Risk Management pertaining to Homeland Security
Introduction
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) manages the risk against America’s homeland. The DHS defends the Nation, its resources and its citizens against threats by using national risk management which decreases strategic risk against the homeland (U.S. DHS, 2014). Risk management is needed to confront daily national security threats and to keep America safe.
Risk Management’s role in Homeland Security
Risk management plays many roles in the operations pertaining to the homeland security enterprise. In order to understand pending threats DHS must share any information they have pertaining to the emerging threats to help in the development of risk management strategies (DHS, 2010). Risk management also plays a role in preventing the unlawful procurement of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear capabilities by identifying probable actors and anticipating any emerging threats before they happen so risk management strategies can
In order to do that they need a risk management program that will defend against threats against national interests (Department of Homeland Security, 2011). These risks against the homeland are external and internal; institutional; operational; and strategic and need to be managed by the Nation’s leadership to “build security, safety, and resilience across domains by connecting efforts to prevent terrorism and enhance security, secure and manage our borders, enforce and administer our immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyber space, ensure resilience to disasters, and provide essential support in assuring national and economic security” (U.S. DHS, 2011, p9). The DHS utilizes risk management programs and processes as well as a risk management formula to control risk and improve the decision making when it comes to reaching security goals (U.S. DHS,
Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 directly relates to the National Incident Management System and the National Response Framework. In fact, it directly correlates with their missions. HSPD-5 was the directive that needed to start things in motion; NIMS and the NRF are the aftermath of the directive. With the formation of NIMS and soon after the NRF, America can operate successfully under one national manage...
Chapter 1-3 showed the beginnings of homeland security and the expansion and growth of Homeland Security. Chapter 4 shows the actions of homeland security, and the steps they take toward a problem to access it. The DHS above all needs to realized and understand how to address an attack quickly and efficiently, and have counter measure put into place beforehand. The DHS must be able to access the risks of any situation, and must decipher the potential hazard the situation could cause. When looking at the many functions of the DHS, nothing could be more important than the ability to understand or hinder or stop an attack man made or not. First Homeland Security studies the nature of the risk; this means that they study what is likely to happen in a certain situation. The texted explains risk as what can go wrong. A cigarette smoker takes a risk every time he lights up, and everyone take a risk when getting into a car. The DHS takes what they know from prior circumstances to determine the reality of the risk; the department must also anticipate any attack even without prior knowledge to the circumstance. The main questions of risk assessment are easy to understand, questions like will people be injured or harmed. But when looking at chapter 1 which asks the reader to look further into why terrorist commit terrorism, that’s when its easier to see the DHS skill at risk assessment. For example if you understand that a terrorist attack could be coming from radical Islamist terrorist; then you would understand a risk by understanding their motive behind the attack like their religious holidays. The DHS uses a three-fold method for risk assessment and they are threat, vulnerability and consequence. The Rand organization uses th...
After the fear of terrorism grew in the United States do to the Al Qaeda 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the US Government found a need for a centralized department that umbrellas all other agencies when it comes to homeland security. The U.S. Government found this umbrella agency with the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November 2002, the Department of Homeland Security formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts. (Homeland Security) With the creation of the new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the government had a pinpoint location for the collection and gathering of intelligence, control of policies that effect national security, and a no fail mission. The Department of Homeland Security started to engulf other agencies and created many more, a total of 22 agencies now fall under the DHS. The DHS is control of all areas that deal with national security which included but are not limited to coastal and boarder protection, domestic terrorism, international terrorism, protection of the American people, protection of key infrastructure, protection of key resources and respond to natural disasters.
In 2002, DHS, “with the passage of the Homeland Security Act by Congress in November, DHS formally came into being as a stand-alone, Cabinet-level department to further coordinate and unify national homeland security efforts” (DHS, n.d.). Not since President Harry Truman consolidated the armed forces into the Department of Defense had the government undergone such a large reorganization. Twenty-two agencies came together to form DHS with tasks that include border patrol, disaster recovery and transportation safety just to name a few.
Homeland security is the way Americans put forth the effort to ensure the homeland is safe, secure, and stands firm against terrorist acts and other hazard that could put the health and welfare of the American people. The mission of the Homeland Security is to prevent terrorism, secure and protect our open borders, uphold all immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and be content and resilient when it pertains to disasters.
