The current threat landscape and terror levels globally continue to rise, with several wars displaying extreme levels of violence, political conflicts, religious extremism, and social revolutionists active worldwide. We are seeing increased violent and radical attacks in support of ideology extremists and other terrorist organisations, ultimately harming innocent people and instilling fear among communities.

With a growing list of conflicting countries, Armed Conflict Location and Event Data (ACLED), who are a disaggregated data collection, analyst and crisis mapping initiative, have compiled interesting data, which highlights the current conflict trends around the world. According to ACLED’s Conflict Index Results for July 2024, the two highest ranked Global Conflict Index (GCI) countries, Palestine and Myanmar are both extreme and also in the top 4% of being the deadliest and most dangerous to civilians.

Isolated terrorist attacks – New Orleans

While these country-wide events are occurring around the world, there are also smaller, more isolated attacks linked to terrorist organisations, which are occurring more and more frequently. The lone-wolf terrorist attack in the United States on New Year’s Eve 2024 was made by Shamsud-Din Jabbar who proclaimed his support to Islamic State, and drove a truck into crowds in the French Quarter on Bourbon Street, New Orleans, killing 14 and injuring over 30. This attack was well-thought out and meticulously planned with the accused visiting Bourbon Street on a bike twice in the lead-up to the attack and recording his surrounds via Meta glasses. It is presumed this mode of recording was used to allow Jabbar to record whilst remaining inconspicuous to by-standers, and then later study the location for maximum impact upon attack. Moments before the attack, five videos were released on Facebook by Jabbar, in which he shared that he had joined ISIS and was motivated by them, and stated he had “originally planned to harm his family and friends but was concerned the news headlines would not focus on the ‘war between believers and disbelievers’”.

Before driving a rented truck into the crowded Bourbon Street on NYE, CCTV footage captured Jabbar placing two improvised explosive devices (IED), which were hidden in ice boxes/ eskies in the nearby area. These were made safe before detonating and the detonator for the devices was apparently found in the truck by authorities. Jabbar was fatally shot at the scene and deemed by the FBI to have acted alone in the attack, although motivated and inspired by ISIS.

This tragic event not only highlights the lengths extremists are willing to go for their cause, but also the impact modern technologies and social platforms are having on terrorist acts. Items such as Meta glasses used for filming and platforms such as Facebook, X and TikTok give these individuals a new platform to express their views, instil fear in communities and find other like-minded extremists.

[Information above is courtesy of: ABC NEWS]

Impacts on Australia and New Zealand

While Australia and New Zealand are often ranked some of the safest countries in terms of being at risk of terrorist attacks, the recent escalation of anti-Semitic attacks and social revolutionists across Australia is cause for concern. In the recent past, Sydney has seen nine arson and vandalism attacks across the Greater Sydney region, with growing escalation of attacks, including the arson/ defacing of a childcare centre and vandalism of a Jewish school, plus the discovery of an explosive device found in a caravan in Dural. These attacks are becoming more frequent and increasing in severity as time goes on.

The threat level increasing from ‘possible’ to ‘probable’ in August 2024 highlights the countries’ concerns for the impact that these global affairs have on our nation. And while ASIO have reassured the public on January 30, 2025 that there is no ongoing threat to safety in light of the increase in anti-Semitic events and the terror threat will remain at probable, it is still a time to re-evaluate security,

So, what can our nation do to strengthen security and mitigate against threats?

Strengthening Australia’s security

As terrorist acts set out to cause maximum impact, crowded places and symbolic sites are the choice of location for a potential attack. Places where hundreds, if not thousands are congregated at any given time, that represent the agenda of radicalists, and are deemed symbolic are now at an increased threat risk since the escalation of our National Threat Level.

What you can do to mitigate against potential attacks:

Engage with a security consultant and perform a risk assessment.
Review your current security posture to see if upgrades are required.
Understand your threat landscape.
Reduce the reliance of human intervention and incorporate physical security solutions such as security doors.
Review emergency evacuation plans to ensure there is a clear exit strategy if faced with a hostile person.
Communicate your security procedures with all staff and ensure precautions are taken in even the smallest of tasks.
Monitor regular activity and report anything suspicious.
Review and upgrade your access control systems to avoid hostile individuals from gaining entry.
Incorporate a range of protection methods such as hostile vehicle mitigation, high security entry systems, asset protection and entrance controls.

In conclusion

As world events continue and local acts rapidly escalate, incorporating security into everything we do is a must. Revisiting your security posture and implementing more impactful solutions to mitigate against threats is vital. Locations such as crowded spots, places of worship, educational facilities, Government properties and iconic sites must have adequate security measures in place as this could be the determining factor to mitigating an attack.

Gunnebo Australia has extensive experience working with High Risk sites to incorporate an enhanced security posture. If you have concerns about your security, please contact us.

Architecture & Design Team

Gunnebo

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