Last year, a total of 34 homegrown violent extremists (HVEs) conducted acts of terrorism across the United States. Overall, there were 13 attacks and plots nationwide—two involving New Jersey residents—and 22 individuals were charged with material support or other related offenses nationwide.

Tune in to our discussion on the HVE threat, including a look at their continued ability to operate in New Jersey and throughout the United States while connecting with like-minded individuals online and acting independently from organized terrorist groups. Learn what resources are available as our communities try to detect and deter this threat.

Homeland security advisors (HSAs) are the sole representative for the Governor to the US Department of Homeland Security. Although there is no one model for the HSA position, all HSAs are responsible for implementing the state’s homeland security mission, receiving classified threat information, and acting on behalf of the Governor in the event of a disaster or emergency. Despite the critical role HSAs play, little is known about the position. The Governors Homeland Security Advisors Council (GHSAC) is conducting a podcast mini-series through the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness Intelligence. Unclassified. The first episode of the podcast will provide an overview of the role of the HSA, discuss how HSAs interact with their governors, and identify how states play a role in homeland security. The remaining six episodes of the podcast will focus on specific threats HSAs face in their jurisdictions. The goal of this podcast series is to provide more awareness about homeland security advisors and the state role in homeland security.

Join Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana as Major General Bret Daugherty of Washington describes Cascadia Rising, the largest earthquake exercise in Washington state history, which simulated a 9.0 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami along the Washington and Oregon coasts. This exercise aimed to develop a response plan that would immediately coordinate assistance and provide help following a catastrophe.

Intelligence gathering is known from our earliest recorded accounts. Egyptian hieroglyphics describe voyages to foreign lands dating to 3200 B.C. Sun Tzu wrote about intelligence in The Art of War circa sixth century B.C. During the Revolutionary War, intelligence operations focused on military actions under our first commander in chief.

Today, intelligence gathering remains a key practice for military and government entities, and also for commerce, finance, and other critical enterprises. Tune in to the first episode of our six-part series, Developing the 21st Century Analyst, where we will discuss the history and evolution of intelligence over the centuries.

In November 2015, NJOHSP and the New York State Intelligence Center, along with the NJ Regional Intelligence Academy and MAGLOCLEN, hosted a 1-day seminar joining together Clint Watts, Dr. William McCants, J.M. Berger, and Seamus Hughes, to discuss the current threat of violent extremists and how law enforcement and homeland security professionals may counter it. NJOHSP analysts had the opportunity to interview these experts and engage in valuable dialogue, surrounding a variety of terrorism-related topics.

In Episode 1, Dr. William McCants discusses the leadership structure of ISIS, to include current leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and his significance to the future of the organization.

Anarchists extremists believe that society should exist absent of “oppressive” governments, laws, police, or any other authority and they advocate violence in furtherance of sub movements such as anti-racism, anti-capitalism, anti-globalism, and environmental extremism.

Over the past year, anarchists have carried out attacks against white supremacists during counter protests, have caused millions of dollars in damage to private and public property during riots, and have latched onto otherwise legal protests nationwide. In New Jersey, they have been largely non-violent and focused on anti-racist action.

Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana and Intelligence Analyst Kristin McCormick sit down to explore what implications these recent events may have for the State of New Jersey.

In November 2016, al-Qa’ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) cited the bombings in New Jersey as a model for future attacks in the United States, the first time the group has highlighted New Jersey in its English-language magazine Inspire. AQAP uses Rahimi as an instructive case study on how to improve planning and execution in future terrorist operations.

AQAP remains a persistent threat to the West because of its proven ability to incorporate, train, and deploy operatives abroad; the group also has maintained a territorial foothold in Yemen, giving it space to plan and finance operations. AQAP has not attempted to attack the United States since 2012, when a foiled plot against a US-bound airliner, conceived by the group’s chief bombmaker Ibrahim al-Asiri, was disrupted.

The bombings in New Jersey and New York and the attacks in Orlando and at Ohio State University last year highlight the enduring influence of radical cleric Anwar al-Aulaqi, who was killed in a US airstrike in Yemen in 2011. Since 2011, Aulaqi has been named in over 20 terrorism cases in the United States. The most recent drone strikes in Yemen provide AQAP with an opportunity to revisit the death of al-Aulaqi and further their propaganda as well as increase recruitment.

Join Director of Intelligence Rosemary Martorana and Intelligence Analyst Alyssa Potter as they explore recent developments in AQAP's tactics and their overall threat to the West.

Each month, ISIS has issued an online, English language magazine called Rumiyah. It is designed to boast morale and provide tactical guidance to a global audience. Although this is the 12th edition of the Rumiyah series, ISIS has excelled in its propaganda efforts, which is evident in not only Rumiyah, but also its predecessor magazine, Dabiq, as well as their high-quality video messaging campaigns..

