INSIGHT
CYBER TERRORISM-THE CONCEPT AND MODES AND MEASURES TO CONTROL IT
by Vineet Gavri
Cyber terrorism is one of
the Cyber crimes in super highway or cyber world. These
activities are crimes because these are prohibited by several
criminal laws and state imposes punishment on these activities
through criminal law. Though the term “cyber crime” has not been
defined in the I.T.Act 2000, but we can say that cyber crimes
are computer generated crimes in a superhighway where computer
may be a tool or target. There are several types of cyber crimes
including cyber terrorism e.g. Cyber hacking, cyber theft, cyber
spamming, cyber fraud, cyber phishing, cyber defamation, cyber
pornography, cyber stalking, cyber piracy, etc.The list is not
exhaustive rather ever expanding with every passing moment with
dynamic technological, social, economic and cultural change.
Terrorist activities depend on cultural
motivation, psychological motivation, organization, secrecy,
targets, weapons or tools, jurisdiction. Publicity,
communication, economic resources, etc .Terrorism is a kind of
threat to government and general public to cause unpredictable
violence. It may be done through several ways i.e. e-mail,
e-bombing, physical bombing, etc. Communication is the sole
weapon for terrorist. Therefore, in the era of new multimedia
technology and communication convergence they are using internet
facilities, computers and other information devices to fulfill
their ends. Cyberspace has no specific and defined jurisdiction
.In the globalized and liberalized contemporary social
phenomenon terrorists can visit all over the world without Visa
or Passport through communication convergence technology. They
can meet together, communicate and form ground world wide even
sitting in different countries. Cyber Terrorism is not only
national problem but also global problem. There is need to curb
it with global initiatives. There is grave need of intense study
and legal research to understand the existing laws; whether
these are applicable in new situation or not? Whether we require
amendment in the existing laws or enactment of new laws to
control and prevent cyber terrorism? What are the possible
measures, which can be incorporated in law and for law enforcing
agencies to combat the dynamic conflicting social phenomenon?
There are two concept of cyber terrorism.(1)When
terrorists use new technology to attack their audience by
creating violence through defacement of websites, denial of
service attack, hacking, tampering source code; etc. In this
case new technology is used a s tool and it is also a
target.(2)Another concept of cyber terrorism is terrorized use
of new technology i.e. a cyber pornography ,cyber brand, cyber
theft, cyber spamming, etc. to cause terror or threat in the
mind of people; here the new technology is used only as a tool.
Cyber terrorism can be defined as the use of
computer as a tool or target to cause unpredictable violence and
threat in the mind of general people about safety, security and
in the mind of government about national security, safety and
interest, etc.The term computer is defined in the Section
2(1)(i) of the I.T. Act, 2000 as “ ‘computer’ means any
electronic ,magnetic, optical or other high speed data
processing device or system which performs logical, arithmetical
and memory functions by manipulations of electronic ,magnetic or
optical impulses, and includes all inputs, outputs, processing,
storage, computer software or communication facilities which are
connected or relate to the computer or top a computer system or
to a computer network. The term computer also includes all
information processing devices under section 2 of the Copyright
Act, 1957.Therefore; we can say that even use of mobile phones,
wireless, laptop, pocket PC as well as traditional concept of
computer to commit terrorism or causing terror in the mind of
people and Government will be treated as cyber terrorism.
There can be several modes of Cyber terrorism as
well.
1. Cyber
terrorism is the forerunner of warfare: In contemporary era of
communication convergence and new technology one nation causes
terrorist violence against other nation or nations by using or
making target of a new technology. This is called net war or
warfare. For example net-war between India-Pakistan,
Israel-Pakistan.
2. Attack
on National Security: National security depends on
confidentiality, secret information, etc. and when terrorists
attack then, they destroy, delete or modify that information or
purport to do the same and all these are treated as terrorist
attack or cyber terrorism.
3.
International Cyber terrorist
attack: When international terrorist groups communicate each
other through internet and through their own network to attack
any nation then it is called international cyber terrorist
attack.
4.
Use of new technology to
develop their own website, and network to send terror messages
and to communicate within or between groups.
5.
They use e-mail, SMS, encryption
programme and digital signature system to communicate themselves
keeping secrecy and confidentiality of their activities.
6.
Following “worm, virus, Trojan
horse to collapse government and people interest sites, network
and computer is also one mode of cyber terrorism.
7. Commission
of unauthorized access, the hacking, tampering source code,
cyber theft, etc. which cause unpredictable fear are also modes
of cyber terrorism .The list is not exhaustive rather increasing
rapidly.
Cyber terrorism is now one of the most complex
international and global problems. There is a great need of
international and global co-operation and co-ordination world
wide. The United Nations and the European Union have always
played and are playing significant role to prevent and control
conflicting global problems.
It is a proven fact now that to curb cyber
terrorism international and national organizations, government
agencies and other bodies are working very hard and always
working as watch dog. Nevertheless to prevent and control cyber
terrorism, there is a need to adopt several preventive and
controlling measures through law and public awareness. (i) There
is a need of specific provision with a clear definition of
‘cyber terrorism’. We may say that ‘cyber terrorism’ is the use
of computer as a tool or target to cause unpredictable violence
and threat in the mind of general people about safety, security
and in the mind of Government about national security ,safety
and interest, etc.
(ii)There is a need to evolve high and world
standard of security measures.(iii)Government agencies specially
must choose Local Area Network (LAN) for international
communications.(iv)They must adopt their own communication,
secret and confidential cyber method, delete confidential
information after use ,etc. to fight against virus, worm hacking
hijacking, net-war, cyber terrorism, etc..(v)Regular updating
anti-virus software, changing password, updating operating
system, etc are few preventive measures.(vi)There is a great
need of awareness ,IT Education, and training among Government
agencies as well as general people.(vii)There is need to improve
infrastructure of law enforcing agencies.(viii)Our judiciary
also needs some training and infrastructure development in this
field.(ix)To prevent and control net warfare investigating
agencies must be empowered to deface terrorists’ websites and
network.(x)There is need to develop law to prevent and control
cyber terrorism where mobile and wireless is used by
terrorists. There is a need of specific fixing responsibility,
liability and accountability of the internet service providers;
e.g. they must be prohibited from using the user numbers of
their clients.
Adoption of these measures will go a long way in
preventing and controlling cyber terrorism which has not only
reached menacing proportion but is also likely to increase in
foreseeable future.
IIM Banglore
Disclaimer : The views expressed in the articles are author’s own. B’Cognizance or IIITA is not liable for any objections arising out of the same. The matter here is for academic use only.