On Tuesday, February 26, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen traveled to Napa, California to participate in meetings with tech companies and foreign partners focused on combating terrorist use of the internet. During her engagements, Secretary Nielsen announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is overhauling its approach to terrorism prevention and called for a shift from a “whole-of-government” to a “whole-of-society” approach. She also announced that this year, DHS will convene a National Summit on Terrorism Prevention to bring together nonprofit organizations, community leaders and groups, state and local officials, law enforcement, and digital innovators to forge new partnerships to fight back against terrorist radicalization in our communities.

The Secretary met with His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, who assembled a wide array of thought-leaders to confront the challenge of online terror recruitment, and discussed America’s close partnerships with Jordan on counterterrorism, cybersecurity, border security, and more.  

On Wednesday, February 27, Secretary Nielsen traveled to San Francisco for a roundtable discussion with industry leaders regarding emerging technologies and evolving threats in order to explore how public-private partnerships can help keep America safe. After the roundtable, Secretary Nielsen received a briefing on the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP). Through SVIP, DHS is leveraging new technology and startup company innovations to secure the homeland.

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Topics: Cybersecurity, International Engagement, Preventing Terrorism, Science and Technology, Secretary of Homeland Security
Keywords: counterterrorism