Reposted from BBC

Two British brothers have admitted raiding a museum in Switzerland and making off with iconic Chinese Ming dynasty era artefacts worth millions in order to "clear a debt", a court heard. Prosecutors said the Museum of Far Eastern Art in Geneva was burgled in June 2019 by a gang of three who used tools to break through the front door. They fought extradition from the UK, but it was approved by the Home Secretary in 2022. Patrick Monney, the president of the court, rejected a last-minute application for the trial to be heard in private. He added that the court was aware of the facts of the case from reports by the Swiss Prosecutors Office and Geneva Police and explained the purpose of the hearing was to "ask additional questions".

The court heard that the two brothers travelled to Hong Kong shortly after the raid to sell one of the stolen items to an auction house for £80,000. The 34-year-old to confirmed he went to "film the museum" and "took part in the burglary". He also admitted giving his passport to the auction house in Hong Kong. "I was in debt," he told the court. "I was paid to be a front man to clear a debt. In the [CCTV] video I am the third person [going into the museum] with no crowbar and no sledgehammer." Throughout the hearing, the brothers insisted they didn't want to name the third person involved. Stewart Ahearne, 45, told the court he has five children and worked as a tradesman in England. He also admitted to using his name to hire the Renault Captur car, used in the heist, from Avis at Geneva Airport. He told the court he "took full responsibility" for his actions but denied being involved in any pre-planning of the heist in Geneva. "I went into the museum. I stole some stuff. Any organization, anything to do with the artwork I didn't know nothing," he said. He added that he was "used as a pawn like in a game of chess" during the heist: "I was asked to come to Switzerland to do some driving. The story, the scenario changed with the third person. He is not someone you can say no to. He is not a very nice person. My role was I was used. "I got a phone call telling me my brother was in debt and that I was needed to bring back some stuff. Alarm bells started ringing. My instinct as an older brother was to protect my brother."

The court heard the three came to Geneva in February 2019. Louis Ahearne said this was for "tourist" purposes, but Stewart Ahearne said he "put two and two together" after the burglary. "It was so the third person could do some scouting," he added. He broke down when answering questions about his life in Champ-Dollon prison, saying he spends his time in a cell by himself for 23 hours a day.  Two 14th Century vases and a bowl were taken in the heist. Stewart and Louis Ahearne admitted their involvement at a court in Geneva. The pair, from south-east London, appeared before a panel of three judges at the Palais de Justice in Geneva on Monday facing charges of theft, trespass and damage to property.

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA

Outdoor Events Threat and Initiatives Briefing – Virtual – January 30, 2024, 1PM EST 

The Commercial Facilities Sector Management team will be hosting a threat and initiatives briefing, focused on threats facing the Outdoor Events subsector. The meeting will feature invigorating and informative private and public sector presentations from the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP), the DC Fusion Center, and the Walt Disney Company.

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA

CISA Cyber Essentials guides leaders of small businesses, as well as leaders of small and local government agencies, as they work to develop an actionable understanding of where to start implementing organizational cybersecurity practices.

Consistent with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework and other standards, the Cyber Essentials are the starting point to cyber readiness.

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA

The National Cyber Awareness System provides situational awareness to technical and non-technical audiences by providing timely information about cybersecurity threats and issues and general security topics. Products include technical alerts, control systems advisories and reports, weekly vulnerability bulletins, and tips on cyber hygiene best practices. Subscribers can select to be notified when products of their choosing are published. Five products in the National Cyber Awareness System offer a variety of information for users with varied technical expertise. Those with more technical interest can read the Alerts, Analysis Reports, Current Activity, or Bulletins. Users looking for more general-interest pieces can read the Tips. A subscription to any or all of the National Cyber Awareness System products ensures that you have access to timely information about security topics and threats.

