Cyber-terrorism: reality or paranoia?

International Journal of Sustainable Future for Human Security

The advent of the Internet over 20 years ago has led to human beings around the globe becoming increasingly dependent on it as a means of communication, commerce, news gathering and socializing. This dependency has offered a perfect platform from which to launch cyber terrorism. This paper investigates the wide-reaching consequences of using the Internet in terms of human security. Our study finds that cyber terrorism, like traditional terrorism, has an obvious negative impact which involves economic, legal, physical, psychological, political and social consequences. It is the aim of this paper to show how these consequences pose a significant threat to human security and sustainability.

Throughout history, there have been many events and dangers that threaten state security, causing heavy loss of life, disease, injuries, destruction of property, displacement of large numbers of people and heavy economic losses. Political unrest on international and local levels and recent technological developments increase the seriousness of threats against national security.

Science and Engineering Ethics, 2017

In the recent years, an alarming rise in the incidence of cyber attacks has made cyber security a major concern for nations across the globe. Given the current volatile socio-political environment and the massive increase in the incidence of terrorism, it is imperative that government agencies rapidly realize the possibility of cyber space exploitation by terrorist organizations and state players to disrupt the normal way of life. The threat level of cyber terrorism has never been as high as it is today, and this has created a lot of insecurity and fear. This study has focused on different aspects of cyber attacks and explored the reasons behind their increasing popularity among the terrorist organizations and state players. This study proposes an empirical model that can be used to estimate the risk levels associated with different types of cyber attacks and thereby provide a road map to conceptualize and formulate highly effective counter measures and cyber security policies.

Terrorism, one of the vilest crimes, faced by the human community has posed an immense challenge in the post Cold War period. It has existed since the emergence of human societies endangering innocent lives and jeopardizing human rights and fundamental freedoms. Though the conventional motives have remained the same, the traditional concepts and methods of terrorism have taken new dimensions that are more destructive 1 and deadly in nature. In the age of information technology the terrorists have acquired an expertise to produce the most deadly combination of weapons and technology, which are much more modern and scientific. This phenomenon where the cyber space is used to launch terror attacks is also known as cyber-terrorism. It has the potential to do indeterminable harm not only by paralyzing computer infrastructures but also comprehending the use of the cyberspace to support and organize traditional forms of terrorism, such as bombings and suicide attacks. It also poses a deadly threat on the national security of a state by offering a garb of anonymity to the perpetrators of terror. The increased dependency on information technology has dramatically increased the security risks. This new menace will be a severe challenge to global security unless there are appropriate security measures to help prevention. Hence, to understand cyber terrorism, and find out the ways in which the terrorist organizations are using the advantage of this new technology, a look at its background is necessary. This paper shall make an attempt to discuss the rising incidents of cyber terrorism across the globe, the meaning and concept of the term, the motives and methods behind an attack. It shall also discuss the regional and international mechanisms to prevent cyber terrorism, and recommend what more could be done.

This paper aim to contribute to the body of knowledge on cyber terrorism, improves awareness of cyber terrorism definition, boundaries, potential targets, crime patterns and effective mitigation strategies through analysis of relevant literature on the issue produced in recent years. It details the definitional origins of the concept and It looks at motivational factors and level of destruction necessary to classify a cyber-attack as cyberterrorism. The second sections is devoted to literature distinguishing cyberterrorism from hacking and cybercrime. Section three details the stages of a cyber attack, Section four lists the types of infrastructure targeted for cyber terrorists and Section five focuses on mitigation strategies.

2019

Technological advancements provide different avenues for a terrorist to employ their attacks. Cyberterrorism is defined as the act of hacking and the malicious intent to disrupt and destroy computer networks of financial institutions and governmental systems such as nuclear power plants or governmental agencies (Iqbal, 2004). Cyber threats/crimes are the act of

International Journal of Cyber Warfare and Terrorism, 2016

The aim of this paper is to identify common features in: the definition of cyber terrorism, cyber terrorism targets, cyber terrorism crimes and then develop effective mitigation strategies and countermeasures to tackle this phenomenon. Through rigorous analysis of literature covering academic articles and official reports, we develop cyber terrorism definition taxonomy which includes five elements: target, motive, means, effect and intention; cyber terrorism targets taxonomy identified from the following target areas: military forces, government cyber and physical infrastructures, critical national infrastructures, social and national identity, and private industry and entities. The cyber terrorism risk factors are classified into main five categories: national security, financial, social and cultural, operational disruption and physical destructions risks. The following identified patterns constituted the cyber terrorism targets taxonomy: incursion, destruction, service interruption, disinformation and web sites defacement. The authors categorized effective strategic approaches to tackle cyber terrorism as: administrative, technological, national and local alliances, international alliances, and education, training and psychological approach. They developed cyber terrorism taxonomies which represent a systematic organization and classification of knowledge that improves scientific awareness of cyber terrorism definition, boundaries, potential targets, crime patterns and effective mitigation strategies.

Indian Police Journal, 2003

Cyber terrorism is an attractive option for a terrorist due to the inherent nature of computers. Various critical infrastructures using computerized systems could be highly vulnerable.

During the history of mankind, there have been many events and dangers that threaten the security of states. Those threats caused heavy loss of life, the spread of disease, injuries, destruction of public and private property, displacement of large numbers of people and heavy economic losses. Political unrest on international and local levels, and recent technological developments, are elements that would increase the seriousness of threats against national security. 1. The concept of security has evolved gradually, especially after a major international transformation: the disintegration of Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War. Thus, it has left behind the impact of the policy of the bipolar world, which gave a blurred image of relations between the states, and made it ambiguous. However, it has given an opportunity to them to understand and identify new threats and emerging conflicts, in addition to many unsolved problems. Simultaneously, globalisation has changed the international rules and norms, in order to facilitate the rapid flow of capital and technology, through the weakening of national barriers. Non-governmental actors have come to play an essential role in international politics, some of them a threat, and others to bridge the gap between communities and nations. In such circumstances, the role of the state began to suffer from the changes; also the accepted traditional concept of power was opposed. 2. Today there is no issue of such concern worldwide, and arousing such a high degree of hot debate at both national and international levels, as terrorism-related issues. The threat of terrorism has never been a prominent as it seems to be at the present time. Terrorism is an old phenomenon that has existed since the emergence of human societies. However, the threat of terrorism has increased steadily over the past 30 years. With the technological and Abstract SRJIS/BIMONTHLY/SANJU CHAUDHARY (1389-1397) JAN-FEB 2016, VOL-3/22 www.srjis.com Page 1390 technical progress in various areas, the actions of terrorists have become more dangerous and destructive, as the perpetrators of such acts are becoming more elusive. There are few parts of the world that have been left out of the current waves of terrorism, which started in the late 1960s.