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Another threat to election officialsAt least four swatting incidents have been aimed at the homes of senior officials who oversee or work to secure elections since December. Separately, a Department of Justice taskforce launched in 2021 has reviewed more than 2,000 allegations of hostility, harassment, abuse, or threats to election officials and staffers, a department spokesperson said. Swatting was featured in a tabletop exercise for election officials in New Jersey last month, a spokesperson for the secretary of state told CNN. Such incidents have prompted The Elections Group, a consulting group led by former election officials, to begin sharing resources on swatting with election workers and incorporating the topic into trainings. A wave of election officials have departed their roles since November 2020, when false claims of a stolen election proliferated.

Persons: Jay Ashcroft, ” Ashcroft, State Jay Ashcroft, Kacen Bayless, ”, Ashcroft, Gabriel Sterling, “, we’ll, Sterling, Justin Bieber, Ashton Kutcher, swatting, ” Jennifer Doebler, Alan Winston Filion, Filion “, Filion, Jennifer Doebler, Lauren R, Shapiro, Republican Sen, Rick Scott of, Scott’s, Sen, Rick Scott swatting, “ Sir, there’s, “ It’s, Swatting, State Shenna Bellows, Bellows, Donald Trump, Trump, Ashcroft’s, Joe Biden, Tina Barton, ” Barton Organizations: CNN, Missouri’s, Republican, State, Kansas City Star, TNS, Getty, FBI, of Justice, Local, Sandy, John Jay College of Criminal, swatting, ”, Naples Police, “, Trump, Elections, Commission Locations: Jefferson City , Missouri, Missouri, Maine , Georgia, Virginia, Sterling, Britain, Sandy Springs, Kansas, Tennessee, California, Rick Scott of Florida, Naples , Florida, Naples, New Jersey, Georgia, Maine

☆ US, European officials crack down on crypto service accused of laundering money for North Korean leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Washington CNN —The US Treasury Department on Wednesday sanctioned a cryptocurrency service accused of helping launder millions of dollars for the North Korean regime. The FBI and European law enforcement agencies have also seized the website of the crypto service, known as Sinbad, according to a notice that appeared on the website Wednesday. Analysts say North Korea has leaned heavily on mixers to move money amid greater scrutiny from law enforcement agencies from the US, South Korea and elsewhere. The North Korean regime has also used thousands of IT workers working overseas, sometimes posing as other foreign nationals, to quietly raise revenue, according to US officials and North Korea experts. “The laundering tactics of North Korean cyber criminals continued to evolve,” Nick Carlsen, who was an FBI intelligence analyst focused on North Korea until 2021, told CNN.

Persons: Joe Biden, Sinbad, Nick Carlsen, Carlsen, “, ” Organizations: Washington CNN, US Treasury Department, Wednesday, North, FBI, cyberattacks, White House, US, CNN, US Treasury, Treasury, TRM Locations: launder, Korea, South Korea, cryptocurrency, North Korea, North Korean, North Koreans, Korean, Koreans

☆ Rudy Giuliani 'may have been compromised' by the Kremlin, and FBI leaders didn't care, alleges special agent Johnathan Buma
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Mattathias Schwartz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Johnathan Buma says his FBI supervisors didn't care about his leads tying Giuliani to Russian intelligence. They are also investigating Hunter Biden for the firearm-related charges that he was indicted for this week. FBI didn't care about Giuliani's possible Kremlin ties, Buma says"Rudy Giuliani may have been compromised by individuals suspected of being involved in Russian counterintelligence influence operations," Buma told Insider. According to Buma's disclosure, an FBI Intelligence Information Report asserted that Fuks was "a co-opted asset of the RIS" or the Russian intelligence services. Hunter Biden left his laptop at a computer repair store in April 2019.

Persons: Johnathan Buma, Giuliani, Hunter Biden, Robert Mueller's Trump, Donald Trump's, Buma, Biden, Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Pavel Fuks, Fuks, Burisma, Hunter's, George Soros, Hunter Biden's, Bill Barr's, Geoffrey Berman, Bill Barr, Barr, Berman, he's, Amelia Kosciulek, we're, aren't, Mattathias Schwartz Organizations: FBI, Service, Los Angeles Field Office, Trump, GOP, of Justice, New York Post, Southern, of New, Washington Field Office, New York Field Office Locations: Russian, Wall, Silicon, Russia, Mar, Lago, Ukrainian, Moscow, Washington, Ukraine, Ukraine —, Delaware, of New York, Buma, schwartz79@protonmail.com

☆ Former head of FBI intelligence pleads guilty to conspiracy in connection to scheme working for sanctioned Russian oligarch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Lauren Del Valle | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The former head of counterintelligence for the FBI’s New York field office pleaded guilty Tuesday to one count of conspiracy in connection to a scheme working for a sanctioned Russian oligarch in 2021. In court on Tuesday, McGonigal answered a series of questions about the illegal scheme for Deripaska and his mental competency before District Judge Jennifer Rearden accepted his guilty plea. “Mind is clear,” he told the judge, saying he feels “great.”In court, McGonigal, 55, said he is “deeply remorseful” for his actions. “I agreed with another party to collect open source derogatory information about a Russian oligarch named Vladimir Potanin who was a business competitor of Oleg Deripaska,” he said. McGonigal now could face up to a maximum five-year term in prison for the one count he pleaded guilty to Tuesday, Rearden said in court.

