Terrorism is the use of force or violence to intimidate or coerce for ideological, religious, or political motives. Cyberterrorism is the illegal use of computers and/or the internet to pursue a terrorist agenda. The FBI and NATO have different definitions, but both agree that cyberterrorism aims to cause physical violence or financial hardship. IMPACT was formed to fight against cyberterrorism, and institutions like Utica College are developing programs to meet the growing need for cybersecurity and cyberterrorism protection.
Terrorism is defined as the unlawful use or threat of the use of force or violence against persons or property by a person or organized group with the intention of intimidating or coercing. During armed conflicts, terrorism is considered to be an attack on people who are not actively engaged in armed hostilities in an attempt to spread terror among civilians. In both cases, the motivation behind terrorism often stems from ideological, religious, or political motives or goals. Broadly speaking, cyberterrorism, also called information warfare or electronic terrorism, is a term coined by security expert Barry C. Collin for the illegal use of computers and/or the Internet in pursuit of a terrorist agenda or as a target of a terrorist’s agenda.
There are specific definitions of cyberterrorism issued by various governments and their agencies. The definition by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation states that cyberterrorism refers to a “premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data that results in violence against non-combatant targets by subnational groups or clandestine agents.” . According to the FBI, cyberterrorism is intended to cause physical violence or serious financial hardship. The US Commission on Critical Infrastructure Protection identifies power plants, air traffic control, banking, water systems and military installations as likely targets.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) offered its own definition in 2008. NATO defined cyberterrorism as “a cyberattack that uses or exploits computer or communications networks to cause destruction or disruption sufficient to generate fear or intimidate a company towards an ideological goal. This definition differs from the US definition in proposing that cyberterrorism be carried out using computers and communications networks, while the other has them as the targets of attacks, but it has been argued that both should apply.
In 2008, IMPACT (International Multilateral Partnership Against Cyber-Terrorism) was formed as a public-private initiative to drive collaboration between academics, governments, industry and cyber-security experts in the fight against cyber-terrorism. It is a partner of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and its 191 member countries, and supports the ITU’s seven strategic goals that make up its Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA).
In March 2010, FBI Director Robert S. Mueller told a conference that not only is the threat of cyberterrorism real, it is rapidly expanding. Institutions like Utica College are responding. Utica College is developing a new master’s degree program in Cybersecurity—Intelligence and Forensics to meet the growing need for cybersecurity and cyberterrorism protection.
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