Wednesday, April 08, 2020

How criminals profit from the COVID-19 pandemic

The words of Stephane Hessel in his powerful manifesto Indignez-Vous are a reminder of what is possible.

The motivation that underlay the Resistance was outrage. We, the veterans of the Resistance movements and fighting forces of Free France, call on the younger generations to revive and carry forward the tradition of the Resistance and its ideas. We say to you: take over, keep going, get angry! Those in positions of political responsibility, economic power and intellectual authority, in fact our whole society, must not give up or let ourselves be overwhelmed by the current international dictatorship of the financial markets, which is such a threat to peace and democracy....

It is up to us, all of us together, to ensure that our society remains one to be proud of: not this society of undocumented workers and deportations…not the society where our retirement and other gains of social security are being called into question; not this society where the media are in the hands of the rich.The worst possible outlook is indifference that says, “I can’t do anything about it: I’ll just get by.” 

 “Everyone’s got an angle.  Half this city was built on crooked land deals and politicians selling bent planning permission.  How much of the building trade operates off the books?  How many of the big family businesses were built on bribery, extortion and tax evasion?  All those big-time tax frauds the banks organized – you see any bankers in jail?…I steal thousands, they steal millions.”
—Lar Mackendrick, mob boss

How criminals profit from the COVID-19 pandemic

New Europol report on latest developments of COVID-19 on the criminal landscape in the EU

During this unprecedented crisis, governments across Europe are intensifying their efforts to combat the global spread of the coronavirus by enacting various measures to support public health systems, safeguard the economy and to ensure public order and safety.
During this unprecedented crisis, governments across Europe are intensifying their efforts to combat the global spread of the coronavirus by enacting various measures to support public health systems, safeguard the economy and to ensure public order and safety.
A number of these measures have a significant impact on the serious and organised crime landscape. Criminals have been quick to seize opportunities to exploit the crisis by adapting their modi operandi or engaging in new criminal activities. Factors that prompt changes in crime and terrorism include:
  • High demand for certain goods, protective gear and pharmaceutical products;
  • Decreased mobility and flow of people across and into the EU;
  • Citizens remain at home and are increasingly teleworking, relying on digital solutions;
  • Limitations to public life will make some criminal activities less visible and displace them to home or online settings;
  • Increased anxiety and fear that may create vulnerability to exploitation;
  • Decreased supply of certain illicit goods in the EU.
Building upon information provided by EU Member States and in-house expertise, Europol has published today a situational report analysing the current developments which fall into four main crime areas:

More details can be found in the report



 
Federal, NSW governments use Vodafone data to see if public is following COVID-19 restrictions
ISOLATION TRACKING: The federal and NSW governments are now receiving the location data of Vodafone Australia customers.


 Cyber security advice about how to secure remote working solutions
 
· Threat Update on COVID-19 themed malicious cyber activitty   
 
· Advice about securing video conferencing systems

 · Europol report on cybercrime and disinformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic
· Europol report on pandemic profiteering how criminals exploit the COVID-19 crisis

   
· Global Initiative - Crime and Contagion: The impact of a pandemic on organized crime
 

ATO and TPB on alert for COVID-19 rorters


Grammar's private order The Herald Sun
AN elite private school has told parents COVID-19 fee relief will only be considered if they prove hardship via bank statements, tax returns and even the type of car they drive.
via -PressReader - Grammar's private order - PressReader


Washington Post – Thank these Cold War-era pioneers who designed it to handle almost anything – “Coronavirus knocked down — at least for a time — Internet pioneer Vinton Cerf, who offers this reflection on the experience: “I don’t recommend it … It’s very debilitating.” Cerf, 76 and now recovering in his Northern Virginia home, has better news to report about the computer network he and others spent much of their lives creating. Despite some problems, the Internet overall is handling unprecedented surges of demand as it keeps a fractured world connected at a time of global catastrophe. “This basic architecture is 50 years old, and everyone is online,” Cerf noted in a video interview over Google Hangouts, with a mix of triumph and wonder in his voice. “And the thing is not collapsing.”
The Internet, born as a Pentagon project during the chillier years of the Cold War, has taken such a central role in 21st Century civilian society, culture and business that few pause any longer to appreciate its wonders — except perhaps, as in the past few weeks, when it becomes even more central to our lives. Many facets of human life — work, school, banking, shopping, flirting, live music, government services, chats with friends, calls to aging parents — have moved online in this era of social distancing, all without breaking the network. It has groaned here and there, as anyone who has struggled through a glitchy video conference knows, but it has not failed. “Resiliency and redundancy are very much a part of the Internet design,” explained Cerf, whose passion for touting the wonders of computer networking prompted Google in 2005 to name him its “Chief Internet Evangelist,” a title he still holds…”

Slate – Who needs them, what kind you should wear, when to wear them, and why. “…As of Friday (April 3, 2020) afternoon, the recommendation in the CDC’s guide on how to protect yourself still has its old advice: no need to wear a mask unless you are sick.
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