Essay Example on DHS Established: Securing US Nation After 9/11 Attacks

The department of homeland security (DHS) was formed when President Bush signed the Homeland Security Act on 25th November 2002 (Balunis & Hemphill, 2019). The DHS was a new unit in the executive branch of government to secure the national security of the United States. The DHS was established following the aftermath of the 11th September attacks that took place in 2001 when the United States was fighting against terrorist attacks as well as responding to critical issues that had rapidly emerged as primary priorities for the U.S government (Balunis & Hemphill, 2019). The alleged lack of intelligence and coordination sharing among distinct government agencies was the primary concern that led to the establishment of the cabinet department. Among the central function of the DHS was to avert terrorist attacks and vulnerability with the nation.

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Consequently, the agency was tasked to limit the destruction and help in the recovery process caused by natural calamities in the country. The paper will discuss different aspects concerning (DHS). It will include how and why the federal government changed due to the Homeland Security Act (2002), the primary functions of the three DHS directorates, agencies that have been transferred into the DHS structure, and if such measures have led to the organization changing their mission. Lastly, the paper will concentrate on the recommendation that would help improve DHS as a security agency.

The terrorist attack that happened on 11th September 2001 pioneered the reshuffling of the federal government. The reorganization helped bring into limelight the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of the United States national security apparatus. In 2003, the U.S parliamentary committee tabled the Homeland Security Act of 2002, which was later signed into convention by President Bush. The decision led to the consolidation of the 22 various bureaus and agencies into the (DHS) with the primary aim to respond and prevent both natural disasters and terror attacks (Robinson, Liu & Vedlitz, 2017). The Senate reacted to these reforms by including additional legislation over homeland issues. One of the Senate's main areas of law is to oversight the Department of Homeland Security and the protection of the U.S homeland.

The Senate committee has worked collaboratively to ensure that the security agency develops the best strategy for the prevention of, preparedness for, and rapid recuperation from terrorist attacks and natural calamities. Several agencies, such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), worked in a bipartisan approach to fulfill the DHS's responsibility to secure the U.S homeland from the myriads of terrorist threats, the nation's experiences in its borders, online, ports and more (Robinson, Liu & Vedlitz, 2011). Therefore, the main committee's responsibility is to ensure that central agencies within the federal government are collaboratively functioning with local and state governments to prevent future natural disasters and terrorist attacks. These alterations of the federal government due to the signing of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 because it led to immigration, borders, and ports security, as well as biological, nuclear, and chemical protection.

The federal government committee's monitoring of the DHS includes oversight of the security of the ports and borders of entry. The committee frequently works with government agencies within the Department of Homeland Security, such as the (FEMA), to limit the threats presented by the potential terrorist attacks into the nation and the entry of illicit substances through the use of borders and ports. These policies are adopted and reviewed as part of ongoing efforts to strike a balance between ensuring that international travel and commerce (primary drivers of the U.S economy) are not restricted and keeping the United States safe.

Similarly, the committee in its oversight to maintain the nation's homeland security efforts, it monitors the nuclear, chemical, and biological attacks. By this, it includes supervision and overseeing the country's preparedness to respond and prevent the occurrence of a terrorist attack by the use of weapons of mass destruction or nuclear weapon. Additionally, the committee monitors the government's prevention of widespread pandemics and biological threats to the state.

Although the agency was initially established to prevent the occurrence of terrorist attacks after the 11th September 2001 incidence, its mission changed over time. It integrated with different agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to strengthening natural resilience and preparedness in both natural disasters and other emergencies (Carter II, 2013). The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spent its most significant share of its budget- approximately 33% or 15 billion of its enacted budgets of $70 billion on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Balunis & Hemphill, 2019). The $15 billion is devoted to a wide range of spending programs that are aimed to guide the state to respond and prepare for natural disasters, and other emergencies such as relief services and assistance, preparedness grants, and the National Flood Insurance Program (Myers et al., 2019).

