4.3 Homeland Security Enterprise

WHO? The Homeland Security Enterprise.

WHAT? Is the collection of public and private agencies that DHS must work with to do it’s missions.

WHEN? Homeland security missions are ongoing and continuous.

WHERE? The Homeland Security Enterprise requires coordination across the nation and around the globe.

WHY? To safeguard the nation from domestic catastrophic destruction.

As we have seen, despite the best efforts to consolidate government functions within a single agency to preclude another 9/11 attack, the Department of Homeland Security can’t do everything. Safeguarding the nation from domestic catastrophic destruction requires the efforts of many agencies. What it can’t do directly DHS helps coordinate as part of the Homeland Security Enterprise. Again, let us examine the Homeland Security Enterprise from the mission perspective. Counterterrorism is the responsibility of the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis. As we learned, actionable intelligence is the best defense against terrorism; stopping a crime before it happens. Also as we learned, the FBI and CIA were purposely kept separate when DHS was formed. Combining them was deemed to big a risk to American civil liberties. Accordingly, the FBI remains the Lead Federal Agency for domestic intelligence collection and terrorist investigations under Title 28 Section 0.85 US Code. And the CIA remains responsible for foreign intelligence collection and managing the National Counterterrorism Center according to Title 50 Section 3024 US Code. The NCTC in Washington DC collects, collates, and acts on all terrorism information. The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis is a member of the NCTC. It has no collection capability of its own. The DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis serves as a conduit for intelligence data to 79 State and Local Fusion Centers. The FBI also shares intelligence through its 71 Joint Terrorism Task Forces. As we learned in Topic 1.4, Title 18 Section 2331 makes terrorism a crime in the US. If intelligence indicates a terrorist act is about to be committed, every effort is made to capture and arrest the suspect. Emergency Management is the responsibility of FEMA. As was said in Topic 3.2, a big change with DHS is providing some standardization to the nation’s 17,985 police and 58,150 fire departments. Again, FEMA has no authority to direct change, but uses the power of grants to invite change. Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction is the responsibility of a DHS office with the same name. This agency plays a small but important role within the greater National Strategy for Countering WMD. The 2018 Strategy has three core elements: 1) Close off terrorist access to WMD materials, 2) Target terrorist WMD specialists and facilitators, and 3) Strengthen defenses against WMD threats. Most of the actions described in the 2018 Strategy fall under the responsibility of the State Department, Defense Department, and Energy Department, supported of course by the FBI and CIA. The DHS Office for Countering WMD also plays a supporting role by developing capabilities to detect and track the movement of Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear materials. Critical Infrastructure Protection is the responsibility of the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection within the National Protection & Programs Directorate. DHS has no direct authority over the nation’s critical infrastructure. Responsibility resides with the owners and operators of critical infrastructure assets, some of which is public, most of which is private. DHS works in voluntary cooperation with private industry to apply the Risk Management Framework continuous improvement process of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan. Cybersecurity is the responsibility of the DHS Office of Cybersecurity and Communications also within the National Protection & Programs Directorate. Similarly, DHS has no authority over the nation’s Internet or computers. The National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center maintains watch and issues alerts with the help of a network of public and private volunteers. Border & Transportation Security is perhaps the one mission where DHS has the most authority, but it must still work with private industry and other agencies, like the Department of Transportation. So this was a quick look at some of the agencies WHO DHS has to work with. Join us next time as we examine our nation’s Homeland Security Strategy.