Abstract- Understanding Cyberterrorism: Assessing the Correlates of Jihadist Web Defacements

There is substantive concern in many Western nations over the threat of physical violence from jihadi extremists and terror organizations.  Some have argued that the jihadist movement is also interested in engaging in cyberattacks against Western targets due to the economic harm they could cause.  Few have examined the extent to which cyberattacks can be attributed to these movements using empirical data. This analysis utilized a data set of over 2.2 million web defacements performed against US IP addresses from 2012-2016 to identify the proportion of attacks attributed to jihadist actors or groups.  In addition, a routine activities framework was applied to assess the target selection and attack characteristics associated with these defacements.  The implications for our understanding of both physical and cyberterror will be discussed in detail.