Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
Secretary Johnson and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch are in Rome, Italy for the G6 Meeting of Interior Ministers reaffirming the importance of homeland security and intelligence cooperation between the U.S. and our European partners.
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Today, the Administration issued new strategic guidance on federal efforts to counter violent extremism at home. This plan incorporates the many lessons we have learned over the years from working hand-in-hand with local communities and lays the groundwork for the years to come. The Strategic Implementation Plan to Empower Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States (PDF, 18 pages, 322 KB) will help ensure our Nation remains vigilant in preventing terrorists from recruiting and radicalizing Americans to violence.
Over the past several years, we have seen the threat of violent extremism evolve and with it, so has our response. We have seen ISIL attempt to inspire violence from afar through the Internet and social media. Meanwhile, events in Charleston and Baton Rouge show that violent extremism is not restricted to a single ideology.
In January 2016, we stood up the Countering Violent Extremism Task Force, to harmonize our domestic efforts, and ensure we continue to integrate public health, education, and other disciplines into our approach. In July of this year, the DHS Office of Community Partnerships announced the first grants for CVE programming, and we received more than 200 applications from 42 states and territories requesting more than $100 million.
As we partner with local communities, we are also continuing productive dialogues with tech companies about how to address terrorist activities online. Companies are taking more proactive actions against terrorist actors, including by suspending accounts associated with terrorism and enacting “zero tolerance” policies for terrorist activities on their platforms.
After years of doing this work, we are more confident than ever that through partnership, we can and will overcome this threat while upholding the values and liberties that define us.
As outlined in our plan, we will focus on the following four areas.
If a cybercriminal tried to penetrate your office network, would you be able to recognize the hack?
As companies move more of their business operations online, cybercriminals are following them and looking to take advantage of unsuspecting employees to gain access to valuable company information.
Often, the weakest link in network cybersecurity is the human using a computer for work.
You have a very important role to play in cybersecurity. As seen in our “Months to Milliseconds” video, the responsibility for cybersecurity does not fall solely on the IT department. Everyone – from the entry-level employee to the CEO – has a responsibility to implement basic best practices.
As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month 2016, we are focused on promoting a culture of cybersecurity at work. The first step: Educate and raise awareness for all employees. Here are simple actions you can take to protect information at home, on the go and at work:
DHS has a number of resources to help businesses and organizations improve their cybersecurity. The C3 Voluntary Program supports industry in increasing cyber resilience, promotes awareness and use of the Cybersecurity Framework, and encourages organizations to manage cybersecurity as part of an all hazards approach. The Enhanced Cybersecurity Services (ECS) provides an intrusion prevention capability that helps U.S.-based companies protect their computer systems against unauthorized access, exploitation, and data exfiltration. Our Automated Indicator Sharing (AIS) is a free capability that enables the exchange of cyber threat indicators between the federal government and the private sector at machine speed.
Cybercriminals often prey on human error – such as employees clicking on a link in a phishing email or using a weak password – to gain access to an organization’s computer networks and information. I encourage you to take advantage of our tools and tips and help promote a culture of cybersecurity in your workplace.
PHOTO OF THE WEEK: This week, Secretary Johnson met with Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto and members of his cabinet to reinforce the strong working relationship we have with our neighbors.
Official photo by Gustavo Camacho Olivares.
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DHS Under Secretary for Management Russell C. Deyo traveled to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) site in Glynco, Georgia to view the damages from Hurricane Matthew and to thank staff for their support to the recovery mission.
Hurricane strength winds, heavy rains, and flooding last Friday and Saturday damaged FLETC training sites, but personnel has quickly returned to work to evaluate the damage and begin recovery efforts.
FLETC Glynco has opened its doors to serve as the staging center for all of southeastern Georgia and northeastern Florida hurricane recovery efforts. Georgia Power has established a base camp for more than 900 workers on the ground to address outages, while approximately 100 Georgia National and Air National Guardsmen and 35 American Red Cross workers are in Glynco dormitories while deployed to the area.
Today, FLETC Director Connie Patrick and Deputy Director William Fallon gave Under Secretary Deyo a tour of the FLETC Glynco facility to survey the damages to the training venues. During his visit, Under Secretary Deyo had the privilege of extending the Department’s gratitude and deep appreciation to volunteers. The work going on in response to Hurricane Matthew out of FLETC Glynco is just one example of our shared DHS Mission to safeguard the American people, our homeland and its values.
DHS Photo by FLETC
DHS Photo by FLETC
DHS Photo by FLETC
We are DHS, and we’re ready for Hurricane Matthew. While FEMA prepares for a domestic response, the U.S. Coast Guard is assisting with international recovery efforts in the wake of the storm. Official U.S. Coast Guard photo.
