WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Amid growing concerns about unexpected terrorist threats, the US government is making a greater effort to make state and local law enforcement more reliable and encourage them to be "vigilant" against independent actors, Johnson told ABC.
"Because of the use of the Internet, we could have little or no notice in advance of an independent actor attempting to strike," he added.
Effective use of social media enables the Islamic State militants to reach into different countries, including the United States, and "inspire" people to support terrorism, the Homeland security secretary said.
The Department of Homeland Security is also turning to religious and community leaders in its fight against terrorism, Johnson said.
The terrorist alert level in the United States and in Europe has been raised amid the advance of the Islamic State militant group in the Middle East and several ISIL-inspired terrorist attacks in EU member states.
