Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Formed
  
2007

Employees
  
2,787 (2012)

Jurisdiction
  
United States

Annual budget
  
$2.5 billion (2012)

DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate

Headquarters
  
DHS Nebraska Avenue Complex, Washington D.C.

Agency executive
  
Suzanne E. Spaulding, Under Secretary

The National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) is a component within the United States Department of Homeland Security. NPPD's goal is to advance the Department's national security mission by reducing and eliminating threats to the Nation’s critical physical and cyber infrastructure.

Contents

The NPPD is led by the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs, who is appointed by the President of the United States with confirmation by the United States Senate. The current Under Secretary is Suzanne E. Spaulding.

Overview

NPPD is the lead component of the United States Department of Homeland Security in the protection of the Nation’s physical and cyber critical infrastructure and key resources from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other catastrophic incidents. NPPD collaborates and shares information with Federal, State, local, tribal, international, and private-sector partners.

NPPD has three major program activities:

  • Cyber Security and Communications – Collaborates with public, private, and international partners to ensure the security and continuity of the Nation’s cyber and communications infrastructures in the event of terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and catastrophic incidents. Additionally, Cyber Security and Communications protects and strengthens the reliability, survivability, and interoperability of the Nation’s communications capabilities, including those utilized during emergencies, at the Federal, State, local, and tribal levels. Responsible for overseeing the National Cyber Security Division.
  • Infrastructure Protection – Leads coordinated efforts for reducing risk to the Nation’s physical critical infrastructure and key resources from terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other catastrophic incidents by integrating and disseminating critical infrastructure and key resources threat, consequence, and vulnerability information; developing risk mitigation strategies; and overseeing the developing and implementation of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP). These efforts help to ensure that essential Government missions, public services, and economic functions are maintained. IP also ensures that critical infrastructure and key resources elements are not exploited for use as weapons of mass destruction against people or institutions through regulatory initiatives such as its Ammonium Nitrate and Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) programs.
  • Federal Protective Service – Leads the Department’s comprehensive security and law enforcement services for mitigating risk to more than 9,000 Federal facilities and their 1.1 million occupants nationwide. Operational activities include law enforcement response; risk assessments of Federal facilities to determine, recommend, and install appropriate risk mitigation measures; and oversight of between 12,000 and 15,000 armed contract protective security officers, depending on customer requirements. Further, personnel conduct criminal investigations, provide regular security awareness training to stakeholders, and provide support to major events.
  • United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology Program - US-VISIT supports the Department of Homeland Security's responsibility to protect the nation by providing biometric identification services that help federal, state, and local government decision makers accurately identify the people they encounter and determine whether those people pose a risk to the United States. US-VISIT supplies the technology for collecting and storing biometric data, provides analysis, updates its watchlist, and ensures the integrity of the data.

    • Management

    Senior officials within the NPPD include:

  • Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs
  • Deputy Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Cyber Security
  • Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Cyber Security and Communications
  • Office of Cyber Security and Communications
  • Office of Emergency Communications
  • National Cyber Security and Communications Integration Center
  • Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience
  • Federal Network Resilience
  • Network Security Deployment
  • Sector Specific Agency Executive Management Office
  • Communications Branch
  • Information Technology Branch
  • Office of Cyber Security Coordination
  • Deputy Under Secretary of Homeland Security for National Protection and Programs
  • Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for Infrastructure Protection
  • Office of Infrastructure Protection
  • Chemical Security Compliance Division
  • Infrastructure Information Collection Division
  • Infrastructure Analysis and Strategy Division
  • Protective Security Coordination Division
  • Sector Specific Agency Executive Management Office
  • Chemical Branch
  • Commercial Facilities Branch
  • Dams Branch
  • Emergency Services Branch
  • Nuclear Branch
  • Partnership and Outreach Division
  • Director, Federal Protective Service
  • Federal Protective Service
  • Director, Office of Biometric Identification Management
  • Office of Biometric Identification Management (formerly US-VISIT)

    • Subcomponents

    The subcomponents of the National Protection and Programs Directorate include the Federal Protective Service, Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, Office of Infrastructure Protection, Office of Intergovernmental Programs, Office of Risk Management and Analysis, and US-VISIT.

    Federal Protective Service

    Federal Protective Service is a federal law enforcement agency that provides integrated security and law enforcement services to federally owned and leased buildings, courthouses, facilities, properties and other assets, as well as the personnel associated with them.

    Office of Cybersecurity and Communications

    The Office of Cybersecurity and Communications has the mission of assuring the security, resiliency, and reliability of the nation’s cyber and communications infrastructure. Includes the National Cyber Security Division.

    The National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center coordinates responses to cyber attacks and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.

    Office of Infrastructure Protection

    The Office of Infrastructure Protection leads the coordinated national effort to reduce risk to the United States' critical infrastructures and key resources (CIKR) posed by acts of terrorism. In doing so, the Department increases the nation's level of preparedness and the ability to respond and quickly recover in the event of an attack, natural disaster, or other emergency.

    Office of Intergovernmental Programs

    The Office of Intergovernmental Programs has the mission of promoting an integrated national approach to homeland security by ensuring, coordinating, and advancing federal interaction with state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.

    Office of Risk Management and Analysis

    The Office of Risk Management and Analysis serves as the Department’s Executive Agent for national risk management and analysis. According to the president's proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget the Office of Risk Management and Analysis may be transferred to DHS Office of Policy.

    Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM) – formerly US-VISIT

    The Office of Biometric Identity Management (OBIM), formerly the United States Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (US-VISIT) uses innovative biometrics-based technological solutions—digital fingerprints and photographs—to provide decision-makers with accurate information when and where they need it. According to the President's proposed Fiscal Year 2013 budget the US-VISIT program may be transferred to Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, through proposed 2013 Continuing Resolutions, both the House of Representatives and Senate rejected the President's proposal for full transfer of the program. Instead, the Senate establishes the Office of Biometric Identity Management under NPPD, with US-VISIT's mission operations moving to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Likewise, the House proposed keeping the US-VISIT Program as-is under NPPD.

    References

    DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics