About the Division

Terrorism and violent extremism are complex security challenges whose origins, manifestations and consequences extend well beyond conventional military and law-enforcement paradigms. They may be shaped by religious, political, socio-economic, demographic, ideological, technological and, at times, historical factors. Understanding these interconnected drivers requires sustained research, multidisciplinary analysis and continuous engagement with institutions and practitioners working across the security ecosystem. Recognising this need, the Centre for Internal Security Analysis (CISA) established a dedicated Counter Terrorism Division to undertake focused research on terrorism, violent extremism, radicalisation and the evolving security environment in which such threats emerge.

The Division examines different dimensions of terrorism and seeks to contribute towards the development of effective, evidence-based counter-terrorism strategies, policies and institutional responses. Its work extends beyond the study of terrorist organisations and incidents to include the processes and enabling environments associated with radicalisation, recruitment, terror financing, extremist propaganda, technology-enabled terrorism and cyber-enabled threats.

Alongside its analytical work, the Division seeks to develop and study approaches for counter-radicalisation, prevention of violent extremism, disruption of terror financing and strengthening institutional preparedness against emerging terrorist threats.

Through research, policy dialogue, capacity building and engagement with relevant stakeholders, the Counter Terrorism Division aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the contemporary terrorism landscape and support more informed and coordinated responses to national and transnational security challenges.