What is Cyber Terrorism?

Definitions:
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS):
the use of computer network tools to shut down critical national
infrastructures (e.g., energy, transportation, government operations) or
to coerce or intimidate a government or civilian population.
William Tafoya, Professor of Criminal Justice at the Henry C. Lee
College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences:
the intimidation of civilian enterprise through the use of high technology
to bring about political, religious, or ideological aims, actions that result
in disabling or deleting critical infrastructure data or information.
The term was coined in the 1980s by Barry Collin, a senior
research fellow at the Institute for Security and Intelligence in
California, who in 1997 was attributed for creation of the term
"Cyberterrorism", defined cyber-terrorism as the convergence
of cybernetics and terrorism.
What Cyber Terrorism is not!
Cyber terrorism is an element of information warfare, but
information warfare is not cyber terrorism.
Electronic Warfare and Information Operations both are
synonymous of Information Warfare.
None of the three, however, are synonymous with cyber terror.
IW, EW, and IO encompass the use of cryptography, radar
jamming, high-altitude aerial reconnaissance, electronic
surveillance, electronically acquired intelligence, and
steganography.
Cyber terrorists may use these same tools.
The distinction, however, is not the technological tools
employed but the context and target.
CNN.com: Cyber-terrorism threat
(August 25, 2011)
Timeline of Preceding Events
Early 1970s Early beginnings of the internet during the
days of the Cold War, when the U.S. Department of Defense
wanted to reduce the exposure of its communication
networks to nuclear attack.
Late 1980s - Internet opened up to commercial users.
Mid 1990s - The Internet connected more than 18,000
private, public, and national networks, with increasing
numbers along with 3.2 million host computers and as many
as 60 million users spread across the globe.
Historical Facts
One of the first recorded cyber-terrorist attacks was in 1996
when a computer hacker allegedly associated with the White
Supremacist movement temporarily disabled a
Massachusetts Internet service provider (ISP) and damaged
part of the ISP's record keeping system.
The ISP had attempted to stop the hacker from sending out
worldwide racist messages under the ISP's name.
The hacker signed off with the threat, "you have yet to see
true electronic terrorism. This is a promise.
." Since 1996, attacks have continued with increasing
severity.
 Cyber Terrorism
Why cyber terrorism?
- Cheaper than other methods
- More difficult to get caught
- Can be done from anywhere.
- Can affect more people

Countries with most cyber terrorism as in 2002

- United States = 35.4%
- South Korea = 12.8%
- China = 6.2 %
- Germany = 6.7 %
- France = 4.0 %
More statistics
In the first half of 2002, there were more than 180,000 Internet based
attacks on business.

Attacks against the Internet increase at an annual rate above 60%.

The average business will experience 32 break-in attempts this week.

Reported systems vulnerabilities and security incidents are doubling

each year.

The reported number of vulnerabilities and security incidents represent

an estimated 10% of the actual total.
What the internet offers to
terrorists
easy access
Minimal regulation, censorship, or any type of government
control
potentially huge audiences spread throughout the world;
anonymity
fast movement of information
low-cost maintenance of a web page
a multimedia environment (the ability to combine text,
graphics, audio, and video and to allow users to download films,
songs, books, posters, and so forth);
the ability to shape coverage in the traditional mass media,
which increasingly use the Internet as a source for stories.
 Cyber terrorist organizations all over the
world

Today there are more than 40 terrorist

organizations that maintain websites and use
different languages.
Their websites provide with information about
the organization.
Some of their purposes are to change public
opinion, weaken public support for a
governing regime, and even take them down.
From the Middle East
- The Unix Security Guards (pro
Islamic group)
- The Popular Front for the Liberation
of Palestine
- The Anti - India Crew
From Europe
- The Irish Republican Army
- The Basque ETA movement
Israel and Pakistan groups fighting each
other using cyber attacks.
 Anonymous
Hacker leaderless movement.
Originated in 2003 on the imageboard 4chan
Use masks for disguise.
Most famous hacktivist group in the world.
Use their technological knowledge to attack corporations and
organizations they consider corrupt.
Their first act was against the church of Scientology
- Released videos on YouTube to inform people
about the danger scientology and conduct protests against them.
- Showed hundreds of illegal actions, fraudulent

