May 16, 2010
In the wake of the 9/11 attacks in the US, the ‘war against terror’ became the catchcry of global efforts to eradicate international terrorism. Over the last decade, the landscape for this war has shifted repeatedly. As society’s reliance on technology has continued to grow, so too has the possibility of terrorists seeking to advance their cause through a cyber-attack of some kind.
However, whether that possibility will ever become a reality is a matter of debate. A 2002 paper on ‘Cyber-Terrorism in Australia,’ written by this article’s author following the 9/11 and Bali bombings, concluded that cyber-terrorism is a real risk, but not of the magnitude of physical terrorism or chemical and biological terrorism. Yet eight years have passed, and we are yet to see the predicted “digital Pearl Harbour.” Amongst information security professionals, the term cyber-terrorism continues to be considered over-hyped and alarmist.
Nevertheless, governments around the world have recognised that the threat of cyber-terrorism is growing. In 2009, the Australian Government released a Cyber Security Strategy in part designed to address the threat of terrorist groups targeting critical systems in order to damage Australia’s national interests. In this context, it’s important to ask: is cyber-terrorism a distant and remote concern, or a threat that needs to be addressed here and now?
Download paper: stratsec - Ellsmore Raghu - Cyber Terrorism Are We There Yet.pdf