Data Science

  • The words Truth Decay over a fading American flag painted on wood

    Report

    Declining Trust in Facts and Institutions Imposes Costs on Society

    “Truth Decay” is the diminishing reliance on facts and analysis in American public life. It has many damaging consequences: the erosion of civil discourse, political paralysis, alienation and disengagement from political and civic institutions, and uncertainty over U.S. policy.

    Jan 16, 2018

  • A security lock symbol on computer circuit board

    Report

    Law Enforcement Cyber Center: Final Technical Report

    Cybercrime is a challenge for local and state law enforcement. The Law Enforcement Cyber Center (LECC) was established to provide a resource to combat cybercrime. This report summarizes the LECC's activities and provides recommendations.

    Jan 15, 2018

  • A child poses with a Lego Boost set, a predicted top seller this Christmas, at the Hamleys toy store in London, Britain, October 12, 2017

    Commentary

    Smart Toys May Pose Risks

    Parents shouldn't avoid buying smart toys during the holidays, particularly if these devices top children's Christmas lists. But parents should definitely be wary of the security and privacy risks that smart toys can pose.

    Dec 21, 2017

  • Data sharing and privacy concept

    Commentary

    Collaboration Is the Best Strategy to Combat Population Health Concerns

    The greatest opportunities to improve health happen pretty much everywhere but the doctor's office. Collaborative programming that merges strategies from housing, education, or labor could make a big difference.

    Dec 14, 2017

  • Robots working in a factory

    Report

    The Risks of AI to Security and the Future of Work

    As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more prevalent in the domains of security and employment, what are the policy implications? What effects might AI have on cybersecurity, criminal and civil justice, and labor market patterns?

    Dec 6, 2017

  • Criminal hiding behind a mask on computer screen asking the owner for money

    Commentary

    The WannaCry Cyber Attack Could Be the First of Many If the NHS Takes No Action

    In the UK, the National Health Service (NHS) was one of the organizations most severely affected by the WannaCry ransomware. The NHS and other public sector organizations need to improve their cybersecurity processes and quickly before a more severe cyber attack takes place.

    Dec 1, 2017

  • Blockchain cryptocurrency financial technology concept with binary code

    Commentary

    Blockchain: Should We Believe the Hype?

    Industry, governments and academics are all speculating on the ways in which blockchain could revolutionize everything from finance to the music industry. Now is the time for policymakers and industry to take note and find out what blockchain could offer.

    Nov 30, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    Robust and Resilient Logistics Operations in a Degraded Information Environment

    The U.S. Air Force asked RAND Project AIR FORCE to examine how tactics, techniques, and procedures should change to improve an airman's ability to detect, evaluate, and mitigate significant corruption of logistics data.

    Nov 22, 2017

  • Trading information about Equifax and the company logo are displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, September 8, 2017

    Commentary

    The Equifax Breach: Yawn, or Yikes?

    In cases where personal information is exposed, such as the Equifax data breach, it is critical that consumers take steps to ensure their information is not abused. The simplest and perhaps the most effective way to enhance personal digital security is to protect account credentials using password management software.

    Nov 3, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    National Guard Youth ChalleNGe: Program Progress in 2015–2016

    National Guard Youth ChalleNGe is a residential, quasi-military program for young people at risk of dropping out of high school. This report provides information on recent ChalleNGe participants and develops metrics of program success.

    Nov 1, 2017

  • Periodical

    Periodical

    RAND Review: November-December 2017

    This issue highlights recent RAND research on post-9/11 military caregivers; RAND-Lex, a computer program built at RAND that can analyze huge data sets of text; and the implications of climate change on Arctic cooperation.

    Oct 19, 2017

  • Credit cards, a chain, an open padlock, and a computer keyboard are visible next to the Equifax logo

    Commentary

    Equifax and the Data-Breach Era

    The personal and financial data of almost 146 million U.S. consumers has been compromised by the Equifax breach, the latest in a long line of high-profile hacks. Do consumers worry enough about such breaches? And what options are available to Congress?

    Oct 18, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    Understanding the landscape of Distributed Ledger Technologies/Blockchain: Challenges, opportunities, and the prospects for standards

    This report analyses the current landscape of Distributed Ledger Technologies (DLT) / Blockchain. The study examines the issues that are central to its development in conjunction with the potential role of standardization to support its growth.

    Oct 18, 2017

  • Speech bubbles imposed over a world map

    Essay

    Big Data, Big Questions

    RAND-Lex is a computer program that can scan millions of lines of text and identify what people are talking about, how they fit into communities, and how they see the world. The program has shed light on how terrorists communicate, how the American public thinks about health, and more.

    Oct 16, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    Building our Connected Society: Findings from the 2017 Thought Leadership programme

    This report summarises the key themes that emerged from four thought leadership sessions on the UK's connected society, along with recommended actions moving forward for the UK government, industries, the third sector and the public.

    Oct 11, 2017

  • Scales of justice in front of computer monitors with code

    Commentary

    The Intersection of Algorithms and an Individual's Rights

    Data collection, and our reliance on it, have evolved extremely rapidly. The resulting algorithms have proved invaluable for organizing, evaluating and utilizing information. How do individuals' rights come in to play, when data about their lives is compiled to create algorithms, and the resulting tools are applied to judge them?

    Sep 29, 2017

  • Report

    Report

    Follow the Money: Promoting Greater Transparency in Department of Defense Security Cooperation Reporting

    This report analyzes the obstacles that the Department of Defense (DoD) faces in tracking security cooperation spending and provides recommendations for streamlining DoD's reporting process to meet new requirements for transparency.

    Sep 19, 2017

  • Tool

    Tool

    Propensity Scores for Repeated Treatments: A Tutorial for the iptw Function in the TWANG Package

    This tutorial describes the use of the TWANG package in R to estimate inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs) when one has time varying treatments or sequences of treatments over time.

    Sep 14, 2017

  • Hacked internet of things

    Commentary

    Gaming Policy in Cyberspace

    Hacked devices and intellectual property theft are a rich hunting ground for policy development. The challenge posed by Internet-connect devices is only getting worse as the number of online devices continues to grow.

    Aug 23, 2017

  • Digital devices on a map of Australia

    Report

    Australia's Cyber Security Policy Options

    An exercise with participants from government, industry, think tanks, academia, and the media explored opportunities to improve cyber security and inform Australia's strategy. Recommendations include creating and enforcing technology security standards, crafting international agreements to address challenges, and increasing awareness to keep users safe online.

    Aug 7, 2017