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Fatigued by a relentless onslaught from hackers, Corporate America is mulling a more aggressive and reactive approach to powerful cyber evildoers. Offensive counterstrikes are likely illegal in today’s murky legal structure, but some security professionals are calling for at least a more proactive stance that utilizes measures like disinformation campaigns, honey pots and intelligence gathering. All of this is aimed at squashing cyber attacks that can generate millions of dollars in damages and lost revenue, lead to the loss of intellectual property and even cause reputational harm. “These adversaries are like a dog with a bone. They will not go [...]

The gap between rich and poor is well illustrated by the large multi-billion dollar corporations employing thousands of low-wage workers. With the Great Recession over, not only are many of these companies now hitting record profits, but their executive pay remains spectacularly high. Meanwhile, according to a report released by the National Employment Law Project, the current federal minimum wage the workers are often paid, is worth 30% less than it was in 1968 in terms of purchasing power. This story was originally published by 24/7 Wall St. Two-thirds of low-wage workers — those that are paid less than $ [...]

In October, 30 million Americans had accounts that were “under collection,” according to ACA International, a trade association for debt collectors. That’s one in 10 of the population who are dealing with collection agencies. “Under collection” means, for many, a constant bombardment of calls from debt collectors that sometimes amounts to serious harassment. Imagine — if you’re lucky enough never to have experienced it — the stress that causes. Small wonder many reach a state of desperation in which they feel they’re drowning in debt, and are prepared to reach for any lifeline, no matter how doubtful the claims of [...]

NEW YORK/CHICAGO After Hurricane Sandy devastated the East Coast, companies scrambled on Tuesday to assess the damage and figure out how to staff up as soon as possible. Transportation hubs in New York and Washington were closed due to Sandy, one of the biggest storms to ever hit the country. The storm bashed the coast for hours with high winds and waves that caused widespread flooding, then Sandy dropped just below hurricane status before making landfall on Monday night in New Jersey. With the holiday season quickly approaching, retailers in particular hurried to get back to business. Luxury department store [...]

Dozens of U.S. companies postponed releasing quarterly results after superstorm Sandy hit the U.S. east coast, disrupting power supplies and transportation and flooding large parts of New York city. All U.S. stock markets will be closed through Tuesday. Companies announcing delayed results and/or conference calls: — Abiomed Inc rescheduled second-quarter conference call to November 1 at 8 am Eastern Time. — Accelrys Inc rescheduled third-quarter results to October 31, after market. — Acorda Therapeutics Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to October 31. — Advent Software Inc rescheduled third-quarter results and conference call to October 30. — Aegion Corp [...]

BOSTON Faced with weakening revenue, two big companies warned on Tuesday that they would cut jobs as a way of protecting their profits. DuPont Co said it planned to lay off about 1,500 workers – roughly 2 percent of its global headcount – as the chemical company grapples with weakening demand from the construction and renewable energy sectors. United Technologies Corp did not specify the magnitude of the cuts it was considering but said it would raise its full-year restructuring budget by 20 percent to $ 600 million as demand for its military equipment declines. Both companies reported weaker-than-expected sales [...]

SEATTLE There was once a time when the launch of a new Windows operating system was a huge deal for the technology departments in many businesses. Not anymore. Microsoft Corp’s release of Windows 8 on Friday is likely to be a non-event for most companies — and some experts say many may never adopt it. The system may appear to offer something for everyone: touch-screen functionality for tablet enthusiasts, a slick new interface for the younger set, and multiple versions to make it compatible with traditional desktop PC software. Many businesses, though, say there is no compelling reason to adopt. [...]

SAN FRANCISCO Third-quarter sales at S&P 500 companies haven’t impressed so far. Of the 98 companies that have reported earnings, only 42% have beat the consensus sales forecast, according to FactSet’s John Butters. That compares to the four-year average of 59% at this stage in the earnings reporting season, or 20 days after quarter end. “In fact, it is the lowest percentage of companies to report sales above estimates at this stage of the earnings season since Q1 2009 (that number was 35%),” Butters said. On Friday, General Electric and McDonald’s both posted sales that fell shy of the average [...]

Despite the many economic headwinds still facing the U.S., much of the retail industry is anticipating a sharply improved holiday season compared to last year and is planning accordingly. Six of the largest store chains in America will together add more than 300,000 temporary workers during the season to account for the expected higher volume of shoppers. The National Retail Federation predicts that holiday sales this year will increase by 4.1% to $ 586.1 billion. After the severe damage the industry has suffered during the recession and its immediate aftermath, retail sales appear to be on the rise again. This [...]

3M Co said Wednesday it had restructured into five major business groups, down from six, and set up new roles for some of its senior executives. The realignment follows reorganization plans announced at other companies including FedEx Corp and General Electric Co. to cut costs amid slow global economic growth. 3M, which said on Monday it was buying Ceradyne Inc in its biggest deal since naming a new chief executive officer in February, will now be comprised of consumer, industrial, health care, and new safety & graphics and electronics & energy groups. The maker of Post-It notes, specialty films used [...]