Analyzing and Securing Social Networks

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Social Media and Bioterrorism

29.1 INTRODUCTION

The threat of bioterrorism has remained at the forefront of disaster preparation for countries such

as the United States in the wake of the events of 2001 (Shadel et al., 2003). Unlike other threats

such as direct physical attacks, a biological weapon can be effective far beyond the initial target; the

very nature of a biological agent makes it possible for a relatively small attack to have far-reaching

consequences on an entire population. To date, no known intentional attack has spread beyond the

original initial target.

However, the lack of full-scale incidents of biological warfare in recent ...