Terrorism Group and the Use of Internet

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. The nature of cyber terrorism. 3. Terrorism to cyber terrorism. 4. Cyber security threats in counter attacks. 5. Terrorists application in cyberspace. 6. Information terrorism. 7. The emerging threat of internet. Bibliography. Index. 

Growth in the use of the internet by terrorist groups is due to the key characteristics of the internet: ease of access which facilitates the possible massive worldwide audiences, few laws when compared to the physical world, little censorship, rapid and always on flow of information, the low cost, anonymity of communication and a multimedia environment. The presence of terrorist groups on the internet is a relatively new phenomenon, the growth of which has exploded in the past decade. Accurate estimates on the number of active terrorist group’s websites vary due to difficulties measuring but, there is a general consensus that in 1996 there was just under 100 websites and to well over 5000 websites today. For instance, al Qaeda uses the internet to spread disinformation, to deliver threats intended to instill fear and helplessness, and to disseminate horrific images of recent actions. The internet-an uncensored medium that carries stories pictures threats or messages regardless of their validity or potential impact—is peculiarly well suited to allowing even a small group to amplify its message and exaggerate its importance and the threat it poses. The cyber terrorists may also use the method of distributed denial of services (DDOS) to overburden the Government and its agencies electronic bases. This is made possible by first infecting several unprotected computers by way of virus attacks and then taking control of them. Once control is obtained, they can be manipulated from any locality by the terrorists. These infected computers are then made to send information or demand in such a large number that the server of the victim collapses. This book discusses the nature and impact of cyber terrorism in the new millennium. It also deals with the methods that have proven to be effective in security.