TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS TO REINFORCING SECURITY
By Maj Gen P K Mallick, VSM(Retd)
Introduction
21
st
century is characterized by phenomenal growth of technology specially
Information Technology (IT) and Internet. The technology is becoming cheaper, easy
to operate and provide facilities which could not be even imagined decade earlier.
Technology is also a great leveler. Today the same facilities provided by latest
technology advancements are available to violent elements as well as law enforcing
agencies and armed forces. Today’s enemies are dynamic, unpredictable, diverse,
fluid, networked and constantly evolving leading to complex problem sets. Small
networked organizations like insurgents are very good at adopting technology
whereas large, hierarchical, bureaucratic Government organizations take its own
time to exploit its benefits.
1
Technology is central to both terrorism and
counterterrorism, yet each side sees technology in a different way.
Social media has helped like minded people around the world to connect. It has also
aided the causes of violent extremists by networking them to similarly inclined
individuals and organisations. Terrorists excel at exploiting opportunities, But
terrorists did not create Twitter, YouTube, or Facebook – although they have used
these platforms extensively. The introduction of artificial intelligence, machine
learning and natural language processing technology to identify and remove terrorist
content online is a positive move to make the Internet safer. Responsible leadership
and decision making are required from governments and technology firms to deliver
the products and services needed to reap the benefits of innovation and make
technology work for everyone.
Use of Technology by Law Enforcing Agencies
There are a number of challenges that policymakers face today in the ever
increasing reliance on technology for countering terrorism today. These include:
The level of engagement with the communities affected by the technology
implementation.
The effectiveness of counterterrorism measures.
The resources dedicated to counterterrorism.
Achieving an appropriate balance between privacy and security.
Data sharing challenges.
Respect for criteria of legitimacy, necessity and proportionality.
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Brig P K Mallick, Leveraging Technology in CI Ops, Pinnacle, Jun 2008 available at :
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7lCgXHBh1PaTlQ3VVZYbFRWbXM/edit