Running head: PRIVATE SECTOR INFLUENCE ON HOMELAND SECURITY MISSION

Private Sector Influence on Homeland Security Missions

Private Sector Influence on Homeland Security Missions The private sector plays many important roles in assisting the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in achieving five security missions as outlined within the organization’s “Quadrennial Homeland Security Review” (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014). DHS has broken down specific types of security threats and needs so that the organization may develop strategies for addressing related risks and also receive assistance from others in achieving objectives pertaining to each threat segment. An examination of the five main missions described in the above-referenced review focuses on the ways the private sector assists DHS in addressing these matters.
Terrorism Prevention and Improved Security A critical aspect of DHS and successful completion of its missions is the organization’s ability to partner with others in the public and private sectors. This gives DHS access to many resources and it also helps to mitigate threats or problems that occurring outside of the DHS line of sight. Threats and hazards related to terrorism and terroristic threats continue to remain at the forefront of many of DHS’s goals. A challenge DHS will continue to face regarding the prevention of terroristic threats and activities is that the nature of these problems is constantly changing. As some of the threats become more sophisticated or complex, DHS experiences a greater degree of difficulty in identifying these threats before they escalate and eliminating them before harm is done. Members of the private sector may take steps in passively and actively assisting the DHS in identifying threats and mitigating them. Partnerships with various law enforcement organizations and members of the private sector provide increased opportunities for addressing security-related problems. Members of the private sector have technology, knowledge, and resources that if allocated toward increasing the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure. However, these partnerships require communication and some degree of intelligence sharing to ensure both sides receive the full benefits of the working alliance (“Engaging the Private,” 2005).
A remaining obstacle, preventing the private sector from being more influential in helping DHS achieve its terrorism-related mission is the communication barrier stemming from mistrust on either side, reluctance to share sensitive information, and the sharing of inaccurate or unsupported information. Overcoming this problem requires DHS and members of the private sector to work toward developing additional formal partnerships that help to build trust over time and are reciprocal in nature to ensure all sides benefit (“Engaging the Private,” 2005).
Managing and Securing the Nation’s Borders Managing borders and taking steps to secure them is interconnected with other DHS missions because when implemented effectively it helps to reduce exposure to threats stemming from people or organizations outside the United States. Members of the private sector may assist by taking measures to become more alert during trading, transportation, and employment activities. The increase of trading activities provides opportunities for breaches, but taking proactive steps to improve security throughout the process would help to reduce the threat (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014).
Immigration Law The private sector plays a direct role in DHS’s ability to achieve goals related to upholding immigration law by refraining from employing those that are in the U.S. illegally. The promotion of hiring and employment practices of people that have lawfully immigrating to the U.S. is logical and affords the U.S. with many benefits. However, those gaining entrance into the U.S. illegally may or may not pose a terroristic or other security threat. This mission is linked to the managing and securing of borders as well because private organizations that engage in various hiring practices may have more opportunity to identify situations where a person has entered the country unlawfully (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014).
Securing Cyberspace The securing of cyberspace from terroristic or other threats is a challenging mission that continues to pose problems for DHS as well as countless private and public sector firms. Rapidly advancing technology makes it increasingly difficult for public and private sector members to identify potential threats before they result in substantial financial and data losses. Because many members of the private sector also maintain the similar goal of protecting against intentional or unintentional losses, these organizations gather information and technologies that assist in providing protection. Some private sector members are better at proactively identifying and subsequently eliminating cybersecurity threats than others because the sharing of related information is somewhat limited. The reality is that the sharing of technological systems, findings, and information would provide all parties involved with increased protection. A challenge that remains with regard to the open sharing of information, however, is that it can prompt individuals or organizations seeking to cause a security breach to develop new methods for staging an attack. Additionally, the open sharing of this information could assist these parties in finding weaknesses and vulnerabilities in existing systems (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014).
For the above reason, the sharing of information between members of the private and public sectors should take place in a manner that safeguards the intelligence as much as possible. Forming formal partnerships may reduce problems such as a lack of trust between members of each sector and may also provide a means of establishing procedures that help to secure the information effectively (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014).
Preparedness and Resilience The past has highlighted the need for members of the public and private sectors to work closely with DHS in developing strategies for identifying natural and manmade threats that may materialize in significant human and economic losses. In the past, a lack of quick and effective communication has exacerbated this problem as seen in the attempt to coordinate activities among the sectors prior to, during, and after Hurricane Katrina (Koliba, Mills, & Zia, 2011).
Partnerships between the private sector and DHS should outline strategies for addressing emergencies that occur and must outline the specific roles all parties are expected to play in the event such an emergency does occur. These partnerships are essential to improve communication surrounding these events and also in promoting resilience in the days and years following such an event (“The 2014 Quadrennial,” 2014).
Conclusion
DHS has five main security-related missions that are intended to safeguard, protect, and strengthen the nation’s critical infrastructure. Though the private sector is impacted by security threats and events, there continues to be a lack of cooperation among the sectors in the interest of achieving security-related goals. These goals impact the nation as a whole and should become shared missions so that strategies intended to achieve the objectives become a primary focus.

References
Engaging the private sector to promote Homeland Security: Law enforcement-private security partnerships. (2005). Bureau of Justice Assistance. Retrieved from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bja/210678.pdf
Koliba, C., Mills, R., & Zia, A. (2011). Accountability in governance networks: An assessment of public, private, and nonprofit emergency management practices following Hurricane Katrina. Public Administration Review, 71(2), 210-220.
The 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review. (2014). U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Retrieved from http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2014-qhsr-final-508.pdf