Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 16 April 2025

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. 

Weekly Security Sprint EP 107. Hacktivism, Nation-states, and political violence 

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, Hunter and Andy covered the following topics:

• Hacktivism & Nation-State Influence 
• Political violence, executive protection 

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found here. 

Cyber bipartisanship on the brink 

This article from Axios discusses the challenges facing bipartisan cooperation in U.S. cybersecurity policy during President Trump’s second term. While cybersecurity has traditionally been a bipartisan issue, recent actions by the Trump administration, such as investigations into former CISA Director Chris Krebs and staff cuts at CISA, have created divisions among lawmakers. Despite these challenges, some Republicans, like Rep. Mark Green, maintain that bipartisanship in cybersecurity is not over, though public support for such efforts may be limited. Cybersecurity has typically avoided partisan gridlock because cyberattacks affect constituents across the political spectrum. However, tensions stemming from the 2020 election and the politicization of CISA’s election disinformation efforts have changed the landscape. The upcoming reauthorization of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act, which facilitates cyber threat information sharing, will be a key test of continued bipartisan support for cybersecurity initiatives. 

Analyst Comments: The reported internal investigations and staff reductions at CISA may disrupt continuity and weaken coordination across federal cybersecurity entities. Maintaining stable leadership and sufficient staffing is essential to uphold preparedness. Public trust in CISA is foundational for effective collaborating between government, industry, and the public. FB-ISAO will monitor the changing landscape, particularly in relation to significant CISA staffing changes and efforts to reauthorize the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 .  

Pa. Gov. Shapiro was targeted for ‘what he wants to do to Palestinian people’: warrant 

On April 13, 2025, a fire was deliberately set at Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro’s official residence in Harrisburg during the Jewish holiday of Passover. The fire caused significant damage but no injuries, as Shapiro and his family were safely evacuated. The suspect, 38-year-old Cody Balmer, was arrested later that day and faces multiple charges, including attempted murder, terrorism, aggravated arson, and assault. According to authorities, Balmer used homemade Molotov cocktails to ignite the fire and expressed violent intentions toward Shapiro. He reportedly admitted to harboring hatred toward the governor and had planned to attack him with a hammer if they had encountered each other. Balmer has a history of mental illness, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and was not taking his prescribed medication at the time of the incident. The FBI is investigating the motive, including potential antisemitism, as Shapiro is Jewish and the attack occurred after a Passover seder. Governor Shapiro condemned the violence, emphasizing the need to address political violence in society. The incident has drawn national attention and raised concerns about the safety of public officials. 

Related article: Man accused of trying to kill Josh Shapiro lost his home, tried suicide, was melting down 

Analyst Comments: The arson attack on Governor Shapiro reflects an emerging domestic threat vector in which global conflicts, particularly the Israel-Hamas war, are being internalized by unstable or radicalized individuals and translated into violence against U.S. officials. This underscores the need for more adaptive threat frameworks that can anticipate and respond to the domestic fallout of international crises. This incident fits a growing pattern in which U.S. officials Jewish, Muslim, or otherwise have become focal points of anger or aggression tied to Middle East tensions. As the war drags on, both real and imagined affiliations with either side are becoming flashpoints for lone-actor violence.