NJOHSP Announces 2nd Round of Reproductive Health Security Grant Funding; Emotet Campaigns Weaponize OneNote Attachments; ISIS-K Could Strike US, Western Allies Abroad This Year

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness will offer eligible New Jersey-licensed reproductive healthcare providers a second round of funding, opening April 3, for the State’s recently unveiled $5 million Reproductive Health Security Grant Program. Eligible facilities that can demonstrate a high security risk may apply through NJOHSP for a maximum $100,000 in security-enhancing grant funding through the April 30 closing date. This initiative is geared toward those reproductive healthcare facilities that may be targeted by violence, property damage, vandalism, harassment or similar illegal activities. Recipients may use the funding to hire security personnel, purchase and install target-hardening equipment, procure cybersecurity assets and for security and emergency preparedness training and emergency planning activities. “This latest grant program will better equip healthcare providers with the necessary resources, knowledge and tools to safeguard their facilities, patients and staff,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “Given that cyber attacks remain a high threat and ‘abortion-related extremists’ continue to pose a moderate threat to New Jersey, as outlined in NJOHSP’s 2023 Threat Assessment, this allocation of funding by Governor Murphy is both a timely and a precautionary countermeasure to the current threat environment.” Eligible applicants, who must complete a site vulnerability assessment or utilize a facility self-assessment tool prior to submission, include reproductive healthcare facilities that offer medical, surgical, counseling or referral services related to the human reproductive system, including but not limited to pregnancy, contraception or the termination of pregnancy services. “Preparedness is a key component of our mission areas, and healthcare providers’ access to this grant funding will allow for preventative measures, strategic mitigation tactics and a robust response should an attack – be it cyber or physical – ever occur,” said NJOHSP Acting Deputy Director Michael Geraghty, who also serves as director for the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, a division of NJOHSP. “The safety and security of our state’s residents and visitors is contingent on our ability to work with public- and private-sector organizations through initiatives such as this.” NJOHSP anticipates an award date in late spring at which time recipients will have a 24-month period to expend funding. Interested healthcare providers can view program details and eligibility criteria or submit an application electronically at njohsp.gov/grants/rhsgp.

Emotet continues to target New Jersey State employees in an active campaign that uses Microsoft OneNote attachments to attempt to bypass macro-based security restrictions. The attachment directs users to click a button that contains an embedded script which downloads a zipped Emotet .DLL file. The malware then runs in the background and may install additional payloads, such as ransomware, on affected devices. Emotet is primarily distributed using phishing and malspam campaigns and can exfiltrate data, perform reconnaissance and act as a dropper. The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell recommends users refrain from clicking on links or attachments in unsolicited emails. NJCCIC also advises email administrators to block all .one file extensions, which are not commonly sent as attachments. More information is available on the NJCCIC website.

One of ISIS’ most dangerous affiliates is targeting the West and its allies and will be capable of launching an attack before the end of the year, a top U.S. military official told lawmakers at a March 16 Senate Committee on Armed Services hearing. ISIS-K, formally known as the Islamic State-Khorasan, could attack U.S. or Western interests abroad within six months with little to no warning, said Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of U.S. Central Command. ISIS-K, an Afghanistan affiliate of the notorious terrorist group, has claimed responsibility for several high-profile and deadly attacks across the country since the U.S. withdrawal in August 2021 and the Taliban's subsequent seizure of power. While ISIS-K’s ultimate goal is to strike the American homeland, Kurilla said there is a higher probability of attacks happening against Western interests in Asia or Europe. It would be much more challenging to carry out an operation in the U.S., he added. American military and intelligence officials have said drawing a more accurate conclusion on any developments in Afghanistan has been difficult because of the lack of ground presence, as well as the distance American surveillance planes and drones must travel before they can conduct reconnaissance operations. The terrorist group launched dozens of attacks in the months leading up to the Afghan government’s collapse in August 2021 and in the last days of the U.S. withdrawal, claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing that killed 169 Afghans and 13 American troops at Kabul International Airport.