As 3D-printing technology becomes increasingly accessible, so too does its potential for misuse. Dr Rajan Basra's research into online extremism, organised crime and 3D-printed firearms is helping organisations stay ahead of this rapidly evolving threat, providing evidence that informs policy, strengthens investigations and supports public safety.
The research addresses a challenge at the intersection of technology, crime, extremism and national security. As digital designs, online communities and accessible manufacturing technologies develop, criminal and extremist actors can use them to communicate, organise, share knowledge and evade detection. Understanding these emerging threats requires new approaches that can keep pace with rapidly changing online ecosystems.
Dr Basra has developed innovative open-source methods that enable investigators to identify pseudonymous and anonymous users operating across online ecosystems and message boards. His research has unmasked the leading figure behind the global 3D-printed firearms movement and strengthened the capability of national and international agencies to deanonymise users online and investigate criminal networks.
The work demonstrates the value of combining rigorous academic research with practical investigative expertise. Rather than simply identifying an emerging threat, it develops approaches that can help investigators understand online networks and the individuals operating within them.
Recognised as one of the 2026 Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy Impact Prize winners, Dr Basra has delivered briefings to policymakers, including at the United Nations, and provided training to more than 1,000 counter-terrorism, intelligence and law enforcement practitioners. His expertise has also shaped international understanding of the issue through major media outlets including The New York Times, Bloomberg Businessweek, The Guardian, The Telegraph, Sky News and the BBC.
This ability to translate academic expertise into practical tools is central to the Secure Futures vision. Secure Futures is about identifying emerging challenges, understanding their implications and developing the knowledge and capabilities needed to respond effectively. Digital technologies illustrate this challenge particularly clearly: innovations that create opportunities can also generate new vulnerabilities and forms of criminality.
Dr Basra's work demonstrates how social science can help societies anticipate these developments. By examining the connections between technology, online behaviour, extremism and organised crime, it provides insights that can strengthen the ability of governments and law enforcement agencies to respond.
The international dimension is equally important. Online networks and digital technologies do not respect national boundaries, meaning that effective responses require collaboration between agencies and countries. Research that improves understanding of these networks can therefore contribute to wider international security and public safety.
The work exemplifies the School of Security Studies' commitment to addressing complex global challenges through rigorous, policy-relevant research. By translating academic expertise into practical tools that support governments, investigators and law enforcement agencies, it demonstrates how King's research can have tangible impact far beyond the University.
Dr Basra's research represents a form of future-focused security research: identifying emerging risks, developing the capabilities to understand them and ensuring that policymakers and practitioners have the evidence they need to respond.
It therefore embodies a central principle of Secure Futures: anticipating emerging threats, strengthening the capacity to respond to them, and using rigorous research to help create safer and more resilient societies.