The Pros And Cons Of Cyber Terrorism

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Cyber Terrorism is the same as physical terrorism, except that they use computers to make attacks. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) enforces federal laws, those created by Congress which apply to everyone nationwide. One area of law which they enforce is cyber terrorism, which involves crimes of terrorism that occur electronically. These crimes occur against individuals, businesses, organizations, and against the government itself. So much of our lives are accessible electronically now - from your social security number on a job application, to your bank account, to medical records and more. With the greater convenience of using technology, we trade off some degree of security since it's very difficult to stop every instance of cyber …show more content…
There are many ways in which a criminal could use electronic means to incite fear and violence. It's far less expensive to purchase a computer than to access guns or bombs, making this approach appealing for many potential criminals worldwide. It can be anonymous and conducted at a great distance away from the target.
Experts in cyber terrorism have pointed out that the potential harm posed by these threats may be exaggerated, but there is some disagreement. If it was to succeed, our outdated computer networks owned by the national government could be comprised. Bombs could be detonated or dismantled, private data could be leaked, and secret communications could be given to our enemies. The United States Institute for Peace argues that there is significant public fear of these crimes, brought about by increased media and governmental attention.
The FBI offered a few examples of successful operations against cyber terrorism. In 2014, Executive Assistant Director Robert Anderson, Jr. of the FBI testified about these cases before the Senate. First, he noted that the FBI successfully charged Chinese cyber terrorists with hacking into U.S. companies' networks to steal trade

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