THREAT REPORTS
THE STATE OF ISIS // SUMMER 2018
Since at least 2014, ISIS – also known as the Islamic State – and its affiliates have been household names in much of the world because of their ability to rapidly take control of vast swaths of Iraq and Syria and their claiming of responsibility for terrorist attacks elsewhere in the world. At its peak, the unrecognized Islamic State held 34,000 square miles of land in Iraq and Syria and was able to march close to the borders of both Baghdad and Damascus. The United States, their Syrian/Kurdish allies, Iranian-backed Shiite militias, and the Iraqi government have been – in separate coalitions – engaging in a protracted war against ISIS to drive it out of Iraq and Syria; the endeavor has, at the very least, led to ISIS losing control of more than 99% of its land in both countries, and it has greatly diminished the ability for the organization to conduct operations as it has largely driven them underground and denied them vast quantities of revenue.
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CYBER-SECURITY FOR AMERICA'S INFRA-STRUCTURE
Body scanners have been a fact of life for air travelers in the United States and much of the world since airport security increased significantly after the September 11th attacks. Frequent air travelers are accustomed to the human traffic jam that is often the TSA security checkpoint where one’s shoes, belt, and electronic devices are removed and sent through a scanner while the individual goes through a three second body scanner and – depending on the results – subsequent manual screenings by a TSA (Transportation Safety Administration) agent. The body scanners, however, inconvenient do serve a security purpose as both a deterrent against even attempting to board a plane with a weapon or explosive and as a means to catch those who nonetheless attempt to board the plane anyway.
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HOW THE 2018 WORLD CUP EVENT WAS KEPT SECURED
The 2018 World Cup, hosted by Russia, was – as are all World Cups – one of the largest sporting events in the world. More than thirty nations compete over the course of roughly a month in a tournament that watched both remotely and in-person by countless individuals throughout the world. For many, the World Cup and similar events are intended to be times to acknowledge extremely talented athleticism and to revel in national pride; however, for security in the host country and throughout the world, it also a time to raise awareness and to be even more vigilant to prevent attacks by criminals, other nation-states, or terrorist organizations.
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