Cyberterrorism - the new side of terrorism
By Vladimir Golubev
Date: July 21, 2003
Prompt development of electronic control means in technological processes has resulted to occurrence of essentially new kind of terrorism - electronic terrorism or cyberterrorism.There are known attempts of threats to use nuclear, chemical and bacteriological weapon by way of the cyberterrorism. It is vitally important to provide protection of national critical infrastructure against this kind of criminal activity, that represents a danger to people life and well-being, threatens the world and national security, undermines trust to the state authorities.
Acts of terrorism in cyberspace can be perpetrated by separate persons or terrorist groups and by one state against another as well. Hence, cyberterrorism has no difference from traditional terrorism. Extremist groupings, separatists use modern technologies for the propaganda and waging information wars.
The information weapon can act selectively^; it can be applied through the transnational communication systems and it can make impossible to reveal a source of attack. Therefore the information weapon can become ideal means for terrorists, and the information terrorism can threaten to existence of the whole states. That's why question of information protection is a prominent aspect of national and international security. The nature of cyber crime defines it as international problem, because frequently it is unimportant, where exactly such crime was committed.
Creation of cyber crime and cyberterrorism units is the one of priorities of law enforcement bodies' activity.
Computer Crime Research Center
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