Toward Inherently Secure and Resilient Societies

doi:10.1126/science.1111534

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Toward Inherently Secure and Resilient Societies

Brad Allenby¹^* and Jonathan Fink²

Recent years have seen a number of challenges to social stabilityand order, ranging from terrorist attacks and natural disastersto epidemics such as AIDS and SARS. Such challenges have generatedspecific policy responses, such as enhanced security at transportationhubs and planned deployment of a global tsunami detection network.However, the range of challenges and the practical impossibilityof adequately addressing each in turn argue for adoption ofa more comprehensive systems perspective. This should be basedon the principle of enhancing social and economic resiliencyas well as meeting security and emergency response needs and,to the extent possible, developing and implementing dual-usetechnologies that offer societal benefits even if anticipateddisasters never occur.

¹ Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–7205, USA.
² Office of Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287–7205, USA.

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: brad.allenby{at}asu.edu

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