Abstract
This article explores findings from a global survey of the terrorism research community to explore whether states may be deemed capable of conducting cyberterrorism. The article begins with a brief review of recent literature on state terrorism, identifying empirical and analytical justifications for greater use of this concept. Following a discussion of our research methodology we make two arguments. First, that there exists considerable ‘expert’ support for the validity of the proposition that states can indeed engage in cyberterrorism. Second, that whether states are deemed capable of cyberterrorism has implications for subsidiary debates, including around the threat that cyberterrorism poses.
Highlights
Violence conducted in cyberspace presents important challenges for academic disciplines such as International Relations and Law which traditionally work with a state-centric ontology
These are connected to researcher views on the threat posed by cyberterrorism, and accounts of whether or not cyberterrorism has ever taken place that were given within the same survey
The first question of relevance from our survey – numbered Question 13 – asked respondents, ‘In your view, can states engage in cyberterrorism?’ A free text box was provided for responses, in order to allow respondents to develop and explain their answers
Summary
Violence conducted in cyberspace presents important challenges for academic disciplines such as International Relations and Law which traditionally work with a state-centric ontology. This article contributes to contemporary debate on a particular category of violence in cyberspace – ‘cyberterrorism’ – asking about the significance of actor and non-actor based definitions of this phenomenon. In this article we report on findings relating to the question of whether or not states can engage in cyberterrorism. These are connected to researcher views on the threat posed by cyberterrorism, and accounts of whether or not cyberterrorism has ever taken place that were given within the same survey
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