The Changing Face of Terrorism

The Changing Face of Terrorism
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The Changing Face of Terrorism
Terrorism occurs when a single person or a group of people deliberately use violence to create an unusual atmosphere of terror to achieve a specific goal. No country has ever used extremism or terror to achieve a particular goal throughout the history of the world. However, significant attacks by terrorists have occurred globally. On September 11th, 2001, in the United States, the deadliest radical attacks occurred. Al-Qaeda-linked extremists got control of four commercial aircraft and intentionally crashed them in New York City and Washington, D.C.
The action resulted in widespread death and destruction, prompting a massive outpouring of U.S. energy to combat terrorism. During the 1970s, extremism became increasingly dangerous and lethal (Stevenson, 2019). Terrorists commit tremendous, violent, and high-profile acts to establish and generate the publicity necessary to spread their propaganda or agenda or instill widespread fear. Terrorism aims to eliminate people's sense of safety in the places where they are most comfortable. As a result, they employ various strategies to achieve their objectives. The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, heralded a new era in radical action. As a result, in the twenty-first century, the face of terrorism is changing.
Terrorism's threat to humanity has shifted dramatically. The current threats of extremism in America are lone wolves and cyber-attacks. Terrorist organizations, on the other hand, remain a threat to the United States. Despite being less severe than a terrorist attack on the twin towers, today's threat is complex and varied (Stevenson, 2019). According to Stevenson (2019), extremist organizations have set goals for cyber-induced events. The manufacturing control systems that keep the electricity industry running are mostly safe from outside threats. The introduction of automated regulations managed through interconnected network schemes, on the other hand, has weakened the shields. As automation advances, the possibility of a cyber-attack altering an industrial regulation system grows.
An electricity grid outage caused by a cyber-attack could lead to additional protection, regulatory penalties, operating losses, management and installation reconstruction, and damaged reputation (Stevenson, 2019). The terrorist could also cause havoc on critical American infrastructure, causing many issues throughout the home nation. There are several types of potential perpetrators of cyber terrorism acts. Terrorists typically join a group and commit crimes. These individuals can take the form of lone wolves, nation-states, non-state-sponsored terrorists, and hacktivists. Their motivations and power or capabilities vary greatly depending on their resources (Bjelopera, 2017). However, all of them are capable of wreaking havoc in their respective regions or on a global scale. As support grew, these attacks would become even more devastating. As these issues converge, a window of opportunity will open up, combining with pre-existing motivations to wreak havoc on industries via cyber extremism.
There are several types of cyber terrorists who could commi...