Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. technology and information risks: - Per media reports on February 16, 2018, new ransomware called Saturn has been discovered that can encrypt files on an infected server. - In recent days, Digita Security cyber consultant reported it had just identified a Trojan virus that has been operating since 2016, Coldroot. - As reported on February 15, 2018, cyber-security researchers with NewSky Security identified a new Internet-of-Things (IoT) botnet. hazard and event risks: - On February 18, 2018, approximately 10,000 supporters of opposition leader Mikheil Saakashvil marched in 26 cities in Ukraine, demanding the impeachment of Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko. - Per reports on February 21, 2018, four Indonesian provinces, Riau, West Kalimantan, South Sumatra, and Central Kalimantan have declared disaster alerts for land and forest fires. - In recent days, Petroleos Mexicanos Company (PEMEX) confirmed that LP gas pipelines theft has increased by more than 1000% in five years. market and economic Risks: - Per reports on February 20, 2018, three cargo ships transporting cars and machinery from Japan to New Zealand have been refused entry over the past month after the authorities found "brown marmorated stink bugs" aboard the ships. - On February 18, 2018, shares of public sector banks fell in the wake of the Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud. The PNB, India's second-largest state-owned bank by assets, was involved in fraud amounting to USD 1.77 billion (INR 114.28 billion) involving billionaire jeweler Nirav Modi and associated companies. - The U.S. Congress has approved the re-entry of Argentina into the United States Generalized System of Preferences for three years, which means that the South American country will be able to export into the U.S. more than 700 products with a 0% tax rate. operational and PHYSICAL risks: - Per media reports on February 22, 2018, after a South African-British couple was kidnapped in KwaZulu-Natal province in South Africa, the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued a terror travel advisory for visitors to the country. - India has signed an 18-month lease agreement with Iran to overtake the operations of Chabahar Port, the terminal located on the Iranian border with Pakistan. The deal, reportedly signed to develop "multi-nodal connectivity," permits India to manage the operations of the first phase of the port with borrowed Iranian equipment.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: Hazard and event risks: - Per reports, China's Ministry of Environmental Protection warned of severe air pollution in some regions of the country during current Lunar New Year period. The Lunar New Year celebrations, that began February 15 and last 15 days. - The Nova Scotia Teachers Union (NSTU) announced that it would vote to strike tomorrow, February 20. The decision to strike was made following the release of a report written by a Nova Scotia government consultant recommending the removal of elected school boards from Nova Scotia's public schools, as well as the exclusion of school administrators from the NSTU. - Mexico's Ministry of Interior issued an alert last week in seven states after a radioactive source was stolen from a car belonging to an engineering firm in Leon. Authorities, emergency crews, and civil protection units are looking for the device in Guanajuato – where the container was robbed, and the neighboring states of Michoacan, Queretaro, Jalisco, San Luis Potosi, Zacatecas, and Aguascalientes. technology and information risks: - An information security consultant has discovered that ico.org.uk had been injected with Monero miners. Upon further investigation, the consultant, Scott Helme, discovered another 4,274 websites which had been infected. - Per a security warning published by Lenovo last week, two critical vulnerabilities connected to the Windows 10 LAN drivers for Broadcom chipsets installed in the computers could be used as exploits by attackers. The vulnerability affects Lenovo ThinkPad 25 laptops, a model series that is popular among businesses. - Critical infrastructure security firm Radiflow published that they have discovered a cryptocurrency mining malware which was taking advantage of the monitoring and control operating system of a water utility in Europe. operational and physical risks: - Per reports last week from India, the Southern Region Bulk Liquefied Petroleum Gas Transport Owners Association began an indefinite strike on February 12. - In the United States, according to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the latest tracking data trends indicate that influenza activity continues to escalate. Influenza-type illnesses have been elevated for about 11-20 weeks for the past five seasons, but current models show that going into week 11 flu activity is not weakening. - Brazil's President Michel Temer has confirmed the deployment of military forces along Roraima State on the border with Venezuela. According to Temer, the strengthening of border security will be to control the migratory flow of thousands of people who are trying to leave Venezuela due to the economic and social crisis. market and economic risks: - On February 15, 2018, the Indian government announced that import duties would be raised; the raised duties would directly affect imports of parts for companies in the manufacturing and assembling sector, which includes automobiles, cameras, televisions, electric meters, and smartphones. - According to Canada's January [2018] Jobs Report, despite having gained 49,000 full-time jobs for the month the country's record loss of 137,000 part-time jobs left a net loss of 88,000 jobs for that month. - On February 15, 2018, the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Deutscher Industrie- und Handelskammertag, DIHK) expressed concerns that trade tariffs considered by the Trump administration could cause a trade war.