Homeland Security Issues

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Introduction There has been numerous studies and reviews that define the challenges surrounding local communities (cities and countries alike). The Department of Homeland Security has five mission areas that causes a lot of attention; prevention of terrorism and enhancing security, security and management of our borders, enforcing and administering our immigration laws, safeguarding and securing cyberspace, and ensuring resilience to disasters. These mission areas are the guiding factors that define what actually affects the local community on a personal level. In 2014, a Quadrennial Review was conducted by the Department of Homeland Security that identified six specific strategic challenges that will continue to be an ongoing issue throughout …show more content…
Local communities depend heavily on the systems and process from higher government agencies. The Department is a multi-mission, multi-function agency, covering long-standing functions such as civil defense, emergency response, customs, border control, law enforcement, and immigration (DHS 2014). Without the assistance from higher, local communities would not have the foundation to combat threats, leaving the community unable to determine what threat is the greatest. The main process by local communities is to work interpedently to reduce risk in all categories. The Department of Homeland Security works with other units of government, forms public-private partnerships, and enlists the help of the American people because the homeland security missions cannot be met by one entity alone (DHS 2014). The greatest risk to the local community is the risk that has the probability of causing the most …show more content…
The evolution of the terrorist threat demands a well-informed, highly agile, and well-networked group of partners and stakeholders to anticipate, detect, target, and disrupt threats that challenge national security, economic prosperity, and public safety (DHS2014). The factors to consider when determining hazards form the terrorist threat are some of the same factors to consider when discussing cyber threats. These two threats have evolved exponentially with the ever growing increase in technology. They pose the most threat to critical infrastructure and transportation systems as they have such a specific reach and similar target choice. Biological concerns and natural hazards pose a similar threat to local communities by climate effect and the cost associated with responding to the threat. Transnational criminal organizations and nuclear terrorism pose a similar threat to a community by persons involved. History shows that the people who attempt nuclear terrorism are usually part of a transnational criminal organization i.e al Qaeda, and ISIL.
Prioritization of Threats The factors to consider when determining which hazards and threat to prioritize for a community stems from size, popularity, and advantageousness of soft targets held by that community. One of the most important considerations when it comes to prioritizing these threats is the likelihood of it