What Is Cyberterrorism?

When talking about terrorism, the first difficulty that arises is that of defining and delimiting what is and what is not terrorism. A task of great importance, since the way of relating and the jurisdiction that we have to apply depends on it. Thus, some authorities, such as the FBI, have defined terrorism as the “ illicit use of the outside or violence against people or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment of it, in support of of political or social objectives ”.

Based on this definition, we can understand cyberterrorism as the “ use of technological and computer resources to intimidate or coerce others, thereby causing a violation of people’s free will. The ends can be economic, political or religious ”. But what is the origin of this concept?

Globalization has affected many aspects of our daily lives. In this way, in recent decades we have experienced a cultural revolution that has caused changes at the economic, labor or urban level. This has not only affected people, but also governments, institutions and international relations.

In this article we will study what cyberterrorism is. A concept that arises when we change the way we approach conflicts and that you have surely heard of. Thus, we will define the concept and study its importance for international security.

Cyberterrorism today

Currently, cyberterrorism or electronic terrorism manifests itself in:

• The use of the Internet as a means to attack the political system or alter social peace.
• Attack through electronic means to the infrastructures that make up democratic societies.

In this idea it is important to also include propaganda, recruitment, financing and the exchange of information for terrorist organizations or actions.

Cyber ​​terrorist attack versus computer attack

Some experts argue that the fundamental difference lies in the intention. Unlike a virus or a computer attack (which refers to the denial of a service), the cyberterrorist attack is aimed at fear.

The primary motivation for cyber terrorist attacks is to disrupt or harm victims, even if the attacks do not cause physical harm or cause external financial harm. In this way, cyberterrorists attack the banking industry, military installations, power plants, water systems and air traffic control centers.

In these cases, the differentiation is linked to the result; Many experts believe that an incident should be considered terrorism if it causes physical harm or loss of life (directly or indirectly). Others believe that physical harm is not a prerequisite for classifying a cyber attack as a terrorist activity.

Because it is important?

The use of media, such as the Internet, by terrorist organizations has increased due to the following factors:

• The price: The low cost of launching a cyber attack makes it very attractive to terrorists.
• Easy planning: resources allow you to draw up a plan and analyze the impact before executing a plan. This makes it possible to ensure that the cause they defend is publicized by the media.
• Anonymity : the ease of carrying out cyberattacks without revealing your identity or location.

• Wow factor : attacks are often unpredictable.
• Relocation: can be attacked from a distance, which facilitates anonymity. In addition, they can recruit and train terrorists remotely and with very few resources.

For these reasons, the number of attacks associated with cyberterrorism has multiplied in recent decades .

Reaction of nations and organizations

With the appearance of criminals that move in cyberspace, nations and organizations have been reacting to face this global threat. Thus, response strategies have been created to guarantee the safety of citizens and companies.

In the international legal sphere, this type of attack can be considered as “use of force”, therefore it can provoke an international armed conflict. The attacked state would have the right to legitimately defend itself. In addition, the United Nations Security Council considers these acts as an aggression and a threat to peace; they could intervene to restore international peace and security.

Thus, we can observe that both states and international organizations have become aware of the importance of virtual space when it comes to protecting stability and international peace.