In this thought leadership paper, Paul Rimmer CBE reflects on the need to constantly balance the promise of new technologies and the importance of the analyst through all stages of the intelligence cycle. As a former Deputy Chief of Defence Intelligence, he has a lifetime of experience working at the forefront of intelligence analysis. In this paper, Paul highlights the centrality of the intelligence analyst to the delivery of timely and accurate intelligence product. His message resonates strongly with Leidos’ mission to makes the world safer, healthier, and more efficient through technology ..read more

This report is the first of its kind to analyze in depth the characteristics that make criminal actors particularly threatening. Enhancing law enforcement’s understanding of their functioning and core capabilities will further strengthen the fight against serious and organized crime. It is essential as a complement to a commodity-based approach. Serious and organised crime is omnipresent and continues to represent a major threat to the internal security of the European Union (EU). In order to fight it effectively, law enforcement needs to understand the key areas where it should prioritise re ..read more

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is an independent inter-governmental body that develops and promotes policies to protect the global financial system against money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The FATF Recommendations are recognised as the global anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorist financing (CFT) standard.   Express trusts and similar legal arrangements are generally formed for essential and legitimate purposes. However, to prevent cases where these legal arrangements may be abused by criminals th ..read more

The payment app, used by millions and celebrated by rappers, “had no effective procedure” to establish the true identity of customers, two whistleblowers told officials. Federal financial regulators are exploring allegations by two whistleblowers that Cash App, the popular mobile payment platform, and entities providing transaction services to its users performed inadequate due diligence on customers, potentially opening the door to money laundering, terrorism financing and other illegal activities.  While banks are required to know the true identity of every customer, the Cash App progr ..read more

Time to end impunity for corruption. The 2023 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is thriving across the world. The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories around the globe by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, scoring on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). Over two-thirds of countries score below 50 out of 100, which strongly indicates that they have serious corruption problems. The global average is stuck at only 43, while the vast majority of countries have made no progress or declined in the last decade. What is more, 23 countries fell ..read more

The exploitation of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) for the purpose of terror financing is a pressing concern within the realms of global philanthropy and security. Groups like Hamas, officially designated as a terrorist organization by several international authorities, have demonstrated sophisticated methods of channeling funds under the guise of charitable work. This intricate challenge is magnified by the emergence of advanced technologies such as cryptocurrencies, which complicate the ethical landscape as we understand it—a concern profoundly echoed in Shoshana Zuboff’s work “The A ..read more

With the Digital revolution around all businesses, small or large, corporates, organizations and even governments are relying on computerized systems to manage their day-to-day activities and thus making cybersecurity a primary goal to safeguard data from various online attacks or any unauthorized access. Continuous change in technologies also implies a parallel shift in cybersecurity trends as news of data breach, ransomware and hacks become the norms. Enhance your skills with expert-led security courses for comprehensive protection.   Rise of Automotive Hacking  Modern vehicles ..read more

Dollar luggage – out, digital currencies – no. The financing of terrorism through crypto is a worldwide problem, every wallet and every suspicious transfer must be fought as if it were the elimination of a terrorist cell Like other terrorist organizations, Sinwar and Hamas also work to circumvent Western sanctions/Reuters The State of Israel is in one of the most difficult times it has known, when social solidarity merges with the courage of the soldiers, who are now in battle. However, war in the modern era does not begin and end on the battlefield, and the state has an important role in def ..read more

Two distinguished American researchers, Prof. Robert J. Jackson, Jr. of New York University, and Prof. Joshua Mitts of Columbia University, on Sunday published an extensive report titled, “Trading on Terror?” That suggests someone profited from the planned Hamas attack on Israeli civilians on October 7, through what appears to be a bet on a fall in the value of Israeli companies on the New York Stock Exchange and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Their study indicates a very likely possibility that the information that led to these transactions shorting Israeli stocks had come from Hamas. Shorting ..read more

Citizenship and residency by investment (CBI/RBI) programmes are government-administered programmes that grant citizenship or residency to foreign investors by expediting or bypassing normal migration processes. These programmes can help spur economic growth through foreign direct investment, but they are also attractive to criminals and corrupt officials seeking to evade justice and launder the proceeds of crime amounting to billions of dollars. In response to the FATF Ministers’ call in April 2022 for greater focus on corruption, the FATF completed a joint project with the Organisation for ..read more