Department of Homeland Security successes since September 11

¶ … Homeland Security

There are those who cite the failure of the Department of Homeland Security since the attack of September 11, 2011 however, the successes of Homeland Security are clearly noted in the work of others. This study will review the successes of the Department of Homeland Security.

IT Developments

The Government Accountability Office in its 226-page report states that the Homeland Security Information Network, which is the core of the Department's mission is a "secure portal for security alerts, advisories and information on homeland security technologies, and is used by a large network of federal, state, local, and private sector organizations, from emergency management to law enforcement and critical infrastructure providers." (Hoover, 2011) Included in the portal are "document libraries, instant messaging, incident reporting, discussion boards, and numerous other features." (Hoover, 2011)

Another success for the Department of Homeland Security is the 'Trusted Internet Connections and Einstein' and it is reported that the TIC and Einstein programs illustrate how the Department is "becoming a central part of the .gov networks. TIC is an effort to consolidate external network connections and Internet access points within the agency. Federal agencies have made progress here, and DHS is developing tools to ensure agencies meet federal guidelines. Einstein meanwhile has evolved from a government-wide network monitoring effort to one that will include a focus, in the next version of the program, on intrusion prevention." (Hoover, 2011) Finally, in the area of IT, DHS has used exercises called 'Cyber Storm to learn and to take actions to correct the processes used in responding to cyber attacks. (Hoover, 2011, paraphrased) Lastly, in the area of IT the U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Indicator Technology (U.S.-VISIT) has as its aims to utilize biometric technology and databases in the identification of "foreign visitors that enter and leave the country in order to spot identity fraud, criminals, and immigration violations." (Hoover, 2011) U.S.-VISIT has resulted in "hundreds of arrests and thousands of watch-list hits." (Hoover, 2011)

II. Other Successes

The Government Accountability Office additionally notes other successes of the Department of Homeland Security since 911 including those stated as follows:

(1) The Department of Homeland Security "issued plans to guide its efforts, such as the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, which provides a framework for homeland security, and the National Response Framework, which outlines disaster response guiding principles;

(2) The Department of Homeland Security successfully hired, trained, and deployed workforces, such as a federal screening workforce to assume security-screening responsibilities at airports nationwide. (Government Accountability Office Report, 2011, p.1)

IV. Foiled Terrorist Plots Among DHS Successes

According to a report published in U.S. News 'The Daily Beast' since 911 there have been, "at least 45 jihadists terrorist attacks plotted again Americans -- each of them thwarted by a combination of intelligence policing and citizen participation." (Avlon, 2011, p.1) The latest cases states the report involved three individuals and one of them "believed to be a U.S. citizen" who entered into the U.S. In August with plans to use a car-bomb attack "against Washington D.C. Or New York. The suspected terrorists are thought to have come from Afghanistan or Pakistan, and at least two rental trucks are being sought nationwide." (Avlon, 2011, p.1)

Summary and Conclusion

The Department of Homeland Security has realized a great deal of success in its operations since 911 as evidenced by the literature reviewed in this study and most specifically by the terrorists plots that were thwarted before they could attack U.S. cities. Furthermore, in an age characterized by Cyber-attacks, the efforts of the Department of Homeland Security in addressing that potential are critical and for this, the efforts of the DHS should be applauded.