Faith-Based Security Headlines
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.
New DHS Resources for Swatting and Hoax Threats
From the DHS website:
Throughout the country, schools, hospitals, businesses, places of worship, non-governmental organizations, and individuals to include U.S. government officials, journalists, celebrities, online gamers, and many others have increasingly been victims of swatting calls and hoax threats, causing fear and potentially dangerous interactions with law enforcement.
DHS has just released a 4-page Swatting Calls and Hoax Threats Targeting Faith Communities guide. The guide is aimed specifically for faith communities.
The guide for faith communities defines swatting and hoax threats.
The guide also details the following recommendations:
- Coordinate in Advance with First Responders
- Become Familiar with the Characteristics of Hoax Threats and Protect Your Information Online
- If you receive a threat, notify law enforcement immediately
- After an incident
Additional recently released DHS guidance:
Analyst Comments:
The DHS guidance can be used to improve resilience in regard to swatting and hoax threats.
The following recommendation will improve resilience in regard to all types of attacks:
“Strengthen your relationship with local law enforcement; conduct building walk-throughs with the day, night, and weekend shifts; and discuss local response plans. Keep in mind each shift might respond differently.”
After a rash of swatting and bomb threat incidents in December of 2023, the FB-ISAO’s 18 December 2023 Daily Awareness Post provided the following articles:
- Forward’s How to protect your congregation from swatting and bomb threats during High Holiday services.
- Campus Safety’s Swatting Incidents: 4 Ways to Reduce Widespread Panic, Improve Response
FB-ISAOs 26 September 2024 Daily Awareness Post highlight CISA’s Anonymized Threat Response Guidance: A Toolkit for K-12 Schools.
Reminder of Earthquake Preparedness Webinar on Monday, 7 October
The Great ShakeOut Drills: Earthquake Preparedness Webinar
Monday, October 7 · 2 – 3pm EDT.
Special webinar in preparation for this year’s Great ShakeOut! In this informative session, we’ll guide you through essential earthquake preparedness tips and explain how to participate in the ShakeOut drill.
Register here.
Get the Daily Awareness Post Delivered to your Email!
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