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Biweekly Homeland Security Insights for a Safer New Jersey |
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Recent Agency News
Lt. Gov. Way, AG Platkin, and NJOHSP Director Doran Announce Safeguards to Protect the Right to Vote During the 2024 General Election
Lieutenant Governor Tahesha Way, Attorney General Matthew Platkin, and NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran announced October 24 that the State of New Jersey is taking a multi-pronged approach to help ensure that the 2024 General Election is fair, transparent, secure, and runs smoothly. Among the efforts highlighted are the Division of Elections Voter Information project and the Department of Law and Public Safety’s (LPS) Voter Protection Initiative. “Year round, the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness collaborates with local, state, and federal partners through the Election Security Task Force to protect our elections and uphold our democratic processes,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “As we prepare for the 2024 presidential election, NJOHSP and the Task Force are focused on ensuring New Jersey’s public safety and election officials are equipped to handle all threats and hazards, whether physical or cyber, foreign or domestic.” The State will play a key role in protecting New Jerseyans’ right to vote, as well as in assisting voters, election officials, and law enforcement in resolving voting-related legal matters. The LPS Voting Rights Resources web page provides New Jersey residents with answers to frequently asked questions regarding the right to vote. The web page explains how voters can report any problems they encounter during early voting or on Election Day. NJOHSP encourages the public to remain vigilant and report potential threat-related suspicious activity to local law enforcement or to its Counter-Threat Watch Unit by calling 866-4-SAFE-NJ or emailing tips@njohsp.gov.
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NJOHSP Accepting Applications for its 2025 Spring Internship Program
NJOHSP is currently accepting applications for its spring 2025 in-person paid internship program, which runs from January 21, 2025, through April 11, 2025. Internships are offered to undergraduate and graduate college students who are interested in applying to one of three NJOHSP Divisions – Intelligence and Operations (Hamilton Office), Preparedness (Hamilton Office), the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) (Hamilton, West Trenton, or Newark) and the Communications Bureau (Hamilton Office). The program, also offered during the summer and fall, helps interns develop and apply their educational training to a real-world setting as they explore various NJOHSP career paths. Applicants may select the Communications Bureau or Division of their interest. Hours of work are Monday through Friday within the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Interns are limited to no more than 21 hours per week. The last day to apply for the spring internship is November 14, 2024. For more information and to apply, visit NJOHSP’s Careers web page.
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NJCCIC Showcases 2024 High School Students Internship Achievements
As part of “National Cybersecurity Awareness Month,” the NJCCIC showcased the outstanding achievements of its 2024 high school summer interns during “Cyber Day” in Hamilton on October 26. Basic and Advanced Cybersecurity interns, representing 60 New Jersey high schools and home-schooled students, presented research projects and showcased table displays and cybersecurity awareness posters. Through their dedication and passion for cybersecurity, both Basic and Advanced interns expanded their cyber knowledge and gained practical real-world experience.
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NJOHSP’s IOD Leadership Team Participates in Team-Building Exercises with West Point Staff
 Members of NJOHSP’s Intelligence and Operations Division (IOD) attended a Senior/Mid-Level Leadership Retreat at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, from October 7 to 9. The IOD team collaborated with West Point academy staff and cadets to organize exceptional leadership, management, and team-building exercises and met with West Point’s Combating Terrorism Center officials to discuss the current threat landscape and joint strategic initiatives. The IOD leadership team also participated in West Point’s “Trail of the Fallen” hike, a two-mile trek in Bear Mountain State Park. At the summit stood a memorial honoring fallen military, firefighters, and law enforcement personnel.
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FBI Arrests Two ISIS-Inspired Homegrown Violent Extremists
FBI agents arrested Micheal Teekaye Jr., 21, of Hanover, Maryland, on October 14 and charged him with attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Teekaye engaged in multiple conversations with an undercover officer and expressed his desire to travel to Africa to join the group. In case he could not travel, he said that attacking U.S.-based individuals, who supported Israel, was his “Plan B.” Teekaye purchased ammunition and range time at a shooting range in Maryland but was denied a rifle purchase due to his probation in a state-level criminal case. He maintained communication with the undercover officer, and said he was in contact with fighter from ISIS-Khorasan, which is ISIS’ Afghanistan affiliate. He also sent the officer a photo of himself in a black mask holding a machete. In a separate incident on October 18, the FBI arrested Marvin Aneer Jalo, 17, of Peoria, Arizona, on charges of terrorism and conspiracy to commit terrorism for planning an attack at the Phoenix Pride Festival. Jalo’s attack was inspired by ISIS and the teen participated in online chat rooms discussing terrorist organizations and the supplies needed to make an improvised explosive device (IED). He purchased IED supplies and discussed online his intent to create an explosive with shrapnel. Officials expect him to be tried as an adult.
Analyst Comment: While ISIS poses a low threat to New Jersey, these recent arrests continue to show ISIS’ continued ability to inspire homegrown violent extremists. Some individuals seek to join ISIS abroad while others commit attacks on behalf of the group. The age of arrested individuals continues to demonstrate that young individuals are increasingly impressionable to foreign terrorist organizations.
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NJCCIC: ClickFix Imitates Both the Problem and the ‘Solution’
The NJCCIC reported in June on a previous ClickFix campaign that used PowerShell scripts to drop malicious payloads. Recently, ClickFix was identified in two separate phishing campaigns. In one of these campaigns, the threat actors behind ClickFix hacked into more than 6,000 WordPress sites to implant malicious plugins that display fake browser update prompts to users. Similar to the previous campaign, a malicious JavaScript file attempts to load the forged update prompt when the compromised website is loaded. This malicious file is stored using the Binance Smart Chain contract platform. Should an end user follow the instructions from the prompt, info-stealing malware will be loaded and installed onto their device. For more information, view NJCCIC’s “Latest Alerts and Advisories.”
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NJOHSP Anticipates Release of Additional Federal NSGP Funding
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NJOHSP-Coordinated Training Courses
All NJOHSP-coordinated training courses are posted on the NJOHSP state training calendar. The calendar provides a course description, training location, target audience, and point of contact.
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Contact Information
For more information or to share feedback, please contact the Communications Bureau at communications@njohsp.gov.
The NJ Security Spotlight is a biweekly newsletter of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness and is intended to provide constituents with important agency updates, publications, and announcements. Please visit njohsp.gov/connect/nj-security-spotlight to read previous newsletters.
Report Suspicious Activity: Call 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ or email tips@njohsp.gov.
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