Cyber Terrorism Essay -- Internet Web Cyberspace Terror Essays

Cyber Terrorism Thus far we have scratched the surface of the ever-perplexing problem of terrorism. As it has evolved those in the position of countering it have also gained some valuable experience. Even with this knowledge it is very difficult, bordering on impossible to prevent terrorist acts from occurring. In the recent past there has been an extra element added to this confusing and dangerous equation, the Internet and other computer capabilities. Cyber-terrorism is a realistic possibility but is it as detrimental as other forms of conventional terrorism such as a car bomb? I will argue that the implications of a cyber attack could be just as harmful. Traditionally terrorist acts target a specific locale and are executed precisely in this spot. This has been a limit of the damage inflicted upon those the perpetrator hopes to influence and the general public. This playing field has grown enormously to what could be conceived as boundless proportions. "Individuals or groups can now use Cyberspace to threaten International governments, or terrorize the citizens of a country" (cybercrimes.net). The creation of a boundless area of attack makes it that much harder to determine where an act will be taken. Since it is easy to figure out that for cyber-terrorism to occur computers need to be accessible to the groups or individuals committing acts, why not restrict who can use computers? This has actually been considered but would be rather difficult to do in today's world. "Increasingly, America depends on computers'? (Cyberterrorism~ Fact or Fantasy?). We are not alone in this dependency, more and more of global business and personal activities are conducted via the Internet. This in itself indicates a major difference... ...ding civilian officials are aware of the possibility of organized cyber-attacks and have aligned themselves to work toward ensuring computer safety. Even though there are efforts being made to address the possibility of a computer disaster it will more than likely happen anyway. Cyber-terrorism, the wave of the future, is potentially much more harmful than anything we have seen before. Works Cited Cyberterrorism. www. cybercrimes .net. Online. 3 March 2002. Desmond, Paul. â€Å"Thwarting Cyberterrorism.† Network World 18 February 2002: Proquest. Online. 4 March 2002. Groves, Shanna. â€Å"The War on Terrorism: Cyberterrorists Beware.† Information Management Journal Jan/Feb 2002: Proquest. Online. 4 March 2002. Pollitt, Mark M. â€Å"Cyberterrorism- Fact or Fantasy?† FBI Laboratory: www. cs.georgetown.edu. Online. 3 March 2002.