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.
Homeland Security in a Nutshell
