Cybercrime and cyber terrorism

The view of cybercrime and cyber terrorism as bringers of mass disruption and destruction has been in existence for almost as long as the medium through which these attacks are perpetrated. While there is no doubt that there is a credible threat from cybercrime, as shown by the increasing numbers of incidents that are reported, the current threat from cyber terrorism is perhaps not as high as it has been made out to be on occasion. There is often a degree of confusion between cybercrime and cyber terrorism. While one is becoming more widespread and better understood, the other is still seen as a major cause for concern and even panic in some quarters. This paper aims to explore the current risks posed by both cybercrime and cyber terrorism and to develop a position on where things actually stand with regard to the level of threat.