What is Hacking for Homeland Security?
Hacking for Homeland Security, also known as Hacking 4 Homeland Security (H4HS) engages academia to tackle homeland security challenges using lean startup approaches. H4HS harnesses university energy, talent, and creativity, bringing students together with DHS professionals, technical experts, and business leaders to develop innovative solutions for critical homeland security problems.
In H4HS courses, interdisciplinary student teams are provided with real-world homeland security challenges sourced directly from DHS. DHS mentors join H4HS by submitting challenges and serving as Problem Sponsors who guide student teams and connect them with networks of experts so the teams can gain a deeper understanding of the problems and solution possibilities. Through the connections made across the sponsors’ agencies, students conduct a number of significant interviews with experts in the field and apply entrepreneurial frameworks to understand the root problem. The data gathered from the interviews aids the student team in developing success and fail criteria for any solutions proposed, resulting in final recommendations for DHS. The student teams present their findings to the DHS Problem Sponsors and DHS leadership at the end of the semester. The findings could be policy changes, process improvements, or the beginnings for technology prototypes. DHS works with the student teams during the semester to determine the best way to implement the solutions proposed by the student teams.
For DHS Employees
H4HS tackles DHS challenges as a force multiplier. DHS Problem Sponsors will gain a variety of viewpoints and solutions to their problems from some of the most innovative minds in the country. The recommendations provided by student teams are helpful–Problem Sponsors think through how to implement more effective ways to solve the problems well beyond the semester.
For Students
H4HS offers students a unique opportunity to work directly with DHS on real-world homeland security challenges. Students learn entrepreneurial thinking, develop professional skills, and explore career paths in public service.
For Industry
Industry Partners play an integral role in H4HS by lending their technical expertise to student teams and guiding them through entrepreneurial challenges. In return, Industry Partners build in-roads with the homeland security enterprise, gain early exposure to emerging problems, and develop unique bonds with the nation's top students.
H4HS Semester Roadmap
H4HS Semester Roadmap
See What Others Are Saying About H4HS
“This is Homeland Security’s fourth Hacking for Homeland Security and I’m always impressed with the students’ passion and critical thinking around homeland security challenge areas. The student teams have delivered interesting solutions that we are working on implementing. The program helps us capitalize on the next generation of leaders.”
“Reminds me why we love doing what we do. H4HS taps into the energy and imagination of talented students to deliver forward-looking solutions to evolving security challenges facing the nation. We welcome the entrepreneurial approach that H4HS brings to our innovation needs and we hope the experience will inspire students to join us on the mission, as partners, or future federal employees.”
Ready to get involved?
Submit a challenge for the next H4HS cohort.
About H4HS
Program Administrators
The H4HS program is administered by the innovation company BMNT, its nonprofit partner, the Common Mission Project (CMP), and conducted in collaboration with DHS components, including, but not limited to, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Program History
The Hacking for Homeland Security Program, launched by DHS in 2020, is modeled after the Hacking for Defense® (H4D) program, a national academic course founded in 2015 by entrepreneurs and national security practitioners and taught in over 60 leading universities across the United States, applying its experiential problem-solving approach to defense, energy, and diplomacy challenges.
