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Biweekly Homeland Security Insights for a Safer New Jersey |
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NJCCIC Discusses Use of AI to Detect Cyber Threats
New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communication Integration Cell (NJCCIC) Director Michael Geraghty (pictured left) recently interviewed with StateTech Magazine to discuss how organizations benefit from artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
Geraghty covered a range of cybersecurity issues, such as malware, and using AI to summarize lengthy technical reports from thousands of words from various analytical tools to condensed key facts and information.
"The days of using signatures that are very brittle to detect malware or phishing emails are over. Today, we have endpoint detection and response, which is behavior-based and deals with a lot of machine learning AI models," said Geraghty, who also serves as New Jersey's State Chief Information Security Officer.
Geraghty also spoke about the talent needed. While AI brings an abundance of speed and assistance to tasks and data, engineers are still required. "Everything is connected to the internet … to get that data, you need the engineering talent to make sense of it and build learning models," noted Geraghty. Even without experienced workers, he said government AI implementation could still work around budgets, refocus employee attention, and improve around-the-clock resilience.
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NJCCIC Warns: Email Forwarding Can Jeopardize Security
Email forwarding, especially to external non-work accounts, presents organizations with serious privacy and security risks.
The NJCCIC has received multiple reports of employees creating automatic forwarding rules or manually forwarding work emails to personal accounts, potentially exposing sensitive information such as personally identifiable information, financial data, or trade secrets. Threat actors can leverage compromised external accounts to gain access to an organization's environment and establish their own email forwarding rules to exfiltrate data. Moreover, forwarding emails can interfere with spam filters and authentication protocols.
Organizations typically establish policies that prohibit transmitting or storing sensitive information via unauthorized channels, including personal email accounts, social media, or file-sharing platforms. Violating these policies may result in disciplinary actions, fines, or termination.
The NJCCIC recommends that employees familiarize themselves with their organization's email usage policies, avoid creating mailbox forwarding rules, and remove any that exist. Suspicious rules should be reported to information technology departments immediately. For more information, view the NJCCIC's latest alerts and advisories.
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NJOHSP Interfaith Meeting Highlights Threat Environment, Security Grants
 On May 1, faith-based leaders attended NJOHSP's Interfaith Advisory Council (IAC) meeting at Drew University in Madison, NJ. NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran (pictured above) and staff briefed members on new initiatives and a new state law that requires organizations seeking federal and State nonprofit security grants to submit a threat and vulnerability assessment, as well as a formal security plan. The meeting featured federal, State, and local law enforcement partners who discussed federal and State grant programs available to eligible organizations, the recent threat landscape, a cybersecurity briefing, and a presentation regarding security mapping solutions.
NJOHSP established the IAC in 2012 to foster communication and collaboration between State government and the diverse religious communities across New Jersey. The IAC, which serves as a leading model for interfaith outreach in the nation, is a platform for faith-based organizations to engage with state officials on security issues, emergency preparedness, and community resilience.
NJOHSP Hosts Counter-Threat Coordinator Retreat
On April 30, NJOHSP hosted a retreat at Kean University in Union, NJ, for the state's county and municipal counter-threat coordinators (CTCs). The event brought together federal, State, and county partners to strengthen collaboration and enhance communication, coordination, and integration in addressing targeted violence, counterintelligence, and cyber threats.
The program featured subject matter experts who briefed participants on threat management, ISIS-related threats (domestic and international), and emerging threats involving unmanned aircraft systems.
CTCs also received an overview of the Counterintelligence Task Force, a joint initiative between the FBI Counterintelligence Division and NJOHSP. This partnership targets nation-state actors—such as China, Russia, and Iran—who seek to disrupt government operations and steal intellectual property from public- and private-sector entities.
CTCs serve as the primary point of contact for terrorism, targeted violence, and counterintelligence within their respective jurisdictions.
NJOHSP Awaits Release of Federal NSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity
NJOHSP anticipates the release of the Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for the 2025 federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP). The NOFO will include eligibility and application requirements for the program.
In anticipation of the upcoming open application period, nonprofit organizations should obtain a Unique Entity Identifier through SAM.gov, and ensure their vulnerability risk assessments are current, including required photographs of the areas for which security enhancements are being pursued.
For more information, view NJOHSP's grants web page.
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Upcoming Training Programs
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NJOHSP-Coordinated Training
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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Counter-Threat Watch Specialist
NJOHSP invites talented individuals to apply for a Counter-Threat Watch Specialist position in its Intelligence Management Bureau and make a meaningful impact across New Jersey in homeland security. Join our team and help to ensure the safety of residents and visitors in the Garden State. Requirements include a background in law enforcement/criminal justice, intelligence, or homeland security, as the job requires a basic understanding of the current threat environment. The position also requires strong writing and computer skills, the ability to simultaneously manage multiple projects in collaboration with various NJOHSP staff, the ability to adapt to a fluctuating workload, and the ability to work with individuals of all backgrounds. To apply, visit NJOHSP's careers web page.
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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 Threat-Related Suspicious Activity Call 1-866-4-SAFE-NJ or email tips@njohsp.gov.
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