Homeland Security Enterprise Case Study

As we move into a new era were a more robust and urgent homeland security program is needed, it is important to talk about how officials are managing all of the risk. There are a multitude of threats; from terrorism, where tactics are all the more unconventional an unpredictable, to climate change, with extreme weather conditions causing severe droughts or other catastrophic storms. The risk accepted by federal officials must be weighed and prioritized in a manner that is conducive to the longevity of the nation but also eliminates political or other personal agenda. To ensure a standardized approach the Department of Homeland Security adopted a risk management. The following will look at defining what risk management is as well as an example of how it is being incorporated within the homeland security enterprise and how doing so is of benefit.

Managing these risks involves developing approaches that result in sound, scenario-based consequence and vulnerability estimates as well as assessments of the likelihood that the suggested threat will occur (“Executing A Critical”, n.d.). Risk is influenced by the nature and magnitude of a hazard or threat, the vulnerabilities to the threat or hazard, and possible consequences (“Executing A Critical”, n.d.). The threat landscape of the electric utility subsector includes physical attacks/theft, cyber-attack, natural disaster, and nuclear attacks (“Addressing Dynamic”, 2014). In addition to these threats and vulnerabilities, the subsector has identified other key issues and risks such as workforce capability and human errors, equipment failure and aging infrastructure, and evolving environmental, economic, and reliability regulatory requirements (“Energy Sector”, 2015). Electricity assets are numerous including residential homes, commercial offices, utility companies, transmission lines, etc. and their locations vary across the

In the beginning, there was no Department of Homeland Security. However, after September 11, 2001, because of the horrible events that took place on that day, the Honorable George Bush created the now established Department of Homeland Security. In order for such a department to be created a few things were needed. Such things include a disaster like 9/11, D.H.S. would need to run smoothly, and an update needed for it to increase productivity.

Predicting the future of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) would be similar to predicting the stock market. Those who come close are successful enough to understand it can change on any given day. They do not invest all in one business sector, they learn to respect the market, and they look for trends to aid in their decision. Nothing is guaranteed with the stock market and nothing guarantees DHS will still be an establishment in the next 10 years. Who is to say we are not years away from global peace? Though until then we need to focus on every-day trends that affect the general public.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that it will apply risk management principles to homeland security operations and has stated “Ultimately, homeland security is about effectively managing risks to the Nation’s security” (DHS 2010, pg. 2). This is much easier said than done. There are many difficulties that must be sorted out. As with anything and everything, money comes into play, conflicts between national and local priorities, and societies opinion.

In the recent times, a lot of attention has been put into diverting the role of law and leadership enforcement to life and property protection from a large number of external and internal dangers. Homeland security strategy mentions that, on the neighborhood level, data and information gathering, coordination with state and government organizations, foundation insurance, and upgraded advancement of police-group connections will encourage aversion, furthermore, help reaction to potential terrorist attacks. On the other hand, the oddity of ideas under the Homeland Security worldview can be at any rate somewhat followed to the model of community policing (Stewart & Morris, 2009). In reality, it can be securely contended that for policing, homeland security obligations arrived all of a sudden as a solitary substitute to the strength of community policing.

Since the September 11, 2001 events, the United States of America gravitated towards a more aggressive approach in its security. The result of the tragic events was the establishment of homeland security. The White House, the federal government and the Congress joined together to establish it. On September 20, 2001, President George W. Bush issued an executive order 13228 to establish an Office of Homeland Security within the White House and assigning the Governor of Pennsylvania, Tom Ridge as its Director (Bullock, Haddow, & Coppola, 2013, p. 4). Ever since, the United States (U.S.) Department of Homeland Security diversified and evolved the way it is today. The Homeland Defense was also integrated into Homeland Security to protect the U.S. soil and its territories. However, what are Homeland Security and Homeland Defense? This paper will address those question as well as covering their missions/goals, tasks, duties, and responsibilities. In addition, a section of this paper is the assessment of the critical infrastructure protection programs of the U.S. The assessment will also include the overall capability of the nation’s critical infrastructure protection program to ensure the survivability of its critical infrastructure.