The Department of Homeland Security was created from Congress passing and President George W. Bush signing the Homeland Security Act of 2002. The DHS was officially founded November 25th, 2002, with them being responsible for a variety of tasks, which includes emergency response, cybersecurity and border security. On the article “United States Department of Homeland Security” by Judson Knight, he writes about the variety of tasks the department has accomplished. In the article, he writes “DHS was scheduled to absorb 22 agencies from nine different departments (Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Justice, State, Transportation, and Treasury) and two independent offices (FEMA and the General Services Administration, or GSA). With these would come 170,000 government employees, ranging from the men and women of the Coast Guard and Secret Service, to plant and animal health inspectors and computer security specialists.” This is important to note as this shows the diverse roles the DHS does daily, and their efforts have led to an overall safer country for all of
The Department of Homeland Security has a prominent role in maintaining the safety, security and resilience of our nation. In a world where terrorism is an ever-increasing threat and where man-made and natural disasters have left people and areas in devastation, the Department of Homeland Security works diligently to prevent and protect the United States from the effects of such tragedy. In order to effectively protect our nation Department of Homeland Security must assess the risk associated with any terrorist, natural or man-made threat. The risk assessment method that the department uses takes into account certain variables that help the department determine the level of risk. Based on the assessed risk level Homeland Security uses risk management for strategic planning, operations, determining the allocation of resources and grant awards in an attempt to prepare for and mitigate any harm to our nation, critical infrastructure and its people in the event of a tragedy.
The Department of Homeland Security is here to prevent terrorist attacks, and react to them in an
Homeland Security’s mission is “to secure the nation from the many threats we face. With honor and integrity, we will safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values.”[3]
The first area is the Department of Homeland Security’s mission. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in 2002 by the Homeland Security Act. In 2003 the DHS started their operations. The DHS primary responsibilities and objectives includes prevention, protection, and response to issues that threaten national security. There are five core missions that define the DHS: Managing and securing our nation’s borders, strengthening security initiatives to help prevent terrorism, administering and enforcing the nation’s immigration laws, ensuring that the nation can rebound fast and or prevent disasters, and ensuring the internet is secure by instituting safeguards that protect the nation against cyber-attacks. (TWH, 2003)
Homeland security was developed by the United States government to protect the country from external aggression, reduce the likelihood of terrorist attacks and manage the damage that occurs in case of attacks. To this end, the government set up and reconstituted numerous agencies to aid in the fight against terrorism in the United States. The United States Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security constitute the most prominent departments under the United States law to champion the fight against any attacks by extremist groups. Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, as well as the United States’ military also have a role to play in homeland security. With the increasing cases of attacks and acts of aggression towards the United States, the government sought to strengthen the resolve to curb any attacks aimed at killing or maiming the citizens or destruction of government institutions and installations. In the wake of the September 11 attacks, it was apparent that stringent measures were needed to prevent attacks on American soil and protect the citizens of the country. This paper examines the duties; responsibility and intelligence methods used by the military, federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, as well as homeland security agencies in the fight against terrorism, with the aim of drawing similarities and differences.
September 11, is a time etched in history of the United States, more so than the majority any past conflicts or disasters felt on domestic land. This caused our country to consider its safety for family, friend, and country that has caused a shift in considered career paths or chosen professions. Larsen address the need for a different type expert needed to talk the threats of homeland security (n.d). Studies now show that the past prerequisite degrees like, biomedical are chemistry are no longer the normal backgrounds in the profession of homeland security. Furthermore, to meet the demand of the new career path, many colleges, and university to introduce and address the needs of the field. By 2012 nearly a quarter of all federal jobs were related to homeland security, while ...
National security in the United States is extremely important and requires extensive risk management measures including strategic, exercise, operational and capability-based planning, research, development, and making resource decisions in order to address real-world events, maintain safety, security and resilience (Department of Homeland Security [DHS], 2011). The national security and threat assessment process consists of identifying the risk and establishing an objective, analyzing the relative risks and environment, exploring alternatives and devising a plan of action for risk management, decision making and continued monitoring and surveillance (DHS, 2011). Identifying risks entails establishing a context to define the risk, considering related risks and varying scenarios, including the unlikely ones, which then leads to the analysis phase; gathering data and utilizing various methodologies and analysis data software systems to survey incidence rates, relative risks, prevalence rates, likelihood and probable outcomes (DHS, 2011). These two key phases lay the foundation to explore alternatives and devise action plans. Threats, vulnerabilities and consequences (TCV) are also a key component of many national security risk management assessments because it directly relates to safety and operation capabilities, but the text stress that it should not be included in the framework of every assessment because it is not always applicable (DHS, 2011).
There is a lot of complexity in understanding risk management and its correlation to homeland security. Risk management is a way to approach the fact that securing the homeland is not certain and there are unknown variables in every aspect of life; risk management is a way to narrow down the focus based on quantifiable information determining probability against capability. Risk management plays and integral role in homeland security. Risk management is employed using a formula described in the NIPP for establishing a narrow scope to make the best decision about protecting infrastructure. The risk management formula lays down the foundation to make the most reasonable determination based on the potential consequences, vulnerability, and
...ts of terrorism against the United States. Homeland security has not only proven to be effective, it has shown that it is providing safety for the U.S. and its citizens against terrorist attacks.