Force source said: "Some of us are very
concerned this will open up the border to the prospect of
children being trafficked.
"Officers feel very uncomfortable that children will be able
to use these gates for the first time.
"Border Force officers are the first line of defence against
child-traffickers, to protect young people from potential
sex abuse and other perils. They take this role very
seriously indeed."
Previously travellers had to be at least 18 to use the
eGates.
The leaked document, which forms part of an operations
manual for border guards who check passports in arrivals
halls, says staff "must always be mindful of our duty to
safeguard and promote the welfare of children".
But it describes how a "pop-up message" will appear on
the officer's control screen when a child attempts to enter
Britain through an eGate.
It says the officer must "acknowledge the pop up by
pressing the green 'yes' button on the touch screen".
If they "have concerns regarding a child using the gates
they should press the 'no' button on the age warning pop
up button".
It is not clear how the officers would decide they have
concerns about a particular child - apart from their

physical appearance - without speaking to them.
At no point does the operations manual instruct the border
guard to approach the child or speak to them to assess
their demeanour or make a judgment on whether they are
travelling at will with parents or trusted adults.
The source said: "We are concerned that asking officers to
simply press a button simply isn't a good enough
safeguard.
"This trial has not been properly thought through."
Kate Roberts of the Human Trafficking Foundation said:
"There is definitely potential for concern about this.
"Fewer opportunities for trafficked children to come into
contact with officials, and potentially disclose what is
happening to them, is just not the direction we want to be
moving in.
"Clearly, lowering that human contact is potentially a risk.
"We would like to know the full details of this pilot and
whether the Home Office has carried out a risk
assessment."
(1st April 2016)
FOUR PAEDOPHILES CONVICTED AFTER STING

OPERATIONS BY VIGILANTES
(The Guardian, dated 28th March 2016 author Robert
Booth)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/28/fourpaedophiles-convicted-sting-operations-vigilantes
Four paedophiles have been convicted following sting
operations by vigilantes who claim they trapped them on a
Facebook page explicitly dedicated to young girls dating
older men.
The vigilantes posed as a 14-year-old girl on a publicly
available section of the social networking site called "y
[sic] young girls date old men".
Jay, a vigilante who runs London-based paedophile

hunting group Public Justice PHL, described the page as
"paedophile city". He said that although he had reported it
to Facebook last year, it remains in operation.
"It still hasn't been shut down and it is keeping me busy,"
said Jay. "I get a lot of work from there."
The vigilante group is one of a growing number taking the
law into their own hands by confronting online child
groomers. Police have told them to stop, warning they
could be jeopardising ongoing investigations and risking
public safety by luring paedophiles to public places.
British Transport police issued the group a letter warning it
could be breaking the law if it is in possession of indecent
images of children and could even be prosecuted for
loitering at railway stations or trespassing during stings.
"We cannot encourage members of the public to act as
agent provocateur to entrap offenders," Sgt Nick Lowe told
them.
However, the group's actions do lead to prosecutions. This
week Geoffrey Fitton was earlier this month jailed for 14
months for sexual grooming. The middle-aged man
travelled from Yorkshire to London to meet PHL's fake 14year old but was met by the vigilantes from Public Justice.
He was also placed on the sex offender's register by a
judge at Blackfriars crown court.
Last month, another Facebook user, lorry driver Martyn
McDonough, 42, was jailed for 28 months for child
grooming after using the same group. The vigilante said:
"Hey I'm 14 years old. How old are you? I'll understand if
you don't want to talk", but that didn't deter him. When
she said she had never had a boyfriend he said: "Wow, so
your [sic] a virgin how come u single u are beautiful".
He asked her whether she had watched pornography, to
which she replied she had not. He also asked if she had
drunk alcohol and told her he got aroused when drunk.
She said she needed to get some sleep before school.
McDonough sent her an explicit picture of his anatomy
and asked her for sex. As their meeting at King's Cross
station approached he even said: "I could get into trouble

meeting you." He was confronted by Jay and a colleague,
who passed evidence to the police, leading to conviction.
The vigilante group also claims responsibility for the
convictions of two other men who pleaded guilty to child
grooming offences in March and February at courts in
Kilmarnock and Luton.
Jim Gamble, the former head of the Home Office child
exploitation and online protection centre (Ceop) said there
was "no doubt that police don't have the capacity needed
to tackle the number of people grooming children online".
But he warned the way vigilantes persuade paedophiles to
travel to meetings could put the public in danger. He
added that if they were traveling in the expectation of
having sex with a child and go to the wrong place, they
might attack someone else. Equally vigilantes are not able
to carry out background checks on their targets to assess
risks. The police, by contrast, could arrange surveillance
on stings and decide which paedophiles pose the most
immediate risk and should be targeted first.
Facebook said it has removed a number of posts from the
group and has blocked several users. "Nothing is more
important to us than the safety of the people that use our
site," said a spokesperson. "We have zero tolerance for
child exploitation on Facebook and have removed a
number of the reported accounts and pieces of content for
breaking our community standards."
The company added that it works with organisations such
as the National Crime Agency Child Exploitation and
Online Protection Centre in the UK.
"Using Photo DNA technology, we ensure that illicit
material identified by global child safety experts is
removed and reported to local police and law enforcement
agencies," said the spokesperson.
Photo DNA scans all images on Facebook and flags known
child exploitative material so we can quickly remove
content. Facebook says this allows it to quickly remove
content.
(1st April 2016)
LIP READING TECHNOLOGY BREAKTHROUGH TO BE

USED ON CCTV
(The Telegraph, dated 25th March 2016 author Tom
Morgan and Agency)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/science/12204331/Lip-readingtechnology-breakthrough-to-be-used-on-CCTV.html
New lip-reading technology could help solve crimes by
deciphering what people caught on CCTV are saying,
researchers have claimed.
The visual speech recognition technology developed by
the University of East Anglia in Norwich can be used to
determine what people are saying in situations where
audio is not good enough to hear - such as on security
camera footage.
Helen Bear, from the university's school of computing
science, said the technology could be applied to a wide
range of situations from criminal investigations to
entertainment.
She added: "Lip-reading has been used to pinpoint words
footballers have shouted in heated moments on the pitch,
but is likely to be of most practical use in situations where
there are high levels of noise, such as in cars or aircraft
cockpits.
"Crucially, whilst there are still improvements to be made,
such a system could be adapted for use for a range of
purposes - for example, for people with hearing or speech
impairments."
Some sounds like "P" and "B" look similar on the lips and
have traditionally been hard to decipher, the researchers
said.
But now the machine lip-reading technology can
differentiate between the sounds for a more accurate
translation.
Co-creator Richard Harvey said: "Lip-reading is one of the
most challenging problems in artificial intelligence so it's
great to make progress on one of the trickier aspects,
which is how to train machines to recognise the
appearance and shape of human lips."
Details about the developments will be presented to the
International Conference on Acoustics, Speech and Signal
Processing in Shanghai, China, on Friday.
(1st April 2016)
HACKERS ATTACK VERIZON'S ANTI DATA BREACH

DIVISION
author India Ashok)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hackers-attack-verizons-anti-databreach-division-access-information-1-5-million-customers1551581
Then access information of 1.5 million customers ! (nb:
Verizon = US Mobile phone network)
Verizon's anti-hacking task force called Verizon Enterprise
Solutions was hit by hackers. Over 1.5 million customers'
data was stolen from the division, which is responsible for
providing cybersecurity solutions to Fortune 500
companies.
The breach was first reported by independent
cybersecurity researcher Brian Krebs. The hacker/s, who
gained access to Verizon's anti-hacking division, went
ahead and posted customer information online and sought
$100,000 (71,000) for the data.
Alternatively, the seller was offering data in parts and had
sought $10,000 for 100,000 records. The hacker also
offered to share, for a price, any security vulnerabilities
that was uncovered on Verizon's system.
In his blog, Krebs noted that "a prominent member of a
closely guarded underground cybercrime forum posted a

new thread advertising the sale of a database containing
the contact information on some 1.5 million customers of
Verizon Enterprise."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from the firm told Fortune,
"Verizon Enterprise Solutions recently discovered and fixed
a security vulnerability on our enterprise client portal. Our
investigation to date found an attacker obtained basic
contact information on a number of our enterprise
customers."
The breach would surely be an embarrassment for the
firm, which is widely known for its cybersecurity skills, part
of which it showcases in its annual report on how to avoid
data-breaches. Reports suggest that the hacker gained
access to the company's system via a security
vulnerability, which has now been fixed. Verizon has
confirmed that the information accessed related to basic
contact information and not sensitive or technical network
data.
Verizon is currently notifying the affected Enterprise
customers that despite the breach, no customer data was
accessed.
(1st April 2016)
WHICH ? BRANDS MET BOSS'S CYBER CRIME

COMPENSATION VIEW "ASTONISHINGLY MISJUDGED"
(The Telegraph, dated 24th March 2016)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12204027/Which
-chief-brands-Met-bosss-cyber-crime-compensation-viewastonishingly-misjudged.html
The suggestion by a police chief that online fraud victims
who do not take appropriate security steps should not be
refunded has been branded as "astonishingly misjudged"
by a consumer group.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-
Howe, in an interview with The Times, said online fraud

refunds reward bad behaviour and that as an incentive to
combat this, perhaps those who do not protect themselves
with propriety software should not get their cash back.
His comments have since been questioned by the
consumer group Which? who believe better protection
should actually come from the banks.
Which? executive director Richard Lloyd said: "With online
fraud increasing, this is an astonishingly misjudged
proposal from the Met Police Commissioner.
"When Which? investigated last year, we found too often
that banks were dragging their feet when dealing with
fraud.
"The priority should be for banks to better protect their
customers, rather than trying to shift blame on to the
victims of fraud."
Sir Bernard said the current system is not incentivised
enough for people to protect themselves.
He said: "If someone were to say, 'look if you've not
updated your software, I'll give you half back', you would
do it.
"Personally, on my system I've got a propriety security
software and I got an update a few months ago and it sat
there for months, I didn't quite get round to it.
"I don't suppose I'm much different to anyone else but I
guarantee if someone said to me 'if your card is done or
something happens online I'll give you nothing back',
you'd change your behaviour.
"You can incentivise people to protect themselves. My
broad point is that if you are continually rewarded for bad
behaviour you will probably continue to do it. But if the
obverse is true you might consider changing your
behaviour."
His comments came as the police prepare to include
cybercrime estimates in official crime statistics for the first
time in July.
Sir Bernard said that the figures are set to double with the
change.
A report released earlier this month by Financial Fraud
Action UK found that financial fraud losses surged by 26%
year-on-year in 2015 amid a growing threat from
deception scams and cyber attacks.
More than 755 million in losses were recorded across

payment cards, remote banking such as internet and
mobile phone banking and cheques last year.
A spokesman for Financial Fraud Action UK said: "There are
strong legal protections in place for consumers against
unauthorised transactions on their bank card or account.
"Banks use highly sophisticated security systems to
protect their customers, which last year stopped 7 in 10
of fraud from occurring, so criminals are now focusing on
targeting consumers directly.
"Fraudsters are using deception and impersonation scams
to trick people into giving away their personal or financial
details.
"This can also include tricking victims into transferring
money directly to the fraudster, meaning they don't
always have the same legal protection and may not get a
refund.
"That's why it's vital that everyone is extremely wary of
any unsolicited calls, texts or emails asking for personal or
financial information.
"Fraudsters are after people's details which are effectively
the keys to the security door - do not let them in."
On Wednesday at the International Crime and Policing
Convention, Home Secretary Theresa May warned that
faceless crime was being conducted over the internet on
an "industrial scale".
GCHQ estimates that 80% of cybercrime, which is thought
to cost 1 billion a year, could be prevented by tougher-tocrack passwords and regularly updated security software.
(1st April 2016)
STOP "REWARDING" VICTIMS OF ONLINE FRAUD

WITH REFUNDS, MET CHIEF TELLS BANKS
Sebastian Mann)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/stop-rewarding-victims-of-
online-fraud-with-refunds-met-chief-tells-banksa3210596.html
Britain's most senior police officer has reportedly said
banks should refuse to refund victims of online fraud
because it "rewards" them for being lax with internet
security.
Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe
was quoted as saying the current system was "not
incentivising you to protect yourself".
He said customers were effectively being "rewarded for
bad behaviour" while discussing how banks could make
people more security-conscious, the Times reported.
"If you are continually rewarded for bad behaviour you will
probably continue to do it but if the obverse is true you
might consider changing behaviour," he said.
"The system is not incentivising you to protect yourself. If
someone said to you, 'If you've not updated your software
I will give you half back', you would do it."
His comments come as police prepare to include
cybercrime estimates in official crime statistics for the first
time in July.
Sir Bernard said that the figures are set to double with the
change.
Two in five (44%) UK consumers have been subject to
cybercrime in their lifetime, according to a survey released
last year.
But nearly half of them do not take the time to change
their account passwords after a security compromise or
break, the Norton Cybersecurity Insights Report found.
Home Secretary Theresa May warned the International
Crime and Policing Conference on Wednesday that
faceless crime was being conducted over the internet on
an "industrial scale".
But according to The Times, police follow up fewer than
one in 100 frauds and there were fewer than 9,000
convictions out of more than three million frauds in 12
months.
GCHQ estimates that 80% of cybercrime, which is thought
to cost 1 billion a year, could be prevented by tougher-tocrack passwords and regularly updated security software.
uaware comment
I wonder if the most senior police officers comments were
written after crime statistics were considerably skued
upwards last year when cybercrime was added for the first
time.
You can have the most efficient security software loaded
on your PC / laptop; coupled with your banks own security
application, but if someone wants to hack your computer
sadly they will. Even the banks themselves are hacked and
defrauded
The next thing we are going to hear from senior police
officers is that insurance companies should not pay out on
burglary unless adequate security measures are taken !
What will that be ? Steel bars at windows and steel doors. I
suppose with a 13% crime detection rate by the Met that
will be suggested by Sir Hogan-Howe in the future.
(1st April 2016)
SCOTLAND YARD TO RUSH THROUGH 11m SPEND

ON GUNS TO PROTECT LONDON FROM TERROR
ATTACKS
David Churchill)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/scotland-yard-to-rushthrough-11m-spend-on-guns-to-protect-london-from-terrorattacks-a3210656.html
Counter-terror officers are set to get an extra 11.2 million
worth of guns and equipment to better protect Londoners
in the event of Brussels-style attacks.
In documents seen by the Standard, Scotland Yard seeks
authorisation to spend the money "as soon as possible" to
"increase current capability" in order to deal with threats
"effectively".
The force will use a Single Tender Action process, used to
speed up purchases, "in the face of heightened threat

levels".
The investment will "increase the capability" of current
armed response teams as well as the 600 extra firearms
officers announced by Met Commissioner Sir Bernard
Hogan-Howe in January.
London's deputy mayor for policing Stephen Greenhalgh
said: "I've watched the police train and these days officers
have to actually move forward towards the gunfire,
because you're talking about people who are willing to die
for what they believe, so they need to have the right
equipment.
"Budgets shouldn't be a barrier to ensuring we keep our
capital safe.
"We know that incidents these days don't just happen in
ones and twos, they happen five, six, seven and eights,
and having enough armed response vehicles is critical for
dealing with the kind of marauding attacks we're talking
about."
London MP for Enfield Southgate, David Burrowes, who
also sits on the Home Affairs Select Committee, said the
new equipment is vital due to a "clear and present" threat
to launch attacks on the streets of London.
He said: "The attacks in Paris and Brussels could happen
on the streets of London and we need to make sure that
our police officers on the frontline have all the necessary
support and equipment they need to tackle this threat.
"The threat is clear and present and the fundamental duty
of Government is to protect its citizens."
A list of the equipment, to be given to specialist counterterror officers and armed response vehicle units as armed
officers rise from 2,200 to 2,800, is not revealed for
security reasons.
But Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police
Federation, said: "There's large amounts of weapons
required, there's a lot of tactical equipment needed based
on that as well.
"Not only hand weapons are needed, but obviously
automatic deployment. It's paramount that we get the
equipment.
"We are at a heightened state, we are ready and capable
as we speak, but there's other equipment available that

has been recognised as being needed and we'll hopefully
get that as soon a possible."
Sir Bernard announced London would get an extra 600
armed officers in January at a cost of 25 million after
Home Secretary Theresa May made an extra 34 million
available to police forces to increase firearms capabilities.
The request to spend 11.2 million on extra firearms and
equipment is contained in documents submitted to the
Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime, which has to sign off
purchases of a large value.
It was not made in direct response to the Brussels attack,
but was signed off last week "in light of recent global
events and especially those in Paris and other major
European cities".
A Met spokesman said: "This Single Tender Action is part of
plans to deliver this increase [in armed officers]."
"The Commissioner has previously committed to
increasing the number of firearms officers and this
provides the necessary equipment.
"We are in continuing discussions re additional counterterrorism funding and our planning assumption is that the
additional kit will be funded from the additional counterterrorism money announced in the budget.
"Should this not be the case we will manage the
expenditure from within our existing budget."
(1st April 2016)
HOW THE BATTLE TO BEAT THE TUBE GROPERS HAS

GONE OFF THE RAILS
Rosamund Urwin)
www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/how-the-battle-tobeat-the-tube-gropers-has-gone-off-the-railsa3210896.html
Masturbating men. Hands up skirts and on breasts.

Erections rubbed against women's legs. These are some of
the stories you'll hear if you ask women about their
experiences of sexual offences on public transport. A
friend of mine once stepped off a Tube train to discover
that the man who had rutted against her in a packed
carriage had ejaculated on her tights.
Flashers, gropers, masturbators and ejaculators - a small
group of men who are usually serial offenders - seem to
use the transport network as a scouting ground for
victims. These are usually stealth crimes, committed in
crowds by criminals who don't know their victims. An
estimated 15 per cent of Londoners have experienced
unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, yet
around 90 per cent of those affected do not report the
crime to the police.
So when Project Guardian was launched three years ago,
women's groups cheered. It was a collaborative effort
between the British Transport Police (BTP), City of London
police, the Met and Transport for London to encourage
women to report sexual offences on public transport in the
capital. The police had been advised by three feminist
organisations: the End Violence Against Women coalition,
the Everyday Sexism Project and Hollaback London, which
campaigns to stop harassment in public places.
The BTP also has a dedicated, specialist squad to tackle
unwanted sexual behaviour on the transport network.
There are two arms to their work: carrying out
investigations into sexual offences that have been
reported and proactively patrolling the transport network
to catch perpetrators.
But now, that 23-officer unit is set to be disbanded. The
team that tackles sexual crimes is part of the BTP's B
division, which focuses on the capital. According to a BTP
document leaked to the Evening Standard: "The majority
of the B Division specialist crime teams (eg sexual
offences, workplace violence, etc) will be disbanded." This
is part of a wider structural shift in the BTP, set out in this
employee consultation document.
Only two specialist crime teams in B division will remain:
the team covering theft of passengers' property and the
unit handling bike theft.
However, none of this has been publicly announced, and

there is still a section on the BTP website setting out what
the sexual offences unit does.
Mark Newton, the assistant chief constable whose portfolio
includes B division and crime, takes issue when I use the
word "disbanded" about the unit, even though it is the
term used in the BTP's own document.
BTP management are, Newton says, "constantly reviewing
our capabilities across whole areas. [Sexual offences]
aren't going down the league table... We have to change
our investigative approach." However, he admits some of
his staff are "not very keen" on this shift, something he
attributes to people's natural resistance to change.
A spokesperson for the BTP explained that under the new
system, sexual offences will be investigated by "any of the
269 officers dedicated to crime nationally, enhancing our
ability to investigate sexual offences. Tackling all forms of
unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport is a
priority for British Transport Police."
However, campaigners argue that dedicated officers help
ensure sexual offences are kept at the forefront and don't
slip down the priority list. There are also worries that the
"mainstreaming" of sexual offences investigations means
that the specialist skills base will be diluted or lost.
"Investigating sexual harassment and assault needs
expertise," says Sarah Green, the director of Evaw. "While
every frontline officer should have some knowledge and
understanding of these, any good police force needs
properly, highly trained specialists who are champions for
the prioritising of this issue within the force to help ensure
justice can be done in these cases."
Green believes that attitudes across all parts of the police
have dramatically improved. However, she says that
sometimes victims still feel encouraged to drop their
cases, having been told they won't get a prosecution. "The
police should do the investigative job to the best of their
ability and ensure victims have the right information to
make their decision," she says. "This is why independent
advice for women is important." This is certainly my
experience after I was groped on the bus in 2014. The
police officers took my report very seriously initially and
the man had broken his curfew so was returned to prison
anyway, but I was told the CCTV footage was unclear, so

did I just want to drop the case?
What may seem strange about the axing of the sexual
offences unit is that Project Guardian has widely been
viewed as a success. Newton himself says the police have
improved in its handling of sexual offences. And in a
London Assembly report published this month on crime on
public transport, the chair of the crime committee,
Labour's Joanne McCartney, says: "The progress that has
been made in increasing the confidence of victims of
sexual offences to come forward and report is
commended. There are lessons here that could be applied
to other crimes across the network."
What's odd here is that McCartney keeps mentioning
Project Guardian here, yet the BTP says Project Guardian
has now morphed into a new campaign, Report It To Stop
It.
Some believe the sexual offence unit is almost a victim of
its own (and Project Guardian's) success. According to a
source close to the unit, the team had a "huge caseload"
as a result of the coverage and was "swamped with work".
More victims have certainly come forward. Between April
and December 2015, the number of sex offences reported
on the Tube and trains in London jumped by 43.5 per cent
on the previous year, from 1,117 to 1,603.
As McCartney notes in the LA report: "Efforts to tackle
under-reporting of sexual offences appear to be working.
Project Guardian has had a big impact on improving
reports and more victims are now more willing to report
their experience; the issue isn't getting bigger, it is now
better reported."
But the problem is predicted to get worse. TfL's internal
risk assessment states that sexual offences are likely to
rise when the Night Tube is finally introduced.
uaware Comment
Perhaps the BTP Deputy Chief Constable is planning to
have officers in the TfL area wearing jackets emblazoned
with the words "Anti-Groping Squad" !
(1st April 2016)
EU JUSTICE MINISTERS PLEDGE TO SHARE

INFORMATION AFTER BRUSSELS ATTACK
(Mail Online / Reuters, dated 24th March 2016 authors
Barbara Lewis & Julia Fioretti)
www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/reuters/article-3508408/EUjustice-ministers-pledge-share-information-Brusselsattacks.html
European Union Justice and Home Affairs ministers on
Thursday called for rapid agreement on stalled plans to
share strategic intelligence data after suicide bomb
attacks this week in Brussels killed at least 31 people and
injured 270.
The bombings at Brussels airport and on a crowded rushhour metro train, only four months after 130 people were
killed in Islamist attacks in Paris, laid bare the inadequacy
of European cooperation on security.
Officials say many of the European Union's 28 nations,
including core EU members France and Germany, withhold
their most strategic data despite professed willingness to
share it.
At emergency talks in an EU building minutes away from
where the metro bomb attack took place, they said
European nations could no longer keep life-saving
information to themselves.
"Sometimes there is a lack of political will, a lack of
coordination and most importantly in some cases, a lack
of trust," EU Migration Commissioner Dimitris
Avramopoulos said.
"These horrendous attacks cannot continue to be wake-up
calls for ever."
Belgian Justice Koen Geens, a former finance minister,
drew a comparison with the European financial crisis that
he said eventually increased cross-border economic
cooperation.
"With regard to exchanging information and joint
investigation, we really are moving very fast towards an

integrated fight against terrorism," Geens said, adding he
had received offers of information from fellow ministers at
Thursday's meeting.
The European Commission has been seeking agreement
for nearly five years on a draft law to give security forces
across the European Union access to the data of airline
passengers.
The proposal has been blocked in the European Parliament
because of concerns among left-wing lawmakers over
privacy.
Ministers also called for better enforcement of measures
already agreed in principle, including effective border
controls, identity checks, steps to prevent the use of
forged documents and the sale of chemicals that can be
used in bomb-making.
"Terrorism is fast but Europe is often slow," Angelino
Alfano, Italy's interior minister, said of the pace of
enforcement.
Europol, the EU body for combating international
organised crime, said it had observed increasing links
between terrorism and the criminal underworld in Europe,
for example in the supply of illegal firearms and the
emergence of Islamic State foreign fighters with a criminal
background.
Europol director Rob Wainwright said national authorities
had been better at sharing information on organised crime
than terrorism.
"In recent months a significant increase has been noted in
the level of information sharing on terrorism but it remains
uneven across all Member States," Wainwright said.
(Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald)
(1st April 2016)
BRTISH TRANSPORT POLICE TO AXE SEX CRIME UNIT

DESPITE RISE IN REPORTED OFFENCES
Rosamund Urwin)

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/british-transport-policeto-axe-sex-crime-unit-despite-rise-in-reported-offencesa3210731.html
A high-profile police unit that investigates sexual offences
on the Tube and railways is set to be disbanded.
The specialist crime team was created by the British
Transport Police to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on
public transport such as groping.
It had officers who actively searched for offenders on the
capital's transport network.
The move comes despite figures showing a huge rise in
the number of crimes being reported.
Between last April and December there were 1,603 reports
of sex offences on the Tube, trains and buses in London,
compared with 1,117 for the period the previous year - an
increase of 43.5 per cent.
Last month, Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan urged
the BTP to crack down on groping as a top priority.
The unit is being axed as part of a structural review by the
BTP, which will also see the team handling assaults
against Transport for London staff scrapped.
Two specialist crime teams will remain in London, covering
theft of passengers' property and bikes.
"These teams will be retained due to the high volume of
these crime types and the limited investigative
opportunities they offer," an internal BTP document states.
There has been no official announcement but officers have
been told the units are disbanding in the course of an
employee consultation.
"Officers will be found alternative roles, or returned to
uniformed posts. The document also revealed some staff
may be made redundant.
A spokesperson said: "Under the new operating model,
sexual offences will be investigated by any of the 269
officers dedicated to crime nationally.
"Our aim is to ensure that the significant expertise
accrued by the existing dedicated sexual offence unit and
our proactive teams is captured, and embedded as best
practice across the whole new crime business structure at
a national level."
However, this appears to fly in the face of efforts to crack
down on sex assaults in public spaces.
After a TfL survey revealed 15 per cent of women and girls
had experienced unwanted sexual behaviour on the
transport network, the BTP set up Project Guardian in 2013
with the Met, City of London police and TfL.
Created in conjunction with three women's organisations,
the End Violence Against Women Coalition (Evaw),
Hollaback London and Everyday Sexism, it sought to
encourage victims to come forward. Project Guardian has
since been replaced with a well-publicised campaign,
"Report it to stop it".
None of the three women's groups was aware the unit was
being axed. Sarah Green, the director of Evaw, said: "We
need to hear from BTP's chief constable, and from the
Department for Transport and the Home Office, as to
whether such plans have been consulted on and what the
intention is to ensure our national railways police force is
able to respond to and ultimately to deter sexual
offences."
The spokesperson for the BTP, which is mostly funded by
train operating companies, said: "Thankfully, the most
serious sexual offences are rare on the railway and they
will always be allocated a senior investigating officer
supported by a dedicated team."
-----------------------UPDATE
BRITISH TRANSPORT POLICE HALTS PLANS TO AXE SEX
CRIME UNIT AFTER OUTCRY
Rosamund Urwin)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/british-transport-policehalts-plans-to-axe-sex-crime-unit-after-outcrya3216566.html
The British Transport Police has halted plans to axe their
sexual offences unit following an Evening Standard
investigation into the closure.
The specialist team, which was created to tackle

unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, was due
to be disbanded as part of a structural review of the BTP.
However, after the Standard revealed the unit was being
scrapped last week, the BTP has announced an urgent
review of the decision, which could result in the unit being
saved.
Mark Newton, the BTP's assistant chief constable, said in a
statement: "Over the past week, we have listened
carefully to the views being expressed about the decision
to absorb officers from the sexual offences unit in London
into our wider crime investigation plans and acknowledge
that this may unintentionally have caused concern.
"This concern undermines everything we are trying to
achieve.
"That is why we have decided to halt any proposed
changes to the sexual offences unit whilst we carry out an
urgent review of the implications of this decision, to see
whether it remains valid in light of the feedback we have
received."
Newton had previously defended the decision to disband
the unit.
In an interview with the Standard, he said: "We [at the
BTP] are constantly reviewing our capabilities across
whole areas. [Sexual offences] aren't going down the
league table... We have to change our investigative
approach."
The move by the BTP came despite a jump in the number
of these crimes being reported.
According to figures released by Transport for London,
between last April and December, there were 1,603
reports of sex offences on the Tube, trains and buses in
London, compared with 1,117 for the same period the
previous year. That is a rise of 43.5 per cent.
On Wednesday, Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan
spoke out against the BTP's decision.
"I was appalled about the recent decision by British
Transport Police to scrap the sexual violence unit," he said
in a speech made in Brixton.
"Reports of sexual offences on the London Underground
almost tripled over the past five years.
"As mayor I will take these problems seriously."
uaware comment
The worrying thing is, BTP management thought (if that is
the right word) it ok to scrap this unit. I thought there was
something called "Risk Analysis" before doing something
that affects people safety.
(1st April 2016)
WHICH SMARTPHONE IS THE MOST LIKELY TO BE

STOLEN IN THE UK ?
(The Telegraph, dated 23rd March 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/23/whichsmartphone-is-the-most-likely-to-be-stolen-in-the-uk/
The iPhone is no longer the handset most coveted by
phone thieves.
According to new numbers, it's the HTC M8, followed by
the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge, which are the smartphones
most likely to be stolen in the UK, based on an estimate
calculated using data on desirability to criminals.
An official league table published by the Home Office
showed that individual models by HTC and Samsung have
overtaken the iPhone as the thief's favourite handset, but
Apple remains the brand of smartphone most likely to be
stolen.
Three models of the iPhone 6 took the following three slots
in the league table - with the 6 Plus, 6 and 6S in
descending order.
However, Apple remained top of the brand-by-brand table,
followed by HTC in second place then Samsung, Sony and
LG.
The figures were calculated based on the Metropolitan
Police's data on 70,000 mobile phone thefts in the capital
in 2015.
It updated figures published in September 2014 when the

iPhone took the took the top four slots of the most
targeted smartphones
However, both the manufacturer and model league tables
were not based on straightforward frequency of thefts.
Instead, they used a calculation which estimated whether
the model had deliberately been targeted by a criminal for example after being left on a pub table by the owner or stolen more randomly, such as phones that had been
left in a stolen car.
"This ratio gives us a measure of 'over-stolen', in other
words, the extent to which a particular make and model of
phone was stolen more than we would have anticipated
given its share of the random thefts," said the paper.
"The September 2014 paper showed dominance of the top
few slots by Apple phones, with four of the top five phones
most likely to be stolen made by Apple.
"However the most 'over-stolen' mobile phone based on
the 2015 Metropolitan Police data is the HTC M8, albeit a
relatively uncommon phone, with only 328 total thefts
occurring in 2015. It is followed by the Samsung Galaxy S6
Edge.
"The Samsung Galaxy S6, S5 and Note models are also in
the top 10 phones most likely to be stolen."
Further information from report
Link to Home Office report:
www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachm
ent_data/file/509846/WEB-6-1946-HOReducing_Mobile_Phone_Theft_and_Improving_Security_Ma
rch_2....pdf
Predicted - most likely mobile phones to be targeted by
theives :
HTC M8
Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
Apple iPhone 6
Apple iPhone 6S
Samsung Galaxy S6
Samsung Galaxy S5
Samsung Galaxy Note
Apple iPhone 5C
HTC One
Apple iPhone 5S
Nokia 635
(1st April 2016)
NEW UK CYBER SECURITY CENTRE TO WORK WITH

BANK OF ENGLAND
(The Register, dated 23rd March 2016 author : outlaw.com)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/23/new_uk_cyber_security_
centre_to_work_with_bank_of_england/
The UK's new national cyber centre will collaborate with
the Bank of England on new cyber security guidance for
financial firms when it opens later this year, the
government has said.
The Cabinet Office announced that the National Cyber
Security Centre (NCSC) will be based in London and start
operating in October. It said one of the NCSC's first tasks
will be to work with the Bank of England to "produce
advice for the financial sector for managing cyber security
effectively".
"This important work with the Bank of England is
paramount to ensuring that businesses of all shapes and
sizes understand the threats and what they can do to
mitigate them," Cabinet Office minister Matt Hancock said.
"We'll do this by informing the entire business community
and public sector about emerging threats, providing
support when attacks happen and educating everyone on
how best to stay safe online."
The NCSC is being set up to aggregate "the UK's cyber
expertise", the Cabinet Office said. It said the NCSC "will
be the authoritative voice on information security in the
UK". The current director general of cyber at GCHQ, Ciaran
Martin, will lead the new organisation and Dr Ian Levy,
GCHQ's current technical director of cyber security, will

take on the role of the NCSC's technical director, the
Cabinet Office said.
Civil fraud and asset recovery expert Alan Sheeley of
Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, raised
concern about whether the NCSC will be sufficiently
resourced to "actively investigate the cyber attacks and
pursue the perpetrators".
"Will the NCSC have the necessary tools and budgets to
target and address 'the industrial-scale theft of intellectual
property from our companies and universities, as well as
the numerous phishing and malware scams that waste
time and money' that GCHQ director Robert Hannigan
highlighted in his statement?" Sheeley said. "The concern I
have is that this will this become another Action Fraud
where this organisation also becomes inundated with calls
and claims and are unable, due to resources, to actively
investigate the cyber attacks and pursue the
perpetrators."
"Action Fraud received 250,000 reports of crime ever year;
Adrian Leppard, the former city of London police
commissioner predicted the true level is 12 times that. Of
the three million crimes only 70,000 are actually
investigated which is shockingly low," he said.
Sheeley said that government's plans to stiffen the cyber
security of UK companies are welcome in light of a report
last year which revealed that cyber crime is costing the
global economy over $445 billion annually. However, he
said it is not yet clear whether the NCSC would become
"another information bank rather than a pro-active
investigation department that provides proper results". He
said the perpetrators of cyber crime "should pay for their
actions through convictions - prison and compensation".
"The NCSC, in my view, should be under a duty to educate
companies not just of the crimes that are currently taking
place and prevention measures that can be adopted but
also of the private actions that companies can and should
implement to combat cyber crime and recover any
losses," Sheeley said. "Civil fraud solicitors can be utilised
to obtain disclosure orders against computer server
providers, website host providers and financial institutions
to quickly identify the perpetrator of a cyber security
breach."
"Once the perpetrator has been identified, civil fraud
solicitors can assist in the recovery of any stolen assets,
whether that be information or monies with the use of
search and seize orders and freezing orders. In light of the
importance of these tools to recovering the losses and
identify perpetrators of cyber crime, the NCSC should be
advising business which are the victims of a cyber security
breach of the availability of these crucial strategies," he
said.
(1st April 2016)
MAJOR RETAILERS PLEDGE CRACKDOWN ON KNIFE

SALES TO CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
(London Evening Standard, dated 23rd March 2016 author
Laura Proto)
www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/major-retailers-supportcrackdown-on-knife-sales-to-children-and-teenagersa3210346.html
Major UK retailers have signed a pledge to crackdown on
the sale of knives to children and teenagers.
Numerous online retailers along with high street stores
have committed to requiring proof of age at point of
purchase, collection or delivery under a voluntary
agreement announced by Home Secretary Theresa May on
Wednesday.
Supermarkets Tesco, Lidl UK, Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons
and Waitrose have all made the commitment alongside
Amazon UK, Wilko, Argos, Poundland and John Lewis. eBay
UK said it also "supports" the crackdown.
Legislation to ban "zombie killer" knives is also set to be
introduced, Mrs May confirmed.
Mrs May told a policing conference in London the
Government has struck an agreement with retailers on a
set of principles to prevent the under-age sale of knives in
their shops and through their websites.

She said: "The agreement means that the retailers will
have committed to requiring proof of age at point of
purchase, collection or delivery, that knifes will be
displayed safely and packaged securely and that staff will
receive regular training."
Law enforcement agencies will carry out follow-up test
purchases in six months.
The Home Secretary added the Government will work
closely with the British Retail Consortium to get other
retailers to commit to the principles.
She said: "Knife crime has a devastating impact on
victims, families and communities, and I am determined to
do all I can to prevent it."
Action is also being taken to ban the sale, manufacture
and importation of "zombie killer knives". Under secondary
legislation, offenders will face up to four years in prison.
Mrs May said they "glamorise violence and are clearly
targeted at young people".
She added: "These are dangerous weapons and have
absolutely no place on our streets."
It came as the Government launched a new Modern Crime
Prevention Strategy which identified six key "drivers" of
crime - opportunity, character, the effectiveness of the
criminal justice system, profit, drugs and alcohol.
-------------------------POLICE KNIFE PURCHASES WILL CHECK IF WEBSITES ARE
SELLING TO JUVENILES (Extract)
Martin Bentham)
Police are to make secret knife purchases on internet
shopping sites to check whether firms such as Amazon
and eBay are complying with the law banning sales of
blades to juvenile.
Home Secretary Theresa May announced today that online
giants have signed a new commitment to conduct age
verification checks.
However, the deal also includes a plan for police to
conduct secret "test purchases" of knives, to establish
whetherflaws in the implementation of the new measures

could still allow youths to buy blades. Officials say
"feedback" will be provided in such cases, although
prosecutions will remain possible if the law is being
deliberated flouted.
Last week, Mrs may met retailers at an anti-knife crime
summit. It followed warnings, including from mayroral
candidate Zac Goldsmith, that age restrictions to stop
knife sales to under 18s are not being adequately
enforced.
----------------------(1st April 2016)
STUDENTS JOB SCAM WARNING AS FAMILY CONNED

OUT OF 10,000
(London Evening Standard, dated 21st March 2016 author
Mark Chandler)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/student-job-scamwarning-as-family-conned-out-of-10000-a3208021.html
Students are being conned out of thousands of pounds by
scammers posting fake holiday job adverts online, with
one family handing over 10,000.
Crimestoppers says the fraudsters are posting ads on job
sites with some posing as families looking for a nanny.
On average victims and their families caught up in the
cons lose around 4,000, with one student's parents losing
10,000.
Awareness scheme SAFERjobs has seen employment
scams worth 423,773 reported in the past year with more
than 800,000 people reporting suspicious activity in that
time.
SAFERjobs chairman Keith Rosser said: "The students who
seem most vulnerable are those in their first year at
university.
"They're trying to demonstrate to their parents that they
can be independent and earn on their own.

"But it's not just the students who suffer. In a lot of cases,
they're borrowing money from their parents. We dealt with
one case where a couple had lost 10,000 to a scam.
"We've even had families contacting us because they need
help trying to explain to their offspring that they're being
scammed. Some victims just can't be persuaded because
they're so desperate to make it on their own."
Some of the cons include victims paying out for services
such as fake criminal records checks or childcare training
courses.
Scammers have also posed as families looking for a nanny
on genuine sites, and then demanded that a recruit pays
in advance for travel and visas which never materialise.
Other frauds involve work from home offering an
unusually high salary, with victims unwittingly laundering
money by cashing cheques or buying office supplies for
their employer.
One victim, who did not want to be named, said: "They
told me that I needed to perform a DBS (criminal records)
check and gave me a link where they asked me for 100
to have it in time for the start of my job.
"When I tried to explain that it really was suspect, they
told me that it normally takes at least two weeks and a lot
of people have used this service and it is fine."
Adrian Tudway, head of operations at Crimestoppers, said:
"We hope that raising awareness of these scams will help
to prevent more young people becoming victims."
Anyone with information can call Crimestoppers on 0800
555 111 or through Crimestoppers-uk.org
----------------SAFERJOBS website : https://www.safer-jobs.com/
(1st April 2016)
FBI ISSUES WARNING OVER HACKING THREAT TO

SMART CARS
author India Ashok)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/fbi-issues-warning-over-hacking-threatsmart-cars-1550479
The FBI and the US National Highway Traffic and Safety
Administration (NHTSA) have issued warnings to US
consumers about the risk of their internet-connected cars
being hacked. The law enforcement agency says that
connected cars are highly vulnerable to cyberattacks.
The NHTSA and the FBI have jointly issued a public service
announcement meant to spread awareness among the
general public about the "potential cybersecurity threats"
involved in relation to connected cars.
The announcement stated: "While the identified
vulnerabilities have been addressed, it is important that
consumers and manufacturers are aware of the possible
threats and how an attacker may seek to remotely exploit
vulnerabilities in the future. Third party aftermarket
devices with internet or cellular access plugged into
diagnostics ports could also introduce wireless
vulnerabilities."
In 2015, Fiat Chrysler recalled 1.4m cars in the US after
security researchers uncovered that the cars' controls
could be remotely accessed and controlled. BMW's
ConnectedDrive feature also had a security vulnerability
which was uncovered in February 2015, which could have
left over two million consumers' cars vulnerable to being
hacked.
The FBI, in its public service announcement has outlined
the different kinds of remote access hacks that security
researchers have tested and successfully implemented on
connected cars so far. Security researchers were able to
successfully shut down an engine, disable breaks and
steering of a car running at speeds as low as 5-10 mph. In
another case, security researchers were able to remotely
control a car's door locks, turn signals, GPS and radio.
The public notice goes on to provide some helpful

suggestions to consumers, to ensure that they remain
aware and on alert for potential threats. The FBI has
provided am alert number for the public to use to report
cases of vehicle hacking. In addition, the American auto
industry has set up an Information Sharing and Analysis
Centre (ISAC) to provide law enforcement with relevant
cybersecurity information in case of a threat.
(1st April 2016)
63% OF UK DRIVERS STOPPED ON SUSPICION OF

DRUG-DRIVING FAIL ROADSIDE TESTS
author William Watkinson)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/63-uk-drivers-stopped-suspicion-drugdriving-fail-roadside-tests-1550499
A new police survey has revealed that 63% of drivers
stopped on suspicion of drug-driving have failed roadside
drug tests since new testing kits were introduced. Of the
5,857 roadside drug tests conducted in the last year,
3,718 drivers have tested positive for illegal substances
such as cocaine and cannabis.
In March 2015, police forces across the nation introduced
new easy-to-use 'drugalyser' testing kits which can yield
results in minutes. The kits use a saliva swab that can
identify up to 17 illegal drugs, in addition to some
prescription drugs used for insomnia or anxiety.
Drug-driving is blamed for around 200 deaths each year in
England and Wales. Tough new legislation brought in last
year sees offenders prosecuted under a specific offence.
But the law does allow for permissible drug limits at very
low levels.
Formerly motorists had their eyes examined by officers for

signs of dilation with a doctor summoned to conduct blood
tests at a police station if they thought they were high.
This wait, which often took hours, meant that drug levels
at the time of arrest were hard to pinpoint.
Under the current legislation, motorists face a minimum of
a year's ban if they are found to have drugs in their
system. They can also be handed an unlimited fine and up
to six months in prison.
The high-proportion of drug-drivers arrested after being
stopped by police is in contrast to just 10% of motorists in
England and Wales who take roadside alcohol breath tests
found to be over the limit in 2013. In that year police
carried out 684,000 breathalyser tests - of which 72,000,
around 10%, either refused or tested positive.
The Daily Mail, who conducted the research, received
responses from 36 of the 43 forces in England and Wales,
of which 26 provided figures covering the year period from
March last year to the end of February 2016.
The highest rate was found by Sussex Police with 82%,
while Scotland Yard reports that out of 344 tests 699 tests
were positive - about 50%. Tory MP Karl McCartney, who
sits on the Commons transport committee, said to the
newspaper: "The huge increase in those being caught
shows the new law is working. It is unbelievable that the
previous Labour government did nothing when this
problem had been well known for decades."
(1st April 2016)
THREE SERVING OFFICERS ARRESTED OVER

ALLEGATIONS OF 1 MILLION FRAUD AT POLICE
FEDERATION
Barrett and Victoria Ward)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/12197520/Detectives-investigate-allegations-offraud-at-Police-Federation.html
Three serving police officers have been arrested after
detectives were called in to investigate allegations of a 1
million fraud at the organisation which represents rankand-file police.
Will Riches, the vice-chairman of the Police Federation,
resigned as Surrey Police launched a probe into "potential
fraudulent activity".
The arrested men included two Metropolitan Police officers
aged 40 and 53, both of whom Scotland Yard said had
been on secondment to the Federation.
Another two men - one in his 40s and one in his 50s - have
also been held, one of whom is a serving police officer.
It was confirmed the sum involved in the inquiry was
"around 1 million".
The investigation is also thought to focus on a single
transaction, rather than a series of smaller sums, on bank
accounts relating to the federation's Constables' Central
Committee.
No official reason for the departure of Mr Riches, a
Metropolitan Police officer, has been given.
A Surrey Police spokesman said: "This morning two men in
their fifties and two men in their forties were arrested on
suspicion of fraud under Section Four of the Fraud Act and
conspiracy to defraud.
"All four men remain in police custody while enquiries
continue.
"The allegation relates to concerns about the transfer of
around 1 million to a charitable account in August 2015."
Detective Superintendent Karen Mizzi, who is leading the
inquiry, said: "We are carrying out a detailed and thorough
investigation into allegations of fraudulent activity
involving significant amounts of money.
"As the allegation was only reported to us on Wednesday,
March 16, our enquiries are at an early stage but specialist
officers, including our economic crime unit, are

investigating to establish whether any offences have
occurred.
"Our professional standards department is currently in
liaison with colleagues in relevant forces to inform them of
the arrest of their officers.
"Due to the nature of the allegation, and those arrested
being serving officers, Surrey Police has notified the
Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) and will
also be in liaison with the Charity Commission going
forward."
The federation confirmed it was co-operating with the
police investigation amid reports that officials are unable
to explain discrepancies in the finances.
A spokesman said: "On Tuesday 15 March, the Police
Federation of England and Wales contacted Surrey Police
to ask them to investigate potential fraudulent activity,
relating to accounts held by the federation's Constables'
Central Committee.
"The issue was identified by the PFEW itself and we are
fully co-operating with their initial investigation which is
being undertaken to determine whether any offences have
been committed.
"Until those inquiries are complete it would be
inappropriate to comment further."
The spokeswoman said Mr Riches remained on the body's
Interim National Board.
A Met Police spokesman said its two arrested officers had
not been suspended.
A scathing independent report, published in 2013,
severely criticised secrecy around the federation's
finances and warned the organisation has "fallen well
short" on standards of behaviour and ethics.
The nine-month root and branch review was ordered by
federation leaders following the so-called "plebgate"
scandal in which police claimed former chief whip Andrew
Mitchell had verbally abused officers in Downing Street.
Sir David Normington, a former Home Office mandarin
who led the review, concluded the Federation's finances
were "perverse" and called for wide-ranging changes.
It also revealed that in 2012 the Constables' Committee,

which is at the centre of the new fraud investigation,
received 18.3 million in subscriptions of which 15.8
million was then passed on to the central committee - in
other words leaving a 2.5 million a year residue.
In 2014 the federation disclosed it was sitting on reserves
of some 70 million, with assets taking the total to 107
million.
According to figures disclosed to the Commons' home
affairs select committee the reserves included some 35
million in accounts held by the organisation's branches
including their secretive "number two" accounts - which
were off-limits to the national leadership
MPs said federation leaders should use the money to
provide rebates of 120 each to the 125,000 police
officers who each pay monthly subscriptions to the
organisation.
Assets belonging to the federation include a state-of-theart 26 million headquarters in Leatherhead, Surrey, which
boasts a swimming pool and private "hotel" for visiting
members.
The Federation hired outside consultants to implement the
recommendations of the Normington review in a process
thought to involve a detailed financial audit.
However, it is not known whether it was this process which
led to the alleged discrepancy being uncovered.
(1st April 2016)
PROCESSING FOREIGN CRIMINALS MAKES IT

DIFFICULT TO BRING CHARGES, MET CLAIMS
(The Telegraph, dated 18th March 2016 author Victoria
Ward)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/12197571/Processing-foreign-criminals-makes-it-
difficult-to-bring-charges-Met-claims.html
Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, the Metropolitan Police
Commissioner, has blamed the high number of foreign
criminals for the force's lack of success in getting cases to
court.
He said the complexitities involved in checking DNA,
fingerprints and previous convictions of foreign nationals
made it "quite a challenge" to bring charges within the
alloted 24 hours.
Sir Bernard had been asked to explain Scotland's Yard
comparitively low rate of 13 per cent rate of total
notifiable offences ending in a charge or summons by the
London Assembly police and crime committee, according
to The Times.
The figure is up to 16 per cent in other large urban forces
such as Greater Manchester and West Midlands police.
Sir Bernard said: "It's not that foreigners cause problems,
it's just that is what London is like.
"The challenges that poses ... is that we need to have the
intelligence on them when they are detained. We need
their criminal conviction history, we need the forensics
information - and all of those are challenging if we have to
release 90-odd per cent of our suspects within 24 hours."
He said that of the foreign national offenders the force
deals with, 55 per cent are from Europe and the remainder
are from outside the EU.
Sir Bernard declined to be drawn on whether Britain
should leave the EU but said: "It's a little bit easier to work
within Europe because we have the EU arrest warrant."
uaware comment
Let's not hide the problem with statistics.
- 28% of 250,000 arrests = 70,000 foreign national
suspects
- 55% of the 70,000 foriegn nationals arrested are from
the EU = 38,500
- Those foreign national suspects released with no further
action after 24 hours = 63,000

- Potentially of the 38,000 EU suspects with no further
action after 24 hours = 34,650
This is not a percieved problem, this is a major problem.
So "slick-up" on the investigation processes. It also seems
obvious that the Met Police are not effectively liaising with
their European counterparts or Europol.
Again, this appears to be another example of the Met
being a "jack of all trades". It can't police London and
carry out all of its other responsibilities. It's blantantly
obvious that beat Bobbies and detectives are being
seconded to other tasks.
(1st April 2016)
POLICE OFFICERS WHO SELL UNIFORM AND

OFFICIAL KIT ON EBAY TO FACE INVESTIGATION
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12197700/Police
-officers-who-sell-uniform-and-official-kit-on-eBay-to-faceinvestigation.html
Police chiefs are launching an investigation into officers
who are thought to be selling police-issue kit on eBay,
after one constable was caught auctioning his police
motorcycle boots.
A senior West Midlands Police officer said he was
"alarmed" by the amount of police paraphernalia which is
turning up on online auction sites.
Although some of the goods on offer are historic
memorabilia - such as an obsolete police helmet and a
pair of 1960s handcuffs currently advertised for 65 officers have been disciplined for making a profit out of
items issued to them at the taxpayer's expense.

Chief Superintendent Andrew Nicholson, head of
professional standards at the West Midlands force, said: "A
number of years ago an officer was kitted out and
attended a police motorcycle course.
"Having been issued several hundred pounds of uniform,
he promptly failed the course.
"Anonymous information recently came in... that the
officer had sold his motor bike boots on eBay.
"During the investigation he was completely open about
what had happened and stated that he was told by stores
that the kit was personal issue and of no value to the
organisation.
"He then used the boots for a number of years on his
personal bike. Having stopped riding he sold the boots
stating he did not think he was doing anything wrong."
Mr Nicholson added: "He offered to recompense the force
and at his own behest chose to arrange for a charitable
donation to be made to the value of the boots.
"He will receive swift management action."
Mr Nicholson pledged to launch an investigation and
warned officers not to sell their uniform online.
"I'm alarmed by the amount of property I've seen for sale
on there and will be mounting an investigation," he said.
(1st April 2016)
POLICE INVESTIGATE OWN FEDERATION OVER

ALLEGED FRAUD
(The Guardian, dated 18th March 2016 author Vikram
Dodd)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/mar/18/policefederation-fraud-claims-investigated
The Police Federation says it has called in detectives to
investigate possible fraud within the organisation.
The federation, which represents most of the 125,000

police officers in England and Wales, has been mired in
controversy for years over how it handles money and the
government has threatened to take it over if it does not
reform.
In a statement, the federation said it had called in police
on Tuesday "to investigate potential fraudulent activity,
relating to accounts held by the federation's constables'
central committee".
A spokesperson confirmed that Will Riches had resigned as
vice-chair of the federation on Wednesday, but would not
say why. Riches remains in his other posts, including on
the federation's interim national board and on the
powerful constables' central committee, where he serves
as a representative for the Metropolitan and City of
London forces.
Detectives from the Surrey force have been called into the
body's headquarters in Leatherhead to see if any criminal
offences have been committed.
The federation said: "The issue was identified by the PFEW
itself and we are fully cooperating with their initial
investigation, which is being undertaken to determine
whether any offences have been committed. Until those
inquiries are complete it would be inappropriate to
comment further."
In a statement, Surrey police confirmed it was conducting
the investigation into potential fraud. "Officers are
currently carrying out inquiries to determine whether any
offences have been committed and inquiries remain
ongoing. Further updates will be issued in due course."
Riches has been a constable in the Met since 1995,
starting his service in east London. He first won election to
the constables' central committee in 2009, and in 2014 he
became vice-chair of the federation, losing out on being
chair after a coin toss. The committee making the choice
had split evenly, and Steve White, seen as a leading voice
for modernising the organisation, was chosen after Riches
called heads on a flipped 50p coin; it landed on tails.
Riches did not return a request for comment.

The federation has previously faced allegations of bullying
and secret multimillion-pound bank accounts. Its
relationship with the Conservative party was poisoned by
the Plebgate affair involving the former cabinet minister
Andrew Mitchell.
An independent review, chaired by Sir David Normington,
following the scandal raised questions about the conduct
of some of the federation's former representatives, and
found that officers were disenchanted with the body
supposed to represent them.
The federation was created by parliament in 1919 to
represent rank-and-file officers and stop them joining
unions with the right to strike.
(1st April 2016)
FAMILY CONNED PENSIONERS OUT OF SAVINGS

(The Times, dated 17th March 2016 author Simon de
Bruxelles)
A family of fraudsters posing as bank officials conned
more tan 40 pensioners out of their life savings and spent
the money on expensive cars, wathes and holidays, a
court has been told.
From its base, a newsagents in Glasgow, the gang
telephoned victims claiming that thee was concern about
possible fraudulent activity on their bank accounts.
The family raked in 1.3 million from 42 victims. It was
spent on Rolex watches, trips to Dubai to buy gold, and
Lamborghini, Ferrari and Mercedes cars.
They boasted of defrauding "losers" in Whatsapp
messages and exchanged photographs of newspaper
reports about people they had tricked.
Bristol Crown Court heard that one of their victims had

transferred 84,000 to an account controlled by the
fraudsters after being tricked into believing that the call
was genuine. The gang member had asked the victim to
ring their banks fraud team but stayed on the line had
been able to intercept the call.
The scam was believed to be one of the biggest examples
of "voice phishing" in the UK.
The gang were caught when one membr ignored
instructions to use an untraceable mobile and not a
landline and made a call from the telephone behind the
counter in the family's news agents, Stravanan Off Sales,
in Crosshill, Glasgow.
Four cousins admitted conspiracy to commit fraud by false
representation at seperate hearings at Britol Crown Court
last year. One of the accused admitted concealing,
disguising, transferring or converting criminal property.
The family, called thousands of people using dozens of
phones over the course of a year. When police raided the
six bedromm family home in Glasgow they found 41
mobile phones and 57 sim cards. The court heard that
their victims details had been passed on by a call centre
worker who was the girl friend on one of the accused. She
admitted encouraging or assisting indictable offences.
The Mother of two of the accused, was charged with
possessing criminal property after raid on her home during
which 100,000 was found in her bedroom. She denies
any knowledge of the fraud.
Rupert Lowe, for the prosecution said: " The declared
income of the family was extremely modest but thy had
the trappings of very significant wealth. They hired
Ferraris and Lamborghinis and purchased a Mercedes in
cash, which was sitting in their drive. They bought
expensive watches, jewellry and designer bags, indulged
in high value gambling and travelling and purchased a
house in Dubai.
He added:" The effect on the people they targeted was
extremely grave".
One victim, lost 84,00 after receiving a call from a
"Christopher McDonald in 2014. Another victim,
transferred 15,400 of his savings after receiving a call
from a man posing as a fraud investigator.The courst
heard that the fraudsters raked in 300,000 in November

2014 alone.
The trial continues for one of the accused. The other
defendants who have already pleaded guilty will be
sentenced together at the end of the trial.
(1st April 2016)
VICTORY FOR PICKLES IN BATTLE OVER COUNCIL

NEWSPAPERS
(The Times, dated 16th March 2016 author Elizabeth
Rigby)
Sir Eric Pickles is a step closer to victory in his war on
"appparatchik printing preses powered by taxpayer
pennies" after the last council weekly newspaper
announced its closure.
Grenwich Times last weekly edition will run in June, while
Tower Hamlets East End Life, which moved from being a
weekly to fortnightly newspaper in January, will go
quarterly from May.
The closure of the lasst weekly council freesheet comes
six years after the former communities and locl
government secretary first ordered town halls to wind
down such publications.
Whitehall officials said that ministers had allowed the
matter to drag on to avoid "a huge waste of taxpayers
money going to court".
The government is now shifting its attention to the
remaining nine councils flouting rules on local authority
newspapers. Enfield, Hackney, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Lutin,
Medway, Newham, North Somerset and Waltham Forest
are still publishing fortnightly or monthly freesheets,
despite rules telling town hallsto restrict the publication of
council newspapers to no more than four a year.

