Security of underground resistance movements

Abstract

In an attempt to better understand the possible lines of communication in a terrorist group, we consider a graph theoretic model and the competing demands of the desire for ease of communication versus the danger of betrayal of subverted or captured members. We first examine what the design should be when the attack on the network is optimal as well as when it is random but in both cases with no restriction on the surviving network. Then the question of what the design should be to minimize damage but to ensure that the average size of the surviving components is as large as possible is considered. Finally the restriction that all the survivors are capable of communicating is examined. © 2009 Springer Vienna.