Office of Intelligence and Analysis

The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) is a member of the national Intelligence Community (IC) and ensures that information related to homeland security threats is collected, analyzed, and disseminated to the full spectrum of homeland security customers in the Department, at state, local, and tribal levels, in the private sector, and in the IC.

I&A works closely with DHS Component intelligence organizations as well as state, local, tribal and private sector entities to ensure non-traditional streams of information are fused with traditional IC sources to provide a complete assessment of threats to the nation.

The Under Secretary for Intelligence and Analysis, in his capacity as the Chief Intelligence Officer (CINT), implements his mandate to integrate the Department’s intelligence components and functions—the DHS Intelligence Enterprise (IE)—by driving a common intelligence mission.

The DHS IE comprises I&A and the intelligence elements of:

• U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS),
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG),
• U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and
• Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

I&A is also the Executive Agent for the DHS State and Local Fusion Center Program.  The Under Secretary leads several additional activities for the Department, such as information sharing, stewardship of National Security Systems, and management of classified information systems security.

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.

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DHS Intelligence Enterprise

I&A promotes a unified intelligence approach through common enterprise program and planning activities, including strategic planning, budgeting, workforce planning, and performance management, while evaluating and aligning resource decisions in coordination with component needs and with Department and national guidance.  We provide independent policy development, analysis and advice for the Under Secretary. 

I&A provides intelligence training to the DHS IE, as well as state, local, and tribal government personnel, in order to integrate and close gaps between domestic and national understanding of national security and all-hazards threats.  I&A addresses these issues through valuable educational and professional development opportunities, and is working to standardize and expand the competencies of its workforce at all levels.

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State and Local Fusion Centers

DHS’ partners at state, local and tribal governments and the private sector gather information outside the boundaries of the IC.  Simultaneously, their information needs are not always recognized by traditional IC agencies.  To meet their own all-threats, all-hazards information needs, many states and larger cities have created fusion centers, which provide state and local officials with situational awareness. 

Fusion centers are the logical touch-points for DHS to access local information and expertise as well as provide them with timely, relevant information and intelligence derived from all-source analysis.  The result is a new intelligence discipline and tradecraft that gives us a new, more complete understanding of the threat.  DHS provides personnel and tools to the fusion centers to enable the National Fusion Center Network.

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Information Sharing

Unifying and ensuring that the homeland security community is effectively aligned and engaged with our non-Federal colleagues is vital to securing the homeland.  Mission success requires collaborative action.  In order to address the information sharing and collaboration challenges, DHS has instituted a governance framework comprised of the Information Sharing Governance Board, the Information Sharing Coordinating Council, and Shared Mission Communities. Participation in these organizations is drawn from each of the Department components. 

Using this framework, DHS is developing and implementing effective information-sharing policies and collaborative programs required for mission success.  Building trusted relationships within DHS and with our federal, state, local, tribal and private sector partners enhances our ability to secure the homeland.

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National Security Systems

As part of a Joint Program Management Office in partnership with the DHS Chief Information Officer, I&A provides program management, operational oversight, and strategic planning for classified networks and systems across the Department.  In DHS, the primary systems involved are the Homeland Secure Data Network, which facilitates the management of classified information up to the secret level, and the Joint Worldwide Intelligence Communications System, which is used to facilitate classified information management above the secret level.

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