Resilience through Partnerships

• Introduction
• HSIN Footprint within DHS
• Building Information-Sharing Bridges across the Homeland Security Enterprise

Building Information-Sharing Bridges across the Homeland Security Enterprise

Designated as the primary system for operational information sharing and collaboration within DHS and all of its partners since 2006, HSIN plays an integral role in DHS missions such as ensuring resilience when disasters strike, enhancing security, preventing terrorism, managing borders and safeguarding cyberspace. By building information-sharing bridges across DHS and among federal, state, local, tribal, territorial, international and private sector partners, HSIN makes a unique and unprecedented contribution to the homeland security mission. The examples below illustrate the integral role HSIN plays in allowing partners to share information in real time, which enables rapid analysis and decision-making.

---

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

FEMA has numerous HSIN communities dedicated to building, sustaining and improving capabilities that protect against, recover from and mitigate all types of hazards. FEMA depends on HSIN to provide seamless information sharing across public-private sector partnerships and local, state and federal agencies—all with the goal to help communities and first responders prepare for and respond to emergency situations.

DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD)

NPPD leads the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of our country’s physical and cyber infrastructure. HSIN’s trusted network supports NPPD’s ongoing success by providing a secure platform to share information and risk-mitigation strategies, such as during the 2017 National Scout Jamboree. The HSIN Critical Infrastructure (HSIN-CI) community enables infrastructure stakeholders to communicate, coordinate and share information in support of mission success. Community members maintain a direct, trusted channel with DHS and other vetted sector stakeholders through HSIN and can quickly exchange information pertaining to threats, vulnerabilities, security, and response and recovery activities affecting sector and cross-sector operations.

Transportation Security Administration (TSA)

Thousands of HSIN users in the TSA depend on HSIN’s information-sharing capabilities to protect the nation’s transportation systems and ensure freedom of movement. TSA personnel use HSIN daily to share information that can be used to preemptively stop adverse events from occurring and support transportation security across the country.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP)

HSIN communities are primary destinations for CBP personnel who rely on HSIN in support of their mission to safeguard America’s borders. Almost a million times each day, CBP officers welcome international travelers, screening both foreign visitors and returning U.S. citizens. CBP communities on HSIN include U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the CBP Protection Office of Information and Technology, and CBP Centers of Excellence and Expertise.

Geospatial Management Office (GMO)

HSIN’s partnership with the GMO gives homeland security partners access to the DHS GII, which delivers critical situational awareness and advanced mapping information to state and local law enforcement and public safety officials. Through HSIN, partners can securely access GMO’s data and maps that include infrastructure, imagery, public alerts and warnings, weather advisories and incident feeds from DHS Operations Centers. HSIN’s geospatial tools and capabilities allow users to efficiently conduct damage assessments, perform special event planning and help decision makers make better decisions. When responding to hurricanes and other incidents, officials can quickly understand where "hot spots" are occurring, what infrastructure is involved and how to prioritize response and recovery efforts.

This year, HSIN strengthened its partnership with the DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) and assisted the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) in its migration of information assets to HSIN.

DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA)

With HSIN’s support, OHA is able to develop and enhance end-to-end situational awareness, coordination and information sharing capabilities. As a result, OHA is able to coordinate its efforts with organizations that rely on receiving and disseminating timely and accurate information and properly plan and prepare for threats.

"OHA looked to HSIN because of the development in its capabilities are invaluable to OHA’s mission success. For example, the secure information sharing infrastructure and sign on security is something that a small organization like OHA cannot do on its own; HSIN provides us that economy of scale we couldn’t reach by ourselves. HSIN is a fantastic partner who offers the collaboration capabilities we need to continue to meet the needs of our customers and partners."

Candi Jones
Health Incident Surveillance Branch Chief, DHS Office of Health Affairs

DHS Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)

The OEC plays a key role in ensuring partners have the plans, resources and training needed to support advanced interoperable emergency communications. This year, HSIN completed the OEC’s migration to HSIN, enhancing their daily operations, streamlining their training processes and assisting in their mission to support and promote communications used by emergency responders and government officials. Through HSIN, OEC is able to stream video to facilitate the delivery of technical assistance and training, and post information about upcoming events and key dates. As the lead coordination office for the National Council of Interoperability Coordinators (NCSWIC), which facilitates interoperability efforts in all states and territories, OEC’s partnership with HSIN allows the NCSWIC and other users to take advantage of HSIN’s tools and capabilities to efficiently coordinate across numerous jurisdictions.

Department of Defense (DoD) and DHS Partner Using HSIN: Leveraging Military Training

DHS, in close collaboration with DoD, has designed and fielded an enduring web-based system, built on the Homeland Security Information Network (HSIN) platform, that enables DHS and DoD to exchange information relating to civilian law enforcement needs and activities, satisfying the congressional mandate for a formal mechanism. The DHS-DoD LMT Portal enables operational collaboration, cooperation and coordination between DHS and DoD and facilitates related analysis and reporting.

Integrated Maritime Domain Environment-Coastal Surveillance System (IMDE-CSS)

In FY 2017, HSIN conducted a pilot with DHS Science and Technology’s IMDE-CSS to support border and maritime security. HSIN provides identification and authentication for all IMDE-CSS users for multiple systems, which streamlines sign on and enhances information sharing capabilities and a service-based architecture. The IMDE-CSS system delivers a scalable unclassified information sharing architecture to facilitate the exchange of actionable information among federal, state, local, tribal, international and public private users.