In October 2018, US President Trump and other senior Government officials were targeted in an attempted biological attack. Letters addressed to them were found to contain ground castor beans from which the deadly toxin, ricin, is derived. Whilst the letters were intercepted and quarantined, this event marked the latest event in a string of ricin-related…
The latest attack in Manhattan demonstrates that online Islamic State propaganda and communications can motivate do-it-yourself attacks by lone actors. LARA SIERRA-RUBIA explores the challenges for authorities in monitoring online radicalisation.
The frequency and geographic reach of virtual kidnappings continued to increase in 2017. A noticeable new trend has entailed the targeting of Chinese nationals in both Southeast Asia and the US, whereas Spanish speaking nationals in Latin America, the US and Europe have historically remained the primary targets. We explore the ins and outs of this scam…
Just over a year ago, most commentators believed that Donald Trump's presidency would mark an easing of strained relations between the US and Russia. Trump's rhetoric throughout his campaign bolstered this assumption: “I would love to be able to get along with Russia. Now, you've had a lot of presidents that haven't taken that tack. Look where we are…
Carilee Osborne explores the possibility of cyberattack tactics during the US presidential campaigns and election
The Orlando attack underscores the complex motives behind lone actor violence, which makes these types of assaults particularly difficult for authorities to thwart, writes Lara Sierra-Rubia.
Lara Sierra-Rubia explores how drug cartels are relocating narcoticstranshipment routes to the Caribbean where security is more relaxed,a trend linked to rising violent crime rates in the region.
Lara Sierra-Rubia discusses the increasing trend of virtual kidnappings in the US, a low-investment high-yield scam that originated in Central America. This article originally appeared in KR magazine on 26 February 2016: http://www.krmagazine.com/2016/02/26/analysis-lara-sierra-rubia-at-s-rm-the-hostage-hoax-increasing-virtual-kidnappings-in-the-us/…
The latest mass shootings in the US highlight the difficulty in defining and understanding the phenomenon, writes Lara Sierra-Rubia
Lara Sierra-Rubia assesses the significance of ransom policy changes implemented by US and UK governments in 2015. In addition, following several high-profile public mass shootings in the US over the past year, debates around how to define these incidents are explored.
Virtual kidnappings pose an emerging threat in 2016 following changes in UK and US ransom policy, writes Lara Sierra-Rubia.
When in office, US President-elect Donald Trump will have to reconcile a number of competing forces from his constituents to Congress, the media and civil society. Whilst the same can be said of most presidents, the unique character of Donald Trump will mean a particularly complex path, write Carilee Osborne and Lara Sierra-Rubia