Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 01 February 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.

The CCP Cyber Threats to the American Homeland and National Security

FBI Director Christopher Wray, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command General Paul Nakasone, and CISA Director Jen Easterly were among official who briefed the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party yesterday. Wray indicated that hackers linked to the Chinese government are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, preparing to cause “real-world harm” to Americans, FBI Director Christopher Wray told a congressional committee on Wednesday.

Water treatment plants, the electric grid, oil and natural gas pipelines and transportation hubs are among the targets of state-sponsored hacking operations, and while Easterly noted that the United States has “found and eradicated” Chinese cyber intrusions in aviation, water, energy and transportation infrastructure, and said Americans need to prepare for an unexpected attack.

Analyst Comments:

Wray noted that “To combat this threat, the FBI has over 1,000 cyber personnel distributed throughout the United States who respond to incidents every single day. As the most geographically distributed cyber workforce in the federal government, the FBI responds to intrusions that affect not only U.S. critical infrastructure and big-name corporations, but also small businesses, our schools, and local government services in the communities you represent.”

Within her comments Easterly implored organizations to “double down on their commitment to resilience. They must expect and prepare for an attack, continually testing and exercising the continuity of critical systems to ensure they can operate through disruption and recover rapidly to continue to provide services to the American people.”  

• Director Wray’s Opening Statement to the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party
• Opening Statement by CISA Director Jen Easterly
• US officials deliver warning that Chinese hackers are targeting infrastructure
• S. Government Disrupts Botnet People’s Republic of China Used to Conceal Hacking of Critical Infrastructure

23andMe data breach targeted Jews

For five months last year, hackers penetrated the security of the DNA-sequencing company 23andMe, resulting in customer data appearing for sale in “curated” lists that focused on Chinese customers and Ashkenazi Jews. A new class action suit filed in San Francisco on Jan. 26 seeks to hold 23andMe responsible for not protecting users’ private information and not notifying them of the breach. The company apparently didn’t learn about the crime until a hacker posted on Reddit revealing some of the stolen information.

Analyst Comments:

On Oct. 17, an alleged threat actor by the name “Golem” said he possessed data on “wealthy families serving Zionism” that he offered to sell. “The leaked data could empower Hamas, their supporters and various international extremist groups to target the American Jewish population and their families,” said Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.Y.).

CISA has developed several Personal Security Consideration Guides which may be useful for members to review, particularly if they feel there is potential for themselves or their communities to be targeted with violence in the current threat environment.

• Personal Security Considerations
• Personal Security Considerations Action Guide: Critical Infrastructure Workers