All these councils have been served written notices by the
government. Sir Eric has described council newspapers as
the "Pravda printing press" - a reference to the
newspapers of the Communist party in the Soviet Union and said such freesheets undermined local democracy,
wasted taxpayers money and threatened local
newspapers.
"The spread of the town hall Pravda (is) manifestly unfair
because they offer cust price local news, but mixed in with
council propaganda that pours taxpayers money down the
drain" he said in 2013. "These freesheets are often
confused for the real thing by residents. I want our news
to be told and sold under the masthead of an independent
and free press, not throug a knock-off Rolex imitation".
Greenwich has been top of the governments hit list for
persisting in printing a weekly newspaper and in January
2015 was ordered to restrict the frequency of its
publications.
The council persisted, claiming that the free sheet was a
"cost effective" way of pushing out statutory notices.
After more than a year of talks, the council is now
complying with the government's demands. It will not
publish more than four issues of Greenwich Time and year
and officials emphasised that the quarterly publication
rule applied to the online world as well as to print. Tower
Hamlets said it would scale back East End Life,
condemned as a mouthpiece for the disgraced mayor
Lutfur Rahman, in January. The newspaper, which cost the
taxpayer more than 1.5 million a year to publish, had
become a symbol of the profligacy of the former mayor,
who was forced to stand down after being found guilty of
electoral fraud.
Lynne Anderson, deputy chief executive of the News Media
Association, said the industry body had long argued that
the "council propaganda papers" were harmful to local
democracy. "It is good to see action finally taken to stop
this damaging unfair competition".
(1st April 2016)
TAXI DRIVERS LOSE LICENCES AFTER GROOMING

SCANDAL
(The Times, dated 16th March 2016 author Andrew
Norfolk)
Almost 50 Rotherham taxi drivers have been stripped of
their licences under new regulations introduced after the
town's sex-grooming scandal.
Among them was the local authorities form deputy leader,
Jahangir Akhtar, who featured in a recent trial at which
three of his relatives were convicted of multiple sexual
offences against young girls.
Tougher policies for private hire and taxi drivers were
intoduced last year after government - appointed
commissioners took control of many of the disgraced
councils poweres. They inlude a "fit and proper person"
test that takes account of past convictions, complaints and
"softer intelligence" linkd to child exploitation.
A report revealed this week that an audit of Rotherham's
1,100 private hire and taxi drivers identified tht 67 of
them were potentially not fit to hold a licence. After
hearings, 47 drivers had their licences revoked.
The licences of a further 171 drivers wee suspended
because they had not completed compulsory training
sessions on safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
Rotherham council said that a decision was taken 12
months ago that Mr Akhtars licence should immediately be
revoked. No reason was made public but a council
spokesman said that such a decision could only be taken
after the receipt of information that "gives rise to
significant and serious concerns for risks to public safetyif
the licence remains in place."
An independent inquiry by Alexis Jay, triggered by

revelations in The Times, found in 2014 that 1,400
Rotherham children fell victim to sexual grooming offences
over 16 years. Her report noted frequent past warnings
that taxi operators and their drivers played a prominent
role in the abuse.
A follow up inspection of the council ordered by the
government and led by Louise Casey, found that Pakistani
- heritage councillors had a disproportionate influence in
the council, particularly on issus which affected the
Pakistani community "such as the taxi trade".
Ms Casey reported that some council staff felt intimidated
by Mr Akhtar, who "made representations on behalf of
drivers to speed up the issue of licences" and "brought
pressure" which resulted in proposals for unannounced
safety checks to be abandoned.
She ruled in February last year that Rotherham "has not
taken sufficient steps to ensure that only fit and proper
persons are permitted to hold a taxi licence" and "cannot
provide assurances that the public, including vulnerble
people, ar safe".
In a 12 month progress report this week, commissioners
who were handed control of the council's executive
responsibilities after the Casey report said that new
arrangements had improved the sharing of intelligence on
child sexual exploitation between police and the council's
licensing staff.
Mr Akhtar, 55, resigned as council deputy leader in 2013
after The Times revealed his role in a deal under which a
violent child abuser to whom he was related, Arshid
Hussain, agreed to hand a missing 14 year girl to police at
a petrol station after he received an assurance that he
would not be prosecuted.
Hussain, 40, was one of three Rotherham brothers jailed
by Sheffield Crown court last month for offences against
14 children, including the girl involved in the petrol station
handover. Mr Akhtar was unavailable for comment last
night.
(1st April 2016)
MET POLICE'S 65m 999 CALL HANDLING CONTRACT

AXED AFTER TWO YEARS
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/met-police-s-65m-999call-handling-contract-axed-after-two-yearsa3204581.html
A multi-million pound contract for a new 999 call handling
system at Scotland Yard has been scrapped after lengthy
delays in its delivery.
The command and control system which was originally
due to go live last October has already faced delays of two
years but now the new software has been cancelled
entirely.
A contract with global security firm Northrop Grumman
was dropped by the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime
last week, it emerged today.
Scotland Yard said in a statement that 65 million had
already been spent on the project and efforts would be
made to recover the costs.
MOPAC is now set to sue the firm for costs and damages.
Stephen Greenhalgh, the Deputy Mayor for Policing, said:
"Whilst I am disappointed we are in this situation, I am
absolutely clear we are right to terminate this relationship
and to find another way to deliver this service.
"The contract is two years late and it is right to terminate
a contract that is not working.
"I am reassured that we have a realistic prospect of
recovering costs and am confident that the service to the
public will not be affected."
He admitted that MOPAC could not expect to recover all its
costs and the Met had lost time in replacing a system that
was 30 years old.
The new software system would have provided the core of
the Met's command and control and call handling system.
A similar system is being used by the London Air
Ambulance Service and a number of US police forces,
including the Chicago Police Department, but it is not clear
why there were such serious delays in implementing the
Met project.
It was due to replace an ageing system based on similar
technology to an airport luggage handling system but
which handles between 12,000 and 15,000 emergency
and non-emergency calls per day.
A second 90 million contract with Lockheed Martin to
integrate the new command and control project with other
Met applications has also been scrapped.
The Met said in a statement: "The contract was terminated
on the basis of the supplier's failure to deliver the
command and control system in accordance with the
contract, including its failure to deliver in time for the
originally planned October 2015 go-live date. There was
no prospect of a finished product being delivered before
the expiry of the contract term on 18 March 2016.
"Northrop Grumman has disputed MOPAC's right to
terminate the contract. MOPAC stands by its decision, and
is seeking immediate repayment of milestone payments
from Northrop Grumman.
"MOPAC is also minded to pursue a claim against Northrop
Grumman for costs and damages arising from the
supplier's failure to deliver a command and control
solution in accordance with the contract."
The statement said Scotland Yard's existing command and
control system "remains in normal operational use" and is
"undergoing further modernisation".
It added that the Met "is also looking at alternative options
to meet its longer-term operational requirements."
Labour London Assembly member Joanne McCartney,
chairman of its Police and Crime Committee, said : "It

looks like something has gone seriously wrong with this
project.
"The budget committee has expressed concern in the past
whether the Met or MOPAC have the skills to manage
these specialist IT projects."
She said it had been meant to save taxpayers' money but
"looks like it will cost us more."
Northrop Grumman did not respond to requests for
comment.
(1st April 2016)
WERE INVESTORS CONNED INTO BUYING RARE

MANUSCRIPTS
(BBC News, dated 15th March 2016 author Hugh
Schofield)
Full Article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-35802891
About 18,000 people in France are believed to have been
defrauded in one of the biggest ever arts-market scams.
They bought shares in rare manuscripts and letters to a
value of nearly 1bn euros, before the company behind it
was shut down by regulators. Now the victims of Aristophil
want to know what is left of their investment.
Up until a few months ago you could visit a place called
the Museum of Letters and Documents, on the Boulevard
Saint-Germain in the heart of literary Paris.
Even this morning, Wikipedia English said the museum with its stock of 130,000 rare manuscripts - was open for
business.
It isn't. What was once the haunt of dreamy youth is now a
branch of Bang and Olufsen. The documents are in a
warehouse in Seine-Saint-Denis.
The closure followed the disgrace of a businessman and
enthusiast, who over a decade turned the fusty world of
French manuscripts and autographs on its head.
Gerard Lheritier was - for a time - a visionary. He saw in
the world of rare letters and documents a market that was

seriously undervalued.
As his lawyer Francis Triboulet puts it, "Lheritier spotted
before anyone else did that people adore old documents anything that lets them come into physical contact with
their heroes of the past."
But today his fortune has been confiscated, his company
put into liquidation, while across the country thousands of
angry investors are baying for his blood.
The son of a plumber from eastern France, Lheritier was a
self-taught outsider in a field dominated by a handful of
Paris dealers. About 15 years ago, he enlisted the help of
one of these experts, and began buying.
One of his early acquisitions was a document called the
Einstein-Musso - 54 pages of calculations on the theory of
general relativity - which he bought for just over 500,000
euros.
Lheritier's next step was to become his business model.
He divided the Einstein-Musso into 400 "shares", which he
sold on to investors.
The fact that the total value now amounted to 12m euros 24 times the amount he had spent - was easily explicable:
the market was growing, the investors were in early, and
everyone wanted a piece of Einstein.
Over the years Gerard Lheritier developed his system to
become king of the market. His presence at a sale set
prices soaring.
His company Aristophil employed hundreds of sales staff
across France, giving "independent" advice about the
huge returns awaiting those willing to make the jump.
Aude Nehring's father was one of those who fell for the
lure. Looking for an investment for his children, he was
approached by a broker and placed his 35,000 euros in
part-shares in seven Aristophil documents.
He never saw the documents, but he was assured a return
of 8% a year. In the contract, Aristophil reserved the right
(but significantly not the obligation) to buy back the
shares at the appreciated value.
Aude's father died two years ago, never realising that his
investment was a dud.
"It makes me so angry to think what Aristophil did," she
says. "My father was not a fool. He was a businessman

himself. But somehow they managed to persuade him."
Something about the cachet of owning historic documents
kept the punters coming.
And behind the hype there was some reality. Gradually
Lheritier was amassing a huge collection of manuscripts some of which were indeed very valuable: Dead Sea
Scrolls, Mozart scores, a Marquis de Sade original.
France's best-known newsreader Patrick Poivre d'Arvor
joined the roadshow, lending the scheme - in the eyes of
the public - an adamantine kudos.
And there were the museums - first in Paris and a second
in Brussels - pushing the notion that documents and
letters from the past are intrinsically possessed of value.
But - as the French expression goes - the worm was in the
fruit. In November 2014, financial regulators stepped in.
Aristophil was defined as a Ponzi-style pyramid scheme,
built on false advertising and illusionary market values.
Lheritier was charged with fraud, and his vast collection
put under lock and key.
Arguing his defence, lawyer Francis Triboulet told me that
yes, things had taken a bad turn in 2013-14 - but it was
wrong to say the Aristophil model was inherently
fraudulent.
"The fact is that the investors were acquiring actual items
of value - the documents. And still today, they are the
owners of those documents!
"So no-one can even say for certain that they have lost
money, because the documents have not been put on the
market - and who can say what they are worth?"
Triboulet says the prosecution of his client is like
something out of the science fiction film Minority Report,
where crimes can be predicted.
"They closed down Aristophil on the basis of a hypothetical
fraud that might happen in the future. At the time, not one
investor had lodged a complaint. I think in court the
charge will be very hard to stand up."

But lawyers representing victims say that the fact of there
being assets - the documents - is irrelevant.
"Gerard Lheritier was offering returns - 40% over five
years - which he knew were unattainable. But he needed
the investment to keep coming in," says lawyer Philippe
Julien.
One bizarre twist in the story is that in 2012 - well before
the collapse of his company - Gerard Lheritier was the
biggest ever winner in France of the EuroMillions lottery,
scooping a 170m-euro jackpot.
Absurd though it sounds, there is no evidence to suggest
that the win was not genuine. (Initially there was
speculation Lheritier was proclaiming a jackpot in order to
mask the origin of part of his wealth).
According to Francis Triboulet, Lheritier put 40m euros of
the new money straight into Aristophil - proof that it was
legitimate (otherwise why would he invest so much of his
own cash?)
Meaningless, says the prosecution. Pyramid schemes
depend on appearance, so the guilty always spend a
fortune.
Based around half a dozen galleries in the modish SaintGermain quarter, the world of French manuscripts is today
gradually recovering its poise - so rudely shaken by the
irruption of the Aristophil parvenu.
"From the start I suspected a fraud. The vulgarity of the
publicity was glaring. Hugo up 5% in a year! Baudelaire up
10%!" says dealer Frederic Castaing.
"But the point is there is no set value for a Victor Hugo
letter. It depends on far too many variables.
"Anyway real collectors aren't that interested in the
pecuniary value of a document. They love the touch of it,
the sense of communing with a personage who is normally
shut up in an encyclopedia.
"What Lheritier did was turn part of our cultural heritage
into stocks and shares. It was detestable."
(1st April 2016)
TUBE SEX ATTACK CONVICTION RATE PLUMMETS

Mark Chandler)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/tube-sex-attackconviction-rate-plummets-a3204161.html
The number of people convicted for sex offences on the
Tube has plunged in the past year, despite a campaign
encouraging more victims to come forward.
Figures from British Transport Police show there were 129
sexual offences committed on the London Underground
network in 2015.
The allegations include sexual assault, grooming and, in a
small numberof cases, rape.
But of those reports, just 32 led to a conviction - a 40 per
cent drop on the rate for the previous year.
In 2014, 132 crimes were reported to police but 54 people
were convicted of the offences.
British Transport Police said part of the reason for what it
called a "marginal decrease" was the force making it
easier for victims to come forward, leading to a large
increase in cases being investigated.
Superintendent Chris Horton said: "These investigations
can take time and often involve extensive CCTV and
forensic investigations before a person can be identified
and an arrest made.
"Our primary focus is always with supporting the victim
through the process.
"Another factor is that whilst the number of victims
reporting sexual offences has gone up, so too has the
number of victims that do not wish to support a
prosecution, as the incident can often be very traumatic
for them.
"In many of these cases unless other evidence exists we

cannot deal with the offender."
He added: "In addition to the high-profile Report It to Stop
It campaign, we have taken a number of actions to ensure
people feel safer.
"This includes increased enforcement patrols at key
locations on the transport network, awareness training for
officers, and briefings for call handling staff and industry
colleagues to highlight the important role they can play."
In January, police statistics revealed that the vast majority
of sex offence son the Tube happen during rush hour.
Victims of sexual assault on the Tube can send a text to
the Report It to Stop It number on 61016.
(1st April 2016)
AMAZON DELIVERING KNIVES WITHOUT AGE

CHECKS - GUARDIAN INVESTIGATION FINDS
(The Guardian, dated 15th March 2016 author Simon
Bowers)
www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/mar/15/amazonknives-age-checks-bailey-Gwynne
Amazon is selling age-restricted folding knives, similar to
one used by the 16-year-old killer of schoolboy Bailey
Gwynne, without checking they are safely delivered to
adults, a Guardian investigation has found.
Last week, a teenager who killed Gwynne in a school in
Aberdeen was cleared of murder but convicted of culpable
homicide. He had paid 40 on Amazon for a folding knife
with an 8.5cm blade.
It is illegal to sell a folding knife to a buyer aged under 18
if the blade is more than three inches (7.62cm) long. But

the 16-year-old had been able to get around Amazon's
age-verification checks by pinning a note to his front door
rather than accepting delivery in person.
The Guardian posted a similar note on the door of a family
home over the weekend and was also able to receive
delivery of an age-restricted knife from Amazon without
any checks.
Backbench Conservative MP David Burrowes said the laws
governing knife sales should be tightened up.
Burrowes said: "We need a change in the law which
introduces a 'triple lock' check when selling knives, so
retailers can prove whether they have taken all reasonable
precautions to prevent underage sales and to avoid
committing an offence. The checks would be age
verification on delivery; online age verification checks and
follow-up offline checks."
The Guardian ordered two folding knives on Amazon, each
with a blade of 9.5cm. The website made clear: "This
bladed product is not for sale to people under the age of
18. A signature may be required on delivery."
Order-tracking details on the website said the knives
would be delivered by Amazon Logistics - one to a family
home, the other to Guardian offices - in a package marked
"Age 18". In fact, Amazon Logistics has no drivers and
contracts out deliveries to many small- and medium-sized
couriers across the country.
A note attached to the front door of the family home asked
the delivery driver to drop off the parcel without knocking.
Post room staff at the Guardian, meanwhile, declined to
sign for the knife. In both instances, the knife was
nevertheless delivered.
A note on the door of the residential house was similar to
one that had been left for an Amazon courier by the 16year-old who killed Gwynne in order to get around the
online retailer's age checks.
The boy who carried out the stabbing explained to police
how he had bought the knife online "because they don't
check if you're 18 or not". He said: "You just leave a note

on the door saying there's no one in and asking for the
package to be left in the shed."
The teenager, who was said to be preoccupied with
weapons, was also convicted last week of carrying knives
and knuckledusters in school. His internet search history
showed he had looked up "knife merchant", "illegal knives
UK" and "knuckleduster UK".
Gwynne died in hospital after being stabbed at his school
in Aberdeen last October. He had been attacked during a
row over a biscuit. His killer was also convicted last week
of carrying knives and knuckledusters in a school.
Amazon has refused to comment on the sale of the knife
used to kill Gwynne. It is now looking into the
circumstances around the Guardian's knife purchases, but
again declined to comment. It believes sufficient age
restriction checks were made on the knife delivered to the
Guardian's post room.
The Home Office said there were "strict laws on sales of
knives to under 18s and on how knives can be marketed".
On Monday, the home secretary, Theresa May, met online
and high street retailers, including Amazon, to discuss how
better to enforce age restrictions on the sale of certain
knives.
In December, the Guardian was also able to buy on
Amazon a 1m volt stun gun almost identical to a weapon
that weeks earlier had featured in another murder trial.
Nathan Matthews, who was eventually convicted of the
murder of his step sister Becky Watts, last year told a jury
in Bristol how he had bought two stun guns, disguised as
torches, on the internet for 18 using his mobile phone.
He told the court he had not known they were illegal, but
Matthews explained he had intended to use them on Watts
until she passed out as part of a kidnap attempt - an
attempt that was botched, ending in her death.
The stun gun bought by the Guardian also doubled as a
torch. The Amazon seller - a company in Missouri, America
- said in an email: "We are technically not supposed to sell

these in the UK". The weapon was sent anyway. It was
promptly handed over to police.
The Guardian has raised concerns that large numbers of
illegal weapons are regularly being sold on Amazon and
four months ago seven banned items were removed from
the UK site. They including a pair of knuckledusters hidden
inside gloves, a keychain that doubles as a martial arts
weapon, a high-strength pepper spray pistol, and a blade
concealed in the peak of a baseball cap.
Pepper spray is marketed in some countries as a selfdefence product but is illegal in the UK under the firearms
act, and has been used in several violent attacks. In 2014,
a 21-year-old bus passenger was sprayed and beaten by a
man on a journey in Birmingham after asking that the
attacker stop his children throwing sweets at him.
Over the weekend, the Guardian alerted Amazon to nine
further pepper spray products illegally sold on its UK
website. In a statement, Amazon said it had removed
these listings, adding: "All Marketplace sellers must follow
our selling guidelines and those who don't will be subject
to action including potential removal of their account."
In December, the Guardian found that Amazon itself had
been selling a pepper spray product on its UK site. The
company has refused to comment on this or to apologise
for such sales.
In 2008, BBC2's Watchdog investigated illegal pepper
spray products sold by traders on Amazon.co.uk. The
website's then UK boss Brian McBride told the programme
the sale of illegal weapons would not be tolerated, and
that any offending items identified would be "removed
within the hour". Since then, pepper spray and other
dangerous and illegal weapons have reappeared on
Amazon.
Most nationwide retailers, including eBay to Tesco, stay in
regular contact with trading standards officials through a
"primary authority". This relationship is designed to make
it easier to comply with trading standards laws and

improve intelligence about regulatory issues.
Amazon ended its relationship with a primary trading
standards authority five years ago.
(1st April 2016)
THE MURDER HOTSPOTS FOR BRITS ABROAD OVER

THE LAST FOUR YEARS
(Daily Mail, dated 12th March 2016 authors Jonathan
Corke and Lydia Willgress)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3489266/The-murderhotspots-Brits-abroad-four-years-Pakistan-JamaicaAmerica-dangerous-places.html
More than 250 Britons have been murdered while abroad
in the last four years, MailOnline can reveal.
Pakistan was the most dangerous place with 37 people
murdered between 2012 and August last year, exclusive
figures show.
Jamaica and America also reported a high number of
murders, with around four tourists a year being killed in
both.
Other places recorded large losses due to terror attacks
including Tunisia, where ISIS gunman Seifeddine Rezgui
slaughtered dozens of innocent tourists in June last year.
France and Spain were the only European countries
included in the top 15, with 20 people being murdered
between them.
The data, which was obtained via a Freedom of
Information request to the Foreign Office, also showed the
number of British murders increased by nearly 60 per cent
between 2012 and 2014.
The figures point to a number of high-profile terror attacks
and killings, which have impacted on Britons across the

world.
Ten people were reported to have been murdered in
Ukraine in 2014 - coinciding with Malaysia Airlines flight
MH17 being hit by a missile as it flew over the country in
July that year.
Those who died when the plane plummeted to the ground
included John Alder and Liam Sweeney - two Newcastle
United fans travelling to watch their team play in a preseason tour of New Zealand - and Glenn Thomas, a 49year-old spokesman for the World Health Organisation.
The data is also a stark reminder of the gas plant attack
by al-Qaeda militants in Algeria on January 16, 2013.
Six British passport holders died in the killing after being
taken hostage by terrorists who allegedly strapped
explosives to their bodies.
Foreign Travel advice for Pakistan, Jamaica and
Tunisia
Pakistan: The Foreign Office advise against all travel to
certain areas of Pakistan such as the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas, the districts of Kohat, Lakki and
Lower Dir, the city of Peshawar, northern and western
Balochistan and travel on the Karakoram Highway
between Islamabad and Gilgit. They also advise against all
but essential travel to: the Kalesh Valley, the Bamoboret
Valley and Arandu District to the south and west of Chitral
in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa the city of Quetta the city of
Nawabshah in Sindh Province, and areas of interior Sindh
to the north of Nawabshah.
Jamaica: High levels of crime and violence are recorded in
the capital Kingston. Around 200,000 British nationals
visited Jamaica in 2015 but most visits to the country are
trouble-free.
Tunisia:The FCO advise against all travel to the Chaambi
Mountain National Park area, the Tunisia-Algeria border
crossing points at Ghardimaou, Hazoua and Sakiet Sidi
Youssef, the militarized zone south of, but not including,

the towns of El Borma and Dhehiba and within 5km of the
Libya border area from north of Dhehiba up to but not
including the Ras Ajdir border crossing. The FCO advise
against all but essential travel to the rest of Tunisia.
The Murder Hotspots for Brits abroad over the last
four years
Pakistan: 37
Tunisia: 34
Jamaica: 18
USA: 15
France: 14
South Africa: 11
Ukraine: 10
Algeria, Australia: 7
Barbados, Afghanistan: 6
Brazil, Egypt: 5
Bangladesh, India, Uganda: 4
Cyprus, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Trinidad and Tobago,
Zambia: 3
Canada, Cayman Islands, Greece, Iraq, Ireland, Saudi
Arabia,
St Lucia, Turkey, Venezuela: 2
Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, China, Denmark, Ghana,
Guatemala,
Indonesia, Israel, Jerusalem, Jordan, Libya, Luxembourg,
Mozambique,
New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Portugal, Seychelles, South
Sudan, Switzerland, Tanzania: 1
(1st April 2016)
MORE THAN 5,000 ROOKIE OFFICERS ON PATROL IN

LONDON
Justin Davenport)

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/third-of-londons-policeofficers-have-less-than-two-years-experience-in-the-joba3200886.html
A third of all police officers on patrol in London's boroughs
have less than two years experience in the job, new
figures showed today.
The statistics show that more than 5,000 rookie officers
are now on patrol in boroughs - around one in three of the
total.
The officers are the cohort of new police recruits hired by
Boris Johnson to bolster officer numbers in London but
some claim the Met's reliance on less experienced officers
may be contributing to a fall in the percentage of crimes
being solved in the capital.
Joanne McCartney, the Labour chairwoman of the London
Assembly police and crime committee, said there had
been a "mass exodus" of officers in senior posts saying :
"Such a dramatic loss of experienced officers puts far
greater strain on supervisors and results in a brain drain of
local knowledge. "
She pointed out that the Met's overall arrest rate has
dropped from 24% to 19% in 2015 and claimed the
increase in inexperienced officers may be a factor.
The figures obtained by Ms McCartney show the number of
officers with less than two years' experience in London
boroughs has increased from 1,706 to 5,005 in the last
three years.
The rise has followed a major recruitment campaign by
Mayor Boris Johnson to keep London's police numbers at
around 32,000.
Figures also show the number of supervisory sergeants in
the Met has halved in the past five years to a total of
3,072 in 2015.
Stephen Greenhalgh, the Deputy Mayor for Policing And
Crime, said the Mayor had kep London's police numbers at
32,000 when police numbers nationally had fallen.
He said: "The Met has recruited 5000 officers in the last
three years and put an additional 2,600 into
neighbourhoods so it should come as no surprise that
there are more new officers on the beat.
"The fact that neighbourhood crime has fallen by more

than 18 per cent since 2012 whilst public confidence has
increased is testament to the fantastic job they are doing."
(1st April 2016)
NEARLY 6,000 FOREIGN CRIMINALS FREED TO LIVE

FREELY IN BRITAIN
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/12189742
/Nearly-6000-foreign-criminals-freed-to-live-freely-inBritain.html
Nearly 6,000 foreign national criminals who are eligible for
deportation from Britain have been released to live in the
community, new figures have revealed.
Official Home Office data disclosed how an average of five
foreign offenders a day were freed from jail or bailed from
immigration detention in the final three months of last
year.
Many will be claiming they cannot be deported because of
their human rights, including the "right to private and
family life" under Labour's Human Rights Act.
Numbers have soared by nearly 900 in a year, with just
4,903 living in the community at the end of 2014
compared with 5,789 at the end of last year - a jump of 18
per cent.
In 2012 the figure was less than 4,000.
The figures, reported for the first time today, emerged in a
report by the Commons' home affairs select committee,
and showed 1,800 offenders had been living freely in
Britain for more than five years.
Keith Vaz, chairman of the all-party committee, said: "The
Prime Minister promised to make the speedy removal of

foreign national offenders a priority but these figures show
the Home Office has failed to do so.
"The public will be alarmed that 1,800 offenders are still
here after five years.
"This demonstrates either incompetence, inefficiency or
both."
He added: "Given a significant number of these offenders
are from the EU, it is absurd that we cannot persuade our
so called European partners to take responsibility for their
own citizens."
Peter Cuthbertson, of the Centre for Crime Prevention
think-tank, said the figures exposed a "risk to public
safety".
"MPs are right to highlight an utterly shocking failure by
the Home Office," he said.
"There are enough British criminals released onto our
streets as it is. Why top them up with foreign criminals
who have no right to be here?
"This risk to public safety should be dealt with urgently."
In the first three months of last year 343 foreign offenders
eligible for deportation were released into the community,
with 389 the following quarter.
From July to September the figure was 429, with a further
416 freed in the final three months of 2015.
David Davies, the Conservative MP for Monmouth, said:
"It's very disappointing that thousands of foreign nationals
who have broken the law, gone to prison and should be
deported are back in the community, no doubt claiming
benefits and free housing.
"We need to send a tough message that anyone who
wants to come and break the laws of the UK should abide
by our rules, or else.
"This is bound to be related to the Human Rights Act and
is another good reason to leave the European Union."
Deportation
The UK Borders Act means that criminals can be deported
if:
The criminal was convicted in the UK
And jailed for 12 months or more

The sentence is a single sentence for a single conviction
The criminal was serving that sentence on or after
August 2008
The criminal had not previously been served with a
deportation notice prior to August 2008
(1st April 2016)
CYBERCRIME : MEN LOSE THREE TIMES AS MUCH

MONEY AS WOMEN
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12189836/Cyber
-crime-Men-lose-three-times-as-much-money-aswomen.html
Men lose almost three times as much money to cyber
criminals than women on average, new official research
has disclosed.
The average loss for men was 2,354 compared with only
809 for women.
The City of London Police, which has a national
responsibility for combating fraud and cyber crime,
published research which said women are six times more
likely than men to be victim of an online shopping fraud or
a crime committed on an auction site.
The findings suggested fraudsters are targeting woman
who shop online, the police force concluded.
Research showed victims of "cyber dependant" crimes
which rely on offenders hacking in to the victim's
computer were more likely to be in their forties and live in
London, Hampshire or Greater Manchester.
However, victims of "cyber enabled" crimes in which
technology was only an element of the crime - such as

fake e-mails and auction frauds - were more likely to be in
their sixties and live in London, Sussex, Devon or Cornwall,
it said.
The report also concluded that the harm caused to victims
of cyber crime increases with age, with elderly victims
feeling a greater impact on their health and financial
wellbeing than younger victims.
Commander Chris Greany, of the City of London Police,
said "Eighty per cent of fraud and cyber crime is
preventable if individuals and businesses follow simple
advice.
"The work we do in education and prevention will be key
to reducing crime which costs the economy of the UK
between 30-40 billion annually."
The new research looked at the profiles of 29,000 victims
between November 2014 and October last year.
The Crime Survey of England and Wales said there were
5.2 million frauds and 2.5 million cyber crimes last year.
Last year the City of London Police said the true scale of
crime in Britain was far higher than previously thought
because 85 per cent of fraud and cybercrime went
unreported.
Last year the Commons' cross-party home affairs select
committee concluded cybercriminals committing lowerlevel offences online were simply getting away with it and
appeared to be "untouchable".
"We are very concerned that there appears to be a 'black
hole' where low-level e-crime is committed with impunity,"
it said.
What is the NCA's advice to UK internet users?
Members of the public are reminded they should be
vigilant and not open documents in emails, or click on
links, if they are unexpected or if they are unclear about
its origin.
If any internet users think they have lost money through
malware such as Dridex, they should report their concerns
to Action Fraud and alert their respective banks.
Users are urged to visit the CyberStreetWise and
GetSafeOnline websites where a number of anti-virus tools
are available to download to help clean up infected

machines and get advice and guidance on how to protect
themselves in the future.
The 4 most popular cyber crimes
Phishing - The aim is to trick people into handing over
their card details or access to protected systems. Emails
are sent out that contain either links or attachments that
either take you to a website that looks like your bank's, or
installs malware on your system.
A report by Verizon into data breach investigations has
shown that 23% of people open phishing emails.
Identity theft - According to fraud protection agency Cifas,
the number of victims rose by 31 per cent to 32,058 in the
first three months of 2015. Criminals use online 'fraud
forums' to buy and sell credit cards, email addresses and
passports.
Hacking - In a Verizon study of security breaches there
were 285 million data exposures, which works out to about
9 records exposed every second. 26% of these attacks
were executed internally within organisations.
It is estimated that 90% of all data records that were used
in a crime was a result of hackers employed by organised
crime.
Online harrassment - Over half of adolescents and teens
have been bullied online, while 73% of adult users have
seen someone harassed in some way online and 40% have
experienced it.
Five top tips for staying safe online
Hugh Boyes, a cyber security expert at the Institution of
Engineering and Technology (IET) has five top tips for
avoiding scams and keeping your personal information
safe online.
1.Do not use an account with administrative privileges for
normal day-to-day activities and web browsing - accounts
with lower privileges warn you if a program tries to install

software or modify computer settings thus allowing you to
decide whether the proposed action is safe.
2.Ensure that your operating system and application
software is up-to-date and install anti-malware software.
3.Take care when downloading and installing software, if it
is free or is not from a well-recognised and trustworthy
brand there is a risk that the software may include
features that spy on you.
4.Treat emails containing attachments or hyperlinks
(particularly shortened links) with caution.
5.Use your common sense - if an email offer looks too
good to be true, the prices on a website are abnormally
low or you receive an unsolicited telephone call offering
computer support, it's probably a scam.
(1st April 2016)
CHARITY CALL FOR ACTION AS 70 LONDON

CHILDREN REPORTED MISSING EVERY DAY
David Churchill
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/revealed-70-londonchildren-are-reported-missing-every-day-a3199171.html
An average of more than 70 London children are being
reported missing to Scotland Yard every day, research has
revealed.
The shocking tally sparked warnings from child protection
experts who say under-18s going missing, particularly
those in care, are increasingly at risk of child sexual
exploitation unless support services are stepped up. The
report, based on Freedom of Information requests to the

Metropolitan Police and 32 London local authorities,
reveals Scotland Yard recorded 25,622 incidents of
children going missing from care or their home in the last
complete financial year, the most recent data available.
Separate figures from London town halls suggest child
sexual exploitation is the biggest danger facing vulnerable
young people, with up to 24 per cent at risk. Up to 17 per
cent were identified as being at risk of falling into crime
with up to five per cent at risk of getting drawn into gangs.
The fresh statistics, contained in a report by The Children's
Society, show the scale of the challenge facing social
services and police across London.
Larger proportions of young people are at risk in the
capital, according to the charity, due to higher levels of
deprivation, with children most likely to run away from
home or be placed in care after being exposed to domestic
violence, parental alcohol and drug use or other forms of
violence and abuse.
The report found around 60 per cent of children looked
after by London local authorities are placed in care outside
their home borough, prompting the charity to call for more
to be placed within their home local authority.
It added that, despite local authorities having a statutory
responsibility to conduct "return interviews" within 72
hours of a child being located, not all children who go
missing receive them. They often do not receive them if
classified as "absent" rather than missing. It called for all
local authorities to adopt the strategy to better identify
the risks every vulnerable young person faces.
The Met today said it on average investigates up to
43,000 missing people cases every year, around 22,000 of
which are under-18s.
A spokesman said: "Each report of a missing person is
recorded, risk assessed and investigated. They are graded
as high, medium or low risk, which determines the level of
response and resources allocated. Investigations start as
soon as a report is made and the majority of missing
people are located within one day, safe and well. Those
that are not remain as open cases and are subject to
regular review and action."
Sherry Peck, London director at The Children's Society,
said: "Without action to provide better help early on, more
children will go missing, exposing them to increasing risk
of sexual exploitation and other crimes. Too often the
issues they are running from do not get addressed early
enough.
"On the streets young people are more likely to be
befriended by adults who appear to offer what they want
and give them an escape, but in reality they are looking to
exploit them."
Scotland Yard records children as absent for a maximum of
24 hours before they are upgraded to missing. All under13s are recorded as missing. The report found each
missing person investigation costs police on average
between 1,325 and 2,415.
(1st April 2016)
OFFICIAL DATA ON FORCED MARRIAGES IN UK MAY

HIDE TRUE SCALE OF ABUSE
(The Guardian, dated 8th March 2016 author Alan Travis)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/mar/08/number-offorced-marriages-in-uk-continues-to-fall
Figures showing that 1,220 possible cases of forced
marriage in Britain were reported to the authorities last
year may not reflect the full scale of abuse, the Home
Office has said.
The official figures show that the number of cases
reported to the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) via its public
helpline or email fell by 3%, or 47 cases, in 2015,
continuing the downward trend of the last six years.
The unit, a joint Home and Foreign Office operation,

received 350 calls a month and offered help or support in
1,220 cases. Some of the 350 were repeat calls about
cases, or were about other issues, including divorces,
annulments and sham marriages.
Almost 80% were from professionals, colleagues, friends
or family, and only a small proportion from victims
themselves.
"The fact [that] self-reports represent a smaller proportion
of calls may reflect the hidden nature of forced marriages
and that victims may fear reprisals from their family if
they come forward," the unit said in its report.
More than a quarter of the cases, 329, in which help or
support was given involved victims who were under 18,
and a third, 427, were aged 18-25.
"Cases involving very young children often involve the
promise of a future marriage rather than an imminent
marriage. In a small number of cases involving older
victims, the forced marriage may have happened many
years previously or where the victim has a learning
disability," the report said.
The unit said forced marriage was not a problem specific
to one country or culture, and since the unit was
established in 2009 it had handled cases relating to more
than 90 countries across Asia, the Middle East, Africa,
Europe and North America.
In 2015, the five countries with the largest number of
cases in which a victim was at risk of being, or had already
been, taken to in connection with a forced marriage were
Pakistan (539 cases), Bangladesh (89), India (75), Somalia
(34), and Afghanistan (21).
The unit said the number of cases in which the forced
marriage took place wholly within the UK declined in 2015
to 175 cases, or 14% of the total.
The report said the general downward trend in calls to the
unit over the last six years may reflect the fact that
information on forced marriage had become more widely
available, and that advice was provided by charities and
non-governmental organisations as well as the unit.
"Since it was established in 2005, the FMU has worked

with a range of organisations and professionals to increase
their ability to support victims and potential victims. The
fall in calls to the FMU in recent years may reflect this."
A forced marriage, which became a criminal offence in
2014, is defined as one in which one or both spouses do
not consent to the marriage and violence, threats or any
other form of coercion is involved.
(1st April 2016)
WHAT IS TISSUE BEGGING ? POLICE INVESTIGATE

LINKS TO ORGANISED EASTERN EUROPE GANGS
author Paul Wright)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/what-tissue-begging-police-investigatelinks-organised-criminal-gangs-eastern-europe-1548062
Police are investigating potential links between organised
criminal gangs and so-called "tissue beggars" operating on
trains across the UK. Unsuspecting passengers are giving
as much as 10 to beggars who leave packets of tissues
on seats along with messages claiming they are
impoverished and trying to support their children.
A spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) told IBTimes
UK officers had "reason to believe that some beggars on
the rail system may be part of organised crime groups".
They said recent weeks had seen a spike in the practice on
UK rail networks, revealing it had become so prolific on the
London Underground they were trialling station
announcements to warn passengers not to give any
money.
The beggars, often with eastern European accents, appear
to come to Britain from abroad for three-month stints, a
practice now known as "tissue begging tourism".

"Since January and February we have noticed a pretty
significant escalation of reports in this activity,"
superintendent Jenny Gilmer, of the BTP, told The Sunday
Times.
"There's no doubt that this is an organised activity . . . and
it's clearly profitable for people. There are members of the
travelling public who are purchasing tissues or handing
over money. They [the tissue beggars] wouldn't be doing it
if that wasn't the case."
Begging and plying a trade on board a train or at a station
are both offences under the Railway Byelaws.
Some passengers have turned to Twitter to report the
"tissue beggars", complaining they were "aggressive" and
had approached multiple times if they didn't hand over
money. Messages printed on paper and sometimes
laminated are placed alongside the packets of tissues and
give similar stories of poverty.
One seen by IBTimes UK read: "Please help me. I need
some money for my family. I have two children and no job.
You can help me buying these tissues for some money.
Thank you and God bless."
Another said: "I apologise for my disturbance. I'm not a
beggar. I have a family with two children and no job. You
can help me in offering me a job or buying these tissues
for some money. Thank you and God bless your family."
The beggars - both men and women - often target trains in
off-peak times when there are more empty seats to lay
their tissues on. Sometimes working in pairs, they
regularly carry backpacks and communicate with each
other with mobile phones, The Sunday Times reported.
One woman said to be caught by rail staff was wearing a
"Baby on Board" badge, although showed no signs of
being pregnant.
A spokesman for the BTP said: "It is important that
passengers report incidents of begging on their service as
it helps us build up a bigger picture and understanding of
the type and level of activity that takes place. Twitter and
our discrete 61016 text messaging service are ideal for
this purpose and we encourage passengers to use them.

"It would be wrong to assume or give the impression that
all beggars on the railway are criminals involved in
organised crime. In responding to calls for our services we
can find that some people who beg are themselves
vulnerable and in those cases officers will do all they can
to help them get access to the support services they need.
"We know begging can make some passengers feel
uncomfortable. Our priority is to ensure every passenger
can travel on trains and tubes in safety and without being
disturbed and we will, and do, take action against anyone
who breaks the law or intimidates passengers. When we
receive reports from passengers we respond promptly and
conduct proactive patrols to disrupt and deter begging as
with any offences committed on the rail network."
Official figures show the number of convictions for begging
offences after being detained by the BTP have gone down
over the past two years. In 2013/14, some 499 cases of
begging crimes were recorded with 407 reaching court. In
2014/15, this dropped to 337 recorded incidents and 253
criminal justice outcomes.
What to do if you encounter 'tissue beggars' (advice
from British Transport Police)
Please do not encourage begging if you see it on your
journey. Instead, text 61016 with:
The service you're travelling on
The carriage you're travelling in
How many are involved
Their description(s)
Any other information that can help us
British Transport Police will text you back with any further
information required and updates. Alternatively, report it
by calling 0800 40 50 40.
(1st April 2016)
THE LAWS YOU CAN GET AWAY WITH (PROBABLY)

(The Guardian, dated 7th March 2016 author Leo
Benedictus)
www.theguardian.com/uknews/shortcuts/2016/mar/07/laws-you-can-get-away-withbreaking-probably-smoking-car-children
Since smoking in cars with children was made illegal in
October last year, the Metropolitan police have prosecuted
a total of zero drivers for it. The news emerges from a
freedom of information request by the Telegraph, which
describes it as "a blow to ministers". But is it? The police
say that they are allowing an informal period of
"education" before they start handing out penalties,
following advice from the NSPCC and the Department of
Health. Who knows, maybe these figures, which are
echoed in the West Midlands, Warwickshire and North
Wales, are simply evidence of people obeying the new
rules. It is, after all, quite common for some laws to be
enforced very patchily, if they are enforced at all. These
ones, for example.
Speeding
Technically, the legal speed limit is the legal speed limit,
whether it is 20mph or 70mph, but the enlightened view
of the Association of Chief Police Officers is that Britain
would be more dangerous if drivers were watching their
speedometers more than the road. They therefore suggest
that forces allow a 10% margin of error before
prosecuting. Nor are all speed guns perfectly accurate, so
Acpo allow a further 2mph benefit of the doubt. In reality,
this means that police won't normally fine people until
they drive at 24mph, 35mph, 46mph, 57mph, 68mph or
79mph. But - beware - they doesn't mean they can't.
Being drunk in a pub
You might think this is what pubs are for, but the Licensing
Act of 1872 is having none of it. "Every person found
drunk on any licensed premises, shall be liable to a
penalty," it says. Furthermore, the Licensing Act of 2003
reaffirms that it is an offence to sell alcohol to a drunk
person, and to buy alcohol for a drunk person. You can see
what these laws are getting at, even if they are broken in
more or less every pub in Britain more or less every day.
Carrying a plank along a pavement
There is a lot of claptrap around about crazy laws that
supposedly still apply, but this one actually does, at least
in London and its environs. It is part of a list of street
nuisances described in the Metropolitan Police Act of 1839,
which also bans singing indecent songs, sliding on ice,
ringing doorbells and running away, and beating a rug or
doormat after 8am.
Defacing banknotes
Those jottings you sometimes see on money - they're
illegal. The Currency and Banknotes Act of 1928 made it
an offence to deface a banknote in any way. Strangely, it
is not illegal to destroy a banknote altogether, although,
according to the Coinage Act of 1971, it is an offence - if
you can manage it - to destroy a coin (that was minted
after 1969).
Queue jumping
Many people would love to see this banned nationally,
perhaps with hanging reintroduced as punishment, but for
now it is only a Transport for London bylaw, provided there
is a sign up. "Any person directed by a notice to queue or
asked to queue by an authorised person shall join the rear
of the queue and obey the reasonable instructions," the
rules say. TfL also prohibits people from using London's
public transport while "unfit as a result of being drunk or
under the influence of controlled drugs". Few Londoners,
I'm sure, have ever unknowingly disobeyed that.
Handling salmon in suspicious circumstances

One from the 1986 Salmon Act, proving that Britain's
modern politicians can still make zany laws. Essentially, it
is a fish version of handling stolen goods, where it can be
proven that someone either received, looked after or got
rid of what they had reason to suspect was a dodgy
salmon. It should be explained that in this context, dodgy
doesn't mean it is beginning to smell, just that it was
caught illegally. Whether there is currently an epidemic of
salmon-handling in Britain, we cannot say.
(1st April 2016)
IPCC POLICE COMPLAINTS BODY TO BE REBRANDED

AND REFORMED
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/12186753/IPCC-police-complaints-body-to-berebranded-and-reformed.html
Plans aiming to restore public confidence in the police
complaints watchdog have been criticised as a "desperate
re-branding exercise" after being announced by Theresa
May, the Home Secretary.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) is
to be overhauled and renamed the Office for Police
Conduct.
Commissioners who currently oversee its activities will be
replaced by a director general.
It comes after the IPCC has largely lost the trust of rankand-file officers, as well as some chief constables, over its
handling of a number of controversial cases.
Public confidence has also been damaged by high-profile
IPCC inquiries such as the inquiry into the fatal police

shooting of Mark Duggan, in Tottenham, north London,
which sparked the 2011 riots.
Mrs May said the changes would "make the police
complaints and discipline systems simpler, more
transparent and more robust".
"At a time when the IPCC is growing as an organisation to
take on all serious and sensitive cases, it needs to be
more streamlined, more responsive to the public, and
better able to cope with the cases it is taking on," she
added.
The reforms in the Policing and Crime Bill will increase the
IPCC's powers, including wider powers to initiate its own
investigations rather than waiting referrals from forces.
Sir Hugh Orde, former president of the Association of Chief
Police Officers, said: "It sounds like these changes will not
restore the faith of police officers.
"Unless those who have done nothing wrong are treated
fairly, and dealt with quickly, I would need further
convincing that these steps will have any significant
impact."
The IPCC has been criticised for taking too long to
investigate police officers who are subsequently cleared of
any wrongdoing.
Ken Marsh, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation,
which represents ranks and file officers, said: "This is a
desperate re-branding exercise of the IPCC that simply
won't make a bit of difference.
"It won't restore the faith of police officers and the public
in the IPCC because they're a busted flush.
"The Home Secretary needs to go back to the drawing
board."
Anthony Stansfeld, the Conservative police and crime
commissioner for Thames Valley Police, which covers Mrs
May's constituency, said: "We await the full detail but I
would be disappointed if there is no further structure to
review the IPCC's activities.
"For example, there should be a small board to which
commissioners can go to if the IPCC or its successors fail
to handle a case properly or expeditiously."
One serving chief constable, who declined to be named,

said: "I'm not convinced.
"The IPCC should be able to turn around an investigation
but sometimes they take months or years, keeping officers
who are later fully exonerated off full duties."
The IPCC became operational in April 2004, replacing the
former Police Complaints Authority.
(1st April 2016)
MILLIONS ENTER UK WITHOUT CHECKS ON THEIR

PASSPORT DATA
(Daily Mail, dated 4th March 2016 author Ian Drury)
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3475818
A vital border security system is failing to check the
passports of every person arriving in Britain against
terrorist and criminal watchlists, a damning report reveals
today.
As the UK fights to stop extremists sneaking past our
porous borders, the Home Office admitted it did not know
how many people were entering the country 'unchecked'.
The department is supposed to check 100 per cent of
foreigners' passports against security databases before
they travel under the controversial eBorders programme
and its successor.
But a series of catastrophic IT failures and management
blunders means the UK currently collects advanced
passport data from only 86 per cent of the 118million
people travelling here each year, according to the report
by MPs.
It means 17million people - about one in seven - are not
screened before their arrival, denying officials full use of a
crucial weapon in the fight against terrorists, sex offenders
and human traffickers trying to sneak into Britain.
The withering report from the Commons' Public Accounts

Committee (PAC) says the gaps exist despite the Home
Office squandering 830million on the failed eBorders
scheme - axed in 2010 - and its replacement, the Digital
Services at the Border programme.
Incredibly, this may not be in place until 2019 - eight years
behind schedule - and another 275million is expected to
be spent on it before then, taking the total to more than
1.1billion.
Critics warned the 'worrying complacency' over our crisishit border system risks gravely undermining Britain's
national security.
The report also reveals that passport checks are not
carried out on everyone who arrives in the UK in private
planes and ships at small airfields, harbours and marinas leaving Britain vulnerable to criminals arriving here
unhindered.
Dismissing Government assertions that 100 per cent of
passports were checked as 'both imprecise and
unrealistic', the PAC report said: 'These numbers do not
take any account of those that enter the country via land
from the Republic of Ireland, or full account of those that
travel via smaller craft known as general aviation or
general maritime.
'The department told us that [it] makes a risk-based
decision on whether to check passports or not.'
It added: 'The department does not estimate the
percentage of unchecked passports to determine what
risks these pose nor does it adequately measure the
quality of the data it holds on individuals travelling to the
UK and on those of interest to the UK government.'
Meg Hillier, Labour chairman of the PAC, said: 'If you
collect information before people arrive the more chance
you have to stop them entering the country in the first
place.
'Successful completion of this project is essential to the
security of our international borders. Yet the original target
date has long passed and we are still at least three years
away from delivery.'
(1st April 2016)
LONDON TRAIN STATION CRIME REVEALED

author Lewis Dean)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-train-station-crime-revealedbeware-travelling-through-st-pancras-victoria-1547527
IBTimes UK can reveal the extent of crime at train stations
in London during 2015. Across the network of
Underground, Overground, DLR, and National Rail there
are 681 stations. In total 15,400 crimes were committed.
St Pancras has emerged as the most crime-ridden train
station in London after 840 offences were committed
there. The station topped the list of offence rates, ahead
of Victoria and Euston.
Liverpool Street had the fourth worst record, while
London's busiest train station Waterloo was fifth on the
list. Overall, 15,400 crimes were committed at train
stations in the capital with October seeing the most crimes
(1,448).
In contrast, British Transport Police (BTP) received just one
reported crime at 51 stations, including depots in London.
King's Cross St Pancras was the London Underground
station with the most crime, a response to a Freedom of
Information request by IBTimes UK revealed.
Victoria (165), Oxford Circus (143) and Leicester Square
(115) came in behind King's Cross as the Underground
stations where commuters were most likely to be targeted
by criminals last year.
More than 28m passengers either entered or exited St
Pancras International last year, a rise of almost four
million. It hit headlines in 2015 last year when hundreds of
passengers' journeys to France were delayed when
migrants blocked the tracks leading to the tunnel under
the English Channel. It was also the station where Chelsea
fans were heard making racist chants before their side's
Champions League match against Paris Saint Germain in

February 2015.
BTP said crime at train stations across England, Scotland
and Wales was down to its lowest level in more than a
decade and that the chances of falling victim are
"minimal", especially on the London Underground where
there were 12% fewer offences than during the previous
12 months.
"Currently, crime is at a low of 6.8 offences per million
passenger journeys across the London
Underground... an improvement on the eight offences per
million recorded in 2013/14," A BTP spokesman said. "This
is even more impressive when you consider the increase
in passenger volume, with 27m more passenger journeys
taking place than last year."
BTP added the sheer number of passengers passing
through hub stations like St Pancras and Victoria meant
people were more likely to be victims of crime. Some
stations on the list appeared to have high numbers as
they were "end of line" terminals and officers sometimes
recorded crimes committed on trains under that station.
10 stations with the highest number of offences
committed in 2015
St Pancras International - 840 offences
Victoria - 827
Euston - 557
Liverpool Street - 524
Waterloo - 513
King's Cross - 509
Paddington - 323
London Bridge - 227
Kings Cross St Pancras - 221
Clapham Junction - 189
Stations with the fewest number of offences
committed in 2015 (1 each)
Acton Town Depot, Barnes Bridge, Beckenham Road,
Birkbeck, Blackfriars South, Bounds Green, Carshalton
Beeches, Clock House, East Ham, Ebury, Edgware House,
Elmers End, Elverson Road, Fairlop, Fieldway, Friars Bridge

Court, Fulwell, Gallions Reach, Greenford, Hadley Road,
Harrow on the Hill, Heathrow Terminal 4, Heathrow
Terminal 5, Moorgate, Morden South, Mudchute,
Ravensbourne, Reeves Corner, Roding Valley, Royal Albert,
Snaresbrook, South Acton, South Hampstead, South
Kenton, South Ruislip, Sudbury Hill, Upminster, Wapping,
East Ealing, Wimbledon Chase, Winchmore Hill
----------------------LONDON TRAIN STATION CRIME : CHECK IF YOUR
LOCAL STOP IS A HOTSPOT FOR CRIMINALS
author Staff Reporter)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-train-station-crime-check-ifyour-local-stop-hotspot-criminals-1547580
IBTimes UK has revealed the extent of crime at train
stations in London during 2015. Across the networks of
Underground, Overground, DLR, and National Rail there
are 681 stations. In total 15,400 crimes were committed;
St Pancras tops the list with 840 offences, and October
saw the highest single-month total of 1,448.
To check if your local station is a crime hotspot, see the
full station-by-station list which was obtained by IBTimes
UK via a Freedom of Information request. Crime-free
stations are not included on the list.
Note : use the link to take you to the interactive list of
stations.
(1st April 2016)
HUGE FALL IN NUMBER OF SPECIAL CONSTABLES

PUTS "IMMENSE STRAIN" ON MET
Justin Davenport)

www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/huge-fall-in-number-ofspecial-constables-puts-immense-strain-on-meta3194641.html
The number of people volunteering to become special
police officers in London has fallen dramatically in recent
years, putting "immense strain" on regular officers, it was
claimed today.
Figures from the Met show the number of special
constables on patrol in the capital fell by 43 per cent in
the last four years, from an all-time high during the
Olympics.
A total of 3,253 volunteer specials, who have full police
powers, are enlisted by the Met today compared with
5,677 in May 2012, despite a pledge by Boris Johnson to
double the number to 10,000 in his last manifesto.
Labour's London Assembly policing spokeswoman Joanne
McCartney said the fall in numbers of special constables,
PCSOs and regular officers was putting the Met under
"immense strain".
She said the decline had left the Mayor's pledge to double
numbers "in tatters" and was adding to the pressure on
full time officers.
Ms McCartney said: "Specials have a commitment to do 16
hours a month but many do a lot more than that and they
are vital to borough policing.
"They can be used to make up street patrols or in some
boroughs they help police the night time economy, they
help make the police more visible."
She said the Met's 600 million budget cuts had led to a
2,800 reduction in the number of PCSOs employed in
central London and in neighbourhoods.
She added: "Despite Boris's promise to double their ranks
what we've actually seen is a dramatic and continuing fall
in the number of special constables - at this rate he may
well have less than half of what he started with by the
time he leaves office.
"In 2012 Boris recognised the vital link specials played in
bolstering our police service. Now he looks set to leave a
much-reduced police force for his successor."
Scotland Yard said it was carrying out a review of the Met's

special constabulary to understand why the number of
specials had fallen. The Met said 30 per cent of those
leaving the specials were going to become full-time
officers.
Commander Lucy D'Orsi, of the Met's Territorial Policing,
said: "We are considering how to make the recruitment,
training and role of special constables more flexible and
attractive in order to increase recruitment and retention. "
In 2015, the Met's volunteer officers put in 570,078 hours
of policing London while holding down regular jobs. About
a third of officers who left the special constabulary joined
the Met.
Stephen Greenhalgh, deputy mayor for policing and crime,
said the Mayor had kept police numbers at "around
32,000" and increased the percentage of officers in visible
frontline roles.
(1st April 2016)
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE EU-US

PRIVACY SHIELD AGREEMENT
(Computer World, dated 29th February 2016 author Peter
Sayer)
The Privacy Shield agreement is intended to guarantee the
personal information of European Union citizens the same
privacy protection when processed in the U.S. as it would
receive at home. Where these guarantees are not
available, the information must stay in the EU.
Privacy Shield replaces the earlier Safe Harbor agreement,
which was torn up by the Court of Justice of the European
Union last October because it did not provide adequate
protection.
Like its predecessor, the Privacy Shield require U.S.

businesses that want to process EU citizens' personal
information to self-certify that they will comply with a
certain number of principles.
Privacy Shield was little more than a name when the
European Commission announced the agreement on Feb.
2, but on Monday it fleshed out details of its negotiations
with U.S. authorities.
Here are five things businesses need to know about the
Privacy Shield principles
1. Signing up is voluntary; compliance is
compulsory
Signing up to Privacy Shield is voluntary but if a business
does not sign up, it can not process EU citizens' data in
the U.S. Once a business has signed up, compliance with
the principles is compulsory and can be enforced by the
U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Participating companies must publish -- and respect -their privacy policies. Those that don't keep their promises
may be sanctioned or excluded from the Privacy Shield
agreement. The U.S. Department of Commerce will publish
a list of companies that have signed up, and another of
those that have been excluded.
2. National security still trumps Privacy Shield
Where the Privacy Shield principles conflict with U.S.
national security or law enforcement needs, you can
forget Privacy Shield. Article 5 of the agreement says:
"Adherence to these Principles may be limited: (a) to the
extent necessary to meet national security, public interest,
or law enforcement requirements; (b) by statute,
government regulation, or case law that creates
conflicting obligations or explicit authorizations."
3. Mass surveillance is still allowed
Even though its openness to mass surveillance of EU
citizens' communications and online activities was one of
the things that brought down Safe Harbor, such
surveillance activities are still allowed under Privacy

