Review Paper: Exploring Link Analysis in
Counter Terrorism via Investigative Data
Mining & Analysis
A. Savill 3505901
Abstract After the wake of the September 11th attacks, terrorism has been on the rise. Within the
rise of terrorism in the world, there is a rise in the participants within terrorist organisations,
which can be difficult to identify and keep track. Therefore, modern technological solutions also
need to be on the rise to Counter Terrorism. In this paper, link analysis will be in the research
process as it can be used to identify these terror organisations and link their activities together to
identify who is who and what they are up to.
Keywords: Counter Terrorism, Counter Terrorism Databases, Data Analysis, Link Analysis,
Investigative Data Mining & Analysis
I. Introduction used to link together their activities and
associations.
This review paper goes over what Link
Analysis (LA) is and how it can help with III. Methods in Counter Terrorism
Investigative Data Mining (IDM). The review
As one can tell from the main title of this
paper will also go over the challenges of
review paper IDM is typically the main
collecting data in the first place regarding
method for issues that regard to
terrorist, as the availability may not
counterterrorism [1] - [3]. What makes IDM
necessarily be easy. The issues that may occur
different from traditional data mining is that
when exploring available data will also be
traditional data mining usually focuses on
issued and an explanation of how data can be
larger datasets that focuses on business and
visualised to make LA easier to understand.
customer-related issues typically, while IDM
II. Data Collection focuses on more abstract, smaller data sets [1].
Of course, according to Memon and Qureshi’s
Collecting data regarding possible terrorist is paper of [1], IDM has to focus on smaller
not exactly the easiest data sets to have access subjects/actors within a database within a huge
to, as that kind of data is expected to be in the population of the subject’s location they may
government’s hands. However, there is was be in. To connect links between certain
access to open source data [2] that have been subjects that do not necessarily focus on
collected by users via public information customer or business transactional related
regarding terror suspect, i.e. news and media issues. Instead, focusing more on which people
outlets, information online. During the process are associated with who depending on their
of this review paper, there were many open- suspicion with potential terrorism
sourced databases regarding terrorist such as organisations [3].
RAND Terrorism Chronology Database [6],
which is historical data. RAND-MITP [7],
which is past and present data. MIPT
Enticement database [8], data gathered via
open-source outlets. Finally, Intel Centre
Database [9], which is a database used for
mapping Al-Qaida activities, which can be
1
Counter Terrorism via Investigative Data
Mining & Analysis
A. Savill 3505901
Abstract After the wake of the September 11th attacks, terrorism has been on the rise. Within the
rise of terrorism in the world, there is a rise in the participants within terrorist organisations,
which can be difficult to identify and keep track. Therefore, modern technological solutions also
need to be on the rise to Counter Terrorism. In this paper, link analysis will be in the research
process as it can be used to identify these terror organisations and link their activities together to
identify who is who and what they are up to.
Keywords: Counter Terrorism, Counter Terrorism Databases, Data Analysis, Link Analysis,
Investigative Data Mining & Analysis
I. Introduction used to link together their activities and
associations.
This review paper goes over what Link
Analysis (LA) is and how it can help with III. Methods in Counter Terrorism
Investigative Data Mining (IDM). The review
As one can tell from the main title of this
paper will also go over the challenges of
review paper IDM is typically the main
collecting data in the first place regarding
method for issues that regard to
terrorist, as the availability may not
counterterrorism [1] - [3]. What makes IDM
necessarily be easy. The issues that may occur
different from traditional data mining is that
when exploring available data will also be
traditional data mining usually focuses on
issued and an explanation of how data can be
larger datasets that focuses on business and
visualised to make LA easier to understand.
customer-related issues typically, while IDM
II. Data Collection focuses on more abstract, smaller data sets [1].
Of course, according to Memon and Qureshi’s
Collecting data regarding possible terrorist is paper of [1], IDM has to focus on smaller
not exactly the easiest data sets to have access subjects/actors within a database within a huge
to, as that kind of data is expected to be in the population of the subject’s location they may
government’s hands. However, there is was be in. To connect links between certain
access to open source data [2] that have been subjects that do not necessarily focus on
collected by users via public information customer or business transactional related
regarding terror suspect, i.e. news and media issues. Instead, focusing more on which people
outlets, information online. During the process are associated with who depending on their
of this review paper, there were many open- suspicion with potential terrorism
sourced databases regarding terrorist such as organisations [3].
RAND Terrorism Chronology Database [6],
which is historical data. RAND-MITP [7],
which is past and present data. MIPT
Enticement database [8], data gathered via
open-source outlets. Finally, Intel Centre
Database [9], which is a database used for
mapping Al-Qaida activities, which can be
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