Running head: DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 1

Department of Homeland Security

Name

Institution Affiliation
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY 2

Department of Homeland Security

Internet technology is an important element of modern society. The internet has limitless

communication capability, making it easier for terrorists to use it to conduct attacks anywhere in

the world. Terrorists in the contemporary era makes use of the internet to perpetrate

unpredictable and instantaneous attacks in the United States, especially in major cities since they

act as a significant target because it produces a large number of casualties.

A study on the internet and found out that the number of websites with terrorism

materials has risen from only 12 in 1998 to about 9800 in 2015. The internet has a limitless

virtual environment where terrorists get all the resources they require, such as secured

communication mediums and explosives. Cyberspace provides communication channels that are

incredibly secure, sometimes impossible to hack or trace to where the terrorists delegate duties

and responsibilities to recruits. It conceals their identity, an advantageous technique that helps

them remain anonymous as they conduct their activities (The Role of Technology in Modern

Terrorism). Additionally, the terrorist groups use the internet since it offers quick and fast access

to the global stage. It also provides an interactive platform enabling communication with their

targets as well as their sympathizers.

Social media is among the critical means of communication that terrorist use to conduct

their activities. They use social media to amplify the effects of their attacks. After conducting an

attack, they use technology to spread propaganda and fear among the citizens. Terrorist

organizations prepare carefully edited videos with demands to the United States government and

the president. The videos are then broadcast via social media to reach the majority of United

States citizens with the main agenda of spreading fear.

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Research by the University of Maryland's Global Terrorism Database shows that

terrorism threats are rising in the U.S. Previous terror attacks on U.S. such as the attacks at

World Tarde Center, the USS Cole, the Khobar Towers and the Oklahoma City, could possibly

lead to terrorist attacks in future. These previous attacks have shown that the U.S. defense forces

are not as mighty as they were once believed to be. The U.S. intelligence, in many cases, has

been slow in connecting the dots relating to terrorist attacks. Different terrorist groups take it as a

challenge to conduct terrorist attacks, then infiltrate the U.S. social network and spread terror

regarding their attacks. For this reason, there has been an increase in terror-related violence over

the last ten years.

Homeland security has made significant progress on counterterrorism measures since the

events of September 11, 2001. The department goal is to protect U.S. citizens from terrorists.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) play a significant role in protecting American

citizens from criminal organizations, enemy states, and individuals who would threaten the lives

of the U.S. citizens. Homeland has adopted advanced techniques that effectively neutralizes any

threat within the country. To achieve this, they have developed goals in which they operate. They

collect, analyze, and share information regarding terrorism potential in and outside the country.

Intelligence by DHS is always accurate and timely, enabling them to neutralize many terrorism

attacks in the country (Counter Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats). The DHS ensures

that relevant senior leaders and stakeholders understand actionable intelligence by providing

them with necessary information based on the decisions and operations they conduct. To prevent

attacks, the DHS engages is measures to counter both domestic and foreign terrorism. They do so

by enforcing border security and immigration screening. They also analyze the trade-based

authorities and breadth of law enforcement to ensure citizen's safety. The DHS counters mass
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destruction weapons from terrorists. Given that advancement in technology has to lead to the

production of equipment for mass destruction, the DHS work hard to develop, acquire and

modernize mass destruction weapons that they use in countering-terrorist attacks on U.S. soil.

Several future trends may help shape homeland security programs. First, the DHS should

fix its system of management. Today the DHS faces serious challenges when it comes to

leadership and organizational cohesiveness. Critical resources, such as finance and budgeting,

Information technology, planning, and acquisition still face challenges. The DHS should adopt

the Unity of Effort initiative that will give the DHS power to create a standardized procurement

and acquisition process of intelligence and information. Secondly, the enforcement of the

immigration laws to prevent illegal immigration into the U.S., the government, should also

increase the deportation of immigrants who are within the U.S. jurisdiction illegally. Thirdly, it

should enforce the Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act that will give the DHS absolute

control over domestic cybersecurity. This access will enable the DHS to share crucial

information to both the private and public sectors.

The U.S. government agencies and the legislation has played a crucial role in driving the

DHS. After the 11th September 2001 terrorist attacks, there has been a close link between the law

enforcement, intelligent organizations, the state, the federal government, and the local homeland

security. All of these changes were done at the state level, where the state government was made

in-charge of the domestic homeland security. In addition to controlling homeland security, most

of the states have also brought law enforcement, the public security and emergency response unit

under one leadership. The U.S. government has also passed the Homeland Security Act, which

provides the DHS with authority to direct and control specific critical operations in its goal to

prevent terrorist attacks within U.S. soil. To conduct their activities effectively, the DHS has the
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right to access all the information collected by different intelligent units to aid in their

investigation. The United States government has also established the Freedom of Information

Act that enabled the DHS to have the first access to unreleased information and documents for

proper analysis before disclosing anything sensitive.

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Works Cited

"Counter-Terrorism and Homeland Security Threats." Department of Homeland Security, July 5,

2019, www.dhs.gov/counter-terrorism-and-homeland-security-threats.

“The Role of Technology in Modern Terrorism.” Infosec Resources, May 21, 2018,

resources.infosecinstitute.com/the-role-of-technology-in-modern-terrorism/#gref.