Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 10 September 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.

FB-ISAO Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 9

September-2024

Articles in this month’s newsletter include:

The FB-ISAO Daily Awareness Post

Daily, the FB-ISAO team publishes the Daily Awareness Post (DAP) to our blog site. This means that the product is free and available to the community and moreover it is shareable.

The Daily Awareness Post is comprised of two parts. The first part highlights one, two and sometimes three items of particular importance. The second part is a run-down of news stories from the past 24 hours of reporting with direct or indirect impact on faith-Based Organizations.

Upcoming Commemorations and Notable Events

A rundown of some upcoming religions commemorations and notable events is provided.

Some considerations for planning and preparedness around these events are also provided.

The newsletter also Spotlights:

The President’s Volunteer Service Award

Seven members of the FB-ISAO received the President’s Volunteer Service Award for their commitment. Those seven members planned and executed the FB-ISAO FireArms in the House program. Those same members, and others, are deeply involved with the development of the Physical Security Maturity Model for Houses of Worship. And why stop there? They are also involved with developing and executing on our next educational series on standing up security teams.

The FB-ISAO Cyber and Physical Threat Levels remain Elevated.

The newsletter also covers the FB-ISAO Advisory Board, how to join FB-ISAO, FB-ISAO Slack, and upcoming FB-ISAO events.

The November 2024 Newsletter has been directly distributed to members and may be accessed here.

Want this newsletter delivered directly to your inbox each month? Membership in FB-ISAO is open to all Faith-Based Organizations including Houses of Worship, Charities, Faith-Based Schools and their affiliated organizations. Join FB-ISAO!

Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes, Soliciting the Murder of Federal Officials, and Conspiring to Provide Material Support to Terrorists

The Justice Department announced today that Dallas Humber, 34, of Elk Grove, California, and Matthew Allison, 37, of Boise, Idaho — leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, a transnational terrorist group — were charged with a 15-count indictment for soliciting hate crimes, soliciting the murder of federal officials, and conspiring to provide material support to terrorists.

The indictment alleges that Humber and Allison, as leaders of the Terrorgram Collective, contributed to and disseminated several Terrorgram videos and publications that provide specific advice for carrying out crimes, celebrate white supremacist attacks, and provide a hit list of “high-value targets” for assassination. The hit list included U.S. federal, state, and local officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations, many of whom were targeted because of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.

They also incited Terrorgram users to commit attacks in furtherance of white supremacist accelerationism, including the following individuals who were allegedly inspired or guided by Humber, Allison, and other members of the Terrorgram Collective to carry out attacks or were planning to do so when they were arrested by law enforcement:

• An individual who shot three people (killing two) outside of an LGBT bar in Slovakia;
• An individual who planned an attack on energy facilities in New Jersey; and
• An individual who stabbed five people near a mosque in Turkey.

Additional Articles:

• Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen Delivers Remarks Announcing Charges Against Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group.
  • The defendants were motivated by their ideology of white supremacy and accelerationism — an ideology centered on the belief that the white race is superior and that violence and terrorism are necessary to ignite a race war and accelerate the collapse of the government.
• Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke Delivers Remarks Announcing Charges Against Leaders of Transnational Terrorist Group.
  • The indictment alleges that defendants solicited others to engage in hate crimes and terrorist attacks against Black, immigrant, LGBT and Jewish people, to attack government infrastructure and to target politicians and government officials, as well as leaders of private companies and non-governmental organizations.
• Feds say white supremacist leaders of “Terrorgram” group plotted assassinations, inspired attacks
• US says white supremacist group tried to incite followers on Telegram to spark race war

Analyst Comments:

Information in indictments can provide Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) with insight into a segment of the current threat environment. Yesterday’s Terrorgram Collective indictment and the arrest reported in the 9 September 2024 Daily Awareness Post provide details of some of the threats faced by FBOs.

Yesterday, a US federal grand jury charges man for attack on DC synagogue in December. FB-ISAO highlighted this incident in the 9 August 2024 Daily Awareness Post and 19 December 2023 Daily Awareness Post blogs.

The December incident occurred at an FB-ISAO member’s house of worship and led to the following information sharing:

• The member promptly shared information with the FB-ISAO team and on FB-ISAO Slack.
• Working with the member organization, FB-ISAO published a detailed report which included a description of the incident, actions taken, and lessons learned.
• FB-ISAO also hosted an incident review. The session was open to members of FB-ISAO.

Understanding the threat environment allows FBOs to efficiently use limited time and money to reduce risks while enhancing preparedness, security, and resilience. FB-ISAO provides timely information on imminent and long-term threats.

Members of the FB-ISAO have access to threat information and 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 timely 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.

Accelerating Hate: The Impact of the Israel-Hamas War on the Terrorist Threat Landscape on the West

• Although there has not been a major terrorist incident in the West in the wake of October 7 and the subsequent war in Gaza, terrorists and violent extremists across the ideological spectrum have capitalized on the conflict for radicalization, recruitment, and calls to violence.
• The Israel-Hamas war has also led to an increase in antisemitism and Islamophobia throughout the West, as well as deepening societal polarization, exacerbated by terrorist, violent extremist, and state actors.
• The Israel-Hamas war has also created a unique environment for terrorist and violent extremist groups across the ideological spectrum to build alliances around seemingly new-found common ground, particularly antisemitism.
• The exploitation of emerging technologies by terrorist groups and actors post-October 7, including the use of 3-D printers, encrypted apps, and online social media platforms, highlights a continuing challenge for law enforcement and counterterrorism officials. 

Analyst Comments:

The above article is another method FBOs can use to assess their risks by reviewing the general information of the increased threat environment caused by the Israel/Hamas conflict and upcoming October 7 Attack anniversary.

Apalachee High School Shooting Updates:

• Bodycam video shows deputy interviewing Georgia school shooting suspect and father in 2023
• Georgia school shooting suspect (name ommitted)’s dad called him a ‘sissy’ and bought him an AR-15 to ‘toughen him up,’ relative says