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition:  technology and information risks: - Per reports on February 6, 2018, a researcher at Google's Project Zero found a flaw in Grammarly that would allow cyber-criminals access to user data. - On February 5, the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission, a city regulatory body that governs election conduct, accused Facebook of violating a city law requiring disclosure of political and election ad purchases. - On February 8, 2018, the source code of the March 2016 iOS 9.3 iBoot, Apple's iOS secure bootloader, was discovered leaked online on GitHub. - Per media reports, Cloud-Access Security Broker (CASB) Bitglass detected new ransomware, called SherL0ck, which was able to bypass Google Drive's and Microsoft Office 365's cloud antivirus protections. operational and physical risks: - On February 1, 2018, the Supreme Court of the Maldives ordered the immediate release of nine political prisoners including former Maldives President Mohamed Nasheed and reinstated 12 members of parliament who had been previously stripped of their posts. - The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will reportedly run out of its fund from the U.S. Congress to combat global disease outbreaks, accounting for 80% of such funding. - Per media reports in France, private driver services have called for an indefinite strike starting February 17. The drivers are demanding minimum rates for their services and increased regulation in the industry. market and economic risks: - Per reports, Japan and Germany have agreed to advance the free trade agreement (FTA) between the EU and Japan. The two sides are likely to confirm the FTA in 2019. - Recently, the Finance Secretary of India clarified that foreign investors are not required to pay tax on retrospective gains on investments in the equity market. - The Colombian Mines and Energy Ministry has announced an increase in gasoline and petrodiesel prices (locally known as ACPM) in 13 major cities in the country. Hazard and Event Risks: - In Bangladesh, a special court in Dhaka sentenced former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Khaleda Zia to five years in jail. - Last week, the Mexican Sanitary Epidemiological Intelligence Unit of the Ministry of Health issued a preventive alert to nationals traveling to Brazil. The announcement came after a severe yellow fever outbreak was announced throughout South America.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition:  hazard and event risks: - Per reports last week, the police in Aceh province, a semi-autonomous region in northwest Indonesia, "publicly shamed" and detained at least 12 members of the LGBT community; human rights groups have criticized these actions. - According to the U.S. State Department, 19 U.S. civilians who vacationed in Cuba since September 29, have reported the same sort of experiences and symptoms that U.S. and Canadian diplomats in Havana experienced from late 2016 through August 2017. - Late last month in Colombia, a police station in the San Jose neighborhood, in the city of Barranquilla, suffered a terrorist attack which left five police officers dead and injured 42 others. Technology and information risks: - Per reports on February 1, a zero-day vulnerability in Adobe Flash Player 28.0.0.137 and earlier versions has been exploited by North Korean hackers to target individuals in South Korea who are allegedly researching on the country. - Facebook announced that it will begin banning advertisements for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum, as well as ads for initial coin offerings. - TechTimes has published an article which announced the discovery of a bug in Cisco's Adaptive Security Software WebVPN. All devices connected to the VPN network are vulnerable, as attackers are able to reset, send codes, and take complete control of the equipment. operational and physical risks: - On February 1, violent protests were reported in Seoul, ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games that are to be held in the city from starting this Thursday. - German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen has suspended one of its executives, Thomas Steg, following reports that the company was financing the research of diesel emissions tests on monkeys. - Per reports on January 31, 2018, Interpol circulated a list, drafted by its general secretariat, of 50 suspected Islamic State (IS) fighters that are likely seeking to reach other European countries through Italy. market and economic risks: - Per reports on January 30, Pakistan's Defence Minister said that Islamabad is considering a "regional recalibration" of its foreign and security policy following the U.S. decision to cut security aid to the country on January 4. - Last week, Alex Azar was sworn in as the new Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in the White House by Vice President Mike Pence. - On January 30, 2018, Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan Chase announced a partnership to provide healthcare without profit-based incentives or limitations. The group plans to focus on lowering healthcare costs, increase transparency, and simplifying healthcare.