Persons: Charles McGonigal, John F, Oleg Deripaska, Seth DuCharme, McGonigal, Jennifer Rearden, ”, “, Vladimir Potanin, Deripaska, Rearden Organizations: CNN, FBI’s, FBI, Emergency Economic, US, Office, Southern, of, Kennedy International Airport Locations: York, Russian, of New York, New York, Washington, Albanian, Albania, McGonigal, United States

☆ Jan. 6 transcripts detail numerous warning signs of potential for violence before Capitol attack
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-30 | by ( Ryan J. Reilly | Ryan J. Reilly Is A Justice Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

WASHINGTON — Transcripts of interviews with law enforcement officials released this week by the Jan. 6 committee reveal the panel learned that numerous security concerns had been raised in the days leading up to the attack on the Capitol. For the most part, Jan. 6 committee leaders decided against focusing the final report on how law enforcement came to be so underprepared for the attack. The Jan. 6 committee transcripts detailed the challenges facing the FBI in the lead-up to Jan. 6. An FBI intelligence analyst raised concerns about that on New Year's Eve, as threats about Jan. 6 continued to increase. “He said it was intelligence failure," Harvin said.

☆ US lawmakers want to probe whether online advertising poses a national security threat
▼ + stars: | 2022-08-10 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Director of National Intelligence has been asked to assess the "foreign weaponization" of adtech data. US lawmakers have asked the Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to investigate whether "foreign weaponization" of widely available adtech data poses a national security risk, a move that has the potential to deal a major blow to the online ad industry. The ODNI and the office of Chairman of the National Intelligence Committee Rep. Adam Schiff, who filed the amendment, didn't immediately respond to requests for comment. US government agencies themselves have used data from advertising auctions to track mobile phones. "Furthermore, brands — especially those with government contracts — may face a moral dilemma in funding an ecosystem that is deemed to be a threat to national security."

☆ Google Assistant has a huge advantage in the voice assistant market
▼ + stars: | 2017-11-20 | by ( Rayna Hollander | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Devices running Google Assistant account for 46% of the smartphones equipped with personal assistants, but by 2022, Google will expand its market share to exceed 60%. Google will further strengthen its lead in the market as more of the Android installed base gains access to Google Assistant. Google Assistant is compatible with Android devices running an unforked version of Android 6.0 Marshmallow or newer. Although Google has a massive global reach, with approximately 2 billion active Android devices, just under half are currently compatible with Google Assistant. As more Android devices upgrade to software that is compatible with Google Assistant, Google will be able to increase its share in the market for smartphones with built-in voice assistants.

Persons: Apple's Siri, Samsung's Bixby, Bixby, Alexa, Jessica Smith Organizations: Intelligence, Google, Baidu, Android, Samsung, Alexa, BMW, Nissan, Insider Intelligence, Business

☆ The pros and cons of bank 'intrapreneurship' programs
▼ + stars: | 2017-11-10 | by ( Maria Terekhova | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

BI IntelligenceThis story was delivered to Insider Intelligence "Fintech Briefing" subscribers. Last month, BNP Paribas launched its Alpha program, and this week, Societe Generale followed suit with what it calls an "intrapreneurship" program. This inward-looking approach to innovation has both pros and cons for banks:It ensures innovation comes from within the organization. Here are some of the key takeaways from the report:A failure to consider operating culture is already hurting banks' innovation projects. A few banks managed to identify the problems posed by their operating culture early on, started to implement changes to combat it, and are already seeing positive results.

Persons: fintechs —, Sarah Kocianski, Banks, what's, BII Organizations: BNP, Alpha, Societe Generale, Insider Intelligence, Business, BI Intelligence, Citi, DBS, ING

☆ MasterCard, Visa, and Amex are trying to enter China
▼ + stars: | 2017-07-24 | by ( Ayoub Aouad | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US card networks MasterCard, Visa, and American Express are preparing to submit a license request to operate in China, according to Reuters. China's card market is poised to be the largest in the world, which makes entering the region a significant growth opportunity for US networks. For companies seeking to build out a robust mobile payments product, China's thriving mobile payments ecosystem offers some insight — and some lessons. Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile payments in China that:Forecasts and compares mobile payments volume, in-store mobile payments users, mobile payments volume per capita, and mobile commerce penetration in China and the U.S.Overviews the key competitors in China's mobile payments market, and how new entrants may shuffle the hierarchy of dominant players. Uncovers the key drivers propelling China's mobile payments market.

