Advanced Sciences and Technologies for Security Applications

Since 9/11, the United States and its allies have been waging an endless War on Terror to counter violent extremism by “winning hearts and minds,” particularly in Afghanistan. However, violent extremism remains on the rise worldwide.

The effort and sacrifice of the War on Terror have been continually undermined by actions, narratives, and policies that many of the 1.8 billion Muslims worldwide perceive as Islamophobic. Incidents of Islamophobia on the part of Western governments, media, and civilians, whether intentional or unintentional, alienate the majority of Muslims who are law-abiding and would be key allies in the fight against violent extremism. In Afghanistan, for example, violent extremist groups portray U.S. and NATO forces as blasphemous, anti-Muslim invaders to frighten Afghan villagers into compliance. A similar perception weakens domestic countering violent extremism programs in the West that rely on cooperation with Muslim communities.   

As theGreat Powers Competition emerges among the U.S., Russia, and China, America and the West can ill afford any further impairment in their counterterrorism strategy. The dangers of Islamophobia must be recognized and eradicated immediately.

In Countering Violent Extremism by Winning Hearts and Minds, Adib Farhadi demonstrates how Islamophobia poses a threat to U.S. national security by utilizing historical context, statistical analysis, and in-depth case studies. Farhadi, who headed Afghanistan’s National Development Strategy, describes how Koran burnings, anti-Islamic rhetoric, and racial profiling harm relationships with the majority of Muslims who are not involved in violent extremism and thus perpetuate the War on Terror.  

America has sacrificed thousands of lives and has spent more than $6 trillion on the War on Terror. It can ill afford to squander more valuable resources in a strategy undermined by Islamophobia or perception of Islamophobia. As Farhadi explains, only through a reconciliatory narrative, can we work toward a shared future where violent extremism is eradicated.

This book is essential reading for scholars, policymakers, practitioners, and executives who are invested in maintaining and rebuilding American credibility essential to global security and peace.

This book aspires to face the challenge of analyzing with due academic rigor, always in the paradigm of security and advanced sciences, but without forgetting the ethical questions that our world raises every day. The work is divided into two main sections: the first section is focused on the cyber world, with not only technical but also legal derivations given the expansion of vulnerabilities and our technological dependence. The second section, with a more interdisciplinary nature, runs through undeniably topical issues such as territorial problems and the potential decline of the traditional States, the communicational impact of information management and false news, or the commitment to essential freedoms for the West.

This book connects advanced technologies and ethical issues and includes discussions on recent crises such as COVID-19. It also provides an interdisciplinary view on the ethical issues for security technologies.

This book deals with two areas: Global Commons and Security: inextricably melted together and more relevant than ever in a world which is ever globalized and… with an incognita looming on the horizon: the effects of the Coronavirus pandemic upon the International Relations and globalization.

Global Commons have always been relevant. It was Mahan who argued that the first and most obvious light in which the sea presents itself from the political and social point of view, is that of a great highway; or better, perhaps, of a wide common… Nowadays, this view has been further developed and, in addition to the unique legal implications that the Global Commons introduce, they are viewed, more and more intently, as a common pool of resources. Or perhaps, not that common… Resources, the key word! Which has to be always supplemented by two key words: access and security. And still, another one: data, the cyberspace contribution to the equation.

This book is about the strategic relevance of quantum technologies. It debates the military-specific aspects of this technology. Various chapters of this book cohere around two specific themes. The first theme discusses the global pattern of ongoing civilian and military research on quantum computers, quantum cryptography, quantum communications and quantum internet. The second theme explicitly identifies the relevance of these technologies in the military domain and the possible nature of quantum technology-based weapons. This thread further debates on quantum (arms) race at a global level in general, and in the context of the USA and China, in particular. The book argues that the defence utility of these technologies is increasingly becoming obvious and is likely to change the nature of warfare in the future.

This book assesses potential developments of terrorism and ways to prevent it—the growing threats as new technologies become available — and how the same new technologies may help trap those with potential mal-intent. The drumbeat of terror resonates from everywhere; how can we stop it? What are the tripping points along the road and how can we avoid them?

