Max Kilger

Confronting the risks of terrorism: making the right decisions ☆ ☆☆

Abstract This report offers a methodology for assessing, quantitatively, the risks of terrorism. The purpose of the methodology is to support effective decision making to combat terrorism. The emphasis is on terrorist attacks that could have catastrophic consequences. The perspective taken is that in order to make the right decisions about combating terrorism, their needs to be a systematic means of assessing the likelihood of such attacks. A process of implementation of the decisions resulting from risk assessment is essential. That process includes (1) an understanding of the nature of the threat, (2) an information system linked directly to ‘intelligence’ on terrorism, and (3) organizational structures that can take timely, coordinated, and effective actions. There must also be sound evidence that the methodology can be successfully applied. A description of the nature of terrorism, a terrorism risk assessment methodology, information requirements to fight terrorism, and recommendations for successful implementation is what this report is about.

The digital individual

This paper discusses the concepts of virtual self and the digital individual as social entities that have real‐world implications. It examines how individuals use communication with others through face‐to‐face and digital channels to form images of themselves. The social nature of digital information is emphasized and examples of social objects within the digital realm are described. The criterion of engagement is suggested as a test for whether or not a virtual self is a social entity. The paper concludes with a discussion of how the digital individual might replace traditional forms of computerized identification.

Examining Willingness to Attack Critical Infrastructure Online and Offline

The continuing adoption of technologies by the general public coupled with the expanding reliance of critical infrastructures connected through the Internet has created unique opportunities for attacks by civilians and nation-states alike. Although governments are increasingly focusing on policies to deter nation-state level attacks, it is unclear what factors may affect citizens’ decisions to engage in politically motivated cyber crime attacks against either a foreign nation-state or their own homeland. Thus, this study will explore the factors that may affect individual willingness to use technology to attack critical infrastructure online or offline using an international sample of college students. The findings compare the correlates of physical and virtual attacks, including political outlook, group equality, and involvement in cyber deviance. The implications of this research on the relationship between on- and offline infrastructure attacks will be explored in depth for policy makers, governmental agencies, and law enforcement.

Workforce Diversity and the Internet.

Abstract Workforce diversity is an emerging field in which the quantity of instructional and research material is limited. This article encourages business educators to take advantage of the Internet as a supplemental instructional and research resource. A sampling of Internet sites, complete with location references, gives the reader a starting point for assembling his or her own online resource guide.

Exploring the Correlates of Individual Willingness to Engage in Ideologically Motivated Cyberattacks

ABSTRACT In the last few years, there has been an increase in the use of Web defacements, where individuals post political or ideological messages on websites in place of the original content. There is generally little research on the predictors of Web defacements against either domestic or foreign targets. This study addresses this gap by examining the attitudinal and behavioral correlates of willingness to engage in defacements using a sample of university students in Taiwan and the United States. The findings demonstrate that political attitudes toward marginalized groups and support for cybercrime increase individuals’ willingness to engage in defacements.

Integrating Human Behavior Into the Development of Future Cyberterrorism Scenarios

The development of future cyber terrorism scenarios is a key component in building a more comprehensive understanding of cyber threats that are likely to emerge in the near-to mid-term future. While developing concepts of likely new, emerging digital technologies is an important part of this process, this article suggests that understanding the psychological and social forces involved in cyber terrorism is also a key component in the analysis and that the synergy of these two dimensions may produce more accurate and detailed future cyber threat scenarios than either analytical element alone.