Homeland Security / Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism - Research Paper Example

All the national efforts to protect America from external and internal threats are currently included under homeland security. In other words, all the security agencies working for the protections of Americans come under the banner of homeland security now. It is estimated that more than 187 agencies are currently working under homeland security in America. The 2002 homeland security act devised by the Bush administration, created a separate cabinet department for homeland security. The purpose of homeland security is to reduce America’s vulnerability to terrorism.

America is vulnerable to all forms of terrorist activities. The development of internet has opened one more channel for terrorism; digital crime and digital terrorism. It is difficult to define digital terrorism or digital crimes in few words because of the complex topics associated with it. It ranges from hacking into air traffic control to setting up a Facebook account or group to give members a chance support something offensive. Credit card forgery, identity theft, hacking military secrets from enemy’s computer etc are some of the other prominent digital crimes and terrorist activities at present.

Generally speaking digital crime or digital terrorism is the criminal or terrorist activities performed with the help of computers and internet. This paper analyses topics such as Why Homeland Security is relevant in the context of digital crime and digital terrorism, How the issue of digital crime and digital terrorism have evolved or been altered over its lifespan? The cause theories associated with digital crime and digital terrorism and the Strategies for reducing the types of crime associated with digital crime and digital terrorism.

Information technology has played a great role in the emergence of networked terrorist groups, such as al Qaeda and Jemmah Islamiyiah. Technology has allowed for reduced transmission time in