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DHS is the Largest Federal Agency to Receive 15 Consecutive “A” Grades on the SBA Small Business Procurement Scorecard

By
Homeland Security Today
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Concept for a customer satisfaction survey showing a businessman selecting a smiley face icon with five yellow stars to rate a product or service.
(iStock Photo)

Today, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) received a grade of “A+,” the highest grade possible on the Small Business Administration’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Small Business Procurement Scorecard and was the largest federal agency to exceed all ten of the Scorecard’s small business prime and subcontracting goals. The Scorecard is an assessment tool that measures how well federal agencies meet their small business and socioeconomic prime contracting and subcontracting goals. This is the fifteenth consecutive fiscal year DHS has earned a grade of “A” or higher, starting in FY 2009.

“America’s small businesses are essential partners in equipping the Department’s workforce with the tools to fulfill our mission of protecting the homeland,” said the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Secretary Kristie Canegallo. “We are proud of DHS’s 15 year record and are committed to ensure that it continues. This year’s “A+” rating achievement is the result of modernizing and streamlining our processes to meet our contracting goals.”

In FY 2023, DHS obligated $9.9 billion, the highest amount in the Department’s history, to small businesses. Over $4.7 billion was awarded to small, disadvantaged businesses– a result of the Department’s increased targeted small business outreach efforts, which include a focus on undeserved vendor communities. Notably, DHS awarded 38.21% of its total eligible contracting dollars to small businesses, greatly exceeding the government-wide prime goal of 23%.

“Our achievements are the result of collaboration between DHS leadership and the acquisition workforce,” said E. Darlene Bullock, DHS Executive Director, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization. “DHS will continue to implement various programs and policies to support small business participation.”

For the second time in the Department’s history, DHS exceeded all ten small business prime and subcontracting goals, making it the largest federal agency with this record of achievement. “DHS’s sustained accomplishments on the SBA scorecard for the past 15 years truly highlight the Department’s efforts to partner with small businesses. We are proud of our efforts and look forward to continued excellence in this area,” said Paul Courtney, DHS Chief Procurement Officer.

Small businesses play an instrumental role in strengthening the capabilities of the Department and helping us protect our homeland. DHS is committed to maximizing opportunities for small businesses and will continue to partner with industry to increase diversity in our contractor community.

Nation’s Governors Call for Discontinuation of Legislative Proposals Denying Governor Authority over National Guard

By
Homeland Security Today
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the American flag attached to the American military uniform.
(iStock Photo)

Today, 53 Governors from U.S. States, Commonwealths and Territories sent a letter to Secretary of Defense (DOD) Lloyd Austin calling for the discontinuation of legislative proposal (LP480) that would weaken or eliminate Governor authority over the National Guard and threaten readiness and operational efficacy of their units.

According to the letter: “As Governors representing 53 states and territories, we are writing to express our strong opposition to Legislative Proposal 480 (LP480) submitted by the Department of Defense to the Senate Armed Services Committee. This legislation disregards gubernatorial authorities regarding the National Guard and undermines over 100 years of precedent as well as national security and military readiness.

“Ensuring the National Guard is adequately equipped with the resources and capabilities to serve as the operational combat reserve for national security missions and to support domestic emergencies is among the National Governors Association’s highest priorities. It is imperative that Governors retain the authority laid out in the Unites States Code (U.S.C.) Title 32, Section 104. LP480 undercuts this critical authority by allowing a transfer of covered space units from the National Guard to the United States Space Force without abiding by Title 32 or Title 10.

“Specifically, section 18238 of Title 10 states that there should be no removal or withdrawal of a unit of the Air National Guard without consultation and approval from Governors. Additionally, section 104 of Title 32 states there is to be no change in the branch, organization, or allotment of National Guard units within a state or territory without the approval of its Governor.

“Legislation that sidesteps, eliminates or otherwise reduces Governors’ authority within their states and territories undermines longstanding partnerships, precedence, military readiness and operational efficacy. This action also negatively affects the important relationships between Governors and DOD at a time when we need to have full trust and confidence between the two to meet the growing threats posed by the era of strategic competition as well as natural disasters. LP480 also poses a threat to the careers of state-based service members who will be forced to choose between state service or continuing in their current field at a time when there are already significant recruitment challenges. An action like this will violate the trust of the brave women and men who have volunteered to serve our states and our nation.”

