MBA Dissertation: E-Travel Document Security

This MBA dissertation investigates the importance of security information embedded within electronic travel documents in combating terrorism, focusing specifically on the context of Oman. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both qualitative data from interviews with security managers at Oman Air and SalamAir, and quantitative data from surveys of 30 security personnel. The research explores the evolution from older, easily forged machine-readable passports to the more secure electronic passports, analyzing the role of organizations like the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) in establishing security standards. The dissertation examines the effectiveness of current security measures in Oman, identifies areas for improvement (such as staff training and technological upgrades), and offers recommendations for enhancing the security of electronic travel documents to further mitigate the threat of terrorism.

Running Head: MBA Dissertation
The importance of security information in the electronic travel document to combat terrorism- MBA
Dissertation Report
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Abstract:
The global security of the day has undergone a rapid and diverse change in last decade post
26/11. The E-verification of the processes has been enabled globally to let the people working in
the security apparatus be attached to each other. Hence the people who did let the security risks
keep at bay are the security officers of the Airport of Oman. Their training and the quality of
techniques ensures that the nation keeps its peace and security without any threat from outside
world. The E-documentation has let the people and process go hand in hand together to have
given the security the competence and agility to fight the modern day threats the way it should
be.
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Table of Contents
Abstract:...........................................................................................................................................2
CHAPTER 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................6
Research Background:.................................................................................................................6
Research Problem:.......................................................................................................................7
Research Significance:.................................................................................................................8
Research Aims & Objectives:......................................................................................................9
Research Questions:...................................................................................................................10
CHAPTER 2: Review of Related Literature.................................................................................12
Introduction................................................................................................................................12
Global terrorism and its impacts................................................................................................12
Terrorism prevalence in Oman..................................................................................................16
Role of lack of security measures in terrorism activities...........................................................20
Old readable travel documents and their security features........................................................23
Electronic travel documents and their security features............................................................27
Role of International Civil Aviation Organization in security policy.......................................27
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................29
CHAPTER 3: Methodology..........................................................................................................30
Introduction................................................................................................................................30
Research Approach....................................................................................................................30
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Research Philosophy..................................................................................................................30
Research Methods......................................................................................................................31
Qualitative Method................................................................................................................31
Quantitative Method..............................................................................................................32
Data Analysis Methods..............................................................................................................33
Qualitative Analysis...............................................................................................................33
Quantitative Analysis.............................................................................................................33
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................33
Chapter 4........................................................................................................................................34
Project Management......................................................................................................................34
Gathering Information Security.....................................................................................................34
Project description.........................................................................................................................39
Chapter 5........................................................................................................................................44
Presentation and Analysis of Data.................................................................................................44
Analysis of the Data.......................................................................................................................45
The Primary Data...........................................................................................................................46
Secondary Data..............................................................................................................................50
Pilot Study.....................................................................................................................................51
Sample Selection...........................................................................................................................51
Chapter 6........................................................................................................................................53
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
Conclusions and Recommendations..............................................................................................53
Reflection.......................................................................................................................................54
Appendix 1.....................................................................................................................................56
Appendix 2.....................................................................................................................................57
References:....................................................................................................................................59
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
CHAPTER 1: Introduction
This is the first chapter of the dissertation that introduces the topic to the readers. It contains of
information on the subject of the study, research background, research problem, research
significance, research aims and objectives and research questions. The discussion in this section
is based on the importance of security information in the electronic travel documents and the
ways in which it helps to combat terrorism on a global scale. However, the study has focused on
the aspects in terms of the situation in Oman.
Research Background:
This research study has been executed for assessing the importance of ensuring authentic
security information stored in the electronic travel documents for the travelers and passengers
entering into Oman from other countries. This is necessary to combat terrorism and other acts of
crime and violence that have affected Oman in the past, taking place today and might happen in
future as well. The acts of terrorism are to be countered effectively in order to offer safety and
security to the people of the country (Fan, et al., 2008). Terrorism has been a global cause of
concern that needs to be tackled effectively in order to prevent or mitigate substantial damages to
life and property. The majority of the terrorist activities are carried out by people travelling
across borders with forged documents such as passports which are fake and do not reflect the
true identity of the traveler. The terrorists utilize this strategy to travel between several countries.
Previously, the movement of terrorists across borders was easier during the time of the old
readable passports and other travel documents (Gemalto NV, 2019). Nowadays, the electronic
travel documents such as the electronic passports are considered as more safe and secure
travelling documents because information content in the electronic travel documents are
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
encrypted and they are made using technologies that prevent them from being counterfeited. So,
like in several other countries, Omani government has been promoting and advocating the user
electronic travel documents by all the travelers entering into the country or leaving the country.
The modern terrorist outfits have access to funds and resources for conducting activities of
terrorism through utilization of improvised weapons such as the Weapons of mass destruction.
They can create a massive havoc within Oman if proper security measures are not implemented
by the border security forces and the airport authorities. Hence, this research study has evaluated
the significance of security information within the electronic travel documents that are currently
being used by travelers in Oman which has increased the safety and security measures
considerably by making it difficult for the terrorists and people with harmful intentions to engage
in forgery of their travel documents which are highly encrypted nowadays (Bozhkova, et al.,
2017).
Research Problem:
The research problem that has been examined in this study encompasses the increasing acts of
terrorism on a global scale and the role played by ineffective security measures that fail to
effectively check the authenticity of personal security information of the various tourists and
travelers travelling between countries. The problem is pertinent for Oman also. The incidents of
terrorism and other acts of violence have become a concerning issue for the country. There have
been previous incidents where Oman has been the victim of terrorism that has been undertaken
by terrorist outfits that have infiltrated the border due to several security lapses (BOROTA, n.d.).
