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Practical Algorithms for Destabilizing Terrorist Networks

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Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNISA,volume 3975))

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Abstract

This paper uses centrality measures from complex networks to discuss how to destabilize terrorist networks. We propose newly introduced algorithms for constructing hierarchy of covert networks, so that investigators can view the structure of terrorist networks / non-hierarchical organizations, in order to destabilize the adversaries. Based upon the degree centrality, eigenvector centrality, and dependence centrality measures, a method is proposed to construct the hierarchical structure of complex networks. It is tested on the September 11, 2001 terrorist network constructed by Valdis Krebs. In addition we also propose two new centrality measures i.e., position role index (which discovers various positions in the network, for example, leaders / gatekeepers and followers) and dependence centrality (which determines who is depending on whom in a network). The dependence centrality has a number of advantages including that this measure can assist law enforcement agencies in capturing / eradicating of node (terrorist) which may disrupt the maximum of the network.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Software Intelligence Security Research Center, Department of Software and Media Technology, Aalborg University, Niels Bohrs Vej 8, 6700, Esbjerg, Denmark

    Nasrullah Memon & Henrik Legind Larsen

Authors
  1. Nasrullah Memon
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  2. Henrik Legind Larsen
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Information and Computer Science, University of California, Irvine

    Sharad Mehrotra

  2. MIS Department, University of Arizona, 85721, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Daniel D. Zeng

  3. Department of Management Information Systems, Eller College of Management, The University of Arizona, 85721, AZ, USA

    Hsinchun Chen

  4. University of Texas at Dallas,  

    Bhavani Thuraisingham

  5. Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100190, Beijing, China

    Fei-Yue Wang

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© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Memon, N., Larsen, H.L. (2006). Practical Algorithms for Destabilizing Terrorist Networks. In: Mehrotra, S., Zeng, D.D., Chen, H., Thuraisingham, B., Wang, FY. (eds) Intelligence and Security Informatics. ISI 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 3975. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11760146_34

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11760146_34

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-34478-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-34479-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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