The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the US is an agency or unit that works to enhance United States’ security. Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, DHS was established as part of a concerted national endeavor to protect the United States from terrorism (McElreath et al., 2021). DHS was established by merging all or a portion of 22 distinctive federal agencies and departments into a single, more efficient, incorporated Department. This bolstered the homeland security enterprise and made America safer and readier to deal with the nation’s various threats. Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge was named the inaugural Director of the Department of Homeland Security in the White House eleven days after the terrorist assaults of September 11, 2001(McElreath et al., 2021). The office supervised and organized a thorough national plan to defend the nation from terrorism and react to upcoming attacks. The agency of Homeland Security officially became a stand-alone Cabinet-level agency to consolidate further and amplify national homeland safety measures with the enactment of the Homeland Security Act by Lawmakers in November 2002. It began operations on March 1, 2003. The Department of Homeland Security strives to increase American security. In order to deter illegal activity and promote legal trade and travel, the Department of Homeland Security protects the country’s air, land, and marine borders. Enforcement of border, customs, and immigration laws, emergency reactions to disasters of all kinds, work against terrorism, and cybersecurity is all tasks carried out by the Department (McElreath et al., 2021). The Department of Homeland Security’s crucial task is to protect the country from the numerous dangers we encounter. More than 260,000 workers must put in hard work in a variety of jobs, including aviation, emergency response, cybersecurity analysis, border security, and chemical facility inspector. DHS’s responsibilities are extensive, but maintaining America’s safety is their main priority. Since its enactment, the DHS has undergone notable innovations and changes in adapting to external and internal factors. This paper discusses what has caused homeland security to change and innovate over time in the US.
Over the years, one of the most significant drivers of innovation and change in DHS is the changing nature of the security threats that the US faces. After the 9/11 attacks in 2001, the DHS primarily focused on countering terrorism (McElreath et al., 2021). This has, however, changed with time because the department has had to expand its focus to address different kinds of threats like natural disasters and cyber-attacks. In current years, cybersecurity is an increasingly essential concern in the US. The risk of cyber-attacks has recently increased with the evolution of technology. There are different kinds of cyber-attacks, including denial-of-service attacks, ransomware attacks, and data breaches. The occurrence of these attacks poses significant consequences or repercussions like the disruption of critical infrastructure or theft of sensitive information. These new threats have made the DHS establish several initiatives and programs to enhance its capacity to counter the threats. For instance, the DHS established the NCCIC (National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center). The NCCIC works 24/7 to ensure that its shares cybersecurity information and coordinates responses to cyber incidents. The organization encompasses experts from the private sector, government agencies, and DHS to enhance the country’s cybersecurity posture. DHS has also established the CDM (Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation) initiative, which provides federal agencies with resources and tools to enhance their cybersecurity. This initiative employs automated tools to manage and monitor network security across federal or national agencies, which helps in identifying vulnerabilities and addressing them in real time. The DHS has also established various initiatives and programs to enhance United States’ preparedness, response, and recovery from natural disasters. The US is prone to different natural disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and hurricanes, events that have devastating consequences like the loss of lives, property damage, and disruption of critical infrastructure. This has made the DHS create programs or initiatives like FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to coordinate the federal government’s response to disasters. FEMA funds and gives resources to local and state governments to assist in disaster response and preparedness. The DHS has also had to establish NRF (National Response Framework), which guides the federal government’s response to disasters. This institution outlines the responsibilities and roles of federal agencies, local and state governments, and private sectors in disaster response.
Another factor that has led to the evolution of DHS in the US over the years is rapid technological advancement. Technological advancements have made the DHS increasingly leverage technology to improve its operations and better address emerging threats (Bruggeman & Rohrbaugh, n.d). Technological advancements have made the DHS implement new surveillance tools like drones to improve emergency response capacities and US border security. These new technologies have helped the DHS to provide extra situational awareness because they help in monitoring remote locations that are hard to access by other means. The DHS has also invested in other technologies like facial recognition software and biometric scanners to enhance its capacity to screen people entering the US and identify probable threats (Bruggeman & Rohrbaugh, n.d). DHS uses different data sources like social media and online platforms to analyze and monitor potential threats. It has also developed machine learning techniques and new algorithms that identify anomalies and patterns that indicate potential threats. DHS has also had to develop new technologies that help it to respond to natural disasters and other emergencies. For instance, the FiRST (First Responder Support Tools) program enables DHS to provide first responders with real-time access to critical details like buildings and maps schematics. These details help the DHS to respond more efficiently to emergencies. Technology has also made the DHS develop NIEM (National Information Exchange Model), which is a fundamental framework for sharing information between local, state, and federal agencies during emergencies (Bruggeman & Rohrbaugh, n.d). NIEM allows different security agencies to quickly share crucial information like situational awareness data and resource requests. This helps the DHS to enhance its response to emergencies.
