OVERALL ASSESSMENT We assess that, in light of all presently available indicators, the general threat of physical and cyber attacks against Houses of Worship in the United States is raised to SEVERE. Due to conflicts in the Middle East, Iran, and India, and increased polarization reflected in U.S. politics and social media for both religious and sectarian tensions, the potential exists to trigger a physical or cyber incident with little or no advance warning. We understand that individual Houses of Worship, given their faith, geographic location, socio-political/ethnic demographics, and degree of local tensions may not consider their threat as severe and should adjust their posture accordingly.
We recognize that the combination of global geopolitical tensions, combined with domestic unrest and persistent political polarization make it likely that the threat level will remain “Severe” for the foreseeable future. FB-ISAO will continue to closely monitor events and make appropriate revisions to this threat assessment as needed. In the interim, the Cyber Threat Intelligence, Operational Resilience (together, the Threat and Incident Response) working groups continue to actively monitor and share information, reports, and perspective regarding our threat environment.
Regular updates are being shared in the Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post, shared via email and available on our blog.
- The Physical Threat Level is increased to “SEVERE.” SEVERE means that FB-ISAO is unaware of any planned events, there is concern that an event/incident is highly likely. FB-ISAO will continue to closely monitor events and make appropriate revisions to this threat assessment as needed.
- The Cyber Threat Level remains “ELEVATED.” ELEVATED means that FB-ISAO is unaware of any specific threats, but there is concern that an event is more likely than normal.
The full statement can be read here.
