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This paper aims to highlight the importance and role of strategic cyber intelligence to support risk-informed decision-making, ultimately leading to improved objectives, policies, architectures and investments to advance a nation or organization’s interests in the cyber domain.

Integration of professional research literature from the fields of intelligence studies, strategy and information/computer security.

Investing in technology, firewalls and intrusion detection systems is appropriate but, by itself, insufficient. Intelligence is a key component. Cyber intelligence emphasizes prevention and anticipation, to focus cybersecurity efforts before an attack occurs (“left of the hack”). Strategic cyber intelligence can substantially reduce risk to the organization’s mission and valued assets and support its due diligence.

This paper describes how strategic cyber intelligence can be implemented and used within an enterprise to enhance its cyber defense, and create a more proactive and adaptive security posture. It not only describes strategic cyber intelligence as a distinct discipline, but also demonstrates how the key intelligence functions articulate with existing cybersecurity risk management standards.

This paper seeks to evaluate the usefulness of the violent extremist risk assessment (VERA) by assessing how easily the criteria can be applied to case studies of five terrorists, and to determine whether it is more applicable to terrorists who work alone or as part of a group.

Case studies of five terrorists were constructed through online research. Evidence of each factor outlined in the VERA was rated and a total score for each category was calculated.

The majority of factors were easy to apply and were equally applicable to individuals within the sample regardless of whether they worked alone or as part of a group. The results tend to support theory and research about characteristics of violent extremists. This suggests that the factors are relevant and, therefore, that the VERA is a useful risk assessment guide.

As the research is based on case studies, the findings may not generalise beyond the sample selected. In addition, some sources used to construct the case studies may be less reliable. Future research should include larger, more varied and more recent samples.

If future research confirms the present findings, the VERA may help to identify terrorists at risk of committing future offences. The factors may be incorporated into intervention strategies to prevent such offences.

Currently, the VERA is mainly for consultation purposes. This study applies it to real individuals, as it could be of great use in the risk assessment of terrorists.