Reposted from SafeHaven Security

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. FEMA's Region 2 Individual Community Preparedness Program and the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) will host a webinar on Wednesday, Oct. 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. EDT, Navigating the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape. The cyber threat environment, including the tactics and techniques used, is constantly evolving. New lures and scams are developed to target individuals, business, and organizations with the goal of siphoning funds, accessing accounts, and stealing information. As such, this presentation will cover those prevalent threats and tactics, ways to identify them, and how to protect ourselves from becoming victims of cybercrime. This webinar is open to everyone, including individuals, parents, students, and families; businesses, volunteer organizations, and civic and faith-based organizations’ leadership; and federal, state, local, territorial and Tribal Nation governmental agencies’ staff.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

An unauthorized party stole encrypted internal data related to employee user accounts from home and small business security provider ADT, the company said Monday in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company detected the unauthorized access Oct. 2, according to the filing, and said the “unauthorized actor had illegally accessed ADT’s network using compromised credentials obtained through a third-party business partner.” The incident is the second cyberattack disclosed by the company in two months. In an Aug. 7 SEC filing, the company disclosed that during a “cybersecurity incident … unauthorized actors illegally accessed certain databases containing ADT customer order information” that included email addresses, phone numbers and postal addresses.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

On Sept. 27, the National Association of EMS Physicians (NAEMSP), the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) and the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) published a position paper in the journal Prehospital Emergency Care, Best Practices for Collaboration Between Law Enforcement and Emergency Medical Services During Acute Behavioral Emergencies. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and law enforcement (LE) frequently work as a team in encounters with individuals experiencing acute behavioral emergencies manifesting with severe agitation and aggression. A coordinated and unified response enhances the safety and effective management of potentially serious situations posed by individuals experiencing such acute behavioral emergencies. IN 2023, NAEMSP, IAFC, and IACP brought together a group of representatives to discuss this issue. The group developed this position paper to provide guidance and direction in the shared responsibility of managing and caring for a person displaying behavioral instability with irrational, agitated, and/or violent behavior. The paper discusses the roles of LE, 9-1-1 call centers (also called Emergency Call Centers or “ECCs”), EMS, and Fire. It provides a framework endorsed by the NAEMSP, IACP, and the IAFC that outlines a collaborative approach to acute behavioral emergencies. The paper is organized into sections that follow the steps of response, from the initial 911 call and dispatch to post-incident analysis:

• Processing of the call by Emergency Call Center (ECC); Crisis intervention teams and 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
• Scene threat assessment; De-escalation; Self-preservation.
• Lifesaving is everyone’s duty; Duty to Act/Just culture; Subject or Patient?
• Medical Evaluation; Restraints and Patient Positioning.
• Transport; Transition of Care at Destination; Importance of Appropriate Documentation.
• Post Incident Analysis (PIA).

This 2024 position statement acknowledges the work of a 2021 position statement, Clinical Care and Restraint of the Agitated Patient by Emergency Medical Services Practitioners, which provided an important foundation for the broader discussion of the multidisciplinary collaboration that is already occurring between the emergency response disciplines for the preservation of life and safety. The 2021 position statement was developed by the NAEMSP, the National Association of State EMS Officials (NASEMSO), National EMS Management Association (NEMSMA), National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians (NAEMT), and the American Paramedic Association (APA).

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

The 2024 election cycle is now underway, and the Nov. 5 Election Day is fast approaching. U.S. elections remain an attractive target for both nation-states and cyber criminals. Election officials and private sector election infrastructure partners are the frontline defenders in securing the electoral process from the physical, cyber, and operational security threats they face. The following are several resources that may assist emergency managers and emergency responders in their roles ensuring physical security, security of election workers and public officials, and planning and coordination for special security events or large gatherings related to elections. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released a Cross-Sector Checklist to Support Elections on Sept. 30. The administration of elections relies on infrastructure owned and operated by other critical infrastructure sectors. Scheduled or unexpected outages in other critical infrastructure sectors could have significant cascading effects on the administration of an election. This resource is a checklist that provides a series of questions to help critical infrastructure owners identify actions they can take to support elections. It also gives a basic overview of election administration and highlights how other sectors play a critical role in election operations. CISA launched an Election Security Resource Library as part of its #Protect2024 campaign. This collection has several additional planning checklists for physical security of election offices, facilities, ballot boxes, polling locations, as well as resources on mitigating insider threats and swatting attacks.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) released an Election Security Resource Guide last month. This resource outlines the activities eligible for grant funding under the Homeland Security Grant Program that enhance election security and the protection of soft targets and crowded places. It lists several additional guidance documents from CISA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) related to election security for state and local officials, emergency managers, and critical infrastructure owners and operators. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) released an Insight last month, Election Worker Safety and Privacy. Concerns about election workers’ safety and privacy have been reported in surveys, news articles, and congressional hearings from the 2020 elections through the current election cycle. This Insight provides a brief overview of recent federal activity on election worker safety and privacy.

