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It is our pleasure to present this unique publication – composed of papers written by talented young American students – participants in the Summer School Program “Security and Society in the Information Age” and by experts cooperating with the Terrorism Research Center at Collegium Civitas University in Warsaw, Poland...

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How can North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members combat disinformation campaigns more effectively using strategic communication and control their strategic narrative? This article aims to answer this question by proposing a framework for NATO members to fight disinformation campaigns using the principles of collective impact and strategic narrative. This article will first present a literature review of the current thoughts on hybrid warfare, specifically as it relates to disinformation and will then explain the definition of strategic communication and strategic narratives. It will then give examples of common solutions that different governments and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are pursuing to combat disinformation campaigns and how they are inadequate attempts to control the narrative because of their isolated effort. Third, this article will explain the concept of collective impact and show successful examples. Collective impact is successful only if these five conditions are met: a common agenda, shared measurement systems, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and a backbone organization. Fourth, this article will lay out a way for NATO countries and possibly NGOs to potentially cooperate to combat disinformation campaigns using StratCom as a backbone organization to coordinate strategic communications and regain control of a desired strategic narrative. Finally, this article will discuss possible shortcomings of this approach, pitfalls to be avoided, and address the importance of this solution.

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The following scientific paper attempts to relay psychological triggers as well as situational factors that contribute to the formation and action of terrorist organizations. The research explores topics such as mental health, reasoning, and personality traits of terrorists. The question at hand: What qualities make a person more inclined to join a terrorist cause and carry out heinous crimes? Over several analyses, the attempt will be made in this paper to exhibit a consistent portrayal of certain characteristics seen in terrorist groups and individuals. Terrorists are rarely mentally ill and more often provoked individuals with certain personality traits encouraging behavior that resorts to radical violence for political attention. Characteristics such as a desire for clear ingroup and outgroup, harsh socioeconomic influences and a need to purify society creates an “Us vs. Them” mentality. This mentality is essential in the formation of terrorist organizations and the follow through of terrorist crimes. The arguments are divided into three sections: mental health and its impact, reasons for terrorism beyond the individual, and consistent characteristics.

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In a time of technological advancement and media domination, terrorist organizations are evolving their means of recruitment and radicalization. It is imperative that an accurate light is shed on this phenomenon. This article aims to explain how Jihadist terrorists and terrorist organizations are utilizing technological advancements, like social media, in their recruitment tactics. It is important to define what is meant by information age, radicalization, and recruitment as it relates to the research conducted. There appears to be a lack of research, consensus, and understanding pertaining to actual social media usage and effects by these organizations. Drawing from varying perspectives, research, and studies, what is occurring through Internet sites like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, and the realistic threats that this usage is posing will be examined. In an effort to alleviate misunderstandings and disproportionate reactions, the article will outline practical counter efforts that can be deployed to combat these ever-evolving recruitment tactics. Finally, certain criticisms and limitations pertaining to research, policies, and misinformation are pointed out. All the information outlined leads to the concluding notion that although an effective aid in recruitment tactics, Internet and social media use is not alone enough to create a terrorist.

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There are numerous assumptions that arise from mass shootings and active shooters. Unfortunately, a large portion of the public may be unaware of certain concerning behaviors that can identify potential shooters. A common assumption is that the attack could not have been prevented in any way. This paper will discuss specific observable behavioral characteristics exhibited by shooters, which could be useful to identify them, prior to the incident. Educating the public about common pre-attack behaviors displayed by past offenders can increase the chances of a bystander detecting and disrupting the attack. It is imperative that the collective and collaborative engagement of all members of a community participate in preventing a mass shooting incident. This research paper will provide definitions of the terms “mass shooting”, “active shooters”, “stressors”, and “mental health” as they pertain to the research conducted. The common assumption that mass shooters and active shooters are mentally ill, and the research that contradicts this belief will be discussed.

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This paper creates a decision-making framework for determining best practices for media and political accounts of acts of violence that may reasonably be described as terrorism but are not definitive cases of terrorism. The framework seeks to explore the ethical and practical dimensions of using the term “terrorism” to describe these “grey area” acts of violence. Relevant texts in social psychology, security studies, and philosophy of language are consulted to develop a multi-disciplinary approach.

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The purpose of my research is to discover and understand how ‘mass media’ can shape public opinion on terrorism. When the information is represented through media mechanisms such as television, radio, newspapers and social media, the majority of the public considers it to be true. Manipulation is something the public is unaware of. This paper will start by discussing how the media has changed over time with the advances of technology and with the emergence of social media, the number one source for many people in this new informational age, and how this has advanced terrorism. When utilizing the term ‘informational age’, it is referring to the digital, computer age or the new media age. The paper will also talk about how the concept of terrorism emerged after the progression of the mass media, how media tends to incite panic within the public for views and how it’s linked to terrorism by giving examples from several studies and research that shows that terrorism cannot exist without the media due to its need to spread messages of propaganda by using new-media (known as social media) tools such as Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. The paper will conclude by arguing how we can prevent third parties, that are often not trustworthy, to change our perspectives and views on happenings in the world.

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Mass shootings: have there been over 2000 cases in the last 5 years or 314 cases in the last 134 years? Mass shootings are a staple of modern media news and public conversation, but actual rates are easily misreported and misinterpreted. In this article, the difference between mass shooting research will be examined with examples from government agencies, university research and media coverage of the events. Firstly, the most recent crime data will be explored to frame the discussion of how mass shootings fit into the overall crime picture. Next, the issue of defining a mass shooting will be discussed with different definitions and the breakdown of why defining a mass shooting is difficult. Finally, different mass shooting studies and/or databases will be examined to show how the rates are easily confused if not placed into the correct context of each study.

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This research publication investigates multiple aspects of information and cyber security as it relates to all sizes of business enterprises. Because everyone utilizes technology that connects to the internet, all businesses are exposed to cyber security risks. This paper reviews basic principles of cyber security management for business leaders by investigating the human user security challenges in IT systems, new techniques of active defense and the nuances of cyber security insurance policies. The publication continues by highlighting ways that governments, businesses, and industry associations can and do cooperate with much success. The importance of obtaining industry certifications for more efficient coordination of responses to cyber intrusions are also discussed. The author emphasizes the need to focus on the human security aspect of access control because it is, universally, the primary weakness of any businesses’ IT infrastructure even after utilizing other standard defenses like modern IT infrastructure and cyber security insurance to protect against catastrophic losses.

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The following paper is an attempt at diagnosing the changing security environment in Central and Eastern Europe. The author treats the Republic of Poland as an example state that faces threats stemming from the chaotic international security environment. The goal of the paper is to showcase threat perception as well as attempts to define new risks and form the strategy to counter those threats.

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The following paper is an attempt to examine the compelling narrative of modern terrorism. Describing the phenomenon in historical circumstances, it strives to determine the sources of its current popularity, also in the context of the new media usage and creating a “fashion” for violence among the younger generations.

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The following paper aims to present the scope of the threat that modern terrorism presents towards the historical heritage of humanity, as well as to recognize chosen technologies that may to some degree contribute to mitigating this threat. Introducing virtual modeling as well as online displaying of the historical objects that are either already destroyed or are threatened by conflicts around the world, it presents new ways to take the marks of the past into the future.

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The extent of progress achieved by modern terrorist organizations is to a significant degree dependent of their effective information and propaganda strategies. The following paper is an attempt to showcase the propaganda tools and methods used by the Islamic State as an example of a successful campaign supporting the operational activities of a terrorist organization.