Free Paper Example on Private Sector

Introduction

Private sector organizations and their employees are essential to addressing the goals of the Department of Homeland Security. Private organizations that contribute to the fulfillment of homeland security's strategic goals include banks, insurance companies, community-based organizations, and security companies, among others (Krahmann, 2010). For example, security firms train and employ security guards for public use. America has thousands of security firms, including ADT Security Services, Allied Universal, G4S Secure Solutions, Inter-Con Security, Monitronics, Paragon Systems, Pinkerton Security, Vivint many others.

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These firms collaborate actively with national security to offer invaluable support in protecting the United States' people and properties. The Department of Homeland Security's strategic goals for fiscal years 2020-2024 provides a detailed description that the agency expects to fulfill within the given timeframe. It is essential to discuss how private sector organizations and their employees can directly impact addressing each of these goals during this timeframe.

Homeland Security Threats

Security companies and their employees collect, analyze, and share actionable intelligence with the Department of Homeland Security. Private security firms provide training in data collection, data analysis, and actionable intelligence to prepare security guards for their work. Private security guards provide 24/7 surveillance and monitoring of homes, businesses, and other properties (Fischer et al., 2012). They actively collect data using the internet of things (IoT) technology applications such as CCTV cameras. The data collected helps detect any form of terrorism that might be developing in a given area. Upon detection, private security guards provide such valuable information to the national Department of Homeland Security to take action.

Private firms detect and disrupt terrorist threats. Security guards are almost everywhere in the United States. Their all-time presence enables them to detect any suspicious moves by terrorists (Haufler, 2013). Security guards always report such suspicious movements to the police. They also provide information that can help investigators determine what, where, and when to arrest the suspected criminals of terrorism (Krahmann, 2010). Thus, private guards are instrumental in homeland security.

Private firms protect soft targets, events, and leaders. Thus, private guards are common at banks, homes, supermarkets, schools, churches, hospitals, hotels, and other business enterprises. These places are soft targets for most terrorism attacks (Donahue & Zeckhauser, 2012). Therefore, security guards must have advanced knowledge and skills to offer effective protection by preventing terrorism activities. Besides, most leaders and other VIPs also employ private guards for personal security. The detailed work that private security firms do actively involve the prevention of terrorism and homeland threats. By doing so, private security firms support the Department of Homeland Security in ensuring counter-terrorism and homeland threats (Thumala et al., 2011). Therefore, private firms are instrumental in fulfilling the DHS's strategic goals.

Private security firms are actively involved in counter WMDs and emerging threats. Security guards in all soft targets such as banks, hotels, and supermarkets, among others, use handheld metal detectors to screen visitors as they get into the premises (Fischer et al., 2012). By screening visitors, private guards ensure all people's safety from the destructive behaviors of terrorists in areas of mass gatherings. Private security guards are dedicated to ensuring all people's safety by screening and uprooting terrorist activities from places of mass gatherings. Leaders are also soft targets for terrorist activities. Private security guards work in active collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security to provide essential security protection for leaders as they move and execute various activities to the public (Haufler, 2013). Therefore, private security firms and their employees are very instrumental in fulfilling the Department of Homeland Security's strategic goals.

Securing US Borders

Private security firms extend the reach of US border security. They secure and manage the land of their jurisdictions along the borders. Besides, private security firms protect some businesses and homes along the border. These firms ensure safety and tranquility within and around the area they protect. Private security guards are skilled in collecting security data around their areas of jurisdiction. They provide these intelligence reports to the Department of Homeland Security to help with investigations and detention of suspected criminals (De Nevers, 2010). The police officers cannot stand or stay in every place in the great United States.

The police are in their stations and occasionally patrol the borders and other parts of the country. However, during other times when they are absent in a place, terrorism activities might take root and develop injurious tin levels. However, the private security guards are situated in most places where they stay in watch of people’s premises (Demiroglu & James, 2010). These guards are better placed to detect suspicious activities around them and report to the police. The presence of private security personnel at the entry points discourages people with bad plans to implement them. Private security guards are actively involved in collecting and analyzing security data to help get better ways of providing effective protection to their clients (Wakefield, 2012). There is a critical role that can only be achieved through strong collaboration between private security firms and the Department of Homeland Security. Therefore, private guards are essential for the safety and security of US borders.