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Reposted from The Telegraph

The National Gallery has banned visitors from taking in liquids after activist attacks on its collection. Just Stop Oil activists have vandalized paintings including works by Constable and Van Gogh, throwing orange paint and soup on the artworks and then glueing themselves to picture frames. The National Gallery said the ban on liquids being brought in had been introduced to limit future damage to the publicly owned collection. It said: “Following recent incidents within the gallery, it is now necessary to introduce increased security measures to ensure the safety of all those who visit, National Gallery staff and the nation’s collection of paintings. “Free access to the National Gallery allows everyone to be inspired by humanity’s greatest achievements. The collection we hold is irreplaceable and, with each attack, we have been forced to consider putting more barriers between the people and their artworks to preserve these fragile objects for future generations. “Unfortunately, we have now reached a point where we have been forced to act to protect our visitors, staff and collection.” Since July 2022, the gallery’s collection has been targeted on five occasions. Just Stop Oil activists vandalized Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, Velazquez’s Rokeby Venus and Constable’s The Hay Wain. Pro-Palestinian activists from the group Youth Demand pasted over Picasso’s Motherhood in October in protest at the sale of arms to Israel.

From this Friday, no liquids will be permitted in the gallery except for baby formula, expressed milk and prescription medicines. It has warned that the ban is likely to lead to delays for visitors, who will have to go through more thorough bag checks.

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Reposted from The Art Newspaper

In the wake of Hurricane Milton making landfall last week near Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast, millions across the state—including many who had just started picking up the pieces after Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact less than two weeks prior—have begun the long recovery process. Many art organizations in and near Sarasota, Tampa Bay and St Petersburg especially experienced Hurricane Milton’s destructive force firsthand.

The Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota—which is part of Florida State University (FSU) and includes an art museum, circus museum, historic home and more—experienced minimal damage to its buildings. According to a statement released by the college, the Ringling family’s historical and opulent home on the campus, Ca’ d’Zan, sustained limited damage; there was no damage to its glass façade, which faces directly onto Sarasota Bay. The Ringing’s Circus Museum did experience roof damage and there is a larger repair underway. The college estimates that the Circus Museum will be closed for the next two weeks. The Museum of Art and the Tibbals Learning Center wing of the Circus Museum emerged relatively unscathed. As with Hurricane Ian two years ago, Hurricane Milton’s biggest impact on the Ringling’s campus was to its grounds, where several trees had to be taken down and there was “a lot of damage to our banyans”, according to a spokesperson’s statement. "Sarasota is lucky to have a robust arts community who work very well together,” Steven High, the Ringling’s executive director, tells The Art Newspaper. “Because of that, we feel certain that recovery from this storm will be swift and uniting.” The Tampa Museum of Art made it through Hurricane Milton relatively unharmed after Tampa Bay was spared a direct hit by the storm. The museum reopened to the public on 12 October. In a message released on social media, the museum stated: “In light of the ongoing recovery efforts and challenges many face, we invite those experiencing hardships such as power outages or displacement, to find a moment of tranquility in our galleries or to use our free Wi-Fi and recharge your devices and find a moment of peace.” The Sarasota Museum of Art experienced some damage to its grounds and outdoor features. There was wind damage to its exterior signage and fencing, and some plants and trees were shredded or uprooted. One tree fell onto Complexus (2007), a large outdoor sculpture by John Henry that is installed on the museum's grounds.

