In the midst of its seventh anniversary, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued its first-ever Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) that delineates a strategy focusing on five mission priority areas for the homeland security enterprise. “Mission one is preventing terrorism and enhancing the security of the country. Mission area two is securing and managing our borders; three, enforcing and administering our immigration laws; four, safeguarding and securing cyberspace; and then the fifth is ensuring resilience to disasters,” explains Richard Spires, chief information officer (CIO) at DHS. There are many components, both in and outside of DHS, that play a role in fulfilling these missions, but it is DHS and its 230,000 employees spread over 22 operating organizations that are at the forefront. “I believe,” declares Spires, “IT [information technology] is a foundational and critical element to the success of an organization such as [the Department of] Homeland Security. In fact, I would say that it is as important as any function in assuring mission effectiveness today.”