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Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post

Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 27 March 2024

Faith-Based Security Headlines

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.

Improving the Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places (ST-CP)

The following is a Rand comprehensive landscape assessment of the threat to soft targets and crowded places (ST-CP) with corresponding security measure recommendations.

Improving the Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places: A Landscape Assessment 

Published March 27, 2024. Attacks on soft targets and crowded places (ST-CPs) represent a significant challenge. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security requires research and development to assess methods for reducing the propensity and loss of life from these types of attacks. In response, researchers from the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center conducted a comprehensive landscape assessment of the threat to ST-CPs and corresponding security measures. This assessment integrated literature reviews, attack plot analyses, grant data reviews, and security cost modeling to identify both needs for improvement and recommended research and investment priorities for addressing those needs.

Accompanying Insights:

Keeping Soft Targets and Crowded Places Safe from Mass-Casualty Attacks: Insights from a Landscape Assessment 

Soft targets and crowded places (ST-CPs) are easily accessible to large numbers of people and have limited security or protective measures in place, making them vulnerable to attack. Examples include sports arenas, shopping centers, schools, transportation systems, and houses of worship. Although attacks on them are relatively rare, they result in significant loss of life and contribute to an atmosphere of fear throughout society. Researchers performed a landscape assessment of the threat to and major vulnerabilities of ST-CPs, existing security measures and initiatives, and ways to improve allocation of security resources. The researchers then developed a road map for future investments and made recommendations for improving ST-CP security and response to attacks. These recommendations include research, development, test, and evaluation priorities to improve prevention and protection, such as seeking methods of deterring and dissuading would-be attackers, more evaluation of the effectiveness of security measures, and developing a model concept of operations for open and nonsecure spaces. In addition, they recommended funding and policy priorities focused on public education and training, providing additional resources to cross-organizational security teams and managers, and increasing funding for access control systems.

Analyst Comments:

The above Rand Landscape Assessment and the accompanying Insights provide multiple Key Findings and Recommendations that can be considered by Faith-Based Organizations when maintaining their security posture.

Faith-Based ISAO’s 25 March 2024 Daily Awareness Post reported on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall music-venue attack. The Daily Awareness Post also listed the following resources:

Weekly Security Sprint EP 58. Moscow Attack, Weather report, and much more

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.

In this Week’s Security Sprint, Dave and Andy discuss:

  • Moscow Attack & Terrorism
  • Chinese Cyber Threats
  • Insider Threats & Espionage

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

Guest Blog Posts – Another Great Way to Contribute to FB-ISAO’s Mission

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

More Security-focused Content

Read more about the 2023 Threat Data and what the data tells us about the threat landscape.
Read the March 2024 Threat Level Statement Update
Access all-hazards resources from public and private sector partners, curated by the FB-ISAO team.

The FB-ISAO’s sponsor Gate 15 publishes a free daily newsletter called the SUN. Curated from their open source intelligence collection process, the SUN informs leaders and analysts with the critical news of the day and provides a holistic look at the current global, all-hazards threat environment. Ahead of the daily news cycle, the SUN allows current situational awareness into the topics that will impact your organization. To sign-up for The SUN, please sign up below.

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