Homeland Security: Trained Professionals Wanted

Homeland Security: Trained Professionals Wanted

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), established by an act of Congress in 2002, is the largest government agency formed since the end of World War II. Founded as a response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the purpose of DHS is to prevent further terrorist attacks on American soil while managing recovery from any attacks that occur. Oversight of immigration policy and management of the Coast Guard are also part of DHS's responsibilities. In order to fulfil its purpose, DHS has the enormous task of coordinating efforts among private businesses, local law enforcement, and the larger federal counterterrorism and intelligence agencies. As you might imagine, a job of this scale and importance requires an enormous number of trained employees. DHS had 171,000 employees as of November 2008, making it the largest government agency not related to the Armed Services or Veterans Affairs. But a survey of current homeland security experts, conducted by Kelton Research for the National Homeland Defense Foundation and Colorado Technical University, suggests that even more skilled professionals are needed: only 17% of responders said they felt there were enough qualified candidates to staff crucial homeland security-related positions. Two employee categories that are especially lacking are translators and computer security personnel. A New York Times report pointed out that more than 120,000 hours of tapes with potentially important pre-9/11 "chatter" among possible terrorists had still not been translatedin 2004. And when it comes to computer security experts, the situation is even more dire. The Washington Post reported in 2009 that the Federal Government was struggling to fill positions at its new Cyber Command post, even as the number of reported cyberattacks has soared, with the annual number of attacks tripling in just two years. More findings from the NDHF/CTU survey include: A majority of responders felt America is safer than it was in 2001; Most expect another 9/11-scale attack in the next five years; 30% feel that public educationwhat to do after a terrorist attackneeds to be more available. When asked to rank potential areas of vulnerability, survey responders overwhelmingly chose the Internet as ripe for a cyberattack. They considered home-grown terrorism and threats to harbors and coastlines the next biggest weak spots in the country's counterterrorist strategy. Management Education For Homeland Security Professionals In spite of the staffing shortages, pressure, and extremely challenging nature of working in Homeland Security, an overwhelming 89% of professionals questioned for the NHDF/CTU survey said they would recommend a career in the sector to other people. And 63% of respondents said they felt as if members of the public valued their work. If you're interested in training for a Homeland Security career, there are universities out there offering graduate-level education that could prepare you for job opportunities in this increasingly important sector. A Homeland Security-oriented curriculum aims to teach students: An understanding of terrorism and the psychology of fear How to conduct research and analysis of current HS practices How to assess current practices and formulate research-based recommendations for change How to manage coordination of security efforts among different entities This article is presented by Colorado Technical University, a network of technologically-advanced campuses, including a Virtual Campus, offering career-focused education at the undergraduate and graduate degree levels. Learn more at http://www.coloradotech.edu. CTU does not guarantee employment or salary.

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