DARK WEB, CYBER TERRORISM AND CYBER WARFARE: DARK SIDE OF THE CYBERSPACE

Abstract

Cyberspace allows much easier access for a greater number of people, especially young people, to the propaganda of terrorist organizations and illegal activities. This kind of communication and dissemination of terrorist and criminal ideas is not only much cheaper, because it requires only an investment in a computer and access to the network, but it is anonymous, it is not spatially limited, terroristic idea and terroristic actions are performed at the same time, while the consequences can affect even more people and targets than is the case of "offline" criminality and terrorism. In recent years, the increasing problem that experts talk of in public is the "dark side of surfing the internet", the "Dark net" or the “Deep Web".

Cyber ​​terrorism is a modern form of terrorism, which connects the virtual space and terrorist activity, by manipulating even more efficient methods of psychological warfare. In the cyberspace you never know who could be the next victim. Based on the characteristics of cyber terrorism and cyber warfare, it is possible to reconstruct the criminological dimensions of the terrorist attacks in cyberspace. Social networks can be used by terrorists for the purpose of psychological warfare in order to spread disinformation, fear, panic, intimidating messages and threats to the public.

Since there is not a unique definition of cyber terrorism, this paper presents various definitions, implying numerous characteristics of this kind of criminal activity. The paper also pointed out to some of the international legislation that made great efforts in order to effectively counter fight cyber terrorism, both on international as well as at member state level, and emphasized the need for interstate and intergovernmental cooperation on three parallel levels:  through international organizations, through multilateral and multinational platforms and through regional action.

Keywords: cyberspace, cyber terrorism, cyber warfare, steganography, encryption,  social networks, international legislation