Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A) within the Department of Homeland Security is a unique element of the United States intelligence community. This is because the I&A is charged with a role of sharing intelligence with State, Local, Tribal and Territorial governments, as well as private sector partners. The I&A also collects intelligence information from SLTT and shares it with other national members of IC. The DHS intelligence is meant to help decision makers, private sector owners and operators to detect and mitigate threats that can be detrimental to homeland security (DHS, 2022).
The I&A also supports the National Network of Fusion Centers (NNFC) with systems, support staff, trainings and facilitates collaborations. Fusion centers are hubs of sharing domestic intelligence between the Federal government and the SLTT governments and the private sector players (DNI, 2013). NNFC brings together security agencies that provide vital resources like skilled personnel and information that make it easier to detect, mitigate, investigate and respond to security threats.
In order for the I&A to be effective it is guided by key operating principles. These are; fostering a cohesive enterprise through mission centers, driving a multi directional exchange of information, producing strategic intelligence products that meet the requirements of all DHS components, availing systems, expertise and infrastructure that facilitate operations, providing data on immigration, travel and other areas of interest and investing in developing a seasoned intelligence workforce (DHS, 2022).
Mission centers are the focal points of DHS intelligence. Each mission center is positioned to address critical threats in a given area of homeland security. Counter intelligence mission center deals with current and emerging counter intelligence threats that IC and DHS intelligence enterprise faces. Counterterrorism mission center deals with terrorism intelligence. The Cyber mission center handles cyber threats so as to ensure cybersecurity and resilience of critical infrastructure, federal, SLTT and private sector networks. The economic mission center deals with threats that touch U.S. economic like illicit trade, supply chain threats and theft of intellectual property (DHS, 2021).
.jpg)
The National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) provides intelligence related to terrorism activities. The organization ensures all security agencies and IC with the counterterrorism mission are able to access intelligence in order to carry out their function. NCTC maintains an information bank of terrorists, terror groups as well as individuals suspected to be in contacted with these groups. NCTC also shares the goals, capabilities and strategies that terrorists and their networks use. NCTC operations are important to DHS especially in dealing with terrorism threats. This is because they provide intelligence before attacks are carried out on American soil (Office of the Director of National Intelligence, n.d.).
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the federal agency mandate to take a lead in dealing with terrorism. The agency gathers intelligence which it shares with other security agencies like DHS. In homeland security, the FBI is responsible for terror offences in airports, money laundering activities and protecting U.S. officials (FBI, n.d.).
The I&A also supports the National Network of Fusion Centers (NNFC) with systems, support staff, trainings and facilitates collaborations. Fusion centers are hubs of sharing domestic intelligence between the Federal government and the SLTT governments and the private sector players (DNI, 2013). NNFC brings together security agencies that provide vital resources like skilled personnel and information that make it easier to detect, mitigate, investigate and respond to security threats.
In order for the I&A to be effective it is guided by key operating principles. These are; fostering a cohesive enterprise through mission centers, driving a multi directional exchange of information, producing strategic intelligence products that meet the requirements of all DHS components, availing systems, expertise and infrastructure that facilitate operations, providing data on immigration, travel and other areas of interest and investing in developing a seasoned intelligence workforce (DHS, 2022).
Mission centers are the focal points of DHS intelligence. Each mission center is positioned to address critical threats in a given area of homeland security. Counter intelligence mission center deals with current and emerging counter intelligence threats that IC and DHS intelligence enterprise faces. Counterterrorism mission center deals with terrorism intelligence. The Cyber mission center handles cyber threats so as to ensure cybersecurity and resilience of critical infrastructure, federal, SLTT and private sector networks. The economic mission center deals with threats that touch U.S. economic like illicit trade, supply chain threats and theft of intellectual property (DHS, 2021).
.jpg)
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is the federal agency mandate to take a lead in dealing with terrorism. The agency gathers intelligence which it shares with other security agencies like DHS. In homeland security, the FBI is responsible for terror offences in airports, money laundering activities and protecting U.S. officials (FBI, n.d.).
