Background On September 11, 2001, the Western world entered a new era of global confrontation: the era of terror. Local and even global terror had, of course, existed long before this time, but its impact upon the modern, western way of life had been limited. Modern terror has had a global impact upon the world's economy, human lives, human rights, and freedom. Terror movements are capable of harnessing powerful means, including cyber-technology, weapons of mass destruction (WMD), global financial tools, and large numbers of supporters, to further their goals. Until recently, the study of strategic conflicts included wars between nations, but not the field of global terror. This new interdisciplinary field of research combines technological sciences such as cyber-technologies with scientific research in the fields of physics, chemistry, and biology (weapons of mass destruction), and other disciplines, such as economics, communications, crisis management, law,  strategic analysis and even medicine. To these disciplines we can add the need for research on topics connected with the occurrence of natural catastrophes that have some similarities to the consequences of massive terror attacks. There is no one institution in the world dedicated to issues of homeland security that has the diversity of researchers qualified to effectively address the relevant issues in an integrative manner, tackling a range of  questions from strategy and technology to problems arising from social or legal issues. The Ben-Gurion University Institute for Homeland Security (HLSI) was established to address the current need for interdisciplinary research that will supply technological, strategic and social solutions for western societies and governments in the field of homeland security.  Our aim is to ensure that the HLSI be the first and most comprehensive institute in the world to address the diverse issues of homeland security using a multidisciplinary approach.   The HSRI Mission The Ben-Gurion University Homeland Security Institute will be an integrative multi-disciplinary institute, embracing a range of fields related to homeland security (HLS), and thus one of the first research institutes of its kind worldwide. It will conduct research and engage in development on the various aspects of homeland security. Its advisory teams will be ready to provide integrative answers to policy makers on questions in the field. The institute will aspire to be the leading scientific, social and strategic homeland security and disaster think tank.   The HSRI Staff The institute's base of leading researchers includes over 80 members of the University's academic staff and adjunct researchers from Israel's top government research institutes. Experienced former executives in the fields of security and policy makers will join the institute as research fellows. Total academic staff is expected to reach about 100.