Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 27 March 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.   

CAIR Releases ‘Travel and Free Speech Guidance During the Trump Administration’ 

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has released guidance addressing travel and speech concerns during the Trump Administration. This guidance provides answers to questions such as: 

• Should I travel overseas? 
• What if I must travel? 
• Should I participate in protests? 
• Can my social media activity affect my travel or free speech rights? 
• CAIR advises consulting an immigration attorney before traveling and, if possible, avoiding unnecessary international travel at this time. The organization also emphasizes the importance of understanding and protecting one’s rights related to travel and free speech during this period.  

In addition to the guidance, CAIR has hosted webinars discussing potential impacts on immigration and free speech rights, including topics like unconstitutional crackdowns and protecting green cards and visas. They have also issued travel advisories following reports of increased secondary screenings at major U.S. airports. These resources aim to inform and assist individuals in navigating travel and free speech issues during the current political climate.  

Analyst Comments: Faith-Based organizations, such as CAIR, consistently highlight the critical importance of safeguarding the religious freedoms of their communities. In an environment where travel restrictions and national security policies can disproportionately affect certain religious groups these type of organizations offer support and guidance. CAIR’s  recommendation to consult an immigration attorney before traveling shows the proactive approach for Faith-Based organizations. Additionally, for churches planning mission trips, such organizations can provide valuable insights on navigating potential travel challenges, ensuring that individuals and groups can safely carry out their outreach efforts while remaining informed of the political landscape and any risks that may arise. 

HR Magazine – White House security breach raises workplace social media concerns 

The recent security breach involving a White House group chat has raised concerns about workplace social media usage. A journalist was accidentally added to a chat discussing military plans, highlighting the risks of unsecured social media communication. Experts suggest that employers should establish clear and consistent social media policies to protect sensitive information while balancing employees’ right to express personal views online. Additionally, they recommend secure communication channels, encryption, and regular reminders to staff about privacy and data security risks. Enforcement of these policies is essential to prevent breaches, and employers must ensure guidelines are accessible and well-understood by all employees.  

Analyst Comments: The recent security breach involving a White House group chat underscores the critical need for workplaces to establish robust social media and communication policies. The incident highlights vulnerabilities associated with informal digital communications and serves as a wake-up call for organizations across all sectors, including Faith-Based organizations, to reassess their own communication protocols. Faith-Based groups, like other organizations, should ensure their communication channels, both internal and external, are secure. Establishing best practices for the use of digital platforms is critical for protecting both the organization’s integrity and its member’s privacy. As always Take9 – Take 9 seconds before you click, download, or share. 

The Great TikTok Migration: Western Extremists Flock to RedNote – GNET 

Following the U.S. TikTok ban in January 2025, many users, including Western extremists, migrated to the Chinese app XiaoHongShu (RedNote), a platform similar to TikTok. Within days, extremist groups such as neo-Nazis, white supremacists, and some jihadist accounts began sharing harmful content. These extremists, some using Chinese language or posing as Chinese uses, sought to exploit the app’s largely unregulated environment to spread their ideologies. While Chinese users generally reacted negatively, some of these accounts gained significant followings early on. Despite efforts by Chinese moderators to remove extremist content, many users from the West, including far-right and pro-Kremlin supporters, remain active. The migrations has highlighted concerns over the global spread of extremist ideologies through less regulated platforms.   

Analyst Comments: The recent migration of Western extremists to platforms like RedNote underscores significant challenges in global digital landscape. The rapid rise of extremist accounts on RedNote highlights the need for more robust international cooperation and platform regulation to address the spread of harmful content and ideas. Faith-Based organizations can take proactive steps to ensure their digital outreach is protected from extremist infiltration.   

Resources for Leaders of Faith-Based Communities, Organizations, and Institutions to Protect Against Targeted Violence 

ODNI 2025 Threat Assessment notes threats from Russia, China, Iran, North Korea targeting critical infrastructure, telecom 

The ODNI 2025 Threat Assessment highlights significant threats to the U.S. critical infrastructure from countries like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, as well as nonstate actors. These nations are increasingly targeting telecoms, healthcare, and water systems using cyber operations, with China emerging as a key persistent threat. Russia, in particular, poses a unique challenge with its experience in combining cyber and military operations. The report also notes that financial cybercriminals and transnational criminal organizations continue to exploit vulnerable U.S. sectors, exacerbating risks. The growing sophistication of cyber threats emphasizes the need for improved protection of U.S. infrastructure against foreign and criminal actors.  

Analyst Comments: The ODNI 2025 Threat Assessment underscores the increasing sophistication of cyber threats to critical U.S. infrastructure from state actors like Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, along with the growing threat of nonstate actors and cybercriminals. These nations, with their advanced cyber capabilities, are targeting key sectors such as telecommunications, healthcare, and utilities, signaling a serious vulnerability for U.S. national security. As these cyber threats continue to evolve, they represent not just geopolitical risks but also challenges to the resilience of everyday infrastructure systems that support public health, safety, and daily life. For faith-based organizations, this report highlights the urgent need to address cybersecurity risks within their own operations. Many faith-based groups, such as churches, religious charities, and community organizations, increasingly rely on digital platforms for communication, fundraising, and outreach. Given their reliance on technology, they are potential targets for cyberattacks by hostile state and nonstate actors who may seek to disrupt or compromise their operations. Next week we will do a deep dive on the Threat Assessment, available exclusively for FB-ISAO Members.