A New Perspective on Threats to the Homeland

Essential to defending our homeland is securing our borders. We are and will remain a Nation of immigrants and no one denies our immigration system is broken and needs to be reformed. Other threats to our Nation do not cross our physical borders. They instead invade our digital networks. DHS is tasked with securing our civilian Federal networks and equally important, protecting our critical infrastructures. DHS is responsible for coordinating the National protection, prevention, mitigation of, and recovery from cyber incidents. DHS has been building its capability to protect us from cyber attacks and it will be the priority of this committee to help them improve their efforts through legislation. As we work to meet these challenges, we will never forget the present threat of terrorism. Scattered across the map are increasing numbers of organizations sympathetic to al-Qaeda's message reaching out to al-Qaeda operatives in joining their global jihad.