Shield. The EU's fact sheet claims that "U.S authorities
affirm absence of indiscriminate or mass surveillance," but
U.S. documents forming part of the agreement claim
nothing of the sort. The U.S. still allows itself to perform
bulk surveillance for six purposes: detecting and
countering certain activities of foreign powers;
counterterrorism; counter-proliferation; cybersecurity;
detecting and countering threats to U.S. or allied armed
forces, and combating transnational criminal threats,
including sanctions evasion.
4. Businesses will have 45 days to reply...
If an EU citizen complains about the treatment of their
personal information under Privacy Shield, companies will
have 45 days to reply their complaint. If the reply doesn't
bring satisfaction, the complainant can have recourse to a
number of other resolution mechanisms, including a free
alternative dispute resolution service and their own
national privacy regulator.
5. ... but it hasn't started yet
The European Commission jumped the gun in announcing
Privacy Shield on Feb. 2, as many of the written promises
from the U.S. on which the agreement depends did not
arrive for another three weeks. On Feb. 29 the
Commission published those documents, along with a
draft "adequacy decision," the legal instrument by which
Privacy Shield's provisions will be declared equivalent to
the protections offered by EU law.
The draft adequacy decision is still open to challenge by
the governments and data protection authorities of the
EU's 28 member states, and must be reviewed annually to
ensure that all parties are still respecting the undertakings
on which it is founded. If they aren't, then in theory it can
be suspended.
(1st April 2016)
SKUNK CABBAGE OF EU CONCERN

(RHS - The Gardener, dated March 2016)
www.rhs.org.uk [Option 1]
RHS = Royal Horticulture Society
As part of the EU Invasive Alien Species Regulation, the EU
Commissio with member states has drawn up a list of nonnative species of EU wide concern.
The list of 14 plants and 23 animals, scheduled to be law
at the end of February 2016, applies across the EU. These
species attract the strictest measures of control, including
a ban on keeping, growing or cultivating, transporting or
trading in the organisms, and release into the
environment. Controls apply to individuals, organisations
and businesses.
Most of the plant species listed are of little importance to
gardeners, and a number of the aquatics are already
banned from sale in the UK. However, plants better known
to gardeners that are now listed as of EU concern include
water hyacinth (Eichornia crassipes) and skunk cabbage
(Lysichiton americanus).
According to DEFRA the regulation is not retrospective, so
those already growing these plants will not have to
eradicate them. Thy will have to meet other requirements
in terms of transport or disposal, and take steps to ensure
plants do not escape or spread beyond their property.
Nurseries have a year to sell existing staock to noncommercial users.
Further detailed information :
https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=530
(1st April 2016)
HOW TO IDENTIFY A STOLEN iPHONE

(Computer World, dated 29th February 2016 author Jonny
Evans)
So you've come across a second hand iPhone at a bargain
price, but how can you tell if it's a stolen device?
###Find it
A few years ago iPhone thefts became such a big problem
Apple introduced Find My iPhone and a range of other
features designed to make iPhones less attractive targets
for thieves. This seems to have worked, most of the time.
Every iOS user should enable 'Find my iPhone' on their
device. Not only can this sometimes help you track down a
lost or stolen phone, but it also enables you to wipe
confidential data and brick your lost device to prevent
others using it. You enable the feature in
Settings>iCloud>Find My iPhone.
When Find My iPhone is enabled on your device, your
Apple ID is securely stored on Apple's activation servers
and linked to that device.
If your iPhone is lost or stolen while Find My iPhone is
active on the device, then you can not only trace the
device, but other people will be less able to make full use
of it. That's because your Apple ID will be required in order
to erase, reactivate and use, or turn off Find my iPhone on
the device.
Check It
When you are thinking about buying a second-hand iPhone
you should turn it on and slide to unlock the phone - you
should be taken directly to the device set-up process. If
you are not, or if during device set-up the passcode lock
screen or Home screen appears and/or you are asked for
another person's Apple ID then the smart device is still
linked to another person's account.
You should ask the seller to completely erase the device
by entering the Apple ID and going to

Settings>General>Reset>Erase All Content and Settings.
If they cannot then do not buy the device.
Unfortunately hardware security is not always foolproof.
Hackers sometimes find ways to bypass activation lock on
iOS devices, enabling them to make the device work just
well enough to sell to unwary people.
Fortunately there's another way to check.
IMEI
Every iPhone has an IMEI number, a kind of serial number.
IMEI stands for International Mobile Station Equipment
Identity. These unique numbers are assigned to each
device when manufactured.
The IMEI number is important: it is used by mobile service
providers to authorize your phone when on their network,
and also enables your device to be tracked, blocked or
remotely unlocked. You'll also use this number if you
contact Apple Support.
How to find the IMEI number on your iPhone:
Dial *#06# and the number will appear on screen.
In Settings>General>About.
On the barcode label of your device's packaging
You can also find the number using iTunes
The number is also printed on the packaging your device
shipped in.
Check the IMEI
Apple offers a helpful online tool at
https://www.icloud.com/activationlock/. When you are
thinking about purchasing a second hand iPhone you
should get the IMEI number of the phone you're looking at
and enter it into Apple's online checker. This will tell you if
the device is already associated with another person's
iCloud account. If it is then you'll be unable to use the
device properly and if the person selling you the iPhone is
not able to remove the device from this other Apple ID
account, then don't buy it from them.
After all, legitimate sellers will know that when you sell or
give away an iOS device you should always sign out of
iCloud and erase all content and settings in
Settings>General>Reset>Erase All Content and Settings
before you do.
I hope this advice helps you avoid being ripped-off.
(1st April 2016)
EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COURT RULES MASS

SURVEILLANCE ILLEGAL
(The Register, dated 20th January 2016 author Keiren
McCarthy)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/20/human_rights_court_rul
es_mass_surveillance_illegal/
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled
that mass surveillance is illegal, in a little-noticed case in
Hungary.
In a judgment last week, the court ruled that the
Hungarian government had violated article 8 of the
European Convention on Human Rights (the right to
privacy) due to its failure to include "sufficiently precise,
effective and comprehensive" measures that would limit
surveillance to only people it suspected of crimes.
Under a section of the 2011 National Security Act, a
minister of the government is able to approve a police
request to search people's houses, mail, phones and
laptops if they are seeking to protect national security.
That process does not require judicial review or approval
and the law does not provide the circumstances under
which the surveillance can be ordered (unlike other parts
of the same law). A minister can order the surveillance for
90 days and extend it by another 90 days and there is no
obligation to delete any of the information gathered during
that time once the surveillance is ended.
Wide and narrow

Two activists, Mt Szab and Beatrix Vissy, sued the
Hungarian government over the law in 2014 claiming it
infringed their human rights, and the ECHR's Fourth
Section heard the case.
The court ruled that the Hungarian law did not provide
sufficient guarantees against abuse. It also chose to more
closely define a key part of article 8 of the Convention that something be "strictly necessary in a democratic
society" - as meaning not just a general protection of
democratic institutions but also for "obtaining of vital
intelligence in an individual operation."
The court said the Hungarian government should be
required to interpret the law in a narrow fashion and
"verify whether sufficient reasons for intercepting a
specific individual's communications exist in each case."
Or in other words, every individual case must be looked at
carefully and a decision made on each. Which is clearly
impossible if the law is taken to carry out mass
surveillance, i.e., hoovering up information over the
internet and then searching in it.
From Russia with love
The court made repeated references to another recent
ECHR decision in December in which the Russian
government was also found to have violated the same
section for its mass surveillance of telephone calls. In that
case, Roman Zakharov said his privacy was being violated
by the law, which forced mobile network operators to
install equipment to permit unrestricted interception of all
of his telephone communications.
While the Zakharov case was decided by the ECHR's full
"Grand Chamber" and this most recent Hungarian case by
a sub-set of judges called the Fourth Section, the ruling is
binding on all European countries.
The Fourth Section is also the part of the ECHR that covers
the UK, and the decision is likely to impact controversial
legislation that the UK government is currently trying to
pass that would enable similar mass surveillance under
the control of a minister. With this month's judgment,

many of the current measures being proposed in the UK
would almost certainly also violate article 8.
It should be noted that the decision does not ban the
surveillance of citizens, nor does it require judicial
oversight of such surveillance orders. But it is quite clear
that such surveillance must be targeted at an individual
and not used more broadly.
In that respect, and combined with the Zakharov case, it
would appear that the European Court of Human Rights
has come down categorically against mass surveillance.
So what's the impact?
The decision cannot stop the UK government, for example,
from passing legislation that allows for mass surveillance.
But it does mean that if the UK does, it will almost
certainly be taken to the ECHR and found to have violated
the European Convention. The UK government can of
course continue to ignore that ruling, but it would face
fines and it would lose international standing and
reputation.
British prime minister David Cameron is not a big fan of
the court, having previously complained that it is
interfering in national issues, as it did when it found that
the UK government's effort to extradite convicted terrorist
Abu Qatada to Jordan was a violation of human rights, as
he would be unlikely to get a fair trial.
In the end, the UK and Jordan agreed to a treaty that
meant information extracted from him under torture could
not be used in a trial (shortly after he was deported to
Jordan and put on trial, found not guilty and released from
jail in September 2014).
As such, the ECHR's rulings have been shown to have a
direct and significant impact on the behavior of countries
within the European Union.
(1st April 2016)
FEBRUARY 2016
TWO FORCES REQUIRE IMPROVEMENT IN THREE KEY
AREA - SAYS HMIC
(Police Oracle, dated 25th February 2016 author Helena
Hickey)
Two forces have been classed as "requiring
improvement"in all three strands of the PEEL inspections
carried out by HMIC last year.
Cleveland Police and Dyfed Powys Police were assessed as
"requiring improvement" - the second lowest grade
possible - for effectiveness, efficiency and legitimacy, with
HMIs raising serious concerns in each area.
HMI Mike Cunningham had serious concerns about the way
Cleveland Police keep people safe and reduce crime as
well as how prepared it was to meet future financial
challenges.
Additionally, he said he was "particularly concerned" by
the force's approach to protecting some of the most
vulnerable people.
"HMIC found inconsistencies in the identification of
vulnerable victims at the first point of contact with the
police", he said.
"We also found that the force does not respond to all
incidents within the required timescale. However, I am
encouraged to see the improved quality of the force's
crime investigations; and the force works well to identify
and disrupt organised criminality."
However, the report states HMIs found "an ethical culture"
with a workforce who knew the standard of work expected
of them and who have a " high regard" for chief officers
who they view as credible, visible and approachable.

Similar concerns were raised in relation to Dyfed Powys
Police, with HMI Wendy Williams saying she has been in
"regular contact" with the chief constable due to issues
with the way the force keeps people safe and reduces
crime.
"I am reassured by the way that the force has
acknowledged and responded to the issues we have
raised. However, I do not underestimate how much
improvement is needed," she said.
"I am concerned that suitably trained investigators are not
always available, and in particular at the lack of
professional expertise in the investigation of some highrisk domestic abuse cases. The force has more to do to
improve its response to vulnerable people.
She also says call handlers were failing to understand the
risks faced by emergency and non-emergency callers,
something that was hindering the force's progress in
safeguarding vulnerable people.
The assessment recognises the force has underspent
against its budget for a number of years but said plans for
future savings were "not well developed" and need to be
improved.
"The force's plan to continue to provide effective policing
over the very large geographical area with fewer staff
needs to be developed as a matter of urgency,"he said.
"Dyfed-Powys Police has yet to articulate an updated
vision of its future strategy and policing model to achieve
its required savings up to 2020, while ensuring that it
meets public needs."
The force's temporary Deputy Chief Constable Liane James
said she recognised there was always room for
improvement.
The areas served by Dyfed Powys Police are the safest in

England and Wales, but when a crime does occur I am
very proud to be able to say that we are one of only a few
forces nationally who continue to send an officer to the
scene,"she said.
"We have specialist teams of officers, highly skilled in
investigating certain types of crime and providing support
to the victims of these crimes, but we do not have these in
abundance. To do this would be at the cost of patrols on
the ground and officers in other very important front line
roles."
Most forces received at least two good gradings, while
Durham was the best performing force with two
outstanding ratings and one good.
"I would like to congratulate Durham Constabulary for
building further on its excellent performance in keeping
people safe and reducing crime," said Mr Cunningham.
"The chief officer team has a clear and compelling sense
of direction for the future of the organisation, which is
being implemented through comprehensive and realistic
plans."
"The force has a strong track record of robust financial
management and I am pleased to see detailed financial
plans in place to achieve the savings required through to
2018/19."
"Senior leaders in the force show visible and approachable
leadership, consistently engaging with the workforce to
provide regular and consistent messages to reinforce their
standards and expectations. I am very impressed by the
commitment shown by the forces officers and staff in
looking to improve services to the communities of Durham
still further."
(1st March 2016)
POLICE FAIL TO PURSUE SPEEDING DRIVERS IN

FOREIGN VEHICLES
(Police Oracle, dated 24th February 2016 author Josh
Loeb)
More than 10,000 motorists caught speeding by police in
the only part of the UK with a foreign land border went
unpunished because they could not be traced.
The figure, reported in the - Belfast Telegraph -, was
branded "astonishing" by Kevin Delaney, a former police
officer who now works for the Institute of Advanced
Motorists.
"It really does trouble me," he told PoliceOracle.com. "It
seems as if somebody has taken a policy decision that
they will not pursue motorists in foreign registered
vehicles."
Between 2013 and 2015, a total of 10,227 motorists
caught by speed cameras in Northern Ireland could not be
traced and so faced no consequences for breaking the law,
according to information obtained under the Freedom of
Information Act.
It is thought the vast majority came from the Republic of
Ireland, and as a result of no action being taken, the Police
Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) missed out on fines
worth at least 610,000.
It would normally be possible to track down drivers of
speeding foreign-registered vehicles with minimal
investigation, but in practice this tends only to happen
when they are physically flagged down by a traffic officer
or if they kill or injure someone, Mr Delaney said.
If they merely caught on camera, drivers in foreign
vehicles almost always escape scot-free because forces
"think that it isn't worth their while" to pursue them, he
added.
But he said: "A speeding motorist from Stuttgart poses no
less threat than if they were from London... I'm amazed
that after 21 years or so of trying that get European police
forces to manage to create some sort of mutual approach
to this, we are still trying.But to say that Northern Ireland
and the Republic of Ireland can't manage it that's
astonishing. The phrase - beggars belief - springs to
mind."
Paul Hodge, another former officer with roads policing
expertise,told PoliceOracle.com
"Trying to make all things equal to all, the famous phrase
"the law is the law"- is not always that easy.Dealing with
non-UK drivers is nothing new and I believe still a problem
for our mainland police forces as motorists escape by
heading back to Europe, and the follow-up costs are
prohibitive."
In France they operate a "pay up now" system, and same
in USA, I believe, so escaping is not an option.
The PSNI said anyone caught speeding by a police officer
would be prosecuted, regardless of their nationality.
Inspector Rosie Leech from Roads Policing told the Belfast Telegraph :" At the moment, the PSNI does not
have the power to enforce motoring legislation or pursue
outstanding fines outside of Northern Ireland or the United
Kingdom."
"However, while drivers from outside Northern Ireland or
the United Kingdom do not as yet receive penalty points or
fines for speeding offences detected by the Northern
Ireland Road Safety Partnership, they do not escape
prosecution if detected by police officers."
"If detected by police, drivers who are willing to accept
and abide by the conditions of a fixed penalty may be
dealt with at the roadside, otherwise they face the
prospect of arrest, charge and a court appearance."

uaware comment
Reading this article makes you think that this is something
new....it's not. Twenty five years ago I was involved in an
accident that wrote my car off and nearly did the same to
me.
Whilst I was on the correct side of the road, two speeding
cars in the oncoming lane skidded on ice and collided with
me at 9am in the morning.
At A&E, after I had been given a chest X Ray to discover
how many broken ribs I had a Police Officer asked me to
take a breathalyser test. After it showed negative I asked
whether the other drivers had been tested. He stated that
one of the them had, but as the other was from Mainland
Europe and it wasn't worth it ! I received a similar
response from my insurer and solicitor when I tried to
make a claim.
(1st March 2016)
HMIC SOUNDS ALARM OVER THREAT TO

NEIGHBOURHOOD POLICING
(Police Oracle, dated 18th February 2016 author Josh
Loeb)
Crime prevention will be in peril if neighbourhood policing
is eroded further, the policing inspectorate has warned.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said
today that it was "raising a warning flag" because of
frontline neighbourhood police officers being pulled off
preventative work to fulfil other duties like staffing front
counters and guarding crime scenes.
Zoe Billingham, who led what she referred to as a
"whopper inspection" said English and Welsh forces risked

sleepwalking into being "isolated from communities"
She added: "That's why we are raising this flag, sounding
this alarm."
Her remarks have been leapt on by Labour, which has long
complained that the traditional British model of policing by
consent is under threat because of government cuts.
In the capital, Joanne McCartney, the party's policing
spokesman on the London Assembly, said officers were
being abstracted from their local beats to plug gaps
elsewhere in the Met.
As part of HMIC's work the inspectorate surveyed
members of the public, asking them how often they saw a
neighbourhood officer and whether this was more or less
often than in the previous year.
This focus on visibility has been criticised in the past by
figures such as Merseyside's chief Sir Jon Murphy, who last
year told PoliceOracle.com that the "obsession with visible
policing was misguided".
At the time he said: "We have to manage risks, whether
it's child exploitation, child abuse, domestic abuse,
protection of the elderly, fraud, drugs, gun crime,
management of the sex offenders register."
"If we get it wrong in those areas, something bad happens
- at worse death. If the neighbourhood officer doesn't turn
up to work, nobody dies. I'm not saying neighbourhood
policing isn't important. Of course it is, but as the cuts dig
deeper and our resources get less and less, the pool of
people that are left to do the neighbourhood policing as
opposed to all the other things I've listed is going to be
smaller."
Ms Billingham, however, denied that forces faced stark
choices between investing in preventing crime types like
anti-social behaviour and beefing up other areas like
fighting cybercrime and catching child abusers, adding
that levels of funding was not the issue.

"We think that if they prioritise and focus on prevention
work, forces are not barred from doing that by lack of
money", she said.
"There was nothing "inevitable" about the death of
neighbourhood policing", she added.
As well as looking at how forces prevent crimes and deal
with anti-social behaviour, the report analysed
management of known offenders and approaches to
tackling organised gang crime.
Across England and Wales, HMIC has graded just one force
- Durham Constabulary - as outstanding. Overall, 24 forces
as were graded as "good" and 18 forces were said to
"require improvement"- effectively meaning they have
been judged as substandard. These included Essex,
Bedfordshire, Humberside, Cleveland and the Met.
None were judged to fall into the lowest category
of"inadequate", however.
Durham's Chief Constable Mike Barton told
PoliceOracle.com that his force's commitment to
neighbourhood policing was strong.
"It is the bedrock upon which we built the policing model
in the UK", he said. "It is an incorrect analysis saying that
neighbourhood policing deals with low level stuff. It is the
bedrock upon which we built the policing model in the UK."
"So-called low level crime and anti-social behaviour
destroys community cohesion, and it's the lack of
community cohesion that allows minor and major crime, or
indeed terrorism, to thrive. So we go to every job, we
investigate every crime and anti-social behaviour, and we
work assiduously to make sure there is no repetition."
"We haven't cut anybody from our neighbourhood policing
command. We've merged them with our safeguarding
command because we recognise that neighbourhood
officers and PCSOs have a huge part to play in managing

sex offenders and managing serious criminals."
He added: "One reason why we are outstanding is because
we've got outstanding staff. The second reason is we're
fleet of foot. The third is that people are having fun.
That's not to say that people aren't feeling stress, because
I'm a task master, but people come to work to have fun.
They've got a smile on their faces."
Overall, forces were, in the main, judged to be "good" at
tackling serious and organised crime.
However, HMIC noted that they were generally performing
better when it came to "traditional" organised crime such
as drug-dealing than they were at dealing with child
sexual exploitation and cyber-crime - an area where Ms
Billingham said long backlogs in analysing devices was
hampering public protection work.
"We are really concerned about the amount of time it
takes for digital extraction to happen", she told journalists.
She also noted that there was no agreed definition of what
constitutes a vulnerable victim, adding that whether or not
someone was treated as "vulnerable" was a lottery.
(1st March 2016)
POLICE RECORDED SEXUAL OFFENCES AT HIGHEST

LEVEL ON RECORD
(Police Oracle, dated 15th February 2016 author Helena
Hickey)
Police recorded sexual offences rose to the highest level
on record in the 12 months to March 2015, latest figures
have shown.
Data from the Office for National Statistics revealed there
were 88,106 police recorded sexual offences in the year

ending March 2015, an increase of 37 per cent compared
to the previous year and the largest annual percentage
increase since the introduction of the National Crime
Recording Standard in April 2002.
The increase which also includes a 41 per cent rise in the
number of rape offences is being put down to improved
recording practices and a greater willingness of victims to
come forward.
College of Policing lead for crime and criminal justice,
David Tucker, said research showed an increasing amount
of time in forces is now directed towards public protection
and safeguarding issues.
"It's encouraging to see that improved recording practices
in forces are believed to be behind the increase of
recorded violent and sexual crimes",he said.
"This is an ethical issue crimes should be correctly
recorded to drive police and community responses to and
to give the public an accurate picture. However, there are
still too many violent and sexual crimes. We need to
ensure that responsibility for tackling violent and sexual
crime does not sit only with police. Other government and
partner agencies play a significant role, including leading
or preventing offences of this nature and keeping the
public safe".
He added that the college national training accreditation
package for police staff responsible for recording crime
has supported forces with their improvement.
The ONS says the increase should be seen in the context
of a number of high profile reports and inquiries which
have resulted in forces reviewing their recording practices,
including the setting up of the Independent Panel Inquiry
into Child Sexual Abuse.
It added that HMIC's inspection of crime recording,
published in 2014, found that 26 per cent of sexual
offences that should have been recorded as crimes were
not and that some forces had poor processes in specialist

units responsible for investigations of rape and other
sexual offences.
"As forces have taken steps to improve their systems and
recording processes, it is likely that proportionately more
referrals are now appearing in the official statistics" it
states.
Feedback from forces also shows that both current and
historical offences continued to rise in the year ending
March 2015 following Operation Yewtree, but the major
contribution to the increase is believed to have come from
current offences.
However, Shadow Police Minister Jack Dromey said the rise
in crime was partly down to cuts in officer numbers over
recent years.
"Just as the most serious, violent, sexual and online crimes
are soaring, so too are the demands on a depleted police
force to keep the country safe. No wonder 50 per cent of
cases close without a single suspect ever having been
identified", he said.
"The Tories have slashed police officers by 18,000 and
broke their promise to the public to protect frontline officer
numbers. Now serious crimes are up and victims are being
let down."
(1st March 2016)
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - FEBRUARY 2016

The following are a summary of articles from February
2016
-----------------------HACKERS AREN'T SO INTERESTED IN YOUR CREDIT CARD
DATA THESE DAYS. THAT'S BAD NEWS

(The Register, dated 23rd February 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/23/breach_trends_gemalto/
Healthcare and government have overtaken the retail
sector as most-targeted for data breaches, according to
security firm Gemalto.
A total of 1,673 data breaches led to 707 million data
records being compromised worldwide during 2015,
according to the latest edition of Gemalto's Breach Level
Index report.
Not all breaches are equally serious and the number of
records disclosed is only one metric. Gemalto's study
attempts to recognise this by assigning a severity score to
each breach based on factors including the type of data
and the number of records compromised, the source of the
breach, and whether or not the data was encrypted. The
methodology aims to distinguish nuisances from high
impact mega breaches.
More than 3.6 billion data records have been exposed
since 2013, when Gemalto began benchmarking publicly
disclosed data breaches. In 2015, malicious outsiders (ie,
hackers) were the leading source of these breaches,
accounting for 964, or 58 per cent of breaches and 38 per
cent of compromised records. Accidental loss or exposure
of data records accounted for 36 per cent of all records.
----------------------BACS CORPORATE WEBSITE STILL RUNS OBSOLETE
CRYTOGRAPHY
(The Register, dated 19th February 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/19/bac_crypto_obsolete_oo
ps/
UK banking organisation Bacs is running a
cryptographically obsolete website despite telling
everyone else to upgrade before a June deadline.
Earlier this week Bacs reminded UK businesses to update
their systems and adopt SHA-2 before mid-June in order to

avoid losing access to vital payment and money transfer
services. Failure to change before a 13 June deadline will
leave merchants unable to use Bacs Payment Schemes
Limited (Bacs) to make salary or supplier payments or to
collect by direct debit, as previously reported.
In response to queries from The Register on the matter, a
Bacs spokesman acknowledged the issue but said that
changes were in hand and would be in place before the
mid-June deadline.
The Bacs corporate website is being refreshed at the
moment and when the new version goes live (which will
be before 13 June), those new standards will be in place.
Our two other public facing websites have already been
migrated to the new standards - directdebit.co.uk
----------------------TWITTER PASSWORD RECOVERY BUG EXPOSES 10,000
USES PERSONAL INFORMATION
Constantin)
Twitter has notified 10,000 users that their email
addresses and phone numbers may have been exposed
due to a bug in the website's password recovery feature.
The incident happened over the course of 24 hours on an
unspecified day last week, but the company alerted
affected users on Wednesday.
"Any user that we find to have exploited the bug to access
another account's information will be permanently
suspended, and we will also be engaging law enforcement
as appropriate so they may conduct a thorough
investigation and bring charges as warranted," Twitter said
in a blog post.
----------------------A THIRD OF BRITS WOULD COUGH UP 300 TO
RANSOMWARE PEDDLERS
Leyden)

www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/17/ransomware_victims_su
rvey/
More than four in 10 ransomware victims in the UK have
paid to recover their documents, with 31 per cent of users
willing to pay up to 400.
A poll of 500 found 44 per cent of all ransomware victims
in the UK have paid to regain access to their data. Twothirds (67 per cent) of respondents had correctly
associated ransomware with a virus and 44 per cent had
accurately identified ransomware as a type of threat that
prevents or limits access to computer data.
Almost 34 per cent of respondents had identified the top
three most common ransomware infection vectors as
email messages that contain computer viruses, files that
contain a virus, or visiting hacked website loaded with
malicious code.
----------------------MALWARE TARGETS ALL ANDROID PHONES - EXCEPT
THOSE IN RUSSIA
(Computer World, dated 15th February 2016 author
Jeremy Kirk)
A malware program for Android seen advertised on
Russian underground forums in the last few months
appears to have made its first big debut.
MazarBOT can take full control of a phone and appears to
be targeting online banking customers, wrote Peter Kruse,
an IT security expert and founder of CSIS Security Group,
based in Copenhagen, which does deep investigations into
online crime for financial services companies.
MazarBOT will stop installing itself if it detects an Android
device that is running within Russia, perhaps to avoid
drawing attention from the country's authorities.
---------------------THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHENYOUR WEBSITE IS HIT
BY NASTY RANSOMWARE
(The Register, dated 12th February 2016 author Chris

Williams)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/12/this_is_what_it_looks_lik
e_when_your_website_is_hit_by_nasty_ransomware/
Malware appears to have hijacked the British Association
for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP)'s website - and
held it to ransom.
The front page of the site has been replaced with
instructions on how to pay off the extortionists: $150
(100) in Bitcoin must be coughed up by February 22, or
the association's web data will remain scrambled forever.
The malware, CTB-Locker, encrypts files on infected
machines, and then demands payment for the decryption
key. Without this key, the contents of the documents are
useless.
BACP, based in Leicester, describes itself as "the largest
professional body representing counselling and
psychotherapy in the UK," and is said to have more than
40,000 members. So far, the ransom has not been paid:
the crooks' Bitcoin wallet is empty and no currency has
been moved from it.
----------------------POSEIDON HACKR GROUP BEHIND LONG RUNNING
EXTORTION SCHEME
(Computer World, dated 10th February 2016 author
Jeremy Kirk)
Kaspersky Lab has linked a single group to a long-known
campaign of cyberattacks that appears to be aimed at
extorting corporate victims.
The Poseidon Group may have been active since 2001,
according to an analysis of malware samples. The group's
tools have been designed to function on systems set to
English and Portuguese.
Victims are usually sent spear-phishing emails and
malware hidden inside office documents. Once on a
network, the hackers explore its topology in order to
eventually steal intellectual property and commercial

information.
Kaspersky didn't provide a lot of detail about the ruse, but
said that at least 35 companies have been affected in
industries such as banking, government,
telecommunications, manufacturing and energy, besides
media and public relations firms.
----------------------GOOGLE ADDS WARNING TO UNENCRYPTED EMAILS
(Computer World, dated 9th February 2016 author Blair
Hanley Frank)
Google has a pair of new security features that will warn
users in cases when they should be cautious about
revealing sensitive information over email.
Users will be shown a small red unlocked padlock icon in
the upper right-hand corner of a message to let them
know that someone they're sending messages to or
receiving email from doesn't support TLS encryption that
would keep information from prying eyes in transit.
Odds are, the overwhelming majority of email that users
see on a regular basis likely won't contain one of these
warnings, as most major email providers like Microsoft and
Yahoo already support TLS encryption.
But Google's move might pressure other email providers -especially companies that run their own email servers -- to
set up encryption in order to clear that check.
----------------------CYBERCRIMINALS USE SPY TACTICS FOR ONLINE BANK
HEIST
Constantin)
Last year researchers from security vendor Kaspersky Lab
were called in to investigate unusual thefts from 29 banks
and other organizations located in Russia, leading to the
discovery of three new sophisticated attack campaigns.

One group of attackers is using a modular malware
program k to infect computer systems belonging to banks
and to reverse ATM transactions. During a single night, the
gang stole millions of rubles from a Russian bank using
this hard-to-detect transaction rollback trick.
The attackers start off by sending spear phishing emails
with malicious links to the employees of banks and other
financial institutions. Once they compromise computers in
those organizations, they move laterally inside the
networks to identify and gain access to the systems that
control transactions.
Once this is achieved, they automate the rollback of ATM
transactions for particular debit cards issued by the
institution. During the night, the attackers drive around
various cities and withdraw money from the ATMs of other
banks. However, in the card issuing bank's systems the
transactions are automatically reversed so the account
balances never change.
The Kaspersky researchers said that they discovered the
malware on computers belonging to 30 financial
institutions from Russia. However, they believe that the
group's activities are far more widespread and could affect
financial organizations from around the world.
-----------------------TALKTALK CONFESSES : SCAMMERS HAVE DATA ABOUT
OUR ENGINEERS VISITS TO YOUR HOME
(The Register, dated 8th February 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/08/scammers_breach_talkt
alk_engineer_visit_data/
A number of TalkTalk customers have had their
maintenance visits data breached by fraudsters in an
attempt to gain remote access of their computers, it has
emerged.
One customer, Chris, told The Register that a week after
the cyber attack was reported he experienced some issues
with his broadband, so TalkTalk sent an engineer round.
"The day after this visit my partner received a call from
someone claiming to be from TalkTalk, who knew the
engineer's name, and exactly what she and the engineer

had discussed the previous day."
----------------------DEFENDING YOURSELF FROM AMAZON
(Computer World, dated 29th January 2016 author Michael
Horowitz)
The email address on file for an Amazon.com account
should never be used anywhere else for anything.
There are multiple reports, spanning years, of attackers
abusing the Amazon chat system to scam customer
support representatives into divulging your personal
information. All the scammers need is a victims name and
email address.
For years now, Amazon has known about this security hole
in their procedures and done nothing about it. The latest
victim account, from Eric Springer.
Springer is no rube. He's a techie that uses unique
passwords, two-factor authentication and is well aware of
phishing attacks. Heck, he even used to work for Amazon.
But, he gave Amazon his regular email address. That was
a mistake.
Via text chat, Springers scammer asked Amazon customer
support where his latest order was being shipped. The
Amazon rep validated the bad guys identity by asking for
his name, email address and billing address. The scammer
provided the first two along with a fake address. Not
totally fake, it was the address of a hotel in the city where
Springer lives
----------------------(1st March 2016)
***********************************************************
*******************
INFORMATION COMMISSIONERS OFFICE FINED

COLD-CALL FIRM 350K - SO DIRECTORS PUT IT
INTO LIQUIDATION
(The Register, dated 29th February 2016 author Chris
Mellor)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/29/ico_biggest_ever_fine_p
pi_spammers_prodial_ltd/
A Brighton-based robo-call spam operation has been hit by
a record 350,000 fine by data privacy watchdogs. Since
the firm has been closed down and entered liquidation,
however, even the Information Commissioner admits the
fine is unlikely to be paid.
Prodial Ltd, a lead generation firm responsible for more
than 46 million automated nuisance calls, has been served
the ICO's largest ever fine for its flagrant anti-social
behaviour.
More than 1,000 people complained to the Information
Commissioner's Office (ICO) about the automated calls,
which played recorded messages relating to PPI claims.
Complainants said they were called repeatedly and
without being given any means to put a stop to the
nuisance because no opt-out option was offered. A doctor
complained the constant spam calls were interfering with
work as they had to answer them in case of a genuine
emergency.
Brighton-based Prodial Ltd was operating out of a
residential property and took steps to hide its identity, a
factor that made it harder for people to report its nuisance
calls, an aggravating factor in its offending.
The law is clear that companies can only make calls to
people who have specifically consented to being
contacted by automated marketing calls. An ICO
investigation found Prodial revealed Prodial had secured
no such consent.
The ICO's investigation found that information from these

calls was used to sell people's personal details on to
claims management companies. Records indicated the
marketing campaign could have produced a turnover of
nearly 1m. Despite the sums of money involved, the firm
has been placed into voluntary liquidation by one of its
directors.
Christopher Graham, the Information Commissioner, said:
"This is one of the worst cases of cold calling we have ever
come across. The volume of calls made in just a few
months was staggering.
"This was a company that knew it was breaking the law,"
continued Graham. "A company director admitted that
once the ICO became involved, the company shut down."
in a statement, Graham said that levying a massive fine
on the now defunct firm served to lay down a marker,
potentially discouraging anybody else from adopting the
same business model.
"We want to send a clear message to other firms that this
type of law-breaking will not pay. That is why we have
handed out our highest ever fine.
The ICO's enforcement team is currently working with the
liquidators to recover the fine.
(1st March 2016)
POLICE REPORT 800 PERCENT RISE IN DRUG

DRIVING ARRESTS
(The Telegraph, dated 28th February 2016 author Luke
Heighton)
-report-800pc-rise-in-drug-driving-arrests.html
The astonishing scale of drug-driving has been revealed
after the publication of the first official figures since the

introduction of roadside swab tests for suspected
substance abusers.
Police forces in England and Wales were ordered to carry
out the tests last year, with initial reports suggesting up to
six in ten of those tested had committed an offence.
Now police in Cheshire have officially reported an 800pc
increase in the number of arrests made following the
introduction of so-called 'drugalyzer's, with half those
stopped testing positive for either a banned substance or
levels of prescription drugs likely to impair their ability to
drive..
The government announced fresh measures to tackle the
problem of driving while using drugs in March 2015, with
an extra 1million in given to Chief Constables across
England and Wales to pay for training and equipment.
The latest figures from Cheshire - the only force for which
provisional data is available - showed officers were able to
use the simple roadside swab test is used to apprehend
530 suspected drug drivers between March 2015 and
January 2016.
By comparison, the total for the whole of the previous year
was 70. Motorists who get behind the wheel after taking
illegal drugs face a criminal record, loss of their licence for
at least a year and an unlimited fine.
Some 98 per cent of those charged with drug driving were
convicted, with 1,888 such screening tests for up to 17
proscribed substances, including cannabis, cocaine,
ecstasy, LSD, ketamine and heroin, carried out over the
Christmas period in England and Wales.
Figures for all police forces will be released by the Ministry
of Justice later this year.
Drivers impaired by drugs are believed to be responsible
for up to 200 deaths on Britain's roads annually, with
ministers arguing they could save more than 80 lives and
prevent over 300 serious injuries over the next 20 years.
The introduction of drug tests replaced the previous

system of "field impairment tests" carried out by officers.
These included measuring the size of a driver's pupils or
asking them to walk in a straight line, but were considered
less reliable than testing saliva for traces of legal and
illegal drugs.
Following the new test's introduction Greater Manchester
Police briefly refused to charge suspects under the new
law, "while we satisfy ourselves that the legal and
procedural issues involved in prosecuting these cases can
properly withstand legal scrutiny".
The decision to delay enforcement came amid fears
innocent motorists could be charged with an offence for
taking prescription medication, after the Department for
Transport announced it would be illegal to drive with
certain levels of some legal drugs if it made the motorist
unfit to do so.
In 2014/15 around 6.2 per cent of drivers said that they
had probably driven whilst over the legal alcohol limit and
0.9 per cent of drivers thought that they had driven under
the influence of illegal drugs in the last year.
Of those people who had been under the influence of
drugs whilst driving, 45 per cent (or 0.4 per cent of all
drivers) had driven 'once or twice' in the year, while a
further 23 per cent (or 0.2 per cent of all drivers) had
driven under the influence of drugs once or twice a week,
or more frequently.
Men are more likely to use drugs and drive than women. In
2014/15, 1.4 per cent of men admitted to driving whilst
under the influence of illegal drugs at least once. In
comparison, 0.3 per cent of
women admitted to the same offence.
There were 1,780 road deaths in the year ending
September 2015, up by 3 per cent compared with the year
ending September 2014.
A total of 23,700 people were killed or seriously injured

(KSI casualties) in the year ending September 2015, down
by 3 per cent from the previous year.
Motor vehicle traffic increased by 2.2 per cent over the
same period.
Pedestrians accounted for three quarters of the increase in
fatalities between 2013 and 2014, the most recent year
for which figures are available.
Pedestrian fatalities increased by 12 per cent from 398 in
2013 to 446 in 2014.
Speaking ahead of the launch of the government's new
ThinK! Road safety campaign, Road Safety Minister
Andrew Jones said: "Thanks to our tougher law, police are
catching and convicting more dangerous drivers".
"We need to educate and influence behaviour change
which is why we are pushing on with our Think! campaign,
which has helped change attitudes towards drink-driving
and ultimately save lives."
Cheshire Chief Constable Simon Byrne said: "Cheshire
Police's figures speak for themselves. We have taken a no
nonsense approach to using this new legislation as part of
our wider work to target criminals who use our road
networks."
(1st March 2016)
THIEVES CUT THROUGH CYCLE RACKS AND TAPE

THEM UP AGAIN TO STEAL BIKES
author Laura Proto)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/bicycle-thieves-are-nowcutting-through-cycle-racks-in-london-a3190216.html
Thieves are apparently slicing through London's bike racks

and taping them up to appear intact in a new ploy to steal
bicycles.
Cyclists are being warned not to secure their bicycles to
fixtures which have gaffer tape wrapped around them
after the new trick came to light.
Thieves are cutting through metal racks and then
temporarily repairing the fitting with tape to give the
illusion the structure is in one piece.
But Sarah King, Labour councillor for South Camberwell,
posted a picture on Twitter on Thursday evening showing
how she had fallen prey to the latest scam in Camberwell
at the junction of Camberwell Church Street and Vicarage
Grove.
Alongside the photograph, she said: "Cyclists please watch
out for gaffer tape on bike racks covering up that they're
cut straight through."
After a cyclist secures their bicycle to the rack, the thief
can then return to remove the tape and slide through the
bicycle lock, allowing them to take the pedal cycle.
Cllr King told the Standard: "I love cycling and love my
bike so I was really upset and I wanted to warn people
what was going on. I think the cut was already there and
was taped up so it was not visible."
She added when she returned to her bicycle, she initially
was initially confused and thought she had left her bike
elsewhere.
Cllr King said: "The tape had been pulled back but it was
not until I pushed the bar that I realised what had
happened."
Cherry Allan, policy offer for CTC, told the Huffington Post:
"The more publicity that can be given to this, the better.
Greater awareness will help the local community and the

police who patrol our streets to put an end to this crime.
"All cyclists need to be aware of this and watch out for any
bike racks covered in gaffer tape which look suspicious,
whether it is their bike at risk or someone else's.
"Also, please be wary of buying a bike from an unofficial
source that seems too good a deal to be true, in case it
has been stolen."
(1st March 2016)
"LUCY GANG" OF EBAY SCAMMERS JAILED FOR

"FRAUD ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE"
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/lucy-gang-of-ebayscammers-jailed-for-fraud-on-an-industrial-scalea3189876.html
A crime gang suspected of being part of a multi-millionpound eBay scam dubbed the "Lucy network" has been
jailed for a total of 18 years.
The gang, described in court as the London cell of a
nationwide crime operation, raked in more than 450,000
by offering non-existent cars and motor homes for sale on
internet auction sites. Detectives believe they are a part of
a larger organised crime gang dubbed the "Lucy network"
because the conmen use the girl's name in emails to
potential victims.
Thousands of people across the country fell victim to the
fraud in which people were offered cars, motor homes and
trailers on sites such as eBay and Gumtree, often for
around 200 or 300 less than the going rate.
The auction site pages were linked to fraudulent bank
accounts set up by hundreds of Romanians they ferried

into the country for a few days on cheap flights. The
gang's ringleader, Madalin Popescu, 34, would collect the
"cash mules" from Luton airport and chauffeur them
around high street banks across London where a coconspirator would act as translator to open the accounts.
Police believe the gang of four men and a woman were
sometimes opening 10 to 15 bank accounts a day across
the capital. They identified 130 victims who lost 450,000
in fake transactions from June 2014 to September 2015.
One retired couple from Bognor Regis in West Sussex used
4,500 of their retirement savings to purchase a camper
van online, believing that they were protected by PayPal.
When the vehicle did not arrive and they could not contact
the "seller", they realised they had been defrauded.
Victims were lured in by hard-luck stories often from a
woman called Lucy saying she had broken up with her
boyfriend and had to sell her car quickly. Police say the
City of London's Action Fraud reporting centre has
thousands of emails from conmen that include the name
Lucy.
Immediately after buyers transferred money into the
accounts, the funds were withdrawn and all lines of
communication cut, leaving people thousands of pounds
out of pocket.
Popescu, of Watford, Roxanna Trusca, 28, Florin Drechichi,
25, Mihai Cercerlaru, 35, and Christian Calistrache, 31, all
pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to money launder charge.
Popescu was jailed for five years and his co-conspirators,
all from north-west London, were jailed for between two
years six months and three years eight months.
City of London police say there have been more than
45,000 reports of online auction fraud in the past year,
with more than 6,300 reports made by victims in the
London area.
Detective Inspector Matt Mountford, the head of the
London Regional Fraud Team, said: "This criminal gang

committed online auction fraud on an industrial scale and
then used fake identities and money mules shipped in
from abroad to launder hundreds of thousands of pounds
they had stolen from hundreds of innocent people.
"The fact this sophisticated, highly professional fraud has
been unravelled and the architects brought to justice is
thanks to a forensic investigation by the London Regional
Fraud Team, which continues to disrupt organised
criminality impacting the London region."
(1st March 2016)
SAFE AND SOUND - HOW TO BEAT THE BURGLARS

AND PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY
(The Guardian, dated 25th February 2016 author Chris
Menon)
www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/25/burglarsprotect-property-locks-security-cameras
Domestic burglary figures fell to a 35-year low in 2015, yet
there were 785,000 offences reported to the Office for
National Statistics by households in England and Wales.
Not all were reported to the police though, as official
figures recorded 411,425 crimes.
There are a range of things you can do to avoid becoming
part of the statistics. The police recommend burglar
alarms and external lights on a site dedicated to providing
advice. And Michael Fraser, a former burglar turned
television presenter, says: "Burglars are looking for
weaknesses, these are the things that attract a burglar to
your property in the first place.
"If they can see into the property and there are no window
locks, and valuables are on show, a burglar will be
attracted to that. It shows that people aren't that careful
with their possessions."
Fraser, who is the author of How safe is your home?,

recommends the use of an additional five-lever mortise
lock on the front door, because a Yale lock can be opened
in seconds by a thief. He also advises fitting a letterbox
cage to prevent a burglar using a pole to "fish" keys from
the hall table, or opening the Yale lock from inside.
The former burglar says the best place to store valuables
is in the loft. A burglar will go into the loft if they are brave
but not many choose to because once they do, they are
stuck and there is no easy escape route. It's also a good
idea to store bags and suitcases up there, so the burglar
can't use them to carry away the things you store
elsewhere.
Fraser advises that you watermark all your valuables and
advertise this with a window sticker. "If you don't have
window locks, if you don't have a sticker saying you are
Neighbourhood Watch, or saying your items are
watermarked, if there is no cage on the letterbox to stop
fishing through it - things like that attract burglars," he
says.
Common sense also plays a part. He says people should
tidy away garden tools and lock sheds so they can't be
used to break in. Don't have a window-facing calendar
with the dates you're away on holiday, and if you have two
locks on a front door, make sure you use them, he adds.
Insurance requirements
At Nationwide, whose home insurance is underwritten by
Direct Line, there are no security requirements for most
customers buying a home insurance policy. "We only
require minimum security requirements to be
implemented if the customer lives in a high-risk theft area
or if they have suffered a theft in the past three years, for
example," a spokesperson says.
These minimum security requirements include things such
as key-operated locks on all accessible windows. On all
final exit doors people should have a mortise deadlock

with at least five levers, or a lock that conforms to British
Standard BS3621:1998 or higher, or a key-operated multipoint locking system.
Nationwide demands extra security if the contents sum
insured exceeds 100,000, requiring an alarm that is
connected to a centrally monitored station. Also, if a
customer has an item of jewellery or a watch that is worth
more than 7,500 or if they have a combined total of
jewellery and watches exceeding 20,000, it asks that
they have a safe installed. If a customer has these in
place, Nationwide says they will get a discount on their
contents insurance.
Aviva doesn't offer discounts on the premium but does
encourage the use of security products, which help
prevent physical entry, as well as home security devices
that allow for remote monitoring using smartphone
technology.
Nationwide and Aviva's stance are typical, according to
the British Insurance Brokers Association (Biba), which
helps customers locate appropriate cover via insurance
brokers.
Pam Quinn, communications manager at Biba, says:
"Many insurers will have some degree of security
requirement, depending on location, previous history and
sums to be insured. It is vital that whoever buys the policy
is able to adhere to them to avoid any issues in the event
of a claim. If consumers are in any doubt they should
speak to their broker, or if they don't have one, contact us
and we can help them find one."
(1st March 2016)
POLICE STOPPED 2,000 MOTORISTS DOING OVER

100mph in 2014 - 15

More than 2,000 motorists in the UK were caught by police
speeding at more than 100mph in the last year.
The figures come from 42 of the UK's 45 police forces in
response to a Freedom of Information request from BBC
Radio 5 live.
The highest speed recorded was 156mph on the A1(M) in
Cambridgeshire in March - more than twice the national
limit.
A footballer was fined 1,400 and given a six-month ban
for that offence after being stopped in his BMW M4 Coupe.
Police were asked to supply details for the 2014-15
financial year on the number of offences they recorded
where a motorist was found to be going over 100mph either by a speed camera or from an officer's speed radar.
Forces were also asked to supply the maximum speed,
location and make and model of vehicle involved.
Three forces - Greater Manchester, Kent and Thames
Valley - did not supply any information while others only
provided some of the requested details.
But the responses showed at least 2,169 traffic reports
were filed by UK police forces against motorists - most in
cars but some on motorbikes - travelling at more than
100mph.
The highest speeds clocked after the BMW at 156mph,
were a Mercedes C200 doing 155mph on the M1 in
Hertfordshire, and a Jaguar at 144mph on the M4 in
Gloucestershire.
The figures supplied by those forces specifying an exact
speed showed 152 out of the 2,169 motorists were
clocked going at 120mph or faster, with 43 stopped
driving at speeds of at least 130mph.
Where a make of car was specified for the group travelling
at more than 130mph, a quarter were BMW cars or
motorcycles. Another 13 were either Audi, Mercedes or
Ford cars, while at least three other motorcyclists were

involved.
The Cambridgeshire constabulary recorded the highest
number of drivers going more than 100mph (284);
followed by Humberside Police (166); Avon and Somerset
Constabulary (164); Hertfordshire Constabulary (155);
North Yorkshire Police (154), and West Mercia Police (151).
There were 146 motorists stopped in Scotland, while
Surrey Police, while not supplying a breakdown of data,
reported action had been taken against 140 motorists for
speeding at between 101 and 140mph. There were 82
people caught going more than 100mph in Northern
Ireland.
'Full force of law'
The National Police Chiefs Council lead for Roads Policing,
Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, told the BBC: "Speed
is a significant factor in fatal road accidents and extreme
speed causes an even greater risk to road users."
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said road
safety was the number one priority for the industry.
"The industry does not condone excessive speed and
compiles with strict advertising rules covering speed," it
said in a statement.
"Speed limits are in place for a reason and those who
exceed them should face the full force of the law."
However, Gerard McManus, whose daughter, Rebecca, was
killed standing at a bus stop in 2014 by a driver caught
doing 101mph in a 40mph zone, suggests the motor
industry is compounding the problems of speeding.
"The cars are advertised in such a way they can only
appeal to a certain type of individual," he said.
"If you buy a performance car that's capable of 0-60 in
four seconds and a top speed of 200mph, it's likely at
some point the person is likely to take it to its limits."
According to the Transport Research Laboratory in

Berkshire, which studies driver behaviour, two groups of
people are often caught driving at very high speeds.
There are young men - so-called boy racers - but also men
in their 40s and 50s who own luxury cars and may do a lot
of driving for work.
The head of Transport Psychology at TRL, Dr Shaun
Helman, said: "Modern cars are very good at protecting
you from the wind noise and the road noise and all the
things that tell you that you are going fast. And as a result
people lull themselves into this false sense of security."
"There is a famous psychologist who uses the term
'carcooned' - people are carcooned in their vehicles."
Speeding driver's explanation
Richard from south-west England was fined 150 and had
six points put on his driving licence after being caught
driving at 103mph.
"I knew I was over the limit," he says. "I didn't know I was
over 100mph.
"Modern cars are so isolated and insulated it's sometimes
difficult to tell, and you can't watch the speedo every
second. There are fatal consequences sometimes.
"Yes, in hindsight it's irresponsible - but conditions for
driving were pretty much perfect. Clear sunny day, dry
roads, good visibility, light to medium traffic, there was no
perceived danger to my eyes at the time.
"But yes, I was over 100mph. Modern cars are very safety
engineered but nothing's going to stop two ton of vehicle
at that speed very quickly. It's made me more aware and I
use cruise control now much more to keep a check on
speeds."
(1st March 2016)
HOW EASY IS IT TO HACK A HOME NETWORK

(BBC News, dated 25th February 2016 author Mark Ward)
My home is under attack.
Right now, skilled adversaries are probing its defences
seeking a way in. They are swift, relentless and smart. No
weakness will escape their notice.
But I am not without defences. I've tried to harden the
most vulnerable devices to stop them being compromised
and I've set up warning systems that should alert me if the
attackers get inside.
In the end, all that effort was for nothing because the
attackers found so many ways to get at me and my home
network. And, they said, even if the technology had
defeated them, the weakest link of all - me - would
probably have let them in.
Swiss cheese
I found out just how severely compromised my home
network was in a very creepy fashion. I was on the phone
when the web-connected camera sitting on the window sill
next to me started moving. The lens crept round until it
pointed right at me. I knew that the attackers were on the
other end watching what I was doing, and potentially,
listening to the conversation.
It is a gadget my children and I have used to see if any
wildlife passes through our garden and one which many
people have for home security or as an alternative baby
monitor.
I was lucky that I knew my attackers who, at that moment,
were sitting in my living room waiting to show me how
straightforward it was to subvert these domestic devices.
The picture they took of me via the camera was evidence
enough.
The attackers were Dan Turner and Kyprianos Vasilopoulos
from security firm Trustwave who test network defences
for a living.
There were several different devices on my network that
looked hackable, said Mr Turner. My router had known,
unpatched security issues and the USB-connected back-up
drive was also tempting but for him the web-capable
camera was "the big red flag".
A few hours' work uncovered a previously unknown bug in
the camera's core software that Mr Turner was able to
exploit.
"It meant we were able to do things with it that we really
should not be able to do," he said. "At that point it was
pretty much game over."
The attack the pair developed revealed the internal
passwords for the network the camera sat on. Knowing
that allowed attackers to join the network with the same
privileges as all the members of my family. Maybe that's
why my network security system did not spot the
intrusion.
It's a vulnerability that exposes more than me to potential
trouble. The Shodan search engine that logs net devices
lists about 1.5 million that use the same core software.
That's not to say that all are vulnerable but a good
percentage are probably unwitting gateways to the
networks they sit on.
Calling out
It's these often unregarded devices that are a big security
issue, said Greg Day, European security chief at Palo Alto
Networks.
Most people overlook them because they seem so
mundane, he said. Even though most will be, in effect, a
small computer running a cut-down version of the Linux
operating system.
"You should look at the pings going out from your home
network," he said. "There might be a lot more outgoing
traffic than you think."
Using a network sniffing tool, I had a look and I was
amazed at how much data was flowing across my home
network. Desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones were
all checking in online, many constantly, to get updates or
to feed ads and other content to apps.
I also found two mystery devices - one of which was
revealed to be a printer and the other a digital radio I had
forgotten I had hooked up to the wi-fi when I got it years
ago.
Increasingly, said Mr Day, it will be the smaller,
supposedly smarter devices that will expose people to
security risks.
There are industry efforts to find and fix bugs in gadgets
that make up the Internet of Things but not all
manufacturers are reacting to reports of problems. The
maker of the web-capable camera I use has been informed
about the bug but it has no plans to close the loophole.
Thankfully, said Mr Vasilopoulos from Trustwave, attacks
on those home networks are relatively rare. Instead,
cyber-thieves tended to rely on spear phishing campaigns.
"Everything starts with email," he said. "That's always the
easy route."
These campaigns use carefully targeted emails that look
like they have been sent by people a target knows or is
likely to respond to. Names for these emails are often
grabbed from social media sites such as Facebook or
LinkedIn.
To demonstrate how this worked the Trustwave team faked
a message to me from an attractive young woman who
works at the BBC. My middle-aged vanity was all too likely
to make me open the message, click on the attachment
and fall victim.
If I had opened it, I would have seen an error message
that asked me to OK a macro to help display the contents

of the attachment. If I had, that would also have meant
game over. Anti-virus software would not have spotted the
dodgy macro, said Mr Vasilopoulos. Once running it
searches for saleable data and steals it.
"We created a script that can get as much information
automatically as it can," he said.
Lock down
Suitably chastened by both these experiences, I looked
into ways to harden my home network. First off was to
turn off the web access to the camera. Then I unhooked
the digital radio from the wi-fi.
I could go further, said Craig Young from security firm
Tripwire, who has spent a lot of time studying the security
shortcomings of home routers. About 80% of the topselling routers on Amazon have security bugs, he has
found.
His advice was to update the core software or firmware on
a router to the latest version. Alternatively, he said, people
could replace the firmware with an open source version.
Digital rights group the EFF runs the Open Wireless project
that creates such software.
"You should also disable WPS," he said. WPS, or Wi-fi
Protected Setup, was supposed to be an easy way to get
devices connected to a router. But the push-a-button-toconnect system came with flaws.
"It's a technology where the complexity of the wi-fi pass
phrase gets reduced to an eight-digit pin," he said. In
some cases, he added, the size of the pin is reduced
further and some routers use the same default digits.
"It's a disaster," he said.
He also advised changing the default admin password and
disabling the web interface for the router to make it harder
to get at and take over.
"Most of the attacks on routers that we see target that
HTTP service," he said.
And it did not end there. After I had followed that advice I
made sure I updated all the family PCs, laptops, tablets
and phones. I used the security software I had installed to

scan as many machines as I could. I regularly check online
accounts to make sure I'm the only one logging in. Now
I'm not sure if I am more secure, or just more paranoid.
Home network security tips
- Use anti-virus software and a firewall. Keep both
updated.
- Update the firmware on your router. Change the default
admin names and passwords. Log out when you have
finished configuring it. Turn off WPS.
- Make sure the operating systems on PCs, laptops, phones
and tablets are kept up to date.
- Be suspicious of emails bearing attachments, even from
people you know.
- Check the security of net-connected devices such as IP
cameras, network drives and other "smart" devices. If
possible, turn off their web interfaces.
(1st March 2016)
FAKE PLAY-DOH "FOOLS SECURITY SCAN TO HACK

INTO iPHONE 6"
www.standard.co.uk/news/techandgadgets/ground-dronedelivery-robots-set-to-be-deployed-on-londons-streetsnext-month-a3186586.html
A tech start-up claims to have hacked an iPhone
fingerprint sensor using a fake fingerprint made from PlayDoh.
Vkansee said it created the hack to show the superior
resolution of its own fingerprint sensors.
The company created the false fingerprint by pushing
Play-Doh into the cast of a finger made in dental paste.
The duplicate fingerprint is then placed on the sensor,

which the Standard saw fool the scanning security feature
to unlock an iPhone 6.
Smartphone sensors currently scan information at 500
pixels per inch, but the company has developed one that
works at four times the resolution.
Biometric payments are a big talking point at this year's
Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. MasterCard unveiled
fingerprint or selfie authentication for payments instead of
a passcode to try to reduce online fraud.
New York-based Vkansee said its sensor can capture
ridges and peaks in the finger in far greater detail. Even
sweat pores are said to be visible, to show the image is
from a real person.
Company president Jason Chaikin said: "We used the PlayDoh to demonstrate that even though the sensors in our
phones today are very useful, they have vulnerabilities,
which we can show by entering a simple mould of PlayDoh based on your fingerprint. These technologies are
now 10 years old and we represent the second generation.
We certainly hope to be in phones in early 2017."
Mr Chaikin denied that revealing the Play-Doh hack was
making it easier for thieves and said vulnerabilities could
be closed if they are exposed. He confirmed the company
was negotiating with manufacturers, but declined to
reveal which, although one demonstration sensor was
made from rose gold similar to Apple's premium colour.
Touch ID is used to unlock an iPhone, and can then be
used to authorise services including the App Store. Apple
says there is "a very high level of security", but declined
to comment on the hacking technique.
(1st March 2016)
BORIS JOHNSON ANNOUNCES EXPANSION OF

"BOOZE TAG" SCHEME TARGETING DRUNKEN YOBS
(Internation Business Times, dated 25th February 2016
author Mark Piggott)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-boris-johnson-announcesexpansion-booze-tag-scheme-targeting-drunken-yobs1546068
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has announced the
expansion of a scheme where offenders who commit
crimes while under the influence of alcohol will have
devices attached that can "smell" alcohol - and potentially
send them to prison if they have a drink. The so-called
"sobriety tags" have been trialled in four London boroughs
and have been declared a success, with 92% of those
monitored steering clear of the pub and off licence - and
out of trouble.
The device is attached to an offender's ankle like a normal
tag. If the miscreant drinks alcohol the device can detect it
in the person's perspiration and sends an alarm to
probation officers. The 113 offenders who took part in the
trial in the boroughs of Lambeth, Sutton, Croydon and
Southwark had all been convicted of drink-related crimes
including street violence and drink-driving. The offenders
were fitted with the Continuous Alcohol Monitoring tags for
an average of 75 days. 298,000 readings were taken
across a total of 6,500 monitored days.
In a report published today (25 February) the Mayor of
London's office says the scheme has been such a success
it will now be rolled out across the capital, potentially
saving the tax-payer huge amounts as reoffending rates
are reduced. "The scheme offers an innovative and
tailored response to alcohol-related offending,
Interviewees felt that a period of abstinence had the
potential to give offenders a 'pause' in drinking, time to
reflect on alcohol consumption and its impact on offending
behaviour, relationships and work, and an opportunity to
break the cycle of routine drinking."

