A consortium of researchers dedicated to improving the understanding of the human causes and consequences of terrorism

Terrorist Exploitation of Geospatial Technologies and Related Threats to Homeland Security

Abstract:

This project characterizes threats and risks pertaining to violent non-state actor exploitation of commercially available geospatial technologies to surveil, target, and attack U.S. critical infrastructure and American communities over the near and intermediate future. These technologies are no longer niche or cost-prohibitive: open-source tools, low-cost sensors consumer drones, and ubiquitous location-enabled applications are steadily eroding traditional barriers to entry to would-be exploiters.

View Publication

Publication Information

Full Citation:

Doctor, Austin C., Steve Sin, Megan Rutter, Markus Binder, Louis Wasser, Michael Becker, Abie Harder, Ryan Vilter, and Elle Ward. 2026. "Terrorist Exploitation of Geospatial Technologies and Related Threats to Homeland Security: A Joint NCITE-START Project Report" (March). Reports, Projects, and Research. 165. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/ncitereportsresearch/165