The full letter can be found here

PERSPECTIVE: Airports, Insider Threat, and the Challenges of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)

By
John Halinski
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High Point Aerotech Defend OS Command

Airports and the aviation system face a variety of threats globally. Ranging from terrorism, and insider threats, to criminal activities such as smuggling and theft. These threats are constantly evolving based on the capability of groups, advances in technology, and the vulnerability of infrastructure. One of the most difficult threats to mitigate is an Insider Threat.  

The Insider Threat is difficult to mitigate due to its origins within a group of trusted employees who are vetted, constantly screened, and most importantly, have access to the security processes within the overall system. Airports and the aviation system have established formal security processes from the International Civil Aviation Organization, and their National Aviation Security Programs. These processes are standardized and include physical security measures such as fences, cameras, etc. Additionally, they also impose security processes such as vetting, badging, and credentials, screening with advanced hardware and software, and facial recognition systems that are constantly monitoring activities. As complete as the airport and aviation security systems are, there will always be vulnerabilities in the system and the insiders know how to exploit them. 

Most, if not all the security systems currently deployed at commercial airports use a one-dimensional or ground zone security system. Meaning the security system is linear and is there to mitigate ground-level threats. On the other hand, military airports account for airborne threat vectors which range from incoming enemy aircraft to UASs and missiles. With the advent of a growing UAS threat we have seen in places like Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Ukraine, and Russia, commercial airports face this new threat/challenge by UAS or “drones.”  

If you examine the threat from UAS at commercial airports in conjunction with Insider Threat, the commercial airport and aviation systems face a significant new challenge. The threat of a terrorist attack delivered by UAS is readily evident. Currently, there are few, if any, Counter UAS (C/UAS) systems deployed within civilian and commercial airports. In most airports, especially in the US, mitigation of these UAS threats is restricted. This leaves a major security issue for a terrorist-type attack using a UAS directly against an airport or aircraft. Additionally, a UAS could deliver an IED bypassing traditional security screening via placement on an aircraft, or within an airport by an insider which is another significant vulnerability. 

It is important to now evaluate other threats posed by UAS to airports and aircraft. If you ask most airport security personnel they will tell you that beyond terrorism the biggest threat they face is criminal. Theft of property, drugs, guns, or other illegal material being smuggled on aircraft, and the introduction of prohibited items on or off an airport. Think of It this way, it’s very easy to fly items in and out of an airport using drones as the primary threat vector. Combined with Insider Threat, aviation is now facing a significant challenge. Airports and the Aviation sector must address multidimensional threats with a limited capability to mitigate them.

High Point Aerotech C/UAS DHS Testing

In recent news, the prevalence of UAS smuggling has been illustrated in the results of Operation Skyhawk. The operation focused on the mitigation of a multi-statewide drone smuggling operation in and out of Georgia’s prisons. Among the 150 suspects arrested were eight Georgia Department of Corrections employees. The contraband confiscated included 87 drones, 273 cellphones, 22 weapons, and a plethora of illegal narcotics. This illustrates a blaring example of UAS technology being utilized by insider threats to accomplish a malicious goal. Now imagine the implications of a criminal utilizing these same methods on a massive scale within airports.  

Let’s examine a couple of potential scenarios. Insider threats among ground-handling companies have always posed a challenge. Though these personnel are vetted, it’s a transitory business with high turnover rates. The ability of an insider to remove contraband or stolen material from an aircraft/maintenance facility and fly it out of an airport using a drone is a real threat. Likewise, on-airport cargo and catering facilities which have a high rate of transitory personnel pose another challenge. An insider with access could use a drone/UAS to bring in prohibited items, or worse explosives and drugs which could then be loaded onto aircraft bypassing traditional security screening.  

These are just two examples of new challenges for airport and aviation security personnel. The question becomes how to mitigate both the insider threat in conjunction with new UAS threats that can bypass a security system built for linear threats. 

The solution is complex and must include a combination of linear and multidimensional security processes supplemented by the introduction of new technology to mitigate this threat.  The airport security system must enhance its insider threat system and consider a threat that can easily reach the sterile area of an airport.  Airport security programs must now assess areas of vulnerability that can be exploited by UAS systems such as areas accessible to insiders. Egress and ingress air routes, areas not currently considered vulnerable, and areas of potential high insider threat (cargo, catering, ground handling crew areas) should be reviewed and enhanced. This includes physical barriers, enhanced cameras and lighting, and other measures such as random security patrols. To address the UAS threat itself the solution is technology.  