Official Photo by U.S. Coast Guard
Hurricane Matthew is a dangerous storm.
We have not seen a hurricane this strong in almost a decade. It has already devastated Haiti, and has been building strength on its way to the U.S. As it makes landfall in Florida tonight and tracks up the eastern coastline over the coming days, Americans living in its path can expect to see life-threatening hurricane conditions, storm surges, tropical force winds, heavy rains, and all the devastation that that may bring.
Today, President Obama declared a state of emergency in Florida. Evacuations for coastal counties in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina are in effect. If you live in these areas, please listen to the directions of your state, tribal, and local officials. If instructed to evacuate, don't wait. You can always repair and rebuild -- and we'll be here to help you do that. The most important thing you can do is keep you and your family safe.
As a native Floridian, I am intimately aware of the devastation hurricanes can wreak. As the head of FEMA, it is my job to make sure that we do everything we can to prepare our communities for the oncoming storm and ensure that our emergency response efforts are ready to go as soon as we're needed.
That's why we've deployed teams to emergency operation centers in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia to support preparation activities and ensure that no needs are unmet. We are staffing bases in Albany, Georgia, and Fort Bragg, North Carolina to collect and provide commodities and resources close to affected areas.
As of this morning, there were more than 414,000 liters of water, more than 513,700 meals, more than 8,000 blankets, and more than 20,600 cots in these locations. And more resources are on their way to Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia.
We're also coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to monitor and inspect the integrity of dams in the area. We're working with the U.S. Coast Guard to assess and advise on the status of ports. The Department of Health and Human Services has sent emergency medical specialists to Georgia to assist if needed.
Hurricane Matthew has potential for life-threatening rain, wind, and storm surges along our coast. This serves as a reminder for residents in areas at risk and around the nation to refresh their emergency kits and review family plans.
And as you've undoubtedly seen, this hurricane has already taken a devastating toll on Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and countries in the Caribbean. We know that many people who didn't have a lot to begin with have lost almost everything. More than 100 people have lost their lives, and so many more are in need of substantial help.
Here at FEMA, we are hoping for the best but are preparing for the worst.
Thank you,
Craig Fugate
Administrator, FEMA
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel have an immense responsibility: every day, we safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. It is this important calling that has driven so many to enter the DHS workforce, committing their life’s work to something greater than themselves. And it is my great honor to support DHS employees in the work that they do each day.
So far, over 6,000 DHS employees have gone above and beyond the call of duty, joining the DHS Surge Capacity Force. Members of the DHS Surge Capacity Force are non-emergency DHS personnel from across the Department who sign up to deploy to a disaster in the event that our Nation experiences an event so catastrophic that even the resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are overwhelmed.
Since its creation, the DHS Surge Capacity Force has deployed only once. In October 2012, in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, DHS activated the Surge Capacity Force, sending more than 1,100 DHS employees to assist FEMA with response and recovery efforts in New York and New Jersey. But we know that we are only one bad day away from needing to activate the DHS Surge Capacity Force again. For that reason, we work each day to recruit more DHS employees to join this important initiative, and train them to be at their best for communities that have been through the worst.
Surge Capacity Force volunteers are permanent and temporary full-time DHS employees who sign up to help FEMA in support of state and local response and recovery efforts. By increasing our ability to “surge”, we as a Department and as a Nation become better prepared for catastrophic disasters of all kinds.
Surge Capacity Force volunteers are driven by the same spirit that brought them into government service in the first place: a desire to help and the knowledge that their work is making a real difference in the lives of others.
October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which provides an opportunity to have a national conversation about the growing importance of cybersecurity and staying safe online.
There is no doubt that we are all leading increasingly digital lives. Almost everything we do now touches the Internet – from shopping and banking online, to connecting with friends and loved ones, to finding our way around a new town or city. However, there may be uncertainty among many Americans over how to best protect themselves online. Advances in technology have dramatically changed the way Americans lead their lives for the better but also pose a new set of security risks. Identity theft, phishing attempts, and cyberbullying are just a few examples of cyber incidents we now face. It is critical that all individuals make choices every day to be safer online.
Protecting yourself online may seem like a daunting task, but in reality it is not. There are simple, every day steps you can take to secure your online life. You don’t have to be a computer expert to take measures to stay safe online.
The Department of Homeland Security encourages you to follow these three simple steps below.
Join us in recognizing National Cyber Security Awareness Month throughout the month of October. Please visit www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month or www.dhs.gov/StopThinkConnect for more information.
Vigilance means sometimes we have to hold our breath so you can breathe easy. U.S. Customs and Border Protection dive crews from Border Patrol Search, Trauma and Rescue (BORSTAR) carry out inspections on a cargo ship to detect threats before they ever reach our shores.
Official Photo by U.S. Customs and Border Protection
