Computers and Homeland Security Unite Essay -- Technology Department o

Computers and Homeland Security Unite Homeland security was created by the Bush administration in 2001 as a result of the September 11th events. It is an independent agency in the United States whose mission is to protect the nation from potential terrorist attacks. Together the agency is made up of twenty two agencies and 180,000 employees. Their main focus is â€Å"intelligence and warning; boarder and transportation security; domestic counterterrorism; protecting critical infrastructure; defending against catastrophic threats; and emergency preparedness and response† (Whitehouse 1). The agency could not carry out these important tasks if it were not for the latest in computer technology. â€Å"The Department of Homeland Security is connected to all fifty states† (Whitehouse 1), networking, and the shared information across the US makes it easier to keep everyone informed of the current events which allows them to work together more efficiently. It is their job to inform the American people if they are at risk for terrorism. The agency issues a current and up to date warning level sign for terrorism alerts. In 2003 the United States Homeland Security signed a contract with Microsoft making them the agencies â€Å"supplier of desktop computers and computer software† (gov exec 1). America will spend 90 million dollars to purchase the rights to 140,000 computers for the next five years to ensure that they keep America secure. As a result of the new system from Microsoft the agency was allowed to simplify their network because it is now all intergraded into one system that they did not have in the past. The agency uses computers to organize all the data they have collected by entering it into a computer database. They call the database... ...rrent information in their databases. Today America is continuously up dating and entering information into their databases because they hope to prevent further US destruction. With this new system of security implemented the nation is less likely to suffer another attack like September 11th 2001 because we will have enough time to prepare for potential terrorist attacks in the future with this new system implemented. Works Cited TeleType GPS Homeland Security US Coast Guard Press Release. February 19,2003. TeleType GPS, Http://www.teletype.com/pages/pgs/press/coast_guard_homeland_secuirty.html GovExec. July 15, 2003. National Journal Group INC. http://www.goveexec.com/story_page.cfm?articleeid Homeland Security Home page. July 20, 2005. The White House President George Bush. http://www.whitehouse.gov/infocus/homeland/