RMS Expert Talks on Quantifying the Terrorist Threat Under the Obama Administration

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Thursday 12 March 2009

Dr. Gordon Woo, terrorism risk expert at Risk Management Solutions (RMS), will today present his research on the terrorist threat under the Obama administration at a conference hosted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington DC.

Dr. Woo has analyzed the susceptibility of terrorist conspiracies to interception; using advanced mathematical formulae he
has shown quantitatively the crucial importance of reducing the number of sympathizers to terrorist causes through the
‘hearts and minds campaign’. “With the new administration being committed to progressing this specific agenda, the future
prospects for homeland security are promising, provided that vigilance is maintained,” he commented. “Essential to this is
border security.”

Dr. Woo will demonstrate the value to the U.S. of the new enhanced security requirements for those travelling under the
visa waiver program. With Pakistan being a violent epicenter of Islamist militancy, as shown by recent attacks in Islamabad
and Lahore, Pakistanis with European passports are now subject to heightened U.S. vigilance.

“Countering terrorism with mathematics is not just the preserve of cryptographers deciphering secret encoded communications,” said Dr. Woo, the chief architect of the RMS® U.S. Terrorism Risk Model. “Other mathematical experts are involved and, using techniques such as game theory, will be advancing our understanding behind terrorist activities at this conference.”

For more information about the 5th Conference on Mathematical Methods in Counterterrorism, visit:
http://www.rit.edu/cos/math/cmmc/conferences/2008/