Earlier today, the Department of Homeland Security updated the National Terrorism Advisory System, or NTAS, a tool designed to communicate information about terrorist threats by providing timely, detailed information to the American public. As part of the Coast Guard’s commitment to the security of our nation’s maritime infrastructure, we are informing you of the change to the NTAS system and providing our readers with the opportunity to add an NTAS widget to your own websites to keep your workforce and neighbors informed of potential threats.

Since 2011, NTAS has featured an advisory system consisting of two types of alerts: Elevated and Imminent. Today, DHS added a third type of advisory, “Bulletins.”

NTAS “Bulletins” will provide information describing broader or more general trends and current developments regarding threats of terrorism. They will share important terrorism-related information with the American public and various partners and stakeholders, including in those situations were additional precautions may be warranted, but where the circumstances do not warrant the issuance of an “elevated” or “imminent” alert. An NTAS Bulletin will summarize the issue and why it is important for public awareness, outline U.S. government counterterrorism efforts and offer recommendations to the public on how it can contribute to the overall counterterrorism effort.

Today, DHS issues it’s first NTAS Bulletin to cover the period of December 16, 2015 to June 16, 2016. The Bulletin contains information related to recent domestic and international terrorist attacks and how the public can assist in preventing future attacks.

An “Elevated Alert” is intended to warn of a credible terrorist threat against the United States and its territories that is general in both timing and potential location such that it is reasonable to recommend implementation of protective measures to thwart or mitigate against an attack.

An “Imminent Alert” is intended to warn of a credible, specific and impending terrorist threat or on-going attack.

Maritime Commons has added a National Terrrism Advisory System widget to our website and you can add the widget to your site as an additional means of keeping your facilities, assets and communities safe.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.