Terrorism Archives

Three Ways AI Helps Prepare for Future Attacks

Michael Ellenbogen July 18, 2018

Terrorist attacks and mass shootings have changed the threat landscape. In the old-world paradigm, planes were the target and metallic objects were the key concern. In the new-world paradigm, anything can be a target. Thus, the security response needs to shift from reactive to proactive. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the

Averting Disaster – A Multi-Tier Approach

Catherine L. Feinman May 30, 2018

Disasters can take many forms – naturally occurring like a volcanic eruption or solar flare, human-caused like a terrorist attack or radioactive material release, or technological like a cyberattack or data breech. Although a specific threat or hazard may be unavoidable, whether it eventually becomes a “disaster” is not a

A Race Against Time: Canine/Handler Teams Prep for Disaster

Omar Bourne May 23, 2018

New York City has various disaster preparedness teams that are specially equipped to manage many types of threats. One such team involves canines trained to perform search and rescue tasks. Canines have helped save lives at critical times following disasters such as 9/11, when finding survivors among rubble and debris

Detecting & Preventing Nuclear/Radioactive Materials

Ian Pleet May 16, 2018

This case study from a 2015 deployment to the U.S. Marine Corps (USMC) Combined Arms Training Center (CATC) Camp in Fuji, Japan, demonstrates effective ways to detect and prevent unwanted nuclear and radioactive materials from being brought aboard an overseas USMC installation. The author was deployed as the emergency manager

Cascading Consequences: Electrical Grid Critical Infrastructure Vulnerability

George H. Baker and Stephen Volandt May 9, 2018

If there were a prolonged nationwide, multi-week or multi-month power failure, neither the federal government nor any state, local, tribal, or territorial government – acting alone or in concert – would be able to execute an effective response. This bleak outlook results from understanding that so many critical infrastructures depend

Turning Five Crisis Leader Pitfalls Into Opportunities

Domestic Preparedness May 2, 2018

Crises are among the most daunting challenges for leaders. The very nature of true crises – complex, high-consequence events that threaten physical, emotional, economic, and/or reputational health – test a leader’s ability to discern what is happening and what is to be done. The word “crisis” derives from the Greek

CBRNE Weapons & Islamic State – A Bad Combination

Richard Schoeberl April 25, 2018

The recent developments concerning the nerve agent attack in the United Kingdom and their alleged country of origin, Russia, have raised fears in the international community. The ease of the attack raises concerns about terrorists utilizing similar methods. This raises questions about the likelihood of a similar attack against

The Key to Saving Lives in CBRNE Events

Bobby Baker Jr. March 28, 2018

In January 2018, in New York City, a group of professionals – representing entities including the Department of Homeland Security, private contractors, hazardous materials/weapons of mass destruction (hazmat/WMD), law enforcement officers, and intelligence experts – gathered to discuss the emerging threats to U.S. passenger rail service. Not only are these

Emerging Threats to Rail Infrastructure: Part II, Passenger

Catherine L. Feinman March 28, 2018

With millions of passengers travelling each day by rail and subway in the United States alone, the passenger rail industry and the communities they serve are faced with difficult safety and security challenges – from equipment failures to terrorist attacks. A whole community approach is needed to address these

Historical Argument for Hardening Facilities

Michael E. Gray March 14, 2018

People’s lives were changed forever on Tuesday, 11 September 2001. At the time of the 9/11 attacks, airport security was primarily focused on threats from guns and explosives. There was little worry about knives or sharp instruments. Even when detected at checkpoints, they were not often considered dangerous. Closing this

Rail Threats & Interdependencies – Thoughts for Discussion

Domestic Preparedness March 6, 2018

In the United States, there are ongoing efforts to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure. Presidential directives, coupled with national security strategies and several iterations of the National Infrastructure Protection Plan (NIPP), have spanned the terms of at least four presidents and included the rail system. The volume of activity on

Setting Examples for Disaster Preparedness

Catherine L. Feinman February 28, 2018

From coast to coast, communities across the United States are implementing solutions to address gaps that could hinder response efforts should a disaster occur. From special events to widespread natural disasters, this edition of the DomPrep Journal shares experiences and lessons learned from those who have firsthand accounts of these events and

TWITTER

Get Instant Access

Subscribe today to Domestic Preparedness and get real-world insights for safer communities.

Sign up for Updates!