For 20 years, ISD has delivered field-leading threat detection, analysis and real-world strategies to combat terrorism, extremism and authoritarianism - in all their ideological forms.

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ISD resources for policymakers and Officials

ISD has a 20-year track record of helping governments at all levels. Our work includes policy advisory support, cutting-edge analysis, and monitoring of the threat landscape to safeguard national security and individual rights.

Threat detection, research and analysis

We provide governments with the best-in-class data analysis to combat a range of emerging threats both online and offline. Our analysis tracks the connections between extremist networks and offline violence, dissects the role of foreign interference in regional politics, and explores a variety of threats to democracy across different jurisdictions.

Policy advisory support

We use evidence and expertise to make sure regulations can adapt and last. Our Digital Policy Lab (DPL) convenes regulators and other officials from to discuss threats to democracy, free speech and public safety.

Please email us at [email protected] if you would like to learn more about this work.

September 17, 2026

25 years after 9/11, al-Qaeda remains perennially online: The group’s digital ecosystem in 2026

Twenty-five years after 9/11, al-Qaeda remains online, adapting its decentralized ecosystem across platforms, messaging services and AI.

Islamist Extremism, Tech Accountability and Safety, Threat Analysis and Prevention

September 7, 2026

Lessons from Extremism Prevention for Countering Hybrid Threats: A Framework for Policy Response

Threat Analysis and Prevention

August 26, 2026

Online antisemitism and digital regulation: ISD’s submission to the Australian Royal Commission

Antisemitism, Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse

May 21, 2026

Addressing the Intersection of Misogyny, Targeted Hate and Violent Extremism

Targeted Threats, Hate and Abuse, Tech Accountability and Safety

March 10, 2026

The 2025 Annual Review of Plots and Attacks Across the US

Hybrid Extremism and Nihilistic Violence, Islamist Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism, Threat Analysis and Prevention

MORE Resources for policymakers and OfficIals

October 14, 2024

Online Safety and the Regulation of Gaming Platforms and Services

As part of the Digital Policy Lab, ISD convened DPL members representing national ministries, regulators and civil society to discuss online safety in

Gaming and Alternative Platforms, Tech Accountability and Safety, Terrorism and Extremism

August 6, 2024

Online Gendered Abuse and Disinformation During the 2024 South African Elections

ISD analysis found that South African women in politics often face abuse online in the form of replies or comments to their posts or content about the

Democratic Integrity, Misogyny, Threats to Public Figures

August 6, 2024

Online Gendered Abuse and Disinformation During the 2024 South African Elections

ISD analysis found that South African women in politics often face abuse online in the form of replies or comments to their posts or content about the

Democratic Integrity, Misogyny

July 10, 2024

Protecting rights and democracy: The road ahead for the new UK government

Issues related to extremism, hate and disinformation were a major focus of the 2024 UK General Election, both on the campaign trail and at the ballot

Democratic Integrity, Terrorism and Extremism

June 19, 2024

Pulling Back the Curtain: An Exploration of YouTube’s Recommendation Algorithm

This is the executive summary of ISD’s Pulling Back the Curtain series which explores different aspects of YouTube’s recommendation algorithm.

Information Warfare and Online Manipulation, Kids Online Safety, Recommender Systems and Algorithms

May 10, 2024

Conspiracy Theories: A Guide for Members of Parliament and Candidates

This guide was produced to inform Members of Parliament and parliamentary candidates in the UK about the dangers of conspiracies, discussing their app

Resources, Terrorism and Extremism, Training and Educational Resources

April 26, 2024

Beyond Definitions: The Need for a Comprehensive Human Rights-Based UK Extremism Policy Strategy

This policy paper lays out the contours of an increasingly hybridised extremism threat landscape facing the UK, before considering the key components

Terrorism and Extremism, Training and Educational Resources

January 23, 2024

The German Far Right Online: A Longitudinal Study

This study analyses the behaviour of the German-speaking far right within, and across, a variety of online platforms.

Far-Right Extremism, Terrorism and Extremism