Persons: Nilson Organizations: Intelligence, MasterCard, Visa, American Express, Reuters, GlobalData, Fox Business, Business Locations: China, U.S

☆ Chatbots are gaining traction
▼ + stars: | 2017-05-11 | by ( Laurie Beaver | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Chatbots are gaining popularity globally, according to a new survey by LivePerson. BI IntelligenceOnly 11% of those surveyed globally reported a negative perception of chatbots, while the remaining 51% had neutral stances. Chatbots used for productivity purposes — such as scheduling — ranked lowest, as only 14% of those surveyed did so in the past year. The report also forecasts the potential annual savings that businesses could realize if chatbots replace some of their customer service and sales reps. Forecasts the potential impact chatbots could have for businesses.

Persons: Chatbots, chatbots, Laurie Beaver Organizations: Intelligence, Business, BI, US, HP, CNN, Insider Intelligence, Google Locations: France, Japan

☆ IoT Insurance: Trends in Home, Life & Auto Insurance Industries
▼ + stars: | 2016-12-20 | by ( Andrew Meola | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Future insurance will look much different thanks to Internet of Things, which will touch home insurance, life insurance, auto insurance, and health insurance. There are already some auto insurance industry trends at play that demonstrate this change, and broader trends in the insurance industry are also making their presences felt. BIIIoT in Auto InsuranceMany auto insurance companies are starting to use the IoT, largely through connected cars, to track drivers' habits in real time. By offering this service, auto insurance companies can more accurately price their premiums and provide more savings for their customers. Similar to life insurance companies, health insurance companies are largely using wearable devices to keep track of their clients' health.

Persons: Vik, Forbes, that's, Progressive's, John Hancock Organizations: Affordable, Insurance, Home Insurance, IBM, BI Intelligence, Business, Life, Nike, Auto Insurance, Nielsen, Research, Health, Sutherland Global Services, Apple Watch, Farm, Intelligence Locations: U.S, Vik Renjen

☆ 80% of businesses want chatbots by 2020
▼ + stars: | 2016-12-14 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Businesses are beginning to see the benefits of using chatbots for their consumer-facing products, according to a survey by Oracle. And 48% said that they already use automation technology for these business functions, with 40% planning to implement some form of automated technology by 2020. Twenty-nine percent of customer service positions in the US could be automated through chatbots and other tech, according to Public Tableau. Foreseeing immense potential, businesses are starting to invest heavily in the burgeoning bot economy. The report also forecasts the potential annual savings that businesses could realize if chatbots replace some of their customer service and sales reps.

Persons: Laurie Beaver Organizations: Intelligence, Oracle, HP, CNN, Insider Intelligence, Business, Google Locations: France, Netherlands, South Africa

☆ The Financial Times' revenue is now digital-first
▼ + stars: | 2016-12-05 | by ( Robert Elder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Financial Times (FT) is now earning more revenue from digital than print, The Guardian reports. In doing so, it becomes the first legacy UK newspaper that can claim to be a digital-first content business. Digital subscription tiers range from about $5 a week for a standard package to close to $10 a week for a premium package. Yet framing it this way also disguises an unpleasant fact — the precipitous drop of print revenue, as shown in the chart above. Each category is obviously different, and won't face the same challenges and opportunities in dialing up the percentage of subscribers and subscription revenue.

Organizations: Intelligence, Financial Times, Guardian, New York Times, Insider Intelligence, Business, The New York Times, LinkedIn Locations: The

☆ All three major mobile wallets have expanded their offerings
▼ + stars: | 2016-07-21 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

All three major phone-based mobile wallets announced expansions to their services this week. Evan Bakker, research analyst for BI Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on mobile payments that forecasts the growth of in-store mobile payments in the U.S., analyzes the performance of major mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay, and addresses the barriers holding mobile payments back as well as the benefits that will propel adoption. Integrated loyalty programs and other add-on features will be key to mobile wallets taking off. Measures mobile wallet user engagement by forecasting mobile payments' share of their annual retail spending. Reviews the performance of major mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay.

