US Foreign Policy Challenges of Non-State Actors’ Cyber Terrorism against Critical Infrastructure

What is cyber terrorism? The paper will examine how the fundamentalist interpretation of the Quran may affect the non-state actors’ terrorist approach to the cyber domain, the dangers of an assault and the possible side-effects in politics, international relations and the public domain. The author will approach the issue in political, legal and social terms, touching only slightly on issues such as espionage and inter-state relations. Examples of recent cyber attacks and probable future scenarios will be examined to produce a balanced US-oriented policy paper. Some problems are difficult to tackle and require time, skills and diplomacy, but this should not act as an abandonment of initiatives. Although the threat is not yet acute, it is worthwhile addressing at an early stage and preventing the vast harm that can be caused by cyber terrorism. Legislative and political initiatives should be advocated ensuring better cooperation and collaboration between parties.