Cyber Terrorism: Analysis of Technologies, Challenges, and Solutions

This report provides an overview of cyber terrorism, exploring its definition, challenges, and the relevant technologies involved. It examines the application of these technologies, including the use of the internet by terrorist groups and the vulnerabilities of networked systems. The report addresses key research questions, summarizing the issues discussed in three research papers on cyber attack detection, the role of the internet in terrorism, and the application of qualitative methods in developing a cyber terrorism framework. It also highlights issues not addressed in the research papers, such as the Stuxnet worm, and discusses the real-world impact of cyber attacks, including the damage caused to Iran's nuclear program. The report concludes by emphasizing the importance of robust security measures and continuous efforts to safeguard systems against evolving threats.

RUNNING HEAD: CYBER TERRORISM 1
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Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................3
Description of the challenge............................................................................................................3
Relevant technologies......................................................................................................................3
Application of the technologies.......................................................................................................4
Research questions...........................................................................................................................4
Summary of the issues discussed in research papers.......................................................................5
Important issue that were not addressed in research paper..............................................................6
Impact of discussed of the issues and their application in real world.............................................6
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................7
Reference.........................................................................................................................................8

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Introduction
In the current age of advanced technologies, there is growth in the dependency on some cyber
technologies, and there is an existence of new threat that starts to emerge with some digital based
frontiers. It is a known fact of life that to get more integrated on digital platforms, and the
infrastructure of the country is associated, and it further becomes more and more vulnerable
(Raiyn, 2014). The views also say that existence of cyber terrorism and also the possibilities
surrounding it are very far from ranges and from those who also have a belief it is not a threat
and can never be taken seriously with so many lasting harms. The report will discuss the impact
of cyber terrorism with the help of three research papers.
Description of the challenge
The concept of cyber terrorism can be defined as an attack on an electronic based
communication networks. At the same time, it is also utilized in the loose form to discuss the
usage of the internet by different terrorists in order spread the message widely along with the
propaganda and a lot of fear. As the group of terrorists can evolve from the present hierarchal
structure to have for independent terrorist cells that are operating in one place to accomplish the
objective, the internet has further become an ideal place to spread the ideas and keep the
communication well with associated cells (Hua & Bapna, 2013). The process is quite
inexpensive by nature and also sufficient for the usage of the readily present with internet for the
motive and with incredibly easy for people to retain the anonymity.

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Relevant technologies
The biggest fear for any government body is from actual cyber attack. In the present time, it
necessary to understand all kind of websites or every material is networked. There is also an
existence of reliant on computers along with computer networks. There is the rise in some
hackers as well as viruses that have always been the real threat that has been dealt in past and
causing so many kinds of disruption as well as in contributing the fear. There are situations
where the damage can be caused when the important infrastructure or sensitive network of
computer security can be breached (Ayres & Maglaras, 2016).
Application of the technologies
There is some disruption in the form of cyber attack that can be caused by different kind of
communication systems that also happen to include phone, the internet, and cable. There is also a
possibility of breaching the security networks that are accountable for functioning with
corporations, and there are many government agencies that are affecting. There are many kinds
of operations as well as tests that have been conducted in the past to decide the security of many
types of military installations as well as critical computer networks for the same (Ayres &
Maglaras, 2016). It is also important to understand that it can be used with software and different
hacking based techniques that can be downloaded at any time from the internet. Also, there is
authority to break many networks, however, cannot break any laws in the US. The main goal can
be easily breakable into the network and can be read with some small modifications to sensitive
data in emails, or disrupted telephone network and it further conduct by denial of many service
based attacks. It is also managed without being properly recognized or traced (Crossler et al.,
2013).

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Research questions
1. What is cyber terrorism?
2. Is cyber terrorism is the new normal?
3. How real is the threat of cyber terrorism?
4. What are preventions for cyber terrorism?
Summary of the issues discussed in research papers
Following is the summary of three research papers on cyber terrorism:
1. A survey of Cyber Attack Detection Strategies:
The research paper discusses the Homeland security that addresses with many kinds of
subjects with audio based processing, surveillance of video, detection of the image, geo-
location deciding and detection of cyber attacks. The existence of audio processing with
monitoring of video those is important for some public places with safety. But the bigger
threat for the agency is cyber terrorism (Raiyn, 2014). The terror attacks through cyber
space may move over a virtual based network and can reach every corner of the home. In
the current time, it is important to focus on homeland security field but also necessary to
set the cyber attack and their detection area with high priority in the research.
2. WHAT ARE THE ROLES OF THE INTERNET IN TERRORISM?
In the recent time, there is an existence of online radical based information that has been
becoming an issue. When there is an existence of evidence that comes up with a personal
level of engaged online approach related to his or her ideology, and there is the sudden
consensus where the internet is causing the action. The reality is that the process is far
more complicated than expected (Gill et al., 2015). The concept of radicalization is

