Equifax's Website May Have Been Compromised. Again.

Equifax’s beleaguered website—or rather, Equifax’s beleaguered customers, which is to say all of us—just can’t catch a break. First, a vulnerability in credit agency’s web application software allowed hackers to breach into the system in May and potentially abscond with sensitive data on 145.5 million customers. Equifax revealed that hack in September. Then, on Wednesday, security researcher Randy Abrams discovered that the company’s website had again been compromised, this time with malware attempting to trick customers seeking credit report assistance to download a fake Adobe Flash update. read more »

New whistleblower protections head to Trump's desk

The House unanimously cleared legislation on Thursday to ensure protections for federal employees who disclose government waste, fraud and abuse.

Passed 420-0, the measure would train federal workers so they understand their protections, as well as enhance penalties for supervisors who retaliate against whistleblowers. read more »

As crisis at Kobe Steel deepens, CEO says cheating engulfs 500 firms

The cheating crisis engulfing Kobe Steel Ltd just got bigger.

Chief Executive Hiroya Kawasaki on Friday revealed that about 500 companies had received its falsely certified products, more than double its earlier count, confirming widespread wrongdoing at the steelmaker that has sent a chill along global supply chains.

The scale of the misconduct at Japan’s third-largest steelmaker pummeled its shares as investors, worried about the financial impact and legal fallout, wiped about $1.8 billion off its market value this week. read more »

Cleaning product company to pay Mass. $1.9 million to settle overbilling allegations

A New Jersey company will pay $1.9 million to settle allegations that it overbilled state authorities for cleaning supplies, the Massachusetts attorney general announced Tuesday.

The settlement resolves allegations that Interline Brands violated state law when it sold products to the Massachusetts Port Authority and the state’s Executive Office for Administration and Finance’s Operational Services Division, Attorney General Maura Healey’s office said in a statement.

“This company recklessly overbilled for cleaning products, costing the state hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Healey in the statement. “State vendors who cheat the public will be held accountable and we are glad to have recovered nearly $2 million from this company as part of our resolution.” read more »