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: hazard and event risks: - On Monday last week, thousands of Bolivians took to the streets to protest against President Evo Morales' attempt to get re-elected for a fourth consecutive term. - In Honk Kong, a health risk warning was issued as the Environmental Protection Department said that the pollution level was "higher than normal." - Per reports on January 25, the water level in Cape Town, South Africa's main dam is lower than expected. operational and physical risks: - Per reports on January 22, 2018, crew members of TAP Air Portugal have announced that they will partake in a strike from February 9-11, unless an agreement is reached between the government and the airline regarding fair working conditions. - In the United States, information about the State of Maine's 2017 report on tick-borne illnesses was published. 2017 was the record year in reported cases of Lyme disease in Maine concluding with 1,787 cases, 323 more than 2016. - On January 25, 2018, the New England Journal of Medicine published a study from researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) and Public Health Ontario (PHO) that suggests influenza (flu) causes an increased risk of a heart attack. market and economic risks: - The sixth round of negotiations on the North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) commenced on January 23, 2018, in Montreal, Canada, with the Canadian team proposing ideas to save the agreement. - Experts in the fuel industry in Argentina have reported that oil prices are expected to significantly rise in the immediate future. - On January 24, 2018, Mexico's Minister of Energy, Pedro Joaquin Coldwell announced that the next auction for oil field exploitation would take place in July 2018. - Recently, the Sri Lanka-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (SLSFTA) was signed following many rounds of negotiations. The deal is likely to facilitate trade flow between the two countries by allowing greater access to each other's markets in various sectors; better access to services markets is also likely. technology and information risks: - Per reports this month, ransomware is spreading that encrypts new files created after the system is infected; the "Rapid Ransomware" has been infecting systems since early January. - Per Russian media reports on January 25, 2018, cyber-security firm Kaspersky Labs has identified a new trojan called Mezzo. Reportedly, the trojan enables malicious actors to obtain victims' financial data, and could potentially be used to steal virtual and conventional currency by falsifying information in files exchanged between accounting and banking systems when using accounting software. - The European Commission (EC) has said that small businesses might not be prepared for the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) which is likely to be implemented from May 25, 2018.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: hazard and event risks: - In Mexico, local media reported a wave of violence in the states of Guanajuato, Guerrero, and Veracruz that took place during the first two weeks of the current year. - The only functioning airport in the Libyan capital of Tripoli reopened recently after a 5-day closure caused by deadly clashes that left passenger jets damaged. - Per reports, the explosion and sinking of the Iranian oil tanker Sanchi earlier this month in the East China Sea, poses environmental and health risks in the near to medium term, as it will likely affect marine ecology and fishery in the area. operational and physical risks: - In Brazil, media have reported a risk situation regarding the two major nuclear power plants located at Angra dos Reis, near the Rio de Janeiro coastline. - Per reports last week, the Nigerian militant group, Niger Delta Avengers (NDA), has threatened to attack several off-shore oil facilities in the immediate term. - Per updated reports on January 17, maritime piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia recorded a 19% increase in 2017. market and economic risks: - International flights flying to and from Mexico City have increased as of Thursday last week. According to the Mexican Federal Official Gazette (DOF), the General Directorate of Civil Aviation readjusted the Airport Use Rate (TUA) from 36.07 USD (671.41 MXN) to 44.07 USD (820.32 MXN) per passenger, and increase of 22%. - Over the past week, reports indicate that several foreign corporations have been "publicly reprimanded" by Chinese regulators for referencing Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and Macau as sovereign entities. - Per reports on January 17, 2018, India will begin the auction of 55 oil and gas exploration blocks starting January 18. technology and information risks: - Per reports, a flaw that could be used as a backdoor has been identified in switches manufactured by Lenovo and IBM that runs the Enterprise Network Operating System (ENOS). - Hackers are attacking computer systems by using a malware called "RubyMiner." Through this malware, hackers infect computer systems with the cryptocurrency miner, XMrig. - Per media sources, Google has removed 53 applications from its Play Store after researchers at cyber-security firms Avast and Trend Micro discovered a new Android malware named GhostTeam, which targets Facebook credentials and pushes advertisements to infected devices.