Security Emerging Threats in 1997,

¶ … Security

Emerging Threats

In 1997, Mary Lynn Garcia, a researcher at Sandia National Laboratories, explored potential security risks that would be emerging in the future for the United States. The five security risks that may become increasingly commonplace in the future include, according to Garcia, but are certainly not limited to the following: the development of weapons of mass destruction, terrorism- both domestic and foreign, narcotics trafficking and the crimes associated with narcotics, global conflicts and information warfare, including cyber war and cyber terrorism (Garcia, 1997). Sandia National Laboratories, which has since 1949, developed science-based technologies that help support the national security framework. Reflecting on her thoughts of the emerging threats, it seems that some fourteen years later that they have all proved to be accurate. To that end, in the future, I believe that these emerging threats that Garcia has identified will prove to be even more commonplace in our modern day society and it is up to the public to develop innovative yet practical strategies to reduce the risk levels that are associated with these high level threats.

Foremost, the issue of the development of weapons of mass destruction, global conflicts and domestic and foreign terrorism- these are issues that the public may not have direct power over halting but is certainly an issue that can be combated if the public is more aware of how to utilize their government into stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. It is possible to launch a campaign and write to senators, representatives, among others that do have control over global issues. These issues do eventually trickle down and impact people's lives, as it is those that are close to us that often serve in the armed forces that defend these decisions that our legislators make. To reduce the risk level associated with these global threats, people need to take a more active role in what their government does. "Government representatives are responsive to and reliant upon feedback and suggestions from their constituents" and "the most direct way of impacting a legislator is through a letter-writing campaign. The more letters a legislator receives, the more important the issue becomes" (Keene State College Advocates, 2011).