For instance, since 2003, DHS spent approximately $ 177.6 billion on FEMA and its program, in which $ 40 billion was associated with Hurricane Katrina (Tare, 2016). Therefore, in recent times, most of DHS spending has concentrated on subsidizing private, state, and local sector spending on emergency management. Consequently, the agency associated itself with public safety, rebuilding efforts, and subsidized property insurance for individuals who have been affected by floods. The DHS's efforts to widen its activities have been pioneered after the federal government decided to step in to grant aid to local and state authorities to repair communities and save lives after a terrorist attack and natural disasters. Henceforth, the DHS has changed its mission over the years because, due to its credit, FEMA has enhanced its ability to rapidly mobilize and provide assistance since the occurrence of Hurricane Katrina.

The Department of Homeland Security program's objective is to improve security by preventing terrorism in the United States. However, the DHS's program reviews indicate that the agency's main domestic counterterrorism channels, such as homeland security grants, and intelligence initiatives have shown little value for the state's counterterrorism efforts. Therefore, the DHS should refocus its protective security ambitions and counterterrorism on areas that it has led its responsibilities within the federal government (Hancher, 2017). It will enable the agency to make measurable enhancement in the state's security, such as protecting the country's borders, waterways, and skies to effectively monitor and track individuals entering and exiting the nation, and enforcing immigration laws. In that regard, the DHS should successfully execute its federal security responsibilities.

Secondly, the DHS agency's second mission is to manage and secure its state's borders. Although the DHS agency has claimed that the United States border security has dramatically improved, reviewed evidence indicates that both the Northern and Southern borders remain vulnerable to illegal entry (Lundberg, 2016). In that regard, the department of homeland security should prioritize securing its borders. It will include improving transparency to the public and the Congress concerning the state border security and the use of DHS's existing resources to overcome these impending challenges.

Lastly, in its mission to oversight the civilian agency information security, DHS needs to reconsider its current approach that concentrates hugely on vulnerability mitigation since it presently seems ineffective in preventing adverse cybersecurity threats. Lack of preparedness of cyber-attack challenges can be overcome by creating awareness among staff about cyber-attack threats. Employees are supposed to be the first line of defense against cyber-attacks. The agency should introduce a policy that requires all DHC's employees to go through extensive cybersecurity training. It is necessary because any employee with a registered technology can be target by hackers. The mobile phones have data that can be used to access the organizations' network. There is a need for proper research on strategies to deal with cybersecurity threats (Hancher, 2017). The security training program focuses on informing employees on how to detect malicious software and the measures they can apply minimize damages. Besides, the training program should be conducted so that employees can get an opportunity about emerging trends and the preventive mechanisms they can apply to counter cyber-attack threats. By introducing cybersecurity training and awareness to all employees, the facility would enhance its chances of detecting and preventing terror threats.

References

Balunis, T., & Hemphill, W. (2019). Escaping the Entanglement: Reversing Jurisdictional Fragmentation over the Department of Homeland Security. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 6(1), 1-23. Doi: 10.2202/1547-7355.1592

Carter II, J. (2013). Federal Emergency Management Agency. Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management, 36(3). Doi: 10.1108/pijpsm.2013.18136caa.002

Hancher, A. (2017). 9.1 The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Youth Preparedness Council. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 56(10), S14. Doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.053

Lundberg, R. (2016). A Multi-Attribute Approach to Assess Homeland Security Risk. Journal of Risk Research, 21(3), 340-360. Doi: 10.1080/13669877.2016.1200649

Myers, K., DeNegre, A., Gallos, L., Lemanski, N., Mayberry, A., & Redere, A. et al. (2019). Dynamic Ad Hoc Social Networks in Improvised Intelligence/Counter-Intelligence Exercises: A Department of Homeland Security Red-Team Blue-Team Live-Action Roleplay. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 0(0). Doi: 10.1515/jhsem-2018-0027

Robinson, S., Liu, X., & Vedlitz, A. (2011). Public Support for the Department of Homeland Security. Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 8(1). Doi: 10.2202/1547-7355.1764

Robinson, S., Liu, X., & Vedlitz, A. (2017). Public Support for the Department of Homeland Security. Journal of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 8(1). Doi: 10.2202/1547-7355.1764

Tare, M. (2016). Assessing the Foreign Language Needs of the Department of Homeland Security. Journal Of Homeland Security And Emergency Management, 3(1), 1-56. doi: 10.2202/1547-7355.1150