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. hazard and event risks: - According to media reports, a burning Iranian oil tanker exploded and sank Sunday after more than a week listing off the coast of China. - In Colombia last week, President Juan Manuel Santos confirmed the end of the ceasefire agreement between the government and the guerrilla movement of the National Liberation Army. Market and Economic Risks: - Per reports from India last week, the Indian Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS) proposed a 70% safeguard duty on solar imports from China stating that the excessive imports were causing "serious injury" to the domestic market. - On January 5, in Venezuela, President Nicolas Maduro announced the issuance of 100 million units of a new digital currency known as "Petro." - Per reports on January 10, 2018, Germany is likely to demand that the UK make substantial financial contributions to the EU budget and adhere to European laws to gain access to EU markets for its financial services post-Brexit. - Per reports from the United Kingdom, large insurance companies are increasingly moving toward withdrawing insurance coverage of power plants that mine and use coal due to its adverse effects on the environment. operational and physical risks: - In India last week, a First Information Report (or FIR) was filed by the police on the insistence of a senior official of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), a statutory authority established to oversee the implementation of the Aadhaar scheme. - The State Department of the United States has updated its travel advisories for Mexico, considering five states as Category-4. This is the same threat level as war-torn Somalia, Afghanistan, and Syria. - As reported on January 8, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated that influenza (flu) outbreaks were widespread in 46 states, and present regionally in the remaining four states. technology and information risks: - Hewlett Packard (HP) is voluntarily recalling 50,000 batteries from laptops and mobile workstations sold in December 2015-2017. The recall is taking place after HP received eight complaints of lithium-ion batteries overheating, melting, or catching fire. - On January 5,the Kaspersky IT Security Risks Survey was released and of the 962 industrial firms who participated in the survey, 28% said they had been the victim of a targeted cyber-attack during 2017, an increase of 8% over 2016. - According to McAfee Labs, a fileless malware campaign backtracked to Singapore is targeting entities associated with South Korea's 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: market and economic risks: - Per reports, the U.S. will continue to withhold military aid worth $288 million to Pakistan as it reviews the "level of cooperation" that Pakistani officials are undertaking to fight terrorism. - China has tightened rules on overseas cash withdrawals to clamp down on money laundering, tax evasion, and terrorist financing. - More information about possibly widening the recall of Ford vehicles was released early last week. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating adding up to 1.4 million Ford vehicles to a 2016 recall. - A jury found Turkish banking executive Mehmet Hakan Atilla guilty of facilitating fraudulent commodities transactions for the Iranian government to circumvent U.S. sanctions. technology and information risks: - In a report published on January 2, named "Trackmageddon," researchers claimed that they had found several vulnerabilities in online services of GPS location tracking devices. - Indonesia has launched a new cyber-security agency, the National Cyber and Encryption Agency (BSSN), to tackle online religious extremism and fake news on social media. - Per reports on January 4,researchers at cyber-security firm Proofpoint discovered a vulnerability in Google Apps Script that would permit hackers to automatically download malware to files hosted on Google Drive. - Multiple security researchers have confirmed reports from The Register on January 2 regarding vulnerabilities in most Intel, AMD, and ARM processors. hazard and event risks: - In Bolivia,several medical unions have been officially on strike for five weeks to protest a legal measure that, according to them, could be harmful. - On January 4, hundreds of Argentinian state workers began a national strike to protest the job dismissals that have been conducted throughout the country. operational and physical risks: - In Mexico,, the Federal Police (PF) reported at least 19 highway blockades against the increase of fuel prices. - The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that they are investigating an outbreak of E. coli in 13 states.