The Rise of Politically Motivated Cyber Attacks Actors, Attacks and Cybersecurity

This book outlines the complexity in understanding different forms of cyber attacks, the actors involved, and their motivations. It explores the key challenges in investigating and prosecuting politically motivated cyber attacks, the lack of consistency within regulatory frameworks, and the grey zone that this creates, for cybercriminals to operate within. Connecting diverse literatures on cyberwarfare, cyberterrorism, and cyberprotests, and categorising the different actors involved – state-sponsored/supported groups, hacktivists, online protestors – this book compares the means and methods used in attacks, the various attackers, and the current strategies employed by cybersecurity agencies. It examines the current legislative framework and proposes ways in which it could be reconstructed, moving beyond the traditional and fragmented definitions used to manage offline violence. This book is an important contribution to the study of cyber attacks within the areas of criminology, criminal justice, law, and policy. It is a compelling reading for all those engaged in cybercrime, cybersecurity, and digital forensics.

1. Introduction 2. The Growing Online Threat. The Actors 3. Cyber Attacks, Means and Methods 4. Cybersecurity and Strategies 5. Cyberwar and Warfare: State and State-sponsored Attacks 6. Cyberterrorism and Ransomware: State-supported Groups 7. Other Politically Motivated Attacks: Political Activists and Hacktivists 8. Conclusion

Tine Munk is a senior lecturer in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Tine is predominately teaching and researching cybercrime and cybersecurity. Her overarching research interest is cybercrimes in a political context focusing on these crimes’ power, responses, and impacts.