A spokesperson for the Sarasota Museum of Art said the institution lost power at around 6:45pm on 9 October and was without electricity for 17 hours. As a result, their bistro lost a refrigerator full of food, but the museum was able to reopen to the public for free on 15 October. “Artists are inherently resilient and creative,” Virginia Shearer, the Sarasota Art Museum’s executive director, tells The Art Newspaper. “There have been such incredible stories of artists who are meeting these challenges head on and helping one another out—bringing over chainsaws and helping clear debris. It’s very inspiring and not at all surprising that our artists lead the way in collaborating to rebuild and model how to be resilient in the face of disaster.” The Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, which operates an artist-in-residence programme at Robert Rauschenberg’s former property on the island of Captiva, is still assessing the damage from Hurricane Milton. The foundation’s staff evacuated ahead of the storm and are safe. “We are also mindful of the recent devastation across the southeast caused by Hurricane Helene that has impacted so many artists and cultural workers,” Courtney J. Martin, the Rauschenberg Foundation’s executive director, wrote to The Art Newspaper over email. “While the full effects of the recent storm are not yet clear, we remain committed to supporting our community in the days ahead and will provide updates as more information becomes available.” Another art residency along the Gulf Coast, the Hermitage Artist Retreat in Englewood, was left with upwards of $1m in damage from Hurricane Milton, according to Artnews.

Many arts organizations throughout the southeastern United States—especially in western North Carolina—are still reeling from the cataclysmic impacts of Hurricane Helene. In Asheville, North Carolina, the executive director of the non-profit organization ArtsAVL, Katie Cornell, has estimated that around 80% of the city’s River Arts District was destroyed by Hurricane Helene.

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Reposted from EMR-ISAC

On Oct 1, the Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC)—in partnership with CISA, U.S. government and international partners—released the guide Principles of Operational Technology Cybersecurity. This guidance provides critical information on how to create and maintain a safe, secure operational technology (OT) environment.

The six principles outlined in this guide are intended to aid organizations in identifying how business decisions may adversely impact the cybersecurity of OT and the specific risks associated with those decisions. Filtering decisions that impact the security of OT will enhance the comprehensive decision-making that promotes security and business continuity.

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Reposted from CISA/DHS

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) 2025 Homeland Threat Assessment (HTA), released today, is designed to inform both the public and the Department’s partners of the threats to public safety and security, in order to assist federal, state, and local partners in preparing, preventing, and responding to an ever-evolving threat environment. The HTA describes a threat environment that is expected to “remain high” over the coming year.   

“The Homeland Security Assessment provides an important overview of the dynamic and evolving threat landscape, illustrating just how varied and challenging the threats we confront are,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “It is because of the remarkable DHS workforce, and our close collaboration with our federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, and private sector partners, that we are able to meet the challenges and keep the American people safe and secure.” 

Assessments from the 2025 HTA: 

• Public Safety and Security: The terrorism threat environment in the Homeland is expected to remain high over the coming year. This is due to a confluence of factors, including potential violent extremist responses to domestic sociopolitical developments — particularly the 2024 election cycle — and international events like the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. Lone offenders and small groups continue to pose the greatest threat. Meanwhile, foreign terrorist organizations, including ISIS and al Qa’ida maintain their enduring intent to conduct or inspire attacks in the Homeland. 
• Illegal Drugs: Illegal drugs smuggled into and sold in the United States by transnational and domestic criminal actors continue to pose a lethal threat to communities in the United States. DHS has surged resources to address this threat, seized more fentanyl in the last two fiscal years than in the prior five years combined, and is investing in new technology to increase detection capabilities. Thanks to these and other efforts, the number of overdose deaths have declined by more than 10 percent in the 12 months leading up to April 2024 – the largest drop in overdose deaths in recorded history. That said, fentanyl and other synthetic opioids remain the most lethal of drugs trafficked into the country and continue to pose a national security threat. Adulterated cocaine and methamphetamine also pose a threat. 
• Influence Operations and Transnational Repression: We expect the Homeland will face threats to public safety from state actors using subversive tactics in an effort to stroke discord and undermine confidence in U.S. domestic institutions. Malign foreign actors seek to target ethnic and religious minorities, political dissidents, and journalists in the United States to silence and harass its critics abroad. 
• Border and Immigration Security: Migrant encounters at our border have steadily declined since the beginning of 2024 and have declined even further since the issuance of the Presidential Proclamation and complementary Interim Final Rule (IFR) were announced on June 4 – decreasing more than 55% in the past four months. We nonetheless expect some individuals with criminal connections to seek to continue to exploit migrants. DHS remains acutely focused on identifying those who may present a threat to public safety or national security and stopping them from entering the United States. 
• Critical Infrastructure Security: Domestic and foreign adversaries are expected to continue to target our critical infrastructure via prepositioning, cyber, and physical attacks. The People’s Republic of China (PRC), Russia, and Iran are expected to remain the most pressing foreign threats to our critical infrastructure.  Nation-states, criminal hacktivists, and financially motivated criminals will likely hone their techniques to disrupt U.S. services or to conduct espionage focused on gaining access to U.S. networks and critical infrastructure entities. We assess that domestic and foreign violent extremists will continue to call for physical attacks on critical infrastructure in furtherance of their ideological goals and, in response to international conflicts and crises. 
• Economic Security: Our adversaries – including the PRC - will continue non-market policies and practices, economic espionage and coercive economic tools, and illicit acquisition of technologies and intellectual property to undercut U.S. and partner competitiveness. 

