The Hard Reset Cross-Sector Threat Analysis

The Threat

Terrorgram is a network of neo-Nazi channels on the messaging platform Telegram with users frequently sharing and advocating for accelerationist objectives. In July of 2022, the network published The Hard Reset, a 261-page propaganda document which highlighted their accelerationist agenda. “Accelerationism is an ideologically agnostic doctrine of violent and non-violent actions taken to exploit contradictions intrinsic to a political system to ‘accelerate’ its destruction through the friction caused by its features,” according to researcher Jade Parker.

The term “accelerationist” refers to the adherents’ expectations that their actions will hasten the beginning of an anticipated conflict. Using violence, including against the government and critical infrastructure, they hope to overthrow the existing social and political order and establish a white ethno-state. Thus, militant accelerationism is a set of tactics and strategies designed to put pressure on and exacerbate latent social divisions to hasten societal collapse. Instead of mobilizing large numbers of people, accelerationist doctrine emphasizes decentralized, geographically dispersed, small terrorist cells or lone actors committing violence. Individuals embracing accelerationist goals typically espouse either Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremist (RMVE) ideology or Anti-Government /Anti-Authority Violent Extremist, specifically Militia Violent Extremist (MVE), ideology. Accordingly, the U.S. government assesses RMVEs and MVEs present the most lethal DVE threats.

The Analysis

Gate 15 analysts led the coordination and provided key insights for a cross-sector analysis of the document along with partners from the following organizations:

Water-ISAC
Central Florida Intelligence Exchange
(CFIX) Homeland Security Today
Faith-Based ISAO
Real Estate ISAC
Surface Transportation, Over-the-Road,
Public Transportation ISAC (ST, OTRB, and PT ISACs)
Cannabis ISAO
Health ISAC
Homeland Security Today

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The Hard Reset is filled with extremist content ranging from, but not exclusive to, racist and antisemitic sentiments, and contains content from at least 26 authors who discuss tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and target selection for a wide variety of areas to include critical infrastructure. The aim of the publication is to encourage violence against government due to the government’s stance on not responding to white supremacist demands. Of particular importance is that the materials promoted attacks targeting politicians, mass gatherings, critical infrastructure, and lifeline sectors to include commercial facilities, transportation, water, and health systems. Since its publication, we have seen some of the tactics play out, particularly in respect to attacks on the power grid.

Some of the main themes from the document are captured below, while the tactics discussed are outlined more clearly in this report:

The cover gives the reader clear insight into the direction of the contents by featuring “a depiction of a masked and hooded gunman wielding a semiautomatic handgun with a suppressor affixed and wearing panoramic night-vision goggles.”

Asserts that the document, which is filled with racist language, is not a text aimed at radicalizing new adherents, as the author(s) assume that readers are already committed to ‘doing what you can to strike a blow to this system.’

Notes that the Buffalo mass shooting was “treating symptoms of the cancer, not the cause,” and argues that attackers should choose targets “that do the most damage to the system and spark revolution and chaos.”

Refers to the power grid as “the main thing that keeps the anti-White system going” and calls power distribution substations “sitting ducks, worthy prey” that are “largely unprotected and often in remote locations,” setting the stage for a spree of attacks.