Life and business as we knew them changed after 9/11. For some, the threat of terrorism reshaped their companies.

"At that time, the core of our business was in the media marketplace--newspapers, magazines, advertising firms," says Laura Teodosio, 43, president and CEO of Salient Stills Inc. in Boston. "Companies were using our technology to transform video into higher-quality stills from print or presentation."

Teodosio believed there was a market for her product in the security, law enforcement, intelligence and military communities. In the summer of 2001, her company began working with the Boston Police Department to help analyze and enhance videotapes from a series of drugstore robberies. Then 9/11 happened.

Salient Stills Inc. began working with FBI Boston, the agency that made images of Mohammed Atta at the Portland, Maine and Boston airports. "This got us the attention of FBI national and other federal agencies," Teodosio says.

Within 12 months, her company shifted from media to homeland security. Last year, it surpassed $1 million in sales.

Eve Hinman, 49, is president of Hinman Consulting Engineers Inc., a San Francisco-based firm that specializes in the design of structures to resist the effects of explosions and other extreme events. After 9/11, Hinman says her business grew exponentially overnight.

"We began to get projects designing and assessing airports, train stations, dams, bridges, tunnels, banks, insurance companies, local and state governments, and high-rise office buildings," she says. "Our federal government work grew as well, as more agencies began incorporating antiterrorism principles into their facilities."

Hinman's $4 million firm grew quickly from four to 17 employees to meet the demand. Many of the engineers Hinman brought on board were female, a rarity in her field.

So what's it like for women in the homeland security industry? "The experience of being the only woman in the room at meetings is an ordinary experience for me," says Hinman, who admits that some clients refer to her team as the "Blast Chicks," which she considers a compliment.

Homeland security work doesn't require a military or specialized background, according to Gina Bennett, a 20-year terrorism expert and author of National Security Mom. "You only need the ability to think critically, the drive to ask questions and figure out impossible puzzles, and the dedication to live a life in service of a goal that seems elusive," Bennett says. "Women often have the innate skills for intelligence work."

Bennett says the intelligence community is interested in diversity. To find opportunities, check out the websites of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence or the Department of Homeland Security, especially its site for businesses. Joining an organization such as Women in International Security can offer networking opportunities and support in this decidedly male-dominated field.