Lone Wolves: How to Prevent This Phenomenon?

Perhaps one of the most puzzling and unpredictable forms of terrorism is provided by violent acts committed by a single individual. These so-called lone wolves are a nightmare for the police and intelligence community as they are extremely difficult to detect and to defend against. Compared to group terrorism or network-sponsored terrorists, lone operators have a critical advantage in avoiding identification and detection before and after their attacks, since most of them do not communicate with others with regard to their intentions. Although lone wolves might have the disadvantage of lacking the means, skills, and “professional” support of terrorist groups, some of them nonetheless have proven to be very lethal.