It is time that commercial airports consider and deploy C/UAS systems into their Airport Security Programs (ASPs). There are some international airports and a few US airports that are currently experimenting with C/UAS systems. Utilizing these systems provides a wide-ranging security net that encompasses not only aerial but ground-based threats through its use of 24hr EO camera and radar capabilities.  We should look to the experience gained by these airports and C/UAS deployments as a guide. Additionally, CUAS systems provide the user with the ability to centralize decision making allowing the operator to navigate the complexities of the US’s current UAS legislation. The use of C/UAS testing pilots and data collection exercises using C/UAS would be a proactive initial step. Why wait until the regulators and lawmakers figure it out? Simple data collection to identify the threats posed by UAS, and planning accordingly, make mitigation easier to enact.  Currently most airports are void of UAS threat data, now is the time to act.  In the security business the more you know about the threat the less risk is posed.  

  

Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resiliency, Innovation, and Performance

By
Dan Chenok
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Los Angeles, California, USA - May 15, 2021: A Department of Homeland Security cruiser protects a Federal building.

Homeland Security Today has partnered with the IBM Center for the Business of  Government to share insights from their “Future Shocks” initiative and subsequent book, Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resiliency, Innovation, and Performance. The means and methods traditionally employed by government face a significant challenge posed by the advent of disruptive technologies like artificial intelligence, the changing nature of physical and cyber threats, and the impact of social media and miscommunication on society. This partnership will share insights on how our homeland community can build resilience in thinking and action, innovate while running, and stay ahead of the enemy.  Through an on-going column and paired webinars, we will explore how best practices, questions about the unknown, and insights from several IBM Center initiatives can be applied to YOUR leadership thinking. The first post, an overview of strategies to address these issues, summarizes key findings from the book. 

Government is being asked to handle “everything everywhere all at once.” Homeland Security Today seeks to elevate our understanding of, and planning for, how numerous disparate factors interact and translate these insights into actionable goals for the homeland community. 

By Dan Chenok 

Today governments face very serious, seemingly intractable public management challenges that go to the core of effective governance and leadership, testing the very form, structure, and capacity required to meet these problems head-on. Many of these challenges are complex — not respecting bureaucratic boundaries, nonlinear, and fluid in nature: “where very small effects may produce disproportionate impacts” In many ways, traditional approaches of government seem obsolete and incapable of properly responding to them. Prescriptions abound on how best to address these issues coalescing around calls for whole of government or enterprise and networked approaches. 

Compounding this challenge, government leaders continue to face the unforgiving realities of disruption and uncertainty. Agency officials increasingly indicate that what were previously viewed as Black Swan events are now becoming more frequent—and more destabilizing. The vulnerability of social and economic well-being is magnified by reliance on both connectivity and distributed value chains subject to disruption on multiple fronts. Risks have grown due to complex variables such as geopolitical conflicts, multiple public health emergencies, and natural disasters (e.g., wildfires, hurricanes, drought); addressing risks has placed renewed emphasis on the importance of being resilient. The combination of perpetual uncertainty and an ever-evolving risk environment continuously overtakes current planning models.  

Given this new reality, government leaders need practical, actionable insights on how best to manage and lead through uncertain and disruptive periods. Accordingly, we released our new book, Transforming the Business of Government: Insights on Resiliency, Innovation, and Performance, which has several parts related to the homeland community as described below. 

The book draws on a major initiative intended to help government address mission and management challenges to while also preparing for uncertainty. In 2021, the IBM Center released its most recent research agenda to meet the immediate mission and management challenges facing government executives. Along with pursuing this agenda, we also dedicated time and resources to explore how best government agencies can prepare, address, and overcome the disruptive inevitability of “future shocks”—those increasingly common and severe events that have effects within and across nations. Partnering with the National Academy of Public Administration (Academy) and the IBM Institute for Business Value, as well as other U.S. and global partners, the Center launched a “Future Shocks” initiative in 2022 to help government leaders further identify core capabilities critical to building resilience, building on lessons learned from pandemic response efforts.  

Governments, around the world have navigated and responded to the impacts of the pandemic and have captured valuable lessons and gained an understanding of critical areas of focus. The Future Shocks initiative sparked a series of international roundtable discussions with global leaders from across the public, private, academic, and nonprofit sectors to capture lessons learned, share insights, and offer guidance across five core domains: 

  • Emergency preparedness and response 
  • Cybersecurity 
  • Supply chain 
  • Sustainability 
  • Workforce 

In each of these areas, insights from these roundtables were documented in a series of published reports that offer strategies and actions to help governments address challenges that lie ahead. Through this partnership with Homeland Security Today, we will share how these insights can be applied and adapted by those on the front-lines of missions securing the nation, and contribute to the evolution of the planning and preparation for these “future shocks.” 

