Institute of Security Studies

Research Analysis Education
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About the Institute

Who we are

The Institute of Security Studies (IBS) is an independent, non-political, and non-profit think tank focused on the security environment, modern conflicts, and the resilience of democratic society. We believe that without high-quality analysis, fact-checking, and clear interpretation, public debate easily becomes a playground for manipulation, shortcuts, and emotions.

Our work consists of research, analytical activity, and education. We monitor security trends, evaluate the impacts of conflicts, hybrid threats, and information operations, develop open-source intelligence (OSINT) methodologies, and translate expert knowledge into practically applicable outputs. We prepare analyses, briefings, expert materials, and training for institutions, media, and the public.

Our ecosystem also includes the publishing platform valka.online, which operates with editorial autonomy; therefore, its content may not always express the official positions of the institute.

IBS Logo

What we address

  • The changing character of armed conflicts and their impact on states, infrastructure, and society.
  • The intersection of military, cyber, and information tools within hybrid threats.
  • The resilience of critical services and systems whose disruption has a fundamental impact on state functioning.
  • The security dimension of new technologies, including unmanned systems, sensors, and the use of artificial intelligence.
  • Open-source intelligence methodologies, information verification, and education in the field of security orientation.

How we work

IBS builds on systematic data collection and evaluation, transparent methodology, and strict separation of factual findings from interpretative conclusions. We work with open sources, expert literature, and empirical findings from practice. For every output, we ensure traceability of sources and a clear definition of the degree of certainty.

The Institute is not an opinion platform or a political actor. Its role is to provide an independent analytical background, contribute to informed decision-making, and strengthen expert debate. We understand security as a public interest that requires long-term work, responsibility, and institutional continuity.

Programmatic Pillars

Six areas that together create a comprehensive framework for modern security

Frontline Analytics and OSINT

Systematic monitoring of armed conflicts and security crises in real-time. Verification of visual materials, geolocation, open-source intelligence work, and data analysis. Outputs are intended for the expert public, media, and public administration institutions.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

Analysis of threats, disruption scenarios, and strengthening the resilience of entities whose failure has a fundamental impact on the functioning of the state and society. We focus on physical and cyber dimensions of security, including the issue of unmanned systems.

Disinformation and Media

Monitoring narratives, mapping influence operations, and systematic analysis of the information environment. Support for strategic communication and the development of methodologies that increase the ability to distinguish between facts, interpretations, and deliberate manipulation.

Technology, Drones, and AI

The security dimension of new technologies and their practical use. Analysis of unmanned systems, sensors, and artificial intelligence tools for working with data. Applied research and testing in cooperation with expert partners.

Education and Training

Expert courses, workshops, and methodological materials for public administration, journalists, students, and the private sector. Emphasis on practical usability, work with open sources, crisis communication, and cybersecurity.

Humanitarian and Historical Context

Security analysis is inseparable from the social impacts of conflicts. We monitor the humanitarian dimension, legal framework, and historical parallels that allow current events to be placed in a broader context.

Outputs and Projects

Typical forms of outputs arising in individual programmatic pillars

OSINT Outputs

  • Situation reports and thematic analytical overviews.
  • Verification of visual materials and geolocation analysis.
  • Data summaries, map materials, and chronological overviews.

Resilience and Infrastructure

  • Analytical studies and model scenarios.
  • Methodologies for critical infrastructure entities.
  • Recommendations for risk management and crisis procedures.

Disinformation and Strategy

  • Analyses of narratives and influence operations.
  • Background materials for strategic communication.
  • Expert materials and methodologies for working with the information environment.

Technology and Innovation

  • Pilot testing and expert technology assessments.
  • Development and validation of systems for field and crisis deployment.
  • Cooperation on applied research and expert projects.

Education

  • Courses and educational programs.
  • Materials and study backgrounds.
  • Lectures and public discussions.

Context and Impacts

  • Expert studies and thematic publications.
  • Analyses of social and humanitarian impacts.
  • Historical and doctrinal analyses of contemporary conflicts.

Our Principles

Fundamental values and mission of the Institute of Security Studies

I.

Purpose and Mission

The Institute of Security Studies was founded on the belief that the security of a democratic society cannot be maintained without understanding the reality of modern conflicts, power structures, and hybrid threats.

The institute's task is to create an expert background for security risk analysis and to contribute to the resilience of society against pressures that try to weaken or divide it.

II.

Value Framework

The Institute stands on the principles of expertise, openness, and responsibility. We reject the misuse of security topics for political marketing or commercial exploitation of fear.

We understand security as a public interest. All resources of the institute serve exclusively to fulfill its mission and develop expert activities.

III.

Independence and Responsibility

The institute's independence is a commitment to professional integrity. We stand on the side of verifiable data, critical thinking, and open discussion.

Analysis of disinformation operations and hybrid threats is a legitimate part of defending democratic society, which we perform with respect for facts.

IV.

Relationship with valka.online

valka.online is an independent analytical platform operating within the institute. The institute provides the background but respects the full editorial autonomy of this medium.

This separation is a condition for the credibility of the medium and the institute itself as an independent expert institution.

V.

Openness and Cooperation

We strive for cooperation with the academic sphere, journalists, and the active public. We support education and knowledge sharing across disciplines.

We do not seek a monopoly on truth, but to cultivate a space for informed and critical debate without pressure and false dilemmas.

VI.

Commitment to the Future

IBS is built as a long-term institution whose structure and rules allow for an existence independent of current trends or political cycles.

Our ambition is to be useful where calm, informed, and honest work with reality is needed.

Leadership

Jan Tofl

Executive Director

Jan Tofl is the founder and director of the Institute of Security Studies (IBS) and the founder of the analytical platform valka.online. As an experienced analyst and specialist in OSINT (open-source intelligence) and information warfare, he has long been dedicated to the study of modern conflicts, especially in the context of Russian aggression against Ukraine.

Vitaliy Pron

Chairman of the Board

Vitaliy Pron is the Chairman of the Board of IBS and a regional expert on Ukraine and Moldova with experience in public diplomacy and international cooperation. He is the founder and chairman of the board of the Future for Ukraine foundation, which carries out humanitarian and development projects in cooperation with Czech and European partners.

Radana Kavková

Board Member

Radana Kavková is a member of the Board of IBS and a specialist in the practical deployment of unmanned systems in the environment of modern security operations. As an instructor with experience from crisis areas of Eastern Europe, she focuses on operator training and the applied use of drone technology in demanding conditions.

Expert Network

IBS is building an open expert network connecting academic institutions, research centers, technology teams, and practitioners. The goal is to create an environment in which systematic research, applied development, and analytical work complement each other. The Institute offers a platform for joint projects, methodology sharing, expert consultations, and publication of results, with full respect for the professional autonomy of partner institutions.

We view cooperation as a long-term partnership based on transparency, clear definition of roles, and a common interest in increasing security and technological resilience. IBS is ready to enter into memoranda of cooperation and develop specific research or technology projects with universities, research centers, and specialized workplaces that share an emphasis on expertise, methodological quality, and practical usability of results.

Contact

Contact Information

Address: Institut Bezpecnostnich Studii
Pernerova 293/11
186 00 Prague 8
Czech Republic
Tax No. (IČO): 241 09 550, registered at the Municipal Court in Prague, Section U, File 1400.
E-mail: info@i-b-s.cz
Web: institutbezpecnostnichstudii.cz / i-b-s.cz