A graph database framework for covert network analysis: An application to the Islamic State network in Europe

• Main Authors: GUTFRAIND, Alexander, GENKIN, Michael
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2017
• Subjects: Covert network; Terrorist network; Graph database; Terrorism; Islamic State; Sociology
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/2043; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/soss_research/article/3300/viewcontent/A_graph_database_framework_for_covert_network_analysis.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

This paper proposes a new framework based on graph database theory for encoding complex data on covert networks, mapping their structure and conducting a sensitivity analysis.The framework is then applied to reconstruct the terrorist network of the 2015-2016 attacks in Paris and Brussels, and related plots in Europe by the Islamic State group (IS). The resulting network was found to be qualitatively different from the ideologically-related Al-Qaeda network, having a lower secrecy and lower mean degree, under different network-generating assumptions.