CJ513 Unit 3 DQ   Topic #1 The Definition of Cyberterrorism Discuss the current debate surrounding the definition of cyberterrorism

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CJ513

Unit 3 DQ

 

Topic #1

The Definition of Cyberterrorism

Discuss the current debate surrounding the definition of cyberterrorism. Why is there no common definition? What are some of the challenges associated with establishing a common definition? Provide examples of two competing definitions of cyberterrorism from different sources and discuss the differences between the definitions. What are the implications of these differences? Be sure to properly cite and reference sources used

Topic #1: Student Response #1(Respond to Joe)

Joe Cacioppo

Good evening class,

 

This was an interesting topic to research and had not given much thought to the nuances in defining and making a distinction between cyberterrorism and cybercrime. I was also surprised to hear there was not a common definition of cyberterrorism.  I reviewed the United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation website and found an article written by Tafoya (2011), who defined cyberterrorism as “the intimidation of civilian enterprise through the use of high technology to bring about political, religious, or ideological aims, actions that result in disabling or deleting critical infrastructure data or information.” 

An alternate definition according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) defined cyberterrorism as, ““the use of computer network tools to shut down critical national infrastructures (e.g., energy, transportation, government operations) or to coerce or intimidate a government or civilian population.” (Tafoya, 2011.)

 

In comparing the two different definitions given, the similarities include the use of technology to coerce or intimidate to produce a change. The differences in the FBI definition have a better defined group of targeted populations for change, for example political, religious or ideological change.  I have not seen an implication between the differences in the two given definitions. The end result, and the methods for cyberterrorism is similar.

 

Additional research on cyberterrorism described the activity as any premeditated, politically motivated attack against information systems, programs and data that results in violence against noncombatant targets by subnational groups of clandestine agents, (Hanna, et. al., nd.)

 

References:

Hanna, H.T., Ferguson, K, Rosencrance, L. (nd.) Techtarget network. Cyberterrorism.  https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/cyberterrorism

Tafoya, W.L. 2011. The United States Department of Justice. Cyber Terror.  https://leb.fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/cyber-terror

 

Topic #1: Student Response #2(Respond to Elizabeth)

Elizabeth Stuart

 

Cyberterrorism, while understood by some on a basic level, remains an elusive concept to many. There is no agreed upon definition in academia or government for this term. Due to this, it can be difficult to pinpoint what exactly constitutes cyberterrorism. In their article, Klein (2018) utilized a definition by Denning (2000), who described cyberterrorism as the place where cyberspace meets terrorism. This by itself seems easy enough to understand. Denning’s (2000) definition also states cyberterrorism includes unlawful acts committed to threaten a government or people to act in accordance with the terrorists’ wishes. Furthermore, the act must include violence, or cause enough damage to elicit fear (Denning, 2000). This definition provides many requirements for an act to be considered terrorism. This could prove difficult for prosecution purposes, depending on the region the act occurs in. 

There are several reasons why there is no single definition of cyberterrorism. For one, cyberterrorism depends on the technological capabilities of the victim in addition to the suspect. What could be considered cyberterrorism to one country may be different to another, depending on technological advancements. Additionally, technology is always advancing. This makes it difficult to solidify a definition as it could change in coming years. Cavelty (2007) stated, “academics agree in general that to be labeled cyber-terrorism, cyber-incidents must be mounted by sub-national terrorist groups, be aimed at parts of the information infrastructure, instill terror by effects that are sufficiently destructive or disruptive to generate fear, and must have a political, religious, or ideological motivation” (p. 22). Compared to Denning’s (2000) definition, Cavelty’s (2007) seems rather similar. However, Cavelty’s (2007) includes that cyberterrorism must be aimed at the information infrastructure and narrowed down the categories of the terrorists’ motivations. This definition provides more information but also states cyberterrorism must be violent in nature. This shows how it would be prudent to have a single definition for cyberterrorism so as to decrease confusion and make laws more precise.

Denning, D. (2000, May 23). “Cyberterrorism,” testimony before the Special Oversight Panel on Terrorism, Committee on Armed Services, U.S. House of Representatives.  www.stealthiss.com/documents/pdf/cyberterrorism.pdf

Cavelty, M. D. (2007). Cyber-terror--looming threat or phantom menace? The framing of the US cyber-threat debate. Journal of Information Technology & Politics, 4(1), 19–36. Doi: 10.1300/J516v04n01_03

Klein,  J. J. (2018). Deterring and dissuading cyberterrorism. Air & Space Power Journal: Afrique et Francophonie, 9(1), 21–34. Doi: 10.5038/1944-0472.8.4.1460

Topic #1: Student Response #3(Respond to Damon)

Damon Bradshaw

Cyber-attacks are becoming more alarming and are often linked to the widely publicized threat of terrorism. Although the term is often used to describe the attacks, their exact nature is still not clearly defined. According to Brickey (2012), cyberterrorism is a broad term that refers to the activities of groups or individuals that are designed to disrupt or damage the integrity of a network or system. Brickey (2012) notes that the biggest challenge of defining the term cyberterrorism and establishing a common definition results from the public misunderstanding of the term, often getting confused with other terms such as hacktivism and cyberwar. The complexity of the concept of cyberterrorism, various attempts at defining it have been made, with the confusion regarding its usage becoming more prevalent in the media and public discourse. Plotnet and Slay (2021) claim that Barry C. Collin was the first person to coin the term cyberterrorism, defining it as, “the convergence of cybernetics and terrorism” (p.3). On the other hand, Iqbal (2004) notes that cyberterrorism has been defined as the act of hacking with a body count. Despite the numerous articles on cyberterrorism, there is still no single definition that can be used to describe the crime, with cyberterrorism still being considered a serious crime. “Cyberterrorism is the convergence of terrorism and cyberspace” (Iqbal, 2004, p.402).

