CYBER TERRORISM

Cyber Terrorism

Cyber Terrorism

Introduction

Cyber-terrorism has been described as the crime of the future involving the usage of crime and computers. It threatens the safety of millions of people across the globe; especially the vulnerability of military computer networks to casual hackers. Indeed, this form of terrorism could be more devastating than biological or chemical warfare.

Cyber-terrorists have a political motivation for their terrorism. All computers, especially government ones, contain information which other terrorists might need. In 1991 during the Gulf War, the Pentagon computer was 'entered' and secret material about the Patriot missile was read. The FBI 's homepage (fbi.gov) believe key areas requiring protection to be telecommunications; electrical systems; gas and oil production; banking and finance; water supply systems; emergency services and government services (de Angelis, 2000). In 1997 'crackers' broke into the Pentagon computer network and downloaded classified files. Terrorists can use viruses and other 'cyber-critters', as a means to shut down critical computer systems. This is more serious than 'cyber-graffiti' or other pranks undertaken by most hackers. In the worst case scenario, some viruses may attack system files causing irreparable damage to the computer's hard drive (Arquilla, 2009).

In 1992 the Michelangelo virus was created, This was a form of 'logic bomb' and resulted in over 10,000 computers worldwide not starting up (the start up section of the disk being affected). Nowadays, antiviral software can detect Michelangelo. Technological capability combined with political instability can create an especially explosive mix. Political and economic instability in the former communist states of Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union means that talented computer professionals are tempted to sell their skills to the highest bidder, even to international terrorists. Cyber terrorism is a terror activity which occurs when computers or computer networks are involved as tools, locations, or targets of terrorism. This means that cyber terrorism may include a wide variety of traditional types of terrorism, such as theft or even extortion, but that these may take on different forms because of the opportunities provided by the cyber environment.

Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use of or the threat of the use of force or violence against people or property by a person or an organized group that intends to intimidate or coerce. During armed conflict, terrorism is considered to be attacks on persons who are not actively involved in armed hostilities in an attempt to spread terror among civilians. In either case, the motivation behind terrorism often stems from ideological, religious, or political motivations or goals. In general, cyber terrorism, also called information war or electronic terrorism is a term coined by security expert Barry C. Collin to the illegal use of computers in the Internet in the pursuit of a terrorist agenda or as the target of a terrorist's agenda (Yourdon, 2001).

Thesis Statement

The last decade has proved that the internet, coupled with radically developing technology, has facilitated the expansion of cyber terrorism in terms of magnitude and scope.

Scope of Cyber Terrorism

Since computers and networks now pervade almost every corner of our lives, from ...