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Interfor International‘s Weekly Security Digest – February 7, 2023

Developing

Two earthquakes hit near Turkey’s border with Syria, killing over 4,3 00 people. More than 15,000 people were injured, with many still trapped under collapsed buildings. The numbers are expected to rise rapidly. The earthquakes were of 7.8 and 7.5 magnitude.

Infrastructure Threats

On Monday, Sarah Beth Clendaniel from Baltimore, Maryland, was arrested for conspiring with Brandon Russell, a neo-Nazi leader, to carry out an attack on electrical substations in the Baltimore area. Authorities said the pair used open-source information on the national infrastructure grid to identify five sites around Baltimore that would, if attacked on the same day, create a failure in the system.

The FBI announced Friday has offered a $2500 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible for damaging electric substations in Moore County and Randolph County, North Carolina. Legislators are seeking tighter security for the electrical system after nine substations were attacked in North Carolina, Washington State, and Oregon over the past three months. Experts warn that right-wing extremists have been targeting power systems.

Travel Security

Three US tourists were stabbed in Puerto Rico. The tourists got into a confrontation after they began filming in La Perla and were told to stop and leave the area. Nearly two years ago, a US tourist was killed and set on fire after he was warned not to take pictures while buying drugs in La Perla.

Cyber

Killnet, a pro-Russian hacking group, added the administrative website of the US Department for Homeland Security (DHS) to their list of targets. The group posted on its Telegram channel about “The largest DDoS attack on the US medical sector,” including corporate networks of hospitals and providers of online medical services on their list of targets. Killnet attacked at least 14 US healthcare organizations, likely due to President Biden’s support for Ukraine.

Foreign Affairs

On Saturday, the US shot down a Chinese spy balloon. The high-altitude surveillance balloon was used by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) for surveillance. The balloon was shot down after it was spotted over US airspace off the coast of South Carolina. In response, Secretary of State Antony Blinken postponed his planned trip to China. China claims the balloon was a civilian craft that accidentally drifted away.

Extremism

Anti-Semitic flyers wrapped in plastic bags were left in the driveways of many Jewish Atlanta residents. The Dunwoody and Sandy Springs police departments are investigating these incidents. Georgia State Rep. Esther Panitch was one of the residents receiving a flyer.

Covid-19

The U.S. will stop buying Covid-19 shots at a reduced price for the entire country and shift vaccine distribution to the private market as soon as early fall.
New York city will make the Covid-19 vaccination requirement optional for city employees, in addition to New York City Department of Education employees.
China officially lifted all travel restrictions and limitations to Macau and scrapped Covid-19 requirements.