Privacy in the Age of Big Data
Social media, Web 2.0, the Internet of Things, mobile computing, and the expansion of sensors is allowing more information to be gathered than ever before which, coupled with Big Data analytics, offers unprecedented insight into the needs, patterns, and habits of users, citizens, and consumers. Though it leads to better service, convenience, and efficiency, the [...]
When Armies Divide: The Security of Nuclear Arsenals During Revolts, Coups, and Civil Wars
In this brief volume Jenkins takes a detailed look at the General’s putsch, which was a 1961 coup attempt by a group of retired French Generals against President Charles de Gaulle. However, it is not the putsch itself that attracts Jenkins’ analytical attention, but the chaos surrounding the status of a nuclear device that was [...]
West Africa: Terrorism’s New Front Yard
Introduction There is a new front in the global fight against terrorism and terrorists. Ethnic, religious, and political tensions in West Africa, simmering for the past few years, have boiled over into widespread violence and coordinated military efforts throughout the region. A recent attack at an oil facility in Algeria has highlighted the wealth of [...]
Slavery and Human Trafficking in 2013
Introduction Reports and statistics from the UN, national governments, and politically diverse NGO’s demonstrate that human trafficking and slavery are as common today as they were during the years when transAtlantic slave trading was a legal enterprise. Estimates place the number of global victims as high as 29 million. The reality of this twenty-first century [...]
Bitcoin: Today and Tomorrow
Introduction: What is Bitcoin? Bitcoin is the world’s first digitally traded open source currency. The use of Bitcoins have grown slowly and steadily since the program was first released in early 2009. The creator of Bitcoin uses the pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto to avoid publicity and has allowed international project leaders to control the expansion and [...]
Adam Lanza and Dangerous Minds
We asked Chris Flaherty, author of the recent OODA sponsored monograph entitled “Dangerous Minds: The Relationship between Beliefs, Behaviors, and Tactics” for his thoughts regarding the recent Adam Lanza attacks. What follows is his response. “Adam Lanza, has been the subject of much media speculation, however if some of the reporting is to be credited [...]
The International Drug Trade and West Africa: An Enforcement Quandary
“In the past decade, there has been significant growth in the illicit trafficking of drugs, people, firearms, and natural resources. Trafficking in these and other commodities is generally characterized by high levels of organization and the presence of strong criminal groups and networks. While such activities existed in the past, both the scale and the [...]
Pediatric Preparedness – Unique Requirements, Goals, Capabilities and Gaps in Pediatric Emergency Preparation and Response
An important report to revisit in light of today’s tragedy. The Terrorism Research Center was focused on the unique aspects of responding to mass casualty incidents involving young victims, the culmination of which is in this 2006 report. “Emergency preparedness and response planning, technology investments, and training frequently do not consider the unique requirements of [...]
Terrorism Online: The Web’s Role in Radicalization
Old-fashioned paper propaganda is getting phased out. Taking its place is social media, a relative newcomer that is taking the world by storm. Social media’s open, web-based interactive formats allow for instant communication to an unlimited audience. The use of social media has dramatically risen in the last decade, especially among young adults. The monumental [...]
The Current State of Augmented Reality
Augmented reality is a composite, real time view of the world overlaid with computer information or graphics. Augmented reality has been getting a lot of attention since the announcement of Google Glass, a glasses frame with smartphone capabilities, and other similar projects, but the idea dates back to the 1960. In 1968, Ivan Sutherland, a computer [...]
