The Progress of the Department of Homeland Security - Assignment Example

The DHS Progress Explain How the DHS has Changed from its Inception in 2001 to What it has Become Today The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) came into existence after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. It was formed to secure the interests of the United States after much thinking and determination. DHS has become the third-biggest government department, through the clubbing together of 22 various government agencies, each doing its part in the collaborative process. DHS has taken important measures to establish a comprehensive and integrated Department, with increased attention on answerability, clarity, and leadership growth to heighten mission performance. DHS is presently in the analyzing process of appraising its global footprint of more than 1,500 personnel in 75 countries (DHS, 2011). The massive transformation of the DHS is the biggest restructuring of the government since the late 1940s when the CIA, Defense Department, and National Security Council were formed (Kahn, 2009). 2. Describe How the Relationships between the DHS and other Law Enforcement and Intelligence Agencies have transformed over the Years Relationship between the DHS and various law enforcement and intelligence agencies has undergone change over the years. Working on a strategy of sharing information by various federal, state, and local-level agencies after the 9/11 threat, it needed to create a “trusted partnership” among them to make information exchange integrated, interlinked, efficient and automatic to guarantee national security. The two departments, namely the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) manage information connected to homeland security information systems. Other than that, a number of governmental, commercial, and private organizations provide warning signals, updates, and databases to the officials of homeland security to strengthen the action-taking efforts. Besides, state-level “fusion centers” also assimilate, research, and distribute “all-source” homeland security information (Bean, 2009). After the 9/11 attack, the need for cooperation among various agencies, such as intelligence, law enforcement, and emergency management has attracted focus. Earlier, there was no information sharing taking place before 9/11. It was noted to be the biggest hurdle that human and system sharing was always discouraged. The need was felt of providing incentives for exchanging information so that an increased equilibrium could be maintained between security and exchanged information. New laws were codified on Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. Further, such policies and systems were framed and enforced by federal agencies that encouraged information exchange. These attempts got fructified in the 2007 National Strategy for Information Sharing (Bean, 2009). Currently, information exchange is enhancing the organizational efficiency because of technology. Huge human, financial, and technology resources have been used to strengthen the process of relationships among various agencies for increased level of information exchange. Officials at various levels get leverage from this process by reacting fast at the local level to confront the impending risks. One can see how the strengthening of relations has resulted in better progress, technological advancement, security, collective working, and change. There is still other side of the coin where one can see how negative repercussions have emerged in the form of turf war, bureaucratic inefficiency, irrelevance, and technological redundancy. The outlook on information exchange is based on the directive that organizational deliverance adds to the understandings of information exchange and shows readiness in ways that help agencies in increased enforcement and inspection of these efforts that fulfill readiness aims (Bean, 2009). 3. Analyze the Current Structure of the DHS and Other Agencies Protecting the United States from Internal and External Threats. Suggest Three Changes to the Current Structure of the DHS and justify your Suggestions Other than DHS, the other leading agency involved in the security of its borders is the Department of Defense (DOD); it is the U.S. military that has been always on the move to safeguard the nation from all kinds of enemies. The mission of defending the nation’s borders and internal security demands a changed strategy with the advancement in technology. The new risks to the U.S. are from terrorist acts, from information warfare methods and techniques, and due to increase in the weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. These are essentials to be included while forming the strategic approach. DOD has added a new combatant command, the U.S. Northern Command, which identifies the changing security needs (Defense Study and Report to Congress, July 2003). The National Security Strategy of the United States, the National Strategy for Homeland Security, and the Report on the Quadrennial Defense Review state the general strategic mechanism for the DOD and are central to the role of DOD in homeland security. This strategic mechanism is based on the following leading policy goals: Guaranteeing allies and friends of the United States’ firmness of goal and its strength to meet its security pledges. Deterring enemies from making programs or fulfilling functions that could risk U.S. interests or those of the