The Homeland Security Project’s (HSP) core mission is to be an active, bipartisan voice on homeland and national security issues.

The project is co-chaired by former Governor Tom Kean and former Congressman Lee Hamilton who led the 9/11 Commission’s bipartisan 20-month investigation into the September 11th attacks and forged unanimous agreement on its 41 recommendations – the vast majority of which were enacted into law.

With terrorist threat and tactics becoming more complex and diverse, the project works to foster public discourse, provide expert analysis, and develop proactive policy solutions on how best to respond to emerging challenges. The project’s three working groups focus on Cyber Security, Emerging Threats and Radicalization, and Information Sharing and Security.

Working Groups

Cyber Security
Experts agree the next “9/11” is likely to be a cyber attack. But what can Congress, the administration, the private sector and the public do about it before hand? The group will examine how to improve information sharing between the public and private sector in order to bolster defenses and counter attacks, all the while ensuring that privacy and civil liberties are maintained, thereby supporting both national security and privacy for the American public.

Emerging Threats and Radicalization
The Internet has revolutionized the way all of us communicate and do business. At the same time, it should be recognized that, while being a force for good, the Internet has also come to play an important role in radicalizing homegrown and domestic terrorists. To address these threats, BPC issued a report Countering Online Radicalization in America (2012), to equip policy makers with a better understanding of how the Internet facilitates radicalization, in particular within the U.S.; an appreciation of the dilemmas and trade-offs that are involved in countering online radicalization within the U.S.; and ideas and best practices for making the emerging approach and strategy more effective.

The group will continue to investigate emerging threats and vulnerabilities facing our nation, and in 2013 will release the first in an annual series of threat assessments. The report will provide a comprehensive review of al Qaeda and its affiliates, as well as other homegrown extremists who may target U.S. interests, and will provide recommendations to lawmakers and government officials on how best to counter the threat and protect the homeland.

Information Sharing and Security
When the Internet spreads messages and sparks debate (fact-filled or otherwise) around the globe instantly, intelligence professionals find themselves on the front pages instead of working behind the scenes. Over the past decade, we have witnessed security compromised both by sharing and withholding information. The project will determine the best method to investigate and report on the over-classification of materials, as well as the myriad leaks to journalists, transparency activists, entertainment professionals and the public, all of which may jeopardize national security.