Politically Motivated

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Political motives are based on advancing a political idealism, usually focused on damaging the sites of opposing views or posting political messages on such sites. Recently there has been an explosion of attacks which are politically motivated. It seams that everyone has a cause to support. These causes cover the spectrum of ideals and beliefs. Some are well-organized, long-standing causes while others are supported by fringe groups.

The Internet has enabled more participation since the group can gather a following from around the world and since online events can be attended by anyone no matter where he or she is. The anonymity provided by the Internet has allowed more participation in those groups which are not looked upon favorably. An individual's involvement is less likely to be exposed.

Cyber-terrorism

In the wake of the September 11 ^th attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, terrorism has been on the minds of everyone. There is a real concern about cyber-terrorism ” the politically motivated attacks that cause serious disruption to the infrastructure (power, water, transportation, communication). In the United States, the federal government is taking strides to mandate security for these critical infrastructures in order to ensure national security. However, info -terrorism ” the politically motivated attacks causing a disruption or corruption of information systems ” could have an equally devastating effect.

Info-terrorism has been a topic of discussion as well as a subject for science fiction novels for a number of years . Many people have hypothesized how much damage could be done by disrupting the flow of data. It is certain that, as we become more and more dependent on computers, the threat of this kind of terrorism grows.

The earliest report of this type of attack was in 1988 when the Israeli government and university computer systems were found to have a logic bomb planted in them that was synchronized to go off at the same time as the "Israeli Virus," a PC virus. Both the virus and the logic bomb were found and disabled before any damage occurred. No one claimed responsibility and officially it was not an act of terrorism.

Cyber-terrorism has been going on for several years.

A group calling themselves the Internet Black Tigers took responsibility for attacks in 1977 on the e-mail systems of Sri Lankan diplomatic posts around the world, including those in the United States. Italian sympathizers of the Mexican Zapatista rebels crashed web pages belonging to Mexican financial institutions. While such attacks did not result in damage to the targets, they were portrayed as successful by the terrorists and used to generate propaganda and rally supporters. ^[22]

^[22] Tenet, George J., Director of Central Intelligence,"Terrorist Use of Information Warfare Tactics," Testimony Before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs , 24 June 1998.

Cyber-warfare

Cyber-warfare offers a great military potential for disrupting communications, disseminating misinformation , and disrupting computerized armaments and defensive systems. Any actual use of cyber-warfare has been kept quiet. There have been no official reports of govern -ments using offensive computer attacks as part of a military action, even though many countries have cyber-warfare departments. However, there's plenty of speculation. In an interview about his book, The Media and the Military , Peter Young, who has spent 50 years in defense and foreign affairs as field agent, journalist , publisher, and retired Griffith University Associate Professor recounts one theory that keeps cropping up:

Whilst there's no evidence at all, and no one can say with any certainty , in the Iraqi Gulf War we were suddenly confronted with the whole of the Iraqi Air Force, which had performed quite well up to that stage against the Iranians. An experienced , well trained, well equipped, force with US, British and German technology, suddenly decamped overnight.

One answer to this may be, may be, that we saw the first real example of cyber-warfare on a grand scale in that somebody or something got to the Iraqi command/control/communication system, which left them (the aeroplanes) blind and unable to be directed. And this may have been the first instance of the microchip being used at this level in warfare. ^[23]

^[23] Dayton, Leigh, "Cyberwarfare ” The Story," Australian Broadcasting Corporation , 13 March 1999.

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