Technology is one of the strategic factors
driving the increasing use of the Internet by
terrorist organizations and their supporters for a
wide range of purposes, including
recruitment,
financing,
propaganda,
training,
incitement to commit acts of terrorism, and
the gathering and dissemination of information
for terrorist purposes. While the many benefits of the Internet are
self-evident, it may also be used to facilitate
communication within terrorist organizations and
to transmit information on, as well as material
support for, planned acts of terrorism, all of
which require specific technical knowledge for the
effective investigation of these offenses.
It's good to see that this
publication does not wonder off to discuss
cybercrime, hactivism, or piracy but indeed
focuses on the
real
terrorist and extremist groups and their
activities online.
However, a little
bit disappointingly the document does not go
deeper into the potential of actual online attacks
launched by such groups. To quote: "While a
considerable amount of attention has focused in
recent years on the threat of cyberattacks by
terrorists, that topic is beyond the scope of the
present publication and, as such, will not be a
subject of analysis."