Rueben Dass is an Associate Research Fellow with the International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Physics and a Master of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from Imperial College London. In 2020, he graduated with a Master of Science degree in Strategic Studies with a Certificate in Terrorism Studies from RSIS, NTU. He specialises in terrorist use of new technologies; 3D-printed firearms; drones; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism; and terrorism and counterterrorism in Southeast Asia. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and security platforms. His works have also been quoted by international media namely The Telegraph, Al-Jazeera, Le Monde, Bloomberg and The Guardian.

• Terrorist use of technologies (drones, unconventional weapons)
• 3D-printed firearms
• CBRN terrorism
• Terrorism and counterterrorism operations in Southeast Asia

Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 17 Issue 01

  06 January, 2025

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 16 Issue 03

  12 June, 2024

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 16 Issue 01

  03 January, 2024

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 15 Issue 03

  09 June, 2023

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 14 Issue 01

  03 January, 2022

• Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses (CTTA) - Volume 13 Issue 02

  23 March, 2021

RSIS Commentary Series

• The Rise of 3D-Printed Firearms

  19 December, 2024

• Ayodhya: Rising Hindu Violent Extremism?

  24 August, 2020

Journal Articles

• “3D-Printed Firearms: Global Proliferation Trends and Analyses” in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2025
• “Pathways to the Caliphate: Mapping Malaysian Foreign Fighter Networks in Iraq and Syria from 2012-2019” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh) in Terrorism and Political Violence, 2022
• “Jihadists’ Use and Pursuit of Weapons of Mass Destruction: A Comparative Study of Al-Qaeda and Islamic State’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Weapons Programs” in Studies in Conflict & Terrorism, 2021, pp. 1-35
• “Maritime Malice in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines: The Asymmetric Maritime Threat at the Tri-Border Area” (with Kenneth Yeo, and Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh) in International Centre for Counter-Terrorism - The Hague, 2021
• “The Use of Family Networks in Suicide Terrorism: A Case Study of the 2018 Surabaya Attacks” in Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, 2021

Chapters in Edited Books

• “The New Airborne Threat: How Extremist Groups Harness Drones for Reconnaisance, Targeted Attacks and Propaganda” in Ong Keng Yong and Damien D. Cheong (Eds.), Violent Extremism: What Was Learnt, Where We Are and What's Next. Singapore: World Scientific, 2025, pp. 139-146

Op-Eds

• “African Non-State Actors Put Drones on the Attack”, Lawfare, 19 October 2025
• “Gen-Zs and Ghost Guns: Trends, Threats and Implications”, Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 24 September 2025
• “The Growing Threat of 3D-Printed Firearms in Far Right Networks”, Center for the Study of Organized Hate (CSOH), 26 August 2025
• “Organised Crime and Gun Violence are a Vicious Cycle in Malaysia”, Channel News Asia, 30 July 2025
• “In a First, Portuguese Police Find Extremists’ Cache of 3D-Printed Firearms”, Jamestown Foundation, 30 July 2025
• “Nascent Adoption: Emerging Tech Trends by Terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan” (with Abdul Basit), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 18 June 2025
• “Drone Warfare Is Redefining India-Pakistan Rivalry” (with Abdul Basit), The Diplomat, 4 June 2025
• “Interest in 3D-Printed Firearms Rising Among Islamist Militants”, Jamestown Foundation, 25 March 2025
• “The Impact of Technological Weapons in the Myanmar Conflict” (with Iftekharul Bashar), The Diplomat, 4 March 2025
• “The Continued Threat of Online Radicalization in Malaysia”, The Diplomat, 11 February 2025
• “Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s Drone Force”, Lawfare, 13 December 2024
• “3D-Printing in Conflict Zones: A Game-Changer?”, Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 14 October 2024
• “The IS Resurgence in Malaysia: Assessing the Threat and Implications”, The Diplomat, 3 July 2024
• “Islamic State-Khorasan Province’s Virtual Planning”, Lawfare, 19 May 2024
• “Tech and Terror: Why Have Drones Not Penetrated the Afghanistan-Pakistan Militant Landscape?” (with Abdul Basit), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 29 April 2024
• “As Siam Paragon shooting shows, modified guns are a growing danger that demands attention”, Channel NewsAsia, 25 October 2023
• “3D-Printed Weapons and the Far-Right: The Finnish Accelerationist Cell”, Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 6 October 2023
• “Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s Drone Attacks Indicate a Strategic Shift”, Lawfare, 20 August 2023
• “The Rising Danger From Crude, Homemade Weapons and Political Violence in Japan”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 9 June 2023
• “The Evolving Threat from Terrorist Drones in Africa”, Lawfare, 30 April 2023
• “The Link Between Gaming and Violent Extremism”, The Diplomat, 8 March 2023
• “Assessing the Impact of 3D-Printed Weapons on the Violent Extremist Milieu” (with Benjamin Mok), Global Network on Extremism & Technology, 20 February 2023
• “The 2023 Castrop-Rauxel Plot and the Continued Threat of Chemical and Biological Terrorism”, Militant Wire, 26 January 2023
• “The Assassination of Shinzo Abe in Japan and the Threat from Primitive Homemade Weapons”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 7 October 2022
• “Militants and Drones: A Trend That is Here to Stay”, RUSI, 6 September 2022
• “Islamic State’s Expansion in Africa and its Implications for Southeast Asia” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), The Diplomat, 25 July 2022
• “Islamic State East Asia: Down but Not Out” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Militant Wire, 25 May 2022
• “ISKP’s Continued Interest in India” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 8 April 2022
• “Drones: Militant Game Changer in the Middle East?”, The Defense Post, 24 March 2022
• “Islamic State in West Africa Province Video Signals the Group’s Grand Strategy for the Future” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor, 11 March 2022
• “The Challenges of Repatriating Malaysian IS Fighters from Syria” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), The Diplomat, 24 February 2022
• “Emerging Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Threats from Europe’s ‘Garage Extremists’”, Jamestown Foundation Terrorism Monitor , 19 November 2021
• “Hizbut Tahrir in Malaysia: A Threat to National Security?” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Middle East Institute, 29 June 2021
• “How IS Exploits Gamification of Violence in Bid to Appeal to Youths Online during the Pandemic” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), TODAY, 9 June 2021
• “Women and Kinship Pivotal to JAD’s Future Attacks in Indonesia” (with Unaesah Rahmah), Stratsea, 31 May 2021
• “Terrorism Laws in Malaysia: The Continuing Case for SOSMA and POTA” (with Jasminder Singh S/O Bilveer Singh), Middle East Institute, 20 April 2021
• “Foreign Terrorist Fighters: Implications for Malaysia’s Border Security” (with Amalina Abdul Nasir), Middle East Institute, 24 November 2020