Travel Security in the Age of ISIS

The recent terror attacks in Paris and San Bernardino have left the global community shaken. What made these attacks particularly terrifying is that the terrorists struck people when they were going about their daily lives—and having fun. These types of locations, where people gather with little security, are considered “soft targets.”

Soft targets have drawn more attention from law enforcement in recent years, as the high profile, mass casualties objective of al-Qaeda has been thwarted by the degradation of the terrorist group’s core leadership by U.S. drone strikes and other means.  Al-Qaeda affiliates and now the Islamic State seem more interested in attacks that take fewer resources and less planning, but have the potential of creating mass fear among the public and economic hardship for business. According to a 2011 Heritage Foundation study, 31.5 percent of terrorist attacks worldwide occur at businesses, compared to 27 percent and 13 percent at diplomatic offices and military institutions, respectively.