A Postmodern Theory of Cyberterrorism: Game Theory

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyzes how the battle between computer security experts and cyberterrorists can be explained through game theory. This article is important because it not only applies game theory to the study of cyberterrorism, which has been rarely done so far, but it also breaks new ground by intersecting the game theoretical model with another theory, social network theory. An important thesis of this analysis is that under the principles of game theory, each player is assumed to be rational; all players wish the outcome to be as positive or rewarding as possible. Another key argument is that game theory is a postmodern theory; against opponents who wage attacks in a postmodern fashion, conventional strategies lead nowhere. The cyberterrorist and the cyber forensics expert not only engage in real-time game play but also use tactics that are not conceivable in conventional conflict.