THREATS | Threats & Security Risk Intelligence

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Domestic terrorism involves violent, criminal acts committed by individuals or groups to advance ideological goals rooted in domestic influences — including political, religious, social, racial, or environmental motives. Unlike international terrorism, domestic threats emerge from within the country and often involve individuals who are already embedded in the communities they target.

Evolution of the Domestic Threat

The nature of domestic terrorism has shifted from organized, large-group conspiracies to attacks carried out by lone offenders or small cells. These individuals often radicalize online and mobilize rapidly to violence, with minimal observable planning activity — making them among the most challenging threats for law enforcement to detect, investigate, and disrupt in advance.

Domestic Extremist Ideologies

Violent extremists in the United States adhere to a range of ideologies that motivate criminal and violent acts. Key domestic extremist ideologies include:

• Sovereign Citizen Extremists — Individuals who reject governmental authority and laws, often holding anti-government beliefs that escalate to violence against law enforcement and government officials.
• Animal Rights & Environmental Extremists — Groups that use property destruction, intimidation, and violence to promote animal rights or environmental causes.
• Abortion-Related Extremists — Individuals who commit violence in opposition to or in support of abortion-related issues, targeting clinics, providers, and associated organizations.
• Anarchist Extremists — Individuals advocating the dismantling of government structures and social order through violent means, often targeting symbols of authority and commerce.
• Militia Extremists — Armed groups that seek to undermine government authority and may engage in paramilitary activities, weapons stockpiling, and intimidation of officials.
• White Supremacy Extremists — Individuals or groups promoting racial superiority and using violence to advance those beliefs against minority communities, houses of worship, and public spaces.
• Anti-Government / Anti-Authority Extremists — A broad category of individuals motivated by generalized hostility to government institutions, law enforcement, or specific policies — representing a significant and growing share of domestic threat activity.

How PDG Can Help

PDG's security assessments identify organizational vulnerabilities to domestic extremist targeting. Our training programs include Counter-Terrorism Awareness, Force Protection Planning, and Workplace Violence Prevention — building the organizational awareness and response capability needed to address this evolving threat. 

An active shooter incident is defined as an event in which an individual is actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area. These incidents unfold rapidly, with the vast majority concluding before law enforcement arrives — making organizational preparedness and individual response training the most critical factors in saving lives.

Key Threat Characteristics

• Increasing Frequency — The number of active shooter events has increased significantly over the past decade, affecting a widening range of locations and target types.
• Unpredictable Victim Selection — Victims are often selected without a discernible pattern, making these incidents highly unpredictable and difficult to anticipate through standard threat assessment alone.
• Rapid Escalation & Conclusion — Most incidents begin and end within minutes. Approximately 60% of incidents conclude before law enforcement arrives on scene — the response of people already on site is decisive.

Incident Pattern Data

The following statistics are drawn from FBI Active Shooter Incident reports and are provided as general awareness data. Organizations are encouraged to review the most current FBI reporting for updated figures.

• Single shooter: the large majority of incidents involve only one shooter.
• 56.3% of incidents end due to the shooter’s own actions — stopping the attack, committing suicide, or fleeing the scene.
• 40% of shooters commit suicide during or immediately following the incident.
• 60% of incidents conclude before law enforcement arrives.
• 15.6% of incidents occur across more than one location.

Who Is at Risk

Active shooter incidents have occurred at schools, universities, houses of worship, healthcare facilities, workplaces, government buildings, retail locations, and public venues. No sector is immune. Organizations that lack documented response plans and trained personnel face significantly greater risk of casualties.

How PDG Can Help

PDG offers Active Shooter Preparedness Training, workplace-specific response plan development, and facility security assessments that identify structural and procedural vulnerabilities. Our training programs are available for businesses, schools, houses of worship, healthcare organizations, and government facilities of all sizes. 

Maritime security threats encompass a range of criminal and terrorist activities targeting vessels, ports, offshore infrastructure, and international shipping lanes. The maritime environment presents unique security challenges — geographic isolation, limited response options, high-value targets, and the critical role of global shipping in supply chains and energy infrastructure.

Maritime Threat Categories

• Maritime Piracy — The plundering, hijacking, or detention of vessels in international waters. While piracy patterns shift geographically, it remains an active threat in multiple key shipping regions.
• Armed Robbery at Sea — Attacks on vessels occurring within a nation’s territorial waters, often targeting cargo, crew, or vessel assets.
• Maritime Terrorism — Acts of violence or sabotage targeting ships, ports, or maritime infrastructure for political, ideological, or economic purposes. Methods include vessel hijacking, explosive attacks, sabotage of cargo or fuel systems, and cyberattacks on maritime navigation and control systems.

Maritime Terrorism: Key Factors

• Motivations — Political disruption, ideological goals, economic damage to nations, or instilling fear in the international maritime community.
• Common Targets — Commercial shipping, naval vessels, oil tankers, offshore platforms, and port facilities. Attacks can disrupt global supply chains with cascading economic consequences.
• Methods — Suicide boat attacks, vessel hijacking, use of explosives and small arms, swimmer delivery, and cyberattacks on vessel management and navigation systems.
• High-Risk Regions — The Strait of Malacca, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Guinea, Horn of Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Caribbean and South America represent current areas of elevated maritime threat activity.

How PDG Can Help

PDG deploys professional maritime security teams to ports, offshore platforms, transportation vessels, and cruise liners. Our maritime security services include armed and unarmed vessel escorts, port facility protection, threat and risk assessments, and security program development for maritime operators.

Insider threats involve trusted individuals within an organization who intentionally or unintentionally misuse their authorized access to cause harm. Unlike external threats, insider threats originate from people who already have legitimate access to facilities, systems, personnel, and sensitive information — making them particularly difficult to detect and prevent through standard perimeter security alone.

Who Poses an Insider Threat

• Current Employees — Individuals at any level who misuse access for personal gain, ideological reasons, or personal grievance — including executives, managers, and frontline staff.
• Contractors & Vendors — Third parties with authorized access to facilities, networks, or sensitive data who operate outside the organization’s direct oversight.
• Researchers & Technical Staff — Personnel with access to proprietary research, intellectual property, or critical systems who represent high-value targets for external recruitment.
• Former Employees — Individuals who retain access credentials, institutional knowledge, or ongoing relationships within the organization following separation.

Potential Impacts of an Insider Attack

• Theft of proprietary data, technology, trade secrets, and research
• Compromise of internal networks, systems, and supply chains
• Loss of competitive advantage or significant reputational damage
• Substantial financial losses from theft, fraud, or sabotage
• Legal liability and regulatory consequences for organizational leadership
• Physical threats — including active violence, sabotage, or introduction of explosive devices within the facility

How PDG Can Help

PDG's security assessments evaluate insider threat vulnerability as a core component of organizational risk — examining access control procedures, personnel vetting practices, physical security posture, and policy frameworks. Our consulting team can assist organizations in developing insider threat detection programs and response protocols tailored to their specific environment.