Contemporary Security Threats Research Articles

Rapid and selective screening of organic peroxide explosives using acid-hydrolysis induced chemiluminescence

Organic peroxide explosives (OPEs) are unstable, non-military, contemporary security threats often found in improvised explosive devices. Chemiluminescence (CL) can be used to detect OPEs, via radical formation consisting of peroxide moieties (-O-O-) under acidic conditions. However, selectivity for specific OPEs is hampered by the ubiquitous background of H2O2. Herein, we report the differentiation of hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), triacetone triperoxide (TATP), and methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) by specific flow injection analysis–CL (FIA-CL) signal profiles, after H2SO4 treatment. The radical degradation pathway of each structure, and its corresponding FIA-CL profile, was explored using mass spectrometry to reveal the rapid loss of -O-O- from TATP and HMTD structures, while MEKP formed CL signal-sustaining oligomers, as opposed to the immediate attenuation of H2O2. The CL response for OPEs in an aqueous media, measured via the described FIA-CL method, enabled ultra-trace limits of detection down to 0.40 μM for MEKP, 0.43 μM for HMTD, and 0.40 μM for TATP (combined linear range 1–83 μM with 95% confidence limit, n = 12). Expanded uncertainties of measurement (UM) of MEKP = ±0.98, HMTD = ±1.03, and TATP = ±1.1 (UM included probabilities of false positive and false negative as well as standard deviations of % recoveries and limit of detections of OPEs). Direct aqueous sample introduction via FIA-CL thus offers the prospect of rapid and selective screening of OPEs in security-heightened settings (e.g., airports), averting false positives from more ubiquitous H2O2.

Decision Games as an Element of Managerial Improvement in Crisis Management

In order to ensure effective counteraction to contemporary security threats, maximum limitation of human losses, property and natural environment losses, a multi-level and multi-element system of crisis management has been organized in Poland, covering all levels of government and local government administration as well as specialist services, guards, separate inspections and non-governmental organisations. The effectiveness of this system, most of whose participants are not full-time employees, depends, among other things, on proper training and preparation of managerial staff. One of the most important contemporary methods of training and improvement of managerial staff is the method of “decision games”, which should be aimed at training the managers of crisis management systems in solving complex problems and shaping intellectual features that affect the efficiency of action and creative thinking of decision-makers, especially during the search for rational solutions to problems, in conditions of difficult to determine risk. This method has many advantages, including the possibility of implementing theoretical knowledge about crisis management into practical solutions, practising in conditions which decision-makers may encounter in reality, the coverage of practically the whole area of decision-making in crisis management, or the implementation of the acquired knowledge and skills into practical actions but on “paper” in conditions free from the risk of human losses or property or natural environment losses due to wrong decisions.

Visualizing the terror threat

Terrorism represents one of the most pressing contemporary security threats. As a consequence, governments provide information to the public on threat levels and on how to respond to terror incidents. To effectively reassure the public, and to increase their vigilance, it is essential that the information communicated is accessible, clear, actionable and engaging. This is the first empirical study in the world to explore the impact of information design principles and visualization of information on the communication of security information related to terrorism. Two different but complementary strands were devised: Strand 1 - compared whether more visualized information was more effective than text dense information at communicating to the public; Strand 2 - compared whether a motion graphics was more effective than an infographic at communicating to the public. An initial usability test was conducted to identify existing problems and needs. Several other usability tests and iterations were then conducted to develop new design solutions. Empirical testing was then conducted for final evaluation and validation, collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Results show significant differences between pre- and post-knowledge of the Terror Threat Levels. Results also show significant differences between text dense information and more visualized information. Results further show no significant difference between communicating information via an infographic or motion graphics in situations where information needs to be assimilated as a crescendo (i.e. levels of severity) or as a series of steps to be followed (action in an emergency). This study provides important guidelines on how to effectively communicate security information to the public, with practical implications for security agencies.

Assessing Indian Ocean Economics: Perspective from Pakistan

The Indian Ocean offers the “global commons” the sea lanes of communication that connects the East with the West. These SLOCs nurtures the global economic world by providing for a classical instance of ‘multilateral maritime matrix,’ whereby merchant ships are manufactured in one country, maintained and owned by another, underwritten by third, registered in fourth and crewed by subjects of another. In this regard, the strategic and commercial concerns of nation-states extends from its immediate maritime borders to the protection of chokepoints where merchandise is most vulnerable to array of contemporary security threats. The third largest ocean, since the cessation of bipolar hostilities after the end of the Cold War, has been integrated to global market economics to a critical extent whereby any interruptions to the established trade networks is likely to have a ‘shockwave effect’. The Indian Ocean is presaged to continue as a ‘central shipment pathway’ for regional and inter-continental trade in wide scope of commercial commodity items. The patterns observed in the region consists of up gradation of existing port infrastructure and developing export markets and resources based on blue economy would strengthen maritime ties. These transformations have the potential to permit the Indian Ocean to be the “strategic heart of the maritime world”.

