The Collective Realities of Terror Threats: A Systematic Analysis of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Vulnerabilities in Supply Chains

• In Event: Vulnerabilities to Terrorism

Abstract

A review of the literature suggests potential gaps in the data surrounding terror threats against the nation’s supply chains. Although the United States has had narrow exposure to deliberate biological, chemical, or physical attacks against the shipping and truck transportation industries, the existing climate surrounding the vulnerability of supply chains is at both the micro and macro levels. Exposure to potential threats and the susceptibility of contemporary biological diseases and maladies can incite fear, affect commercial losses, and reduce social stability in communities and the industry. This examination illustrates existing policies and protection standards and the consciousness of a noteworthy attack on the supply chain through the engagement of chemical weapons, biological contaminants, and other measured physical occurrences.

Authors

• Darren K. Stocker, Saint Joseph's University

• Patricia M. Griffin, Boston College