Increasingly more people have access to increasingly more information and increasingly more destructive technologies. In the meantime, increasingly advanced technologies help us create an increasingly safer and more harmonious world. Advantages and disadvantages are accelerating each other. While hybrid threats are intensifying, so are the opportunities to address them. But what are the compromises and how can we mitigate them?

This book also looks at the unexpected and often random success and failure of policies to counter the evolving terror threat. The various aspects ofthe terrorism phenomena are presented in a unique way using scenario vignettes, which give the reader a realistic perception of the threat. The combination of positive and negative implications of emerging technologies is describing what might well be one of the most important dimensions of our common future.

This book describes an adaptable biothreat assessment process to complement overall biorisk management programs, incorporating threat management and the unique natures of biological assets. Further, this book examines the nexus between public health, international security, and developing technologies, building a case for augmenting biosecurity to levels beyond the laboratory constraints. With the face of biological and biomedical sciences changing, this book describes how with proper biosecurity development, these can become assets, rather than liabilities, to secure our world from natural and man-made biological disasters. The world is changing rapidly with respect to developing threats, such as terrorism, and dual-use technologies, such as synthetic biology, that are challenging how we think about biosafety and biosecurity. Further, the fields of public health and international security are colliding, as both of these share the common enemy: intentional or natural biological incidents. To date, biosecurity has been limited to laboratory-level application, and complicating efforts, and lacks credentialed biosecurity professionals skilled in both the biological sciences and threat management techniques. The result is a fragmented field of practice, with tremendous need, from the lab to the outbreak. Underpinning these principles is the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus pandemic, providing a historic milestone to examine biosecurity through a global lens.

This book describes biosecurity as a set of practices and principles to be augmented out of the constrained laboratory environment, and applied to larger efforts, such as international threat reduction and biological incident management.

This book explores and analyzes the rapid pace of technological evolution in diplomatic, information, military, and economic sectors, which has contributed to a dynamic international policy environment. Global political stability is greatly influenced by innovations originating from numerous sources, including university labs, the technology sector, and military research. Collectively, these innovations guide the movement of people, ideas, and technology that in turn affect the international balance of power. The objective of this volume is to develop new insights into how the proliferation of innovative ideas, low-cost weapons, and dual-use technologies impact the changing global security landscape. Innovative and dual-use technologies can be used for beneficial purposes or defensive purposes. Alternatively they may be appropriated or employed for nefarious purposes by hostile military powers and non-state actors alike. Such actions can threaten global security and stability. As the complexity of technological innovations continues to increase, existing control mechanisms such as international regulations and security arrangements may be insufficient to stem the tide of proliferation over time. As such, this works seeks to assess and present policy solutions to curtail the threat to global stability posed by the proliferation of weapons and dual-use technology.

This book explores types of disruptions in defence and security, ways to assess disruptions triggered by technological advancements or the lack of legal frameworks; the consequent delays or disruptions to making decisions, creative idea generation and finally the innovative pathways to counter such disruptions. What do disruption, ideation and innovation have in common? How do disruptions, ideas and innovation coexist within defence and security? They all influence and impact decision-making. Disruptions drive decision-making. Ideation raises solutions to resolve the disruptions and innovation brings ideas into life. While disruptions may be common place in the business world, where disruptive technologies displace pre-existing ones; they are less prevalent in defence, even less so within the realm of security. For the last 10 years, there has been talk of disruptive technologies and even adoption of terms such as emerging and disruptive technologies by the largest military alliance—NATO, yet the means to assess these remain elusive. It offers researchers opportunities to assess different types of disruptions, ideate and innovate on scientific grounds to counter disruptions, thereby bolstering the defence and security community’s ability to make decisions better.

This book addresses the pertinent issues that will need to be considered by those interested in physical security problems of the future. Specifically, it examines how changes in the accessibility of technology – data, hardware, software – are likely to affect both threat and mitigation considerations for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive (CBRE) scenarios and how social science can inform us of the human aspects of each. The trend towards an ever more socio-technical society and infrastructures – encapsulated by concepts such as 'smart cities' – is drawn out as a key motivation for adopting more holistic risk approaches to such security problems, than is currently the case.

