PRIVACY RISK
Russian Ransomware Gang Exposes 40,000+ Dartmouth Records via Zero-Day Exploit
Dartmouth College disclosed that a cyberattack on its Oracle E-Business Suite environment from August 9 to 12, 2025, compromised personal data for over 40,000 individuals, including Social Security numbers, bank account details, and birth dates, according to breach notices filed on November 24, 2025, with attorneys general in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine. The Russian ransomware group Clop claimed responsibility, posting victim data on a dark-web site after exploiting a zero-day vulnerability. Dartmouth reported securing its systems, notifying law enforcement, applying available patches, and offering credit monitoring. The investigation is ongoing.More info
PHYSICAL RISK
Homemade Bomb Injures Honduran Deputy Amid Election Recount Dispute
On January 8, 2026, Honduran deputy Gladis Aurora López (National Party) sustained injuries when a homemade explosive device was thrown into Congress in Tegucigalpa during a session to consider a LIBRE-backed election recount. Security footage showed the device was thrown from the street by an individual accompanied by another man; police reported that suspects remain at large. López was struck in the back and received medical treatment for injuries described as not life-threatening. National Party leader Tomás Zambrano attributed responsibility to LIBRE amid ongoing disputes over the November 30 election, narrowly won by president-elect Nasry Asfura.More info
REPUTATIONAL RISK
Florida Broker Gets 35 Months for $134M ACA Scheme Exploiting Homeless
A federal judge sentenced Dafud Iza (54), a Pembroke Pines insurance broker and former vice president of Fiorella Insurance Agency (Stuart, Florida), to 35 months in prison and ordered millions in restitution for orchestrating a $133.9–$134 million Affordable Care Act enrollment fraud. Prosecutors stated that the scheme involved paying low-income individuals, including those experiencing homelessness, $5–$10 to enroll in fully subsidized plans, thereby generating commissions despite ineligibility and a low likelihood of premium payments. Two alleged accomplices, Cory Lloyd and Steven Strong, were convicted in 2025 and are awaiting sentencing in February.More info
TECHNOLOGICAL RISK
Wegmans Deploys Facial Recognition at High-Risk Stores Amid Privacy Concerns
Wegmans announced the deployment of facial-recognition cameras at stores identified as having elevated risk, scanning faces and comparing them to images of individuals previously flagged for misconduct. Disclosure requirements differ: New York City mandates entrance signage warning of biometric collection, while most of the state lacks similar regulations, leading Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart to advocate for broader transparency measures. Wegmans stated that facial recognition is used as one investigative tool, that decisions are not based solely on its results, that the system does not collect eye scans or voice prints, that data is not shared with third parties, and that images are retained only as necessary for security purposes.More info
HEALTH RISK
South Carolina Measles Cases Surge to 310 with 99 New Infections in Days
On January 9, 2026, South Carolina reported 310 measles cases, an increase of 99 since earlier in the week, marking the largest surge since the outbreak began in October, according to the state Department of Public Health. The outbreak remains concentrated in Upstate South Carolina, particularly in Spartanburg County. Of the reported cases, 256 were unvaccinated, 2 were partially vaccinated, 2 were fully vaccinated, and 50 had unknown vaccination status. Officials placed 200 individuals in quarantine and 9 in isolation, with quarantine extending through January 29, and warned of likely hundreds more exposures. The CDC recorded 2,144 measles cases in the United States in 2025, while the WHO is considering the U.S. elimination status.More info
LEGAL & REGULATORY RISK
1,700 Face Redundancy as Major Australian Security Provider Enters Administration
MA Services, based in Melbourne, entered voluntary administration, with Jason Tracy and Glen Kanevsky of Alvarez & Marsal appointed as administrators, warning of up to 1,700 redundancies just days before Christmas. The administrators reported that the appointment triggered breaches of key licensing conditions, rendering the firm unable to lawfully perform certain core functions and necessitating an immediate reduction in services. MA Services operated nationwide, providing security, cleaning, and maintenance to clients such as Coles, Kmart, Aldi, Amazon, Dan Murphy’s, AFL clubs, and major Victorian sites including Southern Cross Station and Federation Square, thereby raising concerns regarding service continuity and workforce entitlements.More info
OPERATIONAL RISK
Greece Grounds 120 Flights After Total Aviation Radio Collapse
On January 4, 2026, Greece temporarily suspended flights following a collapse in aviation radio frequencies that generated indeterminate noise and severed communications between controllers and aircraft, resulting in an airspace shutdown beginning at approximately 8:59 a.m. local time. The disruption stranded thousands of passengers and grounded approximately 120 flights at Athens and Thessaloniki, the country’s two largest airports, with Eurocontrol assisting with diversions and reroutes. Limited departures resumed later, at a rate of about 45 flights per hour. Officials stated that safety was not compromised and that no indications of a cyberattack have emerged. Judicial and internal investigations have been initiated.More info
STRATEGIC RISK
OpenAI, SoftBank Inject $1B Into Texas Data Center for AI Infrastructure Race
OpenAI and SoftBank Group each committed $500 million, totaling $1 billion, to SoftBank-owned SB Energy to expand power and data-center infrastructure for the $500 billion multi-year Stargate initiative, announced in January 2025 with U.S. political support. SB Energy will construct and operate OpenAI’s 1.2-gigawatt data-center site in Milam County, Texas, and will also become an OpenAI customer by deploying ChatGPT and utilizing OpenAI APIs for its employees. The agreement underscores grid access, permitting, and constru
ction timelines as key constraints on AI scalability, increasing execution and cost risks as campuses aim to begin service in 2026.More info
FINANCIAL RISK
German Cities Face Insolvency as Tax Revenue Collapses 96% at Porsche
DW reported that numerous German municipalities are approaching insolvency due to collapsing tax revenues, including a 96% decline in Porsche profits in 2025 and a broader industrial downturn. Local authorities are facing rapidly increasing social welfare costs, projected to reach €102 billion by 2027, up from €38 billion in 2007, while receiving only 14% of total tax revenues despite being responsible for 25% of expenditures. Mayors are calling for a three-way federal, state, and local cost-sharing model and compensation for mandates that increase expenses. The municipal infrastructure backlog has reached €218 billion, posing risks to essential services and future investment capacity.More info
POLITICAL RISK
Tehran Labels Protesters 'Terrorists' as 60 Demonstrations Defy Internet Shutdown
Tehran has escalated its response to unrest, with officials and IRGC-linked media increasingly labeling protesters as “terrorists” rather than “rioters,” thereby framing the situation as an existential security threat and broadening the justification for lethal repression. Despite a nationwide internet shutdown, CTP-ISW recorded 60 protests across 15 provinces since 00:00 local time on January 10, including 25 medium and 8 large demonstrations, and reported hundreds of casualties. The report highlights potential strain on security forces, including concerns about defections and possible involvement of the Artesh, and notes that the United States is engaged in preliminary discussions of options, though there are no indications of imminent action. More info