Internet Use for Terrorist Purposes: a Study of origins, causes, impacts, and counter measures

Abstract

The aim of this study is to provide a descriptive investigation of using Internet for terrorist purposes phenomenon in terms of origins, triggers, consequences and ways of counter responses. It is revealed that internet and /or web-based terror acts constitute an unjustified physical and moral attack, aggression, threat and intimidation committed by sponsor states and / or groups against other fellow humans in terms of religious, individual, mental and financial dimensions. Internet-based terror originated with emergence and development of internet technology. The underlying triggers for using internet for terrorist purposes are summed up in material, personal, moral and more general gains and wins. Web-based terror impacts are multiple felt at the religious, social, economic and political domains and evidenced in shaking people's faith, intimidating fellow humans, inflicting losses on businessmen and cyberattacks against other states respectively. Countering this phenomenon can be achieved through Islamic Law propagation of virtue and prohibition of vice, or via organizational measures in terms of formulation of rules and endorsing penalties for wrong doers. The Saudi Model is adopted as a case in point being an important system to counter this phenomenon in organizational terms.