President's Commentary: Securing the Homeland Through Innovation

Threats to the homeland evolve rapidly and continually—from nation-state infiltration and cyber attacks on critical infrastructure to transnational organized crime, politically-motivated violence and increasingly destructive natural disasters. The threat has escalated from hacker to espionage to crime to nation-state influence and effects. Today’s risks are historically numerous, complex, interconnected and volatile. In this relentlessly risky environment, innovation is about more than convenience or competition—it is critical to American security.

Cybersecurity, in particular, is a frontline concern. Ransomware attacks on hospitals, water systems and energy grids have demonstrated that digital vulnerabilities can quickly spiral into physical emergencies. In August, the Federal Emergency Management Agency discovered a breach in its network that exposed serious gaps, and in September, the Secret Service revealed it had disrupted a communications network that could have shut down cellphone service during the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 

Innovation is reshaping how we detect, prevent and respond to threats. Artificial intelligence helps analysts spot patterns of domestic extremism. Drones surveil our borders and map wildfire perimeters in real time. And biometric identification systems streamline security at our borders, airports and seaports. Once the stuff of science fiction, these tools are now developed, deployed and in play.

A recent article from the DHS Science and Technology Directorate chronicled a race to stay ahead of adversaries who use AI to create fake content. The directorate is zeroing in on border security use cases, including characterizing the adversarial AI attack surfaces of many technologies used in border missions, such as license plate readers, fixed towers and cameras, unmanned vehicles, Non-Intrusive Inspection scanning, radiation portal monitors and more, the article explains. “But the scope of the adversarial AI threat is expansive and extends beyond first-order DHS mission challenges, like contending with fakes at border crossings or airport checkpoints. Law enforcement use cases, like nonconsensual deepfakes, where a person’s likeness is used to generate illicit content, can bleed into the human trafficking space, which falls within the DHS domain. So, advances in combating adversarial AI ultimately have the potential to impact extensive terrain.”

The breadth of topics covered at the Homeland Security Department’s Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) Summit held in August illustrates the broad array of threats the department contends with daily. Topics included: 

Unmanned aerial systems for border patrol and acoustic profiling for tunnel detection.

Capabilities in nuclear detection, energy grid cybersecurity and databases to track criminal behavior.

Advancements in cyber defense strategies, including generative AI for critical infrastructure protection and adversarial AI mitigation.

Rapid-response aerial transport models and coatings for environmental sampling to detect and contain airborne pathogens.

Research and virtual demonstrations on preparing first responders and communities for hazardous scenarios to mitigate damage and loss of life.

Advanced training platforms using augmented reality and virtual reality technologies for law enforcement and physical security operators.

Emerging technologies like machine learning and augmented and virtual reality for workforce development and enhanced security operations.

The complex and dynamic homeland security environment is not just about physical borders or traditional threat models. It demands agility, foresight and collaboration among government, industry and academia. Innovative technology is the connective tissue that makes agility, foresight and collaboration possible, and in this day and age, security simply cannot be accomplished without it.

Looking ahead, the challenge is to invent, develop and deploy new tools wisely and ceaselessly because our adversaries are doggedly innovative, too. That means focusing on science, technology, engineering and math education, adopting industry’s best practices, enabling agility, and building in cybersecurity for all new technologies from the beginning. It means making sure innovation is driven by mission needs and desired outcomes, not market hype. And it means building strong partnerships across departments and sectors.

The threats are real. But so is our capacity to meet them. With innovative leaders, innovative strategies and innovative technologies, we can build a homeland security enterprise that’s resilient, responsive and ready for whatever comes next.