Advanced search Help
Resource Type or Special Collection is Theses & Research Reports
Publisher is Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Clear all search criteria
Only 2/3! You are seeing results from the Public Collection, not the complete Full Collection. Sign in to search everything (see eligibility).
-
New High: A Future-Oriented Study of American Drug Policy
From the thesis abstract: "Drug policy in the United States is reactive and unprepared for burgeoning phenomena related to the convergence of drugs and technology. In the twenty-first century, innovations are disrupting society with unconventional rules. This thesis investigated how emerging technologies and global megatrends might converge to affect the future of United States drug policy. Through a scenarios-based future studies methodology, global megatrends and other nascent variables intertwine in two fictional scenarios to highlight regulatory and ethical challenges. Thesis findings underscore how it is critical for the United States to remain adaptable and identify general long-term, cyclical forces. Subsequently, it is imperative to analyze how these forces might influence the environment of illicit drug use before current regulatory drug frameworks become obsolete. Thesis findings recommend that the U.S. government decriminalize illicit drugs and transition drug policy from the domain of law enforcement to a strengthened public and behavioral healthcare system. Finally, this thesis also recommends the creation of a national biotech ethics committee and an office of the future." A video discussion of this thesis may be found as part of the CHDS Reflecting Pool series here: https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=818744.
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bress, Jessica Marie
2017-12
-
Big Brother or Trusted Allies? How the Police Can Earn Community Support for Using Unmanned Aircraft
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines how local law enforcement agencies can adopt unmanned aircraft, or drones, as tools to help them perform their public safety missions while earning the support and trust of the communities they serve for the use of this controversial technology. The paper presents the current state of the law surrounding drone use by the police, along with published recommendations on drone implementation and trust-building practices. Through the use of a structured multicase study and comparative analysis, the author tests the validity of the drone-specific recommendations of groups like the International Association of Chiefs of Police, American Civil Liberties Union, and Community Oriented Policing Office of the United States Department of Justice. The case studies also examine the influence of factors like demographics, political affiliation, crime rate, and pre-existing community law enforcement relationships on the success or failure of an agency's drone adoption efforts. Based on the analysis of the case studies, the thesis provides a recommended process to follow for law enforcement leaders looking to implement their own drone programs using evidence-based practices to earn the trust of their citizens."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Schwartz, Stephen Craig
2017-12
-
Insider Threat to Cybersecurity: How Group Process and Ignorance Affect Analyst Accuracy and Promptitude
From the dissertation abstract: "The recent increase in high-profile insider cyber exploits indicates that current insider threat analysis (ITA) is insufficient to handle the growing insider threat problem. Well-established academic literature agrees that information overload is a problem ITA must overcome because ITA remains a human-intensive task. Two conceptual strategies to overcome information overload include reducing information and distributing information among additional people to accommodate the load. This dissertation applies attribution theory and process loss theory to test two ITA factors: ignorance and teamwork. A laboratory experiment with a convenience sample of 48 ITA-trained, top secret-cleared participants supported the research. Participants performed ITA with National Insider Threat Task Force training scenarios and applied the adjudicative guidelines for access to classified information. Teamwork conditions resulted in slightly higher accuracy at a significant cost of time, indicating that ITA analysts are best organized in different structures per informational and temporal constraints. However, ignorance level had little effect on ITA analyst accuracy. ITA analysts were substantially more accurate at implication scenarios but slightly better than chance at exoneration scenarios. Lower decision confidence associated with exoneration scenarios indicated that ITA analysts are more likely to guess when presented with an exoneration scenario. Further research involving larger independent samples and temporal constraints is necessary to verify these findings."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Kelly, Ryan F.
