Homeland Security Threats

The idea of securing the nation’s borders and securing the safety of the citizens has been a major topic since the beginning of the nation’s existence. There have always been means and procedures for it but it was never defined to the point it is today. The Homeland Security Department is a fairly new program which is constantly improving and adjusting in accordance to the threats that may arise. In the attempt to secure the United States, homeland security has become paramount and a lot of emphasis is being provided so as to ensure the safety of the borders and the citizens of the United States. So one must ponder what the difference between homeland security and homeland defense are since they both tend to mean the same

An obstacle that arises in securing ships and ports is that of travelling to foreign ports. Security professionals are are encouraging the United States government to extend U.S. boundaries to foreign ports, which would put much emphasis on security at loading points (70). The fear is that attackers will board a ship at a foreign port and sail to American soil where they could practice terrorism. A way that shipping security has changed is that of the plan of the Container Security Initiative (CSI), which calls for international security criteria to identify high-risk cargo containers for pre-screening at their point of shipment (70). The Coast Guard has also increased patrols in the U.S. ports and waterways, specifically around the nation’s critical petro-chemical facilities (71). By 2004, The International Ship and Port Facility Security Code took effect requiring ship operators to develop security plans, appoint ship and company security officers and maintain a minimum level of on board security, while port officers are required to develop similar plans and hire a port facility security officer (71). This code made it mandatory for all ships to be secure both while still in ports and also while travelling. Not only does this protect passengers aboard the ship, but also citizens of the United States as threats cannot enter the country through shipping

The recommendations include risk assessments to ensure that efforts are carried out to improve security and security data management to ensure that data is properly handled and disseminated to appropriate agencies and stakeholders. MTS must ensure that all U.S. personnel in domestic and international ports are appropriately trained for their job function. Along with all personnel working at ports, related infrastructure sectors, on vessels, or operating vessels must have proper identification. DHS further recommends developing more advanced security technology to enhance and identify gaps in security. It is also suggested that MTS examine industry, national and international transportation safety frameworks to determine if enhancements would improve MTS security. Furthermore MTS should create and manage a collaborative system of stakeholders to maintain security as well as make efforts to lessen security vulnerabilities. Finally, MTS must constantly amend and improve the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 and the International Ship and Port Facility

Cebula defines “sanctuary cities” as cities, “…that enact statutes not requiring public officials, especially police, to report suspected undocumented immigrants to federal officials.” Cebula explains that sanctuary cities, “…afford greater personal freedom for undocumented immigrants because they can experience a significant degree of protection from being detained, incarcerated, processed, and potentially then deported.” President Trump’s Executive Order 13768 seeks to bring an end to sanctuary cities by cutting federal grant money to those cities unless they work together with ICE and comply with their detainer requests. Further, President Trump has enabled ICE to deport more immigrants by increasing the Department of Homeland Security’s

Since DHS’s creation it has worked diligently to keep the United States safe from terrorist threats. The department has worked through various challenges coordinating all the agencies under its domain, reporting to congressional committees and working with the Public. One of the main challenges DHS faces in the balance between the need for national security and the need for individuals’ privacy. It is clear that DHS is doing their job, there have been no terrorist attacks on US soil since its creation. The levels of cooperation DHS has achieved with state and local agencies, and the private sector is astounding, which has created a true Homeland Security Enterprise. The men and women in these agencies who work hard and vigilant in keeping

Hamas was founded in 1987 and its aim was to address Palestinian quest for nation statehood and their consequent grievances (Herzog, 2006). The writer explains that the name is acronym in Arabic for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya or the Islamic Resistance Movement. The group's ideology, the writer explains was outlined in its covenant of 1998. The covenant stipulates that the land of Palestine is an Islamic endowment. It stipulates that the state of Israel should be removed by the sword.

This research paper will shed light on the issue of Homeland Security. For many countries including the United States, Terrorism and national security have always remained one of the biggest challenges. This research essay will critically analyze as to how the homeland security of the United States has dealt with the threat of future terrorist attacks since its inception in 2002.

Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) charter is to “secure the nation from the many threats we face” [1]. Terrorism, both domestic and international, continues to be a primary threat to the security of United States [2]. The American public, lawmakers and politicians are increasingly concerned with tackling terrorism especially in light of events such as San Bernardino shooting, rise of ISIS and Syrian refugee crisis, and the subject is an important topic of discussion in the 2016 presidential debates [3].

