NJOHSP is currently accepting applications for its unpaid, in-person 2025 Summer Internship Program, which runs from June 9, 2025, through August 1, 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), and the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) (Hamilton, West Trenton, or Newark) – or the Communications Bureau (Hamilton Office). Students may receive college-approved credits for completed internships. The program, also offered during the spring 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. Interns must be available Monday through Friday within the business hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for eight consecutive weeks and are limited to no more than 35 hours per week. The last day to apply for the summer internship is March 17. For more information and to apply, visit NJOHSP’s careers webpage.

NJOHSP, through its New Jersey Shield program, and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center's (NTAC) Newark Field Office, are hosting a workplace violence prevention seminar on April 8, 2025, featuring NTAC's latest efforts to develop best practices for implementing behavioral threat assessment programs. With more than 350 individuals currently registered, in-person attendance at NJOHSP’s Hamilton, NJ, location is closed. Individuals are encouraged to participate virtually. Registration is required.

The seminar will highlight research findings and explore the implications of targeted violence in our communities, while also providing guidance on proactively identifying and intervening with individuals who display threatening or concerning behaviors as early as possible.

The event is designed for:

• Law enforcement
• First responders
• Analysts
• Educators
• Mental health specialists
• Healthcare professionals
• Public safety and security personnel
• Government partners
• Workplace violence program coordinators
• Business continuity planners
• Community support program members
• All partners of the New Jersey Shield and Global Shield Network

On March 5, 2025, Kyse Abushanab, 27, of Budd Lake (Morris County), pleaded guilty to charges of attempting to provide material support to ISIS between March 2021 and January 2022. Abushanab compiled videos and documents detailing step-by-step instructions for making various weapons of mass destruction, including improvised explosive devices, to provide ISIS members with a repository of resources in support of its mission. To avoid law enforcement detection, he used encrypted messaging applications and untraceable email accounts to gather and store the information. For more information, read the Department of Justice’s press release.

Analyst comment: Encrypted messaging applications provide additional privacy and anonymity than mainstream platforms. Abushanab’s use of these applications is consistent with data analyzed in NJOHSP’s 2025 Threat Assessment. An NJOHSP review identified that in all homegrown violent extremist (HVEs) incidents in 2024, there was a social media nexus. HVEs primarily operated on encrypted messaging platforms (58 percent) in support of ISIS (80 percent).

The NJCCIC continues to receive reports of compromised accounts affecting email, social media, banking, cryptocurrency wallets, and utility accounts. Cybercriminals often launch social engineering attacks to trick victims into revealing sensitive information or installing malware that allows them to gain access to these accounts. Beyond phishing, attackers are increasingly exploiting mobile devices through mishing (mobile phishing), vishing (voice phishing), and quishing (QR code phishing), taking advantage of mobile vulnerabilities and the expanded attack surface due to remote work on personal devices.

Threat actors can quickly escalate privileges once an account is compromised, moving laterally and completing their attacks in under five hours. To mitigate risks, users should be cautious with unsolicited communications, avoid scanning unverified QR codes, and verify suspicious messages through alternate channels. To enhance protection, the NJCCIC recommends implementing multifactor authentication to set up security alerts and maintain unique passwords for each account. Individuals should also limit the online sharing of personal information to reduce their digital footprint. For more information, review the NJCCIC's latest alerts and advisories.