Targets for Cyberterrorism - Research Paper Example

According to the research findings, it can, therefore, be said that Internet and terrorism may be viewed as not being distinct from each other. The dawn of the 21st century was witness to terrorists attack; though not physical, these were done through the use of the Internet. Hence, the term cyberterrorism has been born, and has become an instant sensation, a new thread that is becoming a major concern not only for developed countries but also for the rest of the world. There is ambiguity in the definition of cyberterrorism.

The lack of a definition for hacktivism and cyberterrorism is the cause for such ambivalence; as such even the word “cyber” is being debated among scholars, as to what its true meaning is. However, according to Krasavin, cyberterrorism is considered as being on equal footing with other forms of “terrorism”, as it is a mixture of terrorist activities and an area of specialization. Krasarvin further pointed out that it was in 1997 that the term “cyberterrorism” was first pointed out by a senior research fellow at the Institute for Security and Intelligence in California named Barry Collin.

Cyberterrorism, as defined by Collins, is the fusion of cybernetics and terrorism. It pertains to premeditated, politically motivated assaults carried out by subnational groups or clandestine agents which in turn intend to cause chaos and conflict by carrying out a series of attacks to institutions, computer programs, computer systems, and data. The term cyberterrorism does not involve inflicting physical harm it does cause damage to computer programs and systems. These can be disastrous, considering how dependent society is on the computer and the Internet.

Collins emphasizes that the term was “cyberterrorism” was just born recently, but its nature has long been existent.