News Round Up
January 2025 — Cartels are Terrorists Now and Other Security News
There’s a lot going on in the world of physical risk and vulnerability; it’s nearly impossible to keep up with the latest news and developments. We’ll keep you informed with the best content to keep your organization safe and secure. Check out the top news and headlines from the past month.
New Orleans terrorist researched Bourbon Street balconies, Germany car attack
From the Lousiana Illuminator: The man who drove a rented pickup truck into a Bourbon Street crowd in the early hours of New Year’s Day looked into how to access balconies along the corridor, according to an update from the FBI. The agency has also revised the number of people injured in terrorist Shadsud-Din Jabbar’s attack, increasing the number to from 37 to 57, along with 14 people killed. Police fatally shot Jabbar, a 42-year-old IT worker and Army veteran from Texas, after he crashed his truck after travelling three blocks.
Our take: Our hearts go out to the victims of the New Year’s attack in New Orleans. We’ve seen in the past that vehicles can be a terrible, and effective, weapon. They can be used to attack crowds, buildings, other vehicles, and infrastructure.This is a risk every business should be aware of; it’s a good time to evaluate your site, making sure you’ve taken precautions to keep vehicular attacks from happening on your property.
Using a QR code to park? Ensure it’s not a scam sticker
From WSOC TV: QR Codes make parking fast and easy. They may take you right to the website you want, or they may not. Some scammers put their codes over the real ones, tricking users into entering payment information into fake sites or dummy apps. The Federal Trade Commission issued this warning, saying “some crafty scammers” might text or email you a code and make up a reason for you to scan it. For example, they “couldn’t deliver your package and you need to contact them to reschedule.”
Our take: It’s pretty easy to scam someone using a QR code. All a bad actor has to do is make one and print out a sticker and they can easily scam people into giving them payment and personal information, and of course this sort of scam isn’t limited to parking schemes. Malicious QR codes can be used for many different kinds of scams. Businesses should make it a practice to scan their own sites, including parking facilities, for false QR codes, looking for stickers or other altered codes that might have been placed there by people with bad intentions.
Physical Security in a Digital World: The Flipper Tool's Role
From social media: A viral post across Facebook, Instagram and Linkedin has been making the rounds, shining a light on Flipper Zero, a multitool with capabilities that make it useful for hackers and criminals: The Flipper tool, known for its versatility, can copy physical keys, among many other capabilities. When combined with technologies like 3D printing, it opens up both exciting possibilities and significant risks. Imagine being able to replicate a physical key with just a scan and a printer. While the innovation is impressive, the potential misuse highlights a vital lesson: security isn't only about firewalls and passwords; it’s about the physical plane too.”
Our take: We often talk about the intersection between digital and physical security. The Flipper Zero, a digital multitool which allows users to print scanned objects, use the tool as a remote, and interact with access control, among other things, can be used by criminals to compromise physical security. It’s an illustration of how the line between physical and cyber security is thinning — and a reminder that security practitioners must keep both physical and digital security in mind when considering potential threats.
Strong winds remain a threat to Southern California as firefighters bat down new wildfires
From CNN: After weeks of wildfires devastated Southern California, authorities are concerned about new fires breaking out. The Santa Ana winds will continue whipping through Southern California in late January, sparking fears that progress made fighting wildfires that have scorched over 40,000 acres and left 28 dead could be reversed and more blazes could break out.
Our take: Our thoughts go out to the residents of Southern California, who have been besieged by massive and dangerous fires for a month, forcing many to abandon their homes and causing death and destruction throughout the area. Extreme weather patterns have been causing more and more natural disasters lately. Businesses in regions of all kinds now need to make plans for disasters they never had to deal with in the past.
Trump plans to classify drug cartels as terrorist organizations
From NPR: President Trump signed an executive order Monday night designating drug cartels as terrorist organizations, an action that's drawn growing support from Republican leaders.The order describes drug cartels as posing a "national-security threat beyond that posed by traditional organized crime" and calls for U.S. agencies to begin taking action within two weeks of Monday's signing.
Our take: Classifying cartels as a terrorist opens up new and explored risks for our nation; unlike other foreign terrorists who tend to be located an ocean away, cartels are a direct border issue for us. Classifying them as terrorists may provoke them into taking unexpected actions, and also will change the way we prosecute anyone who interacts with a cartel. No matter what happens, we will likely be dealing with unintended consequences of some kind.
January’s Top Security Grants
Fiscal Year 2024 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA): The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local communities to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It does so with a recognition of the growing flood hazards associated with climate change1, and of the need for flood hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to flooding. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in the future. Grant closes: April 18
Fiscal Year 2024 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC): The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program makes federal funds available to states, U.S territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local communities for hazard mitigation activities. It does so with a recognition of the growing hazards associated with climate change1, and of the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in the future. Grant closes: April 18
Fiscal Year 2025 Safeguarding Tomorrow through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Revolving Loan Fund Program: The objective of the Safeguarding Tomorrow RLF program is to capitalize or recapitalize entity-established revolving loan funds that will provide low-interest loans to local governments most in need of financing assistance to complete hazard mitigation projects and activities. The program aims to reduce risks from natural hazards for homeowners, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and communities in order to decrease the loss of life and property, the cost of insurance, and federal disaster payments. Grant closes: September 30
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