The book provides a valuable reference for cyber security experts, digital forensic practitioners and network security professionals. In recent years, AI has gained substantial attention from researchers in both academia and industry, and as a result AI’s capabilities are constantly increasing at an extraordinary pace. AI is considered to be the Fourth Industrial Revolution or at least the next significant technological change after the evolution in mobile and cloud computing technologies. AI is a vehicle for improving the quality of our lives across every spectrum with a broad range of beneficial applications in various sectors. Notwithstanding its numerous beneficial use, AI simultaneously poses numerous legal, ethical, security and privacy challenges that are compounded by its malicious use by criminals. These challenges pose many risks to both our privacy and security at national, organisational and individual levels.

In view of this, this book aims to help address some ofthese challenges focusing on the implication, impact and mitigations of the stated issues. The book provides a comprehensive coverage of not only the technical and ethical issues presented by the use of AI but also the adversarial application of AI and its associated implications. The authors recommend a number of novel approaches to assist in better detecting, thwarting and addressing AI challenges. The book also looks ahead and forecasts what attacks can be carried out in the future through the malicious use of the AI if sufficient defences are not implemented. The research contained in the book fits well into the larger body of work on various aspects of AI and cyber security.

It is also aimed at researchers seeking to obtain a more profound knowledge of machine learning and deep learning in the context of cyber security, digital forensics and cybercrime. Furthermore, the book is an exceptional advanced text for Ph.D. and master’s degree programmes in cyber security, digitalforensics, network security, cyber terrorism and computer science. Each chapter contributed to the book is written by an internationally renowned expert who has extensive experience in law enforcement, industry or academia. Furthermore, this book blends advanced research findings with practice-based methods to provide the reader with advanced understanding and relevant skills.

Global security threats have created a complex risk landscape that is challenging and transforming society. These global security issues intersect and influence the political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal dimensions of the complex risk landscape and are now transborder thereby becoming national security issues.

Accessing the innovation space to support safety, security and defence capabilities is critical in order to mitigate new and evolving threats.

Through real-world examples of innovation, this book provides a detailed examination of the innovation space as it pertains to the application of S&T to safety and security threats and challenges.

This book is of most interest to public and private sector innovators as well as academician and graduate students working in the safety and security domain. 

This book aims to analyze from a multidisciplinary perspective the current geopolitical conflict between East and West, between two differentiated and apparently conflicting cosmogonic visions. The geopolitical evolution of the current panorama seems to lead to a new world in the field of international relations, a new board played on a planetary level. Once again, bloc geopolitics can be glimpsed in the immediate future, in which the most important actors such as Russia, China, the United States of America, and the European Union are called to position themselves with respect to the territorial and strategic ambitions of the opponent. International law seems to be overwhelmed by military actions and factual pressure on the ground, while the battle of ideas extends to the technological field and cyberspace. The different origins of the authors, with extensive academic, military, police forces, and business experience undoubtedly enriches the unique perspective that this work intendsto address, always in the attempt to enforce international law and the channels of dialogue between nations, such as the best solution to conflicts.

This book is the first comprehensive, book-length analysis of Israel and securitization processes. It develops an original analytical framework to ameliorate the theoretical understanding of the audience component during the securitization process, drawing upon insights from both securitization theory, political psychology, and IR theory. This gives us significant new insights into why some audiences are essential to be persuaded for securitization to occur, while others are not. This book also examines the role of the United States in defining what matters in Israeli National Security. In essence, since the United States is Israel's most significant ally, it is essential for the Israeli leadership to gain the American government's support (or its lack of resistance) for almost any securitization acts. The book analyses a highly original set of interviews with prominent figures in Israel who were at the top level of the Israeli decision-making process, including members of the political and military echelons.

"Through unparalleled access to Israel's political and security echelons, Israel: National Security and Securitization provides a unique overview of Israel’s decision-maker's political perception over the years".
Ehud Olmert- Prime Minister of Israel 2006-2009

"Israel: National Security and Securitization provides a powerful analysis of how the State of Israel confronted security threats, and what was the American involvement in the Israeli decision-making process". 
Amos Yadlin, IDF Military Intelligence Directorate Chief 2006-2010

"This book makes us understand securitization in a novel and enlightening way, thus making a substantial contribution to our understanding of national security in general and Israeli security in particular".
Gabriel Ben-Dor, University of Haifa

"Wertman and Kaunert's book makes an important and unique contribution to the existing and developing literature on securitization".
Kobi Michael, Institute for National Security Studies

This timely book offers a comprehensive examination of the current state of nuclear stability postures worldwide, effectively highlighting their inherent limitations. Through their analysis, the authors illustrate how the seemingly contradictory perspectives of deterrence optimists, disarmament idealists, and warfighting pessimists can be reconfigured into a unified approach towards achieving regional and global peace. They suggest that these strategies can be reconciled as complementary, rather than substitute approaches, to achieve the common goal of nuclear stability.