allies. Dissuading aggression and blackmailing by positioning forward with the force to easily thwart aggression and enforce harsh penalties for aggression on an enemy’s military strength and additional infrastructure. Clear sweep of the enemy forces in case discussions fails. These aims can not be attained without the planned and continuous strides on the part of DoD, through its coordinated combatant commands, military, and combat support agencies in defeating terrorism. These agencies cooperate in combating all external and internal threats to the nation through better defense capacities by investing in purchasing, human resourcing and sophistication; focusing on intelligence gathering, study, and delivery to better the attention on extremist challenge; and changing the defense governance to fulfill the defense requirements of the future. All these efforts are focused in the direction of securing the homeland (Defense Study and Report to Congress, July 2003). DOD has followed a planned process to help the President and the Secretary of Defense in the possibility of a National Security Emergency. The emergency preparedness functions of DOD include continuity of operations (COOP), continuity of government (COG), and the appraisal of risks besides helping federal, state and local administration in strengthening their readiness planning capacities. These functions also include, to the limit of readiness for arranging emergency civil assistance that becomes mandatory in the situation of a huge attack on the U.S. DOD has expressed intention of creating another leading federal agency (LFA) for all emergency readiness functions besides managed by DoD (Defense Study and Report to Congress, July 2003). 4. Describe the Top Three Characteristics of Homeland Security that the United States needs to Address in the Immediate Future and Why In immediate future the DHS needs to restructure the government machinery, as it has put so many distinct departments and agencies under one canopy. This centralization of various departments and agencies after the 9/11has created different other issues relatively to it wanting to find solutions from the assimilation of various agencies. With the coming into power once again, the Obama administration needs to reevaluate Homeland Securitys organization and implement required changes to create the belief that it can be depended upon for preventing such kind of future terrorist attacks (Kahn, 2009). Out of the innumerable challenges to the DHS, which appear because of its wide and ill-defined mandate, and after spending millions of dollars on huge emergency readiness drive, both the DHS and FEMA have performed badly. Presently, DHS manages Citizenship and Immigration Services; the Coast Guard; Customs and Border Protection; the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the National Cyber Security Center; Secret Service; and Transportation Security Administration. Such a long list of agencies comes under the umbrella of DHS! DHS needs to develop coordination with external agencies and departments also, such the CIA, FBI, DEA, and Health and Human Services (Kahn, 2009). Such a wide assortment of federal machinery has caused incessant inter-agency and intra-agency issues. Take for example, the case of Homeland Security and the Justice Department; it includes both the FBI and DEA. It is the responsibility of these agencies to collect information and exchange it with state and local police officials. Turf battles are at the center of all leading conflicts. It was vivid from the reaction over Hurricane Katrina, an example of the inter-agency gap. There was conflict between FBI and DHS officials on the lead responsibility of controlling law and order and providing security (Kahn, 2009). The DHS should find a solution to this conflict by not associating itself with the intelligence business and should leave it to the Justice Department totally to manage the job of collecting intelligence, analyzing, and relaying of security information to state and local police officials. It will help in decreasing the inter-agency issues, race for arranging funds, and leadership (Kahn, 2009). Another issue of top concern is cyber security, which has been getting neglected because of ditto inter-agency issues. General Cyber security is the responsibility of Homeland Security, but the cyber security of the military is managed by the National Security Agency (NSA) particularly. The NSA would prefer to take some of Homeland Securitys cyber security jobs (Kahn, 2009). It needs to be appreciated that President Obama has taken notice of the significance of cyber security and has off late created an office of cyber security. A cyber czar will directly report to the President and take seat on the National Security Council. It is expected that things will take a positive turn with this new office, helping to resolve the inter-agency conflicts. We should not ignore the fact that recently a DHS cyber security chief resigned because of internal strife and funding problems. Yet no agency has been deputed to share lead responsibilities for cyber security, given the bifurcated and indefinite nature of the internet. A note should be taken of the fact that leverages are not missed from the opportunities arising from the oversight responsibility scattered across various agencies for their distinct values (Kahn, 2009). 