Theoretical aspects of modern security threats. Definitions, typologies, evolution

In the literature on the subject, the term “security” is accompanied by the terms “non-threatening state”, “non-threatening state of peace”, “state of peace”, “state of certainty”. The lexical meaning of the term (Latin sine cura – no worries) should be understood as a situation in which there are no threats. In the context of lexical meaning, the term security means a risk-free situation. Contemporary understanding of the term focuses its attention on learning security understood as the resultant of the theory and practice of providing a reference subject with the possibility of survival (existence) and the pursuit of own interests, particularly using opportunities, taking challenges, minimizing risk and counteracting all types of threats. Definitive approaches to the term security indicate that it should be understood as a state and process. The state of security should be understood as a sense of confidence of the subject and guarantee of its survival, while the process – as chance for improvement and development of state’s means to protect and defend it. The current catalog of security threats proposed by Barry Buzan was extended in the second half of the 20th century from military nature threats to threats of a political, economic, social, and environmental nature. These changes have redefined the modern understanding of security. The main research problem was formulated as the question: what are the theoretical aspects of contemporary security threats? The article aims to analyze and diagnose contemporary definitions of security and its threats. The research process uses methodological methods of scientific cognition, mainly analysis and criticism of literature.

Global Disorder in the Undead World: Teaching Geopolitics With Zombies

Zombies are in many ways the quintessential metaphor for contemporary security threats: They come seemingly out of nowhere, and assault and disperse without respect for national borders. This article details an undergraduate college course in geopolitics that combines a focus on popular geopolitics and international studies with zombies using Max Brooks’s bestselling horror novel World War Z. The global political order is becoming increasingly complex and rapid shifts in policy challenge students’ ability to connect theory with world events. Popular culture tropes, like zombies, can help explain theory and convoluted political relations in a way that students can understand and apply.

SELECTED PROBLEMS OF SECURITY OF INFORMATION CONFIDENTIALITY IN CYBERSPACE

Information confidentiality is the one of the cornerstones of IT security, which is defined and described in ISO/IEC 27000 standard. Contemporary practices of disclosing information to unauthorized persons and systems are the reason for difficulties in this concept implementation. At every step we encounter situations where information is extracted or obtained illegally from different sources. The main purpose of this paper is to present the issue of information confidentiality protection in cyberspace, as a complex, full of contradictions problem of techno-social character. The role of information confidentiality in functioning of a society, organization and individual has been described. The most important information confidentiality threats have been characterized and the description of a number of incidents illustrating those threats has been quoted. Contemporary security threats have been presented as well as selected methods of information confidentiality protection transmitted in ICT networks. The characteristics of protection systems of information confidentiality have been analyzed, with special attention paid to their functionality and vulnerability to existing threats. The concept of protecting the confidentiality of information transmitted on the Internet based on the use of cryptography and steganography has been presented.

America's War on Terror: Rattling International Law with Raw Power?

After the Operation Desert Storm and the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the newly assertive United States has placed substantial pressure on the existing international legal rules governing the use of force by reserving a right to use the unilateral force. Although it was clear after the September 11 terrorist attacks the UN Charter system is ill-equipped to deal with contemporary security threats, the problem is partly result of Cold War and the obstructionist politics that accompanied it.

Sekuritizacija zdravlja: Da li je javno zdravlje pitanje nacionalne bezbednosti u Republici Srbiji?

This paper will discuss the issue of health (infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, bioterrorism) from the standpoint of national and international security, as well as from the standpoint of contemporary security threats. The main purpose of this paper is to show why it is important to view the health through the lens of security, as well as to show how health security has been treated in the national security strategies of individual countries. On the other hand, this paper will analyze the state of public health in the Republic of Serbia, which is significantly degraded after the events that marked the last decade of the 20th century, and indicate that much more effort must be undertaken towards the securitization of public health, and institutional observation of public health through the lens of security. Otherwise, in the future, Serbia may face a serious deficiency of capacities for the prevention, suppression and rehabilitation pandemic and other health threats, and the consequences that these threats can have on the national security.

