RAND is a world leader in research on terrorism, counterterrorism, counterinsurgency, and homeland security—topics that affect a wide variety of policy areas and challenge individuals and nations worldwide. As a public service, RAND disseminates all its unclassified research online or in printed documents.
MULTIMEDIA
On April 19, 2011, the RAND Corporation presented “Managing the Unexpected” as part of its Issues in Focus public outreach series in Santa Monica, California. The program featured Admiral Thad Allen, now a senior fellow at RAND.
REPORT
This documented briefing presents the results of a rapid review of the funding landscape for complex trauma research in the UK. Recommendations are made about how to strengthen this niche and orphan area of research.
REPORT
Passwords are proving less and less capable of protecting computer systems from abuse. Multifactor authentication (MFA) — which combines something you know (e.g., a PIN), something you have (e.g., a token), and/or something you are (e.g., a fingerprint) — is increasingly being required. This report investigates why organizations choose to adopt or not adopt MFA — and where they choose to use it.
REPORT
There are no plans to discontinue the use of whole-body image scanning machines and pat downs in airports around the country. In light of concerns about the cost, safety, effectiveness, and privacy of these procedures, the author explores air travel security performance since 9/11, identifies missed opportunities and innovations, and considers potential next steps.
REPORT
Unstable and violent political environments often give rise to a range of complex problems for peaceful development. RAND Europe reviewed the state of the art in monitoring and evaluation in stabilization environments and found ways to improve practice.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Reviews the state of the art in monitoring and evaluation of stabilisation operations and suggests ways forward.
REPORT
Cloud computing is a model for enabling on-demand network access to a shared pool of computing resources—such as storage and applications—that can be rapidly provisioned with minimal management effort or service provider interaction. RAND Europe explored the security, privacy, and trust challenges that cloud computing poses.
PROJECT
The sustained ability of a community to withstand and recover from adversity, at both the infrastructure and human levels, is a key policy issue. This project asks, what are the key levers for building and strengthening community resilience and what specific activities can communities undertake?
REPORT
Fundamental to the question of border control effectiveness is the proportion of illegal crossings that are prevented through deterrence or apprehension, but estimating these proportions requires knowing the total flow. Four new approaches warrant further attention for purposes of supporting reliable, valid, and timely measures of illicit cross-border flow.
REPORT
NGOs are instrumental in communities' resilience to natural and man-made disasters, but the plans and processes for their involvement are not well-defined. RAND-convened sessions at the 2010 LANO conference identified challenges to engaging NGOs and recommendations for addressing these challenges.
COMMENTARY
How should police and intelligence agencies deal with the specter of homegrown terrorism? One of the best tools available is intelligence gleaned from the local community, writes Peter Chalk.
COMMENTARY
Much of what we know—or think we know—about the Muslim Brotherhood's ambitions, beliefs and history is clouded by misperceptions, writes Lorenzo Vidino.
COMMENTARY
The U.S. and its allies could help Libyans communicate with the outside world by deploying cellphone base stations on aircraft or tethered balloons, write Dan Gonzales and Sarah Harting.
COMMENTARY
The new, post-Qaddafi era is likely to be marked by the emergence of long-suppressed domestic groups jostling for supremacy in what is sure to be a chaotic political scene, writes Frederic Wehrey.
COMMENTARY
The most favorable outcome achievable in Egypt might be what we see in Iraq, but without the violence, writes Harold Brown.
REPORT
Communities can build resilience to disasters through efforts such as joint planning of government and non-governmental organizations and the development of community networks.
RESEARCH BRIEF
Examines ways in which communities can improve their ability to withstand and recover from adversity.
NEWS RELEASE
Communities can build resilience to disasters through efforts such as joint planning of government and non-governmental organizations and the development of community networks.
REPORT
The U.S. effort to defeat and dismantle the global terrorism network while protecting itself against further attacks has become its longest campaign. On January 8, 2011, Brian Michael Jenkins briefed newly elected members of Congress on a spectrum of foreign policy, national security, and domestic issues, with a particular focus on domestic terrorism prevention and transportation security in the post-9/11 era.
REPORT
The UK Ministry of Defence's Fixed Wing Sector Strategy Board commissioned RAND Europe to assist in the development of a strategy and sustainment plan for the military fixed wing sector.