The scheme became possible in 2012 after the mayor
pledged to introduce "compulsory sobriety for drunken
offenders" in his election manifesto. "Alcohol-fuelled
crimes put a huge strain on frontline services, costing the
taxpayer billions of pounds a year," said Johnson in a
statement.
"From assault and drink-driving, to theft and criminal
damage, this technology is driving down reoffending and
proving rehabilitation does not have to mean prison. After
such a success in South London, it's time to roll out these
tags to the rest of the capital and rid our streets of these
crimes by helping even more offenders stay off the booze
and get back on the right track."
Not all such schemes have been so successful. Justice
minister Dominic Raab said a scheme to monitor offenders
using so-called "satellite tags" has been abandoned due to
spiralling costs. "Developing bespoke tags has been
challenging and it is now clear that it will be more
appropriate to pursue our goals using off-the-shelf
technology which is already available," said Raab in a
statement.
(1st March 2016)
POLICE AND ACADEMICS DEVELOPING SYSTEM TO

MAP CRIME HOTSPOTS
(The Guardian, dated 24th February 2016 author Jamie
Grierson)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/24/policedeveloping-new-system-to-identify-hotspots
The policing watchdog is working with academics to map
crime hotspots in England and Wales in an attempt to
predict future levels of demand and so prevent incidents
from occurring.
Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC)
revealed it has teamed up with London School of
Economics (LSE) to build a picture of "predicted demand"
on policing in the 181,000 census output areas.
The move comes as the inspectorate warns police forces
must have a better grasp of what they are likely to face in
the years to come as they deal with increasingly limited
resources.
Predicting where crime could occur, as well as what type
of offences may be committed, drew comparisons to
Steven Spielberg's 2002 film Minority Report, based on a
story by sci-fi writer Philip K Dick, in which police use
psychic technology to arrest and convict murderers before
they commit their crime.
Asked if there was a danger that officers would rely too
heavily on this sort of crime-mapping, the chief inspector
of constabulary, Sir Tom Winsor, said it would be a
valuable tool.
"It's another very useful tool in the toolbox. But it's not
going to be like the satnav that makes people drive off the
end of a pier. They're not going to slavishly follow it.
"It's just an enormously valuable instrument, which many
of them do not have. At a local level, the inspectors
themselves know where the troubled families are; they
know where habitual criminals live.
"But to have that at force level but also to be able to drill
down to small units in a particular area; that is an
enormously valuable tool. But we're a long way from
Minority Report."
In its annual report on the state of policing, HMIC said
police forces are likely to face continued pressure on
resources and budgets, despite faring relatively well in the
most recent spending review in which George Osborne,
the chancellor, protected police spending.
The watchdog argues police forces need a more effective
approach to prevent crime from happening, although it

admits understanding future demand is not easy.
"Looking back at what occurred in the past is not
necessarily a guide to what will happen in the future," the
report said. "The unexpected can never adequately be
catered for; assumptions need regularly and frequently to
be reviewed; and problems of the moment can sometimes
take priority over taking a measured look at the future."
Working with the LSE, the inspectorate will analyse
"thousands of characteristics" relating to the population in
the 181,000 census points, which on average cover 125
households.
"Predicting levels of demand in these areas, together with
an analysis of the types of incidents that constitute that
demand, will help the police to establish the capacity and
capability necessary to prevent such incidents from
happening, or respond effectively to them after they have
occurred," the report said.
It added: "Failing adequately to plan for possible future
demand hinders the police in preventing and responding
to crime. The leaders of the police need to adjust their
approach to meeting budgetary demands away from a
simple reduction in numbers across all aspects of policing
to a more sophisticated analysis of local requirements."
The annual report comes as Labour attacked the
government's record on police funding.
In a debate in the House of Commons, the shadow home
secretary, Andy Burnham, pointed to figures that show in
2016/17 the overall government grant to the police will
not be protected in cash terms.
(1st March 2016)
FOOD FRAUDSTERS ESCAPING PUNISHMENT

(The Times, dated 21st February 2016 author Danielle
Sheridan)
Only six fraudsters were prosecuted for tampering with
food in the UK las year, despite a supposed crackdown
after the horsemeat scandal in 2013.
Data obtained by the Food Standards Agency from
councils showed little evidence that those who replace
quality ingredients with cheaper products are being
punished.
Cases inluded cheaper alternatives being sold being sold
as Smirnoff vodka and Gordon's gin in Pontypridd and beef
being substituted for lamb in curries in Chester. Another
conviction incuded the presentation of sheep meat as goat
meat in Ealing.
Duncan McNair, who chaired an inquiry into the wellbeing
of farmed animals in the UK, saidthat the figures were
parlous yet wholly unsurprising.
"For years the UK has lacked, and still urgently needs, a
new political will to build a robust, durable and properly
funded food regulatory system committed to recovering
consumer safety", he said.
He added that huge food producers and retailers "will
regard the miniscule number of prosecutions and the
attendant trifling penalties as a small overhead set against
their gargantuan turnover, and as a green light for the
status quo".
The US Food and Drug Administration warned this week
that fraudsters were adding by-products of wood pulp to
parmesan cheese.
Chris Elliott, professor of food saety at Queen's University
Belfast, who investigated the horsemeat scandal for the
government, found last year that oregano was being
packed with other ingredients. He said: " No one really
knows th true level of fraud in the food supply system in
the UK". In January PriceWaterhouseCoopers estimated
that "food fraud costs the global food industry up to $40
billion (28 billion) a year". Carol McKenna, directo of
campaigns for Compassion in World Farming said: " We

would urge consumers to buy less but better meat, dairy
and eggs, to reduce the chances that the products they
are buying have additional unwanted ingredients in them.
In particular, organic products have the highest standards
with regards to animal welfare and the environment.
The FSA, which with EUropol and the Food Fraud Networks
is responsible for keeping a check on food tampering, said
thate there may be more convictions fro authorities that
have not yet come forward.
Andy Morling, head of food crime at the FSA, said the
"substitution of one food product or ingredient with
another.... is totally unacceptable, misleads the pblic and
lessens peoples confidence in the food they buy and eat.
The Food Standards Agency has aso earmarked era
funding to enable local authorities to carry out additonal
food sampling to assess how wide sprad these problems
are".
(1st March 2016)
DOZENS OF TEENAGE GIRLS LURED TO "SEX

PARTIES" BY FACEBOOK GANG
(The Times, dated 20th February 2016 author Neil
Johnston)
Police intercepted a group of 40 school girls on their way
to a party organised by a gang allegedly aiming to
sexually exploit them.
Officers stopped the girls, aged 4 and 15, fter being
warned by teachers, social workrs and parents of sexual
activity at previous gatherings.
Police refused to say yesterday whether any arrests had
been made over the incident in Stoke on Trent on February
5th but revealed that the girls had been invited to the
party through Facebook. The majority of those who were

attending the party did not enter the house.
The intervention comes one month after detectives at
Staffordshire police said that they had identified four
"organised" gangs involved in the abuse of schoolgirls and
older teenagers with learning difficulties. Officers said the
offenders were operating in parks and the other public
spaces and were plying victims with drink and drugs or
offering them gifts, including phones and money.
Jane Sawyers, the chief constable of Staffordshire, said
that although not all the partygoers were targets, "the
purpose of arranging the party was so that some children
could be exploited".
A police spokesman added: " An operation stopped groups
who were organising parties through social media to
attract young females in North Staffordshire with the
intention to carry out child sexual exploitation".
"On the occassions where we felt it appropriate to disrupt,
or prevent parties from taking place, we have done so".
The crackdown was carried out by the public protection
investigation team, child exploitation team, integrated
offender management and social services.
It was revealed after a report from Her Majesty's
Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) that criticised the
forces failures in protecting vulnerable people from harm.
The inspection by the watchdog found that Staffordshire
police had "made an encouraging start" with its
preparations to tackle child sexul exploitation.
However, the force had a "mixed picture" of performance
overall and "serious weaknesses" in the services that they
provided to protect and support victims, particularly in
cases of domestic abuse.
HMIC, which inspected the force between June and August
last year, said that urgent improvement was needed in
several areas.
In response to the inspection, Ms Sawyers said: " We ae
constanty adapting and improving how we investigate new

tpes of crime and HMIC recognises the active steps we are
taking".
Stoke on Trent city council said in a statement "We take
our responsibility to tackle child sexual exploitation very
seriously, and work in partnership with the police and
other responsible agencies.
"We will not tolerate the sexual abuse of children and are
committed to supporting vulnerable childrenm and in this
casea range of support work is under way".
(1st March 2016)
METROPOLITAN POLICE SHORT OF 800 DETECTIVES

IN BOROUGHS
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/metropolitan-police-shortof-800-detectives-in-boroughs-a3184336.html
Scotland Yard is short of up to 800 detectives to
investigate crimes such as domestic violence, robberies
and burglaries in London's boroughs, senior officers have
admitted.
Hundreds of detectives are being diverted from CID units
into specialist squads such as the Operation Midland
inquiry into allegations of a VIP paedophile ring and
inquiries into historical sex abuse.
The shortfall has led to radical proposals such as getting
response officers in cars to investigate the crimes rather
than handing them on to CID offices.
In another move uniform police constables are being
recruited to help investigate murders because of a
shortage of trained investigators.
Emma Owens, a detective constable and vice-chairman of

the Met Police Federation, said detectives had been
stripped out of local CIDs and community safety units to
fill gaps in major inquiries.
She added: "Every time you get a major inquiry such as
Midland and Yewtree they take detectives from local units.
Morale is low, they are over worked and stressed and it is
putting people off being a detective."
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mark Simmons said the
force was short of between 700 to 800 detectives, mainly
in local crime inquiries.
He added that the Met had more detectives than ever but
because of the changing nature of crime most were being
allocated to the specialist squads, leaving shortfalls in
boroughs.
Mr Simmons said: "We have been working on this
challenge for a while. We are reviewing the process by
which day-to-day volume crime is investigated."
He said one plan was to shake-up response policing so
that it was no longer divided into boroughs but into larger
areas to make it more efficient.
In turn, response officers would be asked to investigate
many of the crimes they attended and follow them from
start to finish in court.
Already, the Met has re-organised the 32 borough forensic
teams into area hubs which Mr Simmons said had
improved prosecutions.
He added that there were also plans to increase the
number of officers dedicated to ward neighbourhood
policing. At present only one officer and one PCSO is
allocated to each ward.
Ms Owens said she had had heard of some officers in
community safety units, who investigate domestic abuse
and hate attacks, who were juggling 30 to 40 cases.
Ms Owens called for a nationally recognised detective

qualification to improve the standing of investigators to
attract more candidates.
The police watchdog, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
Constabulary, criticised the Met yesterday for a lack of
trained detectives and delays in assigning investigations
to officers.
(1st March 2016)
HMIC REPORT : MET POLICE "LACKS DETECTIVES

AND BASIC EQUIPMENT"
(International Business Times, dated 18th February 2016
author Lewis Dean)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/hmic-report-sir-bernard-hogan-howesforce-lacks-detectives-basic-equipment-1544572
The Metropolitan Police Service is hampered by a lack of
detectives and basic equipment and must do more to
protect vulnerable children, a report by HM Inspector of
Constabulary said.
The criminal justice inspectorate said Britain's largest
police force's performance was being "undermined" and
that it has failed to consistently protect vulnerable people,
"particularly children".
Overall it said the force, which has about 31,000 officers,
"requires improvement".
"Delays in allocating crimes to officers for investigation,
together with a shortage of trained detectives and some
basic equipment for frontline officers, is undermining the
force's overall investigation performance," the report said.
"The force is managing the highest risk offenders
effectively and preventing them re-offending. But the
force's management of volume crime offenders across
London boroughs is inconsistent. The force is good at
tackling serious and organised crime.

"It has a well developed understanding of the threat and
risks posed by it; and has in place plans and mechanisms
to target the most harmful and dangerous crimes and
offenders." Overall emergency calls to the police totalled
308 per 1,000 people, below the national average of 350.
Recorded crime in the 12 months to 30 June 2015 was up
3% across the capital. Since 2010 there has been a 11%
reduction in reported crime.
In response the Met said it had already implemented
changes that had improved performance. In a statement it
said had sped up the allocation of crimes to officers and
introduced training to improve the skills of those who
supervise, direct, manage and lead investigations.
"To address shortages in equipment available to our
frontline investigators, over the next three to four years
we will make an unprecedented investment in our
technology, equipping our officers with cutting-edge
mobile devices, which will enable them to provide a faster
and more effective response to crime across London," it
added. Britain's largest police force will add more
detectives, it said, and review how it manages resources.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Mark Simmons said: "The
Met has been making huge strides in reducing crime and
making London safer, but we clearly need to focus more
on how well we are investigating crimes, protecting the
vulnerable and making sure offenders are better
managed."
The home secretary Theresa May earlier this month
extended commissoner Sit Bernard Hogan-Howe's contract
by one year in move Britain's top police officer took as a
"vote of confidence". He has recently been criticised for
investigations into historical sex offences under Operation
Midland and his delayed apology to Lady Brittan, wife of
the late peer Lord Brittan, for not telling her a rape
investigation against her husband had in fact been
dropped.
Gang takedown
One of the areas where the Met was rated "good" was for
its action against organised crime. HMIC's report said
there were 218 gangs per million Londoners, way up on
the 75 reported nationwide.
In the first study by HMIC of force's effectiveness at
tackling gangs, it said the Met has a "well developed
understanding of the threat and risk posed by SOC
[serious organised crime]. We found effective mechanisms
in place to prioritise investigations against the gangs and
OCGs [organised crime groups] that cause the most harm
to Londoners".
(1st March 2016)
HUNDREDS OF MET OFFICER TAKEN OFF THE BEAT

TO HANDLE LONDON DEMOS
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/hundreds-of-met-officerstaken-off-the-beat-to-handle-london-demosa3182346.html
Hundreds of police beat officers are being routinely taken
off borough patrols each month to deal with protests and
major events in central London, new figures show.
The statistics reveal that an average of 2,000 "officer
shifts" a month are being lost from policing
neighbourhoods to "plug gaps" dealing with large-scale
events and demonstrations. Labour's London Assembly
policing spokesman Joanne McCartney, who obtained the
figures, said they exposed a decline in neighbourhood
policing in London in recent years.
She said there used to be six officers in a council area
ward "and now there is only one. Londoners want
neighbourhood police to be visible in their communities,
not pulled off the beat to plug gaps in other parts of

London".
She added that in recent months police had been taken
from boroughs to reinforce the number of firearms officers
in London after the Paris terrorist attacks, as well as to aid
investigations into a rising number of sexual offences. Ms
McCartney said local wards had also lost PCSOs and a total
of 3,500 posts had been axed in recent years.
"When officers are being removed from boroughs 2,000
times a month it's incredibly misleading of the Mayor to
claim they are local bobbies." she said. The figures show
that in 2014 officers were removed from their local beat
for 111,684 shifts. In the first nine months of 2015, the
latest period for which data is available, 78,640
neighbourhood policing shifts were lost, with some
boroughs losing over 100 shifts a week on average.
Boroughs such as Westminster, Lambeth and Southwark
have been hardest hit by the re-deployments.
But a spokesman for Mayor Boris Johnson insisted he was
a "passionate" supporter of neighbourhood policing and
said: "He has put an additional 2,600 officers into local
roles since 2012, kept officer numbers high at 32,000 into
the next financial year and increased the percentage of
officers in visible frontline roles."
Commander BJ Harrington from the Met's Specialist Crime
and Operations section said there were over 3,500 public
order events a year, including protests, football matches
and ceremonial occasions.
He added : "By using police drawn largely from across
London's boroughs we do not need to hold a large reserve
of officers waiting for operations to happen. It also ensures
that officers who are deployed in public order understand
the communities they police."
In 2014, officers were deployed to incidents such as proPalestinian protests and the hunt for 14-year-old Alice
Gross from Hanwell, who was later found murdered.
(1st March 2016)
DON'T SET YOUR iPHONE TO 1ST JANUARY 1970 OR

YOU WILL BREAK IT
Full article :
www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/35595474/dont-set-youriphone-to-1-january-1970-or-youll-break-it
Apple is warning iPhone users not to fall for an internet
hoax that leaves handsets useless and irreparable.
A fake advertisement claims that changing the date on
your iPhone to 1 January 1970 will give you a retro Apple
design - it doesn't.
And the date change will cause your phone to become
permanently stuck while rebooting if it's switched off or
runs out of battery.
The bug affects the likes of the iPad Air, Mini 2 and any
iPhone 5s onwards.
The glitch was discovered last week, but a fake photo has
been circulating on social media encouraging people to
switch the date on iPhones 5s and upwards.
Users were meant to be able to discover an Easter egg in
the form of a 1970s-style multicoloured Apple logo and
design.
Unfortunately, going retro on your iPhone won't change
the design.
Instead, when the phone is turned off and turned on again,
it refuses to reboot, displaying the Apple home screen and
going no further.
Incidentally, Apple wasn't even around in 1970. It was
founded six years after that.
Any iOS device with a 64 bit processor will be affected.
So the iPhone 5s, 6, 6 Plus, 6s and 6s Plus, the iPad Air 2,
the iPad Mini 3 and 4, and the sixth-generation iPod Touch.
Apple confirmed the issue on its website, and said an

upcoming software update would provide a solution.
Taking the device to an Apple store and getting a new one
seems to be the only answer for iPhone users who have
fallen victim to the hoax at the moment.
Restoring the smartphone through iTunes doesn't work
and while removing the battery has been reported as a
successful fix, getting it wrong could damage the phone
even more and voids the warranty.
(1st March 2016)
MORE THAN 700 OFFENCES ARE BEING COMMITTED

BY EU MIGRANTS EVERY WEEK
(The Telegraph, dated 16th February 2016 authors Steven
Swinford and Laura Hughes)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12160464/Morethan-700-offences-are-being-committed-by-EU-migrantsevery-week-official-figures-suggest.html
More than 700 offences are being committed by EU
migrants every week and the number of convictions has
risen by nearly 40 per cent over the past five years,
official figures suggest.
Police data shows that the number of convictions involving
European Union citizens has risen from around 27,000 in
2010 to around 37,000 last year.
Over the same period the the number of EU-born citizens
living in Britain has risen by 30 per cent from 2.3million to
3million.
However, offenders from the European Union still make up
a relatively small number of the overall 1.2million
individuals convicted in Britain last year.

Most convictions involved Polish and Romanian migrants,
who accounted for nearly 17,000 offences, while
Lithuanians were convicted of 4,557 offences.
In 2014, the most recent year figures were available, a
total of 5,286 migrants were deported. The bulk of them,
however, were from outside the EU.
The rise in the number of convictions involving migrants
will add to concerns from critics about freedom of
movement in Europe, which allows them unrestricted
access to Britain.
It comes after migration restrictions on citizens from
Romania and Bulgaria were lifted in 2014.
David Cameron has repeatedly defended the principle of
free movement and said he will not challenge it as part of
his EU renegotiations. He is instead pushing for curbs on
the amount of benefits that EU migrants can claim.
Leave.EU, the eurosceptic campaign group which obtained
the figures, said that the figures show that Britain needs to
leave the EU to have full control of its borders.
A spokesman for the group said: "The public are being
endangered and the law-abiding majority of immigrants
are being given a bad name, worsening tensions in society
- yet all the Prime Minister proposes to do is request a
meaningless brake on the trivial question of EU passportholders' access to in-work benefits."
Under data exchange systems in the EU, police in Britain
notify another member state if one of its citizens has been
convicted of a crime.
The National Police Chiefs Council disclosed under
Freedom of Information that it notified other EU member
states on 37,079 occasions.
Acro, the body that oversees the exchange of criminal
records, said that the figures include both convictions and
"updates" to convictions such as appeals and breaches of
court orders. It did not provide information about the
nature of the offences committed or the sentences.
EU-born migrants make up 4 per cent of the UK's

population but figures suggest they are responsible for
less than 3 per cent of the crimes.
EU migrants can only be deported from Britain if they pose
a "threat to public security, public policy or public health".
For those that have been in Britain for more than five
years the risk has to be considered "serious" for
deportation to take place, while for those who have been
in Britain for more than a decade the risk has to be
considered "imperative".
David Davis, a Tory MP and form shadow home secretary,
said: "This is just a demonstration that freedom of
movement means we can't keep out people who we would
wish to keep out in the public interest, or expel people we
would wish to keep out in the public interest.
"It is just one single example of the dysfunctional way the
European Union works, in that it puts an esoteric principle
ahead of the real interests of ordinary people."
(1st March 2016)
HALF OF MET POLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED OF

CRIMINAL OFFENCES IN PAST DECADE STILL
WORKING FOR THE FORCE
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/half-of-met-policeofficers-convicted-of-criminal-offences-in-past-decade-stillwork-for-the-force-a3180351.html
More than half of the 685 Met police officers convicted of
criminal offences in the past 10 years still work for the
force, figures reveal today.
The majority of the convictions are for relatively minor
traffic offences but others include crimes of violence,
sexual assault and theft.

A total of 685 officers have been convicted since 2005,
including 72 who were guilty of violence against other
people, 27 of theft and 26 for sexual offences. There were
426 traffic convictions, which included 108 cases of drinkdriving, 136 of speeding, 103 of driving without due care
and four for using a mobile phone at the wheel. Five
officers have been convicted of causing death by
dangerous driving. The figures, released by the Met under
freedom of information rules, show that 343 convicted
officers remain employed, the "overwhelming majority" of
whom have committed relatively minor traffic offences.
The statistics also showed that nine officers were
convicted for corruption in 10 years and eight for perjury.
There were no officers convicted of burglary or robbery
and just three were convicted for drugs offences. The Met
said the figures showed the vast majority of officers
uphold the law and that fewer than one in 500 officers in
any year received convictions of any kind.
The majority of officers convicted of more serious crimes
left the force but traffic convictions were not usually
treated as gross misconduct, which can lead to dismissal,
a spokesman said.
He said: "Every day, the honest and hard-working men
and women who make up the Met carry out their duties
ethically and professionally.
"When the behaviour of our staff does fall below the
standard the public and the Met expects of them, then
action is taken. It is important to put this in context - in an
organisation of more than 30,000 police officers, less than
1.5 per cent have a criminal conviction, and this includes
those convicted of traffic offences such as speeding."
The highest-ranking officer convicted was Ali Dizaei, a
former commander, who was dismissed in 2012 on his
release from a jail term for misconduct in public office and
perverting the course of justice. He was found guilty of
framing a young businessman in a street row over an
unpaid bill. That same year, a counter-terrorism officer
was jailed for misconduct in a public office for trying to sell

information about the phone-hacking inquiry to the News
of the World. Detective Chief Inspector April Casburn, 53,
was sentenced to 15 months.
Of the convictions, 213 resulted in formal action or formal
misconduct proceedings, with a total of 136 officers
sacked or forced to resign.
The number of officers convicted of traffic offences fell
dramatically in the past 10 years, the figures showed. In
2005, 72 were convicted of traffic offences, including 26
for speeding, 21 for undue care and attention and 17 for
drink-driving. Last year, 19 officers were convicted of
driving offences, including three for speeding, seven for
undue care and four for drink-driving.
The lowest total for all convictions was also last year, with
46, and the highest was 100 in 2005.
Road safety charity Brake said: "Police officers, who play a
vital role in keeping our roads safe, have a particular
responsibility to act as role models. We are pleased the
number of offences has been declining in recent years."
(1st March 2016)
THE BATTLE AGAINST SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS BEING
LOST - LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF YOUNG VICTIMS
(The Guardian, dated 15th February 2016 author Joanna
Bourke)
www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/15/rapevictims-children-sexual-violence-government-statistics
It is a disturbing fact that nearly a third of female rape
victims in England and Wales are aged under 16. One in
10 are nine years old or under. These statistics, released
by the Office for National Statistics last week, are damning
evidence that something is terribly wrong about the way
our society deals with sexual violence. Chillingly, the
Crown Prosecution Service tells us that 13% of suspects
are also children.
Victims of rape are often some of the most vulnerable

members of our society. When these victims are children,
their sense of helplessness is even greater. Given that only
7% of reported rapes in London are carried out by
strangers, it's likely that children know their attackers.
Indeed, perpetrators of violence against children are
frequently the same people who are responsible for
looking after them. Children rightly fear that they will be
punished for reporting abuse. Coercion is routinely masked
as love.
Admitting to being a victim of sexual violence can be
incredibly difficult, especially for children raised in devout
families or in minority communities. A 2013 study found
that more than a quarter of all victims failed to tell anyone
about their assault; 57% told friends or relatives but not
the police. Given that adult women find it difficult to report
their assault to the police, let alone access specialist
services, is it any wonder that children might do so as
well?
Child victims face other problems. Like adults, they have
often assimilated the "rape myths" - the most important
one being the idea that the victim is partially responsible
for the attack. As a result, they often attempt to present
their account of abuse in sanitised ways. Discrepancies in
their stories can end up undermining their testimony.
Victims feel ashamed of their own violation; young male
victims might also be confused and humiliated by the
constant refrain that the sexual abuse "of girls and
women" is a public priority.
In contrast to repeated assertions that there is a "moral
panic" around sexual child abuse, in fact there is also a
great deal of complacency about it. In 2013, the office of
the children's commission reported that even people
responsible for looking after children might deny the
existence of child exploitation in their area while in the
next breath admitting that young teens were "prostituting
themselves up and down the high street". Among young
people there is widespread ignorance about what
constitutes "consent" to sexual intercourse. A double
standard in sexual behaviour is rife: a young girl coerced

into having sex is a "slut" while the aggressive boy gains
"man points".
In recent decades, a great deal has been done to help
young victims. In 1999, for example, the Youth Justice and
Criminal Evidence Act allowed for certain "special
measures" in the case of young complainants, including
live links to enable a witness to give evidence outside the
court and screens to shield the witness form the
defendant.
But these initiatives are not enough if we are to eradicate
sexual violence. On 2 February, the CPS published a
review of the Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Unit
(Rasso). It is damning. They found that the Rasso is not
even following its own victim guidelines in a third of cases.
Young witnesses are being let down: they are even being
interviewed without intermediaries. Of course, Rasso
professionals are doing their best, but caseloads have
grown dramatically in the past few years and, despite the
distressful nature of the job, there are inadequate support
mechanisms in place to help them cope with the pressure.
The report concluded that the "level of care for victims
and witnesses fell well short of what is expected".
Such public admissions of the failure to deal with sexual
violence against children as well as adults comes at a time
when Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe announced that detectives
might no longer be required to automatically believe
people who claim to have been sexually assaulted or
raped. He is commissioner for the Metropolitan police,
which has one of the highest numbers of rape per head of
any force but is ranked 33rd (out of 43) for its rape
detection rate.
It is worth reminding ourselves that, contrary to the notion
that men are at risk of being falsely accused, it is
significantly more common for actual rapists to get away
with their actions. Rape is never an easy charge to make particularly for children. Recent governments have
claimed that eradicating sexual violence is a priority. Isn't
it time that policies to make this happen are adequately

funded?
Joanna Bourke is the author of Rape: A History from the
1860s to the Present (Virago, 2007)
(1st March 2016)
BOMB EXPERT - RISK PIPE MINES STILL BURIED

UNDER BUILDINGS
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03jcqpk
A former navy bomb disposal expert has warned that pipe
mines, buried during WWII in airfields to prevent enemy
invasion, could still be under buildings in Britain.
Many of the old airfields in East and South East England
have been sold with the mines remaining underground.
However in the 1980s, the Ministry of Defence attempted
to remove them with Operation Crabstick.
As a result, 227 pipe mines were cleared up by 1989, 65
were identified but not removed. It is unknown how many
remain.
David Welch, whose company Ramora has been involved
in the demolition of two pipe mines, said people "should
be concerned", but as the pipe mines were buried about
10 feet below ground, he thinks that they they are unlikely
to go off.
"If you don't disturb them, they don't detonate. People
generally wouldn't dig down more than a few inches so
you would expect them not to encounter it."
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence said"If the
MOD does not own the land in question, it is unable to
comment however, as always, Royal Naval, Army and
Royal Air Force explosives ordnance disposal teams

remain prepared to support the police in the safe
rendering of any suspected explosive material should
anyone find it".
(1st March 2016)
BANK DETAILS OF 100,000 BRITONS FOR SALE ON

INTERNET
(The Telegraph, dated 13th February 2016 author Patrick
Sawer)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12155403/Bankdetails-of-100000-Britons-for-sale-on-internet.html
Criminals are selling the stolen credit and debit card
details of 100,000 Britons on the internet in new market
said to be "the largest and most brazen of its kind".
For as little as 1.67 banking details stolen from more
than a million people worldwide can be bought from the
website on the open internet, rather than on the "dark
web", where much online criminality takes place, it is
being claimed.
The website contains private information stolen from a
former senior adviser to the Queen as well as from
lawyers, bankers, doctors and other professionals.
According to an investigation by The Times the site, called
Bestvalid.cc, appears to have been operating openly since
at least June last year.
This suggests it has either flown under the radar of law
enforcement agencies across the world or they have not
been been able to shut it down.
The revelations will raise new fears that police are losing
the fight against online fraud, which is estimated to cost
Britain's economy at least 27 billion a year.

Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee,
said he feared the site could be funding terrorism and
organised crime and it was deeply disturbing that the site
had been allowed to trade online.
"The National Crime Agency must act immediately to get
this site closed. I will be writing to the NCA to bring this
issue to their attention," he said.
Bestvalid.cc looks like any normal online retailer and even
has a customer helpdesk and refunds for faulty products.
It sells stolen card numbers in bundles that frequently
contain additional sensitive information. Some packages
include the maiden name of the victim's mother, a
common answer to online banking security questions.
A Times reporter bought the stolen information of one of
the site's victims, with her permission, using bitcoin, the
digital currency that is almost impossible to trace.
The package included the victim's debit card number,
security code, expiry date, mobile phone number and
postal address.
The victim, Laia Humbert-Vidan, 30, a radiotherapy
physicist from London, said that she felt violated after
seeing her private details appear onscreen.
She said: "I don't feel like the police are able to protect
anyone from online fraud. If they were, these types of
sites would not exist in the first place."
There are increasing fears that cybercriminals profiting
from hacked information on the dark web, a hidden part of
the internet that can be accessed only with a special
internet browser.
In recent months several British businesses, including
TalkTalk and Carphone Warehouse, have fallen victim to
hacking, with the loss of hundreds of thousands of private
records. Some have surfaced on criminal dark web
markets.
However, Bestvalid is on the open web, which means that
it can be accessed in seconds with a standardweb
browser, such as Google Chrome or Apple Safari.

Daniel Cuthbert, an information security expert, said it is
by far the biggest site of its kind that he has come across
in recent years.
Mr Cuthbert, chief operating officer of Sensepost, said:
"Most illegal card emporiums are on the darkweb, or they
require a customer to be vetted or pay a fee to enter.
What's interesting about Bestvalid is that they've decided
to operate on the open web. It's completely brazen."
The NCA refused to confirm whether it had begun an
inquiry as it does not comment on individual sites.
The government has estimated cybercrime costs the
British economy 27 billion a year, while the Centre for
Economics and Business Research has put the figure at
34 billion a year for businesses alone.
However many frauds are thought to go unreported,
making the scale of its impact harder to estimate.
Businesses, including banks, are reluctant to undermine
trust by revealing the true extent of fraud, while in some
cases individuals are not aware they have of falling victim
or are too embarrassed to admit it.
The hack of Carphone Warehouse, which came to light in
August last year, led to the loss of about 90,000 customer
credit card records.
TalkTalk admitted in October last year that hackers had
stolen the private information of 157,000 of its four million
customers, although it said no card details were taken.
A15-year-old boy was arrested in Co Antrim, Northern
Ireland, in connection with the breach. Four men from
England and Wales were also arrested. All five men remain
on bail.
An NCA spokesman said: "The NCA, alongside UK and
international law enforcement partners and the private
sector, are working to identify and, as appropriate, disrupt
websites selling compromised card data. We will work
closely with partners of the newly established Home Office
Joint Fraud Task Force to strengthen the response.

"This may include the provision of information to the
appropriate authorities of countries hosting the server. As
part of a prevention approach, alerts to financial
institutions providing the details of compromised cards will
be considered."
Five top tips for staying safe online
Hugh Boyes, a cyber security expert at the Institution of
Engineering and Technology (IET) has five top tips for
avoiding scams and keeping your personal information
safe online.
1. Do not use an account with administrative privileges for
normal day-to-day activities and web browsing - accounts
with lower privileges warn you if a program tries to install
software or modify computer settings thus allowing you to
decide whether the proposed action is safe.
2. Ensure that your operating system and application
software is up-to-date and install anti-malware software.
3. Take care when downloading and installing software, if it
is free or is not from a well-recognised and trustworthy
brand there is a risk that the software may include
features that spy on you.
4. Treat emails containing attachments or hyperlinks
(particularly shortened links) with caution.
5. Use your common sense - if an email offer looks too
good to be true, the prices on a website are abnormally
low or you receive an unsolicited telephone call offering
computer support, it's probably a scam.
(1st March 2016)
TUMBLE DRYER FIRE RISK
(BBC News, dated 13th January 2016 author Kevin

Peachey)
Millions of tumble dryers are still to be repaired in a fire
safety campaign - but owners
face a wait of weeks for an engineer.
Owners of large air-vented dryers and condensing dryers
under the Hotpoint, Indesit and
Creda brands may need to have them fixed.
Parent company Whirlpool said eight million affected
dryers had been sold in the last 11
years, including five million in the UK.
So far, 70,000 cases had been resolved. Other customers
are facing a long wait for a visit. Some have reported an
eight-week waiting list.
"Given the large number of dryers affected, we currently
have a wait time of many weeks
before the repair service can be completed," the company,
which has 1,000 engineers, said.
"This is not up to our high standard of service and we are
working to address it."
More than three million people are being written to about
the safety notice, with 1.8
million expected to receive letters in the next two to three
weeks.
Online checker
Whirlpool bought manufacturer Indesit, including the
Hotpoint, Indesit and Creda brands,
in October 2014.
Investigations into reports of fires led eventually to the
huge programme of alerts and
repairs announced in November.
The company is asking owners to check whether their
machine is one of those affected and,
if so, to contact the company through Hotpoint's dedicated

website or the matching Indesit
site. The model number, usually found on the back of the
dryer door, can be entered in the
online checker.
If action is needed, an engineer will visit to mend the
machine - a process that the
company said could take an hour.
The company has written to 1.5 million customers so far,
and expects to contact a further
1.8 million by the start of February.
The company said a substantial number of the millions of
dryers sold over the last 11
years would have been replaced or scrapped.
So far, more than 625,000 customers have registered for a
repair, the company said.
With many facing a lengthy wait, the company said it was
offering discounts on new
products for those whose appliance was more than two
years old.
While waiting for a repair, owners are being advised not to
use their dryer when they are
out of the house or asleep, and to clean the filter after
every cycle.
Register warning
Earlier this month, charity Electrical Safety First urged
shoppers to register their
electrical products with the manufacturer in order to
receive details of any recalls.
It said faulty appliances, in general, caused 41.6m of
damage in the UK every year and 46
deaths were caused each year by electrical fires.
Since 2011 there have been more than 300 different
recalled electrical items, and the
charity said that the success rate for recalling items in the
UK was rarely higher than
10% to 20%.
"We know electrical products are high on shopping lists
this sale season so we are urging
the public to keep their families and homes safe by
making a habit of registering a new
product as soon as they get it home," said Emma Apter, of
Electrical Safety First.
"People may think it's too much hassle or there is no
benefit of providing contact details
but an unregistered appliance can be a hidden danger in
homes as it's difficult for
manufacturers to trace them."
Hotpoint Safety : https://safety.hotpoint.eu/
Indesit Safety : https://safety.indesit.eu/
General appliance safety :
www.registermyappliance.org.uk/
(1st March 2016)
SECRET FACEBOOK GROUPS USED BY PAEDOPHILES

TO SHARE IMAGES OF CHILDREN
author Maria Khan0
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-secret-facebook-groups-used-bypaedophiles-share-sexually-explicit-images-children1543600
An investigation has revealed that Facebook is not doing
enough to police paedophiles online. Several secret
groups, that are visible only to the group's administrators
and members, were found posting and sharing sexually
explicit images of children accompanied with obscene
captions.
While Facebook has insisted several times in the past that
it exerts every effort to remove obscene and violent
content, paedophiles continue to use its platform to feed

their sexual interest in children. The groups are hard to
find in the Facebook search browser due to their 'secret'
settings, however the explicit names give away the nature
of their content.
The groups are found to contain stolen pictures of children
from online sources, like blogs and public Facebook
accounts. The pictures are found to often be accompanied
with sexually explicit comments. One such group titled
'cute teen schoolies' was found to have a picture of a 10to-11-year-old girl accompanied by a caption that read,
"yum yum".
Facebook has maintained that all content that breaches its
set community standards is taken off, which includes,
"solicitation of sexual material, any sexual content
involving minors, threats to share intimate images and
offers of sexual services." Yet a Facebook group called 'We
love schoolgirlz' was amongst the many similar groups
that still remained on the site despite clearly containing
sexual content of minors.
"I'm shocked those don't breach community standards,
any parent or indeed child looking at those would know
that they were not acceptable," said Anne Longfield,
Children's Commissioner for England, reported BBC News.
"I don't think at the moment, given what we know about
the vulnerability of so many children to predators, that
they are doing enough."
Earlier, a cyber-security expert in Australia warned parents
of the risk of sharing children's photos online. Nearly half
of the content found on some paedophilia websites was
found to be sourced from social media sites, like Facebook
and family blogs. Australia's Children eSafety
Commissioner, Alastair MacGibbon, said while the photos
might appear innocent; comments exchanged under the
images sexualized them. Amongst the images retrieved by
investigators, most of them were found to contain children
doing everyday activites, swimming and sports.
"Many users clearly identify that they have obtained the
content through trawling social media accounts. The

images are almost always accompanied by highly explicit
and very disturbing user comments. Often, users
exchange email addresses with invitations to connect
outside the site to trade content," said MacGibbon,
reported The Sydney Morning Herald.
(1st March 2016)
POLICE UNCOVER "POP UP BROTHELS" IN LAKE

DISTRICT
(The Guardian, dated 11th February 2016 author Nazia
Parveen)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/feb/11/lake-districtpop-up-brothels-human-traffickers
Human traffickers are using hotels and guest houses
across the Lake District as "pop-up brothels" offering
access to prostitutes during weekend stays, police have
said.
Crime gangs have trafficked refugees to use as illegal sex
workers - some underage - and block-booked hotel rooms
in Barrow and across the south lakes, according to a local
force.
There have been reports of temporary brothels in Kendal
and it is understood that police have recently shut down
three at Barrow hotels. Officers said the crime gangs are
exploiting "human misery for financial gain".
According to police, the gangs book accommodation for a
weekend and bring sex workers up from Manchester or
Liverpool to offer services in the rural area. The dates are
then advertised online and the women are visited by a
number of men over a period of two to three days.
DCI Nick Coughlan of Cumbria police said most of the

women involved are victims of human trafficking who
have been forced into prostitution.
Officers from the force are now being offered training to
recognise the signs of modern slavery and sexual
exploitation in a bid to stop the gangs establishing a
"foothold" in Cumbria..
Coughlan said: "What we often find is there will be a
booking made online through a reputable website.
"They will then turn up and pay with cash rather than
credit or debit cards, which are traceable. They won't
arrive as a gang - often the men will come in on their own
at first.
"If it's a pop-up brothel, then two or three girls will be
brought up, sometimes by men, sometimes by older
women."
One landlady in Barrow who did not want to be named
said she was shocked when she found prostitutes were
using her property. She told the North-West Evening Mail
that she trawled through CCTV at her guest house and she
now has images of local men regularly visiting prostitutes.
"We have such a high density of B&Bs, apartments and
hotels in Cumbria and find it hard to believe it's not
happening more widely," said Coughlan.
Hoteliers, apartment owners and cleaners were being
asked to be vigilant and report anything unusual to the
police.
Coughlan said: "Our first priority is to safeguard the
victims, who have often come from poor conditions, in
parts of Eastern Europe for example, and are being forced
into these things against their will.
"Our second priority is criminal prosecution for the
traffickers. However, the victims are often badly
intimidated and customers don't want to go to court, so
we need other evidential opportunities and public
support."
The women involved in the raids on the guest houses and
hotels in Barrow have not been prosecuted but treated as
victims and offered help by police and other organisations.

(1st March 2016)
30% OF FEMALE RAPE VICTIMS UNDER 16

(The Guardian, dated 11th February 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/feb/11/30-of-femalevictims-under-16
Nearly a third of female rape victims are girls aged under
16, new figures indicate.
The findings emerged as the first detailed breakdown of
the age and gender of victims of alleged sexual offences
recorded by police were published.
Experimental data, published by the Office for National
Statistics (ONS) and based on statistics from 13 forces in
England and Wales, showed that in the 12 months to
March last year:
- Three in 10 (30%) female rape victims were aged under
16, a quarter (25%) were 14 or younger and nearly one in
10 (9%) were nine years old or under.
- Rape victims of both sexes were most likely to be aged
between 15 and 19.
- Half of female victims of other sexual offences, such as
assaults, grooming and sexual exploitation, were girls
aged under 16.
Sarah Green, of the End Violence Against Women
Coalition, said the statistics were "truly alarming".
She said: "They have to be a wake-up call to the
government, to every profession working with young
people and to all of us. What are we going to do about this

horrific level of assault against young women and girls?
"We believe the figures show that those who commit these
crimes target victims who are young and more vulnerable.
Offenders have more confidence in getting away with
crimes against younger women and girls.
"We have to get serious about tackling the perpetrators of
this abuse and preventing assaults in the first place."
Analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales
published alongside the statistics showed that
respondents in younger age groups were more likely to
think it was acceptable at least some of the time to hit or
slap their partner if they had an affair.
Green said: "It is clear that many young people have
extremely worrying attitudes towards acceptable
behaviour in intimate relationships.
"We cannot ignore the easy availability of online
pornography and other parts of popular culture with its
messages about jealousy, ownership and traditional male
and female roles, and we need a debate about this."
The ONS said the overall number of sexual offences
logged by police in the year ending March last year,
88,106, was the highest tally since the introduction of
crime recording standards in 2002.
It said: "As well as improvements in recording practices,
this is thought to reflect a greater willingness of victims to
come forward to report such crimes."
Mark Castle, chief executive of the charity Victim Support,
said: "While the increase in reporting and better police
recording of sexual crime is to be welcomed, there is still a
long way to go in improving the support given to victims
who make the brave decision to speak up and seek
justice."
The ONS also said that improvements in crime recording
processes by the police were thought to be the main
driver behind a 23% rise in the number of violence against
the person offences recorded.
David Tucker, of the College of Policing, said: "It's

encouraging to see that improved recording practices in
forces are believed to be behind the increase of recorded
violent and sexual crimes."
He added: "However, there are still too many violent and
sexual crimes.
"Our research on national demand has indicated an
increasing amount of time in forces is directed towards
public protection and safeguarding issues."
(1st March 2016)
PARENTS URGED TO BOYCOTT VTECH TOYS AFTER

HACK
(BBC News, dated 10th February 2016 author Leo Kelion)
Cybersecurity experts have said parents should boycott or
at least be cautious of VTech's electronic toys because of
how it has handled a hack attack.
They gave the advice after it emerged that VTech's new
terms and conditions state that parents must assume
responsibility for future breaches.
More than 6.3 million children's accounts were affected by
last year's breach, which gave the perpetrator access to
photos and chat logs.
VTech says it stands by the new terms.
"Since learning about the hack of its databases, VTech has
worked hard to enhance the security of its websites and
services and to safeguard customer information," said a
spokeswoman.
"But no company that operates online can provide a 100%
guarantee that it won't be hacked.
"The Learning Lodge terms and conditions, like the T&Cs
for many online sites and services, simply recognise that
fact by limiting the company's liability for the acts of third

parties such as hackers.
"Such limitations are commonplace on the web."
'Full responsibility'
The new terms were flagged by a blog by the Australian
security specialist Troy Hunt.
In it, he detailed additional flaws with VTech's products
and alleged that it was misleading for the firm to have
described the attack as being "sophisticated".
He also disclosed that the company had issued new terms
and conditions on 24 December for the software that lets
parents add apps to its devices and copy off photos and
other saved files.
They tell parents:
"You acknowledge and agree that you assume full
responsibility for your use of the site and any software or
firmware downloaded.
"You acknowledge and agree that any information you
send or receive during your use of the site may not be
secure and may be intercepted or later acquired by
unauthorised parties.
"You acknowledge and agree that your use of the site and
any software or firmware downloaded there from is at your
own risk."
Another security researcher, Scott Helme, later confirmed
the terms appeared when Europe-based owners of the
VTech's InnoTab Max tablets updated its firmware.
Mr Hunt was dismayed.
"People don't even read these things!" he wrote.
"If [VTech] honestly feel they're not up to the task of
protecting personal information, then perhaps put that on
the box and allow consumers to consciously take their
chances rather than implicitly opting into the 'zero
accountability' clause."
'Unforgiveable and ignorant'
His condemnation of the firm has since been echoed by
four other security experts.
"This is an unbelievably arrogant and derogatory response

considering their track record with data security," said Ken
Munro from Pen Test Partners.
"If VTech think that those T&Cs are the answer to their
problems I think they should be given a bigger problem to
deal with. Boycott them and take your money somewhere
else."
Prof Angela Sasse - director of the UK Research Institute in
Science of Cyber Security - added that she would be
"cautious" about all of the firm's products.
"The nature of the security flaws identified, and their
displayed lack of urgency in fixing them, casts doubt on
their security competence," she told the BBC.
"Instead, they change the T&Cs to 'dump' any risk on their
customers - I would not trust a vendor who behaves in this
way."
University College London's Dr Steven Murdoch also
guided potential shoppers elsewhere.
"The existence of vulnerabilities that result from
beginners' mistakes in the VTech website is disappointing,
as is their handling of the situation, so it raises serious
questions about whether there are vulnerabilities in their
other products," he said.
"It would be understandable that potential customers will
look elsewhere."
Meanwhile, Trend Micro's Rik Ferguson said the firm's
behaviour was "unforgivable, ignorant and indefensible".
"Would I advise consumers to avoid an organisation that
attempts to take advantage of its customers' goodwill and
to absolve itself of its legal responsibilities with weasel
words? Unequivocally, yes."
A lawyer added that VTech's approach was "odd".
"It's unusual to see these terms in consumer contracts and
it's questionable if they would be enforceable," said
Callum Murray, head of commercial technology at Kemp
Little.
Under scrutiny
VTech's reach is about to grow following a deal to take

over its US rival Leapfrog, which makes child-centric
tablets computers, smartwatches and apps of its own.
But one company-watcher commented that the impact
went even further.
"A lot of eyes are on VTech because nothing on this kind of
scale has happened in the toy industry before," said Billy
Langsworthy, editor of the Toy News trade magazine.
"Toy firms need to be aware that these kinds of cyberattacks are going to become more common, so right from
how they set up their security to how they deal with the
PR of a breach is something that this sector is going to
have to look at."
(1st March 2016)
VIRGIN MEDIA SPOOF EMAIL MYSTERY - CUSTOMERS

TAKE TO FACEBOOK
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/09/virgin_media_spoof_em
ail_issues/
Customers of Virgin Media who are increasingly convinced
their service provider has been victim of a security breach
have formed a Facebook group to share their experiences
and push for answers.
Virgin Media is firmly denying any breach of its systems
but users are equally adamant that the cause of a
widespread and ongoing email spoofing problem must be
down to a problem with the ISP.
The aggrieved customers say the issues at Virgin Media
began in September last year, around the time the service
provider migrated from the Google platform to its own.
This was accompanied by some spamming, as we reported

at the time, but this was only one aspect of a bigger and
ongoing mail security problem - at least, according to
disgruntled customers.
According to this group, Virgin Media somehow managed
to leak email addresses and address books held on its
servers to hackers. Within days of the migration, ntlworld
and blueyonder accounts were spoofed to distribute spam
messages in junk mail runs limited to email addresses
those users had previously been in contact with.
"Around 70 of us have had our email web accounts
compromised and [believe] that the spammer is sending
out spoofed email to everyone in our sent/received items,"
Simon, a victim of the apparent breach - who says he has
worked in IT for 20 years - told El Reg. "Each email to five
of these contacts contains a link to a compromised
website with the aim of infecting a new PC. A spoofing
event happens about every 3-4 weeks causing a large
number of bounce-backs to the victim."
Virgin Media customers started to receive batches of
undelivered email reports at the time the service provider
changed its email platform last September and the
problem remains unresolved, with spoofed emails still
circulating.
Virgin Media: It ain't us, guv
In a statement, Virgin Media acknowledged its customers
were experiencing a spoofed messages problem while
firmly denying that a breach on its systems had
precipitated the unwelcome behaviour.
Ensuring customer data is secure is of utmost importance
to Virgin Media. There has been no breach of our systems
and our email platform is not the cause of reported email
spoofing. We have advised customers how best to protect
their email accounts from spoofing.
The change of email platform meant that some emails
(e.g. bouncebacks) that Gmail would have delivered to a
customer's junk box became visible in customers' inboxes,

a Virgin Media PR representative added.
The statement issued to El Reg dovetails with what the ISP
has been telling its customers for months, a line that's
hard to disprove but has nonetheless failed to placate
disgruntled users.
Simon said the issue has caused him all sorts of
inconvenience. He described Virgin's statement and the
position it reflects as "utterly implausible".
"Virgin have a good description of what spoofing is on
their website and are making the claim that the increase
post migration is due to the fact that their spam filters are
not as good," he said. "This is just not true as when a
spoofing event happens I get several calls / email texts
from irate friend colleagues and customers telling me I've
been hacked and it's only happened since the migration."
"It caused me personally a great amount of
embarrassment and there is nothing that can be done to
solve the problem now the addressees are out there. In
trying to fix the symptoms of the problem, Virgin are now
blocking swathes of legitimate email. The whole thing is a
disaster and I am about to move to a new email provider,
which is a significant pain as this has been my email
address for 20+ years," he concluded.
'Targeted' recipients
Other Virgin Media users caught up in the spamming and
spoofing storm remain equally frustrated.
"When we looked at the emails, it was clear we had not
sent them - they were spoofs," explained Kate B, a Virgin
Media customer who has also been in touch with El Reg
about the issue. "What was more concerning was that the
recipients were targeted.
"They were all people who had email contact with the VM
account. This includes people who were cc'd in emails sent
and received years ago. They were not in any address
books," she added.
Aggrieved punters have been complaining about the issue
to Virgin Media but it has consistently denied any

wrongdoing. Instead the ISP is blaming message storm
problems on individual customers. Call centre staff are
telling aggrieved punters to run various security checks on
their computers and to change passwords, actions that
don't really tackle the problem, according to activist
customers.
"This is the not the issue," another aggrieved user,
AnnHelen P, told El Reg. "These email addresses [are] held
in the address books or in emails on the Virgin Media web
servers, not from customers' computers. As a result,
spoofed emails are being sent between the email
addresses that were captured.
"Also since many of the email addresses leaked have been
for email addresses that no longer exist, many of these
emails bounce back to the spoofed sender address," she
added.
Complaints to the Information Commissioner
Several customers have complained about Virgin Media to
data privacy watchdogs at the Information Commissioner's
Office (ICO). Asked to comment on the issue, an ICO
spokeswoman told El Reg said: "We are aware of this issue
and are making enquires."
She declined to answer follow-up questions from The
Register on whether or not Virgin Media was co-operating
with its inquiries, explaining that the ICO has a policy of
not commenting on ongoing inquiries.
Nonetheless, Virgin Media is sticking to its official line and
maintaining that its customers are to blame for any
problems they may be experiencing. VM has steadfastly
stated there was no data breach but has not provided any
information on how it managed to clear itself of any
involvement in the ongoing malfeasance, aggrieved
customers tell The Register.
In response, frustrated customers recently started a
Facebook group on the issue, dubbed Virgin Media Email
Problems - Spoofing, Hacked, Data Breach?. The group is
designed to allow people whose emails have been

compromised to exchange and pool their experiences.
"We are not getting anywhere with Virgin," AnnHelen P
said. "We do realise that the emails are now out there and
nothing can be done about that. We do, however, wish to
know exactly what information these hackers were able to
access, how it happened in the first place and how
widespread this breach is."
Kate B added: "We are worried there has been a data
breach. If VM does not know how it happened, how can
they prevent it happening again? We are also very
concerned that information was harvested from inside of
our old emails... What else was taken?"
She concluded: "We have found it hard to raise the profile
of this issue. Many of the people in the group are IT
professionals and very savvy; we estimate there are very
many others who have been targeted but remain
unaware."
(1st March 2016)
MYSTERY ETHICAL HACKER HIJACKS DRIDEX

BANKING MALWARE WITH FREE ANTIVIRUS
SOFTWARE
author Mary-Ann Russon)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/mystery-white-hat-ethical-hackerhijacks-dridex-banking-malware-free-antivirus-software1542592
How do you get rid of a huge nasty botnet that has
infected large numbers of PCs with malware so that cybercriminals can steal millions from bank accounts? Simple change what the network of infected computers is sending
out.
Instead of downloading programmes to secretly spy on
your computer and send data back to cyber-criminals

about your online banking credentials and other sensitive
information, antivirus vendor
Avira says it has noticed that a web installer for the free
version of its antivirus software is being pushed out from
the command-and-control servers of a particularly nasty
type of banking malware called Dridex. But the thing is,
Avira's researchers say they didn't put it there - and they
have no idea who did.
"The content behind the malware download URL has been
replaced. It's now providing an original, up-to-date Avira
web installer instead of the usual Dridex loader. We still
don't know exactly who is doing this with our installer and
why, but we have some theories. This is certainly not
something we are doing ourselves," Moritz Kroll, an Avira
malware expert, wrote in a blog post.
Dridex is still a prominent cyber-threat
The Dridex banking Trojan botnet is considered to be one
of the most dominant cyber-threats today. It was first
spotted in November 2014, and is known to have relieved
UK banking customers of least 20m ($29m) over the last
few years by spreading via bulk email phishing campaigns
that secretly install malware on to victims' computers in
order to steal sensitive online-banking login credentials.
The malware has existed in several variants with various
names, primarily targeting small and medium-sized
businesses. In October 2015, it became international news
when the FBI, Europol, GCHQ and the UK's National Crime
Agency announced that they had formed a joint taskforce
to disrupt the botnet.
The law-enforcement agencies claimed that they were
cracking down on the malware's authors internationally
and that they had arrested Andrey Ghinkul, a 30-year-old
Moldovan living in Cyprus, who was one of the ringleaders
running a network that allowed the malware to securely
communicate back with the cyber-criminals, who called
themselves Evil Corp.
Although several security companies including Symantec,

Trend Micro, Proofpoint and Dell have been working with
law enforcement to wrestle control of the botnet away
from the hackers, the software still exists, and thus can
continue to be exploited by other groups of cybercriminals. So internet users still need to be vigilant and
avoid opening email attachments from unrecognised email
addresses - especially if they appear to be Microsoft Word
or Excel documents.
"I really think it is a hacker who has discovered how to do
a good thing, but perhaps with not strictly legal methods.
If you think about it, there was a huge media
announcement when Dridex was 'taken down' by the
government authorities and a much smaller level of
reporting on its return to the marketplace," Kroll told PC
World magazine. "That has got to be frustrating to some
and might cause them to think: 'The government tried to
take it down, they could not, I can do something myself'."
Interestingly, this is not the first time that Avira has been
associated with botnets: in the past, white-hat hackers
have also hijacked the distribution servers for
CryptoLocker and Tesla ransomware, and no one has
claimed responsibility.
(1st March 2016)
TERROR WATCH LIST AT PORTS IS NOT FAILSAFE,

COURTS WARNED
(The Telegraph, dated 7th February 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-theuk/12145365/Terror-watch-list-at-ports-is-not-failsafecourts-warned.html
A port alert system designed to prevent terrorists and
other criminals leaving Britain has been "compromised" by

a lack of checks, a High Court judge has said.
The potentially catastrophic failures were exposed by a
police officer who gave evidence to Mr Justice MacDonald
over the effectiveness of checks overseen by the Home
Office.
The court was told adding suspects' names on a "watch
list" or on the Police National Computer did not guarantee
they would be stopped when trying to exit the country.
The police officer, whose name and rank were not
disclosed, said not all airlines carry out proper checks
against the list.
It was possible for passengers to travel to another
European country "for onward travel" without their
passports being checked, she indicated.
According to court papers, the police officer said: "In my
professional experience, having subjects circulated on
Police National Computer and/or placed on the watch list
does not guarantee that they will be stopped when leaving
or entering the UK."
Mr Justice MacDonald commented: "The officer (had said)
that she has personal experience of individuals being able
to leave the country notwithstanding a port alert being in
place.
"The officer [went on to say] that the port alert system is
compromised by the fact that not all airlines carry out
checks, particularly if tickets are purchased close to the
date of travel, and that it is possible to travel to another
European country for onward travel without passport
checks being undertaken."
Detail of the officer's concerns emerged following a
hearing in the family division of the High Court in London.
Apart from the names of criminal suspects, the port alert
system is also used to log vulnerable children who may be
taken out of the country for abusive purposes.
Police and social workers had intervened after discovering
that a nine-year-old girl could be in danger of being taken
to Afghanistan to marry an 18-year-old man, the judge

said.
The girl's mother had told social services staff that the
father was planning a trip to Afghanistan, Mr Justice
MacDonald was told, and both parents had been made
subject to forced marriage protection orders.
Mr Justice MacDonald said the girl had been temporarily
taken into local authority care in the wake of her mother's
allegation.
He said the policewoman had told him that a forced
marriage protection order, which would lead to the girl's
name being placed on a port alert system, was not
necessarily enough to prevent her being taken out of
Britain.
(1st March 2016)
RAPES LINKED TO ONLINE DATING RISE BY 450% IN

FIVE YEARS IN UK
author Tom Mendelsohn)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/rapes-linked-online-dating-rise-by-450five-years-uk-1542421
Rape accusations linked to dating websites have soared in
the last five years, and police are warning that this is
down to a "new breed" of attacker. In 2014, 184 people
reported being raped by someone they met online, up a
massive 457% on the 33 claims made in 2009.
What's more, with sexual assaults so often going
unreported to police, the actual number of attacks could
be 10 times higher, according to Sean Sutton, head of the
National Crime Agency's serious crimes analysis section.

