Cells of terrorists have now sprung up in England, Germany and Italy that pose the same threat as Islamic State (IS), James Clapper – director of national intelligence in the US – has now confirmed.
Speaking to the Christian Science Monitor, Mr Clapper said their very existence highlights just how important it is for EU member states to improve the sharing of intelligence information with one another in order to avoid terrorist attacks such as those that recently took place in Brussels and Paris.
He explained that IS is all too aware that the group is being monitored by western intelligence agencies, which is why they strive to communicate through encrypted apps on a variety of different gadgets.
“The challenge we have [in detecting terrorist plots] is we are only seeing a snapshot. We don’t have a total picture at all times. If we did, these plots would be thwarted,” Mr Clapper said.
He did go on to add that EU nations’ plans to encourage the free flow of both goods and people across borders, while also ensuring privacy of citizens in all countries in the EU, can occasionally conflict with the responsibility of protecting security.
Mr Clapper’s comments come as Bob Broadhurst, former Met Police commander, told the BBC that a terrorist attack in London is inevitable. To protect your business and your members of staff, consider investing in security measures like anti-shatter window film which can stop glass from flying around and causing more injuries in the event of a bomb going off.
