Essay on Cyber Terrorism
The use of the Internet by terrorist groups will continue to become more sophisticated. As an effective tool used daily in the world of business and pleasure, the Internet is widely used in the murky world of terrorism. It is used not just for the practice of recruiting, but all forms of terrorist logistics. According to Lachow & Richardson (2007), “cyberterrorism conjures images of infrastructure failures, economic disasters, and even large-scale loss of life”(p. 1). It has been widely discussed in the mass media sources and the academic literature. The real threat of cyberterrorism is real attracts attention of millions of people, who realize that “terrorist organizations effectively using the Internet to stymie U.S. efforts to win the Long War” (Lachow &Richardson, 2007, p.1). The Internet allows terrorists to operate as both decentralized franchises and freelancers. The use of the Internet and new communication technologies facilitates the major operations of terrorist organizations. According to researchers, “as information and communication technologies improve over time, terrorist groups might utilize these improvements more powerfully for offensive uses” (Pekgozlu et al., 2007, p. 281). Terrorists use the Internet and communication technologies for several aims: “propaganda, indoctrination, recruitment, psychological warfare, and fundraising” (Pekgozlu et al., 2007, p. 282). The latest information and communication technologies selected by terrorist include not only the Internet, such as World Wide Websites, e-mails and video conferencing, but also cell phones, smartphones, fax machines. It has been found that one of the major goals of modern day terrorism in to produce and enhance publicity, drawing public attention to terrorist organizations, their causes and outcomes. In other words, terrorist organizations are focused on advancing their political, ideological and religious agendas. The Internet completely changed the way terrorists launder money, recruit men and communicate their ideology.
The major goal of this paper is to discuss the Internet Jihad and Cyber Jihad, placing emphasis on the major aims of terrorists’ use of the Internet and communication technologies, including fundraising, money laundering, communications and recruitment. Moreover, it is necessary to explain how the use of the Internet helps to radicalize and inspire Jihad.
The use of the Internet for Fundraising
Some terrorist organizations use the Internet as a source of fundraising. These terrorist organizations sell DVDs, CDs, book, magazines, flags and other items over the Internet. According to researchers, “the Internet has become a popular fundraising tool for terrorist organizations”(McClellan & Dorn, 2008, p. 23). The global use of the Internet provides unlimited opportunities for financiers. Many terrorist organizations may openly raise funds on their Web sites, using popular and widely accepted pay services, such as PayPal (Pekgozlu et al., 2007).
In addition, terrorists not only establish fundraising practices via the Internet, but also they “increasingly conduct identity theft of ordinary Web users, including the stealing of credit card information, to help them finance terrorist attacks” (McClellan & Dorn, 2008, p. 23). Fundraising plays an important role in the development of terrorist organizations because this practice is used to identify the profiles of potential financial supporter of terrorism. Terrorists use not only the profiles of visitors of the websites that promote terrorist activity, but also they use the posts found in chat rooms, bulletin boards and encourage the use of mass e-mailing to encourage donations (Acharya, 2009). There is much evidence that many terrorists attacks were funded by the money received from credit card frauds via the Internet (Acharya, 2009; Pekgozlu et al., 2007).
The use of the Internet for Money Laundering
Terrorists use the Internet for money laundering. According to Arabinda Acharya (2009), “cyber-laundering is about using the Internet and electronic cash to turn illegally obtained money into untraceable funds”(p.68).Terrorists use e-cash as an effective tool to launder money. It is known that radical ideologies produced by the leaders of terrorism, such as Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri, were posted via the Internet in the form of appeals for money. These appeals were found in speeches and statement placed on web sites. The leaders of terrorist organizations recognize the powerful role of the Internet in money laundering, encouraging all Muslims and supported of terrorism to contribute money for the growth of jihad. In Osama ben Laden’s message, there was an appeal to all Muslims to provide support to “their bothers in Iraq with money and men” (Acharya, 2009, p. 68).
In addition, many jihadist leaders state that monetary contribution provided my all Muslims and terrorism supporters is similar to physical engagement in jihad’s operations. There have already been many calls for donations on the Internet. For example, the website developed by Harkat ul-Mujahidin, terrorist group from Pakistan, argues that “Allah gives an opportunity to take part in the struggle for Muslim rights – jihad” (qtd. in Acharya, 2009, p. 68). Undoubtedly, these appeals for jihad donations can be assessed as extremely influential because of the widespread anti-West politics (Acharya, 2009).
The use of the Internet for Communications
Today terrorists use the Internet for different forms of communication. According to researchers, “the jihad terrorism web infrastructure websites suddenly emerge, frequently modify their formats, swiftly disappear or change their online address”(Bockstette, 2010, p. 18). The communication strategy developed by terrorists promoted the ideas of jihadist leaders. The first online terrorist magazine was published in 2003. Although the number of jihadist websites was reduced due to the work of law enforcement agencies, terrorists continue to use different strategies for the promotion of their Internet communication. They use forums and blogs to disseminating their ideas as propaganda of their activity. As a rule, these forums and blogs offer access to the proper files, which are stored on free storage sites. According to researchers, “since this material is spread over numerous web servers located all-round the globe, blocking access to these files becomes virtually impossible” (Bockstette, 2010, p.18).