Previously, the old readable passports were being used by the travelers arriving into Oman from
different parts of the world. These readable passports were easily counterfeited and forged by the
perpetrators and often due to the absence of modern high quality of security information
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
checking it was easy for the terrorists to furnish fake passports at the borders or at the security
checking of the airports in Oman. This has caused various incidents of terrorist activities in
Oman. With globalization there has been a rapid growth and development of technology across
diversified sectors including border control and airport security sector. Nowadays, the travelers
have to provide electronic travel documents while travelling from one country into another. This
is true for Oman also. The electronic travel documents highly safe and secure and they content
actual and authentic security information about a person that is digitally encrypted in such a way
that it cannot be replicated or tampered with. This technology has been instrumental in
enhancing the safety and security of the country from threats of terrorism (United Nations,
2018).
Research Significance:
The research study that has been conducted in order to determine the effectiveness of
information security in digital travel documents in preventing acts of terrorism in Oman has a
larger significance. The research has examined the utilization of modern electronic travel
documents replacing the old readable travel documents and determined the degree of safety and
security that is offered by the digital travel documents over their predecessors (US Department of
State, 2019). With the growth and development in technology around the world across several
domains, it is only obvious that technology has influenced safety and security systems around the
world. Terrorism is growing around the world as the terrorist outfits are becoming more potent in
terms of access to funding and state-of-the-art technologies that it has being deployed by them to
infiltrate into different countries by concealing their identity and use modern arms and
ammunitions such as Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and weapons of mass destruction
such as biological warfare. So it has become even more important for the countries around the
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
world, including Oman to stand well-prepared in this situation to detect security information
frauds that are undertaken through providing fake travel documents such as passports by the
perpetrators. The advent of electronic travel documents such as electronic passports has
mitigated the possibilities of forging personal identity by developing fake travel documents such
as replicated or copied old readable passports. From this perspective the research study can be
considered to be of substantial significance for the readers to understand the utility of encryption
and protection of personal information within the travel documents that prevent the terrorists
from creating counterfeit travel documents and enter into Oman without the possibility of being
detected by the border security forces as well as the airport authorities (BOROTA, n.d.).
Research Aims & Objectives:
The aim of the research study has been to determine the significance of security information in
electronic travel documents for combating terrorism successfully in Oman. In other words, the
study has analyzed the various positive influences of the electronic travel documents like the
electronic passports over that of the old readable passports that are no longer being used in
Oman. The research has identified the utility of secure personal information contained in the
modern electronic travel documents that are being provided by the foreign travelers and tourists
at the time of entering into Oman that has reduced the threat of terrorism significantly over the
years.
The research had the following objectives to achieve:
 To understand the importance of security information within the electronic travel
documents for combating terrorism.
 To form a theoretical basis on the various techniques being used by the terrorists to forge
electronic documents such as electronic passports.
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
 To determine the differences between old readable passports and modern electronic
passports from the perspective of protection of security information within such
documents.
 To analyze the role played by organizations such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) in developing principles and protocols related to security
information within travel documents that need to be carried mandatorily by any person
willing to engage in cross border travel.
 To examine the security effectiveness of the modern electronic travel documents as
compared to the ones that were developed few years back in terms of preventing forgery
and counterfeiting of such electronic documents.
 To conduct the study with the objective of understanding the current situation of
electronic information security in respect of travelers moving from one country to another
and effectiveness of the roles played by various governments and aviation organizations
around the world to ensure the authenticity of the electronic information present in the
travel documents furnished by the tourist at the airports and other institutions.
 To recommend some of the modern electronic tools and techniques for ensuring
enhanced safety and security of the electronic traveling documents by preventing those
from being duplicated or forged by terrorists and also offer preventive suggestions to the
airport authorities to effectively detect counterfeit travel documents.
Research Questions:
The research has answered the following questions:
 What is an electronic travel document?
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
 How electronic travel documents ensure the security of the travelers moving from one
country to another?
 What are the advantages of electronic travel documents over the old readable travel
documents?
 To what extent have the electronic travel documents enhanced the security of the nations
from terrorism activities?
 What is the role played by organizations such as the International Civil Aviation
Organization in formulating security policies related to travel documents?
 What future strategies can be undertaken by the countries in order to enhance the security
of the electronic travel documents to prevent acts of terrorism?
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Running Head: MBA Dissertation
CHAPTER 2: Review of Related Literature
Introduction
This chapter elicits the findings from a comprehensive review of literature sources depicting the
importance of security information that are stored in the modern electronic travel documents and
the ways in which it impacts terrorism. The analysis has been done on several valuable sources
of information from journals, reports, website and newspaper articles containing several
information on the themes like the impacts of global terrorism, the situation of terrorism in Oman
and its impacts, the part played by unsatisfactory security measures in increasing chances of
terrorism, the old readable travel documents and their limitations in security, the modern
electronic travel documents and their benefits on security, the part played by border security in
preventing unauthorized infiltration and the significance of organizations such as the
International Civil Aviation Organization in implementing security policies.
Global terrorism and its impacts
According to McCarthy (2017), terrorism is a global menace that causes significant damage to
lives and property all around the world. Each year the terrorist attacks around the world have
significant impact on the world economy. As per the Global Terrorism Index 2017, there has
been a decline in the global impact of terrorism by around 7% in 2016. However, in spite of the
decline, the global cost of terrorism was still extremely high at $ 84 billion in 2016. From the
time of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 there has been significant rise in the economic losses
generated from terrorism activities around the world. The uprising of the ISIS has been
significantly related with the increase in the amount of losses sustained since the year 2012 and
peak was reached in the year 2014 when the global cost of terrorism amounted to around $104
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