DHS expands efforts to combat terrorist threats

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding its efforts to combat emerging terrorist threats and improve information sharing.

The DHS’s Public Action Plan outlines the goals set by DHS, including efforts to secure cyberspace, deter lone wolf attacks, and secure soft targets such as churches and schools. It builds on the DHS’s Strategic Framework for Countering Terrorism and Targeted Violence (CTTV), which was established in September 2019.

“Nineteen years ago today, the American people came to understand the threat of terrorism in a new way. With the subsequent establishment of DHS, our nation vowed to prevent, disrupt, and deter terrorism of all sorts,” Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf said. “Today, DHS continues to take unprecedented actions to address all forms of violent extremism. This new framework draws upon the Department’s intelligence, prevention, and preparedness capabilities and lays out discrete actions DHS will undertake to further safeguard our communities, schools, places of worship, cyberspace, and public gatherings.”

The Public Action Plan provides an overview of the actions DHS is taking to combat terrorism and targeted violence and underscores its commitment to fulfilling the objectives outlined in the CTTV Framework. The goals of the framework are to understand the evolving terrorism and targeted violence threat environment; prevent terrorists and other hostile actors from entering the United States; prevent terrorism and targeted violence; and enhance U.S. infrastructure protections and community preparedness.

DHS will provide annual assessments to congressional committees in FY21. By 2023, DHS will demonstrate measured improvements in its ability to understand current threats and forecast emerging ones.