▁territ ories , ▁generally ▁by ▁u ph old ing ▁the ▁national ▁law ▁and ▁def ending ▁against ▁internal ▁security ▁thre ats . ▁Res p ons ibility ▁for ▁internal ▁security ▁may ▁range ▁from ▁police ▁to ▁par amil it ary ▁forces , ▁and ▁in ▁exception al ▁circumstances , ▁the ▁military ▁itself . ▁ ▁Th re ats ▁to ▁internal ▁security ▁Th re ats ▁to ▁the ▁general ▁peace ▁may ▁range ▁from ▁low - level ▁civil ▁dis order , large ▁scale ▁violence , ▁or ▁even ▁an ▁armed ▁ins ur gency . ▁Th re ats ▁to ▁internal ▁security ▁may ▁be ▁directed ▁at ▁either ▁the ▁state ' s ▁citizens , ▁or ▁the ▁org ans ▁and ▁infrastr ucture ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁itself , ▁and ▁may ▁range ▁from ▁pet ty ▁crime , ▁serious ▁organized ▁crime , ▁political ▁or ▁industrial ▁un rest , ▁or ▁even ▁domestic ▁terror ism . ▁Foreign ▁powers ▁may ▁also ▁act ▁as ▁a ▁threat ▁to ▁internal ▁security , ▁by ▁either ▁comm itting ▁or ▁spons oring ▁terror ism ▁or ▁re bell ion , ▁without ▁actually ▁declaring ▁war . ▁ ▁Government al ▁responsibility ▁for ▁internal ▁security ▁will ▁generally ▁rest ▁with ▁an ▁interior ▁min istry , ▁as ▁opposed ▁to ▁a ▁defence ▁min istry . ▁Depending ▁on ▁the ▁state , ▁a ▁state ' s ▁internal ▁security ▁will ▁be ▁maintained ▁by ▁either ▁the ▁ordinary ▁police ▁or ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁ag encies ▁or ▁more ▁militar ized ▁police ▁forces ▁( known ▁as ▁G endar mer ie ▁or , ▁literally , ▁the ▁In ternal ▁Tro ops .). ▁Other ▁special ized ▁internal ▁security ▁ag encies ▁may ▁exist ▁to ▁augment ▁these