The book also focuses on leveraging innovation and performance to drive government forward. To commemorate our 25th anniversary and identify innovative ideas that help government move forward in the face of inevitable uncertainty, the Center conducted a Challenge grant competition. This competition solicited essays from academics and thought leaders describing a future of government that can help inform agency readiness—identifying strategic actions for innovation and performance to drive agency missions forward. These essays pointed to new ways of understanding and framing problems; new processes to solve problems; and new implementation solutions. Nine essays, featured in the second half of this book, focus on a handful of specific topics: 

  • Intelligent automation (IA), including artificial intelligence (AI) 
  • Data and evidence  
  • Shared services  
  • Customer experience  

More specific descriptions follow. 

Part I. Roadmaps to Government Resiliency. Resilience involves more than pushing through after adversity or disappointment—but rather, resilient organizations turn crisis into opportunity and discover value in the unexpected. Anticipating the future—getting ahead of events rather than being subsumed by them—becomes integral to positioning, resourcing, and preparing an agency for what may come, while always keeping focus on primary mission responsibilities. 

As outlined below, the chapters in Part I of this book offer insights and recommendations for government leaders and stakeholders on how best to discover value in the unexpected, and in doing so to more effectively position and lead organizations in the face of the unknown. 

Emergency Preparedness and Response. This chapter focuses on the complex and crosscutting nature of disasters that do not respect geography, jurisdiction, political, or organizational boundaries. Emergency management should follow suit, recognizing that a key to success is the strength of networks that enable collaboration before, during, and after a disaster. This chapter reflects on what governments can do in the near term to better prepare and respond to exigent situations, identifying six recommendations and a host of associated action steps. 

Cybersecurity. This chapter examines today’s complex cyber threat environment, and the government’s responsibility to secure a safe and secure digital ecosystem. It focuses how best to reduce the impact of cyber incidents by developing and implementing strategies that promote resilience through public-private partnerships. The chapter offers a series of actions designed to help governments emerge stronger from current and future cyber shocks. 

Supply Chain. This chapter explores the role that governments play in preparing for supply chain disruptions. It assesses how governments can foresee potential challenges, plan responses ahead of time, and be ready to minimize the impacts of supply chain disruptions. The chapter outlines insights and recommendations on how best to diagnose threats, design responses, and sustain supply chains. 

Sustainability. This chapter spotlights the critical importance of integrating sustainability and climate resilience strategies into government institutions as climate impacts continue to mount. It focuses on key issues that include a clean energy transition, sustainable development, and water management, and offers practical insights and recommended actions that governments can take to build climate resilience. 

Workforce. This chapter points out that the public sector’s traditional standardized approaches to recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining talent no longer meet current and emerging needs. It offers insights and recommendations that governments can take to create and sustain workforces needed to address current and future systemic shocks. 

Part II. Building Resilience: Preparation and Response. The unprecedented number and scope of catastrophic events stress governments, businesses, communities, and individuals. These cascading, disruptive events have raised fundamental questions about what capacities governments need to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to crises. 

In Chapter Six—Eight Areas for Government Action summarizes key capabilities needed to address shocks, identifying recommended actions in eight capability areas that governments can take to anticipate, prepare for, and respond to new challenges that will continually arise. The underlying capacity of governments needs to be significantly augmented across these eight actions in two interrelated ways: 

  1. Improve working relationships and alignment among network partners in governments, the private sector, civil society, and the public.  
  1. Strengthen capabilities to operate successfully in a networked environment.  

The overarching goal of building these capabilities is to help governments become more resilient in the face of inevitable future shocks. 

Part III. On Future Readiness: Insights From Experts. This part introduces compelling insights and timely perspectives from academics and practitioners on a variety of topics that can help governments address evolving future shocks and other scenarios. These nine chapters address larger themes of innovation and performance, to assist government leaders in efforts to enhance agency readiness. Each chapter outlines specific topics, capabilities, skills, technologies, and paths forward. The chapters encompass topics as diverse as AI, quantum computing, data and evidence, oversight, shared services, and customer experience. 

