THE INTERNET’S RELATIONSHIP TO CBRN INCIDENTS BY LONE ACTORS: A STUDY ON THE EVOLVING THREAT

The internet is rapidly developing and presenting new and unknown threats, some of which are amplified by malicious lone actors and their increased proclivity to use unconventional attack protocols. As such, the social science research question this paper attempts to address when considering lone actors and these unconventional attack methods is as follows: What is the relationship that the internet has to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) incidents by lone actors? While much of the literature and studies on the CBRN threat is related to terrorist groups, there is limited research addressing the lone actor. There is also limited information making the connection between the lone actor and the internet – a medium which can provide resources to create a CBRN weapon. Twenty-seven cases were collected from the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) website and analyzed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. The hypothesis of this study was as lone actors had increased access to the internet there was an increased likelihood of these individuals accessing and using CBRN materials. The purpose of this study was to renew and re-address threats that the literature expresses – threats that are still used as justification for policies and programs, or lack thereof. This study determined that cases that involved the internet were more likely to present a legitimate threat, less likely to be a hoax, and have a higher risk of large-scale physical danger and cleanup requirements