This paper covers homeland security and homeland defense and how they are both interpreted according to national strategies and current policies. There are defining differences between homeland security and homeland defense. This starts by identifying how missions, tasks, duties, responsibilities, operations, and others key areas are implemented. Also, being able to determine necessary resources and the shared responsibilities and efforts between the two will allow for a better understanding when drawing upon and defining homeland security. In addition, an assessment of the nation’s critical infrastructure and how it relates to homeland security and homeland defense will be described. This paper will further explore how vulnerabilities should be addressed as they relate to the nation’s infrastructure protection efforts.

Regulations that direct the operations of DHS are Title 6 of the Code of Federal Regulation; Part 7, 25, and 29. Part 7 Classified National Security Information ensures that information within the Department of Homeland Security in relation to the national security is classified, safeguarded, and declassified4. Our democratic principles require that the American people be informed of the activities of their Government. Part 25 The Regulations to Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies also known as the Safety Act provides important legal liability protections for providers of Qualified Anti-terrorism Technologies, whether they are products of services5. The goal of the Safety Act is to encourage the development and deployment of new and innovative anti-terrorism products and services by providing liability protections. Part 29 Protected Critical Infrastructure Information implements sections 211 through 215 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (HSA) through the establishment of uniform procedures for the receipt, care, and storage of Critical Infrastructure Information. Consistent with the statutory mission of DHS to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States and reduce the vulnerability of the United States to terrorism, DHS will encourage the voluntary submission of CII by safeguarding and protecting that information

Without a doubt, cybersecurity is one of the biggest threats the DHS faces. As technology evolves, this threat will continue to grow. What is the department doing about it? A cyber-attack could cause serious damage to our critical infrastructure if it was done properly. This is something that must be protected! The first step is to protect our federal networks and critical infrastructure. “The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) works with each federal civilian department and agency to promote the adoption of common policies and best practices that are risk-based and able to effectively respond to the pace of ever-changing threats. As systems are protected, alerts can be issued at machine speed when events are detected

Cyber related vulnerabilities present the greatest risk to the Port of Boston. Conley Terminal’s reliance on networked systems to plan, manage and execute daily port operations makes it vulnerable to a number of cyber related threats including network hacking and viruses. Although cyber awareness has steadily increased over the years, Kramek (2013) points out that “cybersecurity awareness in U.S. port facilities [is] generally low [and] the cybersecurity culture in U.S. port facilities is generally lacking” (p. 27). This could be for a number of reasons, but is generally attributed to a ports focus on “MTSA-required physical security measures” (Kramek, 2013, p. 27) and the fact that cyberattacks on port facilities are exceedingly rare. Failure to address this critical vulnerability could affect a number of seaside and portside systems including industrial control, navigation and communication systems on a ship and terminal operating systems and business operating systems at the port. Poor cybersecurity practices could lead to a number consequences

There are several resources available to the port Facility Security Officer (FSO) in assessing domestic and international risks associated with terrorism and other criminal activity threats posed to port maritime operations. There are also several things to keep in mind as the FSO when trying to assess these risks. The FSO needs to build rapport with all law enforcement agencies, government agencies, stakeholders and all private security entities within the port. A collaboration of efforts is important in order to mitigate the risks associated with terrorism and criminal activity threats. The FSO needs to utilize risk management process to its full potential and in order to create an effective port facility security plan. Intelligence collection and information sharing is paramount and should be the basis or foundation that the risk assessment and port facility security plan is based off of. Once this information has been gathered it is critical that this information is shared with law enforcement agencies, government agencies, stakeholders and all private security entities within the port. The more people that know the threat the better off the security with in the port will be. It is important for the FSO to understand that intelligence changes day to day and sometime hours to

The SVSS faces two main challenges, the first one is that the maritime domain is very extensive and it would be impossible to keep it secured. The second challenge is that the recreational boating community expects to have plenty of freedom while they are in the maritime domain. One way in which the SVSS seeks to overcome these challenges is by creating strong partnerships with the small vessel community and educating them about how to identify and report suspicious activity to America’s Waterway Watch (AWW) or the National Response Center (NRC) (DHS,

The importance of maritime and port security cannot be overemphasized. This is due to the fact that close to 90% of global trade happens by sea (Canadian Master Mariners Conference,2011) coupled with the threats posed by terrorism and organized crime on national and international security (Frittelli,2005). Technology has over the years been employed in the management of risks associated with port security. In this paper, we describe the convergence of port security technologies in domestic and foreign ports around the world and how these technologies work together from departure to arrival of these ships from one port to the next and ensure the safety and security of port authorities, civilian populace, and the many entities working within these ports.