Innovation. The following provides an overview of the chapters in this section and gives a sense of the insights offered around the topic of innovation:   

AI Literacy: A Prerequisite for the Future of AI and Automation in Government. This chapter outlines a three-phased approach for boosting AI literacy, presenting key actions and practices to make government organizations more responsive in delivering exceptional public services and achieve mission success. 

Design Principles for Responsible Use of AI to Enhance CX Through Public Procurement. This chapter delves into the elements of service delivery, including the systems, people, and processes that indirectly influence customer experience (CX). It proposes two ways that public procurement processes can improve CX through artificial intelligence and presents seven design principles to guide the procurement of AI tools in the public sector. 

The Quantum Technology Challenge: What Role for the Government? This chapter discusses quantum technology, examining the impact on cybersecurity and cryptography as well as how quantum might impact environmental sustainability and labor. The last sections of the chapter focus on effective government strategies to make the best use of this emerging technology 

Using Linked Administrative Data to Advance Evidence-Based Policymaking. This chapter explores how to improve the use of existing administrative data based on a case study of a Statewide Longitudinal Data System (SLDS). SLDS can break down silos within government, facilitate shared governance, and answer research questions between state partners, while highlighting the benefits of data driven decision making. The use of SLDS data is transforming evidence-based policymaking, providing a model for how states and other governmental entities can better leverage administrative data for a broader set of purposes. 

Performance. The following provides an overview of the chapters in this section and gives a sense of the insights offered around performance:  

Toward More Useful Federal Oversight. This chapter recognizes that federal oversight can be made more useful to more users for more purposes. Continually evolving technologies make it easier and more affordable to collect, analyze, and use oversight data and analyses to anticipate, detect, prepare for, prevent, and respond to problems more quickly, fully, and successfully. It seeks to engage others in acting to adopt more useful approaches to oversight that improve government performance on multiple dimensions.  

The Future of Payment Integrity within the U.S. Federal Government. This chapter outlines a vision that empowers agencies and federally funded programs, including state administered programs, to use data proactively in promoting payment integrity—transforming the identification, prevention, and recovery of improper payments and mitigating the effects of fraud. It emphasizes a pivot from compliance to prevention-focused strategies, promoting the use of data and analytics and collaboration across government and the private commercial sectors. 

Leveraging Inspectors General to Make Evidenced-Based Decisions. This chapter examines the role of Offices of Inspectors General (OIGs), describes the concept of agile oversight, and provides examples of how OIGs can drive greater value.  

A “One Agency” Approach to Enhanced Mission Enabling Services. This chapter explores NASA’s approach to mission enablement services, illustrating a proven example of the “one firm” mindset and approach that can be adapted by government agencies. It offers recommendations and considerations to move shared services forward in the federal government. 

Building and Maintaining Customer Trust in Government Services. This chapter describes how the ongoing evolution of government customer experience efforts can ultimately succeed and makes a series of predictions on areas where customer experience for agencies may face the most significant challenges over the next few decades. 

Looking Forward. The 21st century experience has provided lessons on the power of the unexpected. Yet systems in place to meet anticipated problems have often fallen short in meeting novel challenges. Uncertainty remains constant, despite collective efforts to ameliorate the tension between ongoing operations and inevitable disruptions. 

As one expert observer has noted: Longing to reduce uncertainty and doubt has driven much of our progress. The more we noticed, remembered, wrote down, and shared, the more knowledgeable we became and the better we were to pass our learning on for future generations to increase.  

With the disclaimer that no one can know for certain what may come next – and perhaps for exactly that reason – our partnership with Homeland Security Today will examine each of these areas in detail and provide a practical path forward to aid the transformation of people and processes to meet our current threat landscape. Stay tuned! 

Countering the Threat: Lone Wolves, Homemade Explosives, and the Path to a Safer Future: Part III

By
Kelly Hoggan
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Responders to the 9/11 attacks (lower right) work in the shadow of debris from the World Trade Center towers in New York City. (FBI photo)

“Generals always prepare to fight the last war, especially if they had won it.”

George Clemenceau, French Prime Minister

“We believe the 9/11 attacks revealed four kinds of failures: in imagination, policy, capabilities, and management.” 

The 9/11 Commission Report

Certainly, no one in the know would say that the United States today is as ill-prepared to confront the array of potential terrorist threats to the homeland as we were on September 10, 2001. Both the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration, as well as coordinated efforts at the state and local levels, are a testament to our determination to never be caught out unaware and unprepared again. 

