Cyber Terrorism

By: Thomas Romano

With the widespread increase in technological advancements throughout the world, cyber terrorism has become a national security concern for many countries, including the United States.[1] So, what is cyber terrorism? The definition of cyber terrorism is still in a state of flux as many leaders in the international community have struggled to make a distinction between cyber terrorism and cyber crimes.[2] As a result, many definitions have been put forth.[3]

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) defines cyber terrorism as “a cyber attack using or exploiting computer or communication networks to cause sufficient destruction to generate fear or intimidate a society into an ideological goal.”[4] While the U.S. National Infrastructure Protection Center, which is part of the Department for Homeland Security, has defined cyber terrorism as “a criminal act perpetrated through computers resulting in violence, death and/or destruction, and creating terror for the purpose of coercing a government to change its policies.”[5] Although the correct definition for cyber terrorism is debatable, cyber terrorism has begun to pose a problem for countries across the world.

In November 2014, Sony, an international company dealing in electronics, games, movies and more, was a victim of cyber terrorism.[6] The attack resulted in the release of confidential information of Sony’s employees and their families.[7] Further, executives of Sony had their emails released, which caused many people to question the reputation of Sony.[8] Sony also lost a significant amount of revenue because movies and games were leaked.[9] The attack on Sony has caused the United States and other countries to be extremely concerned about the destruction caused by cyber terrorism. [10]

An even more recent, discovery of a cyber threat was uncovered by an internet security company called Kapersky Lab.[11] Kapersky has called the threat “The Mask” and experts say the operation was meant to target natural gas and oil companies.[12] It was also discovered that this threat has been around since 2007 and has seized a significant amount of IP addresses from countries all over the world.[13] This threat posed a major concern over the national security of the United States. As a result, President Obama has stated that the United States will make significant investments in cyber technology to combat attacks of this nature.[14]

One of the ways the Obama administration has sought to address concerns regarding cyber terrorism is through the creation of a new agency called the “Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center.”[15] This agency will cooperate with the private sector and other agencies to combat attacks from cyber criminals.[16] The agency will analyze data received from companies and determine what steps to take in order to prevent an attack.[17] The operation of the agency is contingent on the cooperation of companies in the private sector, since the private sector controls 85% of the country’s infrastructure.[18] While many are skeptical about the creation of a new agency, the Obama administration is hopeful that it will be able to address the national concern over cyber terrorism.[19]

As cyber terrorism continues to pose a threat for the United States and countries abroad, it has become clear that concerns over the impact of cyber terrorism are well warranted.[20] Going forward, it will be no surprise to see many countries, including the United States, take extreme measures to protect confidential information from cyber terrorists.

[2] See Dimitar Kostadinov, Cyberterrorism Defined (as distinct from Cybercrime), Infosec Inst. (Dec. 21, 2012), http://resources.infosecinstitute.com/cyberterrorism-distinct-from-cybercrime/.

[3] Id.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] See Dan Holden, Is Cyber-Terrorism the New Normal?, Wired.com (Feb. 21, 2015), http://www.wired.com/2015/01/is-cyber-terrorism-the-new-normal/.

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Id.

[10] Id.

[11] See Christopher Haress, Obama Says Cyberterrorism is Country’s Biggest Threat, U.S. Government Assembles “Cyber Warriors,” International Bus. Times (Feb. 18, 2014), http://www.ibtimes.com/obama-says-cyberterrorism-countrys-biggest-threat-us-government-assembles-cyber-warriors-1556337

[12] Id.

[13] Id.

[14] Id.

[15] See Jude Abeler, White House Announces Urgent Cyber Terror Agency, Daily Caller (Feb. 10, 2015), http://dailycaller.com/2015/02/10/white-house-announces-urgent-cyber-terror-agency/.

[16] Id.

[17] Id.

[18] Id.

[19] Id.

[20] See Patrice Wheatcroft, Cyber Terrorism is Now Seen as a Real Threat, Wall St. Journal (June 30, 2010), http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704103904575336703726142746.