According to Hanna, Ferguson, and Rosencrance (2021), cyberterrorism is defined by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as intentional attacks that are politically motivated against data, computer programs and systems that ends in violence against civilians by covert agents. Since there is no collectively agreed on definition of cyberterrorism, conceptions range broadly including any form of online terrorist activity. There is need for a new approach that defines cyberterrorism allowing for additional precise cyberterrorism subsets suiting the unique applications, at the same time retaining a mutual understanding of policy standardization, research, and global collaboration threats.

Hanna, K., Ferguson, K. and Rosencrance, L., 2021. What is cyberterrorism?. [online] SearchSecurity. Available at: <https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/cyberterrorism> [Accessed 13 August 2021].

Brickey, J. (2012). Defining Cyberterrorism: Capturing a Broad Range of Activities in Cyberspace – Combating Terrorism Center at West Point. Retrieved 13 August 2021, from  https://ctc.usma.edu/defining-cyberterrorism-capturing-a-broad-range-of-activities-in-cyberspace/

Plotnek, J. J., & Slay, J. (2021). Cyber terrorism: A homogenized taxonomy and definition. Computers & Security, 102, 102145.

Iqbal, M. (2004). Defining Cyberterrorism, 22 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 397 (2004). The John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law, 22(2), 2.

 

Topic #2 Cyberterrorism vs. Cybercrime

Discuss the characteristics that would distinguish an attack of cyberterrorism from an attack of cybercrime. Discuss four specific characteristics that could be used to identify an attack as cyberterrorism or cybercrime. Why is it important to effectively distinguish between the two?

Topic #2: Student Response #1 (Respond to Nathanael)

Nathanael Plumb

 

The primary differences between cybercrime and cyberterrorism are the goals between the two.  Cybercrime is motivated by greed and the flaunting of ability.  Cyberterrorism ensures the cybercrime committed affects a large audience and frightens the public with the possibility of repeat action.  Cybercriminals use a variety of computer-based weapons to disrupt, block, or seize information from corporate networks.  Cybercrime is not limited to those crimes committed over the internet.  Cybercrimes are part of larger crimes and may assist in furtherance of a larger crime.  Acts of cyberterrorism are cybercrimes with the intent to violate public trust, frighten the public, or influencing political authorities (Sychev, 2014).  The primary difference between cybercrime and cyberterrorism is lies in the goals between the two. 

 

Sychev, M.  (2014).  Cybercrime and Cyberterrorism.  National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine.  Retrieved from  https://www.nap.edu/read/10968/chapter/13

 

Topic #2: Student Response #2 (Respond to Dave)

David Carusotto

Hello All,

There are many differences between cyberterrorism and cybercrime. Cyberterrorism is the act of using information technology to cause mass disruption or place society in fear (Muhic, 2019). An example of this would be the attack on the pipeline that forced Americans into a panic because they were unsure whether there would be fuel for their vehicles. This caused many Americans to horde gas out of panic, causing many people to be left with none until the attack was resolved. A cyberattack is an attack on computer software to damage a network (Bezdrob, 2019). Cyber attacks are on a much smaller scale, and unlike cyberterrorism, their attacks are not caused to place society in fear. An example of a cyber attack would be a virus on a computer that refrains a person from using their device. While this may inconvenience the software owner, it will most likely not cause mass hysteria out within society. It is essential to distinguish between the terrorism can affect mass amounts of people (Muhic, 2019). It is the same as an isolated incident of a crime. For example, if there was a shooting and a person was killed, and there is information to support there was an issue between the two people, people would call this a terrorist attack. Although the word terrorism has a tendency to cause panic and fear among people, the term must be used correctly not to have society overreact. 

Thank you,

Dave

Bezdrob, E. (2019). Cyber terrorism. Journal of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Security Studies, 1(5), 217-226.

Muhic, E. (2019). Cyber terrorism as new way of warfare: Secondary case analysis of "Stuxnet" and theoretical approach to cyber terrorism. Journal of Criminal Justice and Security Studies, 1(5), 227-243.

Topic #2: Student Response #3 (Respond to Kevin)

Kevin Minderman

As we discovered in the previous discussion there is not a clear-cut definition for cyber terrorism. Like cyberterrorism, cybercrime has multiple definitions causing issues as well. "For example, individuals with expertise in law enforcement will have a different perspective than persons with expertise in information security" (Gong, 2017, p. vii). In regards to cyberterrorism, the general intent is to influence behaviors of decisions of society and governments for political, social, religious, or ideological agenda. Cybercrime is more associated with personal gain or gratification.  Cybercrime is more specifically defined by the FBI as they categorize cyber-crime into four areas: 1) computer intrusions, 2) theft of intellectual property and personal information, 3) child pornography and exploitation, and 4) online fraud (Gong, 2017). With these examples, there is an apparent difference from cyberterrorism. These examples are crimes that would definitely fall under personal gain or gratification or both.  The importance to distinguish the two is important especially when it comes to the court of law.  The United States does not have a specific criminal code for cyberterrorism.  When a particular crime is committed that might fall under such title, the United States must first determine if it falls under their definition of "terrorism". Under USC Title 18, "Involves violent acts or acts dangerous to human life that are a violation of the criminal law of the United States or of any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State" (Gong, 2017, p14). Understanding the difference between cyberterrorism and cybercrime becomes pivotal when the justice system looks to charge offenders and the outcome of the sentences that are placed on the offender. 

Gong, C. (2017)Cyber-terrorism and cyber-crime: There is a difference. Defense Technical Information Center.  https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/AD1054569