Department of Homeland Security (DHS)

Written testimony of DHS Under Secretary David J. Glawe of the Office of Intelligence and Analysis for the Senate Homeland Security Committee on a hearing titled “Threats to the Homeland”

Chairman Johnson, Ranking Member Peters, and distinguished Members of the Committee, it is my honor to testify on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to address today’s emerging worldwide threats. 

First, let me briefly touch on my role – I serve as Chief Intelligence Officer and Under Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security.  I am responsible for ensuring the Secretary, our 22 DHS Components, and our homeland security partners have access to the intelligence they need to keep the country safe. My focus is to ensure the unique tactical intelligence from the DHS Intelligence Enterprise is shared with operators and decision-makers across all levels of government so they can more effectively mitigate threats to the homeland.  My office generates intelligence that is unbiased and based on sound analytic judgments that meets Intelligence Community standards.  

DHS/ALL/PIA-075 Workforce Analytics and Employee Records

Workforce Analytics and Employee Records is a Federal Human Capital Business Function whereby federal agencies implement a systematic process to review workforce and performance data, metrics, and results. Federal agencies conduct these reviews in an effort to anticipate and plan for future strategic and operational requirements and to make holistically informed Human Capital Management decisions. Specifically, federal human capital organizations generate evidence-based metrics to support decision-making concerning recruitment, staffing, training, and workforce development. The Workforce Analytics and Employee Records Business Function also facilitates compensation and benefits modeling, as well as the application of statistical models on such human resources (HR) issues as retention rates, time to on-board, retirement trends, and employee engagement. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is conducting this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) because the systems and data sources that support Workforce Analytics and Employee Records at DHS collect, use, store, and transmit personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII).

DHS/ALL/PIA-074 Chief Human Capital Officer DHS Volunteer Force

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is recruiting federal employees from all DHS Components and from other federal agencies for the DHS Volunteer Force (DVF), a program that deploys volunteers to the southern border and other locations to help respond to a humanitarian and security crisis. DVF volunteers support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) or U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in those DHS Components’ efforts to respond to the border crisis and to stabilize the region. CBP volunteers are assigned to one of five roles that provide services to migrants and detainees: meal distribution, medical assessment, hospital watch, personal property management, or high capacity transport. ICE volunteers are either federal attorneys that help manage ICE’s immigration litigation case load or federal health care professionals that help evaluate and treat ICE detainees. DHS is conducting this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) because the systems and processes that support the DVF program collect, use, store, and share personally identifiable information (PII) and sensitive personally identifiable information (SPII).

DHS/ALL/PIA-073 Electronic Discovery (eDiscovery) Tools

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) uses commercial off-the-shelf electronic discovery (eDiscovery) software tools to aid in the collection of existing departmental records and to facilitate the review and production of electronically stored information (ESI), such as emails, computer files, and databases. This Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) Update discusses the Department’s use of this technology for the purposes of internal investigations, complaint processing, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) or Privacy Act (PA) requests, research, and other Departmental issues and requirements.

S&T Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Legal Authorities Fact Sheet

The Preventing Emerging Threats Act of 2018 grants the Department of Homeland Security statutory authority to counter credible threats from unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the safety or security of a covered facility or asset. This authority is paramount to the Department’s mission to protect and secure the Homeland from evolving threats. The Department is in the process of coordinating with Components and stakeholders regarding the need for additional counter-UAS (CUAS) authorities.

Memorandum on Ethical Behavior

On April 22, 2019, Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan signed a new Memorandum on Ethical Behavior emphasizing that all DHS employees must hold themselves to the highest standards of honor, integrity, and ethics. To avoid even the appearance of impropriety, the memo encourages employees to conserve and protect government resources, act with impartiality, avoid acting when private interests conflict with official duties, consider declining gifts even when they may be accepted, and to report fraud, waste, and abuse whenever it is detected.

DHS/S&T/PIA-037 Genomics Informatics System (GIS)

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) created the Genomics Informatics System (GIS) to analyze bio-forensic data for classified development projects and law enforcement casework. GIS processes deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and amino-acid sequences transferred to GIS from external sources. S&T uses GIS for the analysis of bio-forensic data that may include the DNA or amino-acid sequences of synthetic constructs, viruses, bacteria, plants, animals, and/or humans. GIS is not used to identify individuals, and the identity of an individual cannot be inferred from a DNA sequence or other information in the GIS database. S&T is conducting this PIA to analyze potential privacy risks in the collection, analysis, and storage of human DNA sequences by GIS.

Office of the Chief Information Officer

The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) is responsible for implementing the programs necessary to align DHS’s Information Technology (IT) personnel, resources, and assets.

Notification to DHS Contractors about a Potential Lapse in Funding

Notification to DHS contractors about a potential lapse in funding.

DHS/S&T/PIA-035 Laboratory Management System (LMS)

The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) is a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC) and laboratory within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T). NBACC develops and applies methods to identify the means, method, and forensic signatures associated with a biological agent, biocrime, or bioterror investigation. This work guides DHS investments in vaccines, drugs, detectors, and other countermeasures to protect against biological terrorism. NBACC uses the Laboratory Management System (LMS) to facilitate and maintain a state of mission-related laboratory compliance with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Standard ISO 17025 (general requirements for the competence of testing and calibration laboratories) and its laboratory registration with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). LMS assists NBACC in meeting its compliance, verification, and registration obligations under ISO 17025; federal, state, and local regulations; and DHS policies; and in reducing the likelihood of records mismanagement in its mission- related laboratory operations. LMS collects personally identifiable information (PII) from or about DHS workforce members (both government and contractors) who work with NBACC.