Cyberterrorism: content, forms and promising countermeasures

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to clarify the concept of cyber terrorism, its typical features and main forms, and to develop proposals for improving the system of countermeasures. The article highlights modern approaches to defining the content of cyber terrorism and its social and legal nature. This type of terrorism should be regarded as a socially dangerous politically motivated activity aimed at disrupting the critical information infrastructure of the State and thus creating a danger to human life and health or causing other serious consequences, provided that such actions were committed for terrorist purposes, or using cyberspace for other purposes of terrorist activities not directly related to terrorist acts.
 Typical features of cyber terrorism are described and a definition of its concept is proposed. The main forms of cyber terrorism are revealed: the commission of terrorist acts by organisations, groups and individuals using computers and computer networks or by influencing the information processed (circulated) in them, as well as the use of cyberspace for other purposes of terrorist activities not directly related to the commission of terrorist acts.
 The counteraction system may be based on the following: proper regulation of the concept of cyber terrorism in national legislation, criminalisation of acts of cyber terrorism and its components; enhancing the security and protection of critical information infrastructure; improving existing and applying new counteraction methods; improving cooperation in the field of combating cyber terrorism.