Persons: 9to5 Mac, Evan Bakker Organizations: Intelligence, Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Samsung, Samsung Gear, Apple Watch, First Community Bank, First Tech Federal Credit Union, BI Intelligence, Business Locations: France, Europe, U.S, China

☆ Brands form customer loyalty even after they purchase an item
▼ + stars: | 2016-05-24 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Building customer loyalty extends beyond the actual purchase, and brands and retailers should focus on how to continue relationships with customers afterwards. However, another aspect that should also be of concern is in the customer service experience. Providing good customer service is a key way to drive loyalty and influence future sales post-purchase. Nancee Halpin, research associate for Insider Intelligence, Business Insider's premium research service, has compiled a detailed report on customer service that looks at why customer service matters, which stalwart channels are still top performers, and which new channels have the most potential. 60% of US consumers have not completed an intended purchase based on a poor customer service experience.

Persons: OLIVER, — it's, Nancee Halpin Organizations: Forbes, Brands, Wall Street, Microsoft, American Express, Insider Intelligence, Business

☆ This one problem could cost smart cities hundreds of billions of dollars
▼ + stars: | 2016-05-11 | by ( Insider Intelligence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

In the smart cities space, this issue could add hundreds of billions of dollars in costs to smart cities projects around the world, Machina Research predicted:Deploying IoT solutions without interoperability standards would add $341 billion in costs to smart city deployments worldwide by 2025, the report said. With such non-standardized solutions, global implementation costs for smart cities projects would be $1.12 trillion over that time period. Cost is already a major challenge for smart cities as projects, as municipalities are often squeezed by tight budgets. In this report we will also:Define the difference between connected vs smart cities. Identify key challenges for municipalities in developing smart cities and illustrate how some cities are already solving those obstacles.

Persons: Jonathan Camhi Organizations: Intelligence, Machine Research, Research, Business, BI Intelligence Locations: Barcelona

☆ Netflix ratings reflect an effective original content strategy
▼ + stars: | 2016-04-09 | by ( Robert Elder | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Netflix's original series receive higher ratings than other Netflix content, suggesting that the streaming service's focus on original content is satisfying its subscribers, according to AllFlicks data shared with Business Insider. This suggests that Netflix's push to focus on original content is working — a strategy that other streaming services should bear in mind. The Netflix logo is is shown on an ipad in Encinitas, California Thomson ReutersAccording to the data, Netflix's original content rates 11% higher than its licensed content. Nevertheless, the higher ratings attributed to original content can serve as an important pointer for both Netflix and competing streaming services. In this regard, the relatively high ratings of Netflix's original content vindicate the company's investments in original content — at least from a user satisfaction perspective — even if this investment has occurred at the expense of Netflix's overall catalog size.

Persons: Margaret Boland Organizations: Intelligence, Digital Media Industry, Netflix, Business, California Thomson, Hulu, Insider Intelligence, Amazon, Showtime, Amazon Prime, HBO Locations: Encinitas, California, SVOD

☆ Returning customers are far more valuable to online retailers than new customers
▼ + stars: | 2016-03-30 | by ( Andrew Meola | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

New customers are certainly important to retailers, but returning customers should mean more. A new report from Monetate reveals that the value of returning customers is greater across numerous product categories, and that value continues to grow every year. Those shoppers leave 34.8% of the time compared to 24.4% for returning shoppers, though that number is up from 23.1% in the year-ago period. So returning customers are clearly important, but longevity is also crucial. Breaks down online spending habits of millennials and teens, including the brands and products they shop for.

Persons: Cooper Smith, Gen X Organizations: Commerce, RJ, Insider Intelligence, Business, eBay Locations: U.S, Greenfield

☆ E-Commerce retailers are losing their customers because of this one critical mistake
▼ + stars: | 2016-03-16 | by ( Andrew Meola | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

E-commerce retailers are losing potential customers at one critical juncture. This shows that e-commerce retailers are coming up short with regard to the checkout process. Technology that helps retailers collect and leverage online shopping cart data is likely to be a worthwhile investment. Proposes a list of solutions that are proven to reduce shopping cart abandonment for online retailers. Forecasts where this trend is going and how shopping cart abandonment will affect retailers — bricks-and-mortars and e-commerce companies alike — in the future.

Persons: Cooper Smith, they've Organizations: Commerce, Business, Insider Intelligence, BI Intelligence, Technology Locations: U.S, SeeWhy

☆ LinkedIn May Not Be The Coolest Social Network, But It's Only Becoming More Valuable To Businesses
▼ + stars: | 2014-07-23 | by ( Cooper Smith | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

LinkedIn has developed a special identity — and utility — as the social network for professionals. BI IntelligenceEngagement is rising fast on LinkedIn, as the social network becomes a content destination. The social network is also high-income and highly educated, and it has a big international presence. Already, a survey from Cogent Research finds that LinkedIn is the preferred social network by a wide margin for building a brand identity. The report also spotlights the opportunities that lie ahead for each social network, and how social media usage compares between the U.S. and international markets.

Persons: Y Combinator, Gerry Tan Organizations: LinkedIn, Business, Insider Intelligence, U.S, Facebook, Twitter

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