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  4. Preventing Terrorism and Targeted Violence

Preventing Terrorism and Targeted Violence

Protecting the American people from terrorist threats is the reason DHS was created, and remains our highest priority.

  • Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States

    Empowering Local Partners to Prevent Violent Extremism in the United States

  • Executive Summary: Digital Forum on Terrorism Prevention

    In late September 2017, 144 technologists and terrorism prevention leaders convened in Washington, D.C. for the Digital Forum on Terrorism Prevention. The forum was led by the US government interagency Countering Violent Extremism Task Force and co-presented by the DHS Office for Terrorism Prevention Partnerships, Tech Against Terrorism, the George Washington Program on Extremism, and Fifth Tribe.

  • Foreign Terrorist Organizations’ Official Media Arms and Violent Extremist Web Forums

    Each of the foreign terrorist organizations (FTOs) referenced in this graphic use social media to disseminate official messaging, recruit potential members, and convince potential supporters to mobilize to violence. Due to the dynamic social media environment—including the termination of user accounts by social media sites for violations of terms of service—it is sometimes difficult to pinpoint the current account names used by these groups and their supporters, so this graphic does not include this information.

  • HSAC Foreign Fighters Task Force

    Homeland Security Advisory Council Foreign Fighters Task Force Membership List

  • National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin - May 15, 2017 - Translations

    National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin - May 15, 2017 - Translations

  • National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin - November 9, 2017 - Translations

    On November 9, 2017, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Elaine Duke issued a National Terrorism Advisory System Bulletin.

  • Reference Aid: ISIS and al-Qa‘ida English-Language Online Messaging

    This reference aid describes the messaging themes and official English-language media products the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS) and al-Qa‘ida use to radicalize and recruit individuals and the growing importance of encrypted mobile messaging applications in these efforts.

  • Reference Aid: ISIS and al-Qa‘ida-Inspired Homegrown Violent Extremists

    This reference aid is about homegrown violent extremists (HVE) in the United States. These individuals are most frequently supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and ash-Sham (ISIS), al-Qa‘ida, or designated foreign terrorist organizations (FTO) allied with these two groups.a,b It also discusses HVEs’ connections to FTOs, participation in multiple types of terrorism activities, historical attack data and recent examples of lethal attacks, targeting and tactical trends, locations, demographics, and common behavioral indicators during their radicalization to violence.

  • Reference Aid: US Foreign Fighters

    This reference aid about “foreign fighters” focuses on US persons who attempt to or are successful in traveling overseas to join a designated foreign terrorist organization (FTO). Such activity is illegal and may result in federal criminal charges against alleged offenders.

  • Reference Aid: US Violent White Supremacist Extremists

    Violent White Supremacist Extremists (WSE) are defined as individuals who seek, wholly or in part, through unlawful acts of force or violence, to support their belief in the intellectual and moral superiority of the white race over other races. The mere advocacy of political or social positions, political activism, use of strong rhetoric, or generalized philosophic embrace of violent tactics may be constitutionally protected activities.