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: technology and information risks: - Last week, news outlets expanded on cyber-security researcher Michael Myng's blog post about a keylogger found in Hewlett Packard's (HP) Synaptics Touchpad software. - According to a survey conducted by CyberArk, a cyber-security firm, it is common for companies to not "fully" inform clients of data breaches that may have compromised clients' details. - Researchers have confirmed that a group called Sowbug developed a malware aimed at attacking and spying mainly on government entities in South America and Southeast Asia. operational and physical risks: - In Singapore, the Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (or AVA) has temporarily restricted the import of poultry products from an area in the Netherlands, following reports of a bird flu outbreak at a duck farm in Biddinghuizen. - Per reports in the UK, the Forties Pipeline System (FPS) is being closed due to a hairline crack discovered at Red Moss near Netherley. - Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of State announced that it would unveil a new travel advisory system with the aim of better communicating to citizens abroad the current security risks associated with traveling to different countries. market and economic risks: - The Bank of Indonesia (BI) recently issued a regulation banning the usage of cryptocurrencies as a form of payment across the country, effective January 1, 2018. - Hong Kong's Court of First Instance has issued an injunction to ban short-seller Emerson Analytics from issuing reports about China Hongqiao, the world's largest aluminum producer. - Per local media reports in Mexico, Leobardo Soto Martinez, the state leader of the Confederation of Workers of Mexico (CTM), announced that from January 2018, the Union of Drivers of Public Services and Apps would be formed in Puebla state. Martinez declared that the new union would represent drivers of companies such as Uber and Cabify operating in the state. hazard and event risks: - A fatal explosion and fire at the gas plant in Baumgarten in eastern Austria on December 12, has caused widespread regional consequences. One person was reported dead and several others injured by the explosion. - Scientists and engineers from the U.S. and the UK recently revealed the findings of their study on the U.S. flood map. According to their research, the flood map needs a redraw, as it needs to be expanded drastically. The study showed that an additional 40 million citizens' homes, and $5.5 trillion in assets should be included in floodplains areas. - According to the Dominican Republic's National Commission of Human Rights, there was a severe setback regarding human rights in the country in 2017. A sharp increase in the number of extrajudicial executions, femicides, and corruption scandals were reported.

Each week, we break down international news into our four quadrants of risk and present ways to mitigate those risks. See below for the key issues from this week's edition: market and economic risks: - The EU recently announced a blacklist consisting of 17 countries deemed as tax havens. The list is a response to the Panama and Paradise Papers that revealed extensive tax evasion schemes by companies and individuals. - Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced last week that the country would make changes to laws governing espionage, counter-intelligence, and political donations to prevent external interference in domestic politics. - The  State Council of the People's Republic of China has issued new regulations that extend the powers of its security apparatus and elaborated on acts punishable under its counter-espionage law that was implemented in 2014. hazard and event risks: - In Columbia, according to media reports, at least 71 people from about six different communities in the hamlet of Pueblo Nuevo were forced to abandon their homes due to the current unsafe situation. - Indonesian health authorities will be launching a free immunization drive today  in Jakarta, West Java, and Banten to counter the spread of diphtheria. - Per reports, Ryanair's airline crew in Italy have announced their plan to strike for four hours on December 15, 2017. Italian union Anpac stated the reason behind the strike is that employees have demanded the right to negotiate collective labor agreements. technology and information risks: - According to information released by a team of security researchers at Avast, about 160 banking apps available in the U.S., Latin America, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific versions of Google's Play Store have been affected by a Trojan called BankBot. - Per media reports, researchers at the Check Point Research Team discovered vulnerabilities in Android developer tools that are both downloadable and cloud-based. - Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a memo stating that drones produced by Da-Jiang Innovations (DJI), a Chinese manufacturer, are being used to provide critical information regarding American infrastructure and law enforcement to the Chinese government.  operational and physical risks: - The director of the Confederation of Workers of Mexico and the Labor Congress, Carlos Aceves del Olmo, announced that the builders currently working at the New Mexico City Airport (NAICM) "could go on strike before this Christmas" to protest tardy payments. - Last week, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that the 2018 general elections would take place as scheduled despite the dissolution of the main opposition party, the Cambodia National Rescue Party. =======