Why Protecting the Homeland Demands a Unified Response

The goal of any adversary of the United States is to disrupt our way of life, our sense of safety or our economic stability. This holds true for both nation state and non-nation state actors. We saw it on September 11, 2001. We see it in state-sponsored cyberattacks like the SolarWinds supply chain attack of 2020. And we see it in lone-wolf style attacks like the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year’s Day in 2025.

This is why protecting the homeland must be a sweeping, constant and multi-layered national priority. We tend to think about this work in three categories: safety, preparedness and response; protecting critical infrastructure; and safeguarding our way of life.

But our adversaries don’t think about threats this way; they focus on impact. It’s incumbent upon us to create adaptable, flexible solutions reflective of threats across all three to minimize impact. This requires working across agencies, industries and the private sector to build partnerships that meet the mission. No one entity can do it alone, nor should they.

Safety, Preparedness and Response

Whether around a large national security special event, like this year’s World Cup or the 2028 Summer Olympics, or after a natural disaster like a major wildfire, massive, multi-agency coordination is required. In the latter, the focus is on restoring services and providing shelter. The former is all about taking precautions to protect the public and prevent attacks.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the Fusion Center concept for exactly this type of coordination. Fusion Centers bring together state, local and federal law enforcement professionals who leverage advanced monitoring, analytics and communication technology to execute effective public safety operations for the most complex missions. We enable real-time intelligence fusion to improve situational awareness and response across these scenarios. This work has reinforced our view that threats do not, will not, and have not ever stayed in lanes. They bleed across domains, and so should our response.

Critical Infrastructure

Citizens may not be aware of the intricate overlaps and responsibilities across organizations within the federal government. For example, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has pipeline security in its purview. TSA maintains relationships across government partners, private industry and state and local entities to ensure America’s pipelines remain protected and operational. This collaboration prior to any incident ensures that TSA’s distinct legal authorities are fully leveraged, with the private sector providing input on whether security measures can be practically implemented.

The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack in 2021 is a great example of this response in action. Agencies coordinated operational requirements across private infrastructure owners and operators, the Department of Energy, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. Due to the criminal nature of the attack, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was also involved, among others. During and after the attack, many agencies orchestrated their efforts to work through the crisis and put regulatory measures in place to protect against future attacks.

This outcomes-focused mindset is what will ultimately make our critical infrastructure resilient, whether it’s pipelines, hospitals, banking systems, roads or railways, protecting Americans’ sense of security and our way of life.

Way of Life

Every American deserves to live, work and maneuver within a society with stable services and infrastructure. Following natural and manmade disasters, we coordinate citizen recovery and surge capacity after an emergency to swiftly connect disaster victims with the assistance they need. This involves coordination with local and federal agencies, all of whom have a stake in restoring normalcy during a period of massive instability for families.

Similarly, when someone pursues American citizenship, DHS, the State Department and the Department of Justice all play a role, touching everything from status disputes to fraud investigations to the naturalization process and swearing in. It was an incredible honor during my time at DHS to be a part of the swearing in ceremony for dozens of new American citizens. The privilege of American citizenship is an amazing one, and so are the many agencies and individuals working together behind the scenes to make it possible.

While homeland security, in all its forms, is led by DHS, the responsibility doesn’t rest with DHS alone. It lies with all of us, from agencies to state and local partners; from critical infrastructure owners and operators to systems integrators, mission partners and private citizens. This is why, at GDIT, we operate in a way that is reflective of the challenge in front of us all: coordinated, not stove-piped, and aligned to the mission.