Linda JAshari EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Terrorist attacks on soft targets at airports have increased in the last decade. The events of September 11, 2001 exposed deep vulnerabilities in the security of the aviation sector. As a result, the U.S. government enacted concrete policies and procedures to prevent future airline hijackings and to deter prohibited items from…
CHDS Theses: Executive Summaries
Crowdsourcing Threat Analysis; Applying a “Superforecasting” Methodology to Detection of Homegrown Violence
James Huse EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This thesis examines investigative decision making, cognitive biases, talent sharing, and the relationship between the random nature of lone actor violence and a set of predefined decision-making protocols. Targeted violence presents a paradox for the homeland security enterprise. These single attacker events, whether assassinations, school shootings, or lone wolf terrorist attacks,…
Hacking the Silos: Eliminating Information Barriers Between Public Health and Law Enforcement
Cody Minks EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Law enforcement typically maintains public order and exists to “serve and protect”; this mission must be understood within the context of society, politics, governance, and the criminal justice system.[1] Despite incidents that demonstrate the importance of collaboration, law enforcement agencies rarely work closely with public health agencies on public health issues,…
Can We Defend The Defense Supply Chain? Lessons Learned From Industry Leaders in Supply Chain Management
Ronald Menz EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Nearly six years ago the Senate Armed Services Committee investigation exposed how inundated the defense supply chain had become with counterfeit electronic components. The investigation identified vulnerabilities throughout the supply chain and highlighted counterfeit components found in missile systems, aircraft, and other sensitive technologies. These revelations sent shock waves through the…
Innovation Increase: How Technology Can Create Open, Decentralized, and Trackable Data Sharing
Erica Hupka EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Research universities need to share information, whether through teaching or disseminating key innovations to society. However, universities should not share all research with everyone.[1] If universities fail to protect sensitive data, it could harm citizens personally, financially, or potentially fatally if acquired by malicious actors. The greater the number of researchers…
The Manchurian Responder? How Military and Federal Government Practices Can Help State and Local Public Safety Agencies Prevent Malicious Insider Attacks TACKS
Ryan MCGOVERN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The issue of a malicious insider is one of the greatest concerns to the security of an organization, including public safety agencies; as one expert put it, it is “irrefutably one of the greatest threats to United States national security.”[1] This thesis asks: What lessons can local and state public safety…
Application of Big Data Analytics to Support Homeland Security Investigations Targeting Human Smuggling Networks
Thomas Hodge EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The continuous pressure from large volumes of aliens attempting to enter the country illegally creates a persistent challenge for the 20,000 office of border patrol (OBP) agents attempting to apprehend hundreds of thousands of aliens annually.[1] Human smuggling organizations (HSO) facilitating the smuggling of aliens into the United States have an…
Weapons of Mass Distraction: Strategies for Countering the Paper Terrorism of Sovereign Citizens
Terri March EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In “Guidelines for Implementing Best Practices in Court Building Security,” Fautsko et al. observe that courthouses may be seen “as an important symbolic target” for terrorists.[1] Not all assaults on courts and their personnel involve physical violence. “Paper terrorism,” a strategy employed by an anti-government group known as the sovereign citizens,…
Obsessive Compulsive Homeland Security: Insights from the Neurobiological Security Motivation System
Marissa Madrigal EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Humans have evolved complex neurobiological threat management systems over time to aid in survival. One such system is called the security motivation system. This system is theorized to generate powerful emotions, trigger physiological changes, and drive compulsive pre-cautionary behavior. This thesis studies the role of security motivation in the context of…
Early Warning: A Strategy to Prevent Injuries and Loss of Life during Active Shooter Attacks on K-12 Schools
Susan Graves EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Schools are susceptible to active shooter attacks. Studies show these attacks occur quickly, often within minutes of when an intruder enters a school.[1] Many strategies to prevent injuries and loss of life have emerged. One of these, lockdown, is a commonly accepted practice that shows some success at reducing injuries and…