When it comes to the protection and mitigating of any structure or organization risk analysis and vulnerability assessments must be conducts so as to know what’s to be protected, the threats manmade or natural disaster, ranking the potential of threat as well as the probability. In terms of critical infrastructure the risk analysis and vulnerability assessment has guidelines from Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 7(HSPD-7).

The private sector plays a major role and has very serious responsibilities within the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE), since it owns the vast majority of the national critical infrastructures and key resources (CIKR) (Business Executives for National Security, 2007). Moreover, the private sector is able to provide expertise and resources that are necessary to sustain some of the core capabilities, which will help the nation to accomplish the National Preparedness Goal (Department of Homeland Security, 2015). Therefore, the private sector plays a key role in prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery (DHS, 2015).

The ability of the Department of Homeland Security to effectively manage risk is vital to national security. Risk in general, is something that is permanent but because this is known, strategies can be used to mitigate situations as they present themselves. Government managers must manage risk in a complex environment taking into consideration the diverse missions and multiple objectives of public agencies (Hardy, 2014). The role of risk management within the homeland security enterprise was managed by best and worst case scenario planning. This is something that is inevitable as we are faced within a definite variety of threats. One way to grade or rank threats is through worst-case analysis. As this analysis can be used for worst-case scenarios the federal government cannot leave out lower ranking situations (Roberts, 2007). Since the Department of Homeland Security is charged with managing risk within the enterprise, a basic equation is used to help figure out different variables and how they would be affected.

George Washington University is the number only University who offered a program that spoke to my interest. I am applying to the Master of Professional Studies in Security and Safety Leadership because I believe my analytical and critical thinking skills will be enhanced and the program expectations will be higher than in my to think effectively and efficiently. I believe that this program will provide me with the competencies to manage and succeed in the Homeland Security field. This program will provide me with the proper knowledge and skills I would need to excel in Criminal Justice.

After the 9/11 terrorist attacks against the United States, a series of risk management evaluations were created by the US Federal Government to assess the future risks the homeland was going to face. When the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was officially created in 2002, more effective risk management assessments were re-designed to evaluate the past and present dangers, prevent them and respond successfully to more terrorist attacks. Since 2001 until 2007, a development of risk assessment has been divided in phases to be able to reach a better formula that would analyze the risk within the homeland security and provide the appropriate fund to homeland security enterprise.

The six strategic challenges that the Department of Homeland Security has identified as “…prevailing challenges that pose the most strategically significant risk” are: terrorism, cyber terrorism, nuclear terrorism, biological concerns, transnational criminal organizations, as well as natural hazards (Department of Homeland Security. 2014). These six challenges all pose a threat to the safety of the homeland and because of that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS has to issue a review to Congress every four years. They talk about the threats that currently face the nation as well as the near future outlook of threats. Once the updated risks have been establishes the missions within homeland security regarding these threats include: “The prevention of terrorism and the enhance of security, the securing and managing of the nation’s borders, the enforcement and administration of the nation’s immigration laws, safeguarding and securing cyberspace, and the strengthening national preparedness and resilience (Week 3 Lesson).

At Department of Homeland Security they implement skill pay program called cyber pay. When an employee works in the cyber workforce he gain up to 25% incentive pay by acquiring DHS approved cybersecurity industry certification. The certification must be aligned to the employee’s job function. They way DHS integrates it with the cost of living and seniority is by using your base pay. Then multiplying your incentive percentage with your base pay. For example 100,000 with a 20% incentive will earn the employee 120,000. Cyber pay has work really we for DHS as a retention program and a recruitment program. I can say myself that I was recruited through cyber pay and was one of the main reason I chose DHS over other agencies.

Nearly every community has some sort of community risk, threat, and assessment plan that takes into account one of the six potential risks that are of concern to homeland security. Though each of these plans will likely differ from one another, many communities will have the same types of information in their plans. This essay will look at the Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment Guide (THIRA), the Community Risk Reduction Planning Guide, as well as FEMA’s National Preparedness plan. Any combination of these guides are a good starting point for every community in America. At top of every communities list as well as the nation is the protection of the critical infrastructure. Loss of infrastructure regardless of how big or small the community is could have very crippling effects on that community.