NJOHSP Accepting Spring Internship Applications; Scammers Impersonating Charities Soliciting Donations; Israel Warns Gazans to Evacuate as Protesters Heed HAMAS’s Call for ‘Day of Support’

The New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness is currently accepting applications for its 2024 paid spring internship program, which runs from Jan. 22, 2024 through April 12, 2024. The internships are offered within one of NJOHSP’s four mission areas: Counterterrorism, Preparedness, Cybersecurity and Administration. Students must be enrolled full time in an accredited college, university or postgraduate program to be eligible. Students are welcome to apply regardless of whether they are seeking college credits. The application window closes Nov 3. This is an in-person internship program. Applicants have the flexibility to provide their availability during a Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. schedule in the agency’s Hamilton Township, West Trenton or Newark locations. Interns may work a maximum of 21 hours per week. The internship program, also offered during the fall and summer semesters, helps interns develop and apply their educational training to a real-world setting as they explore various NJOHSP career paths. Under the guidance of a supervisor or mentor, interns work on ongoing projects, participate in field excursions, meetings and presentations, have access to online professional training courses and learn firsthand about NJOHSP partnerships with local, State and federal agencies. The program concludes with a capstone presentation in which each intern focuses on one or two main projects and presents their work to NJOHSP staff. The presentation allows interns to develop and hone their public speaking skills, answer audience questions and receive feedback from their mentors and peers.

In the aftermath of current events, such as the recent Israel-Gaza conflict that began Oct. 7, cybercriminals may, as they've done in the past, look to exploit public generosity by conducting fraudulent schemes. Threat actors use social engineering tactics to target individuals seeking to aid relief efforts and may impersonate legitimate organizations in an attempt to steal information, user credentials or relief funds. These scams are often initiated using emails, text messages, phone calls and social media direct messages. Threat actors may also create or promote fraudulent charities and fundraising efforts that aid terrorist organizations. Traditional formal currency is typically used for fraudulent fundraising and terrorist-related financial activity. However, Hamas is one of the first terrorist organizations to use cryptocurrency in these efforts and authorities recently froze cryptocurrency accounts used to elicit donations for their operations. The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell advises potential donors to research the names of charities before donating and to refrain from clicking links or opening attachments in unexpected messages. CharityWatch provides a list of legitimate charities for aiding relief efforts. Find additional resources in the Federal Trade Commission articles, Before Giving to a Charity and How to Donate Wisely and Avoid Charity Scams. Visit the NJCCIC’s website for more information regarding these scams and other fraudulent activity.

Israel Defense Forces directed 1.1 million Gaza residents to evacuate Oct. 13 and move south near the Gaza River for their own protection as Israel readies to launch a ground offensive on the primarily Palestinian city, according to media reports. At the same time, tens of thousands of anti-Israel protesters took to the streets in the Middle East in response to HAMAS's call for a “Day of Support.” Large numbers of Yemenis gathered in the streets of the capital, Sanaa, protesting in solidarity with Palestinians. The demonstrators showed support for Palestinians as Israel continues to bombard the Gaza Strip with retaliatory airstrikes following HAMAS's massacre of Israelis in a surprise terror attack Oct. 7. In Beirut, Lebanon, thousands of supporters of the Lebanon-based Hizballah militant group waved Lebanese, Palestinian and Hezbollah flags, chanting slogans in support of Gaza and calling for “death to Israel.” Thousands of pro-Palestinian protesters also gathered in Jordan. At the time of the publication of this newsletter, HAMAS had killed more than 1,300 Israeli civilians, including 30 Americans, and injured more than 3,200. Palestinian officials reported 2,215 Palestinians killed and more than 8,700 wounded. Thirteen Americans remain unaccounted for.