Homeland Security Intelligence Analytic Priorities

I&A seeks to optimize the capability of DHS to collect and analyze intelligence and information and produce finished analyses tailored to the needs of our key customers. I&A provides the country's leaders at all levels of government with a timely, actionable, and complete understanding of homeland security threats to facilitate informed decision-making, policies, and appropriate operational responses.

We are guided by the IC's key principles: a commitment to change the intelligence culture from “need to know” to “responsibility to provide”; a strong, common direction for our enterprise; enhancement of our core capabilities of requirements, analysis, and dissemination; a renewed sense of purpose and accountability for our efforts; and an aggressive commitment to attracting and retaining a diverse, innovative, and world-class workforce. As important, we pursue our mission with respect for the Constitution and for the civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy of the American people.

I&A has five analytic thrusts, aligned with the principal threats to the Homeland addressed by DHS. The first is threats related to border security. We look at all borders - air, land, sea, and virtual - and analyze a range of interlocking threats to include narcotics trafficking, alien and human smuggling, money laundering, and other illicit transnational threats. We also monitor foreign government initiatives that affect border security.

The second is the threat of radicalization and extremism. Our top priority is radicalized Islam (Sunni and Shia groups), but we also look at radicalized domestic groups. We do not monitor known extremists and their activities; instead, we are interested in the radicalization process - why and how people who are attracted to radical beliefs cross the line into violence.

The third is threats from particular groups entering the United States - groups that could be exploited by terrorists or criminals to enter the Homeland legally or to bring in harmful materials. We further focus on travel-related issues of interest to the Department, such as visa categories and the Visa Waiver Program.

The fourth is threats to the Homeland's critical infrastructure and key resources. We integrate all source intelligence from the IC with information from critical infrastructure owners and operators, and, collaboratively with State and Local Fusion Centers, provide a comprehensive tactical and strategic understanding of physical and cyber threats to the critical infrastructure, including threats from nation-states, international and domestic terrorism, and criminal enterprises. Our threat assessments are integrated with other assessments of infrastructure vulnerabilities and the consequences of an incident to define all hazard infrastructure risk for risk-based prioritization and decision making.

The fifth is weapons of mass destruction and health threats. We evaluate and establish a baseline of the actors, their claims, and their plans to conduct attacks involving chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials against the Homeland. We also support homeland-focused analysis of global infectious disease, public health, and food, agricultural, and veterinary issues. We provide tailored analytical support on these threats to our state, local, and tribal partners as well as members of the public health, technical, scientific, medical, and response communities.