The democratic opening presented by Nigeria's successful transition to civil rule (June 1998 to May 1999) unleashed a host of hitherto repressed or dormant political forces. Unfortunately, it has become increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine demands by these forces on the state and outright criminality and mayhem. Post-transition Nigeria is experiencing the proliferation of ethnic militia movements purportedly representing, and seeking to protect, their ethnic interests in a country, which appears incapable of providing the basic welfare needs of its citizens.It is against the background of collective disenchantment with the Nigerian state, and the resurgence of ethnic identity politics that this research interrogates the growing challenge posed by ethnic militias to the Nigerian democracy project. The central thesis is that the over-centralization of power in Nigeria 's federal practice and the failure of post-transitional politics in genuinely addressing the "National Question," has resulted in the emergence of ethnic militias as a specific response to state incapacity. The short- and long-term threats posed by this development to Nigeria 's fragile democracy are real, and justify the call for a National Conference that will comprehensively address the demands of the ethnic nationalities.

In the aftermath of major crises governments turn to public inquiries to learn lessons. Inquiries often challenge established authority, frame heroes and villains in the public spotlight and deliver courtroom-like drama to hungry journalists. As such, they can become high-profile political stories in their own right. Inquiries also have a policy learning mandate with big implications because they are ultimately responsible for identifying policy lessons which, if implemented, should keep us safe from the next big event. However, despite their high-profile nature and their position as the pre-eminent means of learning about crises, we still know very little about what inquiries produce in terms of learning and what factors influence their effectiveness in this regard. In light of this, the question that animates this book is as important as it is simple. Can post-crisis inquiries deliver effective lesson-learning which will reduce our vulnerability to future threats? Conventional wisdom suggests that the answer to this question should be an emphatic no. Outside of the academy, for example, inquiries are regularly vilified as costly wastes of time that illuminate very little while inside social scientists echo similar concerns, regularly describing inquiries as unhelpful. These commentaries, however, lack robust, generalizable evidence to support their claims. This volume provides evidence from the first international comparison of post-crisis inquiries in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, which shows that, contrary to conventional wisdom, the post-crisis inquiry is an effective means of policy learning after crises and that they consistently encourage policy reforms that enhance our resilience to future threats.

Go on a journey through the threat detection engineering lifecycle while enriching your skill set and protecting your organization Key Features Gain a comprehensive understanding of threat validation Leverage open-source tools to test security detections Harness open-source content to supplement detection and testing Book DescriptionThreat validation is an indispensable component of every security detection program, ensuring a healthy detection pipeline. This comprehensive detection engineering guide will serve as an introduction for those who are new to detection validation, providing valuable guidelines to swiftly bring you up to speed. The book will show you how to apply the supplied frameworks to assess, test, and validate your detection program. It covers the entire life cycle of a detection, from creation to validation, with the help of real-world examples. Featuring hands-on tutorials and projects, this guide will enable you to confidently validate the detections in your security program. This book serves as your guide to building a career in detection engineering, highlighting the essential skills and knowledge vital for detection engineers in today's landscape. By the end of this book, you’ll have developed the skills necessary to test your security detection program and strengthen your organization’s security measures.What you will learn Understand the detection engineering process Build a detection engineering test lab Learn how to maintain detections as code Understand how threat intelligence can be used to drive detection development Prove the effectiveness of detection capabilities to business leadership Learn how to limit attackers' ability to inflict damage by detecting any malicious activity early Who this book is for This book is for security analysts and engineers seeking to improve their organization’s security posture by mastering the detection engineering lifecycle. To get started with this book, you’ll need a basic understanding of cybersecurity concepts, along with some experience with detection and alert capabilities.

Threat modeling is one of the most essential--and most misunderstood--parts of the development lifecycle. Whether you're a security practitioner or a member of a development team, this book will help you gain a better understanding of how you can apply core threat modeling concepts to your practice to protect your systems against threats. Contrary to popular belief, threat modeling doesn't require advanced security knowledge to initiate or a Herculean effort to sustain. But it is critical for spotting and addressing potential concerns in a cost-effective way before the code's written--and before it's too late to find a solution. Authors Izar Tarandach and Matthew Coles walk you through various ways to approach and execute threat modeling in your organization. Explore fundamental properties and mechanisms for securing data and system functionality Understand the relationship between security, privacy, and safety Identify key characteristics for assessing system security Get an in-depth review of popular and specialized techniques for modeling and analyzing your systems View the future of threat modeling and Agile development methodologies, including DevOps automation Find answers to frequently asked questions, including how to avoid common threat modeling pitfalls

Changes in technology and adversary behavior will invariably produce new threats that must be assessed by defense and homeland security planners. An example of such a novel threat is the use of cruise missiles or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) by terrorist groups. Individual threats cannot be assessed in isolation, however, since adversaries always have many options for staging attacks. To examine this threat, RAND utilized a ?red analysis of alternatives? approach, wherein the benefits, costs, and risks of different options are considered from the point of view of a potential adversary. For several types of attacks, the suitability of these systems was compared against other options. This approach can help defense planners understand how the capabilities that different attack modes provide address key adversary operational problems. Given the insights this analysis produced about when these systems would likely be preferred by an attacker, RAND explored defensive options to address the threat. UAVs and cruise missiles represent a ?niche threat? within a larger threat context; therefore, defenses were sought that provide common protection against both this and other asymmetric threats. The monograph concludes with a discussion of cross-cutting lessons about this threat and the assessment of novel threats in general.

Recent arrests (esp. Ahmed Ressam) on the Canada-U.S. border underscore the threats faced by both our nations from international terrorists and alien and drug smugglers. Witnesses: Martin Collacott, Ambassador, Canadian Dept. of External Affairs (ret.); Steven Emerson, exec. dir., Terrorism Newswire; David Harris, former chief of strategic planning, Canadian Security Intelligence Service (ret.); Christopher Sands, fellow and dir., Canada Project, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); Gary Stubblefield, pres., GlobalOptions LLC; John Thompson, dir., the Mackenzie Institute, Toronto, Canada; and Philip C. Wilcox, Ambassador, U.S. State Dept. (ret.).