Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 26 June 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. 

How the FB-ISAO is Taking Action to Build Resilience Amid Escalating Tensions in the Middle East

The Faith-Based Information Sharing Analysis Organization (FB-ISAO), which serves faith communities across all religions and threat types, has significantly ramped up proactive efforts in response to the escalating conflict in the Middle East. Recognizing the potential for such global tensions to ripple into domestic threats from physical security incidents to cyber-attacks FB-ISAO has doubled down on its intelligence gathering, analysis, and timely dissemination. FB-ISAO has documented hundreds of incidents affecting faith-based organizations in recent years and have heightened support through daily awareness bulletins, threat monitoring, and member-only briefings.

To bolster resilience, FB-ISAO coordinated a virtual Zoom briefing to help members interpret geopolitical shifts and understand the implications for security. Their all-hazards approach encourages houses of worship, affiliated schools, and charities to adopt comprehensive preparedness measures, covering facility protocols, cybersecurity hygiene, and community threat-awareness training. Through these efforts, FB-ISAO aims to empower its network to anticipate threats early, respond decisively, and maintain continuity in the face of an uncertain global climate time.

Analyst Comments: FB-ISAO leverages threat bulletins, real-time incident tracking, and specialized briefings to raise awareness and foster a culture of preparedness with vulnerable communities. To become a member of FB-ISAO and gain access to additional analysis and insights, you can join here.

Al-Qaeda in Arabian Peninsula Media, Al-Malahem Foundation, Encouraged Lone Wolf Attacks Against the United States and the West

DHS has released intelligence highlighting that Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s media arm, Al-Malahem Foundation, released the ninth issue of its English-language Inspire Guide, titled “A Message Beyond Bullet”. The publication draws lessons from the attack on the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington and urges global jihad. It criticizes the broader Muslim community for its inaction in the face of suffering in Gaza, claiming that even non-Muslims have shown more outrage. The Open-Source intelligence report is (U//FOUO) and has been shared on the FB-ISAO Slack Workspace for members to access.

Analyst Comments: AQAP’s latest Inspire Guide uses emotional appeals and references to Gaza to incite lone-wolf attacks, criticizing Muslims for inaction and urging global jihad. Faith-based institutions can be seen as high-impact targets for ideologically driven actors. While the propaganda is primarily along the lines of previous editions of the Inspire Guide, it does demonstrate the enduring threat and the desire for extremists to incite global jihad. Security personal should monitor for radicalization indicators and adjust threat assessments accordingly.

How to be prepared:

1. Enhance Situational Awareness
   • Train staff and volunteers to recognize suspicious behavior or indicators of radicalization
2. Conduct a Security Risk Assessment:
   • Identify vulnerabilities specific to your site
   • Engage with local law enforcement or security consulates
3. Develop and Practice Emergency Plans:
   • Establish clear procedures for lockdowns, evacuations, and medical emergencies
   • Conduct regular drills, including active threat response scenarios

Hostile Nation States Employing Non-State Actors

Gate 15’s report by Alec Davison highlights the growing threat posed by hostile nation states, primarily Russia, Iran, and China, leveraging non-state actors such as criminal gangs, cybercriminals, and terrorist groups to conduct irregular warfare against the West. These states use such proxies to sabotage critical infrastructure, conduct disinformation and cyber-attacks, and create civil unrest, all while maintain plausible deniability. The report warns that as geopolitical tensions rise, so does the risk of sabotage and mass-casualty attacks on Western infrastructure.

Analyst Comments: The growing integration of organized crime, cybercriminals, and terrorist proxies into state strategies marks a shift in the threat landscape. Gate 15 recommends organizations assess vulnerabilities, develop continuity plans, and train staff to recognize and report suspicious activity. Enhanced vigilance and preparedness are essential to counter the evolving threat posed by these nation-state-sponsored non-state actors.