Terrorist threat increasing in Canada, Aon map shows

Aon’s 2007 Terrorism Threat Map shows Canada’s threat levels have increased from 2006, even though the map shows a weakening of the Islamist terrorist group Al Qaeda and other groups operating under its umbrella.

The global war on terrorism seems to have disrupted the command and control mechanisms of the groups, fragmenting the cells, Paul Bassett, executive director of Aon Crisis Management, said in a statement.

“This has a downside, however, in that the many and varied plots are often unrelated,” he said. He added that, vigilance is now as critical as ever.

On the flip side, as terror networks become more fragmented and less coordinated, intelligence and counter-terrorism authorities appear to be becoming more coordinated and organized on a global basis, an Aon statement says.

The implications for businesses are significant, he stressed. “Businesses need to realize that the level and the shape of the risk is constantly evolving,” he warned.