Homeland security is an American national security umbrella term for "the national effort to ensure a homeland that is safe, secure, and resilient against terrorism and other hazards where American interests, aspirations, and ways of life can thrive to the national effort to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce the vulnerability of the U.S. to terrorism, and minimize the damage from attacks that do occur". According to an official work published by the Congressional Research Service in 2013 the "Homeland security" term's definition has varied over time.
The United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) is an organization within the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD). Specifically, US-CERT is a branch of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications' (CS&C) National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC).
The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) is a division of the Office of Cyber Security & Communications, within the United States Department of Homeland Security's Directorate for National Protection and Programs. Formed from the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office, the National Infrastructure Protection Center, the Federal Computer Incident Response Center, and the National Communications System, NCSD opened on June 6, 2003. The NCSD mission is to collaborate with the private sector, government, military, and intelligence stakeholders to conduct risk assessments and mitigate vulnerabilities and threats to information technology assets and activities affecting the operation of the civilian government and private sector critical cyber infrastructures. NCSD also provides cyber threat and vulnerability analysis, early warning, and incident response assistance for public and private sector constituents. NCSD carries out the majority of DHS’ responsibilities under the Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative. The FY 2011 budget request for NCSD is $378.744 million and includes 342 federal positions. The current director of the NCSD is John Streufert, former chief information security officer (CISO) for the United States Department of State, who assumed the position in January 2012.
Public Safety Canada, formerly known as Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada (PSEPC), legally incorporated as the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, is the department of the federal government of Canada with responsibility for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain a peaceful and safe society.
The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002, was introduced in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and subsequent mailings of anthrax spores. The HSA was cosponsored by 118 members of Congress. The act passed the U.S. Senate by one vote, with the pivotal vote in a tied Senate being cast by Independent Dean Barkley. It was signed into law by President George W. Bush in November 2002.
The United States Under Secretary of Defense for Policy (USDP) is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Defense. The Under Secretary of Defense for Policy is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Defense for all matters concerning the formation of national security and defense policy.
The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS), also known as 6 CFR, Part 27, are a set of US government security regulations for high-risk chemical facilities such as chemical plants, electrical generating facilities, refineries, and universities. The US Department of Homeland Security promulgated the Final Rule on April 9, 2007. The regulations came into effect on June 8, 2007, apart from material covered in Appendix A, which took effect upon its publication in the Federal Register on November 20, 2007.
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) is an agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security. Under the direction of the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis, I&A is responsible for developing DHS-wide intelligence through managing the collection, analysis and fusion of intelligence throughout the entire Department. I&A disseminates intelligence throughout DHS, to the other members of the United States Intelligence Community, and to first responders at the state, local, and tribal level.
Einstein was originally an intrusion detection system that monitors the network gateways of government departments and agencies in the United States for unauthorized traffic. The software was developed by the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), which is the operational arm of the National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The program was originally developed to provide "situational awareness" for the civilian agencies. While the first version examined network traffic and subsequent versions examined content, the current version of Einstein is significantly more advanced.
The National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) was a component of the United States Department of Homeland Security. NPPD's goal was to advance the Department's national security mission by reducing and eliminating threats to U.S. critical physical and cyber infrastructure.
The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Science and Technology is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Under Secretary, as head of the Science and Technology Directorate at DHS, is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for all DHS technological research.
The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Under Secretary, as head of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, is the principal staff assistant and adviser to the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for fusing law enforcement and intelligence information relating to terrorist threats.
The Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Management is a high level civilian official in the United States Department of Homeland Security. The Under Secretary, as head of the Management Directorate at DHS, is the principal staff assistant and adviser to both the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security for all aspects of DHS administration, finance, and personnel issues.
The Command, Control and Interoperability Division is a bureau of the United States Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate, run by Dr. David Boyd. This division is responsible for creating informative resources(including standards, frameworks, tools, and technologies) that strengthen communications interoperability, improve Internet security, and integrity and accelerate the development of automated capabilities to help identify potential threats to the U.S. The purpose of this division is to enable seamless and secure interactions among homeland security stakeholders. This means enhancing the ability of owners to communicate, share, visualize, analyze and protect information through this practitioner-driven approach. The Command, Control and Interoperability Division's vision is for stakeholders to have comprehensive, real-time, and relevant information to create and maintain a secure and safe nation.
The Critical Infrastructure Research and Development Advancement Act of 2013 is a bill that would require the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to transmit to the Congress a strategic plan for research and development efforts addressing the protection of critical infrastructure and a report on departmental use of public-private consortiums to develop technology to protect such infrastructure. The bill also would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO), within two years of enactment, to evaluate the effectiveness of clearinghouses established by DHS to share technological innovation.
The National Cybersecurity and Critical Infrastructure Protection Act of 2013 is a bill that would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct cybersecurity activities on behalf of the federal government and would codify the role of DHS in preventing and responding to cybersecurity incidents involving the Information Technology (IT) systems of federal civilian agencies and critical infrastructure in the United States.
The Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Program Authorization and Accountability Act of 2014 is a bill that would make permanent the United States Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) authority to regulate security at certain chemical facilities in the United States. Under the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program, DHS collects and reviews information from chemical facilities in the United States to determine which facilities present security risks and then requires them to write and enact security plans.
Dr. Phyllis Schneck is an American executive and cybersecurity professional. As of May 2017, she became the Managing Director at Promontory Financial Group. Schneck served in the Obama administration as Deputy Under Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications for the National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), at the Department of Homeland Security.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) was established on 16 November 2018 when President Donald Trump signed into law the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Act of 2018. CISA is a standalone United States federal agency under the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) oversight. It was reported in February 2019 that two of the Task Forces were being dramatically downsized.