All well and good, so far, correct? 

Since the Global War on Terror

Yet, at so many years removed since George W. Bush declared our efforts to combat a repeat of 9/11 to be the start of the Global War on Terror, are we as prepared as we could be to confront the possibility of the newest emerging threats from both lone wolf terrorists and the homemade explosives, or HMEs, they will likely yield? 

In truth, I am not so confident that we indeed are, given the unique threat that such bad actors and their likely weapons bring to the homeland security table. I also am concerned that we may, as George Clemenceau’s generals did during the early stages of WWI, be in danger of “fighting the last war,” meaning focusing the entirety of our prevention and detection efforts on techniques and devices utilized on 9/11 and similar such attacks. 

Lone Wolves and HMEs

Previously, I took some time to define just what lone wolf terrorists are – self-radicalized individuals acting on their own motivations and having little to no coordination from either an affiliated terror group or a controlling hostile government – and then the weapons they are likely to yield. 

The latter includes HMEs fashioned into crude improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or bombs that can be constructed using online data – or even simple instructions written on the back of an envelope. The most acute problem posed by these kinds of explosives – besides their ability to cause mass casualties when used for devilish ill intent – is that they are still largely undetectable, at least by current widely deployed systems. 

The chemicals used in HMEs also present a difficult problem for the homeland security community to both solve and defend against because they are mostly inorganic in nature and relatively innocuous as well. 

1993 WTC and 1995 Oklahoma City Bombings

For example, various nitrates used in fertilizers – such as the ammonium nitrate used by Timothy McVeigh in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing or the urea nitrate fertilizer constituting the main charge in the bomb used in the 1993 World Trade Center attack by Ramzi Yousef – can be used to create an HME. Worryingly, greatly reduced versions can easily be contained within backpacks or small packages and deployed against an array of soft – meaning mostly unprotected – targets. These are the most likely venues readily available to lone wolf terrorists. 

Ease of Availability

By their nature, inorganic fertilizers are easy to obtain because they’re used in everything from backyard gardens to large-scale farming enterprises. They are also just as easy to fashion into HMEs. No shortage of instruction on how to do so exists online, in fact, including on what’s known as the Dark Web.

How common are such fertilizers and how easy are they to obtain? Consider that in April 2023, 30 tons of ammonium nitrate in a railcar left an explosive manufacturer in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The railcar, bound for California, arrived at its destination two weeks later, but the chemical itself was missing and is still missing to this day. The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), charged with investigating the disappearance, said its investigation is ongoing and that a report is pending. 

The above is not to imply any sort of sinister conspiracy, but simply to observe how easy it can be for an inorganic precursor chemical used in the making of an HME to go missing. In this case, I would say that Occam’s Razor applies and that the fertilizer may simply have been stolen and then resold, and that both the transporter railroad and the shipper may face accountability at some point.  

Asymmetry and Uncertainty

This issue above, though, is that we just don’t know, which is a factor that adds uncertainty to our risk assessment when it comes to lone wolves and HMEs and the asymmetric threats they pose. After all, in the present homeland security environment – one where we’re largely focusing on detecting military grade, organic-based explosives such as PETN and RDX — how certain are we that a retailer might alert law enforcement or anyone within the homeland security community if it noticed that several cases of another inorganic precursor chemical, hydrogen peroxide, hadn’t turned up after leaving a distribution center?

Strengths Against Weaknesses

By their very nature, lone wolf terrorists present an asymmetric threat, and it’s one that we seem to have a handle on when it comes to detecting IEDs and other devices that make use of military grade-type explosives, all of which are organic in nature. 

In fact, almost our entire homeland security and defensive ecosystem – including intelligence-gathering and assessment as well as mechanical systems, such as at airports, subway and train stations and at shipping ports – seems to be geared towards detecting the use of organic-based explosives. Even bomb-sniffing dogs have largely been trained to alert to the presence of such organic-based devices. 

However, and even without knowing that they’re doing so, lone wolf terrorists will almost always pit their strengths against our weaknesses, an activity which is the epitome of asymmetry. Why bother trying to sneak a bomb containing PETN – the main explosive constituent in Semtex – onto a commercial airliner, for example, when mass casualties can be had by attacking any number of much softer targets, and at little monetary cost, or personal risk, to the ideologically motivated lone wolf? 

