About the Interagency Security Committee

Vision

People are safe and secure in federal facilities throughout the country.

Mission

We safeguard U.S. civilian facilities from all hazards by developing state-of-the-art security standards in collaboration with public and private homeland security partners.

Leadership

Leadership for the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) is provided by the chair (the Department's Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Protection), the Executive Director, and five standing subcommittees:

• Steering Subcommittee
• Standards Subcommittee
• Technology Best Practices Subcommittee
• Convergence Subcommittee
• Training Subcommittee.

Membership

Membership in the Interagency Security Committee (ISC) consists of over 100 senior level executives from 42 federal agencies and departments. In accordance with Executive Order 12977, modified by Executive Order 13286, primary members represent 21 federal agencies. Associate membership is determined at the discretion of the ISC Steering Committee and the ISC Chair. Currently associate members represent 21 federal departments. 

ISC Primary Members

1. Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs
2. Central Intelligence Agency
3. Department of Agriculture
4. Department of Commerce
5. Department of Defense
6. Department of Education
7. Department of Energy
8. Department of Health and Human Services
9. Department of Homeland Security
10. Department of Housing and Urban Development
11. Department of the Interior
12. Department of Justice
13. Department of Labor
14. Department of State
15. Department of Transportation
16. Department of the Treasury
17. Department of Veterans Affairs
18. Environmental Protection Agency
19. General Services Administration
20. Office of Management and Budget
21. U.S. Marshals Service

Associate Members

1. Federal Aviation Administration
2. Federal Bureau of Investigation
3. Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
4. Federal Emergency Management Agency
5. Federal Protective Service
6. Federal Reserve Board
7. Government Accountability Office
8. Internal Revenue Service
9. National Aeronautics & Space Administration
10. National Capital Planning Commission
11. National Institute of Standards & Technology
12. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
13. Office of Personnel Management
14. Securities and Exchange Commission
15. Smithsonian Institution
16. Social Security Administration
17. U.S. Coast Guard
18. U.S. Courts
19. U.S. Postal Service
20. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
21. Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency

Subcommittees

ISC subcommittees identify long- and short-term priorities and oversee strategic initiatives. Current subcommittees include the following:

• Steering Subcommittee: Provides input to the chair and/or the executive director on priorities, project plans, and the operational impact of proposed initiatives to the security of federal facilities

• Standards Subcommittee: The focal point for coordination of all ISC standards

• Technology Best Practices Subcommittee: Evaluates technology solutions, develops guidance on best practices, and maintains a clearinghouse of information for federal security programs

• Convergence Subcommittee: Develops mechanisms to support federal agencies’ integration of information management controls with security programs

• Training Subcommittee: Provides subject-matter expertise on best practices in training and education

Working Groups

Working groups produce the ISC’s standards and best practices. Working groups are task-based and address a wide range of current and potential risks.

Authorities

• Executive Orders:
  • Executive Order 12977, Interagency Security Committee, October 19, 1995
  • Executive Order 13286, Amendment of Executive Orders, and Other Actions, in Connection With the Transfer of Certain Functions to the Secretary of Homeland Security, February 28, 2003
• Delegations 
  • Department of Homeland Security, Delegation Number: 7035.1, 02/01/2005,  "Delegation of the Chair of the Interagency Security Committee to the Chief Security Officer" (PDF, 5 pages - 75 KB )
  • Department of Homeland Security, Delegation Number: 7035.2, 08/15/2007, "Delegation of the Chair of the Interagency Security Committee to the Assistant Secretary of Infrastructure Protection" (PDF, 2 pages - 35 KB )
• Homeland Security Presidential Directives:
  • Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7, Critical Infrastructure Identification, Prioritization, and Protection, December 17, 2003
  • Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors, August 27, 2004
  • Homeland Security Presidential Directive 20, National Continuity Policy, May 4, 2007