A National Counterterrorism Center presentation from January 2014 on watchlisting individuals in the Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE).
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) currently uses the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB), a consolidated database maintained by the Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Terrorist Screening Center (TSC) of identifying information about those known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activity in order to facilitate DHS mission-related functions, such counterterrorism, law enforcement, border security, and inspection activities. DHS and TSC are improving the current method of transmitting TSDB data from TSC to DHS. Through a new service called the “DHS Watchlist Service” (WLS), TSC and DHS will automate and simplify the current manual process. TSC remains the authoritative source of watchlist data and will provide DHS with near real-time synchronization of the TSDB. DHS will ensure that each DHS component system receives only those TSDB records which they are authorized to use under the WLS Memorandum of Understanding and authorized under existing regulations and privacy compliance documentation between TSC and DHS (WLS MOU) and any amendments or modifications thereto. DHS conducted this privacy impact assessment (PIA) because the WLS will maintain a synchronized copy of the TSDB, which contains personally identifiable information (PII), and disseminate it to authorized DHS components.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) merges the capability to anticipate, preempt, and deter threats to the homeland whenever possible through its component agencies. Under the guidance of its Screening Coordination Office, DHS directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to combine the Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Pre-Departure and Secure Flight concepts and systems to provide “One DHS Solution” to the commercial aviation industry consistent with applicable authorities and statutes.
The Terrorist Identities Datamart Environment (TIDE) is the US Government’s (USG) central repository of information on international terrorist identities as established by the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. TIDE supports the USG’s various terrorist screening systems or “watchlists” and the US Intelligence Community’s overall counterterrorism mission. The Terrorist Identities Group (TIG), located in the National Counterterrorism Center’s Information Sharing & Knowledge Development Directorate (ISKD), is responsible for building and maintaining TIDE.