Cyberterrorism in the Context of Contemporary International Law

Abstract

The international law framework surrounding terrorism existed well before 9/11. Out of the eighteen international instruments (including amendments) adopted since 1963, thirteen existed before 2001. Though it seems obvious that the attack on the World Trade Center and other events within the United States served as catalysts for the development of serious international documents such as the 2005 Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and 2006 United Nations Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy, the documents were built upon previously existing legal foundations.

Keywords: cyberterrorism, cyber-terrorism, cyber-attacks, cyber-warfare, information warfare