ESSAY : Homeland Security Intelligence and National Security

Threat Assessment Briefing Paper (200 Points)
The briefing paper is an essay about an important contemporary topic written for an informed audience. You should address the question below, making a strong argument on behalf of your thesis and developing your own conclusion based on evidence from sources. In doing so, you must use a minimum of three (3) sources.

Question: Identify a key target relevant to US National Security that could be the subject of an attack. Conduct a threat assessment on that target.
Your threat assessment should identify the target and the potential threats it faces. In identifying the target, discuss its relevance to National
Security and its key vulnerabilities. What would be the impact if the target was the subject of an attack? In identifying threats, discuss the threat\’s strengths, weaknesses, probability of occurring and potential severity were it to occur. Prioritize the threats, identifying which one should command the most attention and which the least. Lay out potential ways to protect the target and note the cost the increased security entails. Given your
analysis, what steps should policy makers and national leaders take to
better secure the target?

SAMPLE SOLUTION

Introduction
The ability to effectively assess and protect a group of people identified to be vulnerable to security threats continues to be of great concern in the criminal justice system. The situation has been made even more complicated by the fact that terrorists have always derived news and complicated ways to implement their security threats. The nature of terrorism threats that face society have also changed immensely making counterterrorism measures to be re-defined from time to time. This essay critically evaluates a sample group that is vulnerable to threats. A discussion of the threats and weaknesses of such threats will be provided in the threat assessment as well.
Key Targets and Vulnerabilities
Extremists or terrorist groups increasingly aim to identify and hence attack targets they perceive as soft. Shopping malls and markets may however be the most vulnerable group in as far as terrorist attacks are concerned. Shopping malls are large public gatherings making them susceptible to security threats by terrorists. Looking at the global security trends, terrorist groups have changed tune as they now seek to look…