Download Cyber warfare and cyber terrorism

Cyber warfare and cyber
terrorism: Differences from
a European perspective
Dr. Maria Chr. Alvanou
Criminologist-Terrorism Expert
Rome 20/10/2016
The danger of cyber war and cyber
terrorism
Digital revolution and technology evolution
 Civilian (private/individual and public) as
well as military life depend on digital
infrastructure and computer technology
 New type of battlefield for war and a new
type of scene for terrorism
 Cyber war and Cyber terrorism: war and
terror activity via Internet and information
systems
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Differences between cyber warfare
and cyber terrorism (I)
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1. Crime-Security vs. War-Defense
Terrorism in European legislation as a criminal activity (cybercrime)
Basic Legal texts: European Council Convention on the Prevention of
Terrorism and its Additional Protocol, the Budapest Convention on
Cybercrime and its Additional Protocol, the 2005 Framework Decision on
attacks against information systems
Responsibility of law enforcement agencies and the justice system
Challenges: Difficulties in prosecution, debates on legal definitions,
jurisdiction conflicts, extradition petitions, etc.
Cyber terrorism: high-tech and without physical boundaries #the legal
response: slow and with obstacles
Cyber war a military matter in the context of defense policy
Laws of armed conflict, the Geneva and Hague Conventions are a
different category than domestic laws regarding crime
Restrictions of fighting crime don’t apply
Cooperation between military authorities of different countries
problematic
Differences between cyber warfare
and cyber terrorism (II)
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2. The person behind the attack: terrorist or warrior?
War: the personality of the individual soldier is irrelevant
“Cyber warrior” expresses the will of a nation-state and its
military policy, acts according to its orders and not to his own
plan.
Cyber-defense: interest about the state’s policy and strategy, the
“warrior” is irrelevant to the defense analysis.
Cyber terrorism: The individual perpetrator matters
“Cyber terrorist”: Recruited in his own will and he acts upon his
will and dedication to the organization, to his ideology, etc., can
tell us a lot about his actions and the terrorist organization
The personality and background of the cyber terrorist can prove
crucial to the operation and affect it
Radicalization and recruitment.
Differences between cyber warfare
and cyber terrorism (III)
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3. EU and NATO
EU: cyber terrorism is a law enforcement matter in the
context of security
EU cooperation
Cyber war and cyber defence not been really
addressed as part of a common EU level defense
cooperation
NATO deals with cyber-defense/military issues
EU level: still military defense is more a matter for
each state
Issues of sovereignty in defense and military
cooperation can not function
Differences between cyber warfare
and cyber terrorism (IV)
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4. E-propaganda: different target group, different methods
Large part of terrorist activity and communication on the web
Terror internet propaganda: a part of terror work that openly manifests in internet
The public face of terror, essential for a terror organization to radicalize and recruit
Constant presence of terrorist on the web
Jihadi websites operating, several e-social media that are platforms for terrorist
rhetoric, communication and recruitment
Presence on the web constitutes itself a crime as "public provocation to commit a
terrorist offence" (distribution, or otherwise making available, of a message to the
public, with the intent to incite the commission of a terrorist offence, where such
conduct, whether or not directly advocating terrorist offences, causes a danger
that one or more such offences may be committed) is punishable
Cyber warfare: the public online propaganda exists mostly in times of conflict,
works like any type of propaganda during war
Aim: mainly to demoralize the enemy (psychological operations), to inform
civilians in order to avoid crimes of war, attacking non combatants and collateral
damage, plus to justify operations
Type of military PR
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Transitional and hybrid times regarding war and terror
Very “primitive”, simple ways of fighting and terrorist techniques
that result in death, injury and destruction
Highly developed technology
We do not know how terror organizations will continue
operationally their activity
Islamic State functions both in the framework of war and terrorism,
with the second activity having a clear international character
Conclusions from both law enforcement and military approaches
about good practices, information exchange, incident response, risk
assessment
The safety of European citizens is a matter of both security and
defense