Fact Sheet: Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC)
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=3814
The Homeland Security Operations Center (HSOC) serves as the nation¹s nerve
center for information sharing and domestic incident managementdramatically
increasing the vertical coordination between federal, state, territorial,
tribal, local, and private sector partners. The HSOC collects and fuses
information from a variety of sources everyday to help deter, detect, and
prevent terrorist acts. Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365
days a year, the HSOC provides real-time situational awareness and
monitoring of the homeland, coordinates incidents and response activities,
and, in conjunction with the DHS Office of Information Analysis, issues
advisories and bulletins concerning threats to homeland security, as well as
specific protective measures. Information on domestic incident management is
shared with Emergency Operations Centers at all levels through the Homeland
Security Information Network (HSIN).
HSOC Structure
The HSOC represents over 35 agencies ranging from state and local law
enforcement to federal intelligence agencies. Information is shared and
fused on a daily basis by the two halves of the HSOC that are referred to as
the ³Intelligence Side² and the ³Law Enforcement Side.² Each half is
identical and functions in tandem with the other but requires a different
level of clearance to access information. The ³Intelligence Side² focuses
on pieces of highly classified intelligence and how the information
contributes to the current threat picture for any given area. The ³Law
Enforcement Side² is dedicated to tracking the different enforcement
activities across the country that may have a terrorist nexus. The two
pieces fused together create a real-time snap shot of the nation¹s threat
environment at any moment. (See HSOC Watchstanders below for list of
partners.)
HSOC Information Sharing Tools
>> Homeland Security Information Network. The HSOC communicates in real-time to
its partners by utilizing the Homeland Security Information Network¹s (HSIN)
internet-based counterterrorism communications tool, supplying information to
all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and more than 50 major urban areas.
* Threat information is exchanged with state and local partners at the
Sensitive-but-Unclassified level (SBU). Future program expansion will
include linking additional cities and counties, communication capabilities
at the classified SECRET level, and increasing the involvement and
integration of the private sector.
* The system is encrypted using a secure network that includes a suite
of applications including mapping and imaging capabilities.
* System participants include governors, mayors, Homeland Security
Advisors, state National Guard offices, Emergency Operations Centers, First
Responders and Public Safety departments, and other key homeland security
partners. Each receives training to participate in the information sharing
network to combat terrorism and increase anti-terrorism situational
awareness.
>>HSIN-Critical Infrastructure (CI). The HSIN-CI was launched last month
and was specially designed to communicate real-time information to critical
infrastructure owners and operators 80 percent of whom are part of the
private sector. HSINCI has the capacity to send alerts and notifications
to the private sector at a rate of:
* 10,000 simultaneous outbound voice calls per minute
* 30,000 inbound simultaneous calls (hot line scenario)
* 3,000 outbound simultaneous faxes
* 5,000 outbound simultaneous Internet e-mail
* Immediate Internet website content changes made
>>Dissemination Capabilities. The HSOC regularly disseminates domestic
terrorism-related information generated by the Information Analysis and
Infrastructure Protection Directorate, known as ³products² to federal, state,
and local governments, as well as private-sector organizations and international
partners. Threat products come in two forms:
* Homeland Security Threat Advisories are the result of information
analysis and contain actionable information about an incident involving, or
a threat targeting, critical national networks, infrastructures, or key
assets. They often relay newly developed procedures that, when implemented,
significantly improve security and protection. Advisories also often
suggest a change in readiness posture, protective actions, or response.
* Homeland Security Information Bulletins are infrastructure protection
products that communicate information of interest to the nation¹s critical
infrastructures that do not meet the timeliness, specificity, or
significance thresholds of warning messages. Such information may include
statistical reports, periodic summaries, incident response or reporting
guidelines, common vulnerabilities and patches, and configuration standards
or tools.
>>Homeland Security Advisory System. On March 11, 2002, President Bush unveiled
the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS) as a tool to improve coordination
and communication among all levels of government, the private sector, and the
American public in the fight against terrorism. The Advisory System not only
identifies the Threat Condition, but also outlines protective measures that can
be taken by our partners. The federal government, states, and the private
sector each have a set of plans and protective measures that are implemented as
the Threat Condition is raised or lowered, thus reducing our vulnerability to
attack. The HSOC is the distributor of the recommended security measures to our
state and local partners when the threat level is raised or lowered.
HSOC Operational Capabilities
>> Vulnerability Situational Awareness. The HSOC monitors vulnerabilities and
compares them against threats, providing a centralized, real-time flow of
information between homeland security partners. This data collected from across
the country is then fused into a master template which allows the HSOC to
provide a visual picture of the nation¹s current threat status. The HSOC has the
capability to:
* Perform initial (first phase) assessment of the information to gauge
the terrorist nexus
* Track operational actions taking place across the country in response
to the intelligence information
* Disseminate notifications and alerts about the information and any
decisions made
>>Imagery Capability. Now, as information is shared across agencies, HSOC
staff can apply imagery capability by cross-referencing informational data
against geospatial data that can then pinpoint an image down to an exact
location. Satellite technology is able to transmit pictures of the site in
question directly into the HSOC. This type of geographic data can then be
stored to create a library of images that can be mapped against future
threats and shared with our state and local partners.
* The ³current operational picture² can be viewed using the geographical
and mapping capabilities of 16 flat panel fifty-inch screens to monitor
threat environment in real time
* Access to a significant portion of the District of Columbia¹s traffic
cameras for real-time view of various transportation hubs
>>Senior Level Communication. The HSOC is in constant communication with the
White House, acting as the situational awareness conduit for the White House
Situation Room by providing information needed to make decisions and define
courses of action.
HSOC Incident Management Role
>>Interagency Incident Management Group (IIMG). The IIMG is a
headquarters-level group comprised of senior representatives from DHS
components, other federal departments and agencies, and non-governmental
organizations. The IIMG provides strategic situational awareness, synthesizes
key intelligence and operational information, frames operational courses of
action and policy recommendations, anticipates evolving requirements, and
provides decision support to the Secretary of Homeland Security and other
national authorities during periods of elevated alert and national domestic
incidents.
>>Quick Response. During incidents such as Hurricane Isabel, the December 2003
Orange Alert, and the black-out in New York City, the IIMG was ³stood-up² in
less than 90 minutes and hosted Assistant Secretary-level members of the
represented agencies to provide strategic leadership.
HSOC Watchstanders
The HSOC is home to a variety of agency, state, and local partners that
provide constant watch for the safety of our nation. Receiving hundreds of
calls, they address about 22 incidents or cases per day. The agencies
represented include:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Coast Guard
Postal Inspection Service
Central Intelligence Agency
United States Secret Service
DC Metropolitan Police Department
Defense Intelligence Agency
Federal Protective Service
New York Police Department
National Security Agency
Customs and Border Protection
Los Angeles Police Department
Immigration Customs Enforcement
Department of Energy
Environmental Protection Agency
Drug Enforcement Agency
Department of Interior (US Park Police
Federal Air Marshal Service
Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
Department of Defense
Department of State
Department of Transportation
Department of Veterans Affairs
National Capitol Region
Transportation Security Administration
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency
Department of Health and Human Services
Federal Emergency Management Agency
National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration
Public Affairs (DHS)
State and Local Coordination Office
Science and Technology Directorate
Geo-spatial Mapping Office
Information Analysis Office
Infrastructure Protection Office
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