Borealis Threat & Risk Consulting

The answer to the question in the title of this blog should be a no-brainer.  We want research to help us come up with ways to stop (or prevent) terrorism.  Who would quibble with that? Well, things are not as simple as they seem according to an article in the New York Times.  In the […]

First of all kudos to the Trudeau government for its recent announcement on funding for counter radicalisation and community engagement.  $35 million over five years is an excellent start and, although details are wanting, the government sees the new “Office of the Community Outreach and Counter Radicalisation Coordinator” as a leadership post for Canada’s efforts. This […]

In the wake of the horrendous attacks in Brussels this week, there has been a cascade of stories, op-ed pieces and analyses of the event, ranging from why Belgian security services did not prevent it to whether more are on their way.  Political scientist, sociologists and even a few former spies have weighed in, and […]

As I have stated many times I am not a fan of speculation in the absence of facts.  All we know so far about the heinous act of terrorism this morning in Brussels is that three bombs went off and that at least two of the attacks were suicide.  Belgian police and security forces are […]

If there is one theatre of war tactic that remains controversial – aside from the inevitable divisions of futuristic killer robots I keep reading about – it is the use of drones, or unmanned aerial vehicles as the military prefers to call them.  Relentless, tireless, brimming with state of the art gadgetry, these flying platforms […]

I am fascinated by polls and the science of polling.  Yes, some firms have taken a hit for what turned out to be inaccurate predictions (especially when it comes to election results), but we do not have a better way at present to gauge the pulse of the public on any given issue.  It is […]

There are many occasions on which public perception does not hold up well once research is carried out and data collected.  For instance, people in Canada and the US think that crime is on the increase when statistics show quite the opposite and that we are in an era of unprecedented safety.  Global warming  is […]

Despite my continuing efforts to understand why people become terrorists, I have always believed that the decision to do so is indeed a choice, and not due to some form of coercion or brainwashing.  I view the vulnerability/victim arguments (i.e. it is not the fault of the terrorist) as both largely uninformed and perhaps the […]

I learned a long time ago not to jump to conclusions based on very little information (a cardinal sin in intelligence analysis).  Hence some of this post will be tenuous in nature.  I am writing of course on the attack at a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting centre in Toronto on March 14th in which a knife-wielding […]