Cyber-terrorism… Facebook as example

When Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, decided to create a social networking site, he did not know that his website would spread to become the first site of communication between people in the world and of social mobility and technological development.

 The task of social sites has been intertwined to include concepts and tasks other than networking that have transcended the concept of interpersonal communication. These include the concepts of e-commerce, distance education, and the human dimension in helping victims of natural disasters and poor countries.

The radical movements have taken advantage of the information technology revolution as a means to recruit new members and spread their extremist dogmas and even direct members to carry out terrorist attacks.

Cyber-terrorism is defined as the use on Internet to hack a country's network or its own protection systems to spread viruses that stall operations for a certain period of time or destroy its database, causing losses worth billions of dollars.

The Washington Center for Strategic Studies said terrorist attacks caused losses worth $700 bn in 2017.

ISIS' cyber-terrorism 

ISIS highly relies on the cyberspace to widen the base of sympathizers and promote its power and terrorist operations worldwide, especially in Europe. Many of ISIS members are IT wizards.

ISIS is trying to preserve its so-called caliphate via the social media to keep its followers. The terrorist organization claims responsibility from time to time to prove its presence on the scene. It has claimed responsibility for an attack on a military parade in Ahvaz on September 22.

Although ISIS extensively uses the Internet more than any other terrorist organizations, it has not used it in carrying out any attacks. Its use has been only confined to recruitment and announcement of operations and videos of the attacks.

ISIS has used Al-Furqan and Ajnad and other media platforms to broadcast its terrorist attacks. It has also used the Dark web to recruit new members and bitcoin for its financial resources.

Russia Today has said ISIS uses Deep web and Onion Tor, which are associated with illegal practices, to ensure secrecy.

Why cyber-terrorism?

-         Low cost: Cyber-terrorism is of low cost. There's no need to buy machine guns and bombs.

-         Hard to be traced: Cyber-terrorism is unknown like other traditional instruments of terrorism. There are many anonymous pages and no boundaries or checkpoints.

-         Multiplicity of targets: Terrorists may target computers, government databases.

-         Remote attacks: Implementation can be done remotely. Cyber-terrorism doesn't physical efforts.

Increase of media coverage: Terrorists want their operations to widely spread. Cyber-terrorism is widespread and influences as many people as possible.