Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 3 October 2024

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

DHS’ 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment Indicates the Threat of Domestic and Foreign Terrorism in the Homeland Remains High

From the DHS website:

 “The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA), released today, is designed to inform both the public and the Department’s partners of the threats to public safety and security, in order to assist federal, state, and local partners in preparing, preventing, and responding to an ever-evolving threat environment. The HTA describes a threat environment that is expected to ‘remain high’ over the coming year.”

Assessments include:

• Public Safety and Security
• Influence Operations and Transnational Repression
• Critical Infrastructure Security
• Illegal Drugs
• Border and Immigration Security
• Economic Security

The PDF of the 2025 threat assessment and two prior assessments can be found on the Department of Homeland Security Homeland Threat Assessment website.

Analyst Comments:

The 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA) concludes that threat environment is expected to “remain high” in 2025. Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) can use the HTA, threat information from FB-ISAO and other sources to inform their preparedness. FBOs can then evaluate the risk of their organization to these threats and allocate time and resources to reduce the highest prioritized risks.

FB-ISAO Welcomes New Board Member

The Faith-Based Information Sharing and Analysis Organization (FB-ISAO) is governed by a Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is responsible for strategic direction and oversight of general business operations which includes fiscal oversight. The Board of Directors is made of volunteer members. Officers of the Board of Directors are President, Vice-President, and Treasurer / Secretary. Elections are held yearly, in September.

On 23 September 2024, the Board of Directors met and voted on the appointment of Steve Bieber who will serve as the Treasurer and Secretary. Boykin Jordan, who has served on the Board since 2022 has stepped down.

The blog provides details on Boykin Jordan’s service to FB-ISAO and the faith community, and the experience Steve Bieber brings to FB-ISAO and the faith community.

Analyst Comments:

Boykin Jordan and Steve Bieber’s service on the Board of Directors ensures FB-ISAO fulfills its mission.

Members of the FB-ISAO have access to additional resources. FB-ISAO produces timely alerts, including Bulletins, Pass Throughs from other security organizations, Daily Awareness Posts, Weekly Advisories, Weekly Scoops, Newsletters, and Announcements.

Also, FB-ISAO members are sharing information about threats in FB-ISAO Slack.

FB-ISAO also offers educational sessions and other activities to assist Faith-Based Organizations in preparedness and mitigation. 

If not already a member, consider joining here.

Weekly Security Sprint EP 83. Helene recovery, Crimes report, and CSAM

The Gate 15 Security Sprint is a weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.

This week, Dave and Andy discuss:

• Severe Weather, Hurricane Helene, and Resilience Planning.
• Crime
• A Proclamation on Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2024

The above Gate 15 Weekly Security Sprint website also provides links to many security-related items of interest.

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).