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.

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.

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.

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.”

NJOHSP is reviewing the release of an additional $210 million through the federal fiscal year 2024 Nonprofit Security Grant Program - National Security Supplemental (NSGP-NSS). NJOHSP will initiate the application process of the grant program following the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s release of its Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The online application will be hosted on NJOHSP’s NSGP dedicated web page - Federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NOFO will include eligibility and application requirements of the grant program. In anticipation of this open application process, nonprofit organizations should obtain a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) through the federal government’s website sam.gov. The UEI assists the federal government in tracking the disbursement of grant funding and contracts. Potential applicants should also ensure vulnerability risk assessments contain the most current risk landscape affecting the organization. Assessment request forms and additional updates, as they become available, can be found on NJOHSP’s website.