Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 26 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.

Hurricane Helene

The National Weather Service forecast:

Helene Strengthening and Expected to Bring Catastrophic Winds and Storm Surge to the Northeastern Gulf Coast. Helene is expected to bring life-threatening and catastrophic storm surge and damaging hurricane-force winds to Florida and inland across the Southeast. Catastrophic and life-threatening flash/urban flooding, including landslides, is expected across the southern Appalachians. Considerable to locally catastrophic flash flooding is likely for northwestern and northern Florida and the Southeast. Read More

Additional Helene items:

• Hurricane Helene Landfall Time, Tracker Update As ‘Devastating’ Storm Nears
• Hurricane Helene live updates: Airports, colleges close in Florida as potential Cat. 4 storm expected to wreak ‘unprecedented damage’
• Helene takes aim at Florida, with huge impacts across Southeast
• The storm threatens the state with ‘unsurvivable’ storm surge, with landfall expected tonight
• NHC issuing advisories for the Atlantic on Hurricane Helene and TS Isaac
• Key Messages regarding Hurricane Helene 

• Local info on Hurricane Helene: Key West, Miami, Melbourne, Tampa Bay Area, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Birmingham, Atlanta, Morristown,Birmingham, Greenville-Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston, Wilmington
• DHS Statement on Safety and Enforcement During Tropical Storm Helene
• FEMA Advisory: Biden–Harris Administration Makes Emergency Federal Assistance Available to Florida, FEMA Urges Gulf Coast Residents and Visitors to Rush to Complete Preparation (September 25, 2024)
• FEMA: Helpful Resources to Prepare for Hurricane Helene
• Healthcare Ready: Hurricane Helene SPOTREP #1

Defending Against Disaster Related Scams

• CISA Warns of Hurricane-Related Scams
• Federal Trade Commission’s Staying Alert to Disaster-related Scams and Before Giving to a Charity, 
• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s Frauds and scams

Phishing Guidance, Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One

From the CISA website:

This guide was created by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), National Security Agency (NSA), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) to outline phishing techniques malicious actors commonly use and to provide guidance for both network defenders and software manufacturers. Phishing Guidance: Stopping the Attack Cycle at Phase One contains guidance for network defenders, applicable to all organizations, and for software manufacturers that focuses on secure-by-design and -default tactics and techniques. Additionally, the guide contains a section tailored for small and medium-sized businesses to aid in protecting their cyber resources from evolving phishing threats.

From the Phishing Guidance:

The guidance for network defenders is applicable to all organizations but may not be feasible for organizations with limited resources. Therefore, this guide includes a section of tailored recommendations for small-and medium-sized businesses that may not have the resources to hire IT staff dedicated to a constant defense against phishing threats.

PDF

Analyst Comments:

The Phishing Guidance can be used by large Faith-Based Organizations (FBO) with an IT staff dedicated to cybersecurity. It is also useful for the many smaller FBOs that do not have a dedicated IT staff. The 2-page SMALL- AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES (SMBs) OR ORGANIZATIONS section begins on page 8.

CISA Releases Anonymous Threat Response Guidance and Toolkit for K-12 Schools

From the CISA  website:

Today, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools, a new resource to help kindergarten through grade 12 (K-12) schools and their law enforcement and community partners create tailored approaches to addressing anonymous threats of violence, including those received on social media. The toolkit outlines steps school leaders can take to assess and respond to anonymous threats, better prepare for and prevent future threats, and work in coordination with law enforcement and other local partners when these threats arise. It is co-sealed with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), which provided expert feedback on the toolkit’s key principles and strategies.

PDF

Additional Reference Guide:

• Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Reference Guide for K-12 Schools.pdf

Analyst Comments:

With the increase in anonymous threats against schools, Faith-Based Organization which operate schools can find the CISA guidance useful in improving their security and resilience.