(CNN) — Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson said Monday his department will unveil a new national alert system in the coming days to reflect the “new phase” of the terror threat.

Johnson said his department will move to a new system that will include an intermediate terror threat. Johnson said the new alert system will reflect the current security environment when “not having a specific credible piece of intelligence specifying a plot isn’t the end of the story.”

A much-maligned color-coded terror alert system was put in place following the September 11, 2001, attacks and phased out in 2011 under Johnson’s predecessor. It was replaced by the two-tier National Terror Advisory System that has such a high bar it has never been used.

Johnson was speaking at a forum sponsored by the website Defense One.

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