Operational components and offices across the Department are involved in combatting threats and working alongside our federal, state, and local partners. Some examples of these efforts include:  

• DHS conducts screening and vetting of individuals encountered at the border to identify national security or public safety threats and refers any individuals who are identified as posing a threat to public safety or national security to the appropriate law enforcement authority for detention, removal, and potential prosecution. DHS continually monitors available sources of intelligence and law enforcement information to identify new threats and public safety risks. If and when any new information emerges, DHS, including ICE and CBP, works closely with the FBI and other partners to take appropriate action. 
• • In addition to biometric and biographic screening and vetting of every individual encountered, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has expanded information sharing agreements with international partners to enhance their ability to prevent, detect, and investigate trafficking and other crimes. CBP’s National Targeting Center continuously works to detect individuals and travelers that threaten our country’s security, while also building a network of partner nations committed to fighting global threats. 
• DHS, through CBP and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), has stopped more illicit fentanyl and arrested more individuals for fentanyl-related crimes in the last two fiscal years than in the previous five years combined. 
• • DHS is leading the federal effort to combat fentanyl internationally, through information-sharing, 
    multinational enforcement operations, and global cooperation with federal, state, and local partners and stakeholder to disrupt fentanyl networks within our communities. 
  • DHS has arrested over 3,600 subjects connected to fentanyl-seizure events, which directly degrades the organized criminal networks responsible for bringing fentanyl into our communities, seized over 2,200 pill presses, and seized over 27,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl to stop it at our 
    borders and in our communities before it can hurt the American public. 
• United States Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) provided over 300 trainings and briefings to over 40,000 participants in the past year, including to state and local law enforcement, government officials, educators, mental health professionals, faith-based leaders, and workplace security managers across the country. 
• DHS’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) works with government and private sector partners – including owners and operators of critical infrastructure and public gathering places – to prepare for and respond to cyberattacks, as well as enhance security and mitigate risks posed by acts of terrorism and targeted violence by providing resources addressing Active Shooters, School Safety, Bombing Prevention, and Soft Targets-Crowded Places. 
• • Since the beginning of 2023, CISA has conducted over 1,000 physical security assessments and 700 cyber assessments, leveraging our field staff, including our Election Security Advisors, to provide expert guidance and tailored assistance. Also, since January 2023, CISA has conducted over 140 tabletop exercises, and more than 400 trainings reaching tens of thousands of participants.  
  • CISA shares information via multiple lines of effort, from disseminating timely and actionable intelligence and information directly to stakeholders, to developing best practice security products describing risks and how to mitigate them. The Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (EI-ISAC), which is partially funded by CISA and membership that includes all 50 states and 3800 local jurisdictions, provides cybersecurity services to, and enables rapid real-time situational awareness and cybersecurity information sharing across, the election infrastructure community. 
• The Office of Intelligence and Analysis’s (I&A) National Threat Evaluation and Reporting Program continues to provide tools and resources for federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners on preventing terrorism and targeted violence, including online suspicious activity reporting training. 
• DHS’s Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Intermodal Security Training and Exercise Program (I-STEP) and Exercise Information System (EXIS®) work with government and private sector partners – including owners and operators of critical transportation infrastructure – to enhance security and reduce risks posed by acts of terrorism. 
• DHS’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3) educates and trains stakeholders on how to identify indicators of radicalization to violence, where to seek help, and the resources that are available to prevent targeted violence and terrorism. 
• The DHS Center for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships engages a coalition of faith-based and community organizations, as well as members of the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council (FBSAC), which DHS reconstituted in July 2022, to help build the capacity of faith-based and community organizations seeking to protect their places of worship and community spaces. 
• DHS launched the Prevention Resource Finder (PRF) website in March 2023 in collaboration with more than a dozen federal partners. The PRF is a comprehensive web repository of federal resources available to help communities understand, mitigate, and protect themselves from targeted violence and terrorism. 
• SchoolSafety.gov consolidates school safety-related resources from across the government. Through this website, the K-12 academic community can also connect with school safety officials and develop school safety plans. 
• DHS provides funding for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, nonprofits, and institutions of higher education to establish or enhance capabilities to prevent targeted violence and terrorism through its Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program. On September 18, 2024, DHS awarded $18 million in funding to 35 organizations working to develop and strengthen their communities’ capabilities to combat targeted violence and terrorism. 
• This year DHS’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) awarded over $660 million in funding to support target hardening and other physical security enhancements to non-profit organizations at high risk of terrorist attack. 
• In 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 DHS designated domestic violent extremism as a “National Priority Area” within its Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), enabling our partners to access critical funds that help prevent, prepare for, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from related threats. 

