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MTA timekeeping system goes dark as provider suffers ransomware attack

By David Meyer

December 13, 2021 2:43pm

The MTA’s high-tech timekeeping system went dark on Monday after the company that makes the clocks and underlying software suffered a ransomware attack over the weekend, The Post has learned.

Kronos and its parent company UKG said Monday that it spotted “unusual activity” in the Kronos network late Saturday which the company has since determined to be a “ransomware incident.”

Kronos is “currently unavailable” as the UKG works to “assess and resolve the situation,” UKG Executive Vice President Bob Hughes said in an email to Kronos’ corporate customers posted to the company’s website.

“We are working with leading cyber security experts to assess and resolve the situation, and have notified the authorities. The investigation remains ongoing, as we work to determine the nature and scope of the incident,” Hughes wrote.

The software will take “several weeks” to return to normal, the email said.

At least some workers received notice of a Kronos outage earlier Monday, transit sources said. An MTA spokesman confirmed that the authority’s timekeeping systems had been impacted by the global outage.

MTA officials rolled out Kronos authority-wide about two years ago after The Post exposed allegations of overtime abuse following a series of exposés on LIRR workers pulling in huge paychecks.

The “biometric” clocks require workers to swipe in and out of work, and scan their fingerprints when they do so — something consultants hired by the MTA said would prevent and catch fraud in the future.

While most MTA workers currently clock in and out using the new tech, MTA Inspector General Carolyn Pokorny has repeatedly accused transit leaders of slow-rolling the integration of modern timekeeping into the authority’s payroll systems.

Until Kronos and payroll are fully integrated and digitized, management will lack key tools to verify OT wages and catch cheaters, according to Pokorny.

https://nypost.com/2021/12/13/mta-timekeeping-system-goes-dark-after-ransomware-attack

Israeli tech removes drone threat from Pope mass - exclusive

A drone threat occurred at a mass held by Pope Francis in September.

By YONAH JEREMY BOB Published: DECEMBER 13, 2021 19:25

Updated: DECEMBER 13, 2021 19:56

An Israeli anti-drone company’s technology removed a rogue drone that was interrupting a mass held by Pope Francis with 60,000 worshippers in Slovakia, The Jerusalem Post can exclusively report.

The highly sensitive incident, which was managed and resolved by D-Fend, occurred back on September 15, but the embargo on revealing it to the public has only been removed now.

There were also 90 bishops and 500 priests present during the incident at the giant event.

D-Fend said it worked with the Slovakian Interior Ministry to protect the pope, his retinue and attendees from the threat of rogue drones throughout multiple events in Slovakia from September 12-15, culminating with the open-air Mass in Šaštín, home to the National Marian Shrine.

The EnforceAir product developed by D-Fend was deployed with its ground-level tactical kit to provide 360-degree coverage.

In addition to the overflowing crowd, there were several counter-drone security challenges, including many antennas and communications systems in the area, with an associated high radio frequency interference environment, said D-Fend.

Next, D-Fend said several drones were identified near the event, but that the local police immediately identified them as authorized and “friendly”.

EnforceAir’s technology recognizes and permits authorized drones to operate in the airspace, focusing its defensive capabilities on mitigating rogue drones.

A previously unseen do-it-yourself drone was detected by EnforceAir during the mass.

Initially, when the police decided to mitigate the potential threat, they considered using a jammer-based solution.

However, they quickly changed approaches, realizing that such jammers could potentially disrupt communications systems operating in the area. They were also concerned about halting media transmissions surrounding the pope’s address during the mass, as well as disrupting security base stations, which could create a separate security risk.

“EnforceAir fended off the rogue drone, sending it back to its original takeoff position, far away from the large crowd,” D-Fend said.

“Protecting such a high-profile event is of the utmost importance, so we wanted to utilize a counter-drone technology that is best suited for crowded events and sensitive situations,” said a representative of the office responsible for the pope’s protection during his stay in Slovakia. “EnforceAir’s innovative solution took control of the rogue drone that threatened the potential safety of the pope, the crowd and the VIPs in attendance, quickly and easily.”