2017-09
-
Department of Homeland Security's Role in Protecting the National Economy
From the thesis abstract: "The national economy and the vital commercial flows that feed it are the sine quibus non of national influence, power, and security. However, new characteristics of the modern trade environment have the potential to undermine U.S. economic prosperity. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claims that homeland security is inseparable from economic security and, as such, that the department has a role to play in supporting national economic security goals. However, DHS has yet to fully reconcile the tension between its trade enforcement and facilitation missions and clarify its role in supporting national economic competitiveness goals. After identifying and assessing several policy alternatives, this paper concludes that DHS should aggressively leverage its unique border authorities to influence a shift toward a more centralized model of government controls of imports, one informed by economy-wide strategic objectives and reliant upon standard performance measures, shared funding schemes, common information technology infrastructures, and delegated decision making on the admissibility of goods. Such an effort could provide commercially meaningful benefits to public and private stakeholders alike while maintaining security and safety requirements."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Brzozowski, Christa M.
2017-09
-
Police Self-Deployment at Critical Incidents: A Wicked Problem or a Part of the Solution?
From the thesis abstract: "incidents, is alternately condemned or hailed as heroism. Confined to response narratives in after-action reports, existing literature provides no comprehensive definition. Without clear principles, it is challenging to prevent the problems produced by self-deployment such as traffic congestion and diminished command and control; nevertheless, encouraging the ingenuity and initiative leading to heroic and lifesaving acts is equally difficult. Many of the descriptions of police self-deployment match characteristics of wicked problems, as proposed by Horst Rittel and Melvin Webber. Using a case study analysis of police responses to the 2013 Christopher Dorner manhunt and 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, this thesis explored police self-deployment through the lens of wicked problems. A better understanding of the definition resulted in policy and training recommendations, including the suggestions that law enforcement embrace, rather than prohibit, self-deployment and that federally mandated incident command policies incorporate the early minutes of a critical event known as the 'edge of chaos.'"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Brookes, Anna C.
2017-09
-
Inclusion of Disaster Resiliency in City/Neighborhood Comprehensive Plans
From the thesis abstract: "Once hazard mitigation is included in a city's comprehensive plan, the region and its citizens are more prepared to respond to a potential natural disaster. The purpose of this thesis was to illuminate factors that encourage cities to include hazard mitigation within their comprehensive plans. The research used geographic information system (GIS) and census data to locate urban, suburban, and rural areas at risk of flooding and analyzed these regions' comprehensive plans. The research results suggest that previous major flooding events often lead to the inclusion of flood-related hazard mitigation into cities' comprehensive plans. This finding suggests that policy alone does not influence hazard mitigation; other methods should be practiced to ensure hazard mitigation is included within neighborhood/city comprehensive plans."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Gavin, Douglas J.
2017-09
-
Leveraging Gamification Techniques and Strategies as a Means of Improving Border Security Data Collection
From the thesis abstract: "Gamification has served as an emerging trend toward engagement and data collection. This thesis seeks to apply the methods and procedures of gamification systems toward the data gathering processes utilized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as part of its maritime border security strategy. It focuses on what makes gamification work, as well as how it can be applied in the e-government sphere toward improving the interaction between the trade and shipping communities with CBP. A review of existing CBP data collection systems and requirements, as well as a study of the organizational strategies, psychologies, and application techniques, point to the feasibility of gamification features toward solutions to concerns regarding motivation, accuracy, and efficiency of persons providing cargo and supply-chain data to CBP. It recommends the implementation of these features into existing CBP maritime data collection programs used by trade entities."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Coulter, Joseph Paul
2017-09
-
Preventing Firefighter Exposure Hazards
From the thesis abstract: "This thesis examines detrimental health exposures for firefighters and recommends fire service policy and equipment upgrades designed to slow or eliminate these harmful exposures. Because firefighters are exposed to numerous environmental dangers during their careers, this thesis focuses on eliminating three occupational exposures contributing to health issues: chemical flame retardants, diesel exhaust, and toxins in synthetic furniture. Existing studies written by scholars, consumer advocacy groups, and government agencies identify several exposure hazards and recommend preventive measures to address them. In addition to examining these studies, this thesis reviews a well-intentioned California state law--which allowed chemical flame retardants in home furniture and electronic products--that has caused an exposure hazard for both firefighters and the general public. The thesis also exposes necessary upgrades for firefighters' portable air-supply units to reduce respiratory exposures. Finally, because diesel exhaust emissions have adverse health effects and are abundant in fire stations, the thesis recommends making changes to fire stations to better contain the diesel by-products of the fire trucks, including the possibility of purchasing electric-powered fire trucks to eliminate the diesel engine. Rather than providing a clinical study, this thesis offers an examination of occupational health hazards and recommends mitigative equipment and policy upgrades."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Burke, Paul F.
