The Cyberfront

The Three-Pronged Cyberfront

The U.S. war on terror cyberfront may be said to have three aspects, corresponding to three ways in which cyberterrorism is understood:

1. One effort is against a potential terrorist attack that critical infrastructure controlled by computer networks, or otherwise disables or interferes with networked systems that protect national security;
2. A second effort is against the use of the World Wide Web by terrorist groups to raise funds, mobilize support or plan attacks;
3. Cyberterrorism has also come to mean the use by so-designated terrorist groups of the Internet as a platform for propaganda. In this aspect, the World Wide Web is seen as a medium akin to newspapers or the radio. Responses range from trying to deflect the impact of such propaganda to a range of counterpropaganda measures. In some definitions, these latter two fronts are considered the domain of Information warfare, not cyberterrorism.

Also see:

• A Definition of Cyberterrorism
• How Much of a Threat is Cyberterrorism?

U.S. Establishes a Cyber Command

In 2006, the U.S. Air Force committed to a new Cyber Command, which will address all aspects of war in the domain of cyber-territory, in the same way that it is currently committed to air and space as war domains. Read more:

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• New Cyber Command Will Fight Wars and Battle Terrorism in Cyberspace

Battling Terrorists in Cyberspace

The realm of cyberterrorism is now considered to include anything that terrorist groups or would-be terrorists do in cyberspace, including propagandize potential followers. Read more:

• Al Zawraa, TV Station of the Islamic Army of Iraq
• December 2006 Zawahiri Video Distribution Sheds Light on Al Qaeda PR Capabilities
• July 2007 Al Qaeda Video Clips Suggets Al Sahab Is Producing from Pakistan
• Responses to September 2007 Al Qaeda Video