Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS)

We are C4ADS - a group of data-loving global security trailblazers all united under one goal: dismantle the forces that threaten global peace and security.

Where traditional international security institutions see a collection of states, we see an interconnected set of systems. We focus on the underlying threats to global security: the illicit networks that operate across borders to destabilize communities, prevent development, and devastate the environment.

Illicit networks don’t fit in a perfect box, so neither do we. Instead, we take the best of everything: the brainpower of a think tank, the innovation of a tech startup, and the reach of investigative journalism. We use this to disrupt the status quo, push the boundaries of what is possible outside government, and build a community of innovation and action.