New Safety Guidance Issued for Federal Employees as Threats Rise
Amid rising threats against federal employees, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued new safety guidance, to remind federal employees about best practices when it comes to keep yourself and others safe from harm.
The guidance comes from the Federal Protective Service (FPS) at a time when federal employees are frequently subject to attacks like doxing, which occurs when someone posts a slew of personal information about a victim online. We saw it recently when a far-right group posted information on DHS and Department of Justice (DOJ) employees calling for them to be fired over immigration policy or political views.
One-Page Guides
The guidance includes several one-page documents that cover all sorts of potential safety situations such as protecting yourself on social media, while traveling, while at home, and from identity theft.
There are also documents on doxing, situational awareness, reacting to bomb threats, and knowing what exactly constitutes a threat.
For instance, on reporting suspicious activity, FPS reminds employees to always be aware of their surroundings, whether at home, at work, traveling, or elsewhere. That includes watching out for people following you, minimizing mobile device use to stay alert, and not leaving valuables around.
While in the office, FPS reminds employees to never leave a door propped open, never allow unauthorized personnel inside, and always keep government identification cards on your person.
While traveling, federal employees are reminded to keep government credentials out of sight in public areas, avoid posting their location on social media, and never speak about work projects while in public.
There is also a one-pager on doxing. To prevent doxing, federal employees are urged to turn on privacy settings on social media, apps, and websites, review privacy and location settings, shield information by creating a separate email account for new information, and removing sensitive information from online profiles.
Employees are also urged to “think before you post” on social media, given that inflammatory or partisan statements can be used in doxing attacks.
“In the age of social media, it’s become much easier for people to intimidate and circulate information, sometimes false, that really puts people on the spot and makes them worry about their job and their families,” an anonymous former DHS official told Federal News Network.