Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 14 May 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.

CISA and Partners Release Guidance for Civil Society Organizations on Mitigating Cyber Threats with Limited Resources

CISA, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and international partners, released Mitigating Cyber Threats with Limited Resources: Guidance for Civil Society. The joint guidance provides civil society organizations and individuals with recommended actions and mitigations to reduce the risk of cyber intrusions. Additionally, the guide encourages software manufactures to actively implement and publicly commit to Secure by Design practices that are necessary to help protect vulnerable and high-risk communities. Civil society, comprised of organizations and individuals such as– nonprofit, advocacy, cultural, faith-based, academic, think tanks, journalist, dissident, and diaspora organizations, communities involved in defending human rights and advancing democracy–are considered high-risk communities. Often these organizations and their employees are targeted by state-sponsored threat actors who seek to undermine democratic values and interests.

Related Item:

• Cybersecurity Resources for High-Risk Communities | CISA

Analyst Comments:

Many Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) have limited resources. This guide provides FBOs with recommended actions and mitigations to reduce the risk of cyber intrusions.

The ‘Sift’ strategy: A four-step method for spotting misinformation

The BBC article explains the ‘Sift’ strategy; a four-step method for spotting misinformation.

• S is for… Stop
• I is for… Investigate the source
• F is for… Find better coverage
• T is for… Trace the claim to its original context

Analyst Comments:

This BBC article can be used globally, not just in the UK. It can be useful to receive information from a different perspective. The “Sift” strategy can assist FBO members in recognizing misinformation.

UK NPSA: Hostile Activity Mitigations

The UK’s National Protective Security Authority | NPSA offers guidance on how to mitigate the impact of hostile activity. This may assist organisations seeking to review their risk assessments or update security policies against threat posed by a variety of hostiles, including those acting on behalf of foreign states. Updated 10 May.

The following guides provide an overview of the threat that state actors may pose.

• Protecting Your Assets
• Guidance for Organisations
• Personal Safety and Security for High-Risk Individuals
• Hostile Reconnaissance
• Security Minded Communications – 5 Minute Read 
• Incident Management

Analyst Comments:

NPSA provides useful guidance aimed at UK citizens, but like the “Sift” strategy, it can be useful to receive information from a different perspective. FBOs should consider reviewing the relevant guidance.

Weekly Security Sprint EP 65. Protest Influence / Interference, Ransomware, Al, lessons learned

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 the topics below.

• A Russian Influence Campaign Is Exploiting College Campus Protests
• FBI PSA: Foreign Terrorist Organizations and their Supporters Likely Heighten Threat Environment during 2024 Pride Month, May 10, 2024
• Timeline: Europe under cyber siege in 2024; Hackers from countries including Russia and China have repeatedly breached systems around the EU and beyond in 2024.
• Guidance for organisations considering payment in ransomware incidents
• First Responders Toolbox: Violent Extremists’ Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence. 
• Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 13 May 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).

Campus Protest and Related Headlines

• University of Delaware student charged with hate crime after antisemitic remarks, vandalism on campus
• Why far-right groups are disrupting US campus protests
• Pro-Palestine Protests in the U.S. Since October 7, 2023
• Pro-Israel Protests in the U.S. Since October 7, 2023