ARE YOU PREPARED?
Faith-based guidance and practice in prevention, protection, interaction, and survival
Vertical Divider
|
Collaborative workshops on assessing risks, mitigating crises, and managing contingencies
Vertical Divider
|
Partner together to provide 24/7 emergency access, consultation, and threat analysis
|
|
|
|
|
|
NEWS FOR YOU
CYBER-CRIMINALS TARGET CHURCHES
You know that cyber-attacks are already very common for businesses, but unfortunately, they are becoming more common for churches too. Many churches are unprepared for common cyber-attacks that businesses regularly experience. With the new year, cybersecurity needs to be an issue that pastors and other church leaders care about. Here are some of the more common examples of churches becoming victims of cyber-attacks in the past few years. Can you relate to any of these….yet? 1. Cyber-criminals empty the church’s bank account 2. Hackers deface the church’s website with politically charged or racially degrading images 3. Ransomware attacks that deny the church access to their files 4. Pastor’s accounts getting hacked and having sensitive information leaked 5. Church staff and congregants identities being stolen If you’ve been through our training, you know we are big proponents of tabletop exercises. These are meaningful, cost-effective ways to uncover vulnerabilities, stop misunderstandings, and create learned proficiency. By working through these scenarios in a low-stress environment before a cyber-attack happens, church leadership can identify gaps in their plans, rehearse their response, and ultimately improve their security. During your exercises, ask yourselves: 1. Could this scenario happen to us? What makes it feasible? 2. How would we respond? 3. Who would we turn to for help? Who could we call? 4. If this scenario happened, what would the impact be to our reputation and credibility? How would we rebuild our reputation and trust? 5. How could this attack have been prevented? Could we detect this attack at its early stages? |
TIPS & ADVICE
HOW USED IS TOO USED?
A quick search of the internet and you will read multiple horror stories of people who have been denied entry into a country because their passport is either about to expire or is judged to be damaged. We can understand the definitive time limits but what about the more subjective limits of a well-worn passport?
According to the US government, a passport is considered damaged and may not be used if “The passport has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, or contains a damaged, defective or otherwise nonfunctioning chip, or includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs, or has observable wear or tear that renders it unfit for use as a travel document.”
You can see there is a lot of room for interpretation there. Keep in mind that “damaged” passports and pleading passengers have been used as a cover for illegal entry and activity in many parts of the world. Needless to say, immigration and security staff are very aware of this as a potential ploy and security threat and will often lean toward a more stringent side.
So how do we avoid the delays and stress of this conflict? Check your passport for the following:
~ No tears or cuts in the pages, especially the photo page
~ Everything on the photo page is legible and clear
~ RFID chip is clearly not damaged
~ No pages have been removed
~ No alterations or tampering
~ No water damage
~ Cover is not loose
~ No exposed threads
Safe Travels!
A quick search of the internet and you will read multiple horror stories of people who have been denied entry into a country because their passport is either about to expire or is judged to be damaged. We can understand the definitive time limits but what about the more subjective limits of a well-worn passport?
According to the US government, a passport is considered damaged and may not be used if “The passport has been materially changed in physical appearance or composition, or contains a damaged, defective or otherwise nonfunctioning chip, or includes unauthorized changes, obliterations, entries or photographs, or has observable wear or tear that renders it unfit for use as a travel document.”
You can see there is a lot of room for interpretation there. Keep in mind that “damaged” passports and pleading passengers have been used as a cover for illegal entry and activity in many parts of the world. Needless to say, immigration and security staff are very aware of this as a potential ploy and security threat and will often lean toward a more stringent side.
So how do we avoid the delays and stress of this conflict? Check your passport for the following:
~ No tears or cuts in the pages, especially the photo page
~ Everything on the photo page is legible and clear
~ RFID chip is clearly not damaged
~ No pages have been removed
~ No alterations or tampering
~ No water damage
~ Cover is not loose
~ No exposed threads
Safe Travels!
LOCKOUT or LOCKDOWN – WHICH DO I DO?!
During our Church Safety Seminars, we are often asked to discuss if there is a difference between a lockout and a lockdown when it comes to church safety. Emphatically, we say there IS a difference between the two.
Let’s briefly look at them and when each is appropriately initiated.
In a LOCKOUT, the threat is outside the building so only exterior access points need to be secured. In order to prevent a threat from entering the church, staff and safety team members need to be diligent with situational awareness.
Think:
~ Outside monitoring from vantage points and entrances
~ Live cameras showing what is going on outside
~ If suspicious activity is likely to be violent, call for a lockout
In a LOCKDOWN (AKA Shelter-In-Place), the shooter is already in the building. Now the interior rooms are being secured with people sheltering inside them.
Think:
~ Closing, locking, and barricading door(s) and wings
~ Getting behind cover and away from windows
~ Keeping quiet!
History shows that Lockouts and Lockdowns are the most effective ways to protect against people who are seeking to do violence. Effectiveness depends on coordination and cooperation on multiple levels. In other words - Situations involving a church-wide response require church-wide drills.
During our Church Safety Seminars, we are often asked to discuss if there is a difference between a lockout and a lockdown when it comes to church safety. Emphatically, we say there IS a difference between the two.
Let’s briefly look at them and when each is appropriately initiated.
In a LOCKOUT, the threat is outside the building so only exterior access points need to be secured. In order to prevent a threat from entering the church, staff and safety team members need to be diligent with situational awareness.
Think:
~ Outside monitoring from vantage points and entrances
~ Live cameras showing what is going on outside
~ If suspicious activity is likely to be violent, call for a lockout
In a LOCKDOWN (AKA Shelter-In-Place), the shooter is already in the building. Now the interior rooms are being secured with people sheltering inside them.
Think:
~ Closing, locking, and barricading door(s) and wings
~ Getting behind cover and away from windows
~ Keeping quiet!
History shows that Lockouts and Lockdowns are the most effective ways to protect against people who are seeking to do violence. Effectiveness depends on coordination and cooperation on multiple levels. In other words - Situations involving a church-wide response require church-wide drills.
