Organized Crime Group Analysis and Essay Response
Section 1: Organized Crime Groups
Outlaw Motorcycle groups in the United States have captured the imagination of the American public as well as the attention of law enforcement at the local and federal level.
Complete the following chart by comparing and contrasting each of the listed groups. Include the origin of each group, the areas of the United States in which these groups operate, their business interests, colors and patches, their structure, the requirements for joining each group, and any rituals associated with each group.
There is a growing trend toward a nexus or cooperation between organized crime groups and terrorist groups. Terrorist groups may take advantage of the specialized skills of an organized crime group. For example, Hezbollah has established bases in Latin America and has worked with Mexican drug trafficking organizations to smuggle people and launder money to finance terrorism. Sometimes the terrorist group may incorporate organized criminal activity, such as kidnapping for ransom or narcotics trafficking, as a funding mechanism for their terrorist activities. For example, the Al-Qa’ida in the Lands of the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in Algeria used kidnapping for ransom to finance their operations.
Create a list of the ten most prominent terrorist organizations worldwide and their country of origin or operation.
Choose one group from your list above and write a 350- to 525-word essay below in which you explore the political, social, and financial motivations of this group. In funding its operations, does this group incorporate the services of other terrorist groups or organized crime groups? Does this group employ tactics or strategies in its fund-raising that include organized criminal activity? Explain your answer.
Essay response:
Section 3: Cyber Terrorism
Cyberterrorism could be a critical threat to national security and public policy. Cyberterrorism is the use of technology to bring about political, religious, or ideological goals by actions that result in disabling or deleting critical infrastructure data or information. Cyberterrorism is different from cybercrime, such as identity theft or fraud, because it is designed to attack and impact society or a city or nation and not just an individual. Cyberterrorism often involves lone wolf incidents rather than the work of an organized terrorist organization. (“Cyber Terror.” William Tafoya. November 1, 2011. FBI.gov.)
Write a 350- to 525-word essay below in which you discuss at least one previous cyberterrorism attack and hypothesize on the future of such attacks. Where do vulnerabilities lie in the infrastructure of the United States that may create opportunities for cyberterrorists? What technological tools could terrorists use for future attacks? How can the U.S. government reduce the risk for such attacks? Explain your answer.
