Measuring the Degree of Politicization of Intelligence Data

The politicization of intelligence and how it leads to failures in intelligence have been recognized for many years. Those who lead the intelligence community have also been staunch advocates against politicization. Nevertheless, the intelligence community has always been influenced by policymakers at various stages of the intelligence cycle. This chapter discusses politicization and presents a model to determine the degree of politicization qualitatively/quantitatively. The recognition of five factors related to politicization and the use of a simple scale would enable the intelligence team to determine the extent of politicization and insulate each stage of the intelligence cycle. This chapter also applies the new model to two instances where politicization has occurred.

Ideational Understanding of the Indo-Pakistan Nuclear Rivalry

Most of the existing discussions of the nuclear ambitions of states have neglected hidden ideational factors of nuclearisation. This chapter attempts to fill this gap by analyzing prevailing literature on the Indo-Pakistan nuclear rivalry. India and Pakistan have had a history of conflict with each other since the partition in 1947. The conflict is based on divisions of two religious groups, Hindus and Muslims, and extended to an identity crisis which later turned to a bilateral conflict between two nations. The nuclear test in 1974 diverted the conflict into a novel dimension. The study conceptualizes the factors of nuclear ambitions (material and ideational) of two nations using the model of the iceberg. A constructive psychological theory to analyze the moral orders of social actions and duties of participants to act in certain issues is given. Constructivism is used as the foundation of the proposed ideational framework.

COVID-19 Vaccine Nationalism and Politicization

The COVID-19 pandemic has swept the world uprooting people from their livelihoods and toppling the economy of the world. Thus, to everyone's interest, producing a vaccine became the priority to gain at least half the normalcy in day-to-day activities of the world. With over a year passing, several states have come to the front in producing vaccines, having completed tedious processes of research and clinical trials. The next mammoth task at hand is distribution and administration in countries. However, with only a few countries gaining the advantage of production, they are seen to exercise power politics in purchasing and distribution of the vaccine. Developing countries have succumbed to a difficult predicament amidst balancing the great powers and the financial inability to obtain the vaccination. Therefore, the chapter explores the political dimension to vaccine distribution and the plight of developing nations in obtaining the vaccine. Further, the chapter observes the global initiatives taken to address the issue and the impact of distribution on health security.

The United States Intelligence Community

The purpose of this work is to examine interagency cooperation within the United States (US) Intelligence Community (IC). To elucidate the importance of interagency interoperability, two cases wherein IC agencies failed to appropriately collaborate are presented: 1) the September 11th attacks of 2001 and 2) the failed bombing by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, also referred to as the underwear bomber. This work begins with a brief review of how interagency issues have quite deep roots in the IC. Then, readers are presented with a review of the two cases that is followed by an in-depth analysis of the factors that were common to both failures. Ultimately, the variations in modus operandi (MO), a lack of clear guidelines, and bureaucracy were identified as the three primary factors of failure in both of the cases. Therefore, the work concludes by recommending improved training and educational opportunities for those in the IC in addition to the establishment of an independent entity that would be responsible for overseeing and guiding interagency activities.

The Significance of STEM Education for National Security

Reaffirming America's role as the global engine of scientific discovery and technological innovation has never been more critical. Challenges like climate change, pandemic disease, and resource scarcity demand innovation. Meanwhile, the nation that leads the world in building a clean energy economy that will enjoy a substantial economic and security advantage. That is why the administration is investing heavily in research, improving education in science and math, promoting developments in energy, and expanding international cooperation. This chapter is aimed to provide the introduction of the significant role of STEM education for national security. The chapter will provide an introduction to integrating the awareness training of national security into higher education with the demonstration of the practice of our education module of DHS CFATS in the chemical engineering course of plant safety and security.

Zipato

The authors were presented with the task of reviewing a product by Zipato, which has a sizable user base (20,000 households by Zipato according to an article from TechCrunch). The Cyber-Living team is assessing products in the smart home and cybersecurity realms to help consumers make more informed choices. This is the first part of their risk assessment series on Zipato's smart home solutions. It also expands upon existing reporting by other security researchers. Two articles were found most informative out of what is out there for similar products by Zipato. Some of these articles have appeared multiple times because they were picked up by news sites. They often refer themselves to other researchers' discoveries. Part 2 and 3 are for education and research particularly focusing on firmware update vulnerabilities and possibilities of man-in-the-middle attacks that exploit devices. That will be the authors' contribution to the work. They will review other teams in this first part.

Law Enforcement Challenges to Gathering Intelligence in the Street

Intelligence gathering by law enforcement officers has been used in the conviction of criminals for many years in the United States. Law enforcement officers must ensure that the information gathered and seized does not violate the Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution. However, officers, even though acting in the spirit of the law, may not be in legal compliance. This chapter identifies and discusses the requirements of a search warrant, the legally accepted exceptions to the search warrant requirements in the United States, and reviews several historical and modern United States Supreme Court cases on the gathering of intelligence by officers.

Raspberry Pi Inappropriate for App Hubs in Smart Home and Security Installations

With the advent of IoT (internet of things), our homes are becoming more dependent on technological devices to perform everything from basic to advanced tasks. In this paper, cyber living delves into the realm of home security and the use of Raspberry Pi compute devices to secure our homes. Raspberry Pi is an educational 'system on a chip' that sells for anywhere from $30 and up. Companies have been taking these basic devices, rebranding them, and turning them into the computers that drive a home security system. They operate everything from digital locks, cameras, thermostats, fire and CO2 alarms, and more. The authors take a deep dive and look under the cover at the security and viability of Raspberry Pi as a controlling device for home security.

Regionalism in South Asia From Pre to Post Pandemic

Overly complex interdependencies develop systemic risks and flow into our international system. A lesson from the pandemic is the importance of managing systemic risks due to globalization. The entire world is facing a trust recession due to the rise of populist politics and protectionist sentiments. We should regain trust and strengthen economic globalization and promote multilateral agenda. There are four factors identified for the widening trust deficit. If the trust is restored, there will be definite positive outcomes such as strong intra-regional trade, developed economy, and cross-border security. The pandemic exacerbated domestic nationalist viewpoints in many nations; taking this opportunity, pandemic nations like Sri Lanka had parliamentary elections and amended the constitution, shifting power to the president. The present ultra-nationalism and populist policies would further fuel and instill domestic malign mercantilism.

Countering Radicalization in the 21st Century

The aim of this work is to provide a discussion of radicalization, especially as it has been presented in existing literature. This chapter begins with a focus on how radicalization is defined and how debates surrounding the definition of the term could have pragmatic and theoretical consequences. Further, this work highlights current discourse on the radicalization process. The work also includes a review of the risk factors that may typically lead one to radicalization. To do this, the three main overarching themes, including push, pull, and personal factors, are spotlighted. Finally, the work concludes with a three-pronged course of action (COA) to prevent the radicalization process, mitigate the violence carried by those who have already been radicalized, and also rehabilitate those who have undergone the radicalization process.