Homeland Security in a Nutshell

Abstract

As the Department of Homeland Security begins its 2018 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review, it will certainly address the question “what is homeland security?”. This article is meant to provide a concise overview. It begins with a definition and relates it back to the origins of homeland security. It then takes that same definition and projects it onto the DHS mission sets. It then takes a closer look at DHS missions in border and transportation security, counterterrorism, emergency management, countering weapons of mass destruction, critical infrastructure protection, and cybersecurity. It concludes with a unique argument that homeland security may be only a transient concern, and that technological change may offer a brighter future.