5. Discuss the Existing Roadblocks that are preventing the DHS from Addressing These Top Concerns Hurdle in the path of DHS is lack of communication and coordination between different agencies, such as between FEMA (under Homeland Security), the Office for Domestic Preparedness (under Justice Department), and the Department of Health and Human Services (from the cabinet). It is the sole responsibility of the Homeland Security and FEMA to help manage the after-effects of disasters like hurricanes and extremist attacks, but after investing millions of dollars on huge emergency response functions, these organizations are not known for their performance, as they are deficient in coordination with state and local administration and a lame national level readiness drill system. As per the Government Accountability Office report, one of the reasons of the drawbacks is that FEMA does not have a strategic plan for its national readiness system that has straight and clear-cut aims. It does not adhere to a program-management plan that outlines how readiness is planned, delivered, checked, and managed in cooperation with other federal departments and agencies. FEMA needs to be restructured for efficient performance (Kahn, 2009). It is recommended that original agencies should be left to themselves to manage their responsibilities. The Homeland Security should work for border and port security; transportation, commerce, and infrastructure security; and nuclear and chemical material security, as still a lot is to be achieved in these fields. Reporting burden to the Congress committees and subcommittees needs to be lessened, as the Homeland Security personnel spend more time in such meetings than managing their functions. According to a 2004 joint report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and Business Executives for National Security, each chamber of Congress should fix a single committee for overlooking Homeland Security to reduce the time spent in meetings attended by DHS officials. Only selected members should be appointed to staff these committees for inspecting the departmental functions and write legislation specific to Homeland Security needs. Congress needs to go through this reorganization procedure so that the Homeland Security realizes its full missionary objectives (Kahn, 2009). 6. Predict the Role Cyber Terrorism could play in Future Attacks against the United States and its Allies. Describe What You consider to be the Largest Cyber Threat(s) to the Nation DHS has been collaborating with the Department of Justice (DOJ) for issuing seizure warrants against the fraudulent websites and individuals bent on committing frauds by breaching the computer servers of the Federal Reserve Bank. The US Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) along with the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) have formed an Electronic Crimes Task Forces to collaborate with global law enforcement agencies to exchange expertise and resources to control electronic crimes like identity theft, network violations, and various financial crimes. DHS has been on the spree of opening new USSS offices in Tallinn, Estonia to more effectively control cyber crime staring from Eastern Europe (DHS, 2011). DHS is very much concerned about the cyber security of its operations. It has issued a blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future. It is related to the cyber security strategy for the Homeland Security Enterprise, which addresses the need of a collective attempt by the homeland security force to secure America’s important information architecture and design a relatively secure cyber ecosystem. Particular functions to be performed as per the strategy include tightening important networks, initiating criminal procedures against cybercrime, creating awareness in the public and building a national cyber security workforce (DHS, 2011). The biggest cyber attacks from the foreign states might be from China and Russia, as they have been responsible earlier also for “extensive illicit intrusions” into the U.S. networks. The second largest cyber attack risk might be from Iran, as its military succeeded in hacking the Guidance system of an American Drone, as was claimed off late by the Iranian military. The third largest cyber attack on America can be made from within the country, from lethal and disruptive technology by hacker groups as Anonymous and LulzSec through distributed denial of service attacks and website defacement, intruding into NASDAQ and International Monetary Fund (Hoover, Feb. 2012). References Bean, H. (2009). Exploring the relationship between Homeland Security information sharing & local emergency preparedness. Homeland Security Affairs, 5 (2). Retrieved from http://www.hsaj.org/?fullarticle=5.2.5 Defense Study and Report to Congress. (2003). The DOD role in Homeland Security. Retrieved from http://www.ndu.edu/uchs/ndaa%20fy02%20report%20(dod%20in%20hs)%20-%20final.pdf DHS. (2011). Highlighting our progress in 2011. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/opa/2011-dhs-progress.pdf Hoover, J.N. (2012, Feb 1). Cyber attacks becoming top terror threat, FBI says. Information Week. Retrieved from http://www.informationweek.com/government/security/cyber-attacks-becoming-top-terror-threat/232600046 Kahn, L.H. (2009, June 9). The problems with the Department of Homeland Security. Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Retrieved from http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/columnists/laura-h-kahn/the-problems-the-department-of-homeland-security Read More