Team 1 Sec3.3

3. Estimated feasibility and strategic value of the attack technique to a terrorist organization:

3.3. potential value of cyberattack as a tool for achieving the various terrorist aims identified in lectures 1, 2, 3, and/or 5.

Here is a first attempt at this. Any suggestions? --Yi-Kai

Terrorism is violence intended to manipulate a larger audience. Acts of terrorism may cause mass destruction and casualties, but the ultimate goal is to create fear even among people who were not directly affected. Internet attacks enter the picture in two ways: first, as a tool for causing physical harm; and second, as a way of attracting attention and creating psychological effects.

Physical harm: Generally speaking, an internet attack does not do much damage by itself, but it can be a component of a larger attack (e.g., using the internet to gain control of a SCADA system, in order to damage the electric power grid; or disrupting the internet to hinder emergency response to a physical attack). There are a few exceptions to this rule: a denial-of-service attack can hurt e-commerce retailers like Amazon.com, and phishing attacks can lead to identity theft and fraud. In these cases, there is financial damage.

Psychological effects: Because of their novelty, Internet attacks tend to get extra news coverage (particularly large-scale attacks such as worms). Terrorist groups may see this as a way to get attention, show off their capabilities, and make themselves more credible. This would lead them to choose targets with high visibility, not monetary value: www.whitehouse.gov instead of www.amazon.com. Another possibility is that terrorists would use the internet as a communications medium, like television and radio. The equivalent of an al Qaeda video might be a worm that downloads a terrorist manifesto onto every computer it infects. Terrorists might find this attractive because, unlike traditional media, the internet lets them communicate directly with their audience.