Electronic Terrorism and International Relations in Saudi Arabia - Research Proposal Example

Electronic terrorism and international relations in Saudi Arabia Name: Mohammed Altorabi 1.1 Introduction Electronic terrorism involves acts of terrorism that is committed through the use of the computers. This is different from the ordinary terrorism that involves the terrorist groups and armed attacks (Wehrey, 2013). However, the terrorist groups have also been involved in electronic terrorism for the purposes of causing sabotage and obtaining sensitive information. The problem is considered global and it has been witnessed in Saudi Arabia. This has impacted negatively on the international relations of Saudi Arabia and other countries. The paper thus discusses the concepts of electronic terrorism and its impacts on International relations in Saudi Arabia. 1.2 Background of the Study Electronic terrorism in the Saudi Arabia has been on the increase in the recent past. This has negatively impacted on most of the people who have been affected (Ortmeier, 2012). The government has also expressed concern regarding the rising cases of electronic terrorism because it affects the international relationship of the country. The measures like monitoring the activities that take place in the internet that have been put in place to combat electronic terrorism have not been successful. This is because of the changing tactics when it comes to electronic terrorism. The deteriorating situation in international relations due to the electronic terrorism has thus increased the level of concern among most people and the government in general. Electronic terrorism includes the access of bank account details and government websites with the intention of using the information to cause harm. This situation is on the rise in the country and hence causing concern. 1.3 Problem statement Electronic terrorism is on the increase in Saudi Arabia and it affects the international relations of the country. It involves the illegal access of information from the government websites and individuals with the intention of causing harm or economic sabotage. Terrorist groups as well as individuals are usually involved in electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. Most of the security experts believe that the problem is common in the country due to low levels of information by the people regarding electronic terrorism and its effects on international relations. Electronic terrorism has led to loss of sensitive data as well as economic sabotage in the country In order to combat this problem; public awareness is required as well as training of the security personnel on the concepts of electronic terrorism. 1.4 Research questions i. What are the impacts of electronic terrorism on international relations in Saudi Arabia? ii. What are the concepts of electronic terrorism and why is electronic terrorism an issue of concern in Saudi Arabia? 1.5 Research Objectives To identify the concepts of electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. To investigate the extent of electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. To identify the effects of electronic terrorism on international relations in Saudi Arabia. To identify the measures that has been taken by the government to deal with electronic terrorism. To identify the impacts of electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. 1.6 Research Scope The research will explore the incidences of electronic terrorism in the Saudi Arabia. It will also highlight the effects of electronic terrorism in the county in relation to the international relations. The extent of the electronic terrorism will also be explored during the research in order to determine the extent of the problem in Saudi Arabia. 1.7 Research Methodology The research methodology that will be used during the research will be aimed at ensuring that the data collected is credible. Both the qualitative and quantitative concepts will be applied during the research. Interviews will be carried out for the purpose of collecting data regarding the concepts of electronic terrorism. The interviews will be carried out among the internet users who are based in the Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires will also be used to gather the needed information. The questionnaires will be used to collect more information regarding the topic. Questionnaires will be administered through the use emails so as to ensure that a high number of people participate in the process and will be administered in a way that will be well structured so as to ensure that it collects the required information. During the data collection process, a high level of accuracy will be maintained in order to ensure the credibility of the results. The data collection process will also involve the experts in the field with the main aim of improving on the quality of the data. Literature review will also be used during the data collection process. This is for the purposes of ensuring that comparing the data collected in the field and the existing data. Only credible sources of information will be used during the data collection process. Journals and government websites will be used as secondary sources of data. High standards of ethics will be observed during the data collection process. The respondents will not be influenced to answer questions in a particular way so as to influence the outcome of the results. High levels of accuracy will also be maintained during the data collection process. When using the secondary sources of data collection, all the authors will be acknowledged for ethical purposes. This will be done through referencing of all the secondary sources. Data analysis will be carried out through the use of statistical methods. This will be achieved through the use of mathematical formulas for the purposes of making the calculations. Sampling of the data will also be carried out during the process of data analysis. The sampling process is for the purposes of ensuring that the data analysis process is enhanced. In order to improve on the quality of the data, the computer techniques will be used for checking the levels of accuracy. The data that has been analyzed will also be presented graphically and through the use of charts. The data analysis and interpretation will also involve the use of graphs and charts to ensure that it can be easily understood. High levels of ethics will also be used during the process in order to ensure that the analysis results are accurate. Experts will also be involved in the process of data analysis to improve on the quality. 1.8 Significance of the study The study is important as it will establish the effects that electronic terrorism has on the international relations. The study will also be useful in highlighting the concepts of electronic terrorism. The study is also important to the members of the public as well as the government because electronic terrorism affects all the citizens in the country together with the government. The research will also be useful to the government for the purposes of policy making. It will also be beneficial to the citizens in ensuring that they are aware of the concepts of electronic terrorism and its effects. 