Help Mitigate Swatting at Your Institution

A recent spate of disturbing swatting incidents at colleges and universities involving allegations of an active shooter have traumatized many students and staff. Swatting — malicious pranks where someone makes a false emergency report to intentionally dispatch heavily armed police to a target — carries risk of serious injury, including death.

Early information indicates these events may be the work of nihilistic violence extremist (NVE) groups who, for under $100, sell their services to conduct a swat of an institution or people.

To help mitigate the impact and potential for swatting at your institution, consider the following actions.

• Work with federal and local law enforcement. The FBI has a cybercrimes unit that monitors swatting-for-hire activities. Your state or local law enforcement also may have cybercrime expertise. Reach out to your local and federal law enforcement agencies to get current information on swatting (and other) threats, groups that are perpetrating these threats, and possible mitigation measures.
• Work with legal counsel to ensure criminal prosecution of swatting perpetrators and those that commission the swatting. Consider including swatting (and other cybercrimes) in student and employee conduct policies and detail consequences.
• Create a crisis communication protocol to quickly inform your campus community during a swatting event. Prepare media response strategies to counter misinformation. Conduct post-incident reviews to improve future responses and update policies.
• Practice your plan by conducting a tabletop exercise of a swatting scenario. Be sure to focus on the role of campus or local law enforcement, use of force and how to deal with the student and employee trauma following an event.