Bowling alleys? Check. Daycare centers across the nation? Check. Big-box department stores? Check. Sports or concert arenas? Any of these would prove to be extremely tempting to lone wolf-style attackers, especially if they desire to escape and perhaps carry out additional attacks.

Homegrown or Foreign-Born?

Finally, it’s worth pointing out that the lone wolf terrorist threat comes from both homegrown – meaning U.S. citizens and permanent residents – as well as foreign-born actors. 

In the latter case, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens recently told CBS News that, in his estimation, the country’s southern border with Mexico presented a national security threat. This is mainly owing to the fact that in just 2021, more than a million  adults having no family members accompanying them – mostly males 18 to 34 years of age — came from  at least 160 countries that we know of. They essentially crossed over the border and  then evaded apprehension, where they then disappeared into the nation’s interior.  

Known as “got-aways,” Owens noted that upwards of 140,000 of such undocumented migrants have flowed into the country in the 2024 fiscal year to date, and that the number will only continue to increase over time. While most undocumented migrants in all classes, including got-aways, are generally considered to not pose a true national security threat, there can be little doubt that some are serious criminals. 

It also goes without saying that if even a small number of such individuals are entering the country for the purpose of committing terrorism, we may find ourselves confronting a serious asymmetric threat posed by lone wolves making use of easily obtainable and mostly undetectable – at least by current systems – chemicals they would then deploy as HMEs in a variety of sizes and destructive power.  

What Can Be Done?

Fortunately, processes and procedures as well as technologies already exist that can detect the inorganic precursor chemicals which might be used to fashion HMEs. Bomb-sniffing dogs can also be trained (known as being “imprinted”) to alert to those same chemicals. 

When it comes to detecting inorganic precursor chemicals, lightweight, portable Capillary Zone Electrophoresis, or CZE, systems can easily be added to the existing detection ecosystem. Think of such devices – as well as newly imprinted bomb-sniffing dogs, as adding another tool to the homeland security toolkit.

Wrapping Up

In Part 4 of this series, we’ll wrap up our look at lone wolves, HMEs and the asymmetric threat they pose by examining ways to improve the defensive ecosystem. Happily, we can strengthen our homeland security posture by adding just a few relatively low cost solutions, including CZE systems, dogs and use of artificial intelligence-based predictive analytics and combine them  with slight changes to ecosystem processes and procedures, all of which would be designed to head off lone wolf terrorists and their homemade explosives. 

What Are Americans’ Top Foreign Policy Priorities?

By
Homeland Security Today
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(iStock Photo)

Americans have a lot on their plates in 2024, including an important election to determine who will remain or become president. But the world does not stop for a U.S. election, and multiple conflicts around the world as well as other issues of global prominence continue to concern Americans.

When asked to prioritize the long-range foreign policy goals of the United States, the majority of Americans say preventing terrorist attacks (73%), keeping illegal drugs out of the country (64%) and preventing the spread of weapons of mass destruction (63%) are top priorities. Over half of Americans also see maintaining the U.S. military advantage over other countries (53%) and preventing the spread of infectious diseases (52%) as primary foreign policy responsibilities.

About half of Americans say limiting the power and influence of Russia and China are top priorities. A recent annual threat assessment from the U.S. intelligence community focused heavily on those countries’ strengthening military relationship and their ability to shape the global narrative against U.S. interests.

Read the rest of the story at Pew Research Center, here.

IDF Reports Mortar Attack on U.S. Led Gaza Aid Pier During UN Tour

By
Homeland Security Today
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New York, USA October 16 2016:United nation headquarter and un logo in new york. the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952
(iStock Photo)

Members of a terror group in the Gaza Strip launched mortars at an under-construction pier for a US-led project to bring aid into the Palestinian enclave, the military says.

The mortar attack occurred as United Nations officials were touring the site with Israeli troops on the coast of central Gaza, the IDF says in response to a query on the incident.

The IDF says the UN officials were rushed to a shelter by troops amid the attack.

Read the rest of the story at The Times of Israel, here.

FEMA Unveils $1.8 Billion in Preparedness Grants to Bolster National Security and Emergency Response

By
Matt Seldon
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calendar

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, has announced the release of the Fiscal Year 2024 Notices of Funding Opportunity for eight critical preparedness grant programs. These programs collectively offer over $1.8 billion in funding aimed at enhancing the nation’s preparedness and resilience against terrorism, natural disasters, and other high-consequence emergencies.

