Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 19 May 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. 

FBI links California fertility clinic bombing to anti-natalist ideology

The car bombing outside a California fertility clinic that killed one person and injured four others appears to have been driven by anti-natalist ideology, according to two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the incident. The explosion caused damage to multiple buildings and businesses within a 250-yard blast radius.

A website that contained no name, but appeared connected to the bombing, laid out the case for “a war against pro-lifers” and said a fertility clinic would be targeted. The site alluded to the ability to download the stream of the suicide bombing, but none could be found, and the site has not been officially linked to the bomb at time of reporting.

Also see:

• Online manifesto threatened clinic attack; FBI probes Palm Springs bomb suspect’s motive
• What we know about the Palm Springs bomber
• Palm Springs IVF clinic bomber ID’d as Guy Edward Bartkus, a ‘pro-mortalist’ who opposed people being born ‘without their consent’
• Palm Springs Bombing Suspect Burned Down Family Home Aged 9, Father Says

Analyst Comments: Statements from the bomber’s family indicate that he had a troubled childhood, with his father telling reporters that after Bartkus set their home on fire as a young child, he “started to change”, and he believed his son was easily influenced by others. While lone actor attacks can be difficult to detect, bystanders do present a clear opportunity to prevent terrorism attacks. As noted in the First Responder’s Toolbox, “A 2019 FBI study of 52 selected lone offender terrorism cases from 1972 to 2015 reveals that in 62 percent of the cases, at least one person knew the offender was supportive of violence in furtherance of a violent ideology.” Members are encouraged to talk to their communities are such instances, and the enormous impact that individuals can have by speaking up about suspicious behavior.

Also see: U.S. Violent Extremist Mobilization Indicators

Blueprints Before Breaches: Planning for Ransomware Resilience

Planning for a ransomware attack is a vital component of any organization’s cybersecurity strategy. Having a ransomware plan is important because it helps organizations prepare for, respond to, and recover from ransomware attacks effectively.  Ransomware attacks can cripple operations by locking critical systems and data, often demanding payment to restore access. A well-developed plan minimizes downtime by outlining clear procedures for restoring operations, typically through secure backups and tested recovery processes. 

Analyst Comments: This blog is the first in a series from Gate 15 that highlights everything organizations need to be thinking about in relation to ransomware, starting with the importance of planning. A concerning revelation came when an insider revealed that M&S lacked a comprehensive plan to deal with such cyber incidents. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2023, organizations with no incident response (IR) plan or inadequate testing faced breach costs averaging $5.36 million, compared to $3.26 million for those with well-tested plans — a $2.1 million difference.