DHS Publishes New NTAS Bulletin – 1-27-21

Today the Department of Homeland Security published a bulletin on the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) web page. According to the NTAS page:

“The Acting Secretary of Homeland Security has issued a National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) Bulletin due to a heightened threat environment across the United States, which DHS believes will persist in the weeks following the successful Presidential Inauguration.  Information suggests that some ideologically-motivated violent extremists with objections to the exercise of governmental authority and the presidential transition, as well as other perceived grievances fueled by false narratives, could continue to mobilize to incite or commit violence.”

Anyone responsible for facility security needs to read the bulletin and so probably should everyone else. The bulletin is expected to remain in effect through April 30^th.

NTAS System

A quick reminder about the NTAS system. It provides three different advisory levels depending on the specificity of the information available. The three different levels are:

• Bulletin - Describes current developments or general trends regarding threats of terrorism.

• Elevated Alert - Warns of a credible terrorism threat against the United States.

• Imminent Alert- Warns of a credible, specific and impending terrorism threat against the United States.

NTAS Bulletin and CFATS

There is currently nothing on either the home page for the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) program or the CFATS Knowledge Center about this specific NTAS Bulletin. The CFATS Knowledge Center does have a FAQ about the NTAS system (FAQ #1724) that was most recently updated on November 24^th, 2020. The response to that FAQ notes that CFATS covered facilities would have different response requirements under alerts and bulletins. Since bulletins do not provide specific threat information, that FAQ response explains that: “CFATS facilities should monitor the system for Bulletins for situational awareness and may use their best judgement to apply the information posted as applicable to the facility.”

Earlier this month I published two blog posts that address topics discussed in the “Details” portion of today’s bulletin. Those two posts are:

CFATS and the Nashville Bombing

CFATS and the ‘Insurrection’

There is a possibility that, as more specific threat information becomes available, applicable CFATS facilities could be notified directly by the CISA’s Infrastructure Security Compliance Division (ISCD) or directly through the Chemical Security Inspector responsible for oversight at the facility.