2017-09
-
Recruiting the Cyber Leader: An Evaluation of the Human Resource Model Used for Recruiting the Army's 'Cyber Operations Officer' [supplemental material]
This record contains supplemental material for the thesis of the same title. The supplemental material contained in this includes a survey, survey function, survey analysis support, and various charts and graphs in support of the human resources applications discussed in the thesis. The associated thesis may be found at following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did=805969]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Nicholson, Wallace C.; Gibbs, Sean A.
2017-09
-
Recruiting the Cyber Leader: An Evaluation of the Human Resource Model Used for Recruiting the Army's 'Cyber Operations Officer'
From the thesis abstract: "For the first time since the creation of the Special Forces branch in 1987, the Army authorized the creation of a new branch, the Cyber branch. With this, the Army joined the ranks of other organizations in this rapidly expanding arena. The Army found itself in a situation where it needed to quickly fill the positions required of this new branch. To accomplish this goal the Army developed a recruitment strategy based on the Army human resource management model. The purpose of our research is to evaluate the effectiveness of that model to recruit Cyber Operations Officers and to examine the effects of its continued use. To perform this evaluation we conduct an operational assessment that included identifying and assessing measures of performance (MOPs) and measures of effectiveness (MOEs) based on data collected from: Army institutions; a survey of the Cyber Branch population; and the Person-Event Data Environment database. Our research also examined recruitment strategies and practices in other selected organizations to identify practical recommendations for improvements to current Army practices. The results of this research suggest that while the Army was generally successful in accomplishing the identified tasks of its recruitment strategy, there were inconsistencies in its application. Additionally, through analysis of the survey data we were able to identify attributes that had the most impact on achieving desired effects. Finally, we found that the Army did not recruit in accordance with best practices for the cyber workforce and that it did not use available tools to measure aptitude in its recruitment and the selection process. We identify some practical implications and provide recommendations for further research in this fast-paced operational environment." Supplemental statistical information for this thesis may be found at the following link: [https://www.hsdl.org/?abstract&did= 805986]
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Nicholson, Wallace C.; Gibbs, Sean A.
2017-09
-
Fortress America: The Aesthetics of Homeland Security in the Public Realm
From the thesis abstract: "Architecture communicates a message about the purpose of a space, the prestige of those who use or own the space, and the values associated with both users and owners. The aesthetics of this architecture elicit specific emotions, communicate histories, and inform worldviews. In the United States, homeland security architecture is largely a physical representation of a perceived threat of a terrorist attack in public spaces. Architecture has sociological, psychological, and cultural effects, as well as security impacts, but there is little research or discourse on the physical manifestation of homeland security in the United States. What are the consequences--intended and unintended--of homeland security architecture? How does a democratic government protect itself and design buildings and public spaces that are open, attractive, and promote both physical and psychological security? This thesis is a starting point for broader awareness and discussion within the emerging discipline of security design about the importance of aesthetics in homeland security."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Quirk, Tricia (Patti)
2017-09
-
Less is More: North American Case Studies on the Amalgamation of Policing
From the thesis abstract: "American policing is mired in a stratified model of inefficiency involving nearly 12,500 standalone municipal police agencies. The future of policing requires increased participation in cybercrime, transnational crime, terrorism, and infrastructure protection that cannot be accommodated by small standalone police agencies. Canada shares similar experiences in the origins, maturation, social conditions, and opportunities in policing with success in amalgamating police service. This thesis uses comparative case-study research of successful and failed attempts at amalgamating police services in Canada and America. Analysis and recommendations show that amalgamation can best be achieved through large agency contracting, sheriff services, and state policing. Amalgamation to state policing is recommended based on Canadian case studies and American case studies."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Johnstone, George Stephen