activities and violations of human rights committed by the

church of scientology.
- Released another video on YouTube calling for global

protest.
We are Legion: The Story of the
Hacktivists Trailer
 Anonymous
Online attacks as non-violent protests
Other activities:
- Have dealt with drug cartels in
Mexico and pornography
file-sharing sites
- Took down Israeli government
servers as well as U.S Law
Enforcement Agencies.
- Launched denial of service
attacks to the websites of
MasterCard and Visa for refusing
payments of donations to
the website WikiLeaks.
- Retaliation for the Megaupload
Raids.
Gained more reputation after hacking
into Sonys PlayStation Network, getting
access to 77 million accounts.
Considered the top terrorist threat to the
U.S Government.
NSA Warns "Cyber Terrorists"
Anonymous Can Take Out Entire
Power Grid
 Legal Provisions
Amendments under the Information Technology Act, 2000 has
defined the term Cyberterrorism U/Sec. 66F. This is the first
ever attempt to define the term.
It includes:-
1. Threatening the unity, integrity, security or sovereignty
2. Denying access to authourized person to access computer
resource
Legal Provisions
3. Contaminating computer with mallware
4. Conduct causes death, injuries,damage to or destruction of property.
Cybercrime Treaty
1. International agreement to foster international cooperation among
law enforcement agencies of different countries in fighting cyber
terrorism
2. Treaty sets common standards to resolve international cases
United States Law
In United States warrants are required to search and seize a
computer
Charges are filled where the crime occurs
Laws differ between states and countries
FBI files in the state where the crime is discovered and the
investigation began
Punishment
Whoever commits or conspires to commit cyber
terrorism shall be punishable with imprisonment
which may extend to imprisonment for life. I.e.
Imprisonment not exceeding fourteen years (Sec.
55, IPC)
In some countries whoever commits the offence
of cyber terrorism and causes death of any
person shall be punishable with death or
imprisonment for life.
Works Cited
Krasavin , Serge . "What is Cyber-terrorism?." Computer Crime
Research Center (CCRC). Computer Crime Research Center,
2002. Web. 5 Jul 2012. <http://www.crime-
research.org/library/Cyber-terrorism.htm>.
Tafoya, William L.. "Cyber Terror." Federal Bureau of
Investigations. FBI, Nov 2011. Web. 5 Jul 2012.
<http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/law-enforcement-
bulletin/november-2011/cyber-terror>.
Wright, M.. Technology and terrorism: how the internet facilitates
radicalization. N.p., 2008. Web. 5 Jul 2012.
<http://www.theforensicexaminer.com/archive/winter08/7/>.
Gabriel, W.."Internet modern." . N.p., 2005. Web. 5 Jul 2012.
<http://www.securityaffairs.org/issues/2005/08/weimann.php/>.
"International Activists Use Facebook To Fight Terrorism."
FoxNews. Fox News, 08 Dec 2008. Web. 5 Jul 2012.
<http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,459945,00.html>.
Works Cited (cont.)
Schwartz, Matthew J. "InformationWeek: The Business Value of
Technology."Informationweek. N.p., 7 Feb. 2012. Web. 14 Aug.
2012. <http://www.informationweek.com/security/attacks/who-is-
anonymous-10-key-facts/232600322?pgno=1>.

Au Auza, Jun. "7 Most Notorious Computer Hacker Groups of All

Time | TechSource." 7 Most Notorious Computer Hacker Groups
of All Time | TechSource. N.p., 8 July 2011. Web. 14 Aug. 2012.
<http://www.junauza.com/2011/07/7-most-notorious-computer-
hacker-groups.html>.
Elmusharaf, Mudawi M. "Computer Crime Research Center."
Cyber Terrorism : The New Kind of Terrorism. N.p., 8 Apr. 2004.
Web. 14 Aug. 2012. <http://www.crime-
research.org/articles/Cyber_Terrorism_new_kind_Terrorism/>.
Maggio, Edward J.. "Terrorism: Cyber Terrorism." Survival
Insights. Survival Insights LLC, 07 Feb 2007. Web. 16 Aug
2012.
<http://www.survivalinsights.com/modules.php?name=News&file
=article&sid=39>.
Works Cited (cont.)
Ronald Standler, Computer Crime,
http://www.rbs2.com/ccrime.htm (accessed October 29,
2010).
Robert Taylor, Eric Fritsch, Tory Caeti, Kall Loper, and John
Liederbach, Digital Crime and Digital Terrorism (Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011), 19.
James Lewis, Assessing the Risks of Cyber Terrorism,
Cyber War and Other Cyber Threats, Center for Strategic
and International Studies,
http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/021101_risks_of_cyberter
ror.pdf (accessed October 28, 2010).