Hostile Vehicle Mitigation

Overview

The use of a vehicle as a weapon in a terrorist attack is not new. Recent terrorist incidents and violent extremist online activity demonstrate that the use of vehicles as weapons continues to be of interest by those wishing to cause harm. Attacks of this nature require minimal capability but can have a devastating impact in crowded places with low levels of visible security.

CISA’s Role

The use of vehicles as weapons often has few or no observable indicators but identifying and reporting suspicious activities may assist in detecting a potential vehicle-ramming attack plot. In designing and applying measures to mitigate against the risk of vehicle ramming attacks, it is important to balance the security requirements with the operational and functional needs associated with the typical user of the facility or venue. As a result, a mitigation strategy cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach, and instead must be tailored to the specific physical constraints and functional demands of a given location.