View source for Terrorist Capabilities for Cyberattack

==Full Title of Reference==

Terrorist Capabilities for Cyberattack: Overview and Policy Issues 

==Full Citation==

John Rollins and Clay Wilson (2007), ''Terrorist Capabilities for Cyberattack: Overview and Policy Issues'', commissioned report for the Congressional Research Service.
[http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/terror/RL33123.pdf  ''Web'']

[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/?title=Special:Bibliography&action=viewsource&startkey=Rollins_Wilson:2007&f=wikibiblio.bib  ''BibTeX'']

==Categorization==

Issues: [[Incentives]]; [[Government Reports]]; [[Security Targets]]; [[Threats and Actors]]; [[Terrorists]] 

==Keywords==

[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/Glossary_of_Core_Ideas#National_Security National Security],
[http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/cybersecurity/Glossary_of_Core_Ideas#Cyber_Terrorism Cyber Terrorism]

==Synopsis== 

Terrorist’s use of the internet and other telecommunications devices is growing 
both in terms of reliance for supporting organizational activities and for gaining 
expertise to achieve operational goals. Tighter physical and border security may also 
encourage terrorists and extremists to try to use other types of weapons to attack the 
United States.  Persistent Internet and computer security vulnerabilities, which have 
been widely publicized, may gradually encourage terrorists to continue to enhance 
their computer skills, or develop alliances with criminal organizations and consider 
attempting a cyberattack against the U.S. critical infrastructure.  

Cybercrime has increased dramatically in past years, and several recent terrorist 
events appear to have been funded partially through online credit card fraud.  Reports 
indicate that terrorists and extremists in the Middle East and South Asia may be 
increasingly collaborating with cybercriminals for the international movement of 
money, and for the smuggling of arms and illegal drugs.  These links with hackers 
and cybercriminals may be examples of the terrorists’ desire to continue to refine 
their computer skills, and the relationships forged through collaborative drug 
trafficking efforts may also provide terrorists with access to highly skilled computer 
programmers.  The July 2005 subway and bus bombings in England also indicate that 
extremists and their sympathizers may already be embedded in societies with a large 
information technology workforce. 

The United States and international community have taken steps to coordinate 
laws to prevent cybercrime, but if trends continue computer attacks will become 
more numerous, faster, and more sophisticated.  In addition, a recent report by the 
Government Accountability Office states that, in the future, U.S. government 
agencies may not be able to respond effectively to such attacks.  

This report examines possible terrorists’ objectives and computer vulnerabilities 
that might lead to an attempted cyberattack against the critical infrastructure of the 
U.S. homeland, and also discusses the emerging computer and other technical skills 
of terrorists and extremists.  Policy issues include exploring ways to improve 
technology for cybersecurity, or whether U.S. counterterrorism efforts should be 
linked more closely to international efforts to prevent cybercrime. 


==Additional Notes and Highlights==