Cyberterrorism

Abstract

The cyber threat landscape has continued to evolve with time and enhanced technology. With the advent of new breeds of terrorists and cybercriminals, the cyberterrorism debate has again wielded global attention. In this chapter, the author will attempt to delve deeper into the concept of cyberterrorism. Firstly, it will discuss the related issues which include the definition consensus, perception, and media abuse problems. The next section draws on parallels from research on cyber threats and terrorism based on six themes (i.e., modus operandi, domain, targets, impact, antagonists and motivations) to formulate a cyberterrorism conceptual framework. The third section will provide a hypothetical four-step cyberterrorism attack sequence and suggestions for countering cyberterrorism. This chapter will then conclude by highlighting several implications of interest.