2017-09
-
Engineered Resupply System for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations
From the thesis abstract: "This research examines the effectiveness of resupply systems in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) operations by exploring different permutations of operational energy (OE)-focused assets and policies that a Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) employs to improve its throughput of resources to disaster victims. The basis for the modeled scenario is the support provided by the 31st MEU to the city of Hachinohe as part of Operation TOMODACHI. This thesis focuses on OE and only considers the medium tactical vehicle replacement (MTVR) as the baseline capability. An agent-based simulation is then used to model the effectiveness of OE-focused resupply strategies and capabilities. These options include (1) efficient driving techniques, (2) reducing idling time, (3) hybrid technologies, and (4) follower vehicles. To investigate their effectiveness, this research uses a design of experiments approach to efficiently examine a set of design factors for specified operational plans. Statistical results indicate that the operational plans employing shorter and quicker vehicle convoys that communicate with one another are most effective in resupplying isolated victims. This research also confirms that the employment of OEfocused assets and policies is effective in increasing timeliness of resupply. Taken together, these factors contribute toward increasing the operational reach of a MEU conducting HADR resupply."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Kang, Wei Sheng Jeremy
2017-09
-
Searching for Effective Training Solutions for Firefighting: The Analysis of Emergency Responses and Line of Duty Death Reports for Low Frequency, High Risk Events
From the thesis abstract: "Since 9/11, the fire service has experienced a shift and an expansion in the nature of threats and hazards that it faces. Despite advances in the field, firefighters are still losing their lives inside of burning buildings, and they must find new ways of identifying training gaps and improving current training practices. This thesis explores whether emergency incidents connected to low frequency and high risk events contain sufficient warning signs or indicators of imminent catastrophic events, if firefighters could identify them, and if there was a potential of changing decision making and averting a tragedy. In order to create a firm basis for this discovery, this research effort included a detailed analysis of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health's line of duty death reports from the years 2013- 2015. The work provided an opportunity to learn from past events and practices and identify successes and failures in the firefighting domain without the bias of being closely involved with the cases or having a specific agenda. Quantitative analysis performed on this data set and the knowledge gleaned from looking at the events after the fact provide a foundation for advising novel training approaches and scenarios that can be used to train both individuals and teams of fire fighters."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
McDevitt, Deanna M.
2017-09
-
Threshold Shortest Path Interdiction Problem for Critical Infrastructure Resilience Analysis
From the thesis abstract: "We formulate and solve the threshold shortest path interdiction problem, which we define as follows: Find a finite set of arcs to attack within a network such that the resulting shortest path from a given source node to a given destination is longer than a specified threshold. Ultimately we are concerned with determining the number of such attacks and using it as a measure of resilience or lack thereof, in an instance of the shortest-path interdiction problem. We develop and implement algorithms to reduce the required computational effort to solve this counting problem exactly.We illustrate via test cases the impact of different interdiction combinations with regards to the threshold value. Whether these interdictions are random occurrences or intentional, this analysis provides decision makers a tool with which to more completely characterize the resilience of a system of interest."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Clark, Charles R.
