NJOHSP, Mercer and Cape May Counties to Host Houses of Worship Security Seminars; Job Scams Continue; Extremists Using Online Gaming Sites to Spread Rhetoric

As part of its ongoing outreach efforts to faith-based organizations, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, in conjunction with the Mercer County and Cape May County Prosecutors’ Offices and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, is offering two Houses of Worship security seminars in June.

The Mercer County Program
Date: Tuesday, June 13, 2023
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m. (Registration begins at 5 p.m.)
Location: Community Parish Center at St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, 4620 Nottingham Way, Hamilton Square, New Jersey 08690
Register: https://forms.office.com/g/uyn2J3yiP2

The Cape May County Program
Date: Tuesday, June 20, 2023
Time: 5:30 to 8 p.m. (Registration begins at 5 p.m.)
Location: The Christ Gospel Church, 2209 Route 9 South, Whitesboro, New Jersey 08210
Register: https://forms.office.com/g/yGRG14sgZS

Religious leaders and houses of worship safety and security committee members of all faiths in the immediate areas are welcome to attend. Interested parties must register prior to each seminar.
For more information, email training@njohsp.gov.

Cybercriminals continue to impersonate legitimate employers and recruiters to target job seekers by using fraudulent job postings or profiles on trusted employment platforms and social networking sites. Once contact is established, the cybercriminal requests financial data or personally identifiable information as part of the application process. In a recent incident reported to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, an individual was contacted on Facebook regarding a data entry position. During a Telegram call interview, the hiring manager requested the applicant's personally identifiable information, including a photo of the front and back of their driver’s license, and instructed them to open a Green Dot Visa card for direct deposits. Red flags associated with job scams often include upfront requests for personal and financial information, such as a Social Security number, driver’s license number or banking information. The NJCCIC advises job seekers to verify potential offers by contacting the company’s human resources department directly and researching potential employers and businesses to determine if others have reported a scam. More information and recommendations can be found on the NJCCIC’s website.

State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program Applications’ June 9 Deadline Approaching
The State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program is a federal grant program administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. In New Jersey, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, a division of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, administers the program. The overall goal of the SLCGP is to improve the cybersecurity posture of state, local and territorial government organizations by providing assistance for managing and reducing systemic cyber risk. New Jersey State and local government organizations that wish to participate in the SLCGP are required to complete and submit a Local Consent Agreement and NJ SLCGP Resource Request Application by June 9, 2023. Visit the NJ SLCGP web page for more information regarding the plan, the four project resource areas eligible for approval during federal fiscal year 2022 and the process to apply.

Extremists are using online gaming sites to spread hate and violence to larger communities, according to the New York University Center for Business and Human Rights' recent study. Groups, such as neo-Nazis, are using everything from Minecraft to Discord to share bigoted material. The study found that extremists are using various tactics to engage supporters in their ideas and beliefs, such as designing games, putting their own spin on existing games, using chat features to share their ideas and using platforms to recruit supporters with grave real-world consequences. Fifty-one percent of all gamers surveyed said they were exposed to extremist rhetoric in the last year; 36 percent experienced acute harassment while playing online multiplayer games; eight percent wanted to learn more about extremist topics; and three percent engaged with the comments. While many individuals can ignore the content or block views they are not interested in, extremists have successfully converted some gamers to their ideologies. In the most extreme instances, individuals radicalized on gaming sites have committed horrific acts of mass violence, including the recent shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Highland Park, Illinois. The study noted that young adults and teens on gaming platforms are at great risk of exposure because they may not always be aware of their surroundings or consequences, which allow extremists to take advantage of them.