How Do Terrorist Organizations Use Information Technologies? Understanding Cyberterrorism

Abstract

Globalization with advanced information technologies has changed the life of the people in the world. When something occurs in one part of the world, other part of the world can be informed easily within seconds. Current information technologies such as the internet, social media, blogs, and news channels have enabled people to create virtual groups all over the world and to disseminate information easily.

Most of the states, governments, public, and private institutions have been using the advantage of the information technologies to serve their citizens and customers. Concurrently, criminals are also using the advantage of information technologies while committing crime. In other words, everything including crime and criminals has changed their structures to be compatible with the advanced information technologies.

Recently, lots of terrorist organizations have erupted especially in the Middle East and their networks are spreading out with the use of technology. Most of the terrorist organizations have been using the technology for military training of their militants, preparation, and recruitment processes. Especially the internet is almost a virtual training slot for terrorist groups. Recent studies (Weimann, Stud Confl Terrori 29(7): 623–639, 2006; Rothenberger, Rom J Commun Public Relat 14(3):7–23, 2012) have revealed that the internet is served as the library for the terrorist groups to provide instruction manuals and videos on technical and tactical areas such as making a bomb, taking hostages, and guerilla combat. As it has an appropriate space for interaction activities, potential terrorists use the advantage of interaction face of the internet to learn how to make a bomb and send instant messages to the instructors teaching illegal issues.

Thus, security forces in the face of all these developments should take the necessary precautions to fight against the terrorist organizations by standing one step ahead on the use of technology. Standing one step ahead can only be achieved by understanding the phenomena and ceaselessly updating the knowledge. Otherwise, security forces will fail if they maintain the use of old technique and tactic to fight against the terrorist groups in this technology epoch.

Based on this point of view, this study focuses on understanding the use of technology to fight terrorism. Furthermore, the study investigates some of the terrorist organizations’ use of technology to commit crime. The study attempts to shed light on the fact that different technologies have been used against humanity by terrorist groups although most of the people are not aware of that reality.