Cyberterrorism

The use of computer network attacks against critical infrastructure, government systems or other high-value digital targets, carried out with the intent to intimidate or coerce a government or civilian population in furtherance of a political, religious or ideological goal, mirroring the intent element that defines terrorism carried out through conventional violent means. It is treated as legally and analytically distinct from ordinary cybercrime, such as computer hacking carried out for financial gain, because the underlying intent is political or ideological coercion rather than profit, and from conventional terrorism because the means of attack is a digital intrusion rather than physical violence, though a successful attack on infrastructure such as a power grid or water system could still cause substantial real-world harm. Confirmed cyberterrorism incidents causing significant physical damage remain comparatively rare, though state and non-state actors have carried out disruptive cyberattacks against infrastructure that security agencies have investigated under this category.