Homeland Security Group

The Homeland Security Group was created in April 2021 and is the new name for the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism in the Home Office. Like the OSCT the HSG is one of the ‘seven Agencies and Departments which form the UK Intelligence Community’. The other six agencies are:

• MI5 (the Security Service);
• MI6 (the Secret Intelligence Service);
• GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters);
• Defence Intelligence in the Ministry of Defence;
• the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) in the Cabinet Office;
• the National Security Secretariat (NSS) in the Cabinet Office;

Constituent bodies

• Research, Information and Communications Unit (RICU)
• Joint Security and Resilience Centre
• Homeland Security Group Science and Technology Unit
• Cyber Policy Unit

People

• Chloe Squires - From 1 April 2021 Squires is 'Director General for Homeland Security at the Home Office and Senior Responsible Officer for Counter Terrorism'. She 'has been with the Home Office since 2019 and has spent over a decade working across the national security community. Before joining the Home Office, she was Director of Strategy at the National Cyber Security Centre.' 'Prior to this appointment, she was Director National Security in the Home Office (from May 2019) and led on a range of national security issues including aspects of Counter Terrorism, the domestic response to Hostile State Activity, implementation of the UK’s Investigatory Powers Act and associated oversight mechanisms, the operational relationship with MI5 and the use of national security related immigration and disruption powers. After graduating with a degree in History from Oxford University, Chloe joined the UK Civil Service Fast Stream. She has spent most of her career working in the national security sphere on both domestic and international issues including stints in the FCDO and Cabinet Office. Amongst other areas she has led on NATO, national security legislation and compliance and crisis management. Cyber Security has been a theme throughout Chloe’s career, having jointly authored the UK’s first Cyber Security Strategy. She has since worked as both Director Cyber in the FCDO and as Director of Strategy, as part of the team who set up the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre in 2016 in GCHQ.
• Leah Clarkson Policy Manager - Homeland Security Group Jan 2021 - Present;
  • Formerly
  • Policy Adviser - Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism Apr 2020 - Mar 2021
  • Grants Officer - Cancer Research UK Jun 2016 - Jun 2017
  • Caseworker and Office Administrator for Sadiq Khan MP House of Commons Feb 2016 - Jun 2016