The NSA/CSS has the mandated to uncover the progress of U.S. rivals in weapons, determine their capacity, and retrieve their critical data or secretive information through cryptology (nsa.gov, 2017). NSA/CSS protects America’s secrets. Another vital role is to safeguard Americans’ privacy rights. The goal is to avail critical information to decision makers concerning operations aimed at countering the actions of America’s adversaries. NSA/CSS supports secure communication to ensure America’s enemies do not access confidential information. NSA/CSS serves to ensure all potential and anticipated harm to America in cyberspace is outsmarted before any attack on the country. Another critical role is its support to the U.S Military through intelligence.
As a leader of a terrorist organization, I would use the internet to radicalize and recruit the public to join the group. I would use the internet to spy operations of homeland security officials and the military. I would use the internet to spread propaganda and win sympathy from the public. The most catastrophic use of the internet in terror operations would be to jeopardize the operations of critical infrastructure used by homeland security department and the military.
Q2
Terrorist Financing and Money Laundering
Terrorist financing involves networks used to solicit funds in support for terrorist activities, either through legitimate sources, such as donations, or unlawful sources including drug trafficking. Money laundering involves actions aimed to conceal the origin of illegally-acquired financial resources. Both terrorist financing and money laundering involve profit-motivated criminal activities that are illegitimate and conducted through sophisticated international networks. While money laundering is meant to legitimize illegal acquisition of wealth, terrorist financing mainly aims to fund the acquisition of destructive weapons and support operations of insurgent groups.
The federal government has diverse mechanisms to counter terrorist financing and money laundering. It implements the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) standards to address the challenges. Law enforcement officers undergo training to acquire investigation skills. In addition, prosecutors and judges are trained on money laundering and terrorist financing (U.S. State Department, 2018). Notably, these measures are effective to combat terrorist financing and money laundering.
Terrorists use diverse financial practices to acquire resources. They engage in organized criminal acts and activities including extortions (U.N. Security Council, 2018). They engage in kidnappings to benefit from ransoms. They can use different measures to store their monetary resource including value-transfer systems, asset-transfer and Hawalas. Although in rare instances, terrorists may use the formal banking system to transfer funds.
References
National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) (nsa.gov). (2017). What We Do. Retrieved August 16, 2018 from https://www.nsa.gov/what-we-do/
U.N. Security Council. (2018). Terrorism Financing. Retrieved August 16, 2018 from https://www.un.org/sc/ctc/focus-areas/financing-of-terrorism/
U.S. State Department. (2018). Anti-Money Laundering/Counter Terrorist Financing. Retrieved August 16, 2018 from https://www.state.gov/j/inl/c/crime/c44634.htm
