Public trust in our nation’s homeland security is essential to a free society, and building trust requires collaboration among industry, academia, and government. The HSEG is an independent, nonpartisan source of expertise across the homeland and national security domains that informs government leadership and educates the public on homeland security issues.

HSEG was founded by Michael Chertoff, executive chairman of the Chertoff Group and former Secretary of Homeland Security, and Jane Harman, former Congresswoman and former CEO of the Wilson Center. It comprises more than 40 leaders with deep experience in government, intelligence, defense, law enforcement, academia, and the media.

The group initially convened homeland security policy and counter-terrorism experts to share ideas with the secretary and top leadership of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As the range of threats to the homeland has evolved, HSEG members have become an important resource to the broader homeland-security enterprise, Congress, the media, and the American public.

Today’s threats include:

• cyber attacks on private- and public-sector networks and on critical infrastructure such as our electric grid and state election systems
• financing and planning of attacks by terrorist and violent extremist groups, domestically as well as internationally
• transnational organized crime fueling an underground economy of human and sex trafficking, and drugs and weapons smuggling
• natural and human-caused disasters such as hurricanes, floods, oil spills, industrial accidents, and the like

A better understanding of the policy options to address those threats has never been more important. The HSEG maintains its founding commitment to provide a strategic perspective on the challenges our nation faces in the homeland security space and to explore policy prescriptions.

The HSEG formally convenes semi-annually. Group and individual members provide their unique insights via published papers, media appearances, and speaking engagements. You may reach out to us via the contact form below.