Tune in as we unpack the most recent edition of Rumiyah, published a day before the release of a new video detailing instructions for a new “terror tactics.”

The Regional Intelligence Academy (RIA) is a training partnership comprised of NJOHSP, the New Jersey State Police, and the public safety agencies represented in the New Jersey Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) region. The curriculum aims to teach intelligence tradecraft to law enforcement, first responders, the private sector, and intelligence analysts throughout New Jersey, New York City, and the Philadelphia area. These programs also help design strategies, systems, and activities that provide for intelligence and information exchange and sharing.

Listen to our latest episode to understand more about the RIA and the services it provides to the intelligence community in the region.

Winter weather in New Jersey can encompass a wide range of hazards—from a moderate snow over a few hours, to a blizzard with blinding, wind-driven snow, to severe coastal or ice jam flooding. Additionally, many winter storms are accompanied by dangerously low temperatures, strong winds, icing, sleet, and freezing rain, all of which can harm vehicles, property, and people. New Jersey residents should take the time to prepare their homes and vehicles for the upcoming winter season and ensure they know how to travel safely in hazardous conditions.

Principal Planner Erin Henry from our Preparedness Bureau brings several experts to Intelligence. Unclassified. in an effort to prepare our listeners for the approaching winter season.

White supremacist extremists often use imagery that can be broken down into four categories—traditional, religious, Nazi-related, and Internet-based—to convey their ideology, show support for a specific group, or intimidate minority populations. These symbols should not automatically be assumed to be hate-related, but should be evaluated in the context in which they are used.

Recently, our office partnered with the Anti-Defamation League to produce a comprehensive resource on the current imagery we are seeing in the white supremacist movement. Tune in as our analysts explore these symbols and their meanings.

The Profiles of Individual Radicalization in the United States (PIRUS) dataset contains deidentified individual-level information on the backgrounds, attributes, and radicalization processes of nearly 1,500 violent and non-violent extremists who adhere to far-right, far-left, Islamist, or single-issue ideologies in the United States covering 1948-2013. Coded using entirely public sources of information, the PIRUS dataset is among the first efforts to understand domestic radicalization from an empirical and scientifically rigorous perspective. Users can now explore the rich PIRUS data using the Keshif data visualization tool, a user-friendly platform that allows for intuitive and insightful analysis of the data in real-time.

Intelligence Analyst Paige Schilling sits down with Patrick James, project manager for PIRUS, to discuss PIRUS’s purpose and goals, trends, future research, and intentions to continue data to the present day.

In May 2017, NJOHSP hosted over 250 federal, state, and local intelligence and law enforcement, academic, and private-sector partners for the 2nd Annual Domestic Terrorism Conference. The event provided a forum to discuss the threat of extremists and groups aligned with race-based, single-issue, anti-government, and religious ideologies in the United States. Over the next several weeks, you will hear from some of the experts who shared their research and insights at the conference.

Intelligence Analyst Angie Gad sat down with Thomas E. Brzozowski, Counsel for Domestic Terrorism at the US Department of Justice (DOJ), to discuss the complexities of dealing with the domestic terrorism landscape in the United States. Mr. Brzozowski highlights the difficulties in defining domestic terrorism, ways the DOJ disrupts domestic terror plots, and how charges are levied against domestic terrorists.

On July 13, ISIS released the 11th edition of their English language magazine Rumiyah. Analysis Bureau Chief Dean Baratta talks about what the content tells us about the current state of the group and the threats it may pose to New Jersey in the future.

Throughout the last year, domestic extremist groups—particularly anarchists, militia members, and white supremacists—in New Jersey and neighboring states clashed, traveled across state lines, and were, at times, subject to foreign influence.

Join our intelligence analysts as they discuss trends presented in the 2018 NJOHSP Terrorism Threat Assessment, as well as their outlook for the domestic terrorism threat in 2018.

In November 2015, NJOHSP and the New York State Intelligence Center, along with the NJ Regional Intelligence Academy and MAGLOCLEN, hosted a 1-day seminar joining together Clint Watts, Dr. William McCants, J.M. Berger, and Seamus Hughes, to discuss the current threat of violent extremists and how law enforcement and homeland security professionals may counter it. NJOHSP analysts had the opportunity to interview these experts and engage in valuable dialogue, surrounding a variety of terrorism-related topics.

In Episode 2, J.M. Berger discusses social media tactics and messaging by both foreign and domestic terrorist groups.

An NJOHSP review of terrorism cases in 2016-17 demonstrates extremists in the West sought employment with private security firms in order to gain weapons experience and access to secure facilities. Although not all security personnel are given weapons training, the position affords credentials, uniforms, and access to otherwise restricted areas. For example, Dahir Adan from St. Cloud, Minnesota, wore his security uniform to enter a mall without suspicion and attack patrons in 2016. Khuram Butt from London sought employment at a security firm that specializes in working sporting events in June 2017 to potentially conduct attacks at the Wimbledon tennis tournament.