"We think, anecdotally, that because of the nature of the
cases being on a dating website where someone has put
themselves forward, in their mind's eye in a position of
vulnerability perhaps, they may feel more culpable than
others," he said.
He blames this rise in so-called stranger rape on the
"pseudo-closeness" that people can feel towards those
they get chatting to, which skews expectations when they
finally meet, allowing them to think they're closer than
they are.
"This pseudo-closeness can happen very, very quickly,
and we are saying you could be talking to a 14-year-old
boy or a 60-year-old woman," he said.
The new type of sexual offender who the NCA believes is
emerging online is "potentially quite a different type of
character", Sutton said. 84% of people convicted of socalled "stranger rape" already have a criminal record, but
in online cases, just 49% had priors - which were usually
less severe.
"Is it displacement or is it a new breed? We couldn't say
and we wouldn't want to conjecture," said Sutton.
Out of those who reported being raped by someone they
met online, 85% are women, with 42% between 20-29
years old, and 24% between 40-49. Middle-aged women
are more likely to be targeted by rapists online than
elsewhere.
More than 9m people use dating websites in Britain, and
the NCA is keen to stress that such sites are not inherently
dangerous. Instead, users are warned to be aware of the
dangers, and to take sensible safety precautions, like
when meeting for the first time, doing it in public.
George Kidd, chief executive of the Online Dating
Association, which is supporting the campaign, said:
"Sexual assault or abuse is never acceptable. Even one
incident of harm is one too many.
"The NCA is right to look at what happens online and the
ODA are already working with them in getting the right

messages out to people."
(1st March 2016)
SUSSEX POLICE STOP ARRESTING "LOW LEVEL"

SUSPECTED ONLINE PAEDOPHILES
author Ewan Palmer)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/sussex-police-stop-arresting-low-levelsuspected-online-paedophiles-1542230
Sussex Police are handing out warning letters to those
suspected of viewing child abuse online considered the
'lowest level of seriousness' and telling them they are
being monitored as part of a scheme to prioritise arrests.
Officers from Sussex Police Paedophile On-Line
Investigation Team, or POLIT, have been visiting people
connected to an Internet Protocol (IP) address that
accessed indecent images of children to make them aware
they are being tracked and to 'deter continuance'.
Sussex Police said there have been 24 of these visits since
November 2015, some of which have included handing
warning letters to the subject. The warning is only issued if
the images are at the lowest level, the subject has no
history of offending and that no children are at risk.
Officers would then tell the IP owner that if they are aware
of this unlawful behaviour, they "should take measures to
ensure it stops immediately" or face arrest if there are any
more reports of similar incidents. The scheme has been
put in place to focus on offenders who are suspected of
acquiring the more serious level of images, and those who
may attempt to contact children, either online or in
person.
Speaking to the Argus, Sussex Police's deputy-chief

constable Olivia Pinkney said police were being forced to
prioritise for arrests as the scale of people viewing
indecent images of children online has become too great.
She added: "Sometimes we can intervene very quickly and
say, 'Stop doing that, we saw you did that once'. There are
people who are curious and frankly would be horrified if
anybody ever knew. And we are very quick with those
people when we know about them to say, 'Look, we know
what you are doing, you know what you are doing, and
that is that'.
"There are others who are downloading images, and then
there is contact offending. It is all really awful, and it is
about where the threat and the harm is on that
continuum, and that is where we try and judge where our
intervention is."
Detective chief inspector Pierre Serra said: "Every
indecent image of a child abuse represents an image of
abuse, and offenders should be in no doubt that we use
every lawful investigative technique to track them down.
We will continue to identify individuals engaged in this
type of activity and using intelligence we will continue to
execute warrants to secure evidence and support
prosecutions wherever appropriate. In taking this extra
step we have consulted with the force's Independent
Advisory Group and with the three independent Local
Safeguarding Children's Boards in Sussex."
(1st March 2016)
TALKTALK REVEALS HUGE RISE IN CYBERATTACK

CLEAN-UP BILL
(The Times, dated 3rd February 2016 author James Dean)
The clean up cost of a cyberattack at TalkTalk has more
than doubled after tens of thousands of customers
abandoned the company.

The broadband provider said yesterday that it would lose
75million to 80 million as a result of the hack,
significantly more than the 30 million to 335 million it
had predicted in November.
In its third-quarter results, TalkTalk said that it had lost
95,000 customers as a direct result of the attack. The hack
led to the theft of the private information of 157,000 of
TalkTalks four million customers in October last year.
However, Baroness Harding, the chief executive, said that
the business was returning to normal after the attack. She
said of the fall in customer numbers: " We saw a big dip
inevitably in early November and then business started to
return to normal through December and (is) very much
back to normal now.
"Our customers have responded well, with almost half a
million choosing to tak up our unconditional offer of a free
upgrade".
Lady Harding said that TalkTalk would delivere a "material
step up" in profits in the second half of the year, with its
full year reults "in line with market consensus". She said
that the company expected to deliver a "further material
improvement" in profits next year.
Her optimism was welcomed in the City. TalkTalk shares,
which have fallen by more than a third since the start of
October, rose by 1.9 percent to 222p.
TalkTalk will pay up to "45 million in exceptional cots to fix
its computer systems after the cyberattack, costs that
include enhanced security features, IT expenditure,
incident response, consultancy fees and the cost of giving
customers free upgrades. TalkTalk said that there would be
a further 15 million charge from the impact that the hack
had on trading in the third quarter and a 20 million
writedown from reduced income in the forth quarter
because of its reduced number of customers.
Altogether, 101,000 customers left TalTalk in the third
quarter, equivlent to less than 3 per cent of its subscriber
base. Sky and BT added 144,000 and 130,000 broadband

customers respectively, in the last three months of 2015.
A boy aged 15 and four men aged between 16 and 20
have been arrested in connection with the cyberattack.
The four men are on bail until a date in mid-March pending
further inquiries, police said yesterday. The investigation
continues.
Revenues at TlkTalk rose by 1.8 pr cent in the third
quarter. The company estimated that ful year earnings
would be between 255 million and 265 million and that
the final dividend would grow by 15 per cent.
Analysts at Jefferies, the investment bank, said :" Bearing
in mind the unprecendented ban publicity that {TalkTalk]
faced...these resuts look less bad than could have been
feared".
(1st March 2016)
CPS WATCHDOG - RAPE VICTIMS ARE NOT BEING

PROPERLY SUPPORTED IN A THIRD OF CASES
(International Business Times, dated 2nd February 2016
author Harriet Sinclair)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/cps-watchdog-rape-victims-are-notbeing-properly-supported-third-cases-1541458
Rape victims are not properly supported in almost a third
of cases, a review of the CPS Rape and Serious Sexual
Offences Unit has found.
The February 2016 Thematic Review of the Crown
Prosecution's sexual crime unit showed that in more than
a third of cases, a rape specialist was not assigned to deal
with the crime.
In a sample of 85 cases reviewed by the HM Crown

Prosecution Service Inspectorate at the end of 2014, only
46% were dealt with in a dedicated unit, while just 66.7%
of cases complied with "all relevant victim policies", with
the level of victim care described by the watchdog as
"falling well short" of what is expected.
The report stated: "Cases were not always handled by
specialists or even by a specialist unit, continuity of lawyer
was not guaranteed, essential instructions to the advocate
were often absent, case conferences with prosecuting
counsel were not held across all areas, and CPS
prosecutors for the most part do not attend the special
measures meeting with the victim."
It also found that models of rape and serious sexual
offences (RASSO) units varied from police force to police
force, with differences in service delivery to victims even
within a single CPS area.
Alison Saunders, Director of Public Prosecutions, said: "The
CPS has already made considerable progress since this
inspection was carried out. Most of the recommendations
within this report had already been identified by the CPS
and were being addressed before the report was
published.
However, there is always more that we can do.
"The CPS has taken a leading role in the criminal justice
system's response to rape, reversing a fall in the volume
of rape referrals identified in 2012/13. This response
included a Joint National Rape Action Plan with the police
and other stakeholders, developing tools and skills for
specialist prosecutors.
"Today, dedicated and specially trained teams handle all
specialist rape and sexual offence cases.
The CPS saw the highest ever numbers of these cases last
year, with the highest ever volumes of charges,
prosecutions and convictions. A number of initiatives were
introduced last year to handle this exceptional increase,
including the recruitment of at least 100 additional
prosecutors.
"The report examined files from 2014 and noted that our
policies were not always applied - performance in this area

must improve. To address this, the CPS is already giving
greater focus to evaluating whether our policies are
happening in practice so that we can continue to improve
performance across the country."
Following the rollout in March 2013 of RASSO units in
every CPS area, the report also found that due to a rush in
implementing this policy, "compliance with the minimum
standards is poor with no individual minimum standard
applied across all areas".
The report made several recommendations, including
additional training for RASSO lawyers and staff at centres.
(1st March 2016)
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SCAMS

(The Guardian, dated 2nd February 2016 author Rodney
Hobson)
www.theguardian.com/money/2016/feb/02/how-to-protectyourself-from-scams
Rodney Hobson is author of The Book of Scams, published
by Harriman House
Fancy a job where you bombard thousands of people in a
matter of seconds, and if just one of them bites you net
2,000 or 3,000 pounds a day? That's half a million quid
a year. Tax-free.
Sounds too good to be true? Most scams are, yet reports
in newspapers of people falling for them proliferate. And
the rewards for stealing other people's life savings run into
millions, perhaps billions. We don't know the true scale of
fraud because many victims keep quiet out of
embarrassment, wondering why they fell for a persuasive
patter.
Typically they ask for details of your bank account or credit
card, which the scammer uses to gain access to your cash;

or you are urged to hand over money on the promise of
great rewards to come; or they pose as officials and blind
you with technological jargon.
One recurring scam is the man claiming to be working for
a company with Microsoft in its name who tells you your
computer is sending out signals that malware has been
installed. He is not from Microsoft and there is nothing
wrong with your computer. If you agree to pay to have a
non-existent fault put right he debits a large sum on your
credit card - far more than he said he would charge.
More sophisticated scammers have found ways to hack
into email accounts so they can send apparently genuine
messages asking for funds to be diverted into a bank
account that they control.
There has been a spate of cases where homebuyers sent
deposits to what they thought was a new bank account set
up by their solicitors.
There are recurring themes - and ways to protect yourself
from falling victim:
Never take the word of a complete stranger
Whether it's someone on the phone, the internet or your
doorstep, why should you believe anything said by
someone you don't know?
If a stranger rings you to tell you there is something wrong
with your computer, or knocks on your door and says your
roof needs fixing, decline their services politely and get
someone you know and trust to take a look.
Don't panic
Scammers will tell you some scare story about your credit
card being cloned or your bank account being raided in
order to stop you from thinking clearly. In fact, if the police
have arrested someone with your cloned card or the bank
has spotted a fraudulent transaction being made, that's a
reason not to panic.
The caller is in effect saying that a fraudster has been

prevented from robbing you. Therefore you don't need to
hand over your credit card to a motorcyclist courier or
move money into another bank account.
Do not give information about your card or bank account
to the stranger on the line. In particular, neither your bank
nor the police will ever ask for a password or pin number.
Do ring the fraud department at your bank, but use a
different phone line or wait for three minutes in case the
scammer has kept the line open. And no, you can't dial
999 and ask to speak to a specific police officer, so if you
are told to do this it is blatantly a scam.
Don't rush
Scammers try to get you to act in haste because most
scams have a fatal flaw if you only stop to think. Many
people who have fallen for scams say afterwards how
stupid they feel because with hindsight it was obvious.
For example, you get an email purporting to come from a
friend stranded in a foreign country who has been robbed
of cash, cards and passport. Or you are asked to send
money to a bank account in that country and will be
reimbursed when your friend gets home.
Ask yourself these questions: how can the friend send a
message when his or her laptop has been stolen and they
have no money to pay for a session at an internet cafe?
How can they open a foreign bank account with no
identification, or draw money from it? How do they buy an
airline ticket abroad without a passport?
Don't let greed get the better of you
How come someone out there can tell you that you have
won millions on a lottery if you didn't already know that
you had won anything - or hadn't even bought a ticket?
Why is someone offering you shares in the next big thing,
rather than ploughing their own money in?
Don't get involved in anything blatantly illegal

If you agree to help in a dodgy scheme you are putting
yourself at the mercy of someone who is openly willing to
cheat. Don't be surprised if you are the person who is
cheated. And how are you going to complain to law
enforcement agencies that you lost money trying to break
the law, even if it was a foreign law?
Don't pay anyone to collect money on your behalf
If you are genuinely entitled to something and hadn't
realised, then let the person giving you the good news and
offering to help you take their cut from the cash once you
have received it. If they say they can't, then they can't
really help you.
Don't throw good money after bad
If you have fallen for a scam and handed over money,
resist the temptation to part with more cash in the hope
that it will all come right. These people will keep taking
until you have no money left.
Don't carry out financial transactions on a public
internet connection
Your messages can be intercepted and your email account
hacked into.
Make a fuss
If you were a victim, you are not alone. Nor are you stupid
- many intelligent people, often successful in business,
have been conned. Tell everyone you know about the
scam and save others from the clutches of the fraudsters.
(1st March 2016)
I WAS LITTERING SOCIAL MEDIA WITH HOT LEADS

FOR FRAUDSTERS
(The Independent, dated 17th January 2016 author Felicity
Hannah)
From banking to dating fraud to conveyancing, criminals

have inserted themselves into every type of online
financial exchange in a bid to con victims out of money or
hack their identities and steal from their accounts.
While the extent of the losses by consumers is all but
impossible to calculate accurately, UK businesses lose an
estimated 98.6bn to scams each year. The most recent
figures from Financial
Fraud Action UK reveal that 60.4m was lost to banking
fraud alone in 2014, while Action
Fraud says a total of 268m was stolen online between 1
September 2014 and 31 August 2015.
Now, though, it seems some criminals are changing their
tactics. Instead of trying to hack computers and
compromise payment technology, they are instead
targeting individuals and persuading them to hand over
their PIN and passwords, and even sometimes to transfer
cash directly to the criminals' accounts.
Yet 65 per cent of people admit they could do more to stay
safe online and 13 per cent still have public social media
accounts. Perhaps they feel confident they could spot a
scam, but being distrustful of emails from Nigerian
princesses is not enough when there are smarter cons.
The cleverest cons of 2015
The digital security in banks is often described as being in
an "arms race" with cyber criminals, but crooks are
fighting rising consumer awareness too. An email saying
the recipient had won a lottery might have worked in the
past but now fraudsters are more sophisticated,
sometimes even using a victim's security concerns against
them.
For example, an increasingly common con involves the
scammer contacting a victim and pretending to be from
their bank or the police. They encourage the target to
check they are genuine by ending the call and ringing a
number they trust, such as their bank's or even 999 - but
the criminal remains on the line so they can intercept the

call. This method has been used to dupe people into
transferring all their savings into a compromised account,
and even to persuade victims to visit their bank, withdraw
funds and hand the money to the fraudster, believing
them to be a police officer.
Financial Fraud Action UK warned last year of "phishing"
text messages purporting to be from the recipient's bank.
Crooks use software that alters the sender ID so it appears
with the name of the bank, potentially within an existing
thread of genuine messages so the user believes it is
trustworthy and responds. Customers should only ever
contact their bank using a number they already know, like
the one on the back of their card, and they should never
to share information such as a PIN or password.
Last year there were also a number of well-branded, highly
convincing scams. In one case an email purporting to be
from the Just Eat website promised recipients a 10
voucher if they filled out a questionnaire. Having done so,
they were asked to enter their bank details to receive the
credit, and many did so - lulled by how authentic the site
and the story seemed.
A key theme of all these successful scams is that the more
information a scammer has about someone, the more
convincing they will be.
15 minutes to hack my identity
"How much information do you think you've shared
online ?" asksJames Freedman, a fraud and theft expert
and entertainer famouse for pickpocketing Boris Johnson.
Wayne Rooney and the former Bank of England governor
Lord King. He was recently named the City of London
Police's first fraud prevention ambassador and spends
aroun 15 minutes using the internet to search for any
information about me that is publicly available.
Initially, I'm confident. I have locked down my Facebook
account. I use other social media professionally, not
personally, and I can't imagine there is anything too
sensitive online. I'm wrong. Mr Freedman pulls together

every tiny detail I have ever released and it adds up to a
terrifyingly data -rich picture. He can tell me my husbands
name, my childrens, their birthdays' my mothers maiden
name, my sisters married name and financial products I
have used, including cedit cards. he even knows my
previous addresses.
"You're not just compromising yourself", he says. You're
compromising your children, your family and even your
friends when you tweet them "happy birthday". It only
takes one weak link in a chainto put a lot of people at risk.
Most frauds are bit of a jigsaw, particularly cybercrie and
identity theft. The fraudster collects information and they
can target you in a number of ways."
What's frightening is that none of this stuff seemed
sensitive when I released it. But before long, tweet like
"I've just had a baby", "I'm fed up with (Bank X)" and
"Check out my Sisters GoFundMe page" have given
scammers enough information that they may be able to
convince me they ar calling from my bank; they might
guess the answers to my security questions.
It took me an hour to delete this kind of information from
th web but it was time well spent.
"I'm not stupid"
Margaret King is a GP, a clever, articulate woman and an
early adopter of the internet. However, she fell for a phone
scam and gave a criminal remote access to her computer,
as well as attemting to pay him with her credit card. "I'm
really notstupid - he was just so convincing", she explains.
"He claimed he was calling from Microsoft and that my
computer was at risk because of recent data theft."
The scammer asked Ms King to carry out checks on her
computer and told her that the resulting code she could
see showed it was compromised.
"I agreed to pay him 60 and give him remote access to
my computer to make it all safe. After 20 minute I realised
how risky this was and unplugged everthing, but by then

the PC was already full of spyware. It took a computersavvy friend about two weeks to clear it of malware.
Keeping safe
The trouble is that many people socialise online and its
hard to see the all agreeing to curb the details they share.
So are there any hard and fast rules we can follow to keep
us safe - ones that don't involve deleting every social
media account ?
"A little bit of paranoia is a good thing", Mr Freedman
suggests, "The main advice I'd give people is not to put
information out there unless its really necessary. We've all
seen the domino effect - you tap the first one and, before
you can do anything about it, they've all fallen down. Well,
when they set up those rows of toppling dominoes, they
leave one out every now and again so that it falls too
early, the whole chain won't go.
That's what you need to do to stay safe - you need to
create firebreaks whenever you can. That way, if part of
your identity is compromised then you won't lose
everything."
These "firebreaks" do not entail leaving social media to
stay safe, he argues. "One way to deal with most phishing
scams at a stroke is to uuse a unique, dedicated email of
your bank. That's and easy one. So if you get a phishing
email from Virgin but it comes to your main account then
you know its not them.
"You should also never keep your credit card with your
driving licence; it's bad enough to lose your card without
handing the thief your address, your name and your date
of birth at the same time. Your smartphone might be
valuable but it's not as valuable as the information you've
probably got stored on it, so make sure both it and the SIM
card are protected with a PIN.
He even advocates giving banks and incorrect answer to
the "Mothers maiden name" question, so crooks who

discover her real name would be unable to usethat data to
gain access to their victim's account.
"Its just awareness of the risk"," Mr Freedman insists.
"Cancel that large overdraft you still have but don't need,
and don't leave your Christmas bonus or large amounts of
money in your current account. There's a lot of infotmation
on a debit card and youhand that to stranger every single
day - so make sure they can't do too much damage.
"Criminals are just prowling the web waiting for one weak
link in the chain. But you can make it much harder for
them to target you: you just need to be more aware of
your imformation and security".
(1st March 2016)
COST OF UK RETAIL CRIME SOARS TO A RECORD

613m
(The Guardian, dated 1st February 2016 author Rebecca
Smithers)
www.theguardian.com/business/2016/feb/01/cost-of-ukretail-soars-to-a-record-613m
The annual bill for UK retail crime soared to 613m last
year - the highest level since records began - driven by
sophisticated criminal gangs stealing luxury goods such as
designer clothing and hi-tech gadgets to order.
That was a 2% increase on the cost to industry in 2014,
according to the annual retail crime survey published on
Monday by the British Retail Consortium, while the
average value of goods stolen leaped by over a third to
325 per incident - also a record.
Not only is the direct cost of crime now at its highest level
on record, but it is more than three times higher than in
2007-08, the BRC warned.
The total number of offences has dropped for the second

year running, retailers reported, to 750,144 incidents. But
the high value of items stolen compared with the drop
inincidents shows that crime against retailers is
increasingly being carried out by sophisticated criminals
stealing to order.
Customer theft still accounts for the majority of incidents
of retail crime, at 83% of the total.
Survey respondents - which account for 51% of the retail
sector by turnover - pointed to the rise in the use of
specialist equipment such as de-taggers and foil-lined
bags to avoid detection, with 40% of crimes attributed to
gangs, often working in groups.
Fraud, including the burgeoning waves of online cyberattacks, is also on the rise, the report said - up by 55%
and, significantly, now accounting for more than a third of
the cost of crime against retailers (36%).
The human cost of retail crime has also grown. Data
collected revealed a 28% increase in offences involving
abuse or violence against shop staff, rising to 41 out of
every 1,000 crimes committed, compared to 32 out of
1,000 reported last year.
"These figures demonstrate the growing cost of crime
against retailers - both human and financial," said BRC
chief excecutive Helen Dickinson. "At a time when retailers
have been cutting the cost of food and clothing to reduce
the average price of our weekly shopping baskets, a small
number of criminals are using ever more sophisticated
techniques to seize luxury items and to target retail
employees with abuse and violence in their place of work."
Dickinson added: "Tightening police budgets inevitably
presents difficult choices about policing resources and
priorities. This makes the case for police and businesses to
tackle retail crime together even stronger."
(1st March 2016)
JANUARY 2016
COMPUTER SECURITY REVIEW - JANUARY 2016
----------------------LINCOLNSHIRE COUNCIL IT RANSOME
(The Register, dated 1st February 2016 author Alexander J
Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/02/01/lincolnshire_council_ran
som_a_whopping_350/
Lincolnshire County Council's IT is back up and running
after the council shut everything down last week following
a ransomware attack in which the attackers turned out to
have asked for a mere 350.
Despite the BBC reporting that the council had been hit by
a 1m ransom, a spokesperson told The Register that it
had only been asked for $500 (c 350), unsurprisingly to
be paid in Bitcoin.
The council has not released the name of the ransomware
which hit it, though it continues to claim that it had been
hit by a 0-day exploit.
The vulnerability has yet to be disclosed, but the council
told The Register it did not believe it had been victim to a
targeted attack.
----------------------HOME OFFICE LOST ITS WORKERS COMPLETED SECURITY
VETTING FORMS
(The Register, dated 29th January 2016 author Alexander J
Martin)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/29/home_office_admits_los
ing_completed_vetting_forms/
The Home Office has admitted to The Register that among
its data breach incidents last year was one in which
security vetting documents disappeared from within

secured government premises.
Through the Freedom of Information Act, The Register has
learned that the Home Office - responsible for the UK's
domestic counter-intelligence and security agency, MI5 lost documents containing "sensitive personal information
relating to security vetting." In a separate incident, at
least one birth certificate was lost.
The documents were "lost internally between the recipient
of the postal package and the vetting team" within a
Home Office government building, the department
admitted, adding that "the contents had not been
reviewed."
----------------------HSBC ONLINE SERVICES OFFLINE FOLLOWING ATTACK
(The Register, dated 29th January 2016 author Kat Hall)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/29/oh_no_hsbc_online_serv
ice_out_again/
HSBC customers were once again locked out of online
banking this morning, following an apparent DDoS attack
on the bank.
The bank tweeted: "HSBC UK internet banking was
attacked this morning. We successfully defended our
systems.
It added: "We are working hard to restore services, and
normal service is now being resumed. We apologise for
any inconvenience."
The Register has contacted HSBC for more comment and
is awaiting a response.
A spokesperson for HSBC told the BBC: "HSBC internet
banking came under a denial of service attack this
morning, which affected personal banking websites in the
UK."
Users have been unable to access the bank's browser- and
app-based banking since early this morning.
----------------------SAINSBURYS BANK WEB PAGES STUCK ON CRAPPY 20th
CENTURY CRYPTOGRAPHY
(The Register, dated 25th January 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/25/sainsburys_bank_weak_
crypto/
Sainsbury's Bank website still relies on insecure
cryptography protocols that more security conscious
organisations have abandoned as obsolete.
The UK supermarket-owned bank's "secure" site rates an
"F" in tests using the industry standard Qualys' SSL Labs
service - chiefly because of the support for protocols
security experts reckon are well past their sell-by date.
The practical upshot here is that Sainsbury's Bank is not
following industry best practice, creating an added risk as
a result, not that customer details have been exposed
much less leaked.
----------------------COMMUTERS SLAM UK RAIL OPERATOR C2C FOR BEING
PRIVACY VIOLATOR
(The Register, dated 25th January 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/25/uk_rail_operator_c2c_pr
ivacy_snafus/
Commuters in the south east of England, already angry
about recent timetable changes and delays, have been
further incensed by basic security blunders by rail
operator c2c as it tried to placate passenger disquiet with
a new compensation form on its website.
The company, which operates rail service between London
Fenchurch Street and Southend in Essex, initially used an
unencrypted form to request private information.
In addition, it failed to use the BCC field in a recent bulk
email, thus disclosing the email addresses of more than
500 people in the process.
----------------------SYMANTEC PARTNER CAUGHT RUNNING TECH SUPPORT
SCAM
(Computer World, dated 25th January 2016 author Gregg
Keizer)
Tech support scammers are known for their cheek -making unfounded claims that PCs are infected to scare
consumers into parting with their money -- but a
Symantec partner took nerve to a new level, a security
company claimed last week.
According to San Jose, Calif.-based Malwarebytes, Silurian
Tech Support ran a scam in which its employees, who
billed themselves as support technicians, used obscure
but harmless entries in Windows' Event Viewer and Task
Manager to claim that a PC had been overwhelmed by
malware, then leveraged those bogus threats to sell
overpriced copies of Symantec's Norton security software
and an annual contract for follow-up phone support.
----------------------IRISH GOVERNMENT WEBSITES HIT BY WIDENING DDoS
ATTACKS
(The Register, dated 22nd January 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/22/irish_gov_ddos/
A number of Irish government-related and public sector
websites were knocked offline by an apparent DDoS attack
on Friday morning.
The latest assaults follow apparently similar web attacks
on the popular boards.ie discussion boards (bang) and the
Irish National Lottery earlier (wallop) this week.
At the time of first of the assaults against boards.ie, an
individual using a pseudonym got in touch to suggest
follow-up assaults against a wider range of Irish sites
would follow, ostensibly motivated by a desire to highlight
security weaknesses.
----------------------GOOGLE BINNED 780 MILLION ADS LAST YEAR
(The Register, dated 22nd January 2016 author Darren
Pauli)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/22/google_crushes_malicio
us_ads/
Google blocked 780 million malicious and annoying
advertisements last year, up from 256 million in 2014.

The company says it has destroyed more than 10,000
sites foisting software like download wrappers, which
install adware and the like. This, it says, reduced the total
unwanted downloads through Google ads by 99 percent.
Mountain View says it has also blocked more than 100,000
counterfeit web sites and 18,000 Google accounts, junked
7,000 phishing sites, and binned some 12.5 million
pharmaceutical ads.
The Chocolate Factory has no time for fringe medicine,
blocking more than 30,000 sites pushing rubbish weight
loss claims.
All blocked sites and accounts have increased since last
year. Ad and commerce boss Sridhar Ramaswamy says
Google employs more than 1,000 staff in its fight against
malicious advertisements.
"Last year alone we disabled more than 780 million ads for
violating our policies - a number that's increased over the
years thanks to new protections we've put in place,"
Ramaswamy says.
----------------------SAMSUNG SUED OVER - LACKADAISICAL - ANDROID
SECURITY UPDATES
(The Register, dated 21st January 2016 author Keiren
McCarthy)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/21/samsung_sued_for_lack
adaisical_android_updates/
Samsung is being sued by a Dutch consumer group for its
alleged lackadaisical approach to security updates for its
Android phones.
The Dutch Consumers' Association (DCA) claims that an
incredible 82 per cent of Samsung phones do not have the
latest version of Android installed.
It blames the Korean giant for failing to prod customers to
update their software and notes that regular updates are
necessary to "protect consumers from cybercriminals and
the loss of their personal data."
The lawsuit follows the collapse of talks between Samsung
and DCA aimed at resolving the situation. The DCA sent a
letter to the phone manufacturer back in December, and
held a number of meetings. But they "did not lead to the

desired result," and so it's going to court. It claims
Samsung is guilty of unfair trade practices.
The DCA notes that it's not just Samsung that is
apparently failing consumers but that it has chosen to take
it the tech goliath because it is by far the largest
manufacturer of Android phones in the Netherlands.
----------------------ASDA SLAMMED FOR LETTING A VULNERABILITIES TO
FESTER ON ITS WEBSITE
(The Register, dated 21st January 2016 author John
Leyden)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/21/asda_analysis/
Supermarket chain Asda has come under fire for sitting on
a potentially serious set of web vulnerabilities on its
website for almost two years.
As first reported by The Register on Monday, UK security
consultant Paul Moore warned Asda about a shopping list
of online vulnerabilities in March 2014.
Asda upped the grade of its TLS cipher soon afterwards
but despite Moore's dialogue with technology staff at the
supermarket giant, it failed to tackle a number of troubling
web vulnerabilities until Friday - and only then on the back
of warnings its shortcomings were due to be publicly outed
on the following morning.
The same set of flaws would also have allowed hijackers
the ability to steal payment information in cases where a
customer opened another tab while shopping on the Asda
website.
----------------------AUTOMAKERS WILL COLLABORATE TO TRY TO PREVENT
CAR HACKS
(Computer World, dated 15th January 2016 author Martyn
Williams)
Major automakers plan to work with the U.S. government
to try to deter hacks of connected cars before they
become a major issue.
To date, there haven't been any major cyberattacks on

cars, but a number of security researchers demonstrated
potentially serious attacks in 2015, and that has the
government worried.
The U.S. Department of Transportation is hoping it can get
the auto industry to mirror proactive safety work that
already takes place in the aviation industry. The
agreement has been signed by all major automakers that
operate in the U.S.
-----------------------FBI SAY ONLY CHRYSLER WERE VULNERABLE TO HACKS
VIA RADIO
(Computer World, dated 11th January 2016 author Lucas
Mearian)
U.S. auto safety regulators have determined that only
infotainment centers from Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA)
had a security flaw that could allow hackers to take control
of Jeeps and several other model cars and trucks.
Last summer, Fiat-Chrysler recalled 1.4 million Jeep,
Chrysler, Dodge and Ram vehicles that had the security
flaw.
After a five-month investigation into cyberhacking
vulnerabilities, the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NHTSA) said only FCA vehicles, and no
others, were vulnerable to the hack.
----------------------TREND MICRO FLAW COULD HAVE ALLOWED ATTACKER TO
STEAL ALL PASSWORDS
Kirk)
A discovery by a well-known Google security researcher
provides further proof how antivirus programs designed to
shield computers from attacks can sometimes provide a
doorway for hackers.
Tavis Ormandy, an information security engineer with
Google, wrote he found bugs in Trend Micro's antivirus
product that could allow remote code execution by any

website to steal all of a user's passwords.
The security firm has confirmed it has released an
automatic update that fixes the problems.
"As part of our standard vulnerability response process we
worked with him to identify and address the vulnerability,"
wrote Christopher Budd, global threat communications
manager at Trend Micro, in an email on Monday.
"Customers are now getting protections through automatic
updates."
----------------------CRAFTY BOOBY-TRAPPED INVOICE MALWARE EMPTIES
JAPANESE BANK ACCOUNTS
(The Register, dated 8th January 2016 author Iain
Thomson)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/08/14_japanese_banks_fac
e_targeted_attacks_from_russian_malware/
IBM's X-Force security team is warning of new malware
preying on Japanese bank customers. The software nasty
is stealthy enough to evade the vast majority of antivirus
packages, we're told.
Japanese banks have been something of a low priority for
crooks, given the difficulties of performing social
engineering tricks using a language that's alien to the vast
majority of cyber-crims. Having said that, the Land of the
Rising Sun is coming under increasing attack, and this
latest one is particularly sneaky.
The scam uses carefully crafted Japanese-language emails
that include ZIP files seemingly coming from Russian .ru
domains. As well as containing fake invoices, the folders
also include the Rovnix malware kit
----------------------HYATT HOTELS SAYS PAYMENT SYSTEM HIT BY MALWARE
(Computer World, dated 24th December 2015 author John
Ribeiro)
Hyatt Hotels has asked customers to review their payment
card account statements closely, after it detected malware
on the computers that run its payment-processing

systems at locations it manages.
The hotel chain did not provide more details on the
breach, including the number of customers that might
have been affected, but it appears from the alert to
customers that hackers may have obtained critical credit
card information.
Hyatt is the latest in a number of companies in the
hospitality industry, including Hilton Worldwide, Mandarin
Oriental and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide that
were affected by hacker attacks. A number of retailers like
Target also had their point-of-sale systems targeted.
###Further information
Updated information
Hyatt Hotel apology and details of action :
http://www.hyatt.com/protectingourcustomers/
###UK Hotels affected
Hyatt Regency Birmingham
London Andaz London Liverpool Street
London Hyatt Regency London - The Churchill
----------------------WATCH OUT FOR "WHALING" ATTACKS
(Computer World, dated 24th December 2015 author
Katherine Noyes)
If you work in finance or accounting and receive an email
from your boss asking you to transfer some funds to an
external account, you might want to think twice.
That's because so-called "whaling" attacks -- a refined
kind of phishing in which hackers use spoofed or similarsounding domain names to make it look like the emails
they send are from your CFO or CEO -- are on the rise,
according to security firm Mimecast.
If fact, 55 percent of the 442 IT professionals Mimecast
surveyed this month said their organizations have seen an
increase in the volume of whaling attacks over the past
three months, the firm reported on Wednesday.
Those organizations spanned the U.S., U.K., South Africa
and Australia.
-----------------------(1st February 2016)

FAST-TRACK VISAS FOR RICH FOREIGNERS COULD BE
SCRAPPED OVER "DODGY CASH"
Investor visas which allow wealthy foreigners to buy the
right to live in Britain for 2 million could be scrapped over
concerns that "dodgy money" is skewing London's
property market, under a plan going before Parliament.
A proposed amendment to the Immigration Bill in the
House of Lords next week calls for the abolition of investor
visas, which also give non-EU nationals the ability to get
fast-track citizenship.
It follows a warning by Transparency International that
flaws in the rules have allowed "substantial amounts" of
cash to be laundered through Britain by corrupt foreigners
bringing their illicit gains into the country.
Baroness Hamwee, one of two Liberal Demoncrat peers
behind the amendment, said: "There is a concern that
dodgy peole could be using dodgy money, and an issue
with the acquisition of housing which then stands empty,
and the knock-on effect on the London housing market.
"There is also a distaste that you can buy your way into
this country when there are people affected by war - not
just Syria but elsewhere - who are not allowed in. The
Government talks about attracting the brightest and best,
but having 2 million in your pocket doesn't mean you are
necessarily the best".
In a report to Home Secretary Theresa May in 2014, the
Government's Migration Advisory Commitee warned that
because most of the money is invested in gilts - which
amounts to loans the migrants can recoup - the visas
bring little benfit, with minimal evidence that those who
have them generate employment, new businesses, or

significant philanthropic donations.
Ministers responded by doubling the investment needed to
qualify for the visa from 1 million to 2 million and
restricting the ability to qualify for one by investing in
property. Visas can be refused if the Home Office has
doubts over the source of the applicant's cash.
Most of those who have obtained investor visas in the past
have been from China or Russia.
Lawyers for overseas clients say teh reforms have
addressed concerns over potential abuse. Nicolas
Rollason, of London law firm Kingsley Napley, said
numbers coming to Briatin via the visa fell to about 200
last year. "What the UK needs to do, rather than closing
the route, is to think how to attact greate numbers of
investors and put their investments to work in the UK
economy and society."
uaware comment
In the Maltese Times (English language newspaper) in
2014 there was an article condemning the "sale of Maltese
citizenship" to foreign nationals A member of the Maltese
Government stated that within the EU that this was
perfectly lawful. The thing is, if you become a Maltese
citizen you have a EU passport with the right to live and
work in any other EU member country (including the UK).
So if numbers of UK visas fell last year to 200 it is only
because individuals with 2 million of "spare" cash have
chosen an alternate route of entry into the UK. In other
words, they have bought an EU passport.
The thing is, the Maltese Government had the common
sense to negotiate with the European Commission prior to
joining the EU about property prices. Malta chose to set
restrictions on the minimum purchase price of property
that foreign nationals could buy, thus protecting its own
naturalised citizens from price hikes. Good for them !
Are other EU member states selling citizenship to their
country. Of course they are, and UK Government Ministers
and the House of Lords must be extremely naive if they

believe they are not.
(1st February 2016)
EUROPES MOST WANTED : MAFIA BOSS AND
ISLAMIST ATTACKER IN EUs TOP FUGITIVES LIST
(Internationl Business Times, dated 29th January 2016
author Umberto Bacchi)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/europes-most-wanted-mafia-bossislamist-attacker-eus-top-fugitives-list-1540868
An elusive Mafia boss, a fugitive Islamist militant and a
blonde fraudster have been brought together for the first
time by a new online portal listing Europe's most wanted
men and women. Launched by
Europol on 29 January, the website aims at improving
information-sharing between EU member states on highprofile internationally-wanted criminals.
It features profiles of 45 fugitives from across the 28nation bloc with a photo, description and, in a couple of
cases, the reward for information on their whereabouts.
"From today, citizens in the EU and beyond can provide
useful information via the website, anonymously if
preferred," Europol said.
Available in 17 EU languages, Eumostwanted.eu is to be
managed directly by dedicated national fugitive teams
that "will directly receive any leads about them". In the
hours after its launch the website proved so popular that it
experienced some issues.
The site doesn't single out a European public enemy
number one as outlaws are not ranked. The list, however,
includes some renowned figures such as Paris attacks
suspects Salah Abdeslam and Mohammed Abrini and Cosa
Nostra boss Matteo Messina Denaro.
The first is described as a "very dangerous and armed

individual" while the latter's file says he is accused of
killing the son of a rival mafia member that was
cooperating with police. Finnish fraudster Marina Cecilia
Kettunen who is "suspected of aggravated fraud of
significant amount of money" is currently the only woman
in the group.
EU Most wanted : https://eumostwanted.eu/
(1st February 2016)
TALKTALK CUFFCUFF SCAMSCAM CRIMCRIMS
(The Register, dated 28th January 2016 author Shaun
Nichols)
www.theregister.co.uk/2016/01/28/talktalk_scammer_arres
ts/
UK ISP TalkTalk is considering cutting ties with its Indian
call center provider after three employees at the site were
arrested for allegedly scamming customers.
The budget telco said police in Kolkata have nabbed a trio
of Wipro call center workers as part of an investigation
into security practices. Wipro runs the customer service
call center for TalkTalk.
"Acting on information supplied by TalkTalk, the local Police
have arrested three individuals who have breached our
policies and the terms of our contract with Wipro," TalkTalk
said in a statement posted Wednesday.
"We are also reviewing our relationship with Wipro."
While TalkTalk did not say what precisely the workers were
arrested for, Channel 4 linked workers at the call center to
an investigation into phone scams targeting individual
TalkTalk customers.
That probe was part of TalkTalk's effort to clean up its
operations in the wake of a massive data breach that
exposed some 157,000 customers. The breach would end

up costing TalkTalk tens of millions in losses, and it chased
off thousands of customers from its ranks.
TalkTalk noted that while the review was not directly
related to the investigation of the 2015 data breach, the
arrested Wipro workers were spotted as part of the
security overhaul triggered by the incident.
"We are determined to identify and deal effectively with
these issues and we will continue to devote significant
resources to keeping our customers' data safe," the
discount carrier said.
"Data theft and scams are a growing issue affecting all
businesses and they are notoriously difficult to investigate
and prosecute."
(1st February 2016)
MAN HAD 38 STOLEN PHONES STUFFED IN
TROUSERS AT ROCK CONCERT
(The Guardian, dated 28th January 2016 author Press
Association)
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/28/man-had-38stolen-phones-stuffed-in-trousers-at-rock-concert
A suspected thief was found with 38 mobile phones
stuffed down his trousers at a Libertines concert,
according to police.
West Midlands police arrested the man at Birmingham's
Barclaycard Arena on Wednesday night and are appealing
for gig-goers who had mobiles stolen to contact officers.
The man, 30, and another man of the same age, who was
also arrested, were allegedly seen at the venue with their
trousers taped closed at the bottom of the legs.
The arrests formed part of a proactive operation led by
Birmingham police, set up after intelligence suggested
gig-goers had been targeted at another Libertines

performance in Manchester.
Insp Gareth Morris, who oversees local policing in the city,
said: "It's an unfortunate reality that large crowds at
concerts such as this make rich pickings for career
criminals. We're hot on the heels of these offenders but
you can also reduce your chances of falling victim to such
crimes by remaining extra vigilant when attending busy
events.
"If you think you had your phone taken, please get in
touch with us and we can check whether or not we have
been able to recover it."
uaware information
To help reduce the likelihood of your mobile phone being
stolen :
- When it is not in use, keep it out of sight.
- Don't leave bags unattended; even if you are just getting
a coffee !
- Do not use your mobile phone in vulnerable areas
(ie.dark streets, crowded area's, exiting stations).
- Be aware of your surroundings and suspicious behaviour
of others.
Register your mobile phone with the free service
"Immobilise". The benefits of registration are :
- Immobilise helps Police identify the owners of recovered
property thousands of times everyday.
- Property updates you make are immediately available to
the Police nationally.
- Combat the sale of stolen gadgets & valuables; alert the
second-hand trade & publicly checkable stolen goods
database CheckMEND if an item goes missing.
- Simplify insurance claims and Police reports with
certificates of ownership.
- Offers from Immobilise's numerous supporters, often
helping support the FREE provision of Immobilise.
(1st February 2016)
50 MOST DANGEROUS CITIES OF THE WORLD

REVEALED
(International Business Times, dated 28th January 2016
author Jigmey Bhutia)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/50-most-dangerous-cities-worldrevealed-caracas-makes-it-top-spot-1540514
Venezuela's capital city of Caracas has become the world's
most dangerous city after toppling the Honduran city of
San Pedro Sula, which took the top spot for four
consecutive years. San Pedro Sula was ranked second
after a decrease in its homicide rate.
El Salvador's capital city of San Salvador was placed third,
while the Mexican city of Acapulco and Maturin in
Venezuela were ranked fourth and fifth respectively. The
ranking of the top 50 most dangerous cities, published by
the Mexico Citizens Council for Public Security, features 41
cities from Latin America and 21 from Brazil, which is
scheduled to host the Olympics Games this summer.
The ranking is based on the number of homicides per
100,000 inhabitants.
South Africa's Cape Town, Durban, Nelson Mandela Bay
and Johannesburg were ranked 9th, 41st, 42nd and 47th
on the list, while St Louis in the US, Baltimore, Detroit and
New Orleans took the 15th, 19th, 28th and 32nd spot.
"Narcotics are the biggest black market earner of all.
Estimated to be worth more than three hundred billion
dollars a year, the global industry has pumped huge
resources into criminal empires decade after decade," Ioan
Grillo, author of Gangster Warlords: Drug Dollars, Killing
Fields, and the New Politics of Latin America, told Business
Insider.
"So that amount of money, $100 billion a year, 10 years, a
trillion dollars, 30 years, $3 trillion. That amount of money
pumps in these organizations ... buying more guns, paying
more assassins, bribing more police, bribing more
politicians ... and that is why the region right now, Latin
American and the Caribbean, are at a boiling point," Grillo
said.
Here is the list of the world's top 50 most violent
cities in 2015 by homicides per 100,000 inhabitants:
1. Caracas, Venezuela - 119.87
2. San Pedro Sula, Honduras - 111.03
3. San Salvador, El Salvador - 108.54
4. Acapulco, Mexico - 104.73
5. Maturin, Venezuela - 86.45
6. Distrito Central, Honduras - 73.51
7. Valencia, Venezuela - 72.31
8. Palmira, Colombia - 70.88
9. Cape Town, South Africa - 65.53
10. Cali, Colombia - 64.27
11. Cuidad Guayana, Venezuela - 62.33
12. Fortaleza, Brazil - 60.77
13. Natal, Brazil - 60.66
14. Salvador, Brazil - 60.63
15. St Louis, Missouri, US - 59.23
16. Joao Pessoa, Brazil - 58.40
17. Culiacan, Mexico - 56.09
18. Maceio, Brazil - 55.63
19. Baltimore, Maryland, US - 54.98
20. Barquisimeto, Venezuela - 54.96
21. Sao Luis, Brazil - 53.05
22. Cuiaba, Brazil - 48.52
23. Manaus, Brazil - 47.87
24. Cumana, Venezuela - 47.77
25. Guatemala City, Guatemala - 47.17
26. Belem, Brazil - 45.83
27. Feira de Santana, Brazil - 45.5
28. Detroit, Michigan, US - 43.89
29. Goiania, Brazil - 43.38
30. Teresina, Brazil - 42.64
31. Vitoria, Brazil - 41.99
32. New Orleans, Louisiana, US - 41.44
33. Kingston, Jamaica - 41.14
34. Gran Barcelona, Venezuela - 40.08
35. Tijuana, Mexico - 39.09
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
Vitoria da Conquista, Brazil - 38.46

Recife, Brazil - 38.12
Aracaju, Brazil - 37.7
Campos dos Goytacazes, Brazil - 36.16
Campina Grande, Brazil - 36.04
Durban, South Africa - 35.93
Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa - 35.85
Porto Alegre, Brazil - 34.73
Curitiba, Brazil - 34.71
Pereira, Colombia - 32.58
Victoria, Mexico - 30.50
Johannesburg, South Africa - 30.31
Macapa, Brazil - 30.25
Maracaibo, Venezuela - 28.85
Obregon, Mexico - 28.29
(1st February 2016)

HUNDREDS OF DRUG DRIVERS SNARED BY POLICE
ROADSIDE TEST CAMPAIGN
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12124735/Hundr
eds-of-drug-drivers-snared-by-police-roadside-testcampaign-police-reveal.html
A police campaign to target drug drivers caught more than
900 motorists who were under the influence of illegal
drugs last month.
The Christmas campaign used new powers and roadside
testing kits to launch a crackdown on drivers who take to
the wheel after using cannabis, cocaine and other
substances.
The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), which
organised the December campaign across England and
Wales, revealed more drug drivers than ever before were
caught during the month-long campaign - amounting to
more than the whole of 2014.

Officers used 1,888 drug screening devices during
December with 931 showing positive results for drugs - or
almost 50 per cent.
New legislation, which covers 17 legal and illegal drugs,
and the roll-out of drug detection devices to all forces has
made it easier to identify and prosecute drug drivers, the
NPCC said.
Chief Constable Suzette Davenport, the National Police
Chiefs' Council spokeswoman on roads policing, said:
"These results show that new legislation and detection
devices have helped us to keep the roads safe.
"Officers across the country using their local knowledge
and intelligence to focus on high risk locations are better
equipped than ever to catch drivers who are under the
influence of drink or drugs, even at very small amounts.
"Over the last Christmas, we detected and prosecuted
more people than ever who have taken the very
dangerous risk of driving while after taking drugs."
The proportion of positive or refused breath tests for
alcohol rose from 4.39 per cent in December 2014 to 5.02
per cent in the most recent campaign, but officers said
this was due to a more targeted approach.
A NPCC spokesman said: "During the Christmas period,
forces across the country followed an intelligence-led
approach that saw an increase in alcohol tests showing a
positive, failed or refused reading.
"While the percentage of drivers tested fell, officers
targeted drink drive hotspots to catch more people driving
when under the influence."
Under 25s appeared to be heeding warnings about drink
driving, the NPCC said.
There are encouraging indications that anti-drink drive
messages are reaching the under 25s.
Just under 20,000 tests were carried out on drivers in the
age group, with positive results falling from 6.33 per cent
to 5.37 per cent.

