Baggage being processed by airport personnel
The Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) mission is to secure the nation from numerous imminent dangers that threaten national security. The department aims at the following eight objectives: guarding against terrorism; securing our borders; enforcing our immigration laws; improving our readiness for, response to, and recovery from disasters; maturing and unifying the department; strengthening and building partnerships; maximizing use of science, technology, and innovation; and becoming more efficient. DHS coordinates the work of more than 87,000 federal, state, and local governmental jurisdictions into one department with 16 major divisions.
The Directorate for National Protection and Programs
Of the department's 16 divisions, The Directorate for National Protection and Programs includes five distinct divisions: the Federal Protective Service (FPS), the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C), the Office of Infrastructure Protection (IP), the Office of Risk Management and Analysis (RMA), and US-VISIT.
The Federal Protective Service is a law enforcement agency responsible for providing comprehensive law enforcement services to federally owned properties and other assets. Personnel of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications are responsible for assuring the security, resiliency, and reliability of the nation's Internet and communications networks.
The Office of Risk Management and Analysis oversees national risk management and analysis activity.
The US-VISIT affords critical information to decision-makers using biometric technological solutions like digital fingerprints.
Directorate for Science and Technology
The Directorate for Science and Technology oversees research-and-development activities for the Department of Homeland Security by providing technological capabilities at the federal, state, and local levels. In this division, there is the Office of National Laboratories, the Office of University Programs, and the Program Executive Office---Counter-Improvised Explosives Devices.
Directorate for Management
The Directorate for Management oversees, among other things, each of the Department of Homeland Security's appropriations and expenditures, as well as human resources, information technology systems, facilities, and performance indicators.
Additional Offices
Some of the additional offices in DHS include: (1) The Office of Policy, which is in charge of policy development and implementation. Their primary role is to coordinate long-range planning efforts on behalf of the entire department to guarantee the United States continued protection; (2) The Office of Health Affairs, which is responsible for the department's reaction to emergency situations that require a medical response; (3) The Office of Intelligence and Analysis, which coordinates information and intelligence from several entities to identify and evaluate present and anticipated danger to the United States; (4) The Office of Operations Coordination, which monitors U.S. security, coordinates with the states, homeland security advisors, law-enforcement agencies, and other critical partners located throughout the United States.
Tags: Homeland Security, Department Homeland, Department Homeland Security, United States, Cybersecurity Communications