In fact, terrorist are focused on a particular target groups in their communications. As a result, the messages and the channels selected for these messages are tailored to the needs and requirement of the target groups, e.g. the use of different languages, the age, race and ethnicity of the representatives of the target groups, etc. (Acharya, 2009). According to researchers, terrorists “determine the location and timing of their actions to satisfy media criteria for news worthiness that fit in with the media’s deadlines and news cycles in order to effectively reach the desired audience” (Bockstette, 2010, p.18). Thus, many jihadist leaders prefer to use the Internet communication because it provides an opportunity to communicate in real time.
In addition, the Internet communication provides an opportunity to promote terrorist knowledge in the form of educational sessions specially developed for the followers of terrorists. Researchers believe that terrorists use online communication to gather intelligence and distribute the required information. Online communication allows terrorists to “operate like decentralized franchises or freelancers” (Bockstette, 2010, p.18). Due to decentralized terrorist networks, online communication allows terrorist groups to function as the so-called virtual international organizations, which have the ability to reach the audiences in different parts of the world. According to researchers, “terrorists can also use the Internet communication as a tool of psychological warfare through spreading disinformation, delivering threats and disseminating horrific images”(Conway, 2006, p. 283).
The use of the Internet for Recruitment
The Internet is used by terrorist groups for recruitment of jihadists, including suicide bombers for committing attacks, the killers, the kidnappers, the engineers and the soldiers. It has been found that the groups of jihadists do not always participate in training of recruits via the Internet. They try to use different approaches (Acharya, 2009). However, in 2004, the groups of Al-Qaeda located in the Arabian Peninsula used the Internet to promote training practices of recruits. According to researchers, Al-Qaeda launched a specially developed magazine Muaskar Al-Battar to enhance the process of training and preparation of recruits and “attempted to instigate current and potential jihadists to use this knowledge to create additional camps and cells” (McClellan & Dorn, 2008, p. 25).
Moreover, recruitment of soldiers by jihad groups via the Internet offers terrorists massive opportunities for successful operations. Without recruitment, terrorism cannot exist. Terrorist recruitment via the Internet provides a number of advantages: easy access to the proper information, the global reach and interactive communication (McClellan & Dorn, 2008).
The role of the Internet and communication technologies in promoting, inspiring and radicalizing Jihad
The Internet helps to radicalize and inspire Jihad. According to researchers, “the Internet is not merely used by Salafi-Jihadist operatives as a tool to stage terrorist attacks but also fulfills several important needs for the rank and file” (McClellan & Dorn, 2008, p. 23). The Internet has become an important tool for those who want to participate in the so-called larger Muslim umma” promoting a sense of identity, empowerment and solidarity. The Internet is used by terrorists to “generate forum where individuals who feel humiliated and jilted can regain a sense of community, solidarity, brotherhood and new identity” (McClellan & Dorn, p. 26). Globalization helped terrorists to solidify the establishment of Muslim identity and promote solidarity, uniting many terrorists by means of new technologies.
In addition, the Internet can be viewed as an influential tool for the activities of jihadists because it “helps them to celebrate such victories as the attacks of 9/11, thus humiliating their enemies, while undoing their own humiliation, which they claim to have endured through centuries of perceived anti-Muslim policies and Western subjugation” (McClellan & Dorn, 2008, p. 26). For example, in 2006, terrorists published propaganda to celebrate their victory. The video clip was called Attack on Manhattan. It provided much information on the event 9/11 from terrorists’ perspective, including the interviews with two suicide hijackers.
In general, jihadists are interested in continual usage of the Internet, although they “seek to overcome in cyberspace specific obstacles they face from armies and police forces in the physical world” (Coll & Glasser, 2005, p.1). In the process of planning terrorist attacks, radical operatives, involved in the spread of terrorism, find themselves at high risk while crossing the border with false documents. Undoubtedly, they feel themselves much safer when they are working on the Web. Terrorists understand that “both time and space have in many ways been conquered by the Internet” (Coll & Glasser, 2005, p.1). As a result, the number of active jihadist-related Web sites has been increased since September 11, 2001. There were more than 5000 Web sites in 2005. Today these numbers are even more dramatic. Furthermore, terrorist organizations “have become expert at using the Internet to manipulate both public opinion and media coverage in ways that undermine American interests” (Lachow & Richardson, 2007, p.1).
Conclusion
Thus, it is necessary to conclude that terrorist groups use the Internet and communication technologies to present their goals, disseminate propaganda and recruit new followers and supporters. The anonymous nature of the opportunities provided by the Internet attracts attention of terrorists. Although the Internet protects the privacy and confidentiality of its users, at the same time, it makes it difficult to identify those users who are engaged in illegal activities. Online communication allows jihad organizations to maintain and promote group identity, radical ideology and indoctrination. Terrorists use the Internet communication as a tool of psychological warfare through spreading disinformation, which inspires fear in people that is caused by delivering threats and publicizing horrific images of victims of terrorism. The Web sites created by jihad organizations are linked indirectly through association of belief and ideology, belonging to some community, which tend to connect them all into the virtual jihad community.
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