Visual Analytics for Security Intelligence

Course Composition and Objectives

• Understand nature of security concerns and objectives of intelligence analysis
• Develop knowledge and skills for gathering security related data from a variety of sources.
• Learning popular methods of homeland security intelligence.
• Apply analytical models for predicting threats and risk.
• Visualizing intelligence information for communication to public as well as officials.
• Awareness of current and future trends in security intelligence technologies.
• Instructors Choice: Instructors may choose topics and learning objectives that meet the spirit of the course as defined here. Instructors may choose to devote more time to the learning objectives listed above or to add additional, complimentary objectives. Supplementary material and objectives should not overlap with the defined content of other courses in the curriculum

Course Description

This course surveys techniques for visualizing and analyzing security information and for communicating and using information about threats, risk and vulnerability to decision-makers. It will motivate students by the needs for better intelligence in a broad range of homeland security applications. Through case studies and problem-based learning, students will develop understanding of important concepts and issues, such as data source and data quality, associations and integration of incidence, hazards, and risk factors, and the difficulties of analyzing and communicating knowledge. Various visual analytical methods for homeland security intelligence will be discussed, such as : (1) mapping and visualizing patterns of crime and incidence, (2) identifying targets and agents of terrorist attacks, (3) spatial analysis of social, economic and environmental risk indicators, and (4) prediction of threat and risk. It also pays special attention to the interpretation of analytical results for actions. Geographical information systems and associated spatial analytical tools will be used to exemplify the kinds of information environment available to intelligence community. The course will prepare students to become immediate workforce for security-related industries and government agencies.