1.9 Literature Review Electronic terrorism involves the use of computers, networks and public internet with an aim of causing destruction and harm for personal objectives. The ideologies may either be political or ideological but they have the potential of causing harm to the people who are targeted. It is also important to note that electronic terrorism has the potential of causing economic losses to individuals or companies (Al-Rawi, 2014). The people who are involved in the electronic terrorism may be part of a global network or individuals. The global terror networks may be involved in electronic terrorism for the purpose of causing sabotage. In the Saudi Arabia, electronic terrorism has been used in causing alarm and panic among the internet users. Official responses from the governments and security agencies have been prompted to respond due to the increasing rate of electronic terrorism. Traditional terrorism targeted the lives and properties of the people and electronic terrorism can also be compared to the traditional terrorism which also causes destruction to the properties of the people (Norris, 2013). In Saudi Arabia, electronic terrorism has contributed to the loss of money among the citizens. The losses have also caught the attention of the other countries and thus the effects that it has on the international relations. On the other hand, the international relationship of Saudi Arabia with the other countries has been greatly affected by electronic terrorism. The situation is serious and it can be compared to the traditional terrorism (Ford, 2013). Millions of tourists usually visit the Saudi Arabia every year. This is due to the tourist’s attraction sites in the countries. However, the tourists are usually the target of electronic terrorism. This is mainly for the purposes of illegally collecting money or causing destruction to their properties which in most cases is the computers. This has affected the international relationship with other countries. The high rate of electronic terrorism in the Saudi Arabia has prompted countries like the Britain and United States of America to offer travel advisories to its citizens visiting the Saudi Arabia (Roberson, 2013). This is an indication that electronic terrorism has negative impacts on the international relations. Electronic terrorism has impacted negatively on the number of people visiting the Saudi Arabia (Rudner, 2013). This is due to the travel advisories that have been made by most of the countries. The increase in the electronic terrorism in the country has also strained relationship between the Saudi Arabia and some western countries. Business organizations are also targets of electronic terrorism and some of the businesses have suffered destruction of properties due to attacks. This has impacted negatively on the investment of multinationals in the country. The international image of the country has also been damaged by the incidences of electronic terrorism (Aloul, 2010). The negative public image of the country has thus impacted negatively on the international relations with some of the countries. Saudi Arabia has taken initiatives to combat electronic terrorism. This is despite the electronic terrorists being always ahead of the authorities. Concern has also been raised on the increased rates of money laundering which is closely linked to electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. The money is in most cases is usually used for the purposes of sponsoring most of the terror activities in different countries (Chantler, 2011). The arm smuggling trade is also linked to electronic terrorism and it is used by the terrorist groups to cause destruction of properties and loss of life. Most of the countries therefore view electronic terrorism as a global problem. This has led to the establishment of stronger ties between the Saudi Arabia and other countries in a bid to combat electronic terrorism. This has therefore contributed to a stronger international relationship between the Saudi Arabia and the countries which supports the fight against the electronic terrorism. It is also important to note that electronic terrorism thrives in the Saudi Arabia due to the ignorance of most of the people when using the internet. On the other hand, the security system that governs the systems in Saudi Arabia is not strong enough and hence exposing the users to electronic terrorism. The government in the Saudi Arabia has also been a target of electronic terrorism which has led to damages to the government data. On the other hand, it is also important to note that the access to sensitive government information posses a security threat (Ahmed, 2011). 2.0 The Paper’s Working Plan Timeframe Activities Phase 1 Preparation of the materials to be used for the research. Developing the questionnaires and the interview questions. Searching for literature review materials. Phase 2 Administering the interview questions and questionnaires. Conducting the interviews to the respondents in the field. Obtaining information from the literature review. Phase 3 Analyzing the data collected. Writing the results and findings of the research. Concluding the research. 3.0 Conclusion In conclusion, it is worth noting that electronic terrorism is a major problem in the Saudi Arabia. The research intends to uncover the concepts of electronic terrorism in Saudi Arabia. The main objective of the research is to determine the effects that electronic terrorism has on international relations in Saudi Arabia. According to literature review, it is evident that electronic terrorism has negative impacts on international relations in Saudi Arabia. This has forced some countries to offer travel advisories to its citizens visiting the country. Electronic terrorism also causes loss of money and destruction of properties among the individuals and organizations. This has the potential of causing economic losses in the country and hence affecting the quality of life of the citizens. List of References Rudner, M., 2013, Cyber-Threats to Critical National Infrastructure: An Intelligence Challenge, International Journal of Intelligence and CounterIntelligence, 26(3), 453-481. Al-Rawi, A., 2014, Cyber warriors in the Middle East: The case of the Syrian Electronic Army, Public Relations Review. Ford, R, 2013, Advanced Degrees: Hidden Agenda of Electronic Terrorism, AuthorHouse. Norris, P., 2013, Framing terrorism: The news media, the government and the public, Routledge. Roberson, B, 2013, Middle East and Europe: The Power Deficit, Routledge. Aloul, F., 2010, Information security awareness in UAE: A survey paper, In Internet Technology and Secured Transactions (ICITST), 2010 International Conference for (pp. 1-6). IEEE. Chantler, N., 2011, Dealing with the Problem of Cybercrime, Digital forensics and cyber crime (pp. 1-18). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Ahmed, A., 2011, The Impact of Internet Connectedness on Voluntary Social Activity in UAE, International Journal of E-Politics (IJEP), 2(4), 41-60. Wehrey, F., 2013, Combating Unconventional Threats in the Gulf: Convergence and Divergence between the GCC and the West, THE UNEASY BALANCE, 97. Ortmeier, P, 2012, Introduction to security: Operations and management, Pearson Higher Ed. Read More