Terrorism in Cyberspace: The Next
Generation by Gabriel Weimann. Woodrow Wilson Center
Press and Columbia University Press, 2015, 296 pp.
Terrorism in Cyberspace is an edge-of-your-seat monograph,
well worth the read for those who use or are concerned about the
digital world and how terrorism is propagated through computers and
technology. Gabriel Weimann is not a novice when it comes to writing
about terrorists using the cyber domain to conduct operations and
other nefarious acts. He wrote Terror on the Internet in
2006, which set the stage for this book; here he digs even deeper into
what terrorists are doing to recruit, pass information back and forth
among different cells, radicalize lone wolves, and get their
propaganda out to the masses quickly and seemingly very
effectively.
The book contains three parts: Terrorism Enters Cyberspace,
Emerging Trends, and Future Threats and Challenges. This is an
easy-to-read, easy-to-understand volume, yet it remains intellectually
stimulating. The subject matter is of such a popular nature it should
resonate among all ages and backgrounds.
In the first section, Weimann goes in-depth into how terrorism in
the cyber domain actually began decades ago when there were merely a
dozen or so websites terrorists used to pass information or recruit
new terrorists to the fold. This number grew to 2,600 websites by
2003—and to an astonishing 9,600 websites by 2013 (p. 10).
Furthermore, the number continues growing at an extremely fast rate.
Weimann then lists two key reasons why terrorists gravitate toward the
cyber platform: “the democratization of communications driven by
user-generated content on the Internet, and the growing awareness of
modern terrorists of the potential of using the Internet as a tool for
their purposes” (p. 18). He also outlines eight main
terrorist-related uses of the Internet: psychological warfare,
propaganda, online indoctrination, recruitment and mobilization, data
mining, virtual training, cyber planning and coordination, and
fund-raising (p. 24).
Connectivity is a huge driver in the growth of cyberspace
terrorism. In the Middle East alone, online connectivity grew at a
whopping 2,640 percent between 2000 and 2012 (p. 36). In Pakistan
alone the growth was an astonishing 15,000 percent. Al-Qaeda is one of
the biggest users of the Internet and actually began an online
presence in 2000. It continues building websites and using free social
media sites and other applications and tools to “sell” its
ideology. Terrorists have exploited the Web 2.0 online platforms to
provide propaganda and recruitment to those who want to radicalize and
follow in their footsteps. They’re also infiltrating myriad
resources, including e-mail, chat rooms, e-groups, forums, virtual
message boards, YouTube, and Google Earth, to name just a few. The
emerging trend now is for people who read and buy into the rhetoric to
take matters into their own hands. These people are now being called
lone wolves or “sole actors.”
The second section delves into emerging trends within
cyberterrorism. According to Weimann, “The real threat now comes
from the single individual: the ‘lone wolf’ living next
door, being radicalized on the Internet and plotting strikes in the
dark.” It has been determined the United States is the target of
roughly two-thirds of all lone-wolf attacks (p. 65), with
well-documented examples in the attacks at Fort Hood, Texas, 5
November 2009; San Bernardino, California, 2 December 2015; and more
recently, Orlando, Florida, 12 June 2016. These individuals are most
likely radicalized through the Internet and then receive the backing
and courage to follow through with these heinous acts from terrorists
all over the world. Terrorists are also conducting niche marketing
techniques to target certain groups or demographics. For example, the
Islamic state of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has been targeting young women,
luring them in with the promise of heavenly rewards for their
“heroism” in suicide bombings (p. 60). Cyberterrorism is
emerging at an astronomical rate, and looking at future projections,
it is not expected to subside any time soon.
The last part of Weimann’s book digs deep into what the
future challenges and threats are. Unfortunately there is not a
crystal ball to forecast where, what, and how they will attack, but
countering online terrorism is becoming more important for everyone,
including governments, private organizations, and businesses as well
as citizens trying to protect themselves and their families. Millions
of dollars are spent to protect systems and trace terrorists’
online movements. Even though the terrorists get smarter, so do the
advocates trying to thwart terrorism. Despite counterterrorism
measures, the terrorists remain bound and determined to conduct
reprehensible acts using the Internet as their catalyst. According to
Weimann, this is true because via cyberterrorism, minimal resources
are required to make things happen, using the computer offers
anonymity, and attacks can be conducted remotely. Also, networks all
over the world have many vulnerabilities and the scope of damage from
a computer attack can be enormous (p. 153).
Weimann discusses the use of “noise” to help combat
online terrorism. “Noise interferes with the communication
process, as it keeps the message from being understood and prevents it
from achieving its desired effects” (p. 179). Noise is defined
as physical, semantic, cultural, or psychological, and some or all can
have serious repercussions to a terrorist trying to conduct an attack.
The book goes into detail about how to use noise as a favorable
counterterrorism measure. Tied to noise as a countermeasure is the MUD
model. MUD stands for monitoring, using, and disrupting (p. 189).
In the last chapter, Weimann discusses the challenge of protecting
civil liberties while providing security to the cyber domain, covering
three principles taken into account when balancing security and
liberty: modifications of procedures and legislation, self-policing,
and international collaboration (p. 234). This is a balancing act and
must be handled wisely.
Given that people around the world seem to love and are becoming
increasingly dependent on technology with all the devices, apps,
gadgets, and so on—and since this includes the terrorist
population as well—this book is an essential read. It adds much
to the discussion of such a serious and provocative topic.
Lt Col Deborah K. Dusek-Wells, USAF, Retired