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generally enough to cause terrorism on the internet. The relevant questions however
based on different kind of complex situations which are discussed in detail in the research
paper.
3. The Application of Qualitative Method in Developing a Cyber Terrorism
Framework
The report uses a qualitative method that has become more and more popular approach,
and it is also related to the discipline of social science. The motive of the paper is based
on discussing the overall application of different qualitative methods in growing a
framework for cyber terrorism. The primary objective of the research paper is based on
discovering the theory and then further developing a framework which is conceptual, and
it also discusses all the elements (Yunos & Ahmad, 2014). The research, there is an
existence of semi-structured survey in the form of an interview and with a purpose of
sampling methods for collecting data.
Important issue that were not addressed in research paper
In the recent time, an issue of Stuxnet which came as a computer worm and was discovered in
2010. The application is based on worms and the target of industrial software and tools and was
the first case of malware which was identified with subverts industrial systems. The worm is also
a part of a very specialized program in malware that is a target for Siemens Supervisory control
along with Data acquisition also called as SCADA (Stohl, 2014).
Impact of discussed of the issues and their application in real world
The worm discussed above infected many computer systems and it harmed the Iran nuclear
program called as SCADA. It particularly aimed at the centrifuge utilized in manufacturing the

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material for nuclear weapons which later made a spin in fast speed and were also damaged. The
worm also covered the modifications that go in speed to save the system it from being
discovering. This further goes on for a long period just before it was traced and the harm it can
cause to the nuclear manufacturing plant of Iran is estimated to have set back the program almost
for two years (Brick, 2014).
Conclusion
In the recent time, there are existences of software as well as much hardware organization that
has made the product safer. There are solutions like Firewalls as well as anti-virus system that
are always worked on and further made it tougher and rapid for the detection of the virus. The
current operating systems are also based on securing which was made much stronger with time.
But some creative level hackers will find methods to get past newer security code. It is important
to understand here that many things as part of perfect kind of security and people must work to
ensure the systems that are safer (Al Mazari et al., 2016). There are other methods for security
system through supervising the internet. Also, there is a process of sniffing as well where sniffer
is based on the software program that looks for internet traffic for particular items or keywords to
program the searches.

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Reference
Al Mazari, A., Anjariny, A. H., Habib, S. A., & Nyakwende, E. (2016). Cyber terrorism
taxonomies: Definition, targets, patterns, risk factors, and mitigation
strategies. International Journal of Cyber Warfare and Terrorism (IJCWT), 6(1), 1-12.
Ayres, N., & Maglaras, L. A. (2016). Cyberterrorism targeting the general public through social
media. Security and Communication Networks, 9(15), 2864-2875.
Brick, B. (2014). The role of social networking sites for language learning in UK higher
education: The views of learners and practitioners. In Cyber Behavior: Concepts,
Methodologies, Tools, and Applications (pp. 1745-1764). IGI Global.
Crossler, R. E., Johnston, A. C., Lowry, P. B., Hu, Q., Warkentin, M., & Baskerville, R. (2013).
Future directions for behavioral information security research. computers & security, 32,
90-101.
Gill, P., Corner, E., Thornton, A., & Conway, M. (2015). What are the roles of the Internet in
terrorism? Measuring online behaviours of convicted UK terrorists.
Hua, J., & Bapna, S. (2013). The economic impact of cyber terrorism. The Journal of Strategic
Information Systems, 22(2), 175-186.
Raiyn, J. (2014). A survey of cyber attack detection strategies. International Journal of Security
and Its Applications, 8(1), 247-256.
Stohl, M. (2014). Dr. Strangeweb: or how they stopped worrying and learned to love cyber war.
In Cyberterrorism (pp. 85-102). Springer New York.

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Yunos, Z., & Ahmad, R. (2014, February). The application of qualitative method in developing a
cyber terrorism framework. In Proceedings of the 2014 International Conference on
Economics, Management and Development (EMD 2014) (pp. 133-137).