Monitoring And Protection Of Critical Infrastructure By Unmanned Systems

The attention of many developed countries has increasingly focused on the security and protection of critical infrastructure. The use of Unmanned Systems (USs) for this purpose has been growing rapidly in recent years, as advances in technology, increased versatility and smaller size, together with the reduced risks and costs associated with removing the need for a pilot or operator on board, have all made these systems more attractive. This book, Monitoring and Protection of Critical Infrastructure by Unmanned Systems, presents 15 papers delivered at the NATO Advanced Training Course (ATC) of the same name hosted in Chisinau, the Republic of Moldova, from 30 May to 5 June 2022. This event was held in a hybrid format, and was attended in-person by 12 of the 31 speakers and the majority of the 92 attendees. The aim of the ATC was to explore the monitoring and protection of critical infrastructure using USs. Various USs, including ground control stations (GCS), data communication links, and a range of unmanned aerial (UAV), ground (UGV) and underwater (UUV) vehicles are covered, and the papers included here also deal with topics such as the use of drones for buildings inspection and the new technologies which can help with the recognition and monitoring of anthropogenic threats and natural hazards. There is also a focus on data analysis and modeling. Providing an overview of the use of unmanned vehicle systems and sensor-network technology for monitoring and protection, the book will be of interest to all those working to protect critical infrastructure.

Water supply and water management services are among the most critical infrastructures in society, providing safe and affordable drinking water, managing wastewater to avoid floods and environmental pollution, and enabling the reuse and replenishment of scarce water resources. With water and wastewater facilities and infrastructure intrinsic to our towns and cities, we must not underestimate the potentially catastrophic results of water supply contamination or disruption to the systems that regulate the water we rely on for essential agricultural, environmental, and municipal needs. This book presents 12 papers selected from those delivered at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) on Physical and Cyber Safety in Critical Water Infrastructure, held in Oslo, Norway, from 8-11 October 2018. The conference brought together resource persons and decision makers from 12 NATO countries and 6 partner countries to share their experiences with the objective of formulating best practice based on recommendations and conclusions, to increase awareness of the risks that threaten current and future water utilities and services, to learn how to improve surveillance and preparedness, and to deal with a crisis should all else fail. Addressing the urgent need to focus on physical and cyber safety in one of the most critical infrastructures in our society, the book will be of interest to all those working in the field of water supply and waste water management.

This book provides an update to the capabilities of unmanned systems since my two previous books entitled Unmanned Systems: Savior or Threat and The Importance and Vulnerabilities of U.S. Critical Infrastructure to Unmanned Systems and Cyber. Our world is undergoing a revolution in how we send and receive goods, conduct surveillance and launch attacks against our enemies, and reach out and explore our terrestrial neighbors and distant galaxies. It is akin to the introduction of fire to ancient mankind and automobiles at the turn of the nineteenth century. There is much that is being done and much more yet to be developed before we accept these new wonderous and simultaneously dangerous additions to our lives. By mating autonomous unmanned systems with artificial intelligence, we are taking a step closer to the creation of a "Skynet" entity.

The need for reliable energy supplies continues to increase with global development, and so energy security seems certain to remain a global challenge for the foreseeable future. The Black Sea area is now a major producer of energy for the wider region and beyond. This book presents the 12 papers delivered at the NATO Advance Research Workshop (ARW) Energy Security in the Wider Black Sea Area – National and Allied Approaches, held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in November 2011. The workshop, which was attended by a balanced mix of international experts, focused on research concerning crucial aspects of energy security and the role of NATO, and covered issues such as energy security as part of national security concepts, transnational energy projects in Central and Eastern Europe and the Wider Black Sea area, national approaches to energy security, critical infrastructure aspects of energy security, scientific and industry support for establishing sustainability and alternatives in energy security. The book provides an overview of national and allied approaches to the topic of energy security, and will be of interest to all those whose work involved the field of energy security in general, and the Black Sea region in particular.

