Research as a Business Intelligence Resource

The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism—better known as START—is a university-based research and education center comprised of an international network of scholars committed to the scientific study of the causes and human consequences of terrorism in the United States and around the world. START experts, in partnership with SIA, are working together to develop effective risk assessment methodologies for corporate security and to build reliable datasets for predictive product purchasing in response to global emergencies, including terrorist activity, cyber threats, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this presentation, Bill Braniff, Director of START and Professor of Practice at the University of Maryland, will highlight various trends in violent extremist behaviors in the United States. Data and findings presented will not be limited to the current context of the global pandemic, but the presentation will highlight the challenges of compounding crises, such as economic, political, or social upheaval during a pandemic. He will then discuss the implications of those trends in the private sector and critical infrastructure and discuss the ways that companies can leverage research to anticipate, mitigate, or help respond to those threats.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify trends in online and offline violent extremist behavior in the United States
• Identify ways in which violent extremism and the response to violent extremism is exacerbated by the pandemic and additional compounding crises
• Identify implications of current security trends in the private sector

Discussion Leader:
William Braniff, Director, National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism/ Professor of the Practice at the University of Maryland