To achieve this objective, the book employs a game-theoretical framework to analytically define the conditions for nuclear war. Drawing from extensive observations of significant crises, the model incorporates identifiable systemic regularities that influence the strategic decision-making process during severe crises and establish the prerequisites for different levels of nuclear confrontation. Additionally, by tracing the strategic-technological trajectories of nuclear powers, the authors present a novel analysis that explores the potential for stable coexistence to replace unstable confrontation between global powers, ultimately fostering nuclear peace.

The author's theoretical explorations lead to the policy conclusion that establishing a nuclear oligopolistic hierarchy, under the leadership of preponderant global powers committed to a no-first-use pledge, presents the most effective international system for enhancing both regional and global nuclear stability. This book aims to surpass the Cold War origins of current nuclear strategy and develop a comprehensive policy framework that guarantees enduring nuclear stability in the contemporary world.

In a world of globalization and technological change, terrorism continues to pose grave threats not only to more traditional targets such as civilians and government targets, but according to many experts, increasingly to multinational corporations and other international economic enterprises. This book broadens the understanding of the threats posed to the private sector thereby helping business executives in charge of security affairs prepare for new threats and unconventional threats in a continuously evolving world. Chasdi's Terrorist Assault Business Vulnerability Index (TABVI) now provides C-class executives with a way to measure (potential) host country and host country industry vulnerability and thus contributes a critical new standard to help appraise where and when MNCs and other international enterprises should marshal Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and other resources. In addition, his statistical findings about different country operational environments work to frame TABVI findings and provide in-depth understandings of risk in several different (potential) host countries. While the focus is on traditional terrorist groups and criminal syndicalist organizations that use terrorism in particular developing world host countries, Chasdi's research also informs the business community about the context of political issues of contention defined by terrorist groups and their constituent supporters. Business leaders, government officials at national and local government levels, the academic community, and the media benefit from ideas proposed in this book.

Brian M. Jenkins writes a carefully reasoned, comprehensive, and insightful Foreword that describes the importance of this topic; about Chasdi, he writes, "...I am an admirer of his uniquely imaginative approaches and always rigorous analysis. His work is invariably intellectually challenging and thought provoking. Read on."

Nigeria has become one of the hotbeds of cybercrime since the liberalization of the telecommunication industry began in 1996. The scale and magnitude have been quite disturbing, not just for Nigeria but also for the international community, given the limitless boundaries of cybercrime. Like any other type of fraud, Internet fraud is primarily driven by financial gains. 

This book investigates the extent of the lack of digital forensic resources in Nigeria’s financial crime agencies. It is vital to have a proper resource inventory and capabilities to successfully confront the growing threat of financial crimes. While a few studies have suggested the lack of forensic capabilities in Nigerian cybercrime investigative agencies and the justice system, none have examined this in great detail, particularly in relation to specific skills gaps and resources needed in Nigeria’s financial crime agencies. This book contributes to the growing body of knowledge and clarifies the scope of the lack of digital forensic resources. Understanding the extent of the deficiency and its impact on caseloads could be crucial for developing a roadmap toward building forensic readiness and capability maturity for the agencies. This book presents the deficiencies in forensic readiness and recommends measures to fill this gap. 

This book also examines the specifics of the cybercrime caseloads and conviction records in Nigeria, identifying trends and patterns. The book explores other cybercrime complexities in Nigeria, such as common cybercrime taxonomies, prosecution, and conviction dynamics, juxtaposing it with select case studies in other jurisdictions.

