Radicalization to violence is the process by which individuals are introduced to an overtly ideological message and belief system that encourages movement from moderate, mainstream beliefs towards extreme views. Radicalization can occur due to a multitude of factors and influences and is not limited to any single ethnic, cultural, religious or political group. Radical thinking only becomes a threat to national security, when it leads an individual to espouse or engage in violence as a means of achieving political, ideological or religious goals.