The available grants include a diverse array of programs designed to support various aspects of national security and emergency preparedness:

– Intercity Passenger Rail (IPR): Enhances security measures for passenger rail networks.

– Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP): Provides funding to nonprofit organizations to bolster security practices and equipment.

– Port Security Grant Program (PSGP): Aims to protect critical port facilities from potential terrorist attacks.

– Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP): Supports broader state and local efforts to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and other disasters.

– Tribal Homeland Security Grant Program (THSGP): Targets the unique needs of tribal governments to enhance their preparedness capabilities.

– Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG): Focuses on enhancing and sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities.

– Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP): Provides funds to public transportation systems to increase security measures and preparedness.

– Intercity Bus Security Grant Program (IBSGP): Dedicated to improving security infrastructure and protocols for intercity bus services.

Applicants are required to submit their completed applications through the FEMA GO system by no later than 5 pm ET on June 24, 2024. FEMA has made detailed guidance and application instructions available for all the grant programs to assist applicants in the submission process.

This significant funding initiative underscores the ongoing commitment of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security to fortify the nation’s infrastructure against the evolving landscape of threats and ensure a coordinated, swift response to incidents as they arise. Interested parties are encouraged to review the available materials and submit their applications to secure support for their critical preparedness projects.

TSA Seeks Innovative Solutions for Automated Field Data Collection to Enhance Security Screening

By
Matt Seldon
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The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is calling on innovators and technology firms to contribute ideas that could revolutionize the way operational data is collected in security environments. As part of an initiative to improve the efficiency and performance of screening technologies at airports, TSA is looking for cost-effective, automated solutions that could replace traditional, manpower-intensive data collection methods.

This initiative is facilitated through the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Commercial Solutions Opening Pilot Program (CSOP), which aims to procure innovative commercial solutions under a non-Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) based authority. The program, underpinned by Section 880 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2017, extended in December 2022 through 2027, allows DHS to engage in competitive procurement of cutting-edge commercial items, technologies, and services. The CSOP is designed to streamline acquisition processes, simplify contract terms, and reduce the administrative burden and costs for both the government and industry participants.

The focus of this CSOP solicitation is to enhance TSA’s capabilities in Automated Field Data Collection. This includes gathering data that current security equipment cannot detect, such as the time passengers spend at various points like the Travel Document Checker (TDC) podium, the time taken for passengers to divest belongings, and the duration and reasons for secondary screenings.

TSA’s Innovation Task Force (ITF) is eager to collaborate with companies that can offer fresh perspectives and technologies to address these challenges. Interested parties are encouraged to submit their proposals and written briefs to the ITF before the deadline of May 6, 2024, at 3 PM EST.

Click here to read more and submit an application.

Edward You Starts New Role at the FBI, National Counterintelligence Task Force

By
Matt Seldon
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Edward You

Edward You has embarked on a new role as a Supervisory Special Agent within the FBI’s National Counterintelligence Task Force (NCITF). In this capacity, You plays a pivotal role in advancing a whole-of-government strategy aimed at safeguarding America’s technological assets and enhancing national-level partner engagements. This position places him at the helm of guiding overarching counterintelligence efforts across various governmental sectors.

With an impressive background in national security and technology, Mr. You brings a wealth of experience to the NCITF. His previous tenure at the FBI’s Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate saw him at the forefront of identifying and mitigating threats related to emerging biotechnologies, including synthetic biology. His expertise in these areas is critical as these technologies continue to evolve and pose new challenges to national security.

Additionally, Mr. You’s service record includes a Joint Duty Assignment at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. There, he held the crucial position of National Counterintelligence Officer for Emerging and Disruptive Technologies, advising on potential threats to critical sectors such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology. His role involved substantial policy-making contributions, including participation in White House National Security Council initiatives aimed at countering biological threats.

Moreover, Mr. You’s interdisciplinary approach to security was further demonstrated during his two-year stint as a Liaison Officer at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In this role, he facilitated vital law enforcement and security exchanges between the HHS and the FBI. His contributions were particularly notable during Operation Warp Speed, where he helped secure the U.S. biodefense supply chain against potential threats and disruptions.

Beyond his extensive governmental service, Mr. You’s academic and commercial background is equally notable. He spent nearly a decade in research roles focusing on autoimmune diseases and human gene therapy at prestigious institutions like Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. Additionally, his tenure in the biotechnology industry at AMGEN, Inc. involved critical cancer research and assay development.

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