The concept of Hybrid Warfare has gained prominence in recent decades. It is a novel terminology, but the concept is detectable since antiquity: Ancient Chinese, Ancient Greeks and the Jews of Exodus were all well familiar, so well to have let us know. Similarly, bioagents have been used malevolently since always. What is novel is that these two, in the present context, are not only interfacing smoothly, but in an enhanced context: The Hybrid Warfare, which has now enriched its portfolio, from actions of provocation, insurgency, economic warfare, special operations, proxy warfare and social destabilization to the Residual domain, the cyberspace, while the conventional, 3D space expands. Now the Space and the Deep are included in the topography of the friction zone.

In this, the bio- factor becomes not only relevant but also an amplifier: using the technology malevolently, all the advances made to combat disease may be used to cause, further, or perplex and complicate disease. Improved or totally novel or even alien germs may replace explosives in bombs, shells or suicidal /kamimaze drones and taint bullets and fragments. Microrobots may deliver cancer cells to targeted individuals to foster cancer, or specific supergerms for an infection to rage unchallenged. And what happens if the mechanism of these cancers and infections is intentionally provided with an Abort signal? Global extortions would become probable, not just possible.

Far from Science Fiction, this dystopia becomes more probable by the day. The Artificial Intelligence simply makes it easier to occur. Technology allows manipulation and intervention in levels and extends only imagined in the Past, but the application of these capabilities is clearly of dual use, with the destructive potential leveraged by the complexity of the social and state structure. Within this book, we explore the “How” (occasionally the “What” also) in some of these instances. From cyber terrorists to aggressive bioindustrialists and “democratized” ballistic and cruise missile technology, it could be coined as "The Book of Modern Mayhem”.

What does it take to disrupt security? How does one disrupt the invisibility of insecurity? How does one make the invisible factors that define and impact security visible?

For a start, by giving voice to the unheard and the marginalized, engaging non-traditional understandings of security that might bring to light the cracks in our current security infrastructure and expose the insecurities that are hidden in plain sight. These voices include generational, geographic, cultural, ethnic, and gender-based perspectives of insecurity which are ignored, or simply cannot be heard, by traditional notions of security. Presently there is a lack of understanding of the language of nuanced hate being whispered from the ground that inform civil discord. These call for new intrastate actions that need to be taken to make communities safer and building layers of protective resilience into the continuing existence of the state. Unresolved grievances lay the foundation for insecurity and instability for the future at a time when states need cohesiveness more than ever and there are significant invisible insecurities, external to the state, that need to be revealed. The tapestry of interrelationships that enable security within a state requires equity, access, and agency among communities. If we are to achieve this, we must learn to see the invisible, listen to the unheard, and move beyond our static conceptions of security. In so doing we build more resilient societies in the face of a dynamic threat environment and ensure the peaceful continued existence of states.

This book is a sounding board for positive disruption, a source for alternative theories, tools, and models to aid mitigation of the whispered threats and the soft violence which accompanies chauvinism of any one way of being. In this edited book the multiplicity of factors that impact security is explored through new lenses to glean insights, such that we are better equipped to prevent harm and protect our security.

This edited compilation was written in the latter part of the Coronavirus pandemic of 2020, a watershed event in world history that illustrated wide-ranging systems and structural vulnerabilities worldwide. The book provides a framework for thinking about the environmental context of unconventional political conflict and intrinsic issues of continuity and change; it highlights significant potential terror threats, trajectories, and potential inflection points for consideration by policymakers, security experts, and counterterrorism practitioners.

The book focuses on unfolding threats that will affect our security worldwide, including the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, the continuously evolving condition of environmental degradation and global warming, the probability of increased “enhanced terrorism” use, future technologies like gene editing and “Crisper,” and more. The book frames empirical links between the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, terrorism, and other international system factors within the context of our contemporary globalized world, to scope out basic uncertainties, and the subtleties and nuances of complexity that pose challenges and opportunities for policymakers. It discusses looming challenges to decisionmakers who must attempt to counter terror and crime and their expected convergence in the coming era. The use of novel foresight tools in the context of anticipatory defense, science communication methodologies, knowledge sharing, its dissemination, and management to overcome threat potential is presented.

As one of the first books to delve into post-coronavirus consequences and to examine the linkages between these wide-ranging impacts, Issues of Terrorism in the Post-Coronavirus Era provides essential food for thought for decision-makers, policymakers, academics, global business leaders, students, and lay readers who are concerned about the future of humankind.

