Posts By: Jacob Charles

Women and ISIS

Lina Kolesnikova asks what drives women to extremist groups like ISIS and calls for more effective and better-targeted counter-radicalisation efforts   In May 2014, Russian social networks Facebook and Vkontakte (“In Contact”) were full of reposts of the cry for help from family of a run-away girl. For his own reasons, the father of the… Read more »

Power play

Timothy Compston finds out why utility providers are switching on to emerging cyber security threat   It is all too easy to sit back and take the electricity that powers our day-to-day lives and the water we drink for granted, especially as we are in an era which is far removed from the days of… Read more »

First class transport security

Admiral Lord West discusses the latest threats to UK transport security and calls for a more holistic and co-operative approach to ensure the safety and security of passengers   intersec: Could you start by telling us something about your background in relation to Transport Security? LW: I first became involved in fighting terrorism and terrorists… Read more »

How lone a wolf?

John Chisholm explores the phenomenon of the “lone wolf” terrorist and asks whether Islamist extremists can ever be classed as “lone”   Increasingly, terror threats to the West from Islamic fundamentalists do not stem from organisations, but rather from individuals. The incidence of lone individuals engaging in acts of terrorism, or indulging in orgies of… Read more »

Smarter stadium security

Peder Berg looks at how the latest accreditation system technology can mitigate the risk of a terror attack on stadiums or area events   In recent years technology has become synonymous with terror threats, whether it is used to detect and combat a potential threat or to actually plan and co-ordinate an attack. A robust… Read more »

Upgrading cargo screening

Anthony Parker argues that new security screening standards for airline cargo are helping to improve efficiency, and calls for greater collaboration between manufacturers, users and agencies to develop next-generation systems   Finding the balance between high-security operations, shipping speed and efficiency is an ongoing challenge that both logistics and technology companies address every day. Nowhere… Read more »

After the Snow

Two years after Edward Snowden’s first revelations about NSA and GCHQ intelligence-gathering operations were published, John Chisholm what effect his actions have had on our security and moral standing   Since June 2013, Edward Snowden has remained an ambiguous figure. Still in an “undisclosed location” in Russia, even the circumstances of his being there are… Read more »

Refining protection

Recent terrorist attacks against critical infrastructure have proved that oil and gas facilities remain highly vulnerable. David Lee highlights the importance of effective 24-hour perimeter surveillance, and compares the best available technologies   Our modern society depends on a constant supply of energy. Petrochemical facilities, oil and gas transmission systems, refineries, utility companies and nuclear… Read more »

Regional Threat Watch – Europe

Major Terrorist Groups IHS Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre analyses the European threat from non-Islamic terrorist groups Continuity IRA (CIRA) The Continuity IRA (CIRA) is an Irish republican paramilitary group formed in early 1995 as a reaction to the ceasefire declared by the Provisional IRA (PIRA) in August 1994. The group’s primary objective is the… Read more »

Slaughter on Ramadan

Anthony Tucker-Jones reports on the latest spate of jihadist terror atrocities and asks whether this is part of an existing terrorist trend or something new   The summer of 2015 will be remembered as the summer of the triple terror attacks during the holy month of Ramadan. Islamic militants killed innocent civilians in separate attacks… Read more »