2017-09
-
Drone Defense System Architecture for U.S. Navy Strategic Facilities
From the thesis abstract: "Small, commercially available unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are an emergent threat to Navy continental U.S. (CONUS) military facilities. There are many counter unmanned aerial system (C-UAS) tools focused on neutralization, and many sensors in place. A system-of-systems, defense-in-depth approach to C-UAS requires a central system to connect these new and existing systems. The central system uses data fusion and threat evaluation and weapons assignment (TEWA) to properly address threats. This report follows a systems engineering process to develop a software architecture for that central system, beginning with a requirements analysis, a functional baseline, and the resulting module allocation. A series of simulations in ExtendSim derives the performance requirements by examining the overall C-UAS scenario with currently available technology. Through a sensitivity analysis, the simulation shows that effective engagement range (combination of initial target range, detection range and neutralization range) is the dominant factor driving response time. The architecture modeled in Innoslate provides a discrete event simulation for system performance expectations."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Arteche, David; Chivers, Kenneth; Howard, Bryce; Long, Terrell; Merriman, Walter; Padilla, Anthony; Pinto, Andrew; Smith, Stenson; Thoma, Victoria
2017-09
-
Mission Planning for Heterogeneous Uxvs Operating in a Post-Disaster Urban Environment
From the thesis abstract: "Time is critical during search and rescue operations, as human survival diminishes exponentially if survivors are not located and recovered efficiently. This thesis sought to integrate technologies into a solution that helps rescuers plan for a mission utilizing multiple autonomous unmanned systems (UxV) for search operations. It exploits methods of image analysis to fuse data into a common map and identify key areas of search interest. The key mission areas were developed by comparing edge detection techniques on images obtained from remote sensing platforms in the DigitalGlobe database. Together with close-up snapshots of the environment obtained from drones, three-dimensional maps were developed by stitching the images together into a comprehensive model for a mission commander's use. With the mission bubbles developed, a probabilistic road map was used to develop an optimal trajectory to the search area. It was found that by connecting to the 20 nearest neighboring points in the K-dimensional graph instead of all the points, and using the weighted heuristic method for the A* search, formed the most optimal means to obtain a solution. Together with a tool to generate search patterns for multiple drones, an experiment at Camp Roberts was conducted successfully. Technology was effectively used in the development of a mission-planning tool utilizing a set of heterogeneous unmanned systems for a search mission, which can be expanded for various types of military applications."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Tan, Choon Seng Leon Mark
2017-09
-
Decision Model for U.S.-Mexico Border Security Measures
From the thesis abstract: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has invested billions of dollars to prevent illegal drugs, immigration, weapons, and currency from transiting across the U.S.-Mexico border. DHS has not created a sufficient standardized method to measure whether an investment in a security measure is cost-effective when combining assets. To take it one step further, DHS has not created a model that combines cost-effectiveness of a security asset while simultaneously determining how it will contribute to achieving operational control of the border. This study provides an in-depth look into the current risk-based model DHS uses, the administrative and physical infrastructure of U.S.-Mexico border security, and a critical view of DHS' annual budget. A decision model is presented that will give policymakers a process to choose a combination of border security investments that will achieve operational control of the border while remaining within budgeting constraints. A lot of work needs to be done for DHS to determine the correct security assets to be placed at the U.S.-Mexico Border to maintain operational control and cost-effectiveness. This study does not determine which security assets need to be put into place, but it provides a decision process that will be an asset for policymakers to save federal time and money assigned to border security investments."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Lavender, Matthew L.