This book asserts that there exists a causal relationship between identity, interest, and the exercise of power. The work defines power as the ability to satisfy oneself, which makes power contingent upon belief. It also dissects the concepts of identity, interest, and power to reveal how each works and relate to the others. This analysis creates a new theory of power using constructivism informed by critical theory, departing from neorealist and neoliberal perspectives. The work uses the United States to test the theory by examining US national identity, interest, and exercises of power. A deconstruction of American Exceptionalism proceeds three case studies and runs as a theme to connect each, unifying the work. A military operation in 2016 against the Islamic State in Libya, the 2014 Russian annexation of Crimea, and the whiplash caused by US participation in the 2015 Paris Agreement serve as the three case studies for analyzing US identity, interest, and power through the theory. This work proposes a new way of understanding power based on constructivism and informed by critical theory that applies to interpersonal and international relationships. Every relation is a power relation and power is the ability to satisfy oneself. This book provides insight into the underlying causes and machinations that transpire within every kind of social relation. This is a significant shift in how power is understood and applied in politics, the military, business, and interpersonal relationships. This book seeks to provide the reader with greater and clearer understanding of themselves, the world in which they live, and why it exists as such.

In an era marked by escalating global crises—climate change, cyber threats, pandemics, and nuclear weapons proliferation—this book introduces a science-based approach to security and global threats. It underscores the necessity of interdisciplinary science and technology to ensure that decisions and actions are grounded in knowledge. This vision seeks to inspire, promote, and facilitate collaboration across all sectors of global society. Building resilient societies and effectively addressing global threats will require substantial resources. Can we afford to save the Earth? Can we afford not to?

Four Key Elements:

• A Science-Based Approach to Security and Global Threats: The book is structured around two key chapters: an opening chapter that outlines this new vision, and a concluding chapter that reflects on how to translate that vision into actionable steps.
• Evolution of Earth and Society: A review of the development of our planet leading to modern society, with a discussion on global demography and the economy—critical components of global security and resilience.
• Key Global Communities: An introduction to five global communities—states, cities, the business and scientific communities, and civil society. It examines how each can contribute to building security and assesses their vulnerabilities to various threats.
• Major Human-Created Threats: A discussion of five large-scale threats created by human activity or arising from human interaction with nature: global warming, natural disasters, biopandemics, nuclear weapons, and cyber threats.

This book serves as a call for informed, collaborative action to address the pressing global challenges of our time.

This edited book (volume 1) focuses on exploring the global security issues associated with transnational unconventional organized crime. The book is divided into 2 sections:

Part 1: Unconventional Organized Crime Landscape Part 2: Cyber space and organised crime

Transnational unconventional organized crime pose a significant and growing threat to national and global security affecting public safety, human security, public health, economic and governmental stability. Not to mention the contributions transnational organized crime makes to terrorist financing. The adaptive nature of transnational organized crime group as well as terrorist and insurgent organizations makes them capable of innovating in real-time to exploit natural disasters, social crisis and global pandemics.  Currently with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, transnational organized crime has flourished taking advantage of the unprecedented opportunities for illicit activities. For example as reported in TRACIT (2020) : Worldwide reports indicate a surge in the availability and type of fraudulent medical products intended to exploit the fears of consumers, which includes illicit offerings of falsified versions of treatments such as Hydroxychloroquine and Azithromycin that will harm or kill already vulnerable patients. Joint operations by the World Customs Organization, Europol and Interpol have resulted in a significant increase in seizures of counterfeit and unauthorized face masks and hand sanitizers.

The term “transnational organised crime” has been used to describe different realities, depending on the specific category of crime and region of the world concerned. Volume 2 of Transnational Unconventional Organised Crime focuses on regional and national perspectives. It seeks to explore and understand the complexity of transnational organised crime and unconventional crime in various regional and national incarnations. Globalisation has been identified as an essential factor facilitating transnational crime by removing previously established boundaries. This complicated process of globalisation has led to similar interdependencies amongst countries and cultures with various long-term and multifaceted impacts. This interconnected framework has allowed transnational criminal networks to emerge and adapt, leading to distinctly regional impacts, as shown in this book. This volume aims to promote a better understanding of the challenges inherent to tackling transnational organised crime, which, in turn, can helpfully inform responsible and flexible responses that are tailored to the specific conditions in various regions and countries.