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Reposted from Walden Security

Retail shrinkage is projected to increase to $132 billion in 2024, up from $112 billion in 2022. Retail shrinkage refers to the loss of inventory for businesses, the difference between recorded inventory on a company’s balance sheet and its actual inventory. Many factors contribute to retail shrinkage, including retail theft. SHOPLIFTING refers to an individual instance of small-scale theft for personal gain, usually by concealing items in a purse or pocket, etc. It is often opportunistic with little planning. It is the most common type of retail theft across the country and, according to a report from the Council on Criminal Justice, has increased by 24% in the first half of 2024 (compared to 2023, and based on data from 23 cities). Inflation and rising costs contribute to the increase, as many are first-time offenders trying to make ends meet. SMASH-AND-GRAB Videos of smash-and-grab retail thefts have been plastered across news outlets in cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. Also referred to as flash robberies, these attacks require multiple participants who move quickly, smashing through windows and doors and looting merchandise. They often target visible, easy-to-move items and park illegally to have a quick entrance and exit. The perpetrators are brazen, relying on the chaos to cause confusion, while moving as quickly as possible. ORGANIZED RETAIL THEFT Smash-and-grab retail thefts are similar to organized retail theft (ORT), but ORT attacks differ in their coordination, scope and type of perpetrators. To define simply, ORT involves a group of people, often part of a criminal enterprise, who work together to steal merchandise. ORT involves the theft of large quantities of merchandise for resale on the black market. ORT perpetrators are highly organized and can spend weeks planning attacks. They often use deceptive tactics and slip out undetected, differing from the brazen, public smash-and-grab attacks. The breadth of their attacks varies as they attack across the supply chain. That includes truck jacking, cargo theft and e-commerce theft, such as using stolen credit cards to purchase merchandise or changing bar codes. PREVENTING RETAIL THEFT Whether the thefts are planned or opportunistic, most perpetrators select stores and locations that are isolated or have poor security features, such as low lighting, insufficient locks, or a lack of formal security systems and cameras. Most cases go unsolved unless a perpetrator is apprehended in the act. The good news, though, is that security technology continues to evolve to help combat retail theft and capture the perpetrators on camera, increasing the chances of apprehending them. Stores can better protect themselves and their customers with an integrated camera and surveillance system. One such system is a Mobile Surveillance Unit (MSU), a portable trailer that provides 24/7 wireless remote monitoring and video feed. The high visibility of MSUs and policestyle strobe lights serve as a deterrence, while they also have audio intervention capabilities that allow operators to warn perpetrators they are being recorded and to leave before law enforcement is contacted. The video footage is securely stored in the unit and backed up off-site for video forensics. Contact us to learn more about our MSUs and deterring retail theft.

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