D-Fend chairman and CEO Zohar Halachmi said, “It is an honor to be trusted with safeguarding such important events and to assist our homeland security and law enforcement customers. The best practices we have learned from having clients use our technology to protect VIPs at massive events worldwide have been incorporated into EnforceAir, facilitating a seamless, end-to-end drone incident lifecycle.”

The company said, “The incident reflects the growing danger posed by drones to officials around the world and to large events. The incident ended safely because of counter-drone technology that was deployed by D-Fend at the scene. The G7 Summit also leveraged D-Fend’s technology to protect world leaders this summer.”

According to D-Fend, “Drones are posing an increasing threat to national security around the world – to critical infrastructure, civilians, and now to leaders.”

The anti-drone company noted recent attempts to assassinate Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro using drones.

https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/exclusive-israeli-tech-removes-drone-threat-from-pope-mass-688639

8! + others

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‘We’re being very vigilant’: 8 Utah schools closed Monday because of ‘threats’

Classes are moving online at Bear River High, two middle schools and five elementary schools.

By Scott D. Pierce

and Connor Sanders

| Dec. 13, 2021, 8:40 a.m.

| Updated: 2:22 p.m.

The Box Elder School District closed eight of its schools on Monday because of “alleged threats and social media postings.”

Classes were moved online Monday at five elementary schools — Century, Fielding Garland, McKinley and North Park — as well as Harris Intermediate, Bear River Middle School and Bear River High School.

The Tremonton Garland Police Department had announced Sunday that there would be “extra police presence at some of the schools as a precaution,” according to a Facebook post. Police and school officials later updated that to school closures “based on new information.”

According to district officials, gun and bomb threats were made against Bear River High and the two intermediate schools. No threats were made against the nearby elementary schools, which were closed as a precaution.

Parents and students were advised to check for emails from teachers for information about classes Monday’s online classes.

“We are taking every precaution to ensure the safety of our students and staff,” the district posted on Facebook. “Police are still investigating and will continue to vet any and all alleged threats.”

Concerns first arose Friday when administrators at Bear River High School were made aware of an apparent threat etched onto a bathroom toilet paper dispenser at the school, said Keith Mecham, assistant superintendent for Box Elder School District. There was a handgun or some other kind of firearm etched into the plastic, Mecham said, and a message indicating that “something was going to happen” on Monday’s date, Dec. 13.

Photos of the etching began to surface on social media Friday evening. Mecham said Tremonton Garland police began to investigate the etching’s handwriting.

Bear River High School Principal A.J. Gilmore sent an email to parents indicating there would be increased police presence at the school’s Winter Ball on Saturday night. Mecham said that police told him they believed that they had identified the student or students responsible for the etching.

“Early in the morning Monday, there were some other videos that surfaced that were enough of a concern that they needed to hold off on having school,” Mecham said.

Mecham said the videos had students in them, though it isn’t clear if they were Box Elder County School District students. He did not say what was depicted in the videos.

Tremonton Garland police recommended that the school district take extra caution, Mecham said, and superintendent Steve Carlson informed elementary and middle school principals that classes would be held virtually Monday.

Police K-9s searched the schools and found no indication of an explosive device. Mecham said search warrants are being issued and police are trying to meet with students that may have been involved with the threat.

“We’re being very vigilant. We’re talking and working with the Tremonton Garland Police Department to make sure all kids and staff are safe,” Mecham added.

The threats weren’t made toward specific people, Mecham said, rather they were made against schools as a whole.

The Tremonton Garland Police Department continues to investigate.

Mecham indicated that a decision about how to proceed with classes will be made Monday, but as of 1 p.m., no decision had been reached.

https://www.sltrib.com/news/2021/12/13/utah-schools-closed/