Rueben Dass is a Senior Analyst 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. His current research interests including terrorist use of technologies; 3D-printed firearms; Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) terrorism and terrorism and counterterrorism in Southeast Asia. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals such as the Journal of Policing, Intelligence and Counter Terrorism, Terrorism and Political Violence and Studies in Conflict and Terrorism. His works have also appeared on other security outlets and mainstream media such as The Diplomat, Jamestown Foundation, The Defense Post, Middle East Institute, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Star and TODAY online.

• 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

• “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