Behavior Signatures

The objective of this research project is to develop Behavior Signatures Prototype (BSP) software, which will facilitate the accessing of open source data to value behavior signatures (risk factors) associated with the likelihood of a specific terrorist individual/group/nation state talking a particular course of action (COA). These behavior signatures will be valued in two sets: the first set which will generate a likelihood of the specific terrorist individual/group/nation state committing a terrorist act and the second set which generate a likelihood of performing a particular COA. The second set of behavior signatures will integrate minimally observable Markov Decision Processes into the computational component of the BSP software to enhance the accuracy of the likelihood predictions and refocus the intelligence gathering effort for determining the likelihood of a particular COA. Similarities between the two sets of behavior signatures may exist, such as the existence of a type of support, e.g., financial funding, thus, increasing the likelihood of a terrorist act being committed, but the level of financial funding may be critical to differentiating between the ability to detonate an explosive device in a market of a local village versus flying a jet liner into the White House in Washington, D.C.