Information warfare

According to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, cyber terrorism is any premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs and data which results in violence against non-combatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents.

Unlike a nuisance virus or computer attack that results in a denial of service, a cyber terrorist attack is designed to cause physical violence or extreme financial harm. According to the U.S. Commission of Critical Infrastructure Protection, possible cyber terrorist targets include the banking industry, military installations, power plants, air traffic control centers, and water systems.

Cyber terrorism is sometimes referred to as electronic terrorism or information war.

Cyber terror is now the new language of war that we understand only vaguely. We know that more and more of our daily lives revolve around a digital world on the Internet, our computers and our cell phones. We expect that the providers who sell us those digital services are taking steps to protect it against cyber attacks and we expect the government is doing the same. But experts warn us now that real danger is just around the corner if our government and businesses are not able to create a strong defense against cyber attacks.

How dangerous could these cyber attacks be? Consider what might happen if our water supply, our electric grid, or the Internet was successfully shut down by a cyber attack.

A computer attack may be defined as actions directed against computer

systems to disrupt equipment operations, change processing control, or

corrupt stored data. Different attack methods target different

vulnerabilities and involve different types of weapons.

Terrorism is the calculated and unlawful use of threat of force or violence, against persons or property to inculcate fear, intimidate or coerce a government. the civilian population or any segment there of in furtherance of goals that are generally religious, political, or ideological.

Cyber terrorism adds an element to that definition. Cyber terrorism is the

definition of terrorism with the addition, “through the exploitation of

computerized systems deployed by the target. Barry Collin, a senior

research fellow at the Institute for Security and Intelligence in California,

coined the term ‘cyber terrorism’ in the 1980s. Cyberspace, according to

Collin may be conceived as “that place in which computer programs

function and data moves.