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.
Resolve to be Resilient in 2025: Region 8 Ready for New Year
From DHS’ Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) Region 8 website.
It’s been a busy year across all six states of Region 8. As we close out 2024, check our five tips for building resilience in 2025:
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- Shop safely! It’s Holiday Shoppingseason and then weeks of happy returns. Update your devices, know your sources, strengthen your passwords, and check your bank statements to stay a step ahead of bad actors and fraud.
- Plan Ahead. At CISA, we lean into the future, helping you harden your defenses and build resiliencethrough simple steps: identifying critical systems and dependencies; assessing risk; developing and testing plans; and facilitating adaptability.
- Thank an Election Worker.#Protect2024 went smoothly, thanks to state and local election officials and all the volunteers who served as poll workers. CISA continues to support our state and local partners for election security before, during and after each election.
- Be Cyber-savvy.Bookmark our cyber advisories alert page and subscribe to our notifications to stay current with pertinent cybersecurity information for your home and office, systems, and staff.
- Add Region 8 to your team!Together we can #beresilient. What we all do counts. If you don’t know where to start at home or at work, contact us at Region 8!
Analyst Comments:
While the above tips are aimed at CISA Region 8, most of the information can be used by communities of faith any region. Region 8 consists of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Those involved with cyber and physical security can find their region at CISA Regions website. Links to each region are also provided. Each region’s website explains their operations and provides contact information.
Protective Security Advisors (PSA) operate out of regional offices. “PSAs are trained subject matter experts in critical infrastructure protection and vulnerability mitigation. They facilitate local field activities in coordination with other Department of Homeland Security offices. They also advise and assist state, local, and private sector officials and critical infrastructure facility owners and operators.”
Faith-Based Organizations should consider utilizing the assistance provided by regional CISA Regional Offices and PSAs.
Weekly Security Sprint EP 92. CEO attack, disrupted attacks, and cybersecurity warnings
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 covered the following topics:
- UHC Assassination
- Faith-Based Threats
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- Terror attack on Bavarian Christmas market foiled by police
- Man in van filled with explosives, guns intended to attack a North Texas church, report states
- Feather River School of Seventh-Day Adventists Shooting:
- Five-Eyes security and law enforcement agencies release joint authored analysis of youth radicalization & PDF analysis.
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).
Additional Holiday Scam Items:
- Graphika Report – Holiday Hoaxes Unwrapped: Fake Trees, Freebies, & Shopping Sprees Scammers Orchestrate Cross-Internet Campaigns to Deceive and Defraud Holiday Shoppers of Their Money and Personal Information. PDF.
- Meta Launches Global Anti-Scam Awareness Campaign Ahead Of The Holiday Season
- Meta: How to Avoid Scams Online This Holiday Season
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More Faith-Based Stories
NY: Jewish Man Stabbed In The Neck In Crown Heights, Rushed By Hatzolah To Kings County Hospital
AL: Suspected DUI driver hits Blount County Church, igniting a large fire
Israeli wounded in California antisemitic car-ramming
University of Michigan regent’s home vandalized in antisemitic attack
Prominent DC synagogue cancels event with Yoav Gallant after members protest
Polygamous sect leader gets 50 years in prison in scheme to orchestrate sex involving children
Christians in Syria face ‘uncertain, perilous future’ under HTS, persecution watchdog warns
Hundreds protest in New Delhi against reported attacks on Hindus in Bangladesh
Select All Hazard Stories
Bomb Threat at Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Home Leads To Fatal Car Accident (Responding bomb-squad member involved in an accident where a civilian woman died.)
UK: Six people charged in connection with Counter Terrorism investigation
UnitedHealthcare CEO killing:
- Suspect in UnitedHealthcare CEO killing is charged with murder in New York, court records show
- Person of Interest (name omitted)’s Loved Ones Raised Alarm Days Before CEO Killing: ‘Are You OK?’
- What We Know About the Suspect
- (Name omitted), suspect in fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, used ghost gun that may have been 3D-printed
- Health care CEO shooting suspect was Ivy League graduate who appears to have written about Unabomber online
Amid Diverse and Growing Risks, Organizations Face a Fragmented Landscape and 2025 Risk Outlook
Legal Report: An 18-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Making More than 375 Swatting Calls, Faces Up To 20 Years in Prison (Occurred from 2022 to 2024.)
PA: Upper St. Clair Resident Charged with Lying to FBI Regarding Involvement with Hizballah
Critical to Extremely Critical Fire Weather Conditions in Southern California; Excessive Rainfall Along the Central Gulf Coast National Weather Service
FEMA: Be Winter Ready This Season!
He was suicidal and needed help. Online predators pushed him to take his life on camera
An AI companion suggested he kill his parents. Now his mom is suing
Microsoft 365 outage takes down Office web apps, admin center
More Security-focused Content