Another factor that has contributed to the change and innovation in DHS over time is the changes in legislation and policy. Legislation and policy changes are usually driven by circumstances or events that highlight the requirement for revised or new laws and policies. For instance, the Read ID Act of 2005 greatly influenced change in DHS because it created new requirements for state-issued identification documents like driver’s licenses. This act also mandated that these documents should meet certain security standards. DHS enforces this act and ensures that security and identification protocols are in place in different transportation hubs, including airports. Also, the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act (CISA), which was passed in 2015, also influenced change in the DHS because it led to the creation of the AIS (Automated Indicator Sharing) program (Rantos et al., 2020). This program enables the DHS to share cyber threat indicators with different government agencies and the private sector in real time. Information sharing in these agencies helps in improving cybersecurity across the nation. It is also part of the DHS’s broader mission to safeguard the country’s critical infrastructure from cyber threats. Changes in national security policy have also influenced changes and innovations in DHS. The 2017 National Security Strategy is one of the significant security policies that have influenced changes and innovations in DHS. This strategy emphasizes the need for a rounded government approach to national security. The strategy has also resulted in a renewed emphasis on interagency collaboration and cooperation, with the DHS working closely with other government agencies to better identify and respond to emerging threats.
The last significant factor that has contributed to changes and innovations in DHS over time in the US is a resource and budget constraints. The Homeland security department has had to adapt to the adjusting budget challenges and priorities, especially after the 2008 financial crisis (Crawford, 2019). Budget constraints have made the DHS implement various cost-saving measures. For instance, the homeland security department decided to consolidate its data centers to minimize the number of physical facilities it operates and also improve efficiency. Consolidation of data centers helped the organization to enhance information coordination and sharing across various components of homeland security. DHS has also evaluated and tried different ways of streamlining its operations and enhancing efficiency. One of the ways is implementing shared services models for administrative operations or functions. Shared services models enable the department to leverage economies of scale and minimize costs by centralizing administrative operations like procurement and human resources (Crawford, 2019). The department also had to implement different measures to enhance effectiveness and efficiency. These measures include investing in new technologies and streamlining its acquisition processes. These measures and efforts have enabled DHS to carry out its mission successfully, even in the middle of budget constraints.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the US has changed and innovated over the years because of different factors. Some of these factors include changes in the landscape of threats, technological advancements, changes in legislation and policies, and constraints in resources and budgets. Since its establishment in 2002, the department has had to evolve and adapt in response to these factors to fulfill its mission of safeguarding the US and its citizens from different threats. For instance, changing nature of threats in the US has made DHS expand its focus beyond counterterrorism efforts to include different types of threats like natural disasters and cyber-attacks. On the other hand, technological advancements have made DHS leverage new surveillance technologies and data analytics instruments to improve its operations. Also, different changes in legislation and policy have made the DHS adjust its roles and responsibilities. Lastly, resource and budget constraints have made DHS look for and adapt different ways or measures of enhancing effectiveness and efficiency, like consolidating data centers and implementing shared service models for administrative functions. The capacity of the homeland security department to change and innovate in response to different factors has enabled it to remain successful in implementing its mission. DHS is usually tuned to changing challenges and circumstances, and this makes it continue fulfilling its crucial role of safeguarding the US and its citizens from different threats.
References
Bruggeman, N., & Rohrbaugh, B. Closing Critical Gaps that Hinder Homeland Security Technology Innovation. Homeland Security Policy Paper, 5.
Crawford, N. C. (2019). United States budgetary costs and obligations of post-9/11 wars through FY2020: $6.4 trillion. Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Brown University, 13.
Jasper, S. E. (2017). US cyber threat intelligence sharing frameworks. International Journal of Intelligence and Counterintelligence, 30(1), 53-65.
McElreath, D. H., Doss, D. A., Russo, B., Etter, G., Van Slyke, J., Skinner, J., … & Nations, R. (2021). Introduction to homeland security. CRC Press.
Rantos, K., Spyros, A., Papanikolaou, A., Kritsas, A., Ilioudis, C., & Katos, V. (2020). Interoperability challenges in the cybersecurity information sharing ecosystem. Computers, 9(1), 18.
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