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA/DHS

On January 5, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced the release of a new resource titled, Personal Security Considerations Action Guide: Critical Infrastructure Workers. Designed for critical infrastructure workers, this new resource provides actionable recommendations and resources intended to prevent and mitigate threats to critical infrastructure workers’ personal safety, both on and off the job.

See Original Post

Reposted from EMR-ISAC

Human trafficking affects millions across the globe. Each January, the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Center for Countering Human Trafficking’s (CCHT) Blue Campaign recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month (HTPM) to raise awareness of and combat this heinous crime.

January 11 marks National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, also known as #WearBlueDay. On this day, Blue Campaign invites individuals and offices to:

• Wear blue, the international color of human trafficking awareness, to state your commitment to help save lives. Need inspiration? See how other organizations have participated.
• Post a photo or video of yourself, or with your colleagues, on your personal or organization’s social media channels using the hashtag #WearBlueDay. You can also download ready-to-use #WearBlueDay graphics and captions to post on your social channels to spread the word. Don’t forget to tag @DHSBlueCampaign.
• Encourage your colleagues, friends, and family to do the same.

First responders are in a unique position to recognize the indicators of human trafficking, due to the many ways they interface with the public. In addition to promoting public awareness and engagement, the Blue Campaign also provides resources and training to help first responders, disaster responders, law enforcement and other industry partners to recognize the indicators of human trafficking and appropriately respond to possible cases. 

See Original Post

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA

CISA has published the finalized Microsoft 365 Secure Configuration Baselines, designed to bolster the security and resilience of organizations’ Microsoft 365 (M365) cloud services. This guidance release is accompanied by the updated SCuBAGear tool that assesses organizations’ M365 cloud services per CISA’s recommended baselines. Today’s release incorporates stakeholder input from last year’s public comment period and pilot effort with federal agencies. Changes to the draft Microsoft 365 Secure Configuration Baselines were integrated with the SCuBAGear tool, which is also now more automated to reduce organization effort. CISA thanks all whose input took this guidance from a series of best practices to actionable policies and made the SCuBAGear tool easier to use.

See Original Post

Reposted from CISA

On January 9, 2024, at 1:00 PM (ET), The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Emergency Services Sector Management Team (ES SMT) will host an Unclassified,  U//FOUO/LES  threat briefing and discussion on US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators. This briefing will be provided by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI). A Q&A session will follow the briefing. Briefing Description: The U.S. and other Western nations face a heightened threat from violent extremists motivated by a broad range of ideologies. The 2021 US Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators booklet and presentation provides a catalog of observable behaviors that could signal whether individuals or groups are pursuing violent extremist activities. These indicators were developed based on a review of FBI terrorism information, peer-reviewed academic studies, and analytic exchanges among Intelligence Community and law enforcement professionals. These indicators are intended to aid law enforcement and first responder investigative and detection efforts in order to prevent a violent act from occurring. In short, it is meant to help identify the “something” in, “See something, say something.” 

Agenda:

• Pathways to violent extremism
• What does a violent extremist look like?
• What does suspicious activity look like?
• Key uses of this resource
• Risk Factors, Labels, and the Indicators
• The importance of Observers
• Case Studies

See Original Post

Reposted from NPR

In the weeks since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip have killed more than 15,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry, and destroyed thousands of homes in the territory.

And there have also been tremendous losses to the region's ancient and globally significant cultural heritage. The region was a hub for commerce and culture under Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Byzantine rule. It remained influential for centuries thereafter. A recent survey by the group Heritage for Peace details the damage done so far to more than 100 of these landmarks in Gaza since the start of the present conflict.

The casualties include the Great Omari Mosque, one of the most important and ancient mosques in historical Palestine; the Church of Saint Porphyrius, thought to be the third oldest church in the entire world; a 2,000-year-old Roman cemetery in northern Gaza excavated only last year; and the Rafah Museum, a space in southern Gaza which was dedicated to teaching about the territory's long and multi-layered heritage — until it was hammered by airstrikes early on in the conflict.

See Original Post