Cyber Crime and Cyber Terrorism

THE CONFUSION ABOUT CYBER TERRORISM
Around the millennium, many experts from different disciplines showed interest in 
the potential of cyber terrorism. For that reason, a wide range of moderate definitions 
for cyber terrorism were proposed, especially in the period between 1997 and 2001. 
The reason for the incoherence of the definitions stems from the fact that their origin

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CHAPTER 2
Definitions of Cyber Terrorism
lay in quite different expert fields such as law enforcement, international studies, 
anti-terror, information security, and information operations. The popular press even 
creates more confusion. Below several of these definitions will be discussed to show 
examples of the confusion. From these definitions we can derive elements for an 
encompassing definition of cyber terror as stated in the following sections. The defi-
nitions also demonstrate that no act of cyber terror has occurred yet.
In 1997, Mark Pollitt
 of the FBI defined cyber terrorism as:
The premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer sys-
tems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against non-combatant 
targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents (FBI, 1997).
The emphasis in this definition lies on the what, and whom. The terror-related 
aspect of fear is lacking as well as the use of threatening with an attack. Combatants 
are excluded, which reflected FBI’s mandate but did not help to derive the compre-
hensive definition. In 2004, the FBI (
Lourdeau, 2004
) redefined cyber terrorism as:
A criminal act perpetrated by the use of computers and telecommunications ca-
pabilities, resulting in violence, destruction and/or disruption of services, where 
the intended purpose is to create fear by causing confusion and uncertainty within 
a given population, with the goal of influencing a government or population to 
conform to a particular political, social or ideological agenda (FBI, 2004).
This definition focuses on the criminality of the act, the traditional information 
and communication technology (ICT) means, the intended impact, and motivation. 
The definition lacks a wider view on newer ICT, such as those embedded in for 
instance critical infrastructures, cars, and medical equipment. The impact in the defi-
nition is limited only to raising fear and uncertainty whereas terrorism may aim at 
disrupting the economy, the environment, international relationships, and govern-
mental governance processes as well.
In 2000, the information security expert Professor Dorothy E. Denning defined 
cyber terrorism as:
an attack that results in violence against persons or property, or at least causes 
enough harm to generate fear (
Denning, 2000
).
This definition has its focus on the possible impact of cyber terrorism. Why ter-
rorists would perform an act of cyber terrorism and the how are not discussed. After 
09/11, she redefined cyber terrorism in (
Denning, 2001
) as:
unlawful attacks and threats of attack against computers, networks, and the in-
formation stored therein when done to intimidate or coerce a government or its 
people in furtherance of political or social objectives (
Denning, 2001
).
This definition stems clearly from an information security point of view. Its fo-
cus is on the integrity and availability of information. This definition does not cover 
physical effects as a result of an affected cyber layer. The definition also fails to make 
a clear distinction with cyber activism (hacktivism).

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