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Weekly Security Sprint EP 174. Texas Travel, Weather, Russian Interference, and More.

September 23, 2026

Please enjoy our latest podcast, the weekly Security Sprint, on Spotify, Apple, as well as other locations accessible via the Spotify for Podcasters link or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Opening:

Main Topics:

Severe Weather’s Cascading Effects: Brutal heat, storms threaten football tailgates this weekend; This weekend’s football tailgates face two threats: Extreme heat in the Southeast and rounds of rain and storms.

  • NWS: Thunderstorms and Heavy Rains in the Appalachians. Multiple rounds of moderate to locally heavy rain will impact portions of the Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic, which may lead to flash flooding concerns. Thunderstorms with isolated severe wind gusts will be possible this afternoon from parts of the Southeast into the southern and central Appalachians. A multi-day heavy rain will pose a flash flood threat in New Mexico beginning Tuesday. Read More
  • Rare September nor’easter could bring rain, wind and waves to East Coast

Russia! Russia Fabricates Celebrity Attacks on Democrats as Midterms Approach — NewsGuard Reality Check — 18 Sep 2026. NewsGuard reports that a Russian influence campaign targeting the 2026 U.S. midterm elections is using manipulated celebrity content and fabricated news reports to attack Democratic candidates and amplify divisive social issues. The activity reportedly combines authentic imagery with synthetic or manipulated content and impersonation of recognizable media brands to increase credibility. Researchers have associated the activity with an established Russian influence operation that has previously targeted audiences in the United States and Europe, although individual content has so far received limited engagement. The campaign illustrates the continuing convergence of synthetic media, trusted-brand impersonation, divisive narratives, and targeted foreign influence activity as the U.S. election approaches. 

North Korean “WaterPlum,” commonly referred to as “Contagious Interview,” cyber actor group targeting IT professionals — Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre — 18 Sep 2026. A multinational advisory warns that North Korean WaterPlum actors are targeting software developers and other IT professionals through fraudulent recruitment, technical interviews, and coding assignments designed to deliver malware and steal credentials, sensitive information, and cryptocurrency. Authorities also describe North Korean IT workers using false identities, intermediaries, remote access infrastructure, and laptop farms to obtain legitimate employment and contractor access, creating potential pathways into corporate environments. The advisory recommends controls spanning recruiting and cybersecurity, including stronger applicant verification, least-privilege access, scrutiny of subcontractors, endpoint detection, and avoiding execution of untrusted code outside sandboxed or virtual environments. The activity illustrates a blended cyber, insider, identity, and workforce threat, requiring coordination among HR, recruiting, procurement, IT, and security rather than treatment solely as a technical intrusion problem. (Cyber.gov.au) 15 from 15 connection:WaterPlum strongly reinforces People, Assess, Security Stack, MFA, and Organizational Culture, particularly the need to validate identity before granting trusted access and connect warning signs observed across recruiting, HR, IT, and security functions. Gate 15’s 15 from 15: Blocking and Tackling Cybersecurity & Resilience.

Scammers Impersonating Law Enforcement and Government Officials in Fraud Schemes — FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center — 17 Sep 2026. The FBI reiterated its warning about widespread scams in which criminals impersonate U.S. or foreign law enforcement and government officials to obtain money or personally identifiable information. Scammers use spoofed phone numbers, email addresses, names, and credentials while employing threats of arrest, prosecution, license revocation, or other consequences to pressure victims, and the FBI reports nearly 61,000 complaints between January 2025 and July 2026. The FBI also warns that criminals are using artificial intelligence to impersonate officials during video calls, adding visual credibility to established social-engineering techniques. Organizations should reinforce independent verification procedures and remind personnel that government and law enforcement agencies will not demand payment through cryptocurrency, prepaid cards, or couriers. (Internet Crime Complaint Center)

Quick Hits:

  • Using Cyber Decoys to Strengthen Detection and Response — CISA — 16 Sep 2026. CISA released guidance to help organizations plan and implement cyber decoys to improve detection of adversaries using legitimate credentials, native tools, and living-off-the-land techniques. Decoys can include realistic systems, accounts, data, tripwires, breadcrumbs, and honeytokens intended to expose malicious activity that may otherwise blend into normal network operations. CISA describes the approach as complementary to Zero Trust, providing high-fidelity alerts and opportunities to identify post-compromise discovery and lateral movement while reducing alert fatigue. The guidance offers organizations at different maturity levels a practical way to assume compromise and improve their ability to detect what an adversary does after gaining access. 15 from 15 connection: The guidance directly reinforces the Security Stack fundamental by emphasizing layered detection capabilities that complement preventive controls rather than depending on any single defensive measure. Gate 15’s 15 from 15: Blocking and Tackling Cybersecurity & Resilience.
  • Network segmentation and segregation – Overview — Australian Signals Directorate — 17 Sep 2026. 15 from 15 connection: This directly and strongly reinforces Network Segmentation, while also supporting Planning, Assess, and Security Stack through risk-based architecture, validated dependencies, and planned isolation of critical services. Gate 15’s 15 from 15: Blocking and Tackling Cybersecurity & Resilience.
  • Network segmentation and segregation – Anti-patterns — Australian Signals Directorate — 17 Sep 2026. The guidance reinforces that segmentation is not a one-time architecture decision but a security capability requiring continuing validation as systems, relationships, and dependencies change. (Cyber.gov.au) 15 from 15 connection: This is a particularly strong Network Segmentation connection because it addresses the difference between segmentation as designed and segmentation as it actually operates over time, reinforcing the need to test and validate controls rather than simply document them. Gate 15’s 15 from 15: Blocking and Tackling Cybersecurity & Resilience.
  • Best practices for setting up a SOC (ITSAP.00.500) — Canadian Centre for Cyber Security — Sep 2026. The Cyber Centre provides guidance for organizations of different sizes on establishing, operating, and continuously improving security operations centre capabilities. It emphasizes the integration of people, processes, and technology to continuously monitor security activity and improve detection, investigation, and response as organizations increasingly depend on cloud, OT, IT, and AI-enabled systems. 
  • Cyber Adversary Simulation (CyAS): scheme documents now available — UK National Cyber Security Centre — 17 Sep 2026. 15 from 15 connection: This directly reinforces Test and Exercise: organizations need to move beyond documenting controls and actively determine whether people, processes, and technologies perform as expected against realistic adversary behavior. Gate 15’s 15 from 15: Blocking and Tackling Cybersecurity & Resilience.

Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Spotify for Podcasters, Apple, Spotify, as well as other locations accessible from the Spotify for Podcasters link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:

  • The Security Sprint is our weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.
  • Nerd Out! Security Panel Discussion, moderated by Dave Pounder, focuses on physical security topics including terrorism, extremism, hostile events, and other pertinent topics.
  • The Gate 15 Interview, is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.
  • The Cybersecurity Evangelist, with Jennifer Lyn Walker, is a cybersecurity-focused discussion with Jen and invited guests. This is presently a Gate 15 special podcast and occasionally is updated on our Gate 15 podcast channel.
  • Venue Security, The IAVM Podcast Series was a 2024 limited series podcast as Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour hosted a series of short interviews with venue safety and security experts from the International Association of Venue Managers’ (IAVM) Venue Safety and Security Committee (VSSC) and other special guests from the IAVM community.
  • The Risk Roundtable, was a monthly discussion among our team and occasional guests exploring the all-hazards threats and risks impacting the United States and internationally. This was suspended in September 2023.

We hope you’ll subscribe, listen and share your ideas and other feedback! Reach out to us on Bluesky, LinkedIn, via email at Gate15@gate15.global.

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