Cyber Crime and Cyber Terrorism

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CHAPTER 13
Cyber terrorism: Case studies
This chapter assesses whether attacks in cyberspace by terrorist organizations, 
whose effect until now has usually been tactical, will be able to upgrade (or perhaps 
have already upgraded) their ability to operate cyber weapons with strategic sig-
nificance—weapons that can inflict large scale or lasting damage of the sort causing 
critical systems to collapse and “brings countries to their knees.”
This chapter focuses on the activities of non-state organizations with political 
agendas and goals, even if operated or supported by states. A distinction is drawn 
between these activities and those conducted directly by countries, which are beyond 
the scope of this chapter, as are the activities of organizations whose aims are mainly 
of a criminal nature. For the purpose of this chapter, a terrorist act from a non-state 
organization in cyberspace will be defined as an act in cyberspace designed to de-
liberately or indiscriminately harm civilians (see Chapter 2 for other definitions of 
cyber terrorism).
In order to assess the activities of terrorist organizations in cyberspace, the first 
stage is the identification of motives for using cyberspace as part of the political 
struggle being waged by the terrorist organizations. Two principal motives were 
identified. The first is the use of cyberspace supporting terrorist activity, mainly the 
acquisition of money and recruits or money laundering in order to finance the activ-
ity. The second is the use of tools in cyberspace providing the actual strike against the 
targets terrorist organizations set for themselves, as well as its use for other violent 
means. In this context we will analyze the cooperation between non-state organiza-
tions and the states operating them supporting their terrorist activity.
The second stage of this study required an examination of terrorist operations in 
cyberspace, that is, operations whose purpose is to cause deliberate or indiscriminate 
harm to civilians through action in cyberspace by non-state organizations with politi-
cal agendas and goals, even if operated or supported by states.
The third stage is an assessment and understanding of the capabilities terrorist 
organizations can obtain, and by them to generate an effective and significant terror-
ist attack.