THURSDAY #2264

Wrote a man who is involved in ATM security about the latest big heist and here is what he had to say...

Here is what I know - most, if not all, is already available online by now if you search hard enough.  Below is a recap so you don’t have to waste time doing the research.

·         Bank personnel were "spear" phished via email.  This email appeared to come from a colleague within the bank.

o   The phish contained malware which allowed remote observation and access to teller operations

·         All infiltrated banks are running MS Windows as the infrastructure and are months behind on security updates.

·         The bad guys monitored day to day operations to learn day to day standard operating procedures on how to open and fund accounts.

o   They did this in an effort to look like a legitimate transaction and not trigger detection.

·         Once an account was opened and funded, it was observed and left dormant for some period of time.

·         Although electronic transfers were used to move money, the ATM channel is where "hands-on" cash retrieval was least risky.

·         No known ATM control was introduced other than at the account level for daily limits.  This is known in the industry as a VIP status account.

·         ATMs were always in balance, so no flag was raised to investigate possible fraud

o   All cash out appeared legitimate

o   No excessive withdrawal frequency at a particular ATM

Bottom line – the heist was at the account level and not at the ATM device level.  The ATM was just a tool to retrieve the hard cash.

So there you have it.  Some very clever guys, who obviously understand the reporting and triggering mechanisms within the bank.  Although I have no evidence, it would make sense that they somehow avoided the IRS and "Large-Cash" reports which alert the bank to possible fraudulent activity.  I'm guessing the funding happened in small enough increments to avoid detection.

It should also be noted that almost all of these rings use a Linux based operating system for their infrastructure.  Maybe the banks should just pay a billion up front and hire these guys to secure the financial network.

 Just hire the fuckers....marvelous.

When my wife and I are at a restaurant, and the waiter asks me if I would like another glass of wine.

 (I think that is very funny)

See anything...odd?

The picture is hung sideways. 

Over the years I’ve learned to combine all of my emotions into one giant emotion called “tired.”

Will you draw an England flag on me face?

 Speaking of...

 Should a person be able to buy their way out of jail? It happens in America thousands of times a day. I was once given the option of 57 dollars or 57 days in jail. I went with the $57 and never looked back. However the young woman judged ahead of me didn't have the 57 dollars and went to jail. She, of course, lost her job, thus lost her apartment and her life was more or less fucked for fifty fucking seven dollars. I would have paid at least $5700 to not go to jail for two months. Justice is indeed fickle.

Today I was called condescending. That means that I talk down to people.

The astronauts are the closest we've come to scientist heroes. I wish we had more. 

This is brilliant...

Normally you could see the marks on the floor where the "door" either rolled or slid. With this method the only giveaway are the hinges on the right. 

Who thinks up this stuff?

We all need to be reminded of this event from time to time...

 Meet the Spider-Tailed Horned Viper, a species that lives in western Iran and uses his tail in the shape of a spider as a lure to attract birds.

I watched the whole clip and the bird above got away but immediately came back for the "spider" and was caught by the snake.
Here's a close-up of the spider looking tail...

And did you notice how it blends in with the rocks in the top clip?

‘Città Minime’, Photographer Builds a Sprawling Miniature City of Bricks...

 Just another reason everybody hates white people...

A would-be immigrant crawls on the beach after his arrival on a makeshift boat on the Gran Tarajal beach in Spain's Canary Island of Fuerteventura. 

My daughter will remember that book. 

I love this kind of passion...

Mostly black South Carolina State University is in big trouble. It has been shut down for at least two years to get their shit together. One stat I found interesting is that only 14% of their students graduate and almost all students are on some sort of scholarship. I call that a waste of money.

"It could happen!"

Speaking of wasting tax money, the cost for each illegal immigrant caught trying to sneak into America is $22,000.

IDEA: Offer citizens in Mexico $21,000 to NOT come here.

 Facebook's "real names" policy means that from time to time, it arbitrarily decides what its users are allowed to call themselves, which sucks if your name is something like Dana Lone Hill or Robin Kills The Enemy or Shane Creepingbear.

This is collective insanity...

As you know, I am not a big fan of government acting like everyone's parents, but I see a need here.

This is but one of the problems with supplying survivors with food...

Desperate people will kill to grab enough to feed their family.

Plus, there is the danger of this...

 Haitian suspected of being a multiple assassin for exiled president Jean Bertrand Aristide's Lavalas party is detained in Petit Goave, Haiti, March 3, 2004. The man was detained by armed citizens of Petit Goave who proceeded to stone him and then burn him alive. 

And don't he look resigned to his fate?

Somehow people who live in houses with dirt floors are "expected" to be violent, but that ain't always the case...

 The bomb damaged area of the City of London, after two blasts ripped through the buildings in the area, April 24, 1993. Dozens of people were injured in the blast caused by IRA bombs.

 Said to be a real reaction to being frightened...The Most Random Reaction Ever...

One Of My Very Own that asks the question — can you ever joke about abortion?

But in my defense, this is supposed to be true:

I read that a "feminist" aborted her baby because it was a boy and she didn't want to "Bring another monster into the world."

Here's another OOMVO to make up for my insensitivity...

For fun I pronounce “females” the same as “tamales.”

My zookeeper bartender found this very interesting...

Can we assume gorillas don't like to be looked at? 

 I don't think so. Never seen a round egg. Although I guess it could be two halves joined in the middle.

Remember, I post ANYTHING with my name in it...

Nuclear power plants should be built like air brakes on trucks and trains. To wit: If there is any problem, including a complete breakdown in power, then the vehicle stops. It requires power to keep the brakes off. Nuclear reactors could be built in such a way that it requires power to hold the rod close enough for fusion. During a power failure the rods would return to an inert position.

My Final Word...