Zaangażowanie Polski w misje wojskowe Unii Europejskiej w Afryce w drugiej dekadzie XXI wieku

This paper is dedicated to the involvement of Poland in the European Union’s military operations in Africa in the 2010s. The development of military capabilities is not one of the European Union’s priorities. Nevertheless, the EU is an active participant of the international communities’ efforts to aid African states, including the use of armed forces. The vast majority of such EU missions have been undertaken in Africa. Despite the fact that this region is not a priority of Poland’s foreign and security policies, Poland has actively participated in such actions, primarily due to the peculiarities of contemporary security threats and Poland’s approach to the process of European integration. However, after initial experiences, Poland limited its involvement, due to the limited impact on the achievement of national objectives related to the EU Common Security and Defence Policy. This has been reflected in both official documents and political practice associated with deploying troops on foreign soil. The author sets forth a thesis that these limitations are too substantial, and that there are reasons for greater Polish involvement in the European Union’s military missions.

Agency, reflexivity and risk: cosmopolitan, neurotic or prudential citizen?

The purpose of this paper is to critically examine the turn to risk within sociology and to survey the relationship between structure and agency as conceived by popular strands of risk theorizing. To this end, we appraise the risk society, culture of fear and governmentality perspectives and we consider the different imaginings of the citizen constructed by each of these approaches. The paper goes on to explore what each of these visions of citizenship implies for understandings of the structure/agency dynamic as it pertains to the question of reflexivity. In order to transcend uni-dimensional notions of citizenship and to reinvigorate sociological debates about risk, we call for conceptual analyses that are contextually rooted. Exampling the importance of knowledge contests around contemporary security threats and warnings of the deleterious effects of pre-emptive modes of regulation that derive from the 'risk turn' within social science, we argue for a more nuanced embrace of reflexivity within risk theorising in order to facilitate a more dynamic critique of the images of citizenship that such theorizing promotes.

Slovenian police officers' attitudes towards contemporary security threats and punishment

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and describe police officers' opinions on the prevailing anxieties, feeling of fears and threats, attitudes towards crime and punishment.Design/methodology/approachThe paper took a quantitative approach to data collection that included a survey on a representative sample of the Slovene police.FindingsComparisons of attitudes (anxieties of everyday troubles, feelings of insecurity, importance of appropriate measures against crime and adequate severity of punishment) has been conducted to find similarities and differences between police officers regarding gender and age. The results show that male police officers and senior police officers have more conservative attitudes towards the most appropriate measures against crime and are more likely to defend severe punishment of offenders. Such attitudes indicate persistence of traditional authoritarian police orientation in (post)modern society.Research limitations/implicationsThe results are generalizable for the Slovenian police but not generalizable for the police worldwide.Practical implicationsA useful source of information learning about some characteristics of police professional culture and police officers' attitudes towards punishment and their understanding of threats in society.Originality/valueThis paper furthers understanding of police occupational culture in a new democratic country.

The Russian Bear: Russian Strategic Culture and What it Implies for the West

This essay identifies the nature of Russia’s strategic culture: it is its propensity to use force to achieve strategic objectives. It argues that Western policymakers have consistently misperceived the reasons for Russian foreign policy behavior, as they fail to take into account the enduring nature of Russia’s strategic culture. This article claims that Russia has a strategic culture that is fairly stable, although significant changes occurred after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Most importantly, Russia’s imperial ambitions vanished, along with the desire to spread an ideology. The role of military strength as a source of power declined, while the prominence of economic power increased. In the post-Cold War era, Russia has aimed at restoring its status within a great power order, improving the standard of living for its people, and developing (or revising) its national identity. At the same time, the strategic culture that prevails in Moscow makes Russia particularly sensitive to actions taken by the West. The article concludes by examining opportunities for accommodation and constructive engagement with Russia. To attenuate the tensions that currently exist, the West should react assertively but moderately to rhetorical saber rattling and other provocations, and engage in constructive cooperation on both contemporary security threats and economic issues, including pursuing close cooperation to mitigate the effects of the international financial crisis on Russia. In the near term, the West should focus on working with Russia to develop a new concept for long-term security and stability in Eurasia. Future research should thus focus on forward-looking networked diplomacy approaches that may be suited to overcome a Cold War mindset oriented toward bloc confrontation.

Anticipatory and Preventative Force Under International Law

Contemporary security threats pose a serious challenge to the international legal regime on the use of force. Preventing the potentially devastating consequences of an unconventional armed attack m...