2017-09
-
Use of VR Technology and Passive Haptics for MANPADS Training System
From the thesis abstract: "Man portable air defense systems (MANPADS) are point-defense weapons that typically form the penultimate layer of defense against aerial threats. Deployed at close ranges to the installation being defended, MANPADS operators get little reaction time to engage attacking aircraft. The situation becomes more complex in a multi-threat scenario such as an airfield under attack. Dealing with such situations requires high proficiency and the capability to make tactical decisions quickly. Live training opportunities allow few operators to fire during live exercises. Simulation training is effective, but customized high-fidelity immersive training facilities are limited. Moreover, low trainee throughput from such high-end facilities is an ongoing obstacle. The main focus of this thesis research is a feasibility study for building a low-cost MANPADS training solution that uses commercial off-the-shelf components. The developed prototype leverages a fully immersive virtual reality system with head-mounted display, game engine, and passive haptics. It provides MANPADS operators with alternative training opportunities in target acquisition, tactical decision making, and situational awareness in a multi-threat scenario, and has the potential of addressing the current training gap. This development experience will provide valuable insights that can be employed to design and create a new generation of low-cost training solutions in other domains as well"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Rashid, Faisal
2017-09
-
Problem-Solving in Homeland Security and Creating Policy Conditions for Enhanced Civic Engagement: An Examination of Crowdsourcing Models
"This thesis examines crowdsourcing experiments and engagement models, the leveraging of technology in these pursuits, and their potential utility for solving problems in the homeland security enterprise. Rather than identifying a gap or seeking to fix something that is 'broken,' the research evaluates the potential benefits of employing crowdsourcing models in homeland security and its related disciplines. It uses appreciative inquiry to evaluate how existing successful models might open new pathways between government and citizens for the generation of knowledge, the exchange of information, or for innovation in approaches to problem solving. This thesis advances the hypothesis that, within the body of crowdsourcing and engagement models, a combination of ideas, examples, approaches, and successes exists that demonstrates potential utility for the homeland security field. The research findings exhibited this potential, manifesting in new partnerships and the creation of new knowledge. Participants, aided only by personal technology, self-organized some initiatives; in other cases, participants simply needed a platform to enable their motivation to contribute. These platforms for engagement and pathways to them were a consistent part of the narrative across the literature. Contributions by the non-professional was also a consistent theme, as was a need for a balanced approach that provides a safe framework within which to operate."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Bisogno, Raymond
2017-06
-
Transparency, Accountability and Engagement: A Recipe for Building Trust in Policing
"Police departments across the nation are challenged to reduce crime, improve quality of life, and, with diminished resources, face the increased threats to homeland security. Many have struggled to find the right balance between keeping communities safe, while at the same time having transparent and effective counterterrorism strategies. This thesis examines the role race plays in policing and the criminal justice system. A comparative analysis was conducted of the New York Police Department's [NYPD] community policing and counterterrorism strategies and that of the United Kingdom's counterpart, the Metropolitan Police Service. The research focuses on how important police legitimacy and transparency are to gaining the trust of the community at large. It also examines how technology and social media can assist in building trust and enhancing accountability. The research concludes with four recommendations, which, if implemented, will move the NYPD toward a more balanced counterterrorism strategy that actively engages with the community it serves."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
O'Reilly, Kathleen M.
2017-06
-
Strategic Communications: The State Department Versus the Islamic State
From the thesis abstract: "As the battle against the Islamic State unfolds on the battleground and in cyberspace, the U.S. government has declared its commitment to disrupt--and ultimately defeat--the terrorist group. The Islamic State, also known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant and ISIS, has become one of the most deadly and influential terrorist groups in the Middle East. Strategic communications cannot be underestimated. The unit tasked with countering the terrorist group's propaganda and recruitment efforts, the State Department's Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC), has recently restructured to improve its efforts. This thesis examines the Center's mission, strategy, and communications to assess the efficacy of its efforts to counter the Islamic State terrorist group and degrade its ability to recruit foreign fighters. It analyzes the Islamic State and introduces the CSCC's successor, the Global Engagement Center. Finally, it offers research findings and provides recommendations for future consideration."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
McFadden, Crystal L.