(1st February 2016)
US HEALTH INSURER LOSES 6 HARD DISK DRIVES
WITH RECORDS OF 950,000 CUSTOMERS
(Computer World, dated 26th January 2016 author Lucas
Mearian)
Health insurer Centene Corp. said six hard disk drives with
personal health information on 950,000 of its customers
have gone missing.
"While we don't believe this information has been used
inappropriately, out of abundance of caution and in
transparency, we are disclosing an ongoing search for the
hard drives," Centene CEO Michael Neidorff said in a
statement.
Centene, a Fortune 500 company that reported $16 billion
in revenue in 2014, operates health plans for 2.9 million
members in 21 states.
The hard drives contained the personal health information
of customers who received laboratory services from 2009
to 2015. The personal information on its customers
includes their name, address, date of birth, Social Security
number, member ID number and health information.
The hard drives do not include any financial or payment
information, Centene stated.
Neidorff said the hard drives were part of a data project
using laboratory results "to improve the health outcomes
of our members."
The St. Louis-based company said it will notify customers
who could be affected by a data breach and it will offer
free credit and healthcare monitoring service to them.
Additionally, Centene said it is in the process of reinforcing
and reviewing its procedures related to managing its IT

assets.
uaware comment
During 2014 the NHS wrote to thousands of UK residents
stating that they wished to use their private health
information (with individuals identifying information
removed) for research purposes. To improve the health of
the population as a whole. I wonder how secure the
transportation of that UK data was ? Especialy when you
consider the failure of the multi-billion dollar operation
Centene Corp. in dealing with its customers information.
(1st February 2016)
COVENTRY POLICE ACCUSED OF ILLEGAL ENTRY
AFTER TWEETING PHOTOS FROM INSIDE UNLOCKED
HOMES
(The Telegraph, dated 26th January 2016 author
"Telegraph Reporter")
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/12121527/Coventry-Policeaccused-of-illegal-entry-after-Tweeting-photos-from-insideunlocked-homes.html
Coventry Police have been criticised on social media for an
unorthodox crime prevention strategy which saw them
entering unlocked private properties, posting pictures on
Twitter and warning householders to be more careful in
future.
Other photographs showed officers inspecting unlocked
gates as they warned residents that a quarter of local
crimes were opportunistic.
But the pictures provoked a stream of complaints on
Twitter about the legality of entering unlocked homes.
Another tweeted: "And if my dog attacks you as you
trespass in my house... don't blame me or him..."
The force said it received good feedback on the four-day

#stoleninseconds campaign but would take other
comments on board.
In a statement, Coventry Police Chief Inspector Helen
Kirkman, told the BBC: "A significant proportion all
burglaries in this area - in excess of 25 per cent - are
'walk-in' offences committed by opportunists taking
advantage of properties left unsecure.
"Neighbourhood police teams have been on patrol to deter
such offences, look for suspects, and to offer crime
prevention advice to residents.
"If they find a door or window left open I think people
would want officers to check everything is
OK at that address and not to just walk on by."
She also said residents were "grateful" for the advice and
that she had not received any complaints.
"We encourage our police teams to be proactive and
creative in their use of social media to engage with the
public and get messages across," she added.
(1st February 2016)
MP FURIOUS AFTER SMALL TOWN IS NAMED
MURDER CAPITAL OF BRITAIN
(The Telegraph, dated 24th January 2016 author Adam
Boult)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12118280/MPfurious-after-small-town-is-named-murder-capital-ofBritain.html
According to new Home Office figures, the most
murderous place in England and Wales is the Lincolnshire
town of Boston.
Data provided by the Office for National Statistics charted
the number of cases of murder, attempted murder and

conspiracy to murder in the 12 months to September
2015.
Two homicides and eight attempted murders were
recorded in the Boston area, scaling to 15 murderous
crimes for every 100,000 residents - the highest rate for
any area in England and Wales.
However, Boston MP Matt Warman has described reports
naming the town as the murder of Britain as 'wildly
incompetent' and 'playing stupid games' with the
statistics.
Mr Warman told the Boston Standard: "It's crazy it makes
no statistical sense. You can't just scale up the numbers
like that."
"This is why, for instance, you will not find league tables
that compare Boston small schools to Boston big schools.
"You can't just say if you have got 10 people and one
murder you are going to be the most murderous place in
the country."
Mr Warman did admit that the raw data was accurate, and
that there were "issues for us to tackle."
"I'm not complacent about the issues," he said. "If I were,
me and the chief constable wouldn't have been texting
each other over the last six months whenever an incident
was raised."
However, he his deeply unhappy over how his
constituency has been represented: "I do believe that we
should be sensible and have appropriate health warnings
about the misuse of data."
"The danger with those sorts of stories, is they provide
evidence to people who want to push a certain agenda
and that's deeply unfair for all of us."
The City of London was named the second most
murderous after Boston, with 12.4 crimes per 100,000
people. Gloucester came in third place, with Blackpool in
fourth.
Cases of attempted murder, conspiracy to murder

and homicide - Year to Sept 2015
Area; Number of murderous crimes; (Crimes per 100,000
people)
1 Boston; 10; (15.0)
2 City of London; 1; (12.4)
3 Gloucester; 10; (8.0)
4 Blackpool; 11; (7.8)
5 Lincoln; 7; (7.3)
6 Manchester; 33; (6.3)
7 Salford; 15; (6.2)
8 Rochdale; 13; (6.1)
9 Hackney; 15; (5.7)
10 Amber Valley; 7; (5.6)
11 East Northamptonshire; 5; (5.6)
12 Stoke-on-Trent; 14; (5.6)
13 Islington; 12; (5.4)
14 Broxbourne; 5; (5.2)
15 Kettering; 5; (5.2)
16 Westminster; 12; (5.1)
17 Tendring; 7; (5.0)
18 Basildon; 9; (5.0)
19 Waverley; 6; (4.9)
20 Greenwich; 13; (4.8)
Rising murders - In London and the South East
[Number of murders] (Increase from 2014)
Police force area
Metropolitan [112] (+13)
Essex [21] (+8)
Kent [18] (+7)
Thames Valley [16] (+9)
Surrey [15] (+8)
Sussex [13] (+8)
(1st February 2016)
VIOLENT CRIMES UP BY 27% IN ENGLAND AND

WALES WITH HOMICIDES AT HIGHEST LEVEL FOR A
DECADE
(International Business Times, dated 22nd January 2016
author Brendan Cole)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/violent-crime-by-27-england-waleshomicides-highest-level-decade-1539419
Police sources say that the diversion of crime-fighting
resources to tackling historic sex abuse cases and
newspaper phone hacking allegations may have
contributed to the highest murder rate in England and
Wales in a decade.
The Office for National Statistics has described as
"peculiar" a 14% increase in murders and manslaughters
in the UK last year, with the total for 2015 at 574, or 11 a
week.
But the Daily Telegraph reported that the re-deployment of
detectives in London, where a fifth of the additional
murders took place, as well as growing violence among
migrants, including organised gangs, may have been
factors for this spike.
It said that a shortage of detectives in the capital may be
fuelling the crime wave, with Scotland Yard now having
800 unfilled detective posts, according to latest figures
obtained by the paper.
It also described how hundreds of experienced murder
squad officers have been diverted to other roles, including
historic sex abuse inquiries; the disappearance of
Madeleine McCann; and phone hacking and payments to
public officials.
Ken Marsh, the chairman of the Metropolitan Police
Federation, told the paper: "We have had experienced
detectives taken off murder squads, where they might be
looking at gang-related crimes, and put into teams dealing

with historic sex allegations, for example.
"We need a specific look at the impact this has had on the
murder rate."
Murders in the South East
Murders in the capital jumped from 99 to 113, while in the
rest of the South East totals rose from 11 to 18 in Kent,
seven to 16 in Thames Valley, seven to 15 in Surrey, five
to 13 in Sussex and 13 to 21 in Essex.
The ONS said overall crime recorded by the police rose by
six per cent in the year to September, including a 27%
jump in violence against the person. This amounted to an
extra 185,666 violent offences, bringing the annual total
to more than 885,000 in England and Wales.
Mike Penning, the police minister, said: "The Government
has made reducing violence, including knife crime, a
priority and continues to work closely with the police and
other organisations to tackle the drivers of these crimes."
A Home Office spokesman said: "Homicide is at historically
low levels, and is a third lower than ten years ago. The
ONS has said the number of homicides recorded by the
police is relatively low and fluctuates.
"Therefore, percentage changes based on small numbers
should be interpreted with caution," The Telegraph
reported the spokesman as saying.
However The Independent reported that the figures
reinforced fears over levels of gang activity in London and
major cities, as it focused on how almost one-quarter of
the rise in knife crime offences was recorded in the
capital.
Andy Simon, a former detective who leads an organisation
which mediates between gangs in London, told the
Independent: "The youngsters are more likely to carry
knives and to resort more quickly to violence."
(1st February 2016)
SPEED TRAP NETS 100,000 A MONTH

(London Evening Standard, dated 22nd January 2016
author Ross Lydall)
www.standard.co.uk/news/london/stunning-drone-footagecaptures-snowy-south-london-park-from-abovea3160141.html
New average-speed cameras are raking in almost
100,000 per month from drivers on one of the capital's
busiest roads.
The "cheat-proof" traps were placed at 32 sites on an 11mile stretch of the A40 in west London.
They are catching almost 1,000 motorists a month, the
Standard can reveal, and there are plans to widen the
scheme - despite angry claims that the cameras are
simply a Treasury "cash cow" and that the public was not
adequately informed in advance.
The devices were activated at the end of October between
the Polish War Memorial and the Westway flyover.
Previously "fixed-spot" cameras were in use at seven sites.
By measuring average rates of travel, the new system
prevents speeders evading detection by braking as they
approach a camera.
A total of 958 offenders were caught in the first month
after the devices went live.
Speeders are fined 100 and given at least three penalty
points on their licence, depending on how fast they are
clocked.
Transport for London said the cameras - which it is
extending to the A2, A316 and A406 North Circular Road
later this year - would cut deaths and serious injuries.
But it faced accusations of failing to give sufficient
warning of the cameras' presence amid suspicions they
are a revenue-raiser for the Treasury, which receives

proceeds from fines.
London Assembly member Murad Qureshi, who raised
concerns with Mayor Boris Johnson when the cameras
were first proposed, told the Standard: "It does appear to
be a cash-cow for the authorities - and done without much
public notification.
"It's not obvious the change has been made at all. I've no
problem about getting drivers to kill their speed but this
has been done behind their backs without telling them
what is happening."
Barrie Segal, who runs the parking tickets website
AppealNow.com, said: "I hate speeders and if this scheme
reduces road deaths that is very welcome - but if it's done
cynically to raise funds I would be rather concerned."
A Freedom of Information request by the Standard to the
Metropolitan Police revealed that 1,303 "notices of
intended prosecution" were issued between October 26
and December 30, including the 958 in November.
Drivers were clocked at up to 90mph. The A40 has 40mph
and 50mph speed limits. The elevated Westway section
between North Wharf Road and Bramley Road attracted
most fines - 305 over the first two months.
Average-speed cameras were introduced in London on the
A13 in 2010 and halved road deaths or serious injuries in
the subsequent 18 months.
TfL said a similar effect on the A40 would prevent 31
deaths or serious injuries over the next three years.
The Mayor wants to halve the road casualty rate by 2020.
A total of 127 people died and 2,040 were seriously
injured by London crashes in 2014, the lowest numbers on
record. TfL's head of strategy and outcome planning, Lilli
Matson, said: "These 1,303 offences show just how
important average-speed cameras are for the safety of all
road users and highlight how many drivers are taking
unnecessary risks.
"By upgrading the safety cameras on the A40 - and with

those planned later this year on the A406, A316 and A2 we are ensuring London stays at the forefront of road
safety innovation."
Average-speed cameras will go live on the North Circular
between Hanger Lane and Bounds Green Road and on the
A316 between the M3 and Hogarth roundabout in "early
summer", then on the A2 from the Blackwall tunnel to the
Black Prince interchange in "late September".
(1st February 2016)
POLISH FUGITIVE WANTED BY INTERPOL FOR
GANGLAND MURDERS TRACKED DOWN TO
SANDWICH BAR IN WILTSHIRE
author William Wilkinson)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/uk-polish-fugitive-wanted-by-interpolgangland-murders-tracked-down-subway-wiltshire1539402
A Polish 'fugitive' wanted by Interpol after an investigation
into theft, violence and the murder of a football fan has
been found working in a Subway in Wiltshire. Officers from
the international crime agency tracked down 28-year-old
Piotr Kupiec to the fast food restaurant in the market town
of Devizes.
He was arrested at the sandwich retailers, just minutes
from Wiltshire Police headquarters, in front of customers
and colleagues last week. The case is sure to highlight
problems with UK immigration checks as debates
surrounding EU membership and global migration
intensifies ahead of an EU referendum.
Kupiec, missing since 2007, is listed on the International
Police Crime Organisation's (Interpol) for
"murder/manslaughter/causing death/theft". It is alleged
that he was part of a Polish gang called Infra Red that had
been subject to a major police operation.
He was reportedly being investigated after a man was
killed at a football match between Korona Kielce and Legia
Warsaw in Kielce, south-central Poland. Reportedly fights
broke out between rival factions in the crowd before the
man was killed and Kupiec went missing. His mother
pleaded for him to return in an open letter after his
disappearance.
Locals in the area believe he may have lived there for up
to four years and trained at a local gym. An employee at
Route 2 Fitness sports club in Devizes, said according to
the Guardian: "We didn't really know him. None of us knew
him very well. He wasn't in very often. He wasn't a regular
person. He would come in sometimes early in the
mornings. He didn't speak very much."
A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "At 7.50pm on 13
January 2016 Wiltshire Police officers executed an arrest
warrant on behalf of Interpol. They attended Subway, in
London Road, Devizes, and arrested a 28-year-old Polish
man in connection with an investigation into a murder in
Poland.
"He is in custody and is being dealt with by Interpol." In
July 2015, British police arrested the wrong Peter Kupiec in
London. The man had the same year of birth as the
suspected killer, but his month and day of birth were
different.
A Subway spokeswoman confirmed a member of staff had
been arrested. She said: "He provided the valid
identification and documents required to gain employment
at the time he was hired. As this is now being investigated
by the police, we are unable to comment further."
Interpol most wanted
www.interpol.int/notice/search/wanted
(1st February 2016)
FBI RAN CHILD PORN SITE WITH DOWNLOADABLE

PHOTOS FOR TWO WEEKS TO CATCH CRIMINALS
author Mary Papenfuss)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/us-fbi-ran-child-porn-sitedownloadable-photos-two-weeks-catch-criminals-1539407
It has emerged that FBI agents who hacked into and
seized one of the biggest child pornography web sites
used the controversial tactic of continuing to run the site
for a short time, allowing criminals to download illicit
photos and videos of children.
The newspaper USA Today reported how officers used
cutting-edge hacking methods to hunt the customers and
owners of a site on the dark web, a largely secret world of
the Internet that can't be accessed by conventional means
such as a Google search.
After agents seized the computer server running the
bulletin board site, Playpen, from a web host in North
Carolina, the FBI continued to run the operation from its
own servers in Virginia for 13 days from 20 February to 2
March, 2015, the Justice Department acknowledged in
court documents.
Playpen had some 215,000 users and links to 23,000 child
porn images and videos, some of which contained extreme
abuse. The site also included close to 9,000 files that
could be downloaded directly, as well as instructions on
how to avoid detection when accessing child pornography.
Once the site was seized by the FBI, a Flash application
was secretly installed on the computer of any user who
accessed the site that sent data about that client straight
to the FBI. This bypassed the Tor anonymity network which
usually successfully hides users' identities, according to
Motherboard Vice. Close to 100,000 registered users
visited the site while it was in the control of the FBI.
The FBI strategy of keeping the site online to catch clients,

marked a radical departure for the bureau, which had
generally blocked any such images from being
downloaded, given that every such image harms children.
Once a photo or video is downloaded, moreover, law
enforcement loses future control of its use.
But FBI officials believed the risks were worth catching the
criminals. "We had a window of opportunity to get into one
of the darkest places on Earth, and not a lot of other
options except to not do it," Ron Hosko, a former senior
FBI official who was involved in planning one of the
agency's first efforts to take over a child porn site, told
USA Today. "There was no other way we could identify as
many players."
"The government always considers seizing an illegal child
pornography site and removing it from existence
immediately and permanently," said Justice Department
spokesman Peter Carr. "While doing so would end the
trafficking of child pornography on that one website, it
would do nothing to prevent those same users from
disseminating child pornography through other means."
Still, he said: "The decision whether to simply shut down a
website or to allow it to continue operating for a brief
period for a law enforcement purpose is a difficult one."
On two other occasions, in 2012 and 2013, the agency
allowed such sites to run for brief periods but the sites had
far less traffic. So far 137 Playpen users have been
charged with crimes.
"At some point, the government investigation becomes
indistinguishable from the crime, and we should ask
whether that's OK," Elizabeth Joh, a University of California
Davis law professor who has studied undercover
investigations, told USA Today.
However lawyers have warned that the tactic presents an
opportunity for a defendant to claim entrapment. "What
the government did in this case is comparable to flooding
a neighbourhood with heroin in the hope of snatching an
assortment of low-level drug users," one defence lawyer
recently told a judge in a case that has yet to be decided.

(1st February 2016)
CRIMINAL RECORD DISCLOSURE CHECKS RULES
UNLAWFUL
(BBC News, dated 22nd January 2016)
Two people who claimed their careers were being blighted
by having to disclose their minor
criminal convictions to employers have won their case at
the High Court.
The court ruled the criminal record checks scheme used in
England and Wales was "arbitrary"
and unlawful.
People across the UK are forced to have their criminal
record divulged when applying for
certain jobs.
The Home Office said it would consider whether to appeal
against the decision.
Lawyers for the pair had told the High Court that people
were being unfairly disadvantaged
throughout their lives by convictions for minor criminal
offences committed years
beforehand.
Shoplifting
One woman, referred to in court as P, was charged with
shoplifting a 99p book in 1999 while
suffering from a then undiagnosed mental illness. She
later failed to attend court, which
meant she ended up with two convictions - for which she
received a conditional discharge.
The woman, 47, who now wishes to work as a teaching
assistant and has sought voluntary
positions in schools, argued that having to disclose her

criminal record, and subsequently
her medical history, was disproportionate and breached
her right to privacy.
Her case was heard alongside that of another claimant, A,
who was convicted of two minor
thefts in 1981 and 1982 when aged 17 and 18.
He has since worked as an accountant, company finance
director and is now a project manager
- work that often requires due diligence and criminal
record checks. He was concerned he
would be forced to disclose his convictions and that his
family might learn of them.
'Broken system'
Lord Justice McCombe said it was not justifiable or
necessary for any individual to have
minor offences disclosed indefinitely, from many years
ago merely because there is more
than one minor offence.
He described the results of the current system as
"arbitrary" and said "where the rules are
capable of producing such questionable results, on their
margins, there ought, it seems to
me, to be some machinery for testing the proportionality
of the the interference, if the
scheme is to be in accordance with the law".
He asked the government to make submissions to address
faults in the system, in advance of
the court making its final order. In the meantime, the
scheme will continue to operate as
at present.
James Welch, legal director for Liberty, which backed P,
said: "This ruling will bring
reassurance for the very many people who have had their
ambitions dashed because of very
small mistakes they made years, or even decades, in the

past.
"The government must urgently fix this broken system,
which rightly allows people with a
single minor offence to move on with their lives, while
those with two - no matter the
nature or circumstances of their crimes - cannot."
'Disappointed'
A Home Office spokesman said: "We are disappointed by
the decision of the court. We will
now carefully consider the content of the court's judgment
and whether there are grounds
for seeking leave to appeal.
"This government remains committed to protecting
children and other vulnerable people by
providing employers with proportionate access to criminal
record information in order to
support safer recruitment decisions."
What's the current system?
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) replaced the
Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) scheme
in England and Wales. It provides details of a job
applicant's previous convictions.
Scotland and Northern Ireland run similar but separate
schemes.
Employers are required to use the checks when employing
people for certain types of work,
particularly work with children or vulnerable adults.
The standard or enhanced certificates issued by the DBS
used to list all the job
applicant's previous convictions.
However, in 2013, the government amended this scheme
following a Court of Appeal ruling to
introduce a filtering process.
Single convictions for non-violent, non-sexual offences
that did not lead to a suspended or

custodial sentence are not disclosed after 11 years or five
and a half years if the person
was under 18 at the time of the offence.
The new filtering process does not apply if a person has
more than one conviction regardless of the minor nature of the offences or the
person's circumstances at the time.
(1st February 2016)
ARE YOU LIVING IN A BURGLARY CLAIMS HOTSPOT ?
(The Telegraph, dated 22nd January 2016 author Amelia
Murray)
Full article and interactive map [Option 1]:
www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/insurance/co
ntents/12113309/Mapped-are-you-living-in-a-burglaryclaims-hotspot.html
The affluent areas of Dulwich and south Tulse Hill have
been revealed as Britain's burglary hotspots, having the
highest proportion of claims made to insurers relating to
theft.
MoneySuperMarket compiled the data, looking back over
five years.
Of every 1,000 home insurance claims made in the
affluent SE21 postcode, 61 were burglary related.
The number of claims in a postcode can significantly affect
the cost of insurance. MoneySuperMarket said Dulwich
residents can expect to pay 225.20 for home insurance
premiums.
At the other end of the scale, householders in Harbury,
near Leamington Spa, would pay an average of 76.70 almost three times less than SE21 residents. The
Warwickshire village saw less than one claim per 1,000
quotes.
Top 10 areas that made the most burglary claims in
the UK
London dominated the top 20 hotspots for theft claims with 16 areas featured in the list, including three districts
of Ilford, east London and north Kensington. Milton Keynes
and West Bromwich, near Birmingham also had high
numbers of burglary claims.
District
(Postcode) [Claims per 1,000 quotes]
South Tulse Hill & Dulwich (SE21) [61.2]
Clayhall (IG5) [57.5]
Redbridge (IG4) [56.7]
Gants Hill, Newbury Park, Aldborough Hatch (IG2) [53.5]
Whetstone district (N20) [49.5]
Heston, Cranford (north), Osterley (TW5) [49.2]
Hadley Wood, Cockfosters, East Barnet, New Barnet (EN4)
[48.6]
New Southgate district (N11) [48.1]
Barkingside, Hainault (IG6) [46.7]
Teddington (TW11) [46.6]
Source: MoneySuperMarket
The least common areas for burglars were Harbury and
Derry, Northern Ireland. The SA3 postcode, covering
south-west Wales also had low numbers claims related to
theft.
Kevin Pratt, consumer affairs expert at
MoneySuperMarket, said burglary claims was top of the list
when insurers calculate premiums.
But what makes Dulwich so attractive to criminals?
Mr Pratt said: "Dulwich differs hugely street-to-street.
Thieves can 'hide in plain sight' on the bustling streets and
take the time to establish targets without attracting much
attention.
"But there are also quieter, greener areas which are also
appealing to burglars. It's a case of 'nobody's a stranger
because everybody's a stranger'.
"These days people do so much shopping online and get
numerous deliveries, we think nothing of strangers at our

door.
"Dulwich is also an affluent area and thieves know they
are likely to be rewarded."
Last year, properties in the most expensive part of the
postcode - well-to-do Dulwich Village - sold for an average
1,303,471. The area also boasts three independent
schools, including the prestigious
Dulwich College which costs more than 18,000 a year.
Met Police statistics confirm the MoneySuperMarket
findings with Dulwich seeing far more crime than it's less
affluent neighbours, Camberwell, Peckham Rye and Forest
Hill.
In December 2015, 84 crimes were reported in Dulwich
Village and 75 in East Dulwich. Just 47 crimes were
reported in nearby Camberwell in the same month.
How can I reduce my premium if I live in a high-risk
area?
Adam Powell, operations manager of home insurance
provider Policy Expert, said residents of high crime areas
can not only expect to pay more for insurance, but may
also be refused.
Mr Powell said installing premium locks and burglar alarms
can potentially reduce premiums by 10pc to 20pc.
But Anders Nilsson of GoCompare said: "It's not worth
getting a costly system just to reduce the price of
premiums as insurers place different importance on it. Do
it from the point of view of protecting your home."
Both agree the systems need to be used properly.
Mr Nilsson said: "Those who say they have lockable
windows or a burglar alarm, but never use them will face
problems if they are broken into and need to make a
claim."
Similarly, Mr Powell said do not exaggerate how much
time you spend in the house.
Homes with valuable contents will face higher premiums,

but Mr Powell said applicants can lower this by placing
items like jewellery in a bank safe.
Insurers will also want to know if you are part of a
Neighbourhood Watch scheme, however this is unlikely to
directly reduce your home insurance. In the past, being
part of such community groups may have got applicants a
reduction of up to 10pc.
He said: "Insurance policy is hard to change so you may
find companies asking you if you are member of
Neighbourhood Watch, but in most cases it will not make a
difference to your premium."
(1st February 2016)
THE MIXED MESSAGE IN THE INCREASED CRIME

FIGURES JUST ADDS TO THE CONFUSION
(The Independent, dated 21st January 2016 author Nigel
Morris)
www.independent.co.uk/voices/the-mixed-message-in-theincreased-crime-figures-just-adds-to-the-confusiona6826396.html
For 20 years Labour, Tory and coalition governments alike
have trumpeted sustained falls in crime rates as evidence
that law-abiding citizens are less likely than ever to be
burgled, robbed or beaten up.
Theories were variously advanced over why Britain was
becoming more better behaved. It has clearly become
harder to break into houses or cars, while falls in the
young male population and the popularity of shoot-'em-up
computer games were credited with lower levels of
violence.
Until recently, there was little challenge to the consensus
behind politicians' boasts and academics' papers that

numbers of offences are dropping. But the latest statistics
prove how difficult it is to capture scientifically the extent
of crime, sending out conflicting signals over whether the
country really is becoming safer. The two measures of
offending published on 21 January paint very different
pictures.
The Crime Survey of England and Wales, which estimates
experience of crime using a consistent methodology and is
widely regarded as a more authoritative gauge, showed an
annual fall of 6 per cent.
Meanwhile, crime recorded by police produced a mirrorimage result, with the overall number of offences
increasing by 6 per cent, including sharper rises in violent
and sex attacks. Predictably Home Office ministers chose
to highlight one set of numbers, with their political
opponents pointing to the other and protesting about cuts
to police manpower.
Both sets of statistics carry health warnings. The survey
excludes crime against businesses and relies on
respondents remembering events clearly, injecting a
significant subjective element into the numbers. The
police figures omit offences not reported to officers, which
is an obvious flaw of relying on these figures.
There is anecdotal evidence of a huge shift from burglary
and theft to computer crime in the last decade. However,
people tend to tell the police if an item worth 100 is
stolen from them - not least for insurance purposes - but
to put it down to experience if they lose the same amount
to an online scam. Even if they did alert police, their
experience of crime will not have been reflected in the
crime survey statistics which did not include cyber fraud.
The police figures have also been inflated by instructions
to officers to be more diligent in recording violence
following evidence that forces had been massaging their
crime figures downwards. For example, an officer
witnessing a late-night bust-up between two young men
might once have pulled them apart and sent them on their
separate ways. The clash will probably now be recorded as
a violent offence.
The increasing number of reports of rape and other sex
offences is likely to be driven by the greater willingness of
victims to come forward, partly because of the publicity
over accusations of historic child abuse. Richard Garside,
the director of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies,
argues the statistics reveal more about police activity than
patterns of offending.
"They tell you quite a lot about what police are focusing on
and what they are prioritising," he says.
However, it is hard to dismiss the increases in murder, gun
crime and knife crime as a statistical quirk.
In some corners of our big cities life is becoming more
dangerous. Elsewhere crime is changing rapidly - and the
statistics are struggling to catch up.
(1st February 2016)
HOW DO I AVOID BEING A CRASH FOR CASH
VICTIM ?
(BBC News, dated 21st January 2016)
Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/guides/ztqt39q#zcg8xsg
PAYING THE PRICE
According to the Insurance Fraud Bureau 'crash for cash'
costs the UK 340m every year. And
who ends up paying for it? You guessed it - the honest
motorists who pay their premiums.
The scam is usually carried out by criminal gangs who
make fraudulent claims on car
insurance. The profits are often used to fund other crimes
like illegal firearms, drug
dealing and people trafficking. So how can you avoid
being a victim?
Crash for cash scammers choose their victims carefully they keep an eye out for drivers
who look like they would be fully insured but be less likely
to cause a fuss. Mothers with
children on board and the elderly are favoured victims. If
you've been a victim, the
circumstances are likely to be as follows.
KNOW THE SIGNS
The accident
A car in front of you slams on the brakes for no obvious
reason, and you have no time to
react and collide with the car in front. Another scenario
(known as 'flash for cash')
happens when a driver flashes their lights at a junction to
let you out, then crashes into
you deliberately.
The blame
The other driver will insist the accident is your fault. The
scammer will then hand over
their insurance details - sometimes already prepared and
written down.
The claim
A few weeks after the accident your insurers will write to
you with details of the other
driver's claim which will be exaggerated with costs like car
hire, recovery and whiplash
injuries.
CRASH NATION
The Association of British Insurers says that every year
fraud costs honest policyholders
around 50 each in higher premiums. Martin reports that
innocent lives are also being put
at risk.
AVOID THE SCAM
To avoid being a victim, the following precautions may

help.
Be aware
Keep an eye out ahead for possible hazards at all times
and look out for erratic,
unpredictable drivers. Remember to leave plenty of
braking space between you and the car in
front.
Backwards glances?
Look out for drivers or passengers who seem to be paying
attention to the vehicle behind
them, it could also be a sign they are planning to cause an
accident.
Beware of the flash
Do not assume that if a driver flashes their headlights that
it's safe to pull out - use
your own judgement and proceed carefully. And don't put
too much faith in another driver's
indicator. Wait until the car actually starts turning to be
sure where it is going. And
speaking of lights, be aware that fraudsters often disable
their brake lights to make it
easier to cause an accident.
IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE BEEN A VICTIM
If you have been in an accident and you are suspicious,
make sure you take the following
steps:
- Don't admit liability for anything at the scene.
- It is best not to challenge the other driver directly with
your suspicions.
- Make written notes of what happened. Take descriptions
of the other driver/passengers
along with what is said.
- If it's safe, take photographs of the scene and damage to
the vehicles. Do it discreetly

if you can.
- Insist on calling the police - you may find the fraudster
may well back off.
- Check for independent witnesses, but be aware that
gangs can plant witnesses as part of
the scam.
- Report the incident to your insurer as soon as possible
and tell them about your
suspicions.
- Report the incident to the Insurance Fraud Bureau, either
through their website or by
calling their Cheatline on 0800 422 0421.
WHERE NEXT
Check out the BBC webpage for further information :
www.bbc.co.uk/guides/ztqt39q#zcg8xsg
(1st February 2016)
CRIME FIGURES RISE SHARPLY AMID FEARS GANG
MEMBERS BECOMING MORE RUTHLESS
(The Independent, dated 21st January 2016 author Nigel
Morris)
www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/crime-figures-risesharply-amid-fears-gang-members-becoming-moreruthless-in-attempt-to-secure-a6826246.html
Levels of violent crime, including murder, rape, gun and
knife offences, recorded by police have risen sharply amid
fears that gang members are more becoming ruthless in
their attempts to keep control of their territory.
The number of people murdered in England and Wales
increased by 14 per cent in the year to September and
instances of attempted murder went up by 19 per cent,
while knife crime rose by nine per cent and firearms
offences by four per cent.
The overall numbers of violent offences surged by 27 per

cent, although much of the increase was attributed to
improved recording techniques by the police.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the increase in
numbers of murders from 503 to 574 - reversing the
previous downwards trend - was caused by a surge in
killings in London and the South East. The total included
75 people who were murdered in June.
The ONS said it was too early to conclude that homicide
levels were starting to creep up again, but the figures
reinforced fears over levels of gang activity in London and
major cities. Almost one-quarter of the rise in knife crime
offences was recorded in the capital, although increases
were also recorded in 33 of the other 42 police force
areas.
Andy Simon, a former detective who leads an organisation
which mediates between gangs in London, said: "The
youngsters are more likely to carry knives and to resort
more quickly to violence."
Numbers of rapes and other sex crimes reported to police
rose by 36 per cent to 99,609, the highest figure since
current records began. The ONS said it believed the
increase was linked to improved recording techniques and
the greater willingness of victims to contact the police.
The 43 police forces in England and Wales reported an
overall annual rise in crime of six per cent to 4.3m
offences. It was the biggest year-on-year jump since 20012002, although statisticians linked it to improved recording
of offences.
By contrast, the separate Crime Survey for England and
Wales, which is based on interviews with the public,
estimated that crime had dropped by six per cent over the
year to 6.6m offences.
The Policing Minister, Mike Penning, said people,
communities and property were safer because of a fall of

more than one quarter in crime levels since 2010.
He said: "The Government has made reducing violence,
including knife crime, a priority and continues to work
closely with the police and other organisations to tackle
the drivers of these crimes."
But Jack Dromey, the shadow Policing minister, said: "The
Tories have slashed police officers by 17,000 and broke
their promise to the public to protect frontline officer
numbers. Now we see the biggest increase in recorded
crime in a decade."
Steve White, chairman of the Police Federation of England
and Wales, said: "Now is not the time to be taking the foot
off the policing pedal. These figures show an alarming rise
in recorded crime, which is what we have been saying all
along."
(1st February 2016)
CITY POLICE MOVE TO BOLSTER RING OF STEEL IN

TERROR ALERT BY CLOSING STREETS
(London Evening Standard, dated 21st January 2016
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/city-police-move-tobolster-ring-of-steel-during-terror-alert-by-closing-streetsa3161626.html
Police will today request instant emergency powers to
close roads in the City if there is intelligence of a potential
terror attack.
Britain's first anti-terrorism traffic regulation order (ATTRO)
will be one of the most significant powers sought for the
Square Mile since the introduction of "ring of steel"
checkpoints, blanket CCTV and number plate recognition
readers after IRA bombings in the Eighties and Nineties.

City of London Police commissioner Adrian Leppard
warned in a letter that the threat to crowded public areas
and "places of economic and symbolic importance" in the
Square Mile was "particularly acute".
He said an ATTRO would allow police to "control the
movement of pedestrians and vehicles on City streets as
part of a package of measures aimed at improving the
security of people... and protecting damage to buildings
from a potential terrorist attack".
This would include road closures in "extreme"
circumstances to back up "physical security measures"
preventing "vehicles and/or pedestrians from entering or
proceeding along a highway".
The City force believes the "ring of steel" is inadequate to
stop a suicide bombing and wants the City of London
Corporation to grant the permanent order.
This could be "activated" by a senior officer to meet
"operational requirements". The request for powers that
are "permanent, but contingent by nature", follows talks
with the Centre for the Protection of National
Infrastructure, which reports to the director-general of MI5.
It is due to be approved "in principle" at the Guildhall's
police committee today before a consultation period.
Operationally, the new power seeks to override the
European Convention on Human Rights on the peaceful
enjoyment of property, as police believe its public interest
"outweighs any interference with private rights".
(1st February 2016)
VOLUNTEERS TO BE HANDED POLICE-STYLE POWERS
IN WAR ON CYBER CRIME
Barrett)

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12108994/Volunt
eers-to-be-handed-police-style-powers-in-war-on-cybercrime.html
Police forces will be able to enlist members of the public
who specialise in computing or accountancy to combat
cyber crime, under new plans announced by the
Government.
Theresa May, the Home Secretary, is to announce moves
to give volunteers a number of police-style powers to give
chief constables a "more flexible workforce".
The changes could also mean beat bobbies being
increasingly replaced by civilian patrol officers as unpaid
volunteers are handed the same powers as full-time police
community support officers (PCSOs), including the
authority to hand out on-the-spot fines.
Mrs May said: "Police officers across the country carry out
a wide range of duties, keeping the public safe and
ensuring justice for the most vulnerable members of
society.
"We value the essential role they play, but they cannot do
this on their own.
"We want to help forces to create a more flexible
workforce, bring in new skills and free up officers' time to
focus on the jobs only they can carry out."
She added: "At the same time, we want to encourage
those with skills in particular demand, such as those with
specialist IT or accountancy skills, to work alongside police
officers to investigate cyber or financial crime, and help
officers and staff fight crime more widely."
Special constables - or volunteer police officers - have
been able to take on all the powers of a Pc since they were
introduced in 1831.
But "police support volunteers", as they are currently
known, have none.
The reforms will for the first time enable volunteers to be

given powers without becoming a special constable,
including the ability to hand out fixed penalty notices; take
witness statements; confiscate drugs, alcohol or tobacco,
and control traffic.
They will also be able to detain a person for up to 30
minutes but - like PCSOs - will not have the power of
arrest.
The measures will form part of the Policing and Crime Bill.
Chief Constable Dave Jones, of the National Police Chiefs'
Council, said: "The new approach to designating police
powers will help the police service be more flexible when it
comes to attracting and deploying volunteers with
valuable skills, especially in situations where the full
powers of a constable are not necessary.
"The onus on chief constables is to use the powers wisely,
ensure they fit the needs of local policing and provide
appropriate training so that they help us keep our
communities safe."
He added: "The new powers will form part of this strategy
and give us more opportunities to harness the great
appetite for volunteering in the UK."
The Police Federation, which represents rank-and-file
police officers, said it opposed the move, however.
Steve White, the chairman, said: "The federation and our
members understand the need for further police reform.
"However, the British public deserves and expects a
properly resourced, professional and fully accountable
police service to keep them safe in these dangerous times.
"We have seen no convincing arguments on the need to
provide powers above or beyond those that already exist
to police staff and volunteers."
Steve White added: "Special constables and a significant
army of volunteers up and down the country do sterling
work, but they should not be a replacement for a sworn-in
professional officers."
Andy Burnham ,the shadow home secretary, said: "This

sounds like a back-door means of filling cuts and could
lead to policing on the cheap.
"The Home Secretary needs to provide assurance that it
won't lead to standards being compromised or corners cut.
"It would be totally unacceptable if this led to the role of
PCSOs being undermined.
"While we thank those who volunteer as specials - and
value their role - they do receive proper vetting and
training.
"The concern is that these volunteers will not be checked
or trained in the same way.
"The simple truth is that communities can't rely on a parttime police force."
Last month Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary
found worrying gaps in the way police approach financial
crimes committed online.
The HMIC study found a lack of clarity over which alleged
crimes the police should investigate and which could
properly be passed to Action Fraud, the centralised
organisation which registers frauds such as online credit
card theft.
(1st February 2016)
THE WORST PASSWORDS OF 2015, AND THEY ARE
GETTING WORSE
(ZDNET, dated 19th January 2016 author Zack Whittaker)
http://www.zdnet.com/article/these-were-the-worstpasswords-of-2015/
The most common password of last year is "123456,"
which sadly probably isn't a surprise considering
statistically there's a good chance that's your password.
Following that, it's "password" and "12345678," which just
shows that you aren't even trying anymore.
SplashData analyzed the most common passwords used

over the past year from more than 2 million leaked
passwords. One of the key trends found was that longer
passwords don't always equate to more secure passwords
-- you'll see from numerous entries in the top ten.
Perhaps the most telling detail is how far some of the
previously most-common passwords are rising up the
ranks year-over-year.
Many of the passwords remain unchanged from 2015 from
the year prior, but many -- including "qwerty," and other
dictionary terms, like "football" and "master" have been
more frequently used.
New, but equally poor passwords joined the 2015 list,
including "welcome" and "login" made their debut.
But perhaps more telling is how passwords can be
influenced by popular and modern culture. With the
release of the latest "Star Wars" installment, it's of little
surprise to find that new passwords added to the list
include "princess," "solo," and "starwars."
If you're after a Star Wars-related password, you might be
better off with a more complex password, like: "M@y tH3
f0Rc B w1tH y0U."
25 Completely useless passwords
123456
password
12345678
qwerty
12345
123456789
football
1234
1234567
baseball
welcome
1234567890
abc123
111111
1qaz2wsx
dragon
master
monkey
letmein
login
princess
qwertyuiop
solo
password
starwars
Further information
To check out the worst passwords during the last 5 years
go to :
(1st February 2016)
EUROPE TO EXPAND DATABASE ON TERRORISTS
AND CRIMINALS
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12109008/Europ
e-to-expand-database-on-terrorists-and-criminals.html
Criminal records of non-European Union citizens will be
shared by member states for the first time, it has been
announced, in a move to tighten the net against criminals
and terrorists in the wake of the Paris attacks.
The European Commission said it would upgrade a
database - the European Criminal Records Information
System, or ECRIS - to include information about people
from outside the EU who have criminal records here.
Currently, only the criminal records of EU citizens are
shared among member states using ECRIS, and non-EU
offenders are left out.
Vera Jourov, the EU commissioner for justice, said: "The

Paris attacks in November confirmed the urgent need for
more robust and seamless judicial cooperation throughout
the EU.
"ECRIS is an important tool against cross-border crime, as
it enables member states to exchange information on
previous convictions anywhere in the EU.
"Today we propose to upgrade this tool to ensure easier
access to the convictions of non-EU citizens.
"Judges, prosecutors or the police will be better equipped
for EU-wide cooperation that will guarantee the security of
all citizens throughout the EU.
"By including fingerprints of non-EU citizens we will have a
strong tool to tackle the use of false identities."
ECRIS was set up in 2012 to allow courts and law
enforcement agencies to obtain criminal records from
other member states.
It includes fingerprints - so increased sharing of the
records make it harder for terrorists and criminals to travel
under false identities.
Currently 288,000 requests are made a year across the
EU.
The commission said the proposals will be published later
this year for approval by ministers and will then take a
year to come into effect.
(1st February 2016)
WOMEN JAILED FOR WRITING SCRIPTS FOR
ROMANCE SCAMMERS
(The Telegraph, dated 15th January 2016 author Martin
Evans)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12102031/Woma
n-jailed-for-writing-scripts-for-romance-scammers.html
A woman who wrote scripts for romance fraudsters to use,

including one about losing a loved one in the 9/11 attacks,
has been jailed for two years.
Patricia Wutaan offered scammers tips on how to tug at
the heart strings of unsuspecting victims and also
laundered the money from a 70-year-old victim.
The 55-year-old was arrested following a tip off in February
2014 and when officers searched her home they found a
number of hand-written notes including one which
purported to be from the widow of a victim of the terror
attacks in New York in 2001.
The script read: "I am a widow. Lost my husband to 9/11
terror attacks in New York. He made it out of the collapsed
building but he later died because of heavy dust and
smoke and he was asthmatic."
Another note claimed to be from a widow who was waiting
for money from her late husband's will.
And a third script suggested she needed money to pay her
rent after spending every penny she had to fix her broken
sewing machine.
The notes also included instructions such as: "Stay calm
and moody until you get his final word" and "Let him do
most of the talking, be sad and worried about taking care
of bills for rest of the month. When he asks what he can do
to help ask him for $2000 - $3000."
Wutaan initially denied writing the notes, but handwriting
experts proved they were a perfect match with her hand.
Police said there was no evidence that she had used the
scripts herself, but they also recovered fake passports and
drivers' licenses from her Bromley home.
Detectives also discovered she had almost 30,000 paid
into her bank account from a man in Switzerland, who had
fallen victim to one of her associates.
Detective Constable Neil Sykes, of the Central Criminal
Finances Team, said: "Wutaan's home was an Aladdin's

cave of fraudsters' scripts and false IDs. It was almost like
she was compiling a fraudsters' handbook.
"The scripts she had written demonstrate exactly the
kinds of stories that victims are fed by fraudsters;
designed to manipulate the victim into feeling sorry for
them and wanting to help them.
"I urge anyone using a dating site to question what they
are being told by other 'daters', especially when they are
being asked for money or personal details.
"If you think you have been a victim, please don't be
embarrassed - tell police, so we can try and stop the
fraudsters."
(1st February 2016)
PAEDOPHILES AND RAPISTS LET OFF WITH
CAUTIONS BY CUMBRIA POLICE
(The Telegraph, dated 15th January 2016 author Tom
Morgan and Agency)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12101750/Paedo
philes-and-rapists-let-off-with-cautions-by-CumbriaPolice.html
At least 12 child abusers and two rapists are among 65
sex offenders let off with cautions by a police force after
confessing their crimes.
Campaigners condemned the charging decisions as
Cumbria Police figures show paedophiles and rapists are
avoiding court.
Another 11 offenders were cautioned for unlawful sexual
intercourse by a man with a girl under 16, while at least
one offender was cautioned for offences including sexual
activity involving a child.
Five were cautioned for indecent assault on a male, 21 for
indecent exposure and 11 for unlawful sexual intercourse.
To receive a caution an offender must admit their guilt.

They are added to the sex offenders register for two years
- one year if they are under 18.
Last year, the Government revealed hundreds of sex
offenders are escaping with low level punishments for
crimes including grooming and assaulting children.
Tory MP Philip Davies - who has campaigned against the
soft use of cautions for sex attackers - said: "For someone
to be given a caution they are admitting guilt to these
terrible crimes.
"Victims should at least know that justice is being done
and it's doubtful they are. You would have thought that
they should at least be brought before a court."
The Shipley MP added: "The police seem to be abusing the
caution system so they can massage their figures.
"It is unacceptable. I know they are under tremendous
strain and I would like to see their funding increased."
The force stressed that it works closely with the Crown
Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute wherever possible.
The Association of Chief Police Officers said cautions were
carefully considered in "the vast majority of cases".
A simple caution, once known as a formal or police
caution, is a formal warning that may be given by the
police to people aged 18 or over who admit to committing
an offence.
More than 40 per cent of rapes reported in Cumbria last
year involved a child victim. The total number of reports 205 - was up on the 126 recorded in the previous year,
2013.
Yet police chiefs welcomed this rise, saying sex crimes
were previously "under-reported" offences.
Detective Superintendent Cath Thundercloud, of Cumbria
Police's public protection unit, said: "We work closely with
our colleagues in the Crown Prosecution Service to

prosecute wherever possible and identify where we can
improve our processes.
"Cumbria has one of the highest charge and summons
ratio in the country, showing our commitment with the
CPS to bring sexual offenders to justice.
"The constabulary continually works to improve victim
care and every victim's report is believed and taken
seriously.
"Victims will be supported by specially trained and
experienced officers and we also work together with
partner agencies in order to put safeguarding measures in
place to those that require this support.
"I would like to take this opportunity to reassure victims
that we take all reports of sexual offences extremely
seriously and will investigate them sensitively and
professionally."
The NSPCC has previously said some decisions to issue a
caution may have been taken to avoid a child having to
give evidence in court. But it added that this was a
damning indictment of the justice system.
Sexual Violence - In numbers
Source : MoJ / ONS 2013
85,000 - women raped in England and Wales every year
12,000- men are raped in England and Wales evey year
500,000 - adults are sexually assaulted in England and
Wales each year
1 in 5 - women aged 16 - 59 have experienced some form
of sexual violence
15% - of people who experience sexual violence choose to
repor it to Police
90% - of those who are raped know the perpetrator prior
to offence
(1st February 2016)
JUBILEE LINE WORST FOR HATE CRIMES
author Lewis Dean)

www.ibtimes.co.uk/london-underground-racism-jubileeline-worst-hate-crimes-attacks-shot-150-month-parisattacks-1538228
London Underground commuters are most likely to be
racially abused on the Jubilee line than any other on the
tube network. There were 183 reported hate crimes on the
line in the last two years, five more than the London
Overground, which had the second-worst record.
Overall, hate crimes committed on London tube services
went up in 2015 to 814, up from 668 the previous year - or
an 18% hike, figures obtained in a Freedom of Information
request by IBTimes UK revealed. After the Overground, the
Central line had the third highest number of hate crimes
(169) followed by the Northern and Piccadilly lines (167
each) and District (151).
November 2015 - the month terrorists linking themselves
to Islamic State (Isis) killed 130 people in attacks in Paris saw the highest number of hate crimes on the
Underground. There were 118 that month, up almost
150% on the 48 reported the year before.
Islamaphobic incidents more than tripled across the
capital in the wake of the Paris terror attacks, with 76 such
recorded offences between November 17 and 24 while in
the seven days to November 10, three days before the
Paris attacks, there were 24.
The line where the least offences happened was, perhaps
unsurprisingly, the Waterloo & City line, which runs
between Waterloo and Bank stations and saw just one
attack. The Metropolitan line recorded the second fewest
(65) followed by the Bakerloo line (79). British Transport
Police recording methods count the Circle and
Hammersmith & City lines as the same one and as a result
they saw 120 incidents between them.
A British Transport Police spokesman said: "Any crime or
incident of anti-social behaviour that is motivated by

hatred is particularly abhorrent and British Transport Police
is working hard to drive such behaviour from the railway.
"Part of this drive is encouraging victims, and those who
witness crimes, to report them to police.
Only by understanding the true scale and nature of the
problem, can we hope to develop lasting solutions that will
give all travellers and rail staff an environment as free
from hate crime as possible."
(1st February 2016)
HOUSEHOLDERS CAN USE "DISPROPORTIONATE
LEVEL OF FORCE AGAINST INTRUDERS"
(Th Guardian, dated 15th January 2015 author Kevin
Rawlinson)
www.theguardian.com/law/2016/jan/15/high-court-rejectschallenge-to-householder-defence-law
Householders can use a disproportionate level of force
against an intruder in their homes if they reasonably
believe it is necessary, the high court has ruled.
Judges ruled that the "householder defence", which
relieves people of the responsibility of making fine
judgments about proportionality in the heat of the
moment, so long as it is necessary, was compatible with
European human rights laws.
In a ruling handed down on Friday, they rejected a
challenge brought by the family of a man who was left in a
coma after allegedly intruding in a home in the early hours
of the morning in December 2013.
Relatives of Denby Collins argued that the law, which was
strengthened by the coalition government in 2013, was
incompatible with the right to life guaranteed by the
European convention on human rights.
While the judges stressed that their decision did not give
people "carte blanche" to use any degree of force to
protect themselves, they said that force was not
necessarily unreasonable and unlawful "simply because it
is disproportionate - unless it is grossly disproportionate".
The president of the Queen's bench division, Sir Brian
Leveson, and Mr Justice Cranston used the case to give
guidance to judges and juries throughout England and
Wales on how to deal with similar cases.
Their ruling confirmed that the current domestic law was
valid. The Crown Prosecution Service's guidance says that
"anyone can use reasonable force to protect themselves
or others, or to carry out an arrest or to prevent crime".
It adds: "You are not expected to make fine judgments
over the level of force you use in the heat of the moment.
So long as you only do what you honestly and instinctively
believe is necessary in the heat of the moment, that would
be the strongest evidence of you acting lawfully and in
self-defence. This is still the case if you use something to
hand as a weapon."
Grossly disproportionate force, such as a "calculated
action of revenge" would not be covered, it says.
In Friday's ruling, Leveson declared: "In the circumstances
I conclude that the criminal law of England and Wales on
self-defence in householder cases, taken as a whole, fulfils
the framework obligation under Article 2(1).
But the judge warned: "The headline message is and
remains clear: a householder will only be able to avail
himself of the defence if the degree of force he used was
reasonable in the circumstances as he believed them to
be."
Agreeing with the president, Cranston said the "plain
words" of the section read in their legal context "mean
that in householder cases the force used in self-defence is
not unreasonable simply because it is disproportionate -
unless, of course, it is grossly disproportionate".

Without the law in place, Collins's family believe,
"householder B" - who police investigators said restrained
the alleged intruder in a headlock - would have been
charged for unlawful wounding or another offence of
violence.
They say other family members may also have been liable
to prosecution, had they not enjoyed the law's protection.
None was charged over the incident.
The Ministry of Justice welcomed the high court ruling. A
spokesman said: "Being confronted by an intruder in your
own home can be a terrifying ordeal.
"That is why the last government strengthened the law to
give householders greater protection to defend
themselves from intruders."
Collins's family said they were "disappointed" and
considering an appeal.
In a statement released by their solicitors, Hickman and
Rose, they said: "Denby's family continue to believe that
the current law insufficiently protects a member of the
public from extreme violence being used in self-defence
where, for example, the person is left in a coma or is killed
because they're treated, rightly or wrongly, as an intruder
into someone's home.
"They continue to hold the view that it should be sufficient
for the CPS to prove that force used by anyone in selfdefence is disproportionate for a person to be convicted
for an act of violence of this type."
(1st February 2016)
HIDDEN RISE IN VIOLENT CRIME DRIVEN BY
GROWTH IN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
(The Guardian, dated 13th January 2016 author Damien
Gayle)
www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jan/13/hidden-riseviolent-crime-growth-violence-against-women
Women are bearing the brunt of an invisible rise in violent
crime, a new analysis shows. Domestic violence and
violence against women have increased since 2009,
researchers found, pushing up overall levels of violent
crime.
The findings contradict the official message that violent
crime has been in decline since the mid-90s. They also
begin to challenge the assertion that men are the most
likely victims; violent crime against men continues to fall.
A team led by Sylvia Walby, Unesco chair in gender
research and a professor of sociology at Lancaster
University, discovered the rise in violent crime after
looking again at data collected by the Crime Survey of
England and Wales (CSEW) between 1994 and 2014.
Official statisticians cap the number in a series of crimes
that a single person can report to the survey at five, to
stop outliers skewing the statistics. But Walby argues that
this method excludes the experiences of "high frequency"
victims - particularly victims of domestic violence - who
often make up more than 5% of respondents.
To take these victims into account, Walby and her
colleagues instead looked at all reported crimes. The new
study also slightly alters the definition of violent crime to
include sexual offences such as rape, which are usually
given their own category in CSEW figures.
Abandoning the cap and including sex crimes shows the
fall in violent crime reached a turning point in 2009, when
a rise in domestic violence and violence against women by
acquaintances begins.
Although violence against women by strangers remains
flat, and violence against men continues to fall, the rises
are so marked they fuel an overall rise in violent crime.
Women's groups say it is no coincidence that the rise

begins at the same time as the financial crisis and the
beginning of austerity politics in Britain. They are calling
for a reversal of cuts to specialist domestic violence
services. Many have closed as a result of belt-tightening in
local government since 2010.
UK Violent crime rates
Crime reported per 1,000 adults, 1994 to (2013/14)
Official capped data for all violent crimes : 105 (37)
Three year moving average all violent crimes : 154 (82)
Official capped data for violent crimes [MEN] : 122 (46)
Three year moving average violent crimes [MEN]: 178 (75)
Official capped data for violent crimes [WOMEN] : 107 (32)
Three year moving average violent crimes [WOMEN]: 140
(90)
{uware comment : The Guardian article includes graphs
that better expresses the data shown}
The change coincides with the repercussions of the
financial crisis, the researchers point out. "The turning
point in the rate of these violent crimes is consistent with
an explanation focused on the reduced economic
independence of women and the impact of the cuts to
services on which women disproportionately depend,"
they write, although they add that more investigation is
needed.
Vivienne Hayes, chief executive of the Women's Resource
Centre, said that while austerity had played a part in the
rise in violence against women, some of it was also the
result of a troubling resurgence of sexism.
"While we are deeply saddened by the results of Walby's
research, we are not surprised," she said. "Our member
organisations have been telling us repeatedly that
demand for their services, which include rape crisis
centres and small specialist Violence Against Women and
Girls services, has rocketed, whilst investment in services
has plummeted.
"Research from a range of sources strongly suggests that

over the last few years our societal view of women, from
violent pornography, violent computer games, street
harassment and everyday sexism, to the lack of women in
positions of leadership and the attempt to remove
women's contribution to political progress in the A level
curriculum, is creating a view of women which nurtures
and normalises our violation.
"Only when we take a bird's eye view of all of these issues
and develop a joined up strategy to tackle them head on,
will we see a reduction in violent crime against women."
WRC cited House of Commons research showing that
direct taxes and social security cuts will take 9.6bn net a
year from families - 7bn of which is from women. The
group's own research has found that 95% of women's
organisations had experienced cuts, rising to 100% for
BME women's organisations.
The CSEW is a face-to-face survey asking people about
their experiences of a range of crimes in the past year. It
is regarded as the gold standard of crime statistics since it
includes unreported crimes and is unaffected by changes
in police recording practices.
Official statisticians have argued that the cap on the
number of crimes a single person can report to eliminate
volatility in the results, allowing them to better identify
trends. Walby and her colleagues get around that problem
by instead using a three-year moving average of statistics.
Survivors of domestic abuse most often report not just one
incident of violence and intimidation, or even several, but
a systematic and sustained campaign of repression that
can last years.
That was the case with Ava Freebody, from Sussex, who
spent 27 years with her abusive husband before she was
finally able to escape. She has contempt for any
suggestion that crime statistics would cap the number in a
series of incidents reported by a single victim, calling it
ridiculous.
"How can you possibly put a cap on something and say

that after five times it doesn't count? I remember all the
incidents, I remember all the things that were done to me,
and to say we are only going to count five times makes
me feel worthless," she said. "It's like somehow this is your
fault, it's like if this had happened more than five times
then you must have been asking for it.
"I think we have a situation here where I think of this as
domestic terrorism. If the perpetrators were Isis we would
be throwing so many resources into it and we would
recognise the repeated attacks on liberties and health."
Walby also condemned the capping, saying it "omits
crimes and therefore biases the crime rate downwards - it
is lower than it should be. The objection to taking the cap
off is that this introduces more year-to-year volatility.
Uncapping and [giving] three-year moving averages
provides an unbiased figure that also solves the volatility
problem."
Christina Jay, an activist with Sisters Uncut, which
campaigns against cuts to such services, added: "This
research proves the urgent need for meaningful
investment in domestic violence support. We hope the
government acknowledges the undeniable human cost of
austerity and put substantial measures, policies and
funding commitments in place to make sure that all
domestic violence survivors can flee violence and live
safely."
(1st February 2016)
CRIMES LINKED TO TINDER AND GRINDR INCREASE
SEVEN FOLD
(The Telegraph, dated 11th January 2016 author Tom
Whitehead)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12091971/Crime
s-linked-to-Tinder-and-Grindr-increase-seven-fold.html
Crimes linked to dating apps Tinder and Grindr, including

rape, child sex grooming and attempted murder, have
increased seven fold in just two year.
More than 400 offences with a connection to users of the
apps were reported to police last year and campaigners
warned many more could go unreported.
They said users were vulnerable to "sextortion" and urged
better awareness on the dangers of meeting strangers
online.
In some cases offenders have been jailed for trying to
blackmail users of Grindr, which is a gay dating app while
in another a man was suspected of raping a woman he
met through Tinder.
Andy Cooke, deputy chief constable of Merseyside Police
national police lead on violence and public protection,
said: "The rising popularity of online dating apps and
websites has contributed to an increase in the number of
recorded crimes. We strongly encourage users to report
offences and seek support if they become a victim of any
type of crime.
"I would urge those who use online dating apps to be as
security conscious as possible and not to share personal
data with anyone until they are sure about those they are
communicating with.
"Similarly, individuals should stop all communication with
anyone who attempts to pressurise them into something
they are not comfortable with."
Police in England and Wales received 55 reports of crimes
in 2013 where Grindr or Tinder was mentioned, according
to figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
This increased to 204 in 2014 and 412 in the year to
October 2015, according to the 30 police forces who gave
figures.
Reports of violent and sexual crimes were the most
common, with 253 allegations of violence against the
person and 152 reports of sex offences, including
grooming, rapes and the sexual exploitation of children.

The figures relate to police reports where the apps are
mentioned in the crime report and does not automatically
mean the app was used directly by the criminal.
Last August, Daniel Edwards and his partner Kristofer
Wagner, from Gloucester, were jailed for blackmail after
threatening to expose a married man they met on Grindr.
And former teacher Gary Pearce, from Sidcup in Kent, was
jailed for five years last September for grooming a 14year-old boy he met on Grindr.
In September 2014 the Garda in Ireland said officers in
Dublin had arrested a man on suspicion of raping a woman
he met through Tinder.
In the same year, Nathanael Foster and Adam Webb, both
of Gloucester, were jailed for using Grindr to try and
ensnare would-be paedophiles and blackmail them.
Andy Phippen, professor of social responsibility in IT at
Plymouth University, said it was a "growing problem,
particularly around sextortion-type activities".
He said: "If we are going to base the formation of a
relationship on a photo and a few lines of text, how do we
know that person is who they say they are and they have
the right intentions?
"It is something we tell kids about - don't trust who people
say they are online - but the adult population go merrily
about their way thinking it is a good way of hooking up."
Gay and human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell said:
"Closeted gay and bisexual men who use Grindr may be
especially vulnerable to targeting because criminals know
they will be less likely to report crimes to the police. I
suspect these figures are just the tip of the iceberg."
An NSPCC spokesman said: "Dating apps are, by their very
nature, not safe online spaces for children."
A spokesman for Stonewall said the figures are "shocking"
and Victim Support said people using the apps should tell
a friend where they are going before meeting anyone.
The figures come from police reports where Tinder and
Grindr has been used in the description of an allegation.
This can refer to cases where they were allegedly used to
commit a crime, where the victim and suspect met on the
app, or where the app was mentioned but was not directly
related to the crime - for example when a victim happened
to be on Tinder when the crime was committed.
Grindr and Tinder did not reply to requests for a comment.
(1st February 2016)
POLICE FORCE REVEALS MOTORISTS UNBELIEVABLE
EXCUSES FOR USING A MOBILE WHILE DRIVING
(The Telegraph, dated 10th January 2016 author By
Agency)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/12091892/Police-force-revealsmotorists-unbelievable-excuses-for-using-a-mobile-whiledriving.html
A police force has released some of the unbelievable
excuses used by drivers caught using their phones on the
road, including: "I have a new girlfriend and our song
came on the radio, so I had to call her."
Surrey Roads Policing Unit has revealed the ludicrous
explanations in a bid to raise awareness of the dangers of
driving with a mobile phone.
One distracted driver, who was pulled over by officers, told
them: "I was only looking at a photo - drivers using their
mobiles really annoys me."
Another motorist caught in the act claimed they liked the
song they were listening to and were trying to identify it
on the mobile app Shazam, which tells listeners the name
of a song while it is playing.