This book presents recent research in the recognition of vulnerabilities of national systems and assets which gained special attention for the Critical Infrastructures in the last two decades. The book concentrates on R&D activities in the relation of Critical Infrastructures focusing on enhancing the performance of services as well as the level of security. The objectives of the book are based on a project entitled "Critical Infrastructure Protection Researches" (TÁMOP-4.2.1.B-11/2/KMR-2011-0001) which concentrated on innovative UAV solutions, robotics, cybersecurity, surface engineering, and mechatornics and technologies providing safe operations of essential assets. This report is summarizing the methodologies and efforts taken to fulfill the goals defined. The project has been performed by the consortium of the Óbuda University and the National University of Public Service.

Never before have technological advances had so great an impact on security—not only increasing the nature and level of threats, but also for the possibility of providing the means to address the threats. Technologies that could increase security include ubiquitous and omnipresent surveillance systems, the use of new algorithms for big data, improving bio- and psycho-metrics, and artificial intelligence and robotics. Yet trustworthy and reliable partners and an active and alert society remain sine qua non to reduce terrorism. “To my mind, this publication is one of the best studies of modern terrorism and what to do about it that we have at our disposal. So I am confident that it will find a wide readership, not only in academic or think tank circles, but even more importantly, among policy makers and government officials. They stand to benefit most and they can afford least of all to ignore the important conclusions and recommendations that this wise publication has provided.” Jamie SHEA Deputy Assistant Secretary General, Emerging Security Challenges Division, NATO

Terrorism is a psychological weapon; by definition its purpose is to spread terror or fear in order to achieve goals unattainable by more conventional means. It is a weapon of asymmetric warfare whose success or failure is entirely dependent on the psychological reactions of its targets. Despite this, interest in the effects of terrorism from a behavioral and psychological perspective is relatively recent, dating initially from the 1990s and boosted by the events of September 11th 2001. This book presents papers delivered at the NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) Risk Management of Terrorism Induced Stress – Guidelines for the Golden Hours (Who, What and When) held in Odesa, Ukraine, from 16-19 September 2018. The aim of the workshop was to bring together experts from the military, science and policy to revisit old guidelines and inform new research into novel approaches. The focus of the workshop was the so-called ‘Golden Hours’; the period immediately following a traumatic event in which therapeutic interventions are thought to have the most impact. What needs to be done in the immediate aftermath of terror, who is vulnerable and who is resilient, and when is intervention appropriate? The book is divided into sections covering the areas of biology, interventions, special populations, additional perspectives, policy, déjà-vu and future directions. Providing a comprehensive overview of the management of terror-related stress, the book will be of interest to planners and policy makers, as well as mental health professionals working with PTSD and other consequences of terror events.

The search for a distinct "terrorist profile" has been going on for many years, and while it is generally agreed that nobody is born a terrorist, there is plenty of disagreement about why a person might become one. Whereas personal and situational push and pull factors can be combined to determine how and why young people become involved in terrorism, preventing an individual from following a path that ends in violence without moral restraint poses an enormous challenge, especially in an open society. This book presents papers from the NATO Advanced Research Workshop titled "A Review of the Utility of Existing Terrorism Risk Assessment Instruments and Policies: Is there the Need for Possible New Approaches?", held in Berlin, Germany, on 29-30 November 2019. Researchers were asked to present papers for discussion sessions with invited participants and practitioners from a number of NATO member and partner countries. Various assessment instruments for identifying problematic individuals at an early stage were presented by experts. It was generally agreed that, due to cultural, religious and other differences, there is no simple way to identify the relatively few high-risk individuals among the larger population of politically radicalized but not necessarily violent individuals who pose no threat. Framed by an Introduction and Conclusion, the 16 chapters in the book are divided into three parts: Theory and Risk/Threat Assessment Instrument Policy Themes; Implementation of Politically Motivated Terrorism Protocols; and Personality Traits/Disorders, Anti-State Terrorism Profiles and the DSM-5 Personality Trait Instrument. This practice-oriented book will be of interest to all those tasked with protecting society from some of its most dangerous members.