Secure Cyberspace

Private organizations keep a good record of all guests who enter a facility at any given time. The guest records capture the name, reason for visitation, entry, exit time, and equipment and belong to visitors. These records are very important to maintain safe and secure cyberspace. The data from guests’ records can be used by the Department of Homeland Security to investigate cybercrimes in a particular facility (De Nevers, 2010). The record-keeping also helps provide efficient security to a facility by controlling the entry of authorized individuals alone in specific areas.

Some private organizations offer cybersecurity technology that assists the Department of Homeland Security with its role in enforcing cyberspace security policies and regulations (Wakefield, 2012). Private sector organizations' security technology includes technical tools, such as CCT cameras, access control, data loss prevention, endpoint security, email security, and anti-malware software. The tools gather and share threat indicators and information on cybersecurity intelligence. These technical tools are installed in various facilities to provide information on client organizations' safety and security. Besides, they also assist in investigating criminal activities whenever they occur in any given facility.

Private organizations assist the Department of Homeland Security in combating cybercrime. Private guards provide 24/7 surveillance and monitoring of facilities to collect and analyze security data (Demiroglu & James, 2010). The role of the Department of Homeland Security is to investigate cybercrime activities that target the public, private organizations, and individuals. They need relevant information to facilitate their activity. Private security guards are ever ready to offer the required security information to help the police conduct investigations. The active surveillance and monitoring by private guards give them an upper hand to receive and convey information on cybercrime suspects to investigators from the Department of Homeland Security. Therefore, private organizations are very instrumental in helping the Department of Homeland Security fulfill its strategic goal to protect the public, private firms, and individuals from the adverse effects of cybersecurity.

Nation’s Prosperity

Private organizations assist the Department of Homeland Security in enforcing trade laws and facilitating legal international travel and trade. Private technology firms provide innovative solutions that can be utilized by the Department of Homeland Security to assess and collect taxes, fees, and duties. These technologies make work easier and efficient for the national security agency to implement its activities to fulfill the strategic goals. Some of the new technologies invented or innovated by private firms are helpful to the Department of Homeland Security.

Private commercial firms that deal directly with organizations in other countries can provide relevant information to the Department of Homeland Security to investigate cybercrime that cut across international borders (De Nevers, 2010). The international trade system is full of individuals and organizations that engage in illegal trade. It is challenging to get them unless the private organizations with information concerning their operations reveal the information to the security agency.

Private organizations can provide intelligence reports to help the Department of Homeland Security to disrupt or dismantle networks, entities, and organizations that violate rules of intellectual property (Bures, 2013). Intellectual property should be maintained to benefit the inventor without disruptions from piracy, identity theft, hacking, and phishing. Private organizations are also responsible for providing relevant information to help the Department of Homeland Security identify and counter frauds or corruption.

Private transport firms maintain records, screen, vet passengers, cargo, and luggage to ensure their assets' safety during transportation. These firms have information on passengers and luggage they carry (Abrahamsen & Williams, 2010). Private firms can help the Department of Homeland Security identify and interdict threats by providing information about passengers and luggage they transport (Homeland Security, n.d.). The information provides by private organizations help in conducting investigations and preventing any suspicious crimes and terrorist activities.

Private firms such as banks, insurance companies, and other firms that handle money can help the Department of Homeland Security safeguard the US financial system. Banks and insurance companies are targets where corrupt people deposit their cash. Employees of banks and insurance companies can easily detect fraud or corruption by studying their clients' financial trends (Abrahamsen & Williams, 2010). After detection, private firms can share information about suspected cases with the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the matter. By active collaboration and support, the private sector can make work easier for the Department of Homeland Security to reduce fraud, financial crime, and counterfeiting against federally-insured financial firms.

Conclusion

Some private firms, such as insurance companies, assist the Department of Homeland Security in building a preparedness culture to calamities. These firms directly impact the NHS strategic goals by implementing awareness initiatives that encourage the public to take action to improve preparedness (Haufler, 2013). The private firms also caution people of the impending disasters and advise on what is necessary for them to avert the disaster's effects on their lives and properties.