HIGH FLYERS THINK TANK

Safeguarding Australia

4 April 2003

A perspective from the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council: Working party on science and security

by Professor Sue Serjeantson

The Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council set up a working party on science and security which reported in December 2002. The working party consulted experts on the threats from terrorism, surveyed Australia's relevant science and technology capability and calculated the gaps in that capability.

The key finding was that Australia's science, engineering and technology community is not directly connected to our counter-terrorism needs. Established counter-terrorism support exists in the Defence Science and Technology Organisation. Relevant skills also exist in the defence forces, police and intelligence agencies.

Analysis of the threat of terrorism is complex. Counter-terrorism has four phases:

  • prevention
  • detection
  • response
  • recovery.

Finding the capability of a terrorist group requires information on personnel, organisation, facilities, training, equipment, procedures, finance and motivation.

Methods the terrorists employ could be:

  • physical – impact, explosive, theft, hostage-taking, siege
  • psychological – propaganda
  • financial – stock market, extortion
  • criminal
  • chemical – land, water, air
  • information – intrusion, data corruption, denial of service, destruction
  • biological – air, water, land, vector
  • radiological – release
  • nuclear – detonation.

Their targets could be:

  • people – population centre, group, individual
  • services – finance, security, information, food chain, energy, water, tourism, health, education
  • transport – land, air, water
  • infrastructure – government-owned, privately owned, defence industry, chemical industry, landmarks.

The working party recommended a framework to enhance collaboration between the science and technology community and counter-terrorism operations. A science and technology unit should be formed with additional research funding. The unit would support counter-terrorism capabilities, coordinate national and state requirements and analyse the vulnerability of critical infrastructure.

The full report of the working party on science and security is available at
www.dest.gov.au/sectors/science_innovation/science_agencies_committees/
prime_ministers_science_engineering_innovation_council/meetings/ninth_meeting.htm.