Tools of Cyber Terrorism

Cyber terrorists use certain tools and methods to unleash this new age terrorism. These are :

(a) Hacking: The most popular method used by a terrorist. It is a generic term used for any kind of unauthorized access to a computer or a network of computers. Some ingredient technologies like packet sniffing, tempest attack, password cracking and buffer outflow facilitates hacking.

(b) Trojans: Programs which pretend to do one thing while actually they are meant for doing something different, like the wooden Trojan Horse of the 12th Century BC.

(c) Computer Viruses: It is a computer program, which infects other computer programs by modifying them. They spread very fast.

(d) Computer Worms: The term 'worm' in relation to computers is a self contained program or a set of program that is able to spread functional copies of itself or its segments to other computer systems usually via network connections.

(e) E-Mail Related Crime: Usually worms and viruses have to attach
themselves to a host program to be injected. Certain emails are used as host by viruses and worms. E-mails are also used for spreading disinformation, threats and defamatory stuff.

(f) Denial of Service: These attacks are aimed at denying authorized persons access to a computer or computer network.

(g) Cryptology: Terrorists have started using encryption, high frequency encrypted voice/data links etc. It would be a Herculean task to decrypt the information terrorist is sending by using a 512 bit symmetric encryption.