Introduction
On the second day of June, the year 2007, the Federal Bureau of Investigation brought three terrorists to custody. The three were members of a terrorist group which had the malicious intent of bombing J.F Kennedy International airport. Apprehending the criminals was not the most peculiar thing about the incident. The report that the FBI gave about how the terrorists had planned to destroy the area was particularly strange. The FBI revealed that the terrorists had used the Google Earth feature to have aerial access of leading international airports (Iskold, 2007). This marked the beginning of a key research area – the relationship between technology and terrorism. Many researchers have come up with various theories to explain the connection between the two concepts. This paper endeavors to explain advantages and disadvantages of technology to terrorist organizations.
The Advantages of Technology to Terrorist Organizations
Presently, the internet is the most prominent and effective means of sharing information worldwide. This makes the first advantage of technology to terrorist organizations rather clear – spreading propaganda to the international community. Such propaganda works to polarize regions and create rifts among the world population (Clarke, 2004). This way, movements form and corrupted people are recruited from various parts of the world to join such terrorist organizations. Al-Qaeda, arguably the most notorious terrorist organization in the world has continuously used the internet to access new members, especially from third world nations.
The second advantage is that terrorist groups can use information systems to intimidate governments and global targets. For instance, the video messages sent by the infamous Osama bin Laden to the government of the United States were intimidating as the culprits went uncaught. The third advantage is that terrorist organizations rely on such applications as emails and social media to make their networks grow to become an international community (Iskold, 2007). There have been reports of terrorist groups using technology to hack government sites. Such attempts are particularly dangerous as they may sabotage the security systems of the world. Worth noting is the fact that, apart from using communication technology to access their targets, terrorists can as well use technology to manufacture the many dreaded weapons of mass destruction.
The Disadvantages of Technology to Terrorist Organizations
Much like a saw, which cuts back and forth, technology, is as harmful as it is beneficial to the terrorist organizations. The first disadvantage is that security agencies with superior technology can effortlessly paralyze the communications and networks of the terrorist organizations through such efforts as using IP and MAC addresses to track down the sources of power and control behind the groups (Wright, 2013). Unconfirmed reports have it that technology played a primary role in tracing Osama bin Laden. Another advantage is that technology can enable security and intelligence agencies to penetrate the international terrorist networks.
Technology, such as satellite technology, has enabled security agencies to monitor the actions of terrorist organizations by identifying the whereabouts of their capital bases. Surveillance has been enhanced a great deal, especially after the fateful September 11 attacks of the World Trade Center. Such surveillance devices as the CCTV cameras have created some deterrence in terrorist behavior, thanks to the ever advancing technology (Clarke, 2004). Researchers have established that, through collaborating with the mobile phone service providers, the security institutions can easily track down suspected terrorist within the area accessed by the service.
Conclusion and Reflection
References
Clarke, D. (2004). Technology and Terrorism. New Brunswick, N.J. [U.A.: Transaction Publ.
Iskold, A. (2007). Technology And Terrorism: Are We Being Too Naïve. ReadWrite, 4(7)
Wright, M. (2013). Technology And Terrorism: How The Internet Promotes Radicalization. The Forensic Examiner, 14(3)
