Bombing Prevention

Overview 

One of CISA’s greatest responsibilities is providing for the safety and security of our citizens, allies, and partners while providing an economic environment that promotes opportunity and prosperity. The use of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) threatens these interests by killing, injuring, and intimidating citizens and political leaders around the world, inflicting damage on U.S. forces on the battlefield, and disrupting transportation and the flow of commerce. The terrorists and criminals responsible for these attacks are resilient, technologically adept, and adaptable. They employ the most recent and successful tactics, techniques, and procedures gained from experience in Iraq, Afghanistan, and around the world. The use of IEDs worldwide has increased in recent years, with the number of attacks exceeding 7,000 in 2021.

IEDs remain one of the most accessible weapons available to terrorists and criminals to damage critical infrastructure and inflict casualties. The tactics used in IED attacks continue to evolve as our adversaries seek to overcome countermeasures. We must continue to challenge ourselves and each other to be more effective against these threats as we work together to reach our shared national interests of safety, security, and prosperity. The threat from IED use will continue to evolve in response to our abilities to counter them. A whole-of-government approach that incorporates the lessons learned from the state, local, tribal, territorial, private sector, and international community in Counter-IED (C-IED) activities will best position the US to discover plots to use IEDs in the US or against US persons abroad before those threats become imminent. 

CISA’s Role  

To reduce risk to the nation’s critical infrastructure, the Office for Bombing Prevention (OBP) employs several programs and develops and delivers a diverse curriculum of training and awareness products to build nationwide C-IED core capabilities and to enhance awareness of terrorist threats. CISA’s OBP seeks to enhance the nation’s ability to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate the use of explosives against critical infrastructure, the private sector, and federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial entities. 

Coordinated through state homeland security officials and training offices, OBP courses educate on strategies to prevent, protect against, respond to, and mitigate bombing incidents. Federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial participants include municipal officials and emergency managers, state and local law enforcement and other emergency services, critical infrastructure owners and operators, security staff, and public and private sector partners.