In a nine day operation, officers drove along the M25 and
M27 in Surrey in an unmarked HGV vehicle to catch
motorists in the act of committing offences.
Operation Tramline focused on drivers who displayed poor
habits such as not wearing seatbelts, careless and
dangerous driving, and using mobile phones.
The height of the HGV tractor unit used by police allowed
officers a better view of drivers, whom they filmed
committing offences.
As well as mobile phone use, other behaviour observed by
police included a lorry driver using his phone to watch TV,
and drivers with their laptops open and in use.
One lorry driver was caught with no hands on the wheel
while driving - because he was reading a map.
The height of the unmarked HGV gave officers a better
view of drivers who were holding their phones below the
height of the window - which may otherwise not have
been visible from a lower vehicle.
Sergeant Sharon Kingston, who led the operation, said:
"Some of the excuses our officers were given were
unbelievable and goes to show that unfortunately there
are a lot of people who still do not give driving the full
attention it needs.
"Every single offence officers saw could quite easily have
resulted in a serious injury or a fatality.Next time you think
of using your phone or distracting yourself while driving by
some other means then think of the family who could be
without their loved one because of your actions."
(1st February 2016)
MOST LONDON UNDERGROUND SEX ATTACKS TAKE
PLACE DURING RUSH HOUR - NOT LATE AT NIGHT
Mark Chandler)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/most-londonunderground-sex-attacks-take-place-during-rush-hour-notlate-at-night-a3151746.html
Most sex attacks on the Underground happen to
commuters in busy carriages during the rush hour, new
figures have revealed.
Campaigners say the data demolishes myths about both
victims and perpetrators of sexual violence.
Statistics from British Transport Police show between
January 2014 and last December, 322 sexual assaults
were reported on the Underground during the evening
peak of 5pm to 7pm.
There were a further 291 reports to British Transport Police
(BTP) from 8am to 10am over the same period.
By contrast, only 110 assaults were reported between
11pm and 1am.
Sarah Green from the End Violence Against Women
Coalition told the Independent: "These figures tell a
compelling story about how sexual harassment is mostly
experienced during daytime commuter journeys - not
during late-night social hours."
And she said the figures "explode a myth that women who
have been drinking or who are dressed a certain way
provoke sexual harassment, because the victims at peak
morning and early evening travel times are largely
working women making commuter journeys."
She added: "The figures may also similarly explode myths
about perpetrators of sexual harassment, because at 8am
they are sober men who purposefully look for chances to
offend, not late-night opportunists."
The figures also showed a spike in reports over the
summer months and a recent rise in reports, with 94

allegations made last October alone.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said in August that he was
open to the idea of women-only carriages on the
Underground after 10pm.
British Transport Police said the increase could be in
response to a number of campaigns, including Project
Guardian which encourages women to report sexual
harassment on the transport network.
A spokesman said: "Significant work has taken place to
encourage reporting of sexual offences on trains and
Tubes under the successful 'report it to stop it' campaign,
which has increased people's confidence to report
offences to police."
He added crime on the Underground network was at a low
of 6.8 offences per million journeys.
Victims of sexual assault on the Tube can send a text to
the Report It toStop It number on 61016.
(1st February 2016)
CYBER-CRIMINALS HACK INTO FREE WIFI HOTSPOTS
TO GET TO BANK DETAILS
Justin Davenport)
www.standard.co.uk/news/crime/cybercriminals-hack-intofree-wifi-hotspots-to-get-bank-details-a3151736.html
Criminals are hacking into public and commercial wi-fi
hotspots to steal people's private data and credit card
details, police warned today.
Detectives say victims of the attacks are often not aware
of how cyber-hackers gained access to their bank
accounts, and warn that the attacks are hugely underreported.
Only 33 people have said they have lost money after

being hacked while using a public wi-fi spot in the past five
years.
Police say one of the most common threats to public wi-fi
is a "man in the middle attack" when a cyber-criminal
takes over a public network and relies on the established
connection to the victim's machine to redirect
communications through his network.
Another method is to set up a spoof network - or "evil
twin" - using the name of a shop, hotel or cafe for
example, and then infiltrate the un-suspecting victim's
device when they try to log on.
The alert was raised today by Action Fraud, the agency run
by City of London police which collates all reports of fraud
in the UK.
Steve Proffitt, the deputy head of Action Fraud, said:
"There is no doubt that people face risk when they
connect to a public wi-fi network.
"It is important that people consider what they use public
wi-fi for and are aware that there are cyber-criminals who
will use every opportunity to infiltrate networks in order to
gather personal and financial details."
There are now an estimated 269,000 free wi-fi points in
the UK, compared to 202,944 in 2014, mostly used for
emailing and social networking.
The fraud detectives warn that people using public wi-fi
should avoid online banking, downloading apps, installing
updates and online shopping, and try to check if a network
is genuine.
(1st February 2016)
40,000 DEADLY WEAPONS SEIZED AT UK BORDERS
author Paul Wright)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/revealed-40000-deadly-weaponsseized-uk-borders-including-death-stars-hidden-daggers1536854
Tens of thousands of deadly weapons - including "death
stars", concealed swords and daggers hidden in belts have been seized by border police over the past five
years, shocking new Home Office figures reveal. Customs
officials have been bombarded with people trying to
smuggle almost 40,000 lethal weapons between 2010 and
2015, with many likely destined for UK streets and to be
sold on the black market.
The figures, from the UK Border Agency (UKBA), show
everyday items - like belt buckles, key rings and walking
sticks - being illegally adapted to conceal knives and
swords.
The haul also saw hundreds of more bizarre weaponry
confiscated, such as blowpipes, ninja shoe spikes and
kyoketsu-shogs - double-bladed ninja weapons attached to
a long chain that can be hurled at victims.
It comes as the police forces across the UK continue to run
weapon amnesty campaigns in the face of a growing
concern over the number of stabbings and violent attacks.
Last year, knife crime rose across England and Wales for
the first time in four years. Figures showed a 23% increase
in stabbings in London in the first 12 months to May 2015
compared to the previous year.
It led to a crackdown by Met Police in July, part of which
saw officers seize a significant arsenal of dangerous
weapons that managed to get into the UK unnoticed.
In 2011, Border Agency chiefs warned that "vicious"
weapons its officers were seizing at ports of entry were
becoming "more and more sophisticated".
But since then a steady stream of many thousands have
continued to be confiscated. In a one year period over
2014/15, some 6,735 weapons were seized by customs,
compared to the 6,064 taken in 2010/11. In total, from
2010 to November last year some 38,613 weapons were

confiscated.
The most common weapon confiscated by customs
officials since 2010 - reaching 13,700 - were knuckle
dusters, banned items used to improve the power of a
punch and which can break bones. Flick knives were
second, at just over 6,000, while truncheons and batons
were third, with about 3,800 taken by customs officials.
The UK government publishes a long list of what it classes
"offensive weapons" that are banned or restricted in the
UK.
But many are still able to be bought online and shipped
from abroad, with even the retailer Amazon recently
caught allowing spiked knuckle-dusters and stun guns to
be sold on its website.
Holidaymakers can also be caught out at border checks
after what they think are souvenirs bought abroad turn out
to be illegal under UK law.
Items confiscated by the UKBA are either sent to a special
warehouse to be disposed of or are put on display at the
UKBA's "Seized" museum in Liverpool.
Police forces also regularly launch weapon amnesties in
which banned items can be handed into a police station or
disposed of in a special bin without risk of being arrested.
The border force figures were published on 7 January after
a parliamentary question submitted by Labour MP Keith
Vaz, the chair of the Commons' Home Affairs Committee.
He was not available for comment.
A spokesman for the Home Office said: "Border Force
already works closely with the police and National Crime
Agency to prevent the importation of weapons into the UK.
And we have intensified checks on people, goods and
vehicles entering the UK from the near continent and
elsewhere.
"Border Force officers use some of the most high-tech
equipment available to keep offensive weapons off our

streets and we keep this intelligence-led work under
continued review to ensure we are always using the most
effective approach. Anyone caught trying to smuggle
dangerous weapons into the country will have them
confiscated and could face prosecution."
What counts as an offensive weapon (source: Home
Office)
Offensive weapons are items designed to kill or inflict
serious injury that have no real legitimate use. Such
weapons are restricted and in the case of flick and gravity
knives are banned from being imported into the UK and
can be seized by Border Force officers. These include:
- knuckledusters, handclaws and push daggers
- footclaws - i.e. spikes designed to be strapped to the foot
- flick or gravity knives - i.e. with blades that are springloaded or can be opened using gravity or a flick of the
wrist
- weapons with a concealed or disguised blade or sharp
point - e.g. swordsticks, stealth knives, butterfly knives
and belt buckle blades
- martial arts weapons such as death stars, hollow
kubotans and kusaris
- batons and telescopic truncheons
- blowpipes or blowguns, except for use by vets or
registered animal handlers
- curved blade swords with a blade over 50cm
The 10 types of weapons most seized by the UK
Border Force between 2010 and 2015:
Knuckle duster: 13,718
Flick or gravity knives: 6,043
Truncheon or baton: 3,826
Martial arts weapons: 2,084

Disguised knife: 1,254
Butterfly knife: 872
Death star: 770
Swordsticks: 273
Hollow kubotan: 124
Stealth knife: 108
(1st February 2016)
SOCIAL MEDIA IS THE "NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD
POLICING" SAYS PRIZE WINNING TWEETING OFFICER
(The Telegraph, dated 5th January 2016 author Sophie
Jamieson)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12083545/Social
-media-is-the-new-neighbourhood-policing-says-prizewinning-tweeting-officer.html
The traditional bobby on the beat may be on the way out
in Britain, but police officers say they now have a new way
of engaging with the community - through social media.
Many police services and individual officers now use
Twitter and Facebook to communicate with the public and
promote the work that they do.
Sergeant Harry Tangye of Devon and Cornwall police, who
was named best tweeting sergeant in the police end of
year Twitter awards, said: "I think it's the new
neighbourhood policing.
"When you walk down the street you speak to maybe
three or four people. With social media, you can
immediately talk to thousands.
"There is the risk you are talking to the converted but I
think experience shows there are plenty of people who are
suspicious or sceptical and who believe the more negative
media.
"It's a way of making them see how hard we work and that
we are just normal people who want to do a good job and
get home to our families.
"It also perhaps shows them that while we are having

cutbacks, we are still quite busy out there; we are not just
a bunch of cops driving big flash cars doing not a lot."
Twitter was created in 2006 and quickly gained worldwide
popularity, with more than 500 million tweets now sent
per day.
Sgt Tangye says force bosses were initially uncertain about
whether their officers should use the tool, but are now
fully behind the new method of community engagement.
"I can say now undoubtedly there is massive support," he
said.
"Inevitably you are going to upset somebody, in 140
characters you are going to write something you think is
perfectly fine but can be seen in a different way and there
can be a backlash.
"But when the force realises you only meant well there are
good intentions behind it, they are fully supportive."
While social media can be a useful tool, police say in
emergencies people should always call 999.
(1st February 2016)
POLICE TO USE DRONES TO AID CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATIONS
(The Telegraph, dated 5th January 2016 author Victoria
Ward)
-to-use-drones-to-aid-criminal-investigations.html
Police are to begin using drones in high risk operations
and to trace burglary suspects, it has emerged.
More than a quarter of the 43 forces in England and Wales
are considering introducing the remote-controlled devices
following a successful test period, according to The Times.
Steve Barry, the Association of Chief Police Officers' lead
on drones said they would likely become a common sight
and used in a wide range of criminal investigations.
"They can be efficient and effective," he said.

"If someone breaks into your shed and then makes off,
and there are dozens of back sheds he might be hiding
in ... drones could be the perfect solution. They would be
quicker than dogs."
The pilot scheme, conducted by Sussex and Surrey forces,
included the use of a drone with a camera to patrol the
perimeter of Gatwick airport for suspicious activity.
The forces then received a 250,000 grant from the Police
Innovation Fund to buy five SkyRanger drones to use at
accident scenes and in missing persons searches.
Mr Barry, assistant chief constable at Sussex Police,
acknowledged that there were privacy issues and said that
police were given detailed guidelines about how to use
them.
"The message to officers is that you have to be clear
about the purpose and legitimacy of deploying the drone,"
he added.
"Low-level crime would not justify a drone being deployed
over back gardens of people's houses."
Originally designed for military use, the increasingly
affordable unmanned aircrafts have soared in popularity
among amateurs and civilian applications to use them are
made every day.
Prices range from less than 100 up to 90,000 but air
safety officials have warned they could be dangerous if
they fall into the wrong hands.
There were seven recorded near misses involving drones
in the 12 months to last July.
They must be flown at least 50m away from a person,
vehicle or building, and they must not be flown within
150m of a large group of people, such as a football match
or concert.
(1st February 2016)
PINCH AND PARK : CAR THIEVES NEW TACTIC TO

AVOID BEING SNARED BY TRACKING DEVICES
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/12080627/Pinchand-park-Car-thieves-new-tactic-to-avoid-being-snared-bytracking-devices.html
Car thieves have developed a new tactic to avoid arrest
after stealing cars which may have been fitted with a
tracking device, an official report has disclosed.
Criminals are increasingly adopting the new method dubbed "pinch and park" - which sees them steal a vehicle
and then park it in a safe place for several days in case
police have access to GPS data from an on-board security
device.
If the car has not been picked up by the authorities a few
days after being taken from its owners, the thieves know it
is safe to move to a workshop to fit new number plates
and then sell on or export.
It is thought the new tactic is particularly being used for
performance cars, 4x4s and other high-value vehicles
which are more likely to have been fitted with GPS
tracking devices.
The anti-theft equipment can be triggered by the
manufacturer as soon as the vehicle is reported stolen and
police can access the location of the vehicle down to
within a few feet.
The Home Office report said: "Anecdotal evidence from
officers working on vehicle crime in the Metropolitan Police
Service suggests that some offenders routinely park a
vehicle in a safe location for a few days immediately after
stealing it to check it is not being tracked.
"This would suggest that boosting the number of vehicles
with tracking devices might reduce the 'rump' of more
organised vehicle theft that remains.

"However, trackers may also have limitations.
"Jamming devices which prevent stolen vehicles being
tracked are also available online."
The 138-page Home Office study, Reducing Criminal
Opportunity: Vehicle Security and Vehicle Crime, said there
was a "case for manufacturers and others to be thinking
carefully" about a potential new wave of vehicle crime to
"ensure they stay ahead of the technological curve".
It also urged manufacturers to develop better security for
motorbikes, which are becoming increasing targets for
thieves.
"Whereas car thefts in 2014 were down by 15 per cent
compared with 2012, motorbike thefts had increased by
44 per cent (around 2,900 extra offences)," the report
said.
"Separate but unpublished analysis by the Retail Motor
Industry Federation using data from the
Police National Computer, which looked at the whole of
England and Wales, also suggests a rise in motorcycle
thefts during 2014.
"It is not clear why motorbike theft appears to be
increasing. It is possible that there is some displacement
from car theft as a result of security deterrence."
It added: "Exploring ways to better protect motorcycles
may be an important element of future thinking on vehicle
crime prevention."
The authors also expressed concern that vehicle thefts
may rise as knowledge spreads among criminals about the
availability of technology which can compromise on-board
security devices.
The 138-page Home Office study : Reducing Criminal
Opportunity: Vehicle Security and Vehicle Crime,
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/a
ttachment_data/file/489097/horr87.pdf
(1st February 2016)
HOW TO PREVENT CAR THEFT

(The Telegraph, dated 21st December 2015 author Alex
Robbins
www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/advice/how-to-prevent-car-theft/
Here are our top tips for protecting your car and its
contents from thieves
Your car is an object of desire. That goes without saying why else would you have bought it? But the problem is it's
not just an object of desire for you. Whether it's the car
itself or the valuables within it, your car is as much a
target for thieves as it ever was.
According to the Office for National Statistics, there were
almost 358,000 reported instances of thefts from or of a
motor vehicle last year. In other words, your car and its
contents aren't as safe as you might think.
"But my car has an alarm and an immobiliser," you say.
"That's me covered." Well, not quite. It's true that modern
security systems are great deterrents to thieves. But
there's much more you can do to keep your car safe than
just pressing the button on your car's remote and walking
away. Here are our top tips for making sure your car is as
secure as it can be.
Check it's locked, and check again
Most modern cars feature a visual confirmation that
they're locked in the form of a flash of their indicators.
Look at your car as you press the remote button to lock it,
and make sure those indicators do indeed flash. If they
don't, it could be a sign that the fob isn't working properly,
and were that the case, your car would remain unlocked.
But the cause could be something more sinister. Security
experts believe that some thieves use remote locking
jammers to target cars - preventing the signal from your
fob from reaching the car, and ensuring it stays unlocked
so that they can steal whatever's inside.
If you're in any doubt whatsoever, it doesn't hurt to double

check the car's locked. Get into the habit of pulling the
door handle before you walk away.
Park in the right place
You're obviously going to feel nervous about leaving your
car in a dodgy-looking area, but car crime can be a
problem in the nicest parts of town.
Wherever you park your car, do your best to find
somewhere that's well lit. If you have the option to park
under a street lamp, do so, even during the day - if your
car's left there longer than you're expecting, it'll be lit
when darkness falls.
If you're parking on your driveway or in a car park, make
sure you park as close as possible to your home or
another occupied building. And if you're in a restaurant or
pub, try and park where there's a view of your car from
inside. Even if you're not able to get a seat by a window,
someone else might notice something untoward going on.
At the shops, meanwhile, try to park close to the main
entrance and in amongst other cars - thieves are more
likely to strike a car that's on its own at the end of a car
park than one that's mixed in with all the rest, where other
shoppers are regularly walking past.
Hide your belongings
Sounds like an obvious one, doesn't it? But you'd be
amazed how many people don't bother. Satnav systems
are the most obvious trinkets that get left on display, but
mobile phones, wallets and cash are also theft magnets.
Don't just think in terms of valuables, either. Bags, coats,
and even jumpers are all attractive to a thief, even if they
aren't worth much, because of the possibility that they
might conceal something that is, so don't leave them in
view on the seats.
Also be aware of leaving important paperwork on view, so
that it isn't targeted for the purposes of identity theft.
Add to your security equipment
If you drive a modern car, the chances are it comes with
an alarm and an immobiliser. But there are plenty of other
ways to protect your pride and joy. Steering wheel locks,
which fit over your steering wheel and hold them in place
so that a thief can't steer properly, aren't infallible, but
they do provide a deterrent for opportunistic thieves.
Locks that do the same job for your gearstick or your
pedals are also available.
Or if you've got a little more money to spend, why not
consider a tracking device? You'll pay upfront for the
device to be installed and then pay a small annual
subscription fee, but if your car is stolen, the police will be
able to locate it.
You might also want to consider upgrading the security for
your drive or parking space. Buying a small home CCTV
system needn't cost the earth, and it could help catch
anyone who does try to steal your car. Or if you'd rather
have something cheaper, a motion-activated home
security lamp that shines down on your driveway could
help put thieves off.
Use the security features your car already has
Modern cars are full of clever security features, but you
might not use - or even be aware of - all of them. For
instance, did you know that many modern cars have
systems which enable them to lock automatically as you
pull away? Enabling these systems will help protect you
against carjackings - surely one of the scariest possible
ways of having your car stolen.
What's more, some modern cars have lights that will stay
on for a set time - usually 30 seconds - after you've left
them. These systems are great for getting you to your
door safely and ensuring someone isn't lurking in the
shadows. Check your user manual to see whether you
have such a system fitted to your car and to find out how
to activate it.
Think about where you keep your keys
Car security systems have advanced so far now that the
easiest way for a thief to steal the car is often to steal the
keys themselves. This can mean picking them from your
pocket, or even stealing them from your house.
So think about which pocket you're keeping your keys in
when you're out and about. And when you're at home,
make sure you don't leave your keys near to an open
window, or even within reach of the letterbox. Some

nefarious criminals have taken to 'fishing' through the
letterbox for keys using a hooked length of wire.
But don't take your keys upstairs to bed with you. We've
heard of an increasing number of cases in which criminals
have broken in and threatened car owners when they
haven't found the keys they wanted downstairs. Better, we
think, to have the car stolen than to have your family put
at risk by robbers.
Keep an eye on your number plates
Have you ever come out to your car to find its number
plates missing? It's more than just a minor inconvenience
if it does happen to you - you should report it to the police
immediately.
Some criminals are stealing car number plates and then
fitting them to their own similar-looking cars to perform
crimes, such as filling up with fuel at a petrol station and
driving off without paying. They know the police will check
CCTV footage and come and talk to you about a crime you
had nothing to do with. So if you spot your number plates
are missing, it's essential that you report it.
Don't leave your car running unattended
It might seem like you'll be away from the car for such a
short time that it's not worth turning the engine off perhaps you're just popping into a shop, or are dashing
into the house to pick up something you left behind. But
an opportunist thief only needs a couple of seconds to
have your pride and joy away.
The same goes if you're de-icing your car on a cold winter
morning - some thieves won't think twice about running
you down as they jump into the driver's seat and speed
off.
And if your car's stolen while it's been left running like
this, your insurance will be invalidated - so not only will
you go through the hassle and stress of losing your car,
but you won't get any payout.
(4th January 2016)
SWEDEN BORDER CHECKS COME INTO FORCE

Full article : www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-35218921
Sweden has introduced identity checks for travellers from
Denmark in an attempt to reduce the number of migrants
arriving in the country.
All travellers wanting to cross the Oresund bridge by train
or bus, or use ferry services, will be refused entry without
the necessary documents.
Rail commuters heading to Sweden will now have to
change trains at Copenhagen Airport and go through ID
checkpoints.
Sweden received more than 150,000 asylum applications
in 2015.
An estimated 20,000 commuters daily cross the Oresund
bridge, which connects the Swedish cities of Malmo and
Lund with the Danish capital, Copenhagen.
Direct journeys from Copenhagen's main railway station to
Sweden will no longer be available and the changes are
expected to add around 30 minutes to the current 40minute commute.
Rail operators have reduced the number of trips to
Sweden and have warned that there might be significant
delays.
Danish Transport Minister Hans Christian Schmidt said the
introduction of checks was sad and "extremely annoying".
He suggested the Swedish government should foot the bill
for the checks, which Danish rail company DSB has
estimated at 1m Danish krone (100,000; 134,000) per
day.
Under the new Swedish law, brought in late last year,
transport companies will be fined 50,000 Swedish krona
(4,000; 5,400) if travellers to Sweden do not have a
valid photo ID.
The Swedish government secured a temporary exemption
from the European Union's open-border Schengen
agreement, in order to impose the border controls.
Last month Sweden's state-owned train operator SJ
announced it would stop services to and from Denmark

because it could not carry out identity checks demanded
by the new law.
The vast majority of commuters using the Oresund bridge
cross from Sweden, so the changes were expected to hit
people hardest as they return from work during the
evening rush hour.
To comply with the regulations, fencing has been erected
around one of the platforms at the railway station at
Copenhagen's Kastrup Airport.
Police have also set up fencing at Hyllie, the first station
on the Swedish side of the bridge, amid reports of plans
for further ID checks there.
Sweden's SJ train company said it would not have time to
check people travelling between Copenhagen and Malmo
over the Oresund bridge.
And Ronny Fredriksson of security firm Securitas Sweden
told Svenska Dagbladet his company had so far refused
requests from travel companies to take on the task
because "this is about foreign identification cards that we
know nothing about."
Infrastructure minister Anna Johansson told Swedish media
that the new rules would be changed if there was a
dramatic fall in the number of asylum seekers.
One million migrants arrived in Europe by land or sea in
2015, the International Organisation for Migration says.
Along with Germany, Sweden is one of the main
destinations for migrants and takes the most per capita of
its population.
In 2013 the then government announced it would offer
permanent residence to all Syrians but the high number of
arrivals last year prompted a rethink.
In contrast, Denmark expects to receive about 20,000
asylum seekers this year.
(4th January 2016)
REVEALED : BRITAIN'S PRIVATELY FUNDED POLICE

FORCE
(The Telegraph, dated 3rd January 2016 author David
Barrett)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/law-andorder/12064205/Revealed-Britains-privately-funded-policeforce.html
More than 1,100 police and community support officers
are being funded with millions of pounds contributed by
residents, schools, councils and shopping centres, The
Telegraph can disclose.
Police forces' coffers are being bolstered by more than 20
million a year in additional cash from external sources,
over and above the main taxpayer funding from the
Government and council tax bills.
Figures published for the first time today showed 1,120
officers were paid for by extra contributions - equivalent to
the size of a county police force.
The true national total for England and Wales will be far
higher because only 20 out of 43 forces provided data.
One Home Counties parish council which charges each
household an extra 7 a year on average said it
introduced the surcharge because they rarely saw a police
officer.
Another in Yorkshire - where the chairman of the parish
council said he feared rates would have to rise next year
due to rising police costs - said they had no choice but to
pay for their own PCSO because there would never be a
policing presence in the village without it.
The new figures emerge after wealthy residents of a
Hampshire village offered to pay 60,000 a year between
them after their local beat bobby faced the axe under
spending cuts.
Parish councillors in Upton Grey and The Candovers said in
October they would pay the sum if Pc Andy Reid was
retained as their dedicated officer - but the offer was
rejected on the grounds it would create a "two tier" police
service.
Analysis of figures obtained by The Telegraph under
freedom of information laws showed nearly half the forces
in England and Wales have no such qualms, however.
At least 34 parish councils pay for a local officer to patrol
their area, though the true figure will be much higher
because several forces failed to provide a detailed breakdown of spending.

The biggest user of private contributions is West Yorkshire
police, where 132 police officers and 450 PCSOs - 80 per
cent of the total - are funded by money from town halls
and other organisations in this year's budget.
The force received just over 3 million in these extra
contributions.
Kent Police received the most in monetary terms - 3.67
million to pay for more than 51 officers - but the bulk of
this was from the Channel Tunnel which under law must
pay for officers to police the link to the Continent.
Avon and Somerset received 2.1 million for 50 officers.
Apart from West Yorkshire, other forces with large
numbers of privately-funded officers were Lancashire, with
141, and Cheshire, with 120.
Bluewater shopping centre in Kent handed the local force
563,000 this year to pay for a team of nine constables
and two sergeants.
Despite its objection to the private funding of Pc Reid, it
can now be disclosed that Hampshire Police has allowed
11 parish councils to contribute more than 94,000 a year
between them to pay for three PCSOs.
The same force also received nearly 250,000 from other
sources to fund police officers and other PCSOs.
At least seven forces did not receive any money from
external sources.
The overall total of 1,120 privately-funded officers and
PCSOs is equivalent to the size of a small county police
force. For example, Suffolk has 1,147 officers, Cumbria has
1,143 and Bedfordshire 1,073.
Andy Cattle, chairman of Drighlington parish council in
West Yorkshire, which pays 9,000 a year for a one-third
share in a PCSO, said: "Obviously we'd rather it was
funded through central taxes but sadly that's not the case
and if we didn't pay we'd never see the police in the
village.
"We spend a significant part of our budget on this and the
price is going up in January, so there's no doubt we'll have
to increase the precept next year."
Linda Smith, of Chalfont St Peter parish council in Bucks,
which pays Thames Valley Police just under 17,000 a
year, said: "The PCSOs are an integral part of our

community here."
Jonathan Isaby, chief executive of the Taxpayers' Alliance,
said: "Residents will wonder whether these additional
costs mean they are paying twice for police officers to
operate in their local community.
"However, if these payments allow forces to make savings
then they should be more open about them so that
taxpayers can decide for themselves whether they are
getting value for their hard-earned money.
"When discussions over policing budgets are being had it
is important to remember this significant additional
revenue stream, that puts pressure on centrally allocated
grants into a little more context."
The Metropolitan Police, Britain's largest police force,
refused to supply information along with Devon and
Cornwall, Norfolk and Suffolk.
(4th January 2016)
NUMBER OF CYCLISTS PROSECUTED FOR IGNORING

ROAD SIGNS MORE THAT DOUBLE IN FOUR YEARS
author Peter Carty)
www.ibtimes.co.uk/number-cyclists-prosecuted-ignoringroad-signs-more-double-four-years-1535715
Increasing numbers of cyclists are falling foul of the law.
Government figures on cycling convictions released after a
recent debate in the House of Lords show that the number
of cyclists prosecuted for ignoring traffic warning signs has
more than doubled over the past four years. Convictions
rose from 52 in 2010 to 125 in 2014 - the latest year for
which statistics are available.
The debate was initiated by Lord Wills, a Labour peer, who
told his follow peers how, on London's Marylebone Road, "I
watched a cyclist jump a red light and weave off down the
pavement between pedestrians, talking on his mobile
phone as he went." When the peer challenged the cyclist,
"he got off his bike and asked me to fight him".

Meanwhile, the total number of cyclists found guilty in a
magistrates' court of "careless driving" has also risen,
from 85 to 96 over the same period, according to the
Times newspaper. The government also disclosed that 24
cyclists were successfully prosecuted for reckless and
dangerous driving and that 332 were found guilty of other
cycling offences in 2014. Convictions for riding on
footpaths remained almost constant, however, dropping
marginally from 288 to 282.
Cyclecam confrontations
Conflicts between cyclists and other road users are
increasingly recorded by motorists' dashcams and cyclists'
headcams. Many films are uploaded onto social media
websites. In October lorry driver Phil Foster was filmed
fighting with an unnamed cyclist in Stockport, Greater
Manchester, following an argument over right of way.
The statistics were released by transport minister Lord
Ahmad in a letter to Lord Hughes, following the debate.
Addressing the House of Lords, Lord Ahmad said: "I often
said that the biggest challenge for a commuter in London
was avoiding not trucks and cars but the cyclists who were
possibly jumping red lights or riding on the pavements."
Ahmed proposed that changes should be made to ensure
cyclists can be identified by police. He said: "When they
ride on pavements or jump red lights, they break the law,
and there is a need to review with the police how we can
apply the law effectively to cyclists as well as to any other
road users."
Ahmed also stated he was aware of the benefits of cycling
and pointed out that the government is to spend more
than 100m between now and 2021 on improving facilities
for pedestrians and cyclists.
(3rd January 2016)
MOBILE PHONE USERS SHOULD BE MORE ALERT,
SAYS EX-SECURITY CHIEF
(BBC News, dated 2nd January 2016)
Former security minister Baroness Neville-Jones says she
is "alarmed" by people using mobile phones in public
instead of being more alert to the risk of a potential

terrorist attack.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that people
should take more notice of their surroundings.
Measures such as the closure of railway stations in Munich
on New Year's Eve would become more likely.
Such moves showed "prudence and proper caution" by
authorities, she said.
Official guidance is that members of the public should be
"alert but not alarmed" about the threat of terrorism.
But Lady Neville-Jones, former head of the Joint
Intelligence Committee, said people were not as vigilant
as they could be.
"I think being alert is very important," she said. "I am
alarmed by the number of people I see wandering along
the street entirely engaged in their mobile telephones and
with their ears plugged in to music.
"They're not aware of their surroundings - you need to be
aware of your surroundings."
When interviewer John Humphrys said that was "how we
should be able to lead our lives", she added: "Maybe, but I
do think you need to take some personal responsibility."
Taking information seriously
Two railway stations which were closed in Munich in
response to a suspected terror threat reopened on Friday
after German officials said there was no sign of an
imminent attack.
Lady Neville-Jones said: "I do think we are going to have to
get used to what we have seen yesterday in Germany that is to say alerts which close places of public functions,
and higher levels of security in big public gatherings.
"That is prudence and proper caution on the part of
intelligence and the police authorities."
Authorities have a responsibility to take information
seriously, even if the wider picture is not clear, she said.
"It's a very bold government or policeman who chooses
not to take precautions in such circumstances," said Lady
Neville-Jones.
"I think the population on the whole would prefer them to
be cautious and occasionally have closed something that
it turned out wasn't necessary, but how do we know,
rather than take the risk of exposing people to dangers on
which they have information, even if it's not complete and

on which they can't necessarily totally rely."
Great skill
But she said UK cities were unlikely to be locked down in
the way Brussels had been over recent terrorism concerns.
She told Today: "I would hope that that would not be
something that would happen in the UK.
"I do think that counter-terrorism and both the intelligence
side of it and the policing side of it, and well done, are
matters which are bred of long experience and of great
skill and I think that in this country we do have both of
those things and we have very close co-operation between
both police and agencies and I think they understand how
to use information.
"I don't think those skills are nearly so widespread on the
continent. So I think we shouldn't conclude that what
happened there is necessarily the technique that would be
adopted here."
(3rd January 2016)
NEW 150 FINES FOR LITTER LOUTS WHO THINK IT

IS THEIR "HUMAN RIGHT" TO DROP RUBBISH
(The Telegraph, dated 1st January 2016 author Christopher
Hope)
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12066598/New-150fines-for-litter-louts-who-think-it-is-their-human-right-todrop-rubbish.html
Fines for littering will double to 150 and members of the
public are being urged to challenge people dropping
rubbish in public places, as part of a new crackdown on
litter louts.
Marcus Jones, the Communities minister, said he wanted
the new fines to hit litter louts "in the pocket", ahead of
the publication of a new national litter strategy to "create
a lasting clutter-free legacy for England".
Meanwhile the executive charged with leading a national
spring clean ahead of the Queen's 90th birthday urged the
public to challenge litter louts in the street, even if it is a

"scary prospect".
Adrian Evans, the chief executive of the grassroots Clean
for the Queen campaign which has been supported by Mr
Jones, also warned that littering has become so
commonplace in Britain that some people think it is their
"human right" to drop rubbish.
At the moment, fines for littering are set locally by
councils and range from 50 to 80, with a default level of
75 if the council does not specifically set its own amount.
However, the consultation from the Department for
Communities and Local Government will recommend
higher fixed-penalty notices of up to 150. The minimum
fine could also double from 50 to 100.
Mr Jones, who is championing the anti-litter drive in
Whitehall, told The Daily Telegraph: "Dropping litter is the
kind of antisocial behaviour that really gets people's backs
up, and rightly so.
"It's thoughtless, selfish and ruins shared spaces for
everyone.
"Not only that, litter clearance and disposal costs
hundreds of millions of pounds for councils every year money that could be going on vital services."
"If litter louts can't put their rubbish in the bin perhaps we
can hit them in the pocket instead?"
"The key is enforcing the social unacceptability of littering,
as much as the use of fines - litterers and fly-tippers need
to be shamed into changing their ways, and fined until
they do."
The new consultation delivers on a pledge the
Conservatives made in last year's general election
manifesto to "review the case for higher Fixed Penalty
Notices for littering".
Littering 'will no longer be tolerated', say ministers as they
launch 'Clean for the Queen' day
A new strategy to tackle litter will also be published within
months as part of a coordinated attempt to clean up the
country.
The Government's new 5p charge for plastic bags, which
came into force last October, has already resulted in a
large fall in people taking home new carrier bags from
high street retailers.

A national spring clean has already been announced for
March to encourage up to one million people to clean up
their communities on March 4-6, ahead of the Queen's
birthday on April 21 and her official Birthday in June.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Adrian Evans urged
people to tackle litter louts even though it could be
"scary".
He said: "It can be quite a scary thing because you are
pointing a finger of blame, you are casting aspersion on
the character of the person who has chucked the litter.
"But the way I have done it in the past is to treat it as
though they have made a mistake and something has
inadvertently fallen out of their bag or pocket.
"Sort of 'oh no, did you mean to drop that' that sort of
thing as a way of not challenging and being an aggressive
person in that exchange.
"'Did you mean that? Oh really. Here it is'. Rather than a
'Oi mate, you have dropped something, pick it up.'
Litter fines must increase because the middle classes no
longer see stigma with dropping rubbish, the Government
has been told.
Mr Evans said more had to be done to "educate" people
that it was wrong to drop litter.
He said: "There is an education process that we all have to
go through just to remind ourselves that when we litter is
to make where we live less beautiful than it is."
"For some people they might think it might be a human
right to be able to chuck stuff away but I think it is
completely the opposite.
"We have to learn to take more care of the environment
and to find where we live more beautiful."
Keep Britain Tidy estimates that more than 30million tons
of litter are collected from streets in England every year,
enough to fill four Wembley stadiums.
The charity also found that, while 62 per cent of people
dropped litter, just 28 per cent admitted to have done so.
Almost six in 10 people said they considered litter to be a
problem. Local authorities spend an estimated 1billion a
year clearing up the mess.
David Sedaris, the American writer and broadcaster, who
has been honoured by his local council in Sussex for
picking up litter every day, has said Britain had a 'cultural'

problem with throwing rubbisH on the street.
He has said Britain is one of the worst countries for litter,
adding: "It affects everybody. Why should everyone have
to live in a teenager's bedroom? It's bad for your spirit."
(3rd January 2016)
ASSESSING THE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF REGULATION"
A CEPS ECONOMISTI ASSOCIATI STUDY FOR THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
http://ec.europa.eu/smartregulation/impact/commission_guidelines/docs/131210_cba_study_s
g_final.pdf
What is a "fitness check"? EU agro-food sector, encompassing
agriculture, food processing and distribution.
The Fitness check has been adopted : The Fitness Check of
EU Freshwater Policy (Staff Working Document)
SWD(2012) 393 as of 14/11/2012
http://ec.europa.eu/smartregulation/evaluation/docs/fitness_check_en.pdf
European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000

establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water
policy
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/resource.html?uri=cellar:5c835afb-2ec64577-bdf8-756d3d694eeb.0004.02/DOC_1&format=PDF
SWD(2012) 422 Review of the Commission Consultation Policy.
OECD 2011 Sustainability in Impact Assessments A review of Impact Assessment Systems in
selected OECD Countries and the European Commission, European Parliament 2011, Comparative
study on the purpose, scope and procedures of impact assessments carried out in the Member States of
the EU, CEPS/University of Exeter 2012, Regulatory Quality in the European Commission and the
UK: Old questions and new findings.
European Court of Auditors Special report N 3/2010 Impact Assessments in the EU institutions: do
they support decision making?.
http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/key_docs/docs/sec_2011_0567_en.pdf.
http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/key_docs/docs/sec_2012_0091_en.pdf.
http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/key_docs/docs/meg_guidelines.pdf.
http://ec.europa.eu/governance/impact/iab/iab_en.htm.
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ON SMART REGULATION IN THE EU

FOLLOW UP TO THE 2010 COMMUNICATION ON SMART REGULATION
http://ec.europa.eu/smartregulation/consultation_2012/docs/consultation_en.pdf
Article 17 of that directive Application to Commission

submits that the Belgian Government has still not adopted
the laws and administrative provisions Of Irish Water
Directives
Article17ofthatdirectiveexpiredon25December2000,UKandBrusselsFailedtoAdoptThelaws
forHumanConsumption,PeriodLayDownofArticle17ofDirectiveexpired25thDec2000
http://curia.europa.eu/juris/showPdf.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d0f130d56604d2a6bb2d43699a18eb8bb0b996a
d.e34KaxiLc3eQc40LaxqMbN4Pah4Ke0?
docid=47753&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&dir=&occ=first&part=1&cid=802866

Directives
Article 17 of that directive expired on 25 December 2000,
UK and Brussels Failed to Adopt The laws for Human
Consumption , Period Lay Down of Article 17 of Directive
expired 25th Dec 2000
Article 17 of that directive expired on 25 December 2000.
intended for human consumption which is packaged or
which is used in food processing establishments in the
manufacture and/or commercial preparation of food
products. On 19 March 2001 that draft royal decree was
submitted for its opinion to the Conseil d'tat (Council of
State). It also submitted a preliminary draft of a decree of
the Flemish Region relating to water intended for human
consumption which the Flemish Government approved in
principle on 16 March and 23 March 2001. By letter of 19
June 2001 the Belgium Government subsequently submitted a preliminary draft of a decree of the Walloon
Region relating to water intended for human consumption
which was adopted by the Walloon Government on 23 May
2001.
2. According to Article 1, the objective of Directive
98/83/EC is to protect human health from the adverse
effects of any contamination of water intended for human
consumption by ensuring that it is wholesome and clean.
1 Original language: Dutch. 2 OJ 1998 L 330, p. 32.
4. Since the documents referred to in para- graph 3 were
not legislative measures in
I-834
OPINION OF MR GEELHOED CASE C-122/02

OPINION OF ADVOCA TE GENERAL GEELHOED
delivered on 10 October 2002 1
1. In this case the Commission of the
European Communities seeks a declaration
by the Court that the Kingdom of Belgium
has failed to adopt or notify, within the
prescribed period, the laws, regulations and
administrative provisions necessary to
transpose fully Council Directive 98/83/EC
of 3 November 1998 on the quality of
water intended for human consumption 2. Royal Decree
on the quality of water The transposition period laid down
in
3. By letter of 6 April 2001 the Commis- sion gave the
Kingdom of Belgium formal notice to submit its
observations on the ground that it had not received any
information from the Belgian Government about the
measures adopted by it to implement the directive. On 23
May 2001 the Belgian Government submitted a draft
force, the Commission, on 26 July 2001, sent a reasoned
opinion, in which it called upon the Belgian Government to
adopt the measures necessary to comply with the
reasoned opinion within a period of two months from its
notification. In response to the reasoned opinion the
Belgium Govern- ment provided additional documents.
fact on 21 February 2002. The implementation of
Directive 98/83/EC by the Flemish and Walloon Regions
should be completed shortly.
5. In its application, the Commission submits that the
Belgian Government has still not adopted the laws and
administrative provisions necessary to fulfil its obligations
under the directive. It points out that the documents
submitted are not legislative measures in force but merely
preliminary drafts.
6. In its defence, the Belgian Government did not dispute
the fact that it had failed to implement the directive within
the prescribed period. None the less, it points out that
the royal decree intended to implement the directive in
national law was published in the Moniteur belge of 19
March 2002 and the Commission was notified of that
7. According to settled case-law, the question whether a
Member State has failed to fulfil its obligations must be

determined by reference to the situation prevailing in the
Member State at the end of the period laid 3
down in the reasoned opinion . In the present case, the
reasoned opinion in which the Belgian Government was
called upon to notify the Commission, within two months,
of the measures to be taken was issued on 26 July
2001. The Court therefore cannot take account of any
changes which occurred after the expiry of the time-limit
set by the Commission.
3 See, recently. Case C-323/01 Commission v Italy
(2002] ECR I-4711'.
COMMISSION v BELGIUM
I-835
OPINION OF MR GEELHOED CASE C-122/02
Conclusion
8. I therefore propose that the Court should:
declare that, by failing to adopt or notify, within the
prescribed period, the laws, regulations and administrative
provisions necessary to comply fully with Council Directive
98/83/EC of 3 November 1998 on the quality of water
intended for human consumption, the Kingdom of Belgium
has failed to fulfil its obligations under that directive;
order the Kingdom of Belgium to pay the costs.
I-836
STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION ON SMART REGULATION IN
THE EU
FOLLOW UP TO THE 2010 COMMUNICATION ON SMART
REGULATION
http://ec.europa.eu/smartregulation/consultation_2012/docs/consultation_en.pdf
Directives
Article 17 of that directive expired on 25 December 2000,
UK and Brussels Failed to Adopt The laws for Human
Consumption , Period Lay Down of Article 17 of Directive
expired 25th Dec 2000
http://curia.europa.eu/juris/showPdf.jsf;jsessionid=9ea7d0f
130d56604d2a6bb2d43699a18eb8bb0b996ad.e34KaxiLc3
eQc40LaxqMbN4Pah4Ke0?
docid=47753&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&dir=&occ=first
&part=1&cid=802866
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT accompanying the WHITE

PAPER Adapting to climate change- Towards a European framework
for action Climate Change and Water, Coasts and Marine Issues
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?
uri=CELEX:52009SC0386&from=EN
A BLUEPRINT TO SAFEGUARD EUROPE'S WATER RESOURCES
CONSULTATION DOCUMENT
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/pdf/blueprint.pdf
EU Water Framework Directive Navigation Task Group Meeting at
PIANC Offices, Brussels 1330 hours, Friday 4th May 2012
http://www.pianc.org/downloads/euwfd/TG%20meeting%20notes
%20vTG%204-5-12.pdf
The purpose of the EU freshwater policy fitness check

was ... Final Conclusions of the 2nd Stakeholder
Workshop for the Fitness Check of EU Freshwater
Policy now .
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/pdf/blueprint.pdf
Fitness Check of EU Freshwater Policy finalised

http://www.dwa.de/portale/ewa/ewa.nsf/C125723B0047EC38/9131D
0FABFDEE5A0C1257AD8005C054E/$FILE/3%20Fitness%20Check
%20of%20EU%20Freshwater%20Policy%20finalised.pdf
EU freshwater policy ... that may be needed in several

EU policy areas in ... J. and Farmer, A. (2012) 2nd
Stakeholder Workshop for the Fitness Check of EU
http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/globalassets/Docume
nts/RaISe/Publications/2013/regional_dev/8313.pdf
Environmental Audit Committee Inquiry The future
of the natural environment in light of the EU
Referendum Comments by Northern Ireland
Environment Link 8th September 2016
http://www.nienvironmentlink.org/cmsfiles/NIELEnvironmental-Audit-Committees-InquiryResponse.pdf
Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) briefing
to the British Irish Parliamentary Assembly- 13th
October 2016
http://www.nienvironmentlink.org/cmsfiles/NIELBrexit-Briefing-for-BIPA.pdf
Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) Brexit
Briefing to the Committee for Agriculture,
Environment and Rural Affairs- 30th June 2016
http://www.nienvironmentlink.org/cmsfiles/NIELBrexit-Briefing-for-AERA-Committee.pdf
Research and Information Service Briefing Paper
Paper 83/13 18th May 2012 NIAR 306-12
Des McKibbin
EU freshwater policy
1 Overview
This paper provides an overview of EU water policy
since the adoption of the Water
Framework Policy in 2000;
It examines the implementation of the water framework
Directive in Northern Ireland; and
It provides an assessment of the possible policy
changes made as a result of the fitness check of water
policy and the forthcoming blueprint to Safeguard
Europes Waters.
2 Background
EU water policies comprise a large body of legislation
covering areas as diverse as flood management, bathingwater quality, chemicals in water, clean drinking water,
groundwater protection and urban waste water. The EU
Water Framework Directive (WFD), adopted in 2000, was
introduced to streamline the EU's water legislation into
one over-arching strategy.
Ten years on from adoption of the WFD, EU water policy
was chosen as a pilot area for a policy fitness check to
ensure it continues to be fit for purpose. This forms part of
the European Commissions Smart Regulation Policy,
announced in its Work Programme for 2010. The purpose
of the fitness checks ...is to identify excessive burdens,
Providing research and information services to the
Northern Ireland Assembly 1

NIAR 306-12 Briefing Paper
overlaps, gaps, inconsistencies and/or obsolete measures
which may have appeared over time1.2
The results of the fitness check are due to be published
this year (2012)3 and will provide a building block of the
Blueprint to Safeguard Europes Waters, due be published
in November 2012. The purpose of the Blueprint is to:
Assess the implementation and achievements of
current policy while identifying gaps and shortcomings;
and
Look forward at the evolving vulnerability of the water
environment to identify measures and tools that may be
needed in several EU policy areas in order to ensure a
sustainable use of good quality water in the EU in the long
term.
2 The Water Framework Directive
Domestic water policy and legislation sits within the
framework created at European Union (EU) level. The
overarching legislation is provided by the Water
Framework Directive (2000/60/EC)4, which requires
member states to have an integrated approach to
managing inland and coastal waters. The Water
Framework Directive (WFD) establishes long-term
objectives for water protection in the EU, which apply to
surface waters (lakes and rivers), transitional waters
(estuaries), coastal waters (up to one nautical mile from
land), and to ground waters (water below the surface of
the ground).5 The key principles within the WFD are:
the protection and improvement of the aquatic
environment and its ecosystems (WFD - Article 1);
the organisation and regulation of water management
at the level of river basins (WFD - Article 3); and
the principle of recovery of the costs of water services
(WFD - Article 9).
2.1 Complementary Directives
The Water Framework Directive has been complemented
by measures contained in a series of subsequent laws
the so-called daughter directives.6 These provide further
operational guidance and additional criteria on how to
achieve good chemical status:
The Groundwater Directive: Under Article 17 of the

Water Framework Directive, the European Commission
(EC) was required to propose specific measures to
1 European Commission (2010) Commission Work
Programme 2010: Time To Act [online] available from:
2 Kampa, E., Von der Weppen. J. and Farmer, A. (2012) 2nd
Stakeholder Workshop for the Fitness Check of EU
Freshwater
Policy. European Commission [online] available from:
http://nia1.me/vz
3 Initial Results will be presented at the 3rd European
Water Conference on 24 25 May 2012, Brussels, see:
http://waterblueprint2012.eu/
4 Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework
for Community action in the field of water policy [online]
available from: http://nia1.me/vv
5 Ibid (Articles 1&2).
6 European Commission (2010) Water is for life: How the
Water Framework Directive helps safeguard Europes
resources
prevent and control groundwater pollution and achieve
good groundwater chemical status. These measures
include criteria for assessing the chemical status of
groundwater and for identifying trends in pollution of
groundwater bodies. In order to fulfil the requirement, the
Commission adopted the Directive on the Protection of
Groundwater against Pollution and Deterioration on 22
November 2006.
The Environmental Quality Standards Directive: Article
16(7) of the Water Framework Directive required the
establishment of environmental quality standards
applicable to water. Since 2008, this Directive has limited
concentrations in surface waters of 33 priority substances
and eight other pollutants.
The Floods Directive (FD) (2007/60/EC) is a sister
Directive of the WFD. It expands the scope of the
framework of European Water Policy towards flood risk
management. The directive is strongly linked to the WFD
implementation process, as flood risks management plans

should be coordinated with River Basin Management Plans
(RBMPS) and reviews are based on the same six year cycle
of planning.
There are two key Directives adopted before the WFD
which address key sources of pollution - waste water,
agriculture and major industries: The Urban Waste Water
Treatment (UWWTD), and the Nitrates Directive (NiD).
These are linked to the Water Framework Directive in that
implementation should be mutually supportive, but
implementation cycles are not synchronised and the Water
Framework Directive does not directly change the
obligations of these Directives.
3 Implementing the WFD
The WFD requires Member States to assess environmental
pressures on river basins, to set targets for improving the
status of water bodies, and to create and implement
management plans with measures to achieve these
targets.
The key criterion for judging performance is the
achievement of good ecological status by 2015.7
Member States can seek exemptions from the objective of
reaching good ecological and chemical status of surface
water and good quantitative and chemical status of
groundwater by 2015, if they meet defined criteria,
including:
unreasonable cost implications of reaching good
status;
technical feasibility;
unfavourable natural conditions that require more time;
or
designation of heavily modified water bodies (HMWBs)
such as canals and reservoirs, which only need to achieve
good ecological potential, instead of good ecological
status.8
These exemptions, or derogations as they are known
mean that the achievement of good status can be
delayed until 2021 or 2027.
7 Waters will be classified into five classes, being: high,
good, fair, poor and bad. Annex V http://nia1.me/vv 8
Annex V, Directive 2000/60/EC [online] available from:
http://nia1.me/vv

The WFD has a series of key milestones for delivery,
these are listed in Table one (below). After the Directive
came into force (2000), Member States had to define their
river basin districts geographically, and identify the
authorities responsible for water management (2003). The
next task was to undertake a joint economic and
environmental analysis of these areas characteristics
(2004), and to identify water bodies at risk of not
achieving the 2015 target. By 2006, countries had to
launch water monitoring networks.
Table 1: Timetable for the implementation of the Water
Framework Directive9
Year
Issue
Reference
2000
Directive entered into force
Art. 25
2003
Transposition in national legislation
Identification of River Basin Districts and Authorities
Art. 23 Art. 3
2004
Characterisation of river basin: pressures, impacts and
economic analysis
Art. 5
2006
Establishment of monitoring network Start public
consultation (at the latest)
Art. 8 Art. 14
2008
Present draft river basin management plan
Art. 13
2009
Finalise river basin management plan including
programme of measures
Art. 13 & 11
2010
Introduce pricing policies
Art. 9
2012
Make operational programmes of measures
Art. 11
2015
Meet environmental objectives
First management cycle ends
Second river basin management plan & first flood risk
management plan.
Art. 4
2021
Second management cycle ends
Art. 4 & 13
2027
Third management cycle ends, final deadline for meeting
objectives
Art. 4 & 13
In 2007, in the
first WFD implementation report the Commission issued its
first assessment of progress in implementing the
Directive. It looked at the way Member States transposed
the WFD into national law, the administrative
arrangements, and the river basin district analyses. In
2009, a second WFD implementation report assessed
progress on establishing monitoring networks.
The 22 December 2009 was a key milestone regarding the
WFD, as it was the deadline for Member States to draw up
their river basin management plans (RBMPs). Each plan
had to include a programme of measures (PoM) to meet
the WFDs objectives. This process will be repeated on a
cyclical basis, whereby RBMPs are
9 European Commission [online] WFD: Timetable for
implementation. Available from: http://nia1.me/vt
prepared, implemented and reviewed every six years; the
first cycle covers the period 2009-2015.
Article 9 of the Water Framework Directive required
Member States to ensure that water-pricing policies
provide adequate incentives to use water resources
efficiently by 2010 and that the price charged to water

customers reflects the true costs. The Directive allowed
member states to take into account social and economic
considerations when establishing the level of cost
recovery for different users. While the Directive requires
an adequate recovery of the costs of water and sewerage
services for each economic sector (households, industry
and agriculture), it allows flexibility as to how the recovery
of those costs are distributed within the economic sector.
2.2 Monitoring
The European Commission has to assess progress in the
implementation of the WFD in certain intervals and to
inform the European Parliament, the Council and the
public about the results of its assessments (see Article 18
WFD). The first implementation report on the first stage of
implementation was published in 2007, and the second
implementation report on monitoring networks was
published in 2009.10
The Commission is preparing the third and most
significant report on the implementation of the WFD which
is due to be published in 2012 (as required by article 18 of
the Directive). This review will focus on Member States
achievements of key milestones since the last report,
including:
How Member States have gone about preparing their
RBMPs; and How Member States have implemented
water pricing policies.
The Commissions 3rd report on the implementation of the
WFD will be an integral part of the Blueprint to Safeguard
Europe s
Water Resources to be published in November
2012.
4 The WFD in Northern Ireland
The WFD was transposed into Northern Ireland law
through The Water Environment (Water Framework
Directive) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003 (Statutory
Rule 2003 No. 544).
This identified the Department of the Environment (and
the Northern Ireland Environment Agency) as the
responsible authority for co-ordinating the river basin
planning process. Northern Ireland has four River Basin
Districts, three of which are managed in close cooperation with the Republic of Ireland.11 This is common
across
10 European Commission [online] WFD Implementation
Reports, available from: http://nia1.me/w1 11 DoE [2008]
River Basement Management Planning [online] available
from: http://nia1.me/vw
the EU where many river basin districts are shared by
Member States; Cross-border districts are referred to as
International River Basin Districts (IRBD).
The WFD requires Member States to coordinate their
efforts in managing IRBD with the aim of producing a
single management plan covering the entire district. On
the island of Ireland, a total of eight river basin districts
have been identified. One of these is entirely in Northern
Ireland, four are entirely in Ireland and three are
international river basin districts.
Figure one shows the three IRBDs and the one wholly
contained river basin district in Northern Ireland:
The North Eastern River Basin District is the only one
contained wholly within Northern Ireland;
the North Western International River Basin District,
including the Erne and Foyle river basins, together with
the basins of Lough Melvin, Bradoge River, Lough Swilly
and related small coastal river basins in west County
Donegal;
the Neagh Bann International River Basin District,
including the Lough Neagh and River Bann basins as well
as river basins draining to the outer estuarine limits of
Dundalk Bay (Rivers Fane, Castletown, Glyde, Dee, Cully
Water, Kilcurry, Ballymascanlan and Flurry) and
Carlingford Lough (Newry River);
the Shannon International River Basin District, including
the Shannon river basin, which drains the midlands of
Ireland and also a small portion of County Fermanagh in
Northern Ireland, together with small coastal river basins
in Counties Clare and Kerry. Only a very small portion of
this International River Basin District lies in Northern
Ireland. Consequently the preparation of the plan for the
Shannon International River Basin District has been led by
the authorities in the Republic of Ireland. Full consultation
has been maintained with the authorities in Northern

Ireland, who are represented on the Steering Group for the
Shannon International River Basin District.12
4.1 Northern Ireland River Basement Management Plans
River Basement Management Plans (RBMP) set out the
actions required within each district to achieve agreed
environmental objectives. This process requires a gap
analysis whereby every water body (surface and
groundwater) is assessed for differences in its current
state and where it has to get to in order to achieve good
status. A programme of measures can then be identified
and put in place to achieve the desired goals.
As discussed previously (section 3) the achievement of
good status is the measure by which Member States are
assessed in terms of their compliance with the WFD. Each
of
12 North Western IRBD (2009) River Basin Management
Plan 2009 2015 [online] available from: http://nia1.me/vx
Northern Irelands three RBMPs detail the current status of
Northern Ireland water and identify where it will be (or aim
to be) at 2015, 2021 and 2027.
Figure 1: River Basin Districts in Northern Ireland
Shanon IRBD
4.1.1 North Western River Basin Management Plan
(NWRBMP)
The North Western River Basin District covers an area of
around 4900 km2. It takes in large parts of County
Fermanagh, County Londonderry and County Tyrone. The
area is very mountainous, with the Sperrins in the east,
and this terrain contributes to the low average population
density in the District. Most of the urban areas are located
beside rivers. In rural areas, many people live in small
villages or single dwellings. Within the North Western River
Basin District there are 209 river water bodies; 9 lake
water bodies; 1 coastal water body; 2 transitional water
bodies; 45 groundwater bodies; and 15 heavily modified
water bodies13
The NWRBMP, classification results indicate that:
30% of waters in the North Western District are at good

status or better;
63 % are classified as less than good status;
the remaining 7% are classified as moderate ecological
potential or worse; and
13 NIEA (2009) NORTH WESTERN River Basin Management
Plan Summary[online] available from: http://nia1.me/w7
All 45 groundwater bodies in the North Western District
are classified as good status.14
The NWRBMP has applied for derogations under the
criteria identified. As such it has set objectives to be
achieved at each 6 year cycle until 2027:
By 2015 147 out of 221 surface water bodies (67%) will
achieve good status;
good ecological potential or better will be reached in 5
of its heavily modified water
bodies (2%);
100% of groundwater bodies at good status will be
maintained;
69 surface water bodies have been identified where it
will be more feasible and costeffective to implement
actions over a longer period of time than 2015;
by 2021, the Foyle coastal water body will achieve good
ecological potential;
90% of water bodies will be at good status; and
by 2027, almost all water bodies will be meeting good
status, the exceptions will be 8 river water bodies in the
Owenkillew, Swanlinbar, Tempo, Owenreagh and Waterfoot
River systems, where pearl mussel colonies will need more
time to achieve self-sustaining populations.15
4.1.2 North Eastern River Basin Management Plan
(NERBMP)
The North Eastern River Basin District has a land area of
just over 3000km2, with a further 1000km2 of marine
waters. It takes in large parts of Counties Antrim and
Down and a small portion of County Londonderry. The
district is flanked by the Antrim Plateau and Glens of
Antrim to the north and the Mourne Mountains to the
south.
Over 0.7 million people live in the District which includes
the most densely populated region of Northern Ireland, the
Belfast Metropolitan Area, and surrounding commuter
areas. Most of the main urban areas are located beside
rivers or on the coast. In rural areas, many people live in
small villages or single dwellings.
Within the North Eastern River Basin District there are:
111 river water bodies; 3 lake water bodies; 16 coastal
water bodies; 3 transitional water bodies; 8 groundwater
bodies; and 25 heavily modified water bodies
The NERBMP classification results indicate:
16% of waters in the North Eastern District are at good
status or better; 65% are classified as less than good
status;
2% are classified as good ecological potential or better;
and
the remaining 17% are at moderate ecological potential
or worse.
(pages 24&25)
(page 32)
7 groundwater bodies (88%) are classified as good for
chemical quality and water quantity, 1 is poor.
The NERBMP has applied for derogations under the criteria
identified. As such it has set objectives to be achieved at
each 6 year cycle until 2027:
By 2015 reach good status, or better, in 61 out of 133
of surface water bodies (46%);
Reach good ecological potential or better in 4 heavily
modified water bodies (3%).
7 out of 8 of groundwater bodies (88%) will be
maintained at good status.
68 surface water bodies and 1 groundwater body have
been identified where it will be more feasible and costeffective to implement actions over a longer period of time
than
by 2027, all objectives will be achieved16
4.1.3 Neagh Bann River Basin Management Plan
(NBRBMP)
The Neagh Bann River Basin District covers an area of
around 5740 km2. It takes in all of County Armagh, large
parts of Counties Antrim, Londonderry, Down and Tyrone,
and a small area of County Fermanagh. The waters of the
Neagh Bann area support fishing and boating, and the
wetlands around Lough Neagh.
Within the Neagh Bann river basin district there are 255
river water bodies; 10 lakes; 3 coastal water bodies; 2
transitional water bodies; 14 groundwater bodies; and 35
heavily modified water bodies.
The NBRBMP, the classification results indicate:
39 out of 270 surface water bodies (14%) and 13 out of
14 groundwater bodies (93%) are already achieving the
standards required for good status or higher.
One heavily modified water body (0.4%) has been
classified as being at good ecological potential or better.
The NBRBMP has applied for derogations under the criteria
identified. As such it has set objectives to be achieved at
each 6 year cycle until 2027:
By 2015 117 out of 270 of our surface water bodies will
have reached good status (43%),
9 heavily modified water bodies (3%) will have reached
good ecological potential or better.
13 out of 14 groundwater bodies (93%) will be
maintained at good status.
144 surface water bodies and 1 groundwater body where
it will be more technically
feasible and cost-effective to implement actions over a
longer period of time than 2015. By 2027, almost all
water bodies will be meeting good status. The exceptions
will be
16 NIEA (2009) NORTH Eastern River Basin Management
Plan Summary [online] available from: http://nia1.me/w8
4 river water bodies in the Ballinderry River system,
where pearl mussel colonies will need more time to

achieve self-sustaining populations.17
4.2 Overview of NI compliance with WFD
The Commission report on the implementation of the WFD
is due to be published in 2012. This report will show that
the NIEA has successfully produced river basement
management plans for the river basins within its
jurisdiction. The three plans show that the condition of
Northern Ireland ground water is generally at the required
good status and this will be maintained. However, each
district has a significant distance to go to achieve good
status in all surface water and failure to reach these
targets could ultimately lead to infraction proceedings.
4.2.1 Water pricing
The latest review of the WFD will also assess how member
states have implemented their pricing policies. The WFD
requires that a fair price for water is created as pricing
acts as an incentive for the long-term sustainable use of
water resources. Furthermore, a key principle of the
Directive is that the polluter should pay.
Article 9 of the Directive provides the detail regarding the
recovery of costs. It states that:
Given the polluter pays principle...Member States shall
ensure by 2010,
That water-pricing policies provide adequate incentives
for users to use water resources efficiently, and therefore
contribute to the environmental objectives of this
Directive; and
An adequate contribution of the different water uses,
disaggregated into at least industry, households and
agriculture, for the recovery of costs of water services.
Analysis of the Directive would suggest that it is
questionable whether the current water pricing structure
in Northern Ireland is fully compliant with the WFD. This
however, is certainly not clear cut and the Directive is
open to interpretation. A common criticism of this policy
has been that the principle of cost-recovery has not been
sufficiently defined.18
Advice published by the EU states that in order to achieve
environmental aims, water pricing policies must reflect
financial, environmental and resource costs. It also states
that each user must bear the cost of water and prices
must be linked to the amount of water consumed and/or

pollution produced. The Directive does not however state
the level at which these policies must be adopted.
17 NIEA (2009) NEAGH BANN River Basin Management
Plan Summary [online] available from: http://nia1.me/w9
18 Volket, A., Geeraerts, K and Farmer, A. (2011) European
Commission General Directorate Environment Support to
Fitness Check Water Policy. European Commission and
Deloitte [online] available from: http://nia1.me/vu
It would be reasonable to assume that the ambiguity
which exists around this particular policy will be addressed
by the fitness check. Currently Member States enjoy
considerable autonomy and flexibility with regard to issues
such as adequate pricing of water use.
While it is clear from the policy that 100% of cost recovery
is not required, it is equally clear that transparency is
required around current cost recovery rates. This is
currently not the case in Northern Ireland as there is
considerable uncertainty around the level of contribution
made through the regional rate.
Most countries have incentive pricing policies in place, i.e.
users are billed directly and therefore know they are
paying for water although the amount they pay does not
reflect the full cost of the service.19
5 Fitness Checks
A fitness check is a new method introduced in the context
of the Smart Regulation agenda to check if EU laws meet
their objectives in an efficient and consistent way. It will be
applied in specific policy areas to assess if there are gaps,
inconsistencies or difficulties in the implementation and if
an adaption or a revision of the laws is needed. As stated
in the Work Programme for 2010 the fitness checks aim:
"to keep current regulation fit for purpose [...] The purpose
is to identify excessive burdens, overlaps, gaps,
inconsistencies and/or obsolete measures which may have
appeared over time. Pilot exercises will start in 2010 in
four areas: environment, transport, employment and
social policy, and industrial policy." 20
5.1 Fresh water policy fitness check
In the area of environment, the protection of EU

freshwater resources was selected as the pilot area.
The fitness check of freshwater policy has been assessing:
any barriers (including in other policy areas) to meeting
the already agreed objectives;
issues related to implementation and measures that
could improve implementation;
coherence of the legislation in place and whether there
are any overlaps,
inconsistencies and/or obsolete measures.
19 Volket, A., Geeraerts, K and Farmer, A. (2011) European
Commission General Directorate Environment Support to
Fitness Check Water Policy. European Commission and
Deloitte [online] available from: http://nia1.me/vu
20 European Commission (2010) Commission Work
Programme 2010: Time To Act [online] available from:
http://nia1.me/w6
According to the Commission, this fitness check of EU
Freshwater policy aims to:
...identify what works and what does not work - and
where things do not work sufficiently well, about
suggesting improvements.21
The scope of the Fitness Check includes:
1) the Water Framework Directive,
2) the Groundwater Directive,
3) the Directive on Environmental Quality Standards
(EQS),
4) the Urban Waste Water Directive,
5) the Nitrates Directive and
6) the Floods Directive.
The Fitness Check will also look at water management
issues for which there is currently no legislation at the EU
level (except for Floods), namely:
The Communication on water scarcity and drought
(COM (2007) 414) and its annual follow-up report,
The Commission staff working document accompanying
the White paper "Adapting to climate change: towards a
European framework for action" on Climate Change; and
Water, Coasts and Marine Issues (SEC (2009) 386). The
scope of the fitness check is presented in figure 2.

