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Historically, there has been little overlap between patterns of right-wing terror in Europe and the United States. This, on its face, is not surprising. The ideological roots of right-wing extremism differ significantly between the two continents. The American far-right has long been composed of an uneasy mix of white supremacists and neo-confederates with a disdain for federal government.

Nothing could have prepared us for 2020 - a year that demanded a swift and dramatic restructure of corporate operations in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Covid-19 has accelerated a variety of global trends. Some of these are perhaps ultimately good, for example moves towards more investment in AI and automation, or a growing focus on taking this opportunity to making lasting changes to benefit the environment. Many others are, however, quite concerning. Continued threats to the global order, the likelihood of states testing the resolve of the new US administration, and increasingly polarised populations are all factors that will dominate 2021.

Terrorists and violent extremists use a variety of interlocking technologies to share content and plan operations. Tech Against Terrorism (TAT) recognises four categories of tech platforms that are used to ensure content longevity: beacons, content stores, aggregators and circumventors. This diverse eco-system is exemplified by both viral and more routine propaganda operations.

This year has been a strange one to assess. Because of the global pandemic, in the UK we have seen lockdowns of various extremeties keeping people away from busy places. Working from home has become the new norm, making commuting redundant and our town and city centres less populated. Equally, the ordinarily congested events schedule, whether for sport, music or other entertainment, has been paused, whilst, in many cases, holiday-goers have been prevented from travelling abroad.

Counter Terror Business caught up with Roderick Jones, executive chairman at Concentric Advisors and former member of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch, to discuss all things cyber security, coronavirus and the recent US Election
CTB: Cyber security has become one of the leading global considerations for the coronavirus crisis. In light of this, how important is it that organisations remain aware of the inevitable vulnerabilities that come from this?

Alfie Hosker explains the increasing importance of improving the physical security of buildings and incorporating counter terrorism measures into the layout and landscaping of developments

One of the things that the UK and the EU can agree on is that counter terrorism (CT) cooperation must continue beyond the Brexit transition period. This includes protecting CT capabilities, such as mechanisms for rapid and secure data exchange; practical measures to support cross-border operational cooperation; and UK cooperation with EU law enforcement, intelligence and criminal justice agencies.

On 22 May 2017, an Islamist extremist suicide bomber detonated a shrapnel-laden homemade bomb as people were leaving the Manchester Arena following a concert by Ariana Grande. Twenty-three people died, including the attacker, and 139 were wounded, more than half of them children. One of those killed was Martyn Hett, Figen Murray’s son. Since that fateful day, Figen has campaigned tirelessly to get legislation passed by the Government to have a series of safety protocols put in place for venues nationwide  – Martyn’s Law.

On 15 October, Evolv Technology sponsored our CTB365 Event Management Security event. As part of the event, Nathan Bailey, Sales Director, EMEA, and co-founder Anil Chitkara shared some thoughts on industry preparation for a return to live event venues. Here, we pose some further questions to Peter George, Evolv Technology CEO.