by CSIS: Center for Strategic & International Studies

In the wake of 9/11 the homeland security business is still booming, and now it eclipses mature enterprises like movie-making and the music industry in annual revenue. In this multi-billion business airport security was the initial focus, but during the past years the industry has expanded into a wide range of companies hawking all kinds of products and services for securing nearly every imaginable terrorist target. The homeland security industry now includes border, rail, seaport, industrial and nuclear plant protection as well as chemical, biological and radiological detection. One of the biggest customer in the field is a post-9/11 creation, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This is a federal agency whose primary mission is to help prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism on United States soil. Apart from the “traditional” duties, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security received in April this year authority from the congress to waive all legal requirements necessary to expeditiously install additional physical barriers and roads at the border to deter illegal activity. According to Secretary Chertoff: “Criminal activity at the border does not stop for endless debate or protracted litigation,” “Congress and the American public have been adamant that they want and expect border security. We’re serious about delivering it, and these waivers will enable important security projects to keep moving forward.” This extention of activities will again boost the job market and if you are interested in working in this field you should consider to jump on the train. Actually there are over 20,000 jobs published on the internet and the trend is going up (see resource box).

Climate change is an other challenge that will requiere more investments in the homeland security field in the future. According to an article published by Joshua W. Busby of the University of Texas at Austin in the Washington Post on March 22, 2008, the US government needs to take action on risk reduction and adaptation, mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions, and institutional changes in the U.S. government to prepare the U.S. to deal with the threat posed by global climatic disruption.

“Climate and security concerns do not get the attention they deserve in the U.S. government because they have few high-level champions. A new deputy undersecretary of defense position for environmental security should be created to redress the insufficient institutionalization of climate and environmental concerns in the Department of Defense. That said, we should not confuse national defense with what the military can do. As the risk reduction agenda makes clear, other instruments of national power will also be needed. To that end, the U.S. needs several senior positions in the National Security Council dedicated to environmental security, including a Deputy National Security Advisor for Sustainable Development to guide the inter-agency process. The links between climate and security still might not get sufficient attention. A special advisor to the president on climate change with some budgetary authority might also help.”

As a conclusion, homeland security is a booming market for job seekers and the trend will continue for at least five to ten years more. One major terrorist attack in the United States, Europe or Japan could increase the global market in 2015 to 0 billion, more than a twelvefold increase from today’s level, according to Tomer Amit, vice president of Homeland Security Research. “Most of the growth this decade will come from building what Homeland Security Research calls “a homeland defense infrastructure.” Growth areas are likely to include technology for surveillance and for detection of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction”, Amit says.

All indicators are showing green light for starting a career in this promising and highly interesting industry.