Imagine

Imagine you are a small but well-organized group of people who hate California and all it stands for. You could be a religious group, a political group, or any other special-interest group. You want Californians to fear and respect you and to accept you as their new leaders.

Look For More Members

You might begin your evil plan by looking for more members for your terrorist cell. How would you go about recruiting? (Think about some possible ways in which the site where you work as a security professional could be involved in the recruiting process.) You might hold rallies, disseminate hate mail, and invite people to secret meetings.

Plan Your Budget

You also might start planning your budget. How will you get money? (Consider some ways in which the site where you work could have some relationship to the funding process.) Stealing something of value, such as electronic equipment, to then sell is a common way. The most valuable in their ratio of weight and size to dollar income are legal and illegal drugs. Illegal financial activity is another method, such a breaking into banking databases.

Choose Your Weapon

Choosing your weapon and components and where can you find them? (Think about some aspect of the weapon-creation process that might involve the site where you work.)

High impact and “dirty” bombs are probably the weapons of choice. Any site which employs chemicals that can be fatal if not carefully controlled is at risk.

Select Your Target

You want to create maximum devastation and fear in the community. What would you select? (You may have to re-think your choice of weapon at this point if you decide that some other means, for example biological rather than explosive, would be more terrifying.) Maximum devastation would be caused by something from which the citizens of California believe they cannot protect themselves. Poisoning the water or food supply, for example, would cause widespread panic.

Choose a Date

What date would you choose? Major sporting events could be a choice. Another could be the inauguration of elected officials. The 4th of July is an obvious choice.

Gather Missing Information

How will you get onto the site unnoticed?

If you are trying to gain access to a site without anyone sounding an alarm, you’d want to know about the security procedures, the timing of the rounds, and so on. You might also need to find a schematic plan of the building.

Now plan to move your selected weapon to the site you have identified. What means of transportation do you need? How many people? What kinds of identification or disguise?

Your best bet is a kind of vehicle that blends in. For example, at an auto plant a different make of vehicle might be unusual. A delivery truck would be an obvious choice.

Finally, you have been able to detonate the weapon. There is mass panic and devastation. How do you escape?

Act like everyone else. You also need to have an advance escape plan in for where you will meet up with those who will take you away. You’ll also want a back-up plan.