Under its umbrella mission of “securing the nation from the many threats we face,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines several mission areas critical to meeting this goal. These include countering terrorism and preventing threats, securing and managing borders, administering immigration, securing cyberspace, building resilience, and responding to incidents, as well as combating crimes of exploitation. To support these areas, the DHS Innovation, Research & Development Strategic Plan defines eight scientific areas as focal points for research:
- Advanced sensing
- AI and autonomous systems
- Biotechnology
- Climate change
- Communications and networking
- Cybersecurity
- Data integration, analytics, modeling, and simulation
- Digital identity and trust
In a previous post, we looked at DHS’s work with artificial intelligence (AI), digital identity, and climate change. In this post, we’ll take a look at the activity happening in more of these eight areas.
Cybersecurity
The continuous reliance on technology and the data it accesses has changed and expanded vulnerabilities, increasing the potential risk to governmental, citizen services, and critical infrastructure. This research area is focused on building resilience across data, software, hardware, and communications networks. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) plays a huge role in the cybersecurity strategy of DHS and our government as a whole. In 2024, CISA gained buy-in from over 250 companies to its Secure by Design Pledge, where companies commit to making a good-faith effort towards seven key goals related to CISA’s Secure by Design principle.
CISA provides research and guidance for managing the opportunities and risks that AI introduces to cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. Several major milestones in CISA’s Roadmap for AI have been met, including completing the first set of annual AI risk assessments for critical infrastructure sectors. Further support for AI security is being provided by the Testing Risks of AI for National Security (TRAINS) taskforce, which was formed to test advanced AI models across national security domains.
Data Integration
DHS collects and uses massive amounts of data daily to execute its mission operations. This includes data DHS gathers itself, as well as compilations from multiple external data sources. Data analytics is applied to extract insights, find patterns, inform conclusions, and support decision-making. While this introduces new insights and efficiencies, there is also a need to ensure data is used securely and ethically.
AI is closely tied to data integration. At the end of 2024, DHS released an inventory of AI use cases, showing how agencies across the department use AI and AI-derived data to modernize mission operations. AI enables new efficiencies through better data use across the department, particularly for Customs and Border Protection (CBP). CBP uses Google’s Vertex AI system to search across disparate data sources anywhere its agents work, even in remote border postings, allowing for quicker and more informed decision-making. On the administrative side, DHS launched DHSChat, a chatbot built within DHS to pull non-public data and aid in such areas as report creation, critical information summarization, software development, and streamlining administrative tasks.
Advanced Sensing
All DHS operations rely on the ability to detect, track, monitor, and identify activities, goods, people, or threats. Sensor technology is a key tool for capturing data for other systems and humans to analyze.
Research in this area is focused on:
- Signature Exploitation and Detection – understanding how emerging sensor technologies and existing capabilities can be applied in new ways.
- Sensor Integration – developing appropriate architectures to integrate multiple sensor systems and evaluate novel sensor effectiveness.
- Emerging Sensing Technologies – collaborating with leading researchers and innovators in quantum sensing and nanotechnology to determine use cases for the DHS mission.
For more about innovation within DHS, check out these resources:
- Biometric Identity Disambiguation (datasheet) – The Biometric Identity Disambiguation (BID) system, developed by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate and the TSA, revolutionizes identity verification at security checkpoints. By combining biometric data like fingerprints, facial scans, and iris recognition with biographic details, BID ensures accurate identification even when names, birthdays, or input errors create ambiguity.
- Roles and Responsibilities Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Critical Infrastructure (white paper) – This paper highlights how AI is transforming U.S. critical infrastructure, unlocking opportunities while introducing new risks. Developed with the AI Safety and Security Board, the framework outlines responsibilities for cloud providers, AI developers, critical infrastructure operators, and the public sector to ensure AI is safe and secure. It emphasizes collaboration, transparency, and protecting civil rights, aiming to create resilient and trustworthy AI systems.
- Emergency Management of Tomorrow Research: Artificial Intelligence Landscape Assessment (white paper) – AI offers significant potential to aid emergency management, law enforcement, and support personnel before, during, and after crises. With continued development and research, AI and machine learning could become essential tools in emergency management operations.
- CyberSmart 2025: From A to Z (February 6, 2025; Reston, VA) – Federal agencies understand that cybersecurity must be the foundation of their operations, from online to back office. One major challenge for agencies is meeting security requirements while looking for ways to incorporate new technologies that can streamline their operations. This event will address multiple aspects of this challenge and explore how to meet and overcome it.
- AFCEA Atlanta Homeland Security Conference (February 26, 2025; Atlanta, GA) – This event will focus on topics including cybersecurity, infrastructure, national security, homeland security, and defense, providing an opportunity to develop and nurture business relationships and learn about updated requirements.
- Homeland Security Week (March 25-26, 2025; Alexandria, VA) – Experts from across federal government and law enforcement will address topics including safeguarding and securing cyberspace networks, ensuring against the evolving threat to the U.S. homeland, countering biological threats and hazards, and the unique challenges faced by law enforcement.
More information on DHS’s application of emerging technology can be found on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.
