Dr Sudershan Kumar
The dawn of the new millennium inherits great advancements in the Information Technology sector but simultaneously has also resulted into the propping up of many naive challenges concerning Cyber Terrorism threats specifically encompassing the safety and security constraints of critical infrastructures created by various nations around the globe. Besides, the menace has been further compounded and augmented by the world wide prevalent several state and non state actors who have further exploited the cyberspace in spreading extremism, fundamentalism and fanaticism around the globe. Therefore on the pretext of this, the pertinent question which arises is that what is Cyber Terrorism? And secondly how it can facilitate crippling of the economy of any country thus creating conditions for any legitimate government to succumb and agree to the terms and conditions at the cost of national security and Sovereignty of states.The Cyber Terrorism is a complex issue and broadly classified into two categories.
First one is cyberspace and the second is terrorism.Cyberspace is a globally interconnected net work of digital information and communication infrastructure. This is broadly understood as internet and computer network. The terrorism (as per UN panel March17th 2005) is described as an act intended to cause death or serious bodily harm to civilians or non-combatants with the purpose of intimidating or compelling a government or international organisation to do so or abstain from doing so. But when the terrorism penetrates into cyberspace, it is called Cyber Terrorism. Therefore, Cyber Terrorism is like an organised crime committed by a single person or group of three persons for computer espionage.In a group of three, one will develop malware. The second will access the computer data and third will introduce the malware in to the system to cripple the data to cause catastrophe. If one goes by available reports in open literature one finds that various terror groups have been involved in terror activities and spreading Jihad across the globe since ages. These terror groups and fanatic organisations had also adopted strategy of “39 Ways” listed by Mohammed Bin Ahmed As-Salim for fighting Jihad.The availability of electronic media & cyberspace has added extra arm in their strategy to promote fanaticism among the most vulnerable,low profile and silent educative class of society.Most of the over ground workers form part of this class. They may be doing this for the sake of money.This particular class though very small in number may be proving more dangerous than terrorists.
They get mixed with the masses and remain undetected there by proving to be more detrimental to the society. Various organizations in different countries have adopted multiple modes of Cyber Terrorism to destroy each others’ critical assets and to cause severe dent to their economies. Some groups in Russia adopted Cyber Terrorism mode for targeting both Ukraine and United States. In fact United States department had publicly announced that Russian hackers had inserted littered code.Some groups in United States also inserted a code in Russian grid as a warning. Besides,until recently Chinese did focus on “Information Theft”.
Therefore, they were equally active in placing codes in information infrastructure. Henceforth, over a period of two decades Chinese have planned silently the tech invasion amazingly well under the thumb of developed nations. This is surprising as this was achieved very proficiently and seems that other countries were either sleeping out of ignorance or out of sedatives.Needless to mention here that Cyber Terrorism has not only changed the pattern of conflicts among nations around the globe but it has also laid a deep impact on South Asian nations, which inspite of getting independence are still reeling under the bogey of British Colonial rule. Therefore the roots of conflicts in South Asia lies broadly in three clauses.
Firstly, these are the legacies inherited from British Colonial rule. Secondly, these conflicts sought to develop their natural identity.Third, the most important was the lack of mechanism for addressing them at infant stage there by failure to prevent them leading to escalation. In some cases these clauses provide stimulus to each other and also provide space for exploitation to harness the vested interests and personal gains. In our case, India got inherited unmarked porous border with Tibet (illegally occupied by China) and host of issues with Pakistan as a legacy from British rule.
The nefarious and expansionist posture adopted by Communist Party of China and Pakistan’s psychological fear due to its internal problems has increased the threat in south Asia by many folds.Both the nations have realized that present global scenario does not warrant full scale conventional/unconventional war with mighty Indian armed forces. So they have joined hands together to use multiple options to destabilize India. Cyber Terrorism has provided extra teeth to their game plan.Besides, China is also using Pakistan as a low cost option against India.But at the same time both are using Cyber Terrorism against India in different modes.The massive power outrage in Mumbai in October 2020 may have been the result of China’s cyber campaign against India as a show of force warning to India that China can go to any extent to cause catastrophe to Indian states if the Indian leadership pushed its border claim vigorously in the context of LAC standoff.This fact came to light through a report, which was released by Recorded Future, a Massachusetts based company, which studies the activities of interstate actors. Besides The China based malware also targeted at least forty sub stations in Telangana but the attack was successfully thwarted by alert state government agencies.According to reports,the Chinese based groups were trying to communicate with TSLDC systems to take control of server etc.
These types of cyber attacks can also be considered as less devastating option as compared to unconventional warfare but it provides strategic and psychological edge.It is also the strategy of Xi Jinping’s regime to use wolf warrior diplomacy, salami slice strategy to annex neighbouring nations’ land and use Cyber terrorism as a tool with advanced innovative techniques to force smaller nations to toe its line.So it is high time that India should fully gear up to counter Cyber Terrorism threats from China and give a befitting response to its misdeeds so that it does not burn its fingers in this new contour of cyber warfare.But at the same time Pakistan is also using cyberspace aggressively against India.It is a well known truth that Pak Military Junta, its spy agency ISI, Mullahs and Militant Organisations have launched Jihad to destabilize India. They have developed a false notion that through this they can bring mighty India on to the negotiation table as per their terms and conditions.
This strategy they have adopted after losing four wars against India.If one turns the pages of history one finds that Pak leadership always treated India as its eternal foe and tried all means to annex Jammu & Kashmir State which had legitimately joined Indian Union at the time of partition.In early years they have been using radio as a medium for anti India propaganda based on religious ground. Even now also the use of radio as a mode of transmission is continued by Pak hardliners near LOC for radicalization purpose. Besides, Pak agencies have been deeply involved in spreading fundamentalism, fanaticism not only in new Union territory of Jammu-Kashmir but their game plan has further enveloped the entire public in the entire country.
As a result they have created websites, tool kits to spread fake and doctored messages through social networking means All these are acting as bullets for piercing in to the social fabric of progressive societies. These agencies are leaving no stone unturned in tarnishing the image of India at international arena.
Availability of cyber space to these Jihadis has added altogether new dimension in militancy related incidents in India.As a result, the threat due to cyber terrorism has increased many folds.Cyber terrorism has also sown the seeds of soft terrorism among the educated lot,who otherwise refrain themselves from direct involvement in terror activities or avoid providing logistics support to terrorists due to social stigma or fear of getting exposed to public and security agencies. But now with the availability of internet and electronic media they may have been secretly active too. Therefore it is quite evident that India is facing severe Cyber Terrorism threat from both northern neighbour China and western neighbour Pakistan.
The Government of India must adopt offensive counter strategy to deal with these types of threats. There is no dearth of innovative young minds within the country. Need of the hour is to pool and channelize these young innovative minds to create separate intellectual force to deal with Cyber Terrorism threats.So that world gets clear message.
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