At the commencement of the twenty-first century, societies witnessed a rapid increase in the levels at which the world’s reliance on information technology and computer systems grow. Concurrently, while nations continue to rely on the networks and technological advancements with which the global environment maintains the world economy, there is still concern that the same advantages have an equal capacity to cause harm. To that end, there are limitations to the current perceptions on the grounds on which terrorism and the virtual environment relate: the fact that people fail to recognize terror activities amid the many different forms of violence and that they underestimate the relative power of information technology. In other words, the fundamental principles of terrorists’ ideologies and tactics remain the same as they utilize all means possible to access their victims and make sure their attacks affect the largest audience.
Foremost, terror attacks do not need to have multiple casualties to work; on the contrary, terrorism relies on the calculated act of using a particular target to reach the public and governments that make the wider audience. Naturally, while the attacked subjects face possible harm, destruction, or death, they merely serve as the means through which terrorists can influence a more diverse and bigger audience, most times at a global capacity. Subsequently, by inflicting their hostility on the immediate victims, terrorists affect the targeted more major group of people who remain behind to combat resulting emotions and need for retribution.
Cyber terrorism marks the evolution of terror attacks as terrorist organizations manage to capitalize on computer technology in their tactics. Previously, such groups faced physical constraints as their influence relied on existing resources, work force, and the ability to maintain both numbers at a figure that would allow smooth operation. However, the introduction of computer networks has significant implications for the acquisition of men and resources as distance and time become less of a problem in the global environment.
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