Table-top exercises are widely used to train complex scenarios while representing real world events. However, structured data collection and evaluation are usually limited in such exercises. To foster decision support based on the findings, this paper describes the relevant components advancing conventional towards digitalized table-top exercises by introducing a hybrid model-based approach. The underlying conceptualizations and the physical components to digitalize such exercises are presented in conjunction with a proof-of-concept – the Scenario Scanner. Project MEASURE is introduced to reflect on the model-based digitalization of table-top exercises. It transfers the approach to the emergency management domain, where table-top exercises are a commonly used tool to simulate the response to potential hazards. The Scenario Scanner is configured for an emergency scenario and selected application samples are presented. The discussion presents how results derived from table-top exercises could be linked to functional or full-scale emergency exercises and covers further potential use cases.
We model the use-case of cyber espionage for the purpose of game simulations for training executives that lack technical proficiency preparing for the implementation of the NIS2 directive in EU member states. In the first part of the paper, we lay out the common practices of classifying cyber attacks and cyber defense measures suggested by a strong body of literature in the field of cyber security. We formally validate the requirements of a use-case for game simulations and argue for cyber espionage being a purposeful use-case for executive training. In the second part, we explain our two models that demonstrate the functionality, behavior and activity sequence of our proposed executive game simulation for the use-case of cyber espionage. Finally, we discuss avenues for game development and testing.
This conference paper investigates the "virtualization of terrorism," highlighting how digital technologies facilitate extremist activities along the entire value chain of ideologically motivated violence- from radicalization to attack execution. It emphasizes that terrorists now extensively utilize online platforms for secure communication, recruitment, and operational planning, significantly altering the landscape of modern terrorism. Referring to case studies of notable attacks, such as the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing and the 2019 Halle synagogue shooting, the study aims at illustrating how perpetrators leveraged online resources for radicalization and attack preparation. The research paper also discusses the rise of Generation Z as a new wave of perpetrators, influenced by platforms like TikTok, which has become a tool for recruiting and radicalizing youth. Encrypted messaging apps further complicate counterterrorism efforts by enabling secure communication among extremists. Conclusively, the study underscores the urgent need for adaptive counterterrorism strategies to address the challenges posed by the virtualization of terrorism, which allows for greater anonymity and operational flexibility for terrorists. The findings call for a reevaluation of current approaches to effectively combat the evolving threat landscape shaped by digital technologies.
In the context of disaster response, information is crucial for adequate decision-making. This raises the question of an ethical duty to seek evidence. The paper at hand explores the ethical justification of this duty, addressing the complexities of moral responsibility when morally relevant decisions have to be made and respective actions have to be taken when insufficient information is available. The main ethical problem lies in the potential moral responsibility for actions committed because of ignorance (in the sense of Aristotle), which, intuitively, could be considered as being involuntary. To deal with this issue, the paper at hand proposes an epistemic diachronic ethical duty to seek more evidence in the context of disaster response and justifies it within a consequentialist ethical framework, which, as such, particularly requires minimising the costs and maximising the value of the evidence obtained. While the integration of geo-informatics technologies has the potential to significantly reduce costs and increase the quality of evidence, enhancing decision-making outcomes, it also raises new ethical challenges, including biases, discrimination, and privacy concerns. The paper also briefly addresses possible justification approaches within deontological and aretaic ethics. It is argued that further research on the ethical integration of emerging technologies is needed, which, in particular, involves understanding cultural differences in disaster response and developing comprehensive training programs for disaster professionals to navigate these ethical dilemmas effectively.
First observed in 2020, a phenomenon of increasingly damaging proportions has surfaced in need of both emergency managers and seafarers’ attention: Some members of the Iberian Residential Orca population have been interacting with and damaging human-operated seagoing vessels mainly in the Western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Gulf of Cádiz as well as along vast stretches of the Atlantic Iberian coastline. So far, no human losses have been recorded despite the sinking of several sailboats by these orcas. However, it appears only as matter of When rather than of If that such fatalities will be recorded, which will then transfer this particular wild-animal-human interaction onto a new level of urgency and directly into the realm of emergency management. As an effective self-help mechanism, recreational sailors have created social-media groups, which report the location of orca sightings and interactions in almost real time. Local authorities in Portugal, Morocco, and Spain are also on the alert providing advice to the fishing and recreational sailing communities. In this article, a multidisciplinary approach is undertaken that aims at improving the situational awareness of both emergency responders and sailing/fishing communities. It further attempts to identify a pathway towards developing appropriate measures of preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery.
