Previously when cyber terrorism was particularly linked with a cyber terror attack on a vital national infrastructure such as power facilities, transport networks and the financial sector it has changed its course of action in accepting and adapting the popularity of internet and social media. In today’s world of technology and internet, social media is something that has adapted in the daily lives of people. People share in their life and updates about what is happening but to another side with such lucrative aspect of easy access to personal information and privacy, social media is being targeted by externalities.
Social media has become a new tool for Cyber terrorism that has evolved into a strategy of war that we understand only vaguely. As we are getting more adjusted with internet our daily lives revolve around a digital world on the Internet, our computers and our phones are getting smarter where new concept of Internet of Things(IoT) is growing stronger. We least expect of something wrong happening as we believe precautionary measures are being taken and we expect the government is doing the same. But, at times reality hit us when we see the facts and information about how the real danger is just around the corner manipulating and threatening our own security.
One after the other the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) an Islamic terrorist group has been using social media as a tool of its access and communication.
In the past Twitter has deleted more than 125,000 accounts linked to terrorists since mid-2015, the company announced, offering some of the most detailed insight yet of how Silicon Valley is collaborating with western governments in its fight against Islamic State.
Similarly, Facebook has a open policy of zero tolerance to any threats or terrorist organization or any act of terrorism which is shut down and any content celebrating terrorism is removed. Facebook has deleted posts and blocked accounts in such a way that ISIS-related newsletters, videos, and photos don’t seem to crop up as much as elsewhere on the web,
Likewise, According to the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Islamic State fighter Abu Assad Almani, advertised two sex slaves on Facebook. He also posted photos of the slaves, but Facebook deleted them. Under the caption of one photo, Almani wrote “She is for sale.”He encouraged all his brothers who are looking to buy sex slaves, to purchase his 18-year-old woman for $8,000. Almani then published a second image of another woman a few hours later. The price tag for the second slave was listed as $8,000 as well. The Middle East Media Research Institute believes that Almani is originally from Germany. Almani is very familiar with the activities of the Islamic State around Raqqa, Syria. Almani also uses his Facebook account to solicit donations for the terrorist group. Almani urged his Facebook friends to get married and come to the territory of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
In a recent case of mass massacre of #OrlandoAttack Omar Mateen on June 12, 2016, attacked the Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. Fifty people died, including the gunman. An additional 53 people were injured. It has been deadliest terrorist attack in the U.S. since the September 11 attacks in 2001.
Prior the attack Mateen, the attacker had called the 911 he told them he was a member of the allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and he was about to attack the club.
On the early morning of June 12, the day of the attack, Mateen posted on one of his Facebook accounts: “The real muslims will never accept the filthy ways of the west … You kill innocent women and children by doing us airstrikes..now taste the Islamic state [sic] vengeance” as well as “America and Russia stop bombing the Islamic state.” His final post was, “In the next few days you will see attacks from the Islamic State in the usa.” These posts have since been deleted.
According to research from the Brookings Institute, ISIS supporters used some 46,000 Twitter accounts between September and December 2014, though not all were active at the same time.
The increasing activity of cyber terrorism in the internet space not only shows the vulnerability of internet users but to another aspect it hugely threats people who are more open in the internet. Though there is a thin line of debate on whether internet should be regulated and censored but in terms of Freedom of Expression (FoE) but there is no condition of acceptance in terms of cyber terrorism.
So what are the solutions to the problem of cyber terrorism, a more proactive solution itself is awareness and capacity building program creating better internet core value by adapting the mutlistakholder concept, other than this as dynamic as the internet the problem itself searches solution.
Shreedeep Rayamajhi
