Information sharing and security in dynamic coalitions

Today, information sharing is critical to almost every institution. There is no more critical need for information sharing than during an international crisis, when international coalitions dynamically form. In the event of a crisis, whether it is humanitarian relief, natural disaster, combat operations, or terrorist incidents, international coalitions have an immediate need for information. These coalitions are formed with international cooperation, where each participating country offers whatever resources it can muster to support the given crisis. These situations can occur suddenly, simultaneously, and without warning. Often times, participants are coalition partners in one crisis and adversaries in another, raising difficult security issues with respect to information sharing. Our specific interest is in the Dynamic Coalition Problem (DCP), with an emphasis on the information sharing and security risks when coalitions are formed in response to a crisis. This paper defines the DCP and explores its intricate, challenging, and complex information and resource sharing, and security issues, utilizing real-world situations, which are drawn from a military domain.