Homeland Security Research Division

The Homeland Security Research Division (HSRD) is the research unit within RAND that houses the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center, an FFRDC operated by RAND under contract with the Department of Homeland Security. HSRD also serves as the platform by which RAND communicates relevant research from across its units with the broader homeland security enterprise.

Explore Research on Homeland Security Issues

  • Research Brief

    How the U.S. Coast Guard Can Leverage Social Media and Enhanced Cell Phone Data to Improve Emergency Response

    Mar 17, 2020

    A growing proportion of maritime distress calls to the U.S. Coast Guard comes indirectly through social media, 911, or cell phones. Better understanding of the social media and cell phone environments could help inform future Department of Homeland Security policy on using these media in response operations.

  • Report

    Small Unmanned Aerial System Adversary Capabilities

    Mar 12, 2020

    It is difficult to detect, identify, classify, and—consequently—counter nefarious small unmanned aerial systems (sUASs), particularly in urban areas. As the U.S. Department of Homeland Security prepares for this potential threat, it will need to know the types of threat scenarios in which these systems could be used, which design elements are likely to be exploited by a nefarious actor, and which technologies and capabilities may be available in the near future.

  • Drone quadcopter over a background of binary code, photos by Kadmy/Adobe Stock and enot-poloskun/Getty Images; design by Rick Penn-Kraus/RAND Corporation

    Report

    How to Analyze the Cyber Threat from Drones

    Mar 5, 2020

    Unmanned aerial systems—drones—have become more common, more readily available, and more sophisticated. And they have new capabilities, such as increased data collection and autonomous behavior. Their cybersecurity implications demand a coherent strategy.

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