2017-06
-
Cyber Situational Awareness Model for Network Administrators
From the thesis abstract: "Although there are many well-established cyber security tools and techniques available to network administrators for managing and defining their systems, attackers still succeed in penetrating their systems. Defending these systems' confidentiality, integrity, and availability is the responsibility of network administrators; however, protecting these systems becomes more difficult when one considers the volume and velocity of data provided by many of these cyber security tools. Often this data may actually indicate a cyber-attack, but is hard to discern among the bulk of data provided. The purpose of this research is to propose a cyber situational awareness (CSA) model to provide network administrators with better situational awareness of cyber security threats to their systems. This research examines an established situational awareness model and surveys cyber security practices and tools to extend this knowledge to actual cyber situational awareness. This research further develops a model for CSA in three hierarchical levels: configurational awareness, operational awareness, and special conditions awareness. The research concludes that if network administrators manage their systems with awareness of these three levels, they would be able to decrease the amount of unnecessary data and focus on the most important information that can help them better guarantee cyber security of their systems."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Karaarslan, Huseyin
2017-04
-
Keeping Survivors Alive: Security and Humanitarian Aid Operations During Natural-Disaster Response in Conflicts
From the thesis abstract: "When a disaster occurs during a conflict, the security concerns and need for humanitarian aid can increase; survivors need both, but often the government needs to choose which takes precedence and humanitarian aid can fall by the wayside. This thesis examines the impacts of political and military hindrances in conflicts between armed groups and governments on the Red Cross Movement's humanitarian aid delivery during disaster response following the declaration of the war on terror. This thesis is in two parts. The first part establishes the environment in which the Red Cross Movement operates and the attitude toward humanitarian aid in conflict. The second part analyzes the disaster response in three cases, along with the security issues that led to restrictive environments for humanitarian aid and underserved populations. In addition, this thesis includes two historical case studies to provide a comparison between response before and after the war on terror."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Jubela, Joleen
2017-03
-
Bridging the Gap: To What Extent Do Socioeconomic Barriers Impede Response to Emerging Public Health Threats?
From the thesis abstract: "It is crucial for public health emergency planners and responders to realize and account for socioeconomic barriers and the challenges they pose when faced with a bioterrorism, infectious disease, or other emerging public health threat impacting the homeland. The study design of this research incorporated two particular paradigms, investigative and predictive. The researcher found that social and economic factors account for nearly 40 percent of health outcomes in the United States. Public health and its response partners need to plan for emergencies using a '60/40' lens. He discovered that at least 40 percent of populations may not receive the critical health care they require in emergencies because of socioeconomic status or related factors. This thesis investigated the language, culture and historical trauma barriers--and affiliated challenges, such as fear and distrust--that exist throughout the country. Given these findings, this thesis provides both policy- and strategy-level recommendations to assist public health and healthcare practitioners in their efforts to 'bridge the gap' that exists within and between community populations in the United States. Disciplines that consider implementing these recommendations will help minimize significant, and perhaps avoidable, consequences that follow health-related emergencies or varied disasters impacting the homeland."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Neuert, Donald L.
2017-03
-
Out From Under the Rock: Improving FDNY Information Sharing
From the thesis abstract: "As highlighted in the 9/11 Commission Report, the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Fire Department City of New York (FDNY) have suffered from a lack of inter-agency communication for many years, which is of particular detriment to the safety of front-line members of the FDNY. This thesis sought to find new solutions to the problem by analyzing the processes and policies driving communications to and within the FDNY and the degree to which they have changed since McKinsey & Company's analysis of the department in 2002. A study of organizational change theories, including Leavitt's Diamond, was used to analyze organizational change issues within the FDNY. Synthesizing these theories with the department's successful and failed change attempts produced a set of tasks to create and implement a new technology in the form of a mobile application called FDNY Mobile. This thesis concluded that improving information sharing between the FDNY and the NYPD is nearly impossible without first analyzing the information-sharing practices of an individual organization. Information sharing between these organizations must be reciprocal. This thesis found that without creating a sense of urgency and managerial support, FDNY Mobile will end in failure. Moreover, the FDNY needs to strengthen its own information-sharing practices before a more detailed focus is made on inter-agency information sharing with the NYPD."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Russo, Joseph
2017-03
-
From Third-Degree to Third-Generation Interrogation Methodologies: Putting Science into the Art of Criminal Interviewing
From the thesis abstract: "The interviewing strategies of the American law-enforcement system are more than seventy-five years old. Psychologically manipulative and guilt-presumptive, these methodologies replaced the brutal 'third-degree' interrogation tactics of the previous century, but have recently come under scrutiny for being both ethically and operationally unsound. These findings have prompted a paradigm shift toward more ethical, effective, and scientifically validated tactics. This thesis set out to explore the advantages of integrating next-generation practices into the interview-training ethos of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR)--the internal affairs component of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. An evaluation of evidence-based interrogation practices and governmental policy analyses, along with insight from subject-matter experts, provided the data for this exploration. A series of recommendations derived from the lessons learned of the U.K. PEACE model, the practices of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, and research by the High-Value Detainee Interrogation Group offered insight for the optimal training of interviewing techniques and their long-term retention in the field. Assuming the recommendations for OPR are both scalable and replicable, this model should be relevant and valuable for the professional practices of other DHS agencies responsible for conducting interrogations as well as for law-enforcement agencies nationwide."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
O'Neill, Desmond S.
