Virtual terrorism is the term used to describe attacks on computer systems by known terrorist organizations with the intent of inciting panic, fear, or the actual physical disruption of the information system. Terrorists can use the internet to plan terror attacks, obtain finance for their activities, and get to know potential recruits. The more widely accepted definition of cyberterrorism involves breaking into private or public systems to gather personal data or even to steal money to finance terrorist activities. When comparing terrorist operations on the internet to those in the real world, the following are some advantages:
Anonymity: Cyberterrorists find it simpler to elude law enforcement since they may stay anonymous and hard to track down.
Global reach: Cybercriminals can reach a worldwide audience over the internet, and they do not even need to be physically present in the target place to target victims.
Low cost: Cyberterrorism is comparatively inexpensive compared to physical terrorist operations, and it can be carried out with just a computer and an internet connection. This removes conventional weaponry’s operational risk and cost (Batra et al., 2020). Law enforcement and cyber security measures are insufficient to defend a country’s online borders against these kinds of attacks.
Ease of access: The widespread adoption of technology and increased availability of internet connectivity have made cyberterrorism more feasible and accessible.
The following elements contribute to the ease or effectiveness of cyberterrorism:
Vulnerability of systems: Due to their heavy reliance on computer systems, governments and numerous organizations are susceptible to cyberattacks (Li & Liu, 2021). Cybersecurity vulnerabilities are defects in an organization’s information systems, system procedures, or internal controls. Hackers and cybercriminals may target these weaknesses and use their weak spots to their advantage (Li & Liu, 2021). These cybercriminals can gain unauthorized access to networks and compromise data privacy.
Lack of preparedness: Due to their lack of readiness, many governments and organizations are easy targets for cyberattacks (Li & Liu, 2021). In order to protect people, businesses, communities, and the country from potentially devastating cyberattacks, cybersecurity measures must be taken.
Rapid dissemination of information: The internet spreads information quickly, making a cyberattack more powerful.
A fictional example of an act of terrorism that might be carried out more readily online:
In order to overwhelm the website and online services of a large bank, a cyberterrorist gang launched a distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack (Arnone, 2021). This leads to a system failure at the bank, making it impossible for clients to access their accounts or conduct transactions. After halting the attack and restoring the bank’s systems, cyberterrorists demand a ransom payment. The bank is compelled to pay the ransom to stop more disruption and monetary losses. From the comfort of their homes, cyberterrorists can execute this attack without risk of being physically harmed or being discovered by law authorities.
In conclusion, benefits are tangible, genuine, and essential draws for state and non-state actors and cyber offenders. It is supported by the reality that governments are frequently unable to effectively coordinate with one another or even internally regarding the nature of cyberspace security. As technology advances exponentially, more players will probably see the advantages of cyberattacks in emerging cyberspace.
References
Arnone, R. (2021). Hackers Cybercrime-Computer Security: Ethical Hacking: Learn the attack for better defence. ARIS2-Advanced Research on Information Systems Security, 1(1), 50–61.
Batra, S., Gupta, M., Singh, J., Srivastava, D., & Aggarwal, I. (2020, November). An empirical study of cybercrime and its prevention. In 2020 Sixth International Conference on Parallel, Distributed and Grid Computing (PDGC) (pp. 42–46). IEEE.
Li, Y., & Liu, Q. (2021). A comprehensive review of cyber-attacks and cyber security; emerging trends and recent developments. Energy Reports, 7(7), 8176–8186. ScienceDirect. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.egyr.2021.08.126
write