NJOHSP and the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell sponsored its second annual Executive Leaders Tabletop Exercise September 24 at the Regional Operations and Intelligence Center in Ewing. “The training focused on executive decision-making by key State partners who had the opportunity to discuss their agency’s roles and responsibilities during a cyber incident,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “This annual exercise is vital for ensuring that cabinet members and their representatives are well-equipped to handle domestic security threats effectively and efficiently, ultimately safeguarding the well-being of New Jersey’s residents and infrastructure.” The event, organized for New Jersey state government executive leaders under the auspices of the New Jersey Domestic Security Preparedness Task Force (DSPTF), focused on emergency response to a cybersecurity incident. More than 40 individuals participated in the exercise.

More than 70 federal, state, and county law enforcement partners, including 21 county Counter-Threat Coordinators (CTCs) representing each of the New Jersey counties, attended NJOHSP’s CTC meeting September 26 in Hamilton. CTCs play a key role in receiving, reporting, and investigating suspicious activities and are the main conduits between NJOHSP and local law enforcement. They continually reinforce the importance of information sharing as an intelligence strategy regarding potential terrorist activities, counterintelligence, and targeted violence. Topics discussed at the meeting included:

• New Jersey election security
• Customs and border patrol resources, and
• Extremist threats

During the meeting, NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran highlighted the accomplishments of the New Jersey State Threat Assessment team (NJ STAT). NJ STAT is an alternative approach to preventing targeted violence through non-law enforcement intervention. The program seeks to identify at-risk individuals prior to a violent incident and thwart potential attacks by offering “off ramps” through mental health and other social services.

On September 27, Israeli forces killed Hassan Nasrallah (pictured left), Hizballah’s leader of the last 30 years, in an airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon. Operation “New Order” targeted Nasrallah in an underground bunker during a senior leadership meeting. Hizballah confirmed that Ali Karaki, another senior commander, also died in the strike. Israel and Hizballah both confirmed Nasrallah’s death and Hizballah stated it will announce a replacement. Since the onset of the October 7, 2023, Israel-HAMAS conflict, Israel and Hizballah have routinely exchanged rocket fire, threatening conflict escalation in the Middle East. Israel conducted multiple targeted operations against the group over the last few weeks and has recently launched a limited ground incursion into southern Lebanon.

Analyst Comment: The terror threat from Hizballah to New Jersey is low since the group has mainly focused its efforts on regional conflicts in the Middle East, as well as supporting the Assad regime in Syria. Hizballah has never conducted an attack on U.S. soil, though authorities have arrested Hizballah members in the U.S, including Alexei Saab, a New Jersey-based Hizballah member arrested in 2019. While the threat to the U.S. from Hizballah is low, homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) may find inspiration from the group and seek to commit violence in support of its actions. HVEs remain a persistent and high threat to our region. These individuals are inspired—as opposed to directed—by foreign terrorist organizations and radicalized in the countries in which they are born, raised, or reside. A 2023 NJOHSP review found that over the last five years, 37 percent of all HVE attacks and plots in the U.S. occurred in New Jersey and its surrounding states, further highlighting the sustained threat to this region.

On September 24, a grand jury indicted Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Kaʻaʻawa, Hawaii, charging him with the attempted assassination of presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida. On September 14, an agent conducting a perimeter security sweep noticed the barrel of a rifle move in the tree line of the course and fired towards Routh, who lived most of his life in Greensboro, North Carolina, before moving to Hawaii in 2018. Martin County officers apprehended Routh on the highway after he fled the scene in an SUV. FBI agents located a semiautomatic rifle with a scope attached and an extended magazine. Further investigation revealed handwritten lists of dates and venues from August to October where former President Trump appeared or would appear. Records from cell phones left in the vehicle showed Routh’s cell phone near Trump International and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence on multiple days and times from mid-August to mid-September. This is the second attempt on the former president’s life, two months after Thomas Matthew Crooks’ attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania.

Analyst Comment: This attack exemplifies ongoing political violence from various threat actors targeting political candidates, elected officials, and government employees. Online agitators will use social media and encrypted messaging platforms to spread conspiracy theories and disinformation amplifying online narratives that can encourage more attacks. Lone offenders can include threat actors with personal grievances and/or extremists who subscribe to a specific ideology.

October marks the 21st anniversary of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a month dedicated to raising awareness of the importance of protecting online information through cybersecurity best practices. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort led by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Cybersecurity Alliance, with a theme of “Secure Our World.” While there are many steps one should take to protect their online information and personally identifiable information, a few simple steps are the foundation for building a safer online environment. Users should follow recommended password practices, implement a password manager for safe storage, and utilize multifactor authentication when available. Additionally, users are advised to keep software updated to help secure devices from the most recently discovered vulnerabilities and set up automatic updates to help keep devices safe and up to date with minimal user interaction. Phishing comes in many forms, and immediately recognizing threats and red flags is one of the best ways to keep personal information safe from threat actors. More information and cybersecurity best practices can be found through the NJCCIC Cybersecurity Awareness Month product and NJOHSP’s press release.