2017-03
-
Domestic Embedded Reporter Program: Saving Lives and Securing Tactical Operations
From the thesis abstract: "Advances in technology have provided journalists the tools to obtain and share real-time information during domestic-terrorist and mass-shooting incidents. This real-time information-sharing compromises the safety of first responders, victims, and reporters. Real-time sharing of tactical operations, including the positioning of law enforcement, firefighters, and their equipment, impacts the security and effectiveness of emergency responders in mitigating the public threat. The Department of Defense (DOD) fought a similar battle with members of the media more than a decade ago with the creation of its embedded reporter program. This thesis explores the following question: Can first response agencies and journalists in the United States adopt an embedded journalist program for domestic terrorist or mass-shooting events? The research reviewed the DOD's embedded reporter program and explored potential modifications for use within the United States. The thesis finds that although it is possible to create a collaborative embedded reporter program for use within the United States, it may be more feasible to adopt portions of the program such as placing an embargo on all tactical operations, creating a formal media training program, and implementing media credentials."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Trost, Michelle
2017-03
-
Ideological Radicalization: A Conceptual Framework for Understanding Why Youth in Major U.S. Metropolitan Areas are More Likely to Become Radicalized
From the thesis abstract: "The number of disconnected youth, those ages 16 to 24 who are not in school and are not employed, has reached significant levels in the United States and Western Europe. This trend is coupled with the fact that more and more foreign fighters are joining Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria. In particular, Western youth have been the target of radicalization by ISIS and other terrorist groups, and the appeal and lure of such groups seem unlikely to subside. A similar trend is also evident among youth in Muslim countries where the number of foreign fighters to terrorist groups seems unlikely to decrease. According to recent estimates, over 28,000 foreign fighters have joined ISIS in Syria and Iraq since 2011. The fact that so many youth have been radicalized to join terrorist groups is a cause for concern that requires closer scrutiny, understanding, and action by Western and other governments. The explanations and motivations as to why youth join terrorist groups abound; these include lack of education, poverty, religion discrimination, family background, and political and economic marginalization, among others. This research seeks to answer the question, are the youth in the United States, who are disconnected, more likely to become radicalized to terrorism? To answer this, various theoretical frameworks were researched and examined, such as relative deprivation, social movement theory, and psychological perspectives, to shed light on understanding this issue."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Abrahams, John A.
2017-03
-
Unstoppable? The Gap Between Public Safety and Traffic Safety in the Age of the Driverless Car
From the thesis abstract: "Autonomous vehicles (AVs) are already driving on some of the nation's streets and highways. AV technology is advancing quickly, and regulatory environments and market demands will result in its rapid diffusion throughout society. AVs are likely to dramatically reduce traffic collisions and motorist injuries, as long as those motorists become passengers only, not drivers, thus eliminating human error as a traffic safety hazard. With the traffic safety benefits of the AV, there will be little need for the traffic enforcement conducted by police and highway patrol agencies across the country today. Yet traffic stops are the most common form of face-to-face contact between police officers and citizens, and traffic enforcement has been a form of crime detection, deterrence and disruption in this country since the dawn of the automobile. This research examines the future of law enforcement in the age of the driverless automobile. It recommends that police and homeland security agencies engage with AV technology today so that they can innovate with that technology and find public safety substitutes for the traffic stop in a future where cars are unstoppable."
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.); Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security
Wolfe, Aristotle
2017-03