Join us on this episode of Intelligence. Unclassified. as we take a deeper dive into this emerging trend and how it has even affected our very own state.

On October 26, US Special Operations Forces killed ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a raid in the northwest Syrian village of Barisha, located in the Idlib province.

Tune in as our analysts discuss how Baghdadi’s death will impact both ISIS and al-Qa’ida and what the future may hold for these two foreign terrorist organizations.

Continuing our discussion of the structured analytic techniques toolbox, we come to Analysis of Competing Hypotheses (ACH), which is an unbiased methodology that identifies a set of hypotheses and systematically evaluates data that is consistent or inconsistent with each hypothesis. ACH is an eight-step procedure grounded in basic insights from cognitive psychology, decision analysis, and the scientific method. The use of ACH compels analysts to set aside preconceptions and look for inconsistencies in the data that may indicate a flaw in their reasoning or deception by the target. It ultimately forces analysts to disprove hypotheses rather than allowing them to jump to conclusions before they properly evaluate the evidence.

In this episode of the Developing the 21st Century Analyst series, we discuss the steps of ACH and how our office uses this technique in real-world scenarios.

Our previous episode discussed gathering information as a crucial step in the intelligence cycle, allowing analysts to provide actionable intelligence that ultimately improves how an agency performs its public safety responsibilities. There are several different sources of information, and knowing what these are and where to obtain them makes any public safety employee invaluable to their organization. Although there are six basic intelligence sources, or collection disciplines, the continual growth of different data repositories has tremendously increased the amount of information available to research for intelligence.

In the fourth installment of our Developing the 21st Century Analyst series, we delve deeper into the collection steps of the intelligence cycle by exploring the various resources that can be researched and utilized.

Intelligence gathering is known from our earliest recorded accounts. Egyptian hieroglyphics describe voyages to foreign lands dating to 3200 B.C. Sun Tzu wrote about intelligence in The Art of War circa sixth century B.C. During the Revolutionary War, intelligence operations focused on military actions under our first commander in chief.

Today, intelligence gathering remains a key practice for military and government entities, and also for commerce, finance, and other critical enterprises. Tune in to the first episode of our six-part series, Developing the 21st Century Analyst, where we will discuss the history and evolution of intelligence over the centuries.

The primary focus of NJ Transit’s Police Department (NJTPD) is providing police services to bus depots and rail stations throughout New Jersey. NJTPD is the only transit police agency in the United States with statewide authority and jurisdiction. NJTPD’s Intelligence Section manages NJTPD’s counterterrorism and criminal intelligence programs. The section is responsible for the collection, analysis, production, dissemination, and coordination of intelligence for NJTPD’s counterterrorism and crime prevention and suppression missions.

In today’s episode, we sit down with NJ Transit Director of Intelligence Ed Bruce to discuss the mechanisms of the intelligence cycle for New Jersey’s transportation system.

The New Jersey Division of Fire Safety serves as the central focus for the State's fire service community and the general public in all matters relating to fire safety through the development and enforcement of the State Uniform Fire Code, public education programs, and firefighter training programs.

Tune in as we talk to our partners about the responsibilities of the Division of Fire Safety and how it impacts both intelligence collection and general safety throughout the State.

The Regional Intelligence Academy (RIA) is a training partnership comprised of NJOHSP, the New Jersey State Police, and the public safety agencies represented in the New Jersey Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) region. The curriculum aims to teach intelligence tradecraft to law enforcement, first responders, the private sector, and intelligence analysts throughout New Jersey, New York City, and the Philadelphia area. These programs also help design strategies, systems, and activities that provide for intelligence and information exchange and sharing.

Listen to our latest episode to understand more about the RIA and the services it provides to the intelligence community in the region.

The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) assesses that cyber threat actors pose a moderate threat to New Jersey. The continued growth of IP-enabled devices for both personal and business uses will result in an increased attack surface for threat actors to target, impacting attached physical systems.

Tune in to the final installment of our 2019 Threat Assessment series as the NJCCIC analysts delve deeper into the cyber threats facing the State of New Jersey and its citizens.

Domestic extremists’ wide-ranging ideologies pose unique challenges to New Jersey and the surrounding region, as they employ a variety of robust methods to conduct attacks, have varying motivations, and are often willing to engage in violence.

Tune in to the next installment of our 2019 Threat Assessment series as our analysts sit down and discuss the evolving tactics of domestic extremists in 2018 and what the threat landscape posed by these groups will look like this year.

Note: Some of the information discussed in this podcast describes First Amendment-protected activities. NJOHSP recognizes the constitutionally protected rights to assemble, speak, and petition the government. NJOHSP safeguards these rights and only reports on First Amendment-protected activities for situational awareness in the interest of assuring the safety and security of the demonstrators and the public.