Security and Terrorism

This study examines the definitional challenges that have long impeded coherent international policy responses to cyber terrorism, identifying the structural overlaps and distinctions between cyberterrorism, cybercrime, and cyberwar.

The author argues that conflating these categories — often done for political or bureaucratic convenience — leads to legal ambiguity and inconsistent enforcement, undermining both deterrence and prosecution.

Drawing on case studies from Europe, the Middle East and North America, the analysis traces how different jurisdictions have approached criminalisation, revealing significant divergences that create safe harbours for threat actors operating across borders.

The publication makes the case for a unified international legal framework that clearly delineates cyberterrorism from other cyber-related offences, establishing consistent standards for evidence, jurisdiction, and mutual legal assistance.

This work represents a key contribution to an ongoing European Parliament debate on the adequacy of existing legal instruments in the face of rapidly evolving digital threats, and has been cited in subsequent policy discussions at both European and international levels.