| Terrorists have
seized upon the worldwide practice of using information
technology (IT) in daily life. They embrace IT for
several reasons: it improves communication and aids
organization, allows members to coordinate quickly
with large numbers of followers, and provides a
platform for propaganda. The Internet also allows
terrorists to reach a wide audience of potential
donors and recruits who may be located over a large
geographic area.
In addition, terrorists are taking note of the
proliferation of hacking and the use of the computer
as a weapon. Extremists routinely post messages
to widely accessible Web sites that call for defacing
Western Internet sites and disrupting online service,
for example. The widespread availability of hacking
software and its anonymous and increasingly automated
design make it likely that terrorists will more
frequently incorporate these tools into their
online activity. The appeal of such tools may
increase as news media continue to sensationalize
hacking.
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