Asymmetric Threat & Homeland Defense Intelligence Policy Analytics Unit
An operational unit of the Strategic Policy and Institutional Reform Division, developing international frameworks for countering asymmetric threats and building homeland defense resilience — addressing the terrorism, hybrid warfare, and non-conventional attack vectors that exploit the vulnerabilities of open societies and require coordinated international responses.
Mission & Operational Scope
Defending Open Societies Against Threats That Exploit Their Openness
Asymmetric threats — terrorism, hybrid warfare, sabotage, assassination, and the weaponization of migration — are designed to impose costs on democratic societies that cannot be countered by conventional military means without undermining the values that make those societies worth defending. Russia's hybrid warfare doctrine, which combines cyberattacks, disinformation, proxy forces, and economic coercion below the threshold of conventional war, has demonstrated that the line between peace and conflict is no longer clear. The Islamic State's ability to inspire lone-wolf attacks in Western cities showed that terrorist organizations can project violence across borders without physical presence. The proliferation of commercial drone technology has given non-state actors capabilities that were previously available only to state militaries.
This unit develops the international frameworks that counter asymmetric threats — building the intelligence sharing standards, hybrid warfare response protocols, and counterterrorism coordination mechanisms that protect democratic societies.
Governing Doctrine
Frameworks & Standards
- UN CT StrategyUN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy — international framework for preventing and combating terrorism including addressing conditions conducive to terrorism and protecting human rights
- NATO Hybrid WarfareNATO hybrid warfare response framework — alliance doctrine for countering hybrid threats below the Article 5 threshold including attribution, resilience, and response options
- FATF StandardsFATF counter-terrorist financing standards — international framework for disrupting terrorist financing through financial intelligence, asset freezing, and cross-border cooperation
- CISA FrameworkCISA critical infrastructure security framework — model international standard for protecting critical infrastructure from physical and cyber attacks by state and non-state actors
Operational Capabilities
Six Core Functions
01
Counterterrorism Coordination
Develop international counterterrorism coordination frameworks — establishing the intelligence sharing standards, foreign terrorist fighter tracking protocols, and joint investigation mechanisms that enable allied states to disrupt terrorist networks that operate across borders.
02
Hybrid Warfare Response
Develop international hybrid warfare response frameworks — establishing the attribution standards, escalation management protocols, and coordinated response options for hybrid attacks that fall below the threshold of conventional armed conflict but impose significant costs on targeted states.
03
Radicalization Prevention
Develop international radicalization prevention frameworks — establishing the online content moderation standards, community intervention program designs, and deradicalization protocol requirements that address the ideological drivers of terrorism and prevent recruitment by extremist organizations.
04
Critical Infrastructure Resilience
Develop international critical infrastructure resilience frameworks — establishing the minimum security standards, redundancy requirements, and rapid recovery protocols that ensure power grids, water systems, and financial networks can withstand and recover from asymmetric attacks.
05
Drone and Emerging Threat Governance
Develop international drone and emerging threat governance frameworks — establishing the commercial drone registration standards, counter-UAS technology deployment protocols, and export control requirements that address the proliferation of drone technologies to terrorist and criminal organizations.
06
Societal Resilience Building
Develop international societal resilience building frameworks — establishing the civil preparedness standards, community cohesion investment requirements, and democratic institution strengthening protocols that make open societies more resistant to the hybrid warfare tactics that exploit social divisions and institutional distrust.