Figure 2: The Policy Framework covered by the Fitness
Check of EU Water Policy 22
Source: Volkery et al. (2011)
21 European Commission [online] Fitness Check of EU
Water Policy. Available from: http://nia1.me/w5
22 Volkery, A., Geeraerts, K. and Farmer, A. (2011)
European Commission General Directorate Environment
Support to Fitness Check Water Policy. Deloitte Consulting
[online] available from: http://nia1.me/vu
6
Blueprint to Safeguard Europes Waters
A public consultation for the Blueprint to Safeguard
Europes Waters has been launched by the European
Commission. The Blueprint will provide a revision on EU
water policy based on assessments of how policies
relevant to the water environment are implemented. It will
identify gaps and limitations which are preventing the
achievement of policy goals, notably the availability of
good quality water for sustainable and equitable water use
in line with WFD.
The Blueprint will cover three main aspects:
The implementation of current EU water policy;
The integration of water and other policies objectives;
The completion of the current policy framework,
relating to water quantity, efficiency and climate
adaptation.
The focus on implantation is based on the conclusion that
the current water legislative framework is both sufficient
and not coherent. However, there are fundamental
weaknesses in the implementation of the current water
legislation as well as conflicts between water policy and
other EU policies' objectives.23
The Blueprint will thus address implementation issues, the
integration of water and other policies' objectives as well
as the gaps in the current EU policy framework. The
Blueprint will also strengthen links between EU water
policy and the EU2020 Strategy, including the Roadmap to
a Resource-Efficient Europe, and more generally improve
the coherence between EU water policy and other policy

areas.24
The Blueprint will be based on information from a number
of key sources, including: The assessment of the River
Basin Management Plans delivered by the Member
States under the Water Framework Directive;
The review of the EU action on Water Scarcity and
Drought;
The assessment of the vulnerability of water resources to
climate change and other man made pressures and;
The Fitness Check which will address the whole EU water
policy in the framework of the Commissions Smart
Regulation approach.
The Blueprint will seek to take action across seven distinct
areas:
1) Land management The Blueprint will seek to promote
sustainable land use and green infrastructure for the
protection of waterways. This will be achieved through
integration with existing policies such as CAP and
Cohesion funding
1.
2. 3.
4.
23 European Commission (2012) Policy Options for
the Blueprint to safeguard Europe's waters [online]
available from:
http://nia1.me/wc
24 Ibid.
NIAR 306-12
Briefing Paper
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
which have the potential to enable economic incentives to
be offered for water and biodiversity protection.
Cost recovery - The Blueprint will seek to facilitate the
recovery of environmental costs through the application of
a portfolio of economic and communication instruments.

This could include updated requirements around water
pricing.
Water efficiency The blueprint will seek to set up
measures through which Member States will be able to
quantify how much water flows in and out of water basins.
This will allow for the development of targets for water
efficiency (and quality improvement) in the Member States
at sectoral and river basin level. In addition, it will look at
ways to improve the water efficiency both in buildings and
in distribution networks.
Innovative water resource management The Blueprint
will identify the main financial, technological,
organisational and sociological barriers to innovation in
the area of water resource management, and ways to
overcome them.
Governance The Blueprint will look at ways to improve
the governance system stemming from EU water policy,
including the administrative setup and the potential to
reduce the administrative burden, while providing the
reactive capacity needed to face emerging challenges
such as climate change adaptation.
Knowledge The Blueprint will develop options to improve
the quality of the knowledge base for water policy making.
These could include:
an improvement of the statistical information on
pressures of economic activity on water resources;
increased use of satellite and land GMES observations to
monitor status and pressures;
enhancing the Water Information System for Europe
(WISE) to include policy relevant indicators;
developing a roadmap for water research under the next
Framework Programme.
Finally, the Blueprint will also recognise the global aspects
of water policy and reinforce the EU's commitment to
achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on
access to drinking water and sanitation while taking into
account relevant outcomes of the Rio+20 Conference that
will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on June 20-22,
2012..25
7)
25 European Commission [online] A Blueprint to
safeguard Europe's Waters. Available from:

http://nia1.me/w4
Commission Work Programme 2017 Delivering a Europe that protects, empowers and
defends
http://ec.europa.eu/atwork/pdf/cwp_2017_en.pdf
Judicial Appointments Commission Bill 2016
http://www.oireachtas.ie/documents/bills28/bills/2016/8216/b8216d.
pdf
THE EU WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE: PART 2. POLICY

INNOVATION AND THE SHIFTING CHOREOGRAPHY OF
GOVERNANCE
1 Department of Geography, UCL, UK
2 School of Geography and the Environment, University of
Oxford, UK
This paper is an analysis of the policy innovations of the
European Unions Water Framework Directive and their
relationship to a range of economic and geographical
interests. It follows a previous paper describing the
process of the making of the WFD in relation to the new
EU co-decision process. This paper argues that the
innovative aspects of the policy reflect a context in which
the broader governance arrangements for water
management in Europe are shifting in dramatic ways. The
paper identifies the aspects of the WFD that are
innovative by comparing it with previous European
directives related to water management legislation. The
paper then describes the state of Europes freshwater
resources as a basis for understanding the regional
geography of interests in the policy-making process and
examines the
*Correspondence to: Ben Page, Lecturer, Department of
Geography, UCL, 26 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AP, UK.
E-mail: bpage@geog.ucl.ac.uk
contrasting interests of state, market and civil society
institutions and their impact on the final draft. The paper
ends by bringing the history of the WFD up to date by
looking at the initial responses of the key actors to the
final WFD and at recent developments in relation to
implementation. Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
and ERP Environment.
INTRODUCTION
The European Union Water Frame- work Directive
(European Commission, 2000d) is an overarching piece of
legislation that aims to harmonize existing European
water policy and to improve water quality in all of Europes
aquatic environments. As we argued in the first part of this
paper, the WFD is central to debates about a putative shift
of institutional power within the European Union away
from the Council of Ministers and towards the European
Parliament in environmental matters (Jones and Clark,
2001). In this paper we focus more specifically on a far
more
Copyright 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP
Environment
pervasive shift in the mode of governing in
1
EET332 10/7/2003 6:23 PM Page 1
B. PAGE AND M. KAIKA
Europe and beyond (Jessop, 1997; Rhodes, 1997;
European Commission, 2000b). This change is usually
encapsulated in the phrase a shift from government to
governance and, in organizational terms, is illustrated in
the rising influence of un-elected bodies, which are, in the
broadest sense, non-governmental (private firms and their
representative associations, quangos, civil society bodies
and other lobbying groups). The statutory incorporation
of public participation into the production of individual
river basin management plans (WFD Article 14) illustrates
the extent to which this shift is currently being codified in
legislation. Across a range of policy arenas and spatial
scales there is a desire to dragoon the public in general,
and NGOs in particular, into the process of drafting policy
(Curtin, 1999). The rubric around stakeholder
participation has become central to debates about

methods of policy implementation, the moral accountability of the public and private sectors and the
internalization of external social and environmental costs
by individual private firms (Ackerman and Alstott, 1999;
Burkitt and Ashton, 1996; Hutton, 1999; Fung and Wright,
2001). This paper analyses the way that this shift towards
governance articulates with a range of geographical and
economic interests in the field of water policy.
Bureaucrats in the Environment DG of the European
Commission are certain that the WFD was greatly
improved as a piece of legislation because NGOs were
actively involved in the early stages of its production
(Bloech, 2001). On the basis of this positive experience,
the Commission is in the process of regulariz- ing NGO
participation as part of the current process of
implementing the WFD (European Commission, 2001).
This is a development that is welcomed in particular by
environmental NGOs (Harrison et al., 2001; Saunders and
Tickner, 2001; Scheuer, 2001), who are confident of public
support and view public participation as a vehicle not only
for making environmental policy more effective, but also
for boosting the influence of their own position.
The paper sets out the innovative aspects of the WFD by
contrasting this legislation with earlier phases in the
development of European water policy. It then considers
the state of Europes water resources as a basis for setting
out the regional geography of lobbying interests between
nation states. It concludes our historical account of the
WFD by looking at the ways in which the key actors
responded to the final draft directive and by drawing
attention to some recent developments in relation to the
implementation of the WFD.
THE HISTORY OF EU WATER POLICY
To understand the innovative elements of the WFD it is
necessary to look at earlier directives associated with
water policy, which are the baseline against which the
WFD can be compared. The history of European
legislation on water has undergone three distinct phases
(Grimeaud, 2001; Kallis and Nijkamp, 2000). The first
wave of European water legislation (19751988) was
primarily concerned with public health and set standards
for the quality of water used for drinking. It began with the
Surface Water Directive in 1975 and culminated in the
1980 Drinking Water Directive, which set binding water
quality targets. This first wave of legislation also set water
quality objectives (WQOs) for different aquatic environments that could affect public health: the water used
for fishing, harvesting shellfish or bathing. Though the
focus was on public health, this phase also addressed
more intrinsically environmental issues such as pollution
control. The Dangerous Substances Directive, for example,
established lists of harmful substances and set permitted
levels of their discharge.
In the second phase of legislation (1988 1996), the
priorities shifted away from the protection of public health
and towards pollution control and environmental
management. Following the Maastricht treaty, the
European Union set out to establish a common
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EU WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE 2
environmental policy. In 1988 the existing legislation on
water was reviewed and a number of strategic changes
were made. More attention was paid to preventing
pollution emanating from urban wastewater and
agricultural run- off. In particular, a concerted effort was
made to set the level of permitted pollution by setting
case sensitive emission limit values (ELVs) for different
pollutants in different types of water body. These covered
biological pollutants downstream from sewage treatment
works (as in the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive of
1991) or chemical pollutants from agriculture (as in the

Nitrates Directive also 1991). This legislation depended on
member states actively designating and monitoring areas
that were vulnerable to pollution. In 1996 an attempt was
made to treat these separate elements in a more coherent
way through the Integrated Pollution and Prevention
Control Directive. In parallel to this new emphasis on
preventing pollution, the legal standards for drinking water
sources were updated in the 1998 Drinking Water
Directive, which introduced improved public access to
information and clarified earlier legislation.
This tranche of EU directives was one of the driving forces
behind dramatic investments in water treatment
infrastructure during this period. This investment
undoubtedly reduced point source pollution of water
resources; however, diffuse source pollution (from agriculture and cities) remained a problem (EEA, 1998;
CIWEM, 2000). Some member state governments delayed
the process of translat- ing the original directives into
national legislation, which subsequently prevented their
effective implementation at a regional scale. In particular,
the directives related to nitrate emissions are notorious for
low levels of compliance, despite heavy fines imposed by
the EU (Environment Daily, 2001d), while directives on
drinking water standards were met with better levels of
compliance.
Since the 1970s there has been a marked improvement in
river water quality according to some parameters (e.g. a
4060% reduction
in phosphorus emissions), but around 20% of Europes
surface waters are still dangerously polluted. Trends in
groundwater (which supplies 65% of Europes drinking
water) are harder to identify because of the difficulties
associated with monitoring and the slow (but highly
variable) rate of change in groundwater quality (EEA,
1999c). By the late 1990s there was a sense in some
quarters that it was necessary to strengthen the
legislation to further protect water resources. In part this
was a case of integrating separate but related directives,
in part of updating directives to meet new scientific
knowledge and in part of fortifying existing legal
obligations to ensure better compliance. The European
Environment Agency claimed in their 1998 annual report

that after 25 years of European water legislation not only
was the scientific community demanding more dramatic
improvements, but to an ever increasing extent so were
Europes citizens and environmental organizations. This is
a claim that is only now being questioned by some actors
in water management, who argue that only when the
costs of further improvements to water quality are
translated into water bills will it be possible to make
claims about whether or not this is something citizens
want.
THE INNOVATIONS OF THE WATER FRAMEWORK DIRECTIVE
Seven key changes mark out the new legislation when
compared with earlier phases (Table 1). First, Article 4 of
the WFD integrates environmental objectives for water
bodies that were previously treated separately: drinking
water; bathing water; surface water and groundwater. The
WFD also co-ordinates the strategies adopted to achieve
these objectives. This innovation was more than merely a
bureaucratic rationalization of the proliferation of existing
directives. It was also an attempt to understand water
quality within the broader scientific notion of an integrated
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Table 1. Innovations in the Water Framework Directive
1 Co-ordination of policies that previously addressed
different water types separately, and co-ordination of
water management strategies
2 Switching to river management based on hydrological
boundaries, not political administrative and national
boundaries
3 Introducing the combined approach to pollution control
by linking emission limit values to environmental quality
standards
4 Incorporating quantitative elements into environmental
planning at the EU scale
5 Redefinition of good water status and redrawing of the
list of priority hazardous substances
6 Introduction of the costs of environmental externalities
into water pricing in order to encourage demand
management
7 Increasing public participation in policy-making in order
to increase transparency and compliance
system. In this respect, whilst the WFD was new, it was,
in many ways, an extension of ideas developed for the
IPPC Directive.
Second, whereas in the past water management was
organized around existing political administrative
boundaries or around the use to which water was put, the
new WFD organizes water management around river
basins a hydrological unit. As a result the new policy
covers all water, whether it is used or unused. The policy
does, however, still identify specifically vulnerable areas,
which have special requirements and whose boundaries
may or may not coincide with river basins. Some member
states (UK, Germany and Spain) already use the river
basin approach, but this is not the case everywhere. Under
the WFD a river basin management plan will need to be
drawn up for each river basin some of which will cross
national frontiers. The plans will be updated every six
years. This plan will have to include an analysis of the
river basins physical characteristics, a review of the
impact of human activity on the status of water in the
basin, an assessment of existing abstractions and an
economic analysis of water use in the district.
Groundwater and coastal waters will be assigned to the
most appropriate river basin district. River basins such as
the Maas, the Schelde and the Rhine are already managed
under cross-border agreements. However, the institutions
associated with existing
trans-national agreements were suspicious that the WFDs
overarching legislation and request for a new set of actors
and institutions would threaten the existing arrangements

and the negotiating powers of the actors currently
involved.
A third new element introduced by the WFD is the
amalgamation of two existing pollution control strategies:
environmental quality standards (EQSs) and emission
limit values (ELVs). DG Environment refers to this as the
combined approach to pollution control (Article 16).
EQSs are the legal upper limits for the concentration of
pollutants that can be measured in specified water bodies.
ELVs are upper limits for the amount of the pollutant that
can legally be released into the environment. ELVs are
implemented through the introduction of either best
available technology (in the case of point sources of
pollution) or best environmental practice (in the case of
diffuse sources). In the past, different member states
empha- sized different pollution control strategies, and so
did different EU directives. The WFD, however,
incorporates both strategies in an iterative combined
process. ELVs must be applied first. If these fail to achieve
existing EQSs then more stringent ELVs must be applied
by the member states. The WFD sets ELVs for a list of 32
priority substances in addition to those substances
covered by the existing Nitrates Directive, the IPPC
Directive,
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the Urban Waste Water Directive and the Dangerous
Substance Directive.
The criteria used to define good water status were the

fourth innovation introduced by the WFD. In the initial
stages of negotiating the directive the precise definition of
what constitutes good water status was left open and
considered only in broad terms. Good surface water
status requires a rich, balanced and sustainable
ecosystem and that the established environmental quality
standards for pollutants are respected. Good groundwater
status requires that abstractions and alterations to the
natural rate of recharge are sustainable in the long term,
and that environmental quality standards for pollutants
are respected (European Commission, 1998). However, as
the debates developed, more precise definitions were
required, particularly as environmental lobby groups
continually returned to the question of making the criteria
legally binding, which requires clarity, measurability and
specificity. This was one of the major areas of controversy
during the making of the WFD, and since the
implementation process has begun it remains a question
that concerns water suppliers because of the cost of
achieving good water status.
A fifth innovation of the WFD was that it introduced
regulations concerning water quantity management by
addressing issues of abstraction volumes and recharge.
The possibility of regulating water quantity allocation as
a means of environmental management of European
waters had previously been neglected. This directive,
however, stipulates that each river basin management
plan must ensure a balance between the abstraction and
recharge of water. All abstraction of either surface water
or groundwater will require authorization except in areas
where it can be demonstrated that this will have no
significant impact on the status of the water. The Commission claims that these provisions, together with the full
cost recovery in water pricing, will contribute towards
protecting water both as an economic and environmental
resource.
So not only is this development innovative in relation to
regulating water quantity, but also in relation to its close
weaving together of environmental objectives with
economic development targets and physical planning
(Agence de lEau Artois Picardie, 2000).
The sixth major shift in policy marked by the WFD was the
introduction of aspects of water pricing at full cost
recovery (Article 9), an overtly economic tool, which
initially appears to be ill placed within an environmental
piece of legislation concerned with conservation and
public health. This policy was justified as a means of
controlling consumption in the face of unrelenting demand
(Buckland and Zabel, 1996). The principle of full cost
recovery became a very controversial issue in debates
around water policy. Whereas some countries have a long
tradition of charging for water others do not. Ireland, for
example, supplies domestic water free and recovers the
cost through taxation. The directives initial aspira- tion to
introduce full-cost pricing for all water supplies (drinking,
irrigation and industrial) was later watered down through
pressure from the Council of Ministers. Member states are
now only required to ensure that the price charged to
consumers for fresh water and for the treatment of
wastewater will take into account the full environmental
costs. In order to accommodate national variations,
provision was also made for derogations from full cost
recovery. For example it was accepted that it was
permissible to provide a subsidized drinking water supply
and wastewater services for low-income households. The
need to introduce local variation shows how the WFD
inevitably encroaches on social policy, trade policy and
competition policy as well as environmental policy.
A seventh and final major innovation of the WFD is related
to widening participation in water policy-making (Article
14). The proposal for a WFD stated establishing a
framework for a common European water policy will
require more involvement of citizens, interested parties,
non-governmental
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organisations (NGOs) (European Commis- sion, 1998). It
specifically suggested that the establishment of the river
basin management plans would require public access to
information and extensive consultation. The proposed
WFD also included plans to organize a bian- nual
conference for a range of actors to exchange their
experiences of trying to protect Europes waters. In
addition it was proposed that a network for the exchange
of information and experience between water
professionals should be established across the European
Union.
Listing the innovations within the WFD is important
because it demonstrates that this is far more than a mere
collation and harmoniza- tion of previous water-related
directives. It introduced dramatic changes to European
water legislation, including the incorporation of economic
instruments and the requirement for public participation,
whilst directly recognizing the need to change the
arrangements for the governance of water in Europe. Not
only do the changes foster the involvement of nongovernmental groups (representing environmental, social
and consumer interests in water), but they also recognize
the fact that an increasing proportion of water is supplied
through private sector participants, which has intensified
the commodification of water.
GEOGRAPHICAL INTERESTS AND THE STATE OF EUROPES
WATER RESOURCES
Before turning to the changing relations between state,
market and civil society in the field of water governance it
is necessary to understand a completely different set of
interests which also influenced the politics of the process
of producing the WFD namely geographical differences
in the condition in and demands on Europes water
resources.
Water has been a central element in the four main
summary reports on the state of Europes environment
(EEA, 1995a, 1995b, 1998, 1999b).
Water has also been the subject of numerous detailed

studies at a European scale that have focused on specific
topics in relation to both quality and quantity (EEA, 1996a,
1996b, 1999a, 1999c, 2000a, 2000b; ETC/IW 1997, 1998).
But variations in rainfall and in water demand make it
difficult to draw generaliza- tions about the sustainability
of water supplies at the European scale and it swiftly
becomes necessary to divide the Union into regions.
Though the largest volumetric users of water across
Europe are power stations (32%), agriculture is not far
behind (30%) and is far more important politically. As a
generalization, agriculture is more significant in the South
and the accession countries, which between them
consume around 94% of Europes irrigation water (FAO,
1996; OECD 1996; WSSCC, 1995). Furthermore, the
demand for irrigation water has been increasing in
southern Europe over the last 10 years. Bureaucrats in DG
Environ- ment consider that irrigation water is underpriced and suggest that economic instruments could be
used to make the use of water for irrigation more
efficient. It is the vital importance of water for the
economies of the European South that made the
introduction of water quantity issues into the WFD a major
point of controversy within the Council of Ministers. For
example, the Spanish government maintained that by
intervening in the management of water quantity the WFD
was touching upon matters of national sovereignty, and
for this reason they fiercely opposed the directive at every
opportunity.
The proposals to regulate on quantity issues were at the
heart of a NorthSouth divide within the negotiation.
However, this NorthSouth divide is not quite as clear cut
as it might seem at first glance. Despite the fact that there
is more rainfall in northern Europe, there are also areas
(for example Benelux, NE France and SE England) where
intensive agriculture and industry have led to high levels
of water resource exploitation. So there are places within
the European North in which quantity issues are
potentially politically as significant
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as in the European South. Still, as a generalization,
quality issues are more important in northern Europe
where a longer history of industry and intensive farming
has raised the profile of water pollution as a cause for
concern. In particular, there is considerable public anxiety
in northern Europe over the health impacts of nitrate
pollution in water, derived from agricultural fertilizers and
animal waste. The result is that there are still major
concerns over eutrophication, organic pollution and
acidification of water in rivers, lakes and groundwater. The
interests of northern European farmers in the WFD were
primarily concerned with sharing the costs of limiting
diffuse pollution with the state and/or the general public.
At other scales there are also differences between nation
states on the balance between water use and the
objectives of conservation. Across the EU demand for
public drinking water (14% of water use) is stationary or
declining; however, this also masks considerable regional
variation and relative success of various domestic demand
management policies in different countries. Germany for
example has had far more success in reducing domestic
water demand than the UK in a broadly similar socioenvironmental context (ICWS, 1996; OFWAT 1997). The
introduction of policies such as environmental pricing,
which are designed to provide incentives for domestic
demand management, are likely to generate different
political responses in different parts of the EU. This is
also true of policies designed to take account of the
impacts of future climate change (Arnell and King, 1997;
Rees et al., 1997).
DIFFERENT ACTORS AND DIFFERENT INTERESTS IN WATER

GOVERNANCE
From the beginning of the process of producing the WFD
the European Commission was anxious to ensure that
there was sufficient
opportunity for consultation in drafting the legislation.
Although the Commissions intention to make this an
open call was genuine, this process inevitably favoured
those organizations that were large enough to support a
Brussels based bureau, whether private companies,
government agencies or NGOs. The result was that three
groups dominated the consultation process: industry,
governmental organizations at a variety of scales and
environmental organizations. The following account
highlights the interests of those who participated in the
process of drafting the WFD.
Industry
Industrial interests were actively represented from the
outset of consultation. Industry tended to lobby national
governments and then exert their influence on the process
through decisions made by the Council of Ministers. Of
course, not every industrial group within the water sector
had the same interests in this process, and some were
indeed contradictory. For example, a large proportion of
the chemical industry (from the producers of mercury for
the medical sector to the producers of pesticides and
fertilizers for farmers) as well as agriculture were staunch
opponents of the WFDs focus on diffuse source pollution
and the control of hazardous substances. They lobbied the
Commission both through ministers and directly through
their European bureaus, such as the EFMA (European
Fertilizers Manufacturers Association) and the ECPA
(European Crop Protection Association). Farmers were,
from the outset, aware that the burden of attempts to
reduce nitrate pollution was likely to fall on their industry.
The private water industry and the biotech companies, on
the other hand, largely welcomed the attempt to tackle
diffuse sources of pollution since they stood to gain from
improved raw water quality, which would lead to
reductions in drinking water treatment costs. However, the
water suppliers have subsequently become
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increasingly concerned that the costs of tackling diffuse
pollution are likely to be passed on to consumers directly
through water bills, which will be to the detriment of the
industrys public relations. The private water companies
exerted their influence through the Brussels based group
Eureau, through national representative organizations
(such as BGW (German Gas and Water) or Water UK) and
through the direct involvement of individual private
companies (Ondeo, RWE-Thames) in the consultation
process.
Governments
Much of the burden of implementing and paying for the
changes proposed by the WFD will fall on the governments
of member states, including the considerable cost of
producing the river basin management plans. Apart from
monitoring water quality this involves the time-consuming
bureaucratic and expensive task of assessing water
abstraction in a context where most governments have
little information and no existing institutional
infrastructure of abstraction licenses. The plans require a
survey of the human impact on all water resources in
order to produce an economic analysis that will then
become the basis for moving towards full cost recovery.
The interest of government bodies, therefore, lay in minimizing the obligation involved in the assessments and
elongating the delivery period for the river basin
management plans. Alterna- tively, national governments
were looking to shirk the responsibility for producing these
plans by shifting the task onto other scales of government,
such as local governments, a move that appeared to sit

comfortably with the EUs principle of subsidiarity
(Kraemer, 1998). As a result local authorities have often
been identified as the main actors, though the exact
source of funding that will enable them to deliver the river
basin management plans is less clear and varies from
country to country.
Many of the governmental authorities involved in
consultation (such as the European
Union of Water Management Associations (the EUWMA),
the European Environment Agency (the EEA) and the
national government bodies (such as the UK Environment
Agency)) were sympathetic to the conservation aims and
strategies of the WFD. Local government was less
supportive, however, largely because the switch to river
basins as the central organ- izing unit of water
management meant that in some places power was being
taken away from some municipalities. The public water
industry (local government run water supplies for
example) was not enamoured of full cost pricing since it
came from a tradition of treating water as a public good
rather than a commodity and it lobbied for derogations
from cost-related aspects of the WFD.
Environmental NGOs
Some environmental NGOs were extremely active in the
WFD consultation process at the European level: the EEB
(European Environment Bureau an umbrella organization of around 140 smaller groups), which was the leading
institution, and received some funding from the
Commission to perform the task of the watchdog; the
WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature); the RSPB (Royal
Society for the Protection of Birds); Birdlife International;
and Waterpakt. Greenpeace were involved initially but
later withdrew from the consultation. These NGOs all had
Brussels offices or dedicated officers and funds specifically
directed towards the WFD negotiations. In many respects
they regarded the proposed directive as a unique
opportunity to improve earlier legislation, but they also
had detailed reservations about some of the proposed
changes (Boymanns, 1997). Their campaign comprised a
number of environmental targets, including the incorporation of the OSPAR agreement in the WFD and the
pressure to make the WFDs environmental targets

legally binding for all member states.
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The first area in which they sought amendments was in
pollution control. The EEB welcomed the principle of the
combined approach; however, they were concerned that it
relied on vague qualitative standards (good and very
good) and that it did not quantify emission limit values.
They feared that some water bodies, which were clearly
inside the category good, might be used as pollution
sinks under such a system. For this reason, they opposed
the way that the draft WFD distinguished between
protected and polluted areas. Environmental NGOs were
concerned that the lack of strict and quantifiable standards would make it difficult to set uniform legally binding
objectives against which the actions of all member states
could be measured. They concentrated on lobbying
(particularly the Parliament and the Commission) for
amendments that would secure the existence of
quantifiable and time-limited objectives for a wider range
of groups of hazardous substances. In a similar vein they
also argued that the principles of the 1995 Esbjerg
Declaration (which was the basis of the OSPAR Convention
in 1998) should be incorporated into the WFD. Article 17 of
that declaration stated that natural substances should
only exist in natural concentration in the environment
and that syn- thetic substances should attain a
concentration close to zero. In other words it sought to
establish a pristine aquatic environment, which should

show no measurable human impact. To this end
environmental NGOs aimed to get programmes of
progressive emission reduction incorporated into the final
WFD. Also in relation to the combined approach, they
argued against Article 8, which allowed the use of polluted raw water as a drinking water source and
contradicted the draft WFDs endorsement of the
precautionary principle. Instead they claimed (following
European Commission, 1995) that it was more
economically effective to prevent pollution in the first
place than to have to treat polluted raw water to make it
safe. In practical terms this meant ignoring the existing
availability of drinking water purification technologies when setting up environmental
quality standards.
Environmental NGOs were also worried that the WFD could
end up repealing existing strict directives and replacing
them with a weaker, vaguer framework, which allowed
member states more scope for interpreting their
obligations. They supported these concerns by observing
that after 20 years of legislation some member states
had still failed to take action to implement existing
directives. Whilst the environmental organizations were
fulsome in their praise of the Commission for their
openness and transparency about the process of
producing the proposal, they still felt that their
participation was peripheral, because they were merely
consulted about the WFD and had no substantial
involvement in actual decision-making. Finally,
environmental NGOs opposed the proposal (Article 12) to
exclude the owners of wells, large industrial units and
farmers from the polluter pays principle and indeed
argued that industry should pay for the research that was
needed to set quantitative emission limit values (ELVs).
They also proposed that all abstraction should be licensed
and paid for on an increasing block tariff and that water
conservation should be encouraged by incorporating
meter- ing, water efficiency standards for appliances,
recycling and re-use schemes and leakage targets into the
WFD.
THE REACTION OF STAKEHOLDERS TO THE FINAL DRAFT
OF THE WFD
The three main groups who were involved in the
production of the legal document (the Commission, the
European Parliament and the Council of Ministers) fought
tooth and nail between 1998 and 2000 to secure the
directive closest to their interests. But how did they react
to the draft that finally emerged in December 2000? The
European Commission was trium- phant and viewed the
WFD as a major advance. Throughout the drafting of the
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directive, the Commission had played the role of the
mediator between the other two bodies and was faced at
least twice with the possibility that the directive (and
many years of associated work) would be completely lost
because the two bodies could not reach an agreement. It
was not surprising, therefore, that the Com- mission
celebrated when a final text of the directive was accepted
by all relevant parties. This Directive is one of the most
important legislative acts at Community level concerning
the protection of the environment. It combines and co-
ordinates the dispersed water legislation in force at

present and enables the
Commission and the member states to work with a
credible legal framework in implementing the
Community legislation which will apply for many years,
before and after the enlargement (European Commission,
2000a). Some representatives of national governments,
though less triumphalist in tone, were also apparently
pleased with the result. For example, the UK Environment
Agency char- acterized the WFD as being intellectually
exactly just what we want (Martin Griffiths, Head of Water
Quality, EA). However, some of the other interested
parties have been less enthusiastic.
The chemical industry is particularly concerned with the
requirement for a cessation of emissions of hazardous
substances. They claim that it will increase production
costs significantly and argue that they are in a weak
position relative to the water industry because the
monopoly position of water suppliers ensures that price
rises do not dramatically influence the volume of sales.
Their complaint is that they will be expected to absorb a
disproportionate share of the costs of environmental
protection and that this will reduce their competitiveness.
In particular, they argue that the cost of reducing priority
hazardous substances to natural background levels far
outweighs the benefits to be gained and they have asked
for a realistic definition of the zero emissions approach.
The agricultural sector is equally concerned with the
consequences of the WFD. Since one of the main targets of the
new legislation is diffuse pollution, it is likely that farmers
will have to absorb new costs, which again will be passed
on to consumers, which, they fear, may reduce the
competitiveness of their products, relative to those coming
from outside the common market. All those branches of
water management connected in some way to the cost
of reducing pollution have subsequently suggested that
the WFD is trying to goldplate water quality.
In some respects the private water industry appears to be
a winner within the industrial sector. The new emphasis on
water pricing accords with their own discursive objective
to shift the supply of water away from being described as
a public service supplying a basic utility to water users

towards a business supplying a commodity to customers.
It is also expected that improved raw water quality should
reduce water treatment costs, particularly if some
specific pesticides are banned as a result of the WFD
(Water-UK, 2001b). However, industry, particularly where
privatized, is concerned that it will have to absorb the
costs of quality improvements in a situation where the
agricultural sector is not in a position to do so. This will
mean that private water suppliers will pass the bill on to
customers with further costs for their public reputation.
The water industrys anxieties seem to be justified in
those cases where governments have begun to unveil
their plans for implementing the WFD. In the UK, for
example, the Government estimates that the implementation costs will be between 2 and 9 billion and that 40%
of costs are expected to be borne by the water industry
(DETR, 2001). The industry has responded by opening a
debate about which costs are their responsibility and
which costs should rightly be in government hands. The
administration costs of the Directive should not be borne
by water companies (and ultimately by water customers)
they should be fully met by Government. The transposition of costs to water industry customers
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masks the true costs and prevents a real debate over how
environmental protection should be funded (Water-UK,
2001a).
In general, although every industry stakeholder publicly
welcomed the principle of sustainable water
management, and the combined and integrated approach
to pollution control, they all (and notably the chemical
industry and fertilizer producers) lobbied for derogations.
The immediate effect of the WFD has been to intensify the
importance of lobbying by industry over the drawing up
of the list of priority hazardous substances.
The environmental NGOs were initially amongst the

fiercest critics of the final text. On the morning after the
second conciliation meeting, the EEB described the final
text of the directive as a disaster for the environment,
embarrassing for Environment Minis- ters, the
Environment Commissioner and the Parliament and a blow
to the [environmental] credentials of the EU (Environment
Daily, 2000). However, the EEB soon revised its initial
negative assessment of the final text (Lanz and Scheuer,
2001). Though they reasserted their criticisms about the
enforceability of the obligations and the lack of ambition
in relation to groundwater protection, they acknowledged
that (from their perspective) the Parliament delegation
had achieved several improvements to the text. They
sent a letter to all the major players expressing their
gratitude for the efforts and the achievements of the Conciliation Committee to improve the Council text (EEB,
2000a). This was tempered by their demand that the
Commission now had to prove the credibility of the
directive through effective implementation (EEB, 2000b,
2001b). As the Secretary General pointed out, It depends
very much on the good will and the seriousness of all
players to fully use the opportunities of this directive for
enhanced water protection and to prevent the abuse of
the legal ambiguities of the agreed text. Given the history
of poor compliance of environmental policy in the past
this comment takes on a sardonic quality.
DEVELOPMENTS AFTER CONCILIATION, MOVES TOWARDS
IMPLEMENTATION
As the arguments over the wording of the new directive
ended, the arguments over the interpretation and
implementation of the directive began. The Commissions
experience with many water policy directives was that
member states did little about implementation until
coercive legal manoeuvres forced them into action. Such
an approach was considered unsatisfactory because it was
time consuming, bureaucratic, expensive and
antagonistic. To avoid repeating this pattern with the WFD
the Commission plans to develop advisory recommendations about the implementation process (Bloech,
2001). These will be in the form of non-binding guidance
documents, which address specific areas of the WFD but
which should enable member states to begin the

implementation process swiftly (Environment Daily,
2001b). They will be produced by ten working groups
comprising individuals from the Commission, from
European statutory bodies (e.g. the EEA), from the governments of member states and from some nongovernmental bodies. In order to become members of the
working groups NGOs must meet criteria established by
the Commission (European Commission, 2001). Outside
this practical attempt to get implementation underway
political arguments have continued in three spheres: water
pricing, drawing up the list of priority hazardous
substances and interpreting the directives ruling on
implementation deadlines.
It was ironic that even though the WFD opened with the
claim that water is not a commercial product and that
the Council of Ministers had forced the demand that full
cost recovery should be legally binding out of the final
text, the first concern of the Commis- sion has been to
provoke a debate, which will result in effective
implementation of the water pricing article of the Water
Framework directive. This will contribute to meeting the
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environmental objectives of the directive in the most costeffective way (European Commis- sion, 2000c). Despite
the fact that the WFD only says that member states must
ensure that pricing policies provide an adequate incentive to use water efficiently the Commission is pressing on
with more ambitious plans to introduce full-cost pricing.

DG Environment see pricing as something of a panacea,
as the principle around which other policy sectors (such as
agriculture) can be articulated with water policy. Effective
water pricing is seen as the vehicle for environmental
protection, lower costs and an equitable sharing of the
financial burden of the WFD. It should be noted that the
Commission do not state that pricing is the only
instrument that can solve water resource problems.
However, they do claim that pricing must be given due
consideration to ensure it promotes more efficient and less
polluting use of scarce water resources. In September
2000 a conference in Lille established that both the water
industry and the environmental lobby were broadly
sympathetic to the Commissions proposals on pricing
(Agence de lEau Artois Picardie, 2000). The Commission
also continue to have strong support from the European
Parliament on this issue (European Parliament, 2001b;
Environment Daily, 2001c). However, given the vigorous
opposition from the governments of member states in
the past it seems likely that this trend will also meet stiff
opposition in the future.
A second aspect of the WFD that became the subject of
immediate debate was the list of priority hazardous
substances whose emissions were due to be
progressively reduced to zero within 20 years of the list
being adopted. An initial list of 32 hazardous pollutants
had been drafted in February 2000 and the WFD stated
that the priority substances would be a subset of this list.
In September 2000 the European Parliament Environment
Committee demanded that the list should be expanded,
their new list had 39 pollutants of which 2428 were to be
given priority status (European Parliament, 2000). The
Commission dismissed
this demand and proposed instead to divide the list of 32
substances into categories, ranked 15: those ranked 1
would definitely be put on the priority list; those ranked 5
would definitely not; those in between were open to
debate. The criteria for ranking were legislative, medical,
technical and economic. The strategy was given a
cautious welcome by the chemical industry and also by
environmentalists. The water industry lobbied hard that
the cost of removing the pollutants ought to be a key

factor in the assessment of whether or not they were
included on the list (CIWEM, 2000). In January 2001 the
Commission proposed to put 11 substances out of the
original 32 onto the priority list, and definitely leave 10 off
the priority list. The remaining 11 remained open for
debate and were marked as under review until 2003. In
April 2001 the European Parlia- ment Environment
Committee accepted the list of 11 priority chemicals, but
also shifted three more chemicals into the category under
review. In May 2001, MEPs voted on the list and, though
they had some concerns about the speed with which the
Commission intended to undertake the review of the list, it
was passed largely as proposed (European Parliament,
2001a). The most recent development has come from the
water industry, which has intensified a long running
campaign by producing a list of nine pesticides they would
like to see banned, only four of which are currently on the
Commissions priority hazardous substances list (WaterUK, 2001b).
The third area of controversy relates to the interpretation
of the WFD texts commitment to phase out the priority
hazardous substances over 20 years. According to a legal
opinion (Council of Ministers Legal Service, 2001), the
directive does not oblige member states to adopt control
measures resulting in zero emissions by the end of the 20
year period. Rather, it obliges the European Commission
to forward proposals allowing this to happen. This leaves
member states free to ignore those proposals should they
wish. Environmentalists interpreted this as evidence that
member states
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are trying to escape from political agreed obligations by
using backdoor legal interpreta- tions (EEB, 2001a). The
Environment Com- missioner, Margot Wallstrm, admitted
that she agreed with this interpretation of law and could
not guarantee that the governments of member states
would adopt the Commissions proposals for zero
emissions of priority hazardous substances (Environment
Daily, 2001a).
So, far from being the end of an intense process of
lobbying and interpretation, the adoption of the WFD in
December 2000 actually marked a new beginning of
another round of wrangling. Whilst this process has the
advantage of a basic legal text, which forms a nonnegotiable ground from which to operate, it has the
disadvantage that this round of debate operates largely
within the obscure bureaucratic realm as opposed to a
transparent democratic one.
CONCLUSIONS
Implementing a common water policy in Europe has been
difficult because EU member states have different, and
sometimes opposing, views on environment and water
quality protection and try to guard their national right to
direct water use and allocation (Kraemer, 1998;
Richardson, 1997). For example, upstream and
downstream users of the same river basin may well have
different views about the best strategy to be employed.
Ten member states receive more than half of their water
resources from neighbouring countries, so trans-boundary
issues are a serious concern. Even in the UK such issues
are becoming more relevant as devolution progresses.
Many member state governments feel that not only their
economic interests, but also their national sovereignty and
freedom, are hampered by European environmental
legislation. Thus, there is a long history of member states
watering down the rigour of regulations through a process
of attrition in the policy-making process. There is also a
long history of poor compliance from
a variety of member states after directives have been
incorporated into national law.

Substantive differences with respect to water
management exist not only between member states, but
also between governmental and non-governmental
sectors. These differences are increasingly important
because of the privatization within the sector (Arthur
Anderson, 2000; Swyngedouw et al., 2002). Increasing
private sector participation in water supply has meant that
water companies are keen to protect their economic
interests, which may, or may not, accord with those of
member states or other water companies. The regulatory
regime imposed on member states through directives on
water quality and management has involved substantial
investment costs. The EU has allocated a special budget
that will support the implementation of the WFD, but this
does not cover the full implementation cost. Financial
demands on governments have often been the trigger for
member states to seek to out-source those costs onto the
private sector. So, it could be argued that European Union
directives have accelerated a move towards privatization
at a national scale as member states seek to divest
themselves of the economic burden of infrastructure
investments (Hassan, 1995). However, as experience in
the UK and France shows, a significant proportion of the
implementation cost for the previous EU water directives
was paid through state funds, in the form of tax breaks or
cash injections for the water industry.
In this context of a shifting terrain of water governance
with the tasks assigned to state, market and civil society
all under debate, it is crucial that the European
Commission continues to experiment with institutions
through which deliberation can develop in a collaborative
way. The attempts by DG Environment to institutionalize
such dialogues in the preparation of the guidance for the
implementation of the WFD are a reflection of the
conviction that such variety produces better legislation in
the first place and avoids costly enforcement
subsequently. In this regard the Commission
IT WAS NEVER OUR DEMOCRACY, THE RICH OVER RULED OUR LIVES
AND DEMOCRACY
19 October 2016
By Rita Cahill
We have never had our constitution or democracy at its core on
the side of ordinary people. Since the start of the water charges
campaign there have been many have argued the opposites-that
the government is ours for the taking and the laws are there to
defend our rights only that we need to return to some mythical time
when the state acted solely in the interests of the people and that
the constitution was the bastion of rights we could all rely on. If only
we didnt vote for these corrupt figures. Many believe the state is a
neutral actor in the world-it is not. Its structures were set up
explicitly to protect elites.
These ideas have been combined with the idea need for a new
party or a government of independents to retake our democracy.
This notion (which has an understandable basis considering how the
media rants about how were so democratic) is a farce. The fault in
this line of thought lies in a misconception of the role of government
and it completely ignores the influence of international capitalist
modes of production/distribution which in effect dominate
government and its possible policies.
It is not the government members are necessarily morally corrupt
people (they probably are) but they are acting in the manner which
is necessitated by the structures and laws of government and the
pressure of power-full international groups such as the IMF, the
ECB , the Troika and enormous international corporations.Any new
party or party of independents will become ossified after a period of
time and succumb to these pressures. Parliament is of course a
minor player in the world in comparison to these interest.
The model of government and constitution we have were never set
up to enshrine the rights of the majority(other than in language)and
democratic participation in society but instead were created to quell
and stifle more radical alternatives of democracy-direct participation
in your own affairs and guarantee the ability of a few to dominate a
semi-democratic process through concentrated capital.
Firstly the constitution is open to broad interpretation by the courts
and within it are found many conflicting rights but overall the courts
and judges invariably side with the powerfull and elites. The
constitution and laws passed by the governments main role is to
protect private property(not your home or car) and the security of
the state. It does this very effectively. This system of governance
was devised hundreds of years ago to maintain thru le of a few over
the many.
From the crushing of embryonic labour rights movement to the
centralisation of power within the government and the explicit
protection of private property in the constitution (eg. protection of a
huge accumulation of wealth by a tiny minority),the early Irish state
was authoritarian in nature and brutal in practice when dealing with
those who opposed their policy and who wanted a more just and
equal society. Why was this so?-The Irish nation had just gone
through a revolutionary period where radical anti-imperialist thought

had come to the fore and labour militancy was at its highest since
the Land War. The answer lies in the traditional capitalist, statist
conception of governance adopted by the founding members of the
Cumann na nGaedheal government.
Does this type of government express the general will?
It was a type of governance based on US Republican modelestablished after the American revolution and before that the
government created after the English civil war. During these times
elites were extremely concerned at the radical nature the
revolutions were taking and the levelling instinct of the masses, in
order to counter this instinct they consciously devised a system to
dominate government and exclude the majority from the decision
making process.
Elites consciously created this system of government, as John
Dewey, friend of James Madison, the leading constitutional framer in
US history, Those who own the country should run the country.
While Dewey was primarily referring to the landed aristocracy, the
principle of government remains the same. The privileged and elites
should run the government for themselves.
Often referred to as the herd and the multitude the masses began
to fight back against the brutal industrialisation of society and the
power/wealth of elites.
Organising themselves in unions they expressed their power in their
ability to withdraw labor. For years these organisations were
outlawed and crushed by the state, violence often playing a strong
role in factory and strike disputes.
Eventually trade union rights and universal suffrage were won, often
after bitter and bloody labour fights. These concessions however did
not change the nature of power or the distribution of wealth. The
government and elites switched tact from the stick to the carrot.
The PR industry, media and education system were all utilised to
manufacture consent. As Ralph waldo Emerson said we must
educate them to keep them from our throats. The State, previously
the explicit agent of the 'rich and privileged', shifted from being a
partisan player in the struggle between the rich and the poor to the
new and more benign role of mediator.
However it still maintained the core features such as protection of
private property and acting in the overall interests of the dominant
elites.
After these concessions idea took root within the working class that
they could effect decent change through the avenues of power and
parliament-this was a grave mistake for the workers movement.
Because of the structures and law of government each honest
representative of ordinary people were turned into lackeys of
capitalism and again and again implemented regressive measures
against their manifestos and the interests of those who voted them
in. These policies should not be viewed as a sellout but as the
natural progression of a party in government. The pressure of
international capitalism bears heavy on any government.

Only by building active, vibrant and participatory campaigns against
government policy and capitalist domination can we effect real
change in the world-parliament, abolishing the whip system, a new
party or protection from the constitution offer no real means of
protecting or rights or extending them.
Poll: Are you in favour of water

services remaining in public
ownership?
A bill is coming before the Dil calling for a referendum on the
ownership of Irelands water services.
Nov 7th 2016,
INDEPENDENT 4 CHANGE TD Joan Collins wants water

to remain in public ownership.
This week, she is tabling a bill in the Dil to hold a
referendum on the issue.
So far, it has the support of 39 TDs.
Today, Collins is calling on Fianna Fil to support the bill,
stating that there is no reason for them not to do so, as it is
in line with their policies.
With Fianna Fils support, the bill could be passed, she
said.
We want to know what you think.
Poll: Are you in favour of water services
remaining in public ownership?
Poll Results:
The EU Water Framework Directive: part 2. Policy innovation

European Court of Justice of Irish Water

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European Court of Justice (ECJ) the EU-Canada

agreement on the exchange of Passenger Name

TTIP is classified as CONFIDENTIEL US, EU

in which each Party recognizes the classification levels of the

(specifically, the intellectual property chapter), and it is marked

broke up and he has been pursuing her ever since."

with abusive language, then nothing happens for a while

despite the attempts of many Opposition members to

opponents said he couldn't. And we no longer contribute

RED LIGHT FOR JAYWALKING AS NEW YORK MAYOR

West 96th Street and Broadway in Manhattan, when Kang

POLICE CHIEF : WE CAN COPE WITH WEAKER ANTITERROR RESTRICTIONS

"There are more than half a dozen people that we are

FRAUDSTERS "USE CITY ADDRESSES AS FRONTS

Virtual office addresses and PO boxes are used to give the

FDA CALLS ON MEDICAL DEVICE MAKERS TO FOCUS

recommending that device makers provide it with their

(29th January 2014)

MET POLICE HOPE PERSONAL CAMERAS CAN

London's black communities and the Met, which he has

Constabulary. In court, the suspect claimed he had never

the Devon and Cornwall Constabulary carried out a trial of

OVER 60 AND FEELING UNDER THE WEATHER

more serious and are harder to treat.

COMMUNITIES "TAKING LAW INTO THEIR OWN

perpetrated ... It's almost a closed book because we can't

WHAT IS CRIME ? WE CAN'T MEASURE IT BECAUSE

allegations that some of the quarterly published figures

criminologist Marian Fitzgerald has pointed out the extent

(19th January 2014)

JAIL FOR KENSAL GREEN BURGLAR CAUGHT BY

"The trap houses and cars forms part of an overall crime

WILDLIFE POLICE UNIT HUNTING IVORY

facing a funding crisis next year - raising the possibility

He added that research by the charity the World Society

BORDERS LIKE A SIEVE

authorities and called on ministers to do something about

Police requested her past convictions in September but do

due to come into force next month to boost revenue and

someone's wallet or bank account.

HODGE ATTACKS "PATHETIC" BID TO RETRIEVE

Britain's organised crime bosses are holding on to their

Ms Hodge added that it was "appalling" that 100 million

POLICE CRIME FIGURES LOSE OFFICIAL STATUS

The allegations have included claims that the Metropolitan

CRIMESTOPPERS LAUNCHS #PUTPOCKETS

Traditionally posters have been used to highlight the issue

UK PEADOPHILES PAY TO WATCH WEBCAM CHILD

British paedophiles are paying to watch the abuse of

All of the neighbours said they were shocked to hear about

The operation followed the arrest of British man Timothy

"But it can do things to your core. It can take things from

14,000 FINES ARE HANDED OUT IN CYCLE SAFETY

people's attitudes to road safety.

CYBER CRIME ROBS US OF 1 BILLION IN JUST A

The figures were released as the government launches its

POLICE WOMAN "STOLE DETAILS OF ROAD VICTIMS

an anonymous phone call tip-off that Pc Hanif was

On March 16, 2011 - two weeks before Hanif allegedly

HALF OF SEX ATTACKERS, VIOLENT CRIMINALS AND

to end "soft" sentences, official figures have revealed.

receive tougher sentences in future.

are unaccountable and the offender managers seem to

revolution" under which community sentences will include