# Cyberterrorism **Entity class:** Threat and contested legal-policy category **Domain:** Terrorism / cybersecurity / critical infrastructure **Maturity:** Developed with attribution boundary ## Definition **Cyberterrorism** refers to cyber operations conducted with terrorist purpose or by terrorist actors to intimidate or coerce populations or governments, cause serious disruption or harm, support operations, or attack critical infrastructure. Definitions vary across law and policy, so ordinary hacking, cybercrime, hacktivism, espionage, and information operations should not be collapsed into terrorism without evidence of actor, intent, target, and effect. ## Operational Overlay The cyber layer intersects counterterrorism at several points: online recruitment and propaganda; identity and doxxing operations; illicit finance; compromise of travel or logistics systems; theft of operational data; and attacks on information technology or operational technology. [[wiki/Zero-Day Exploit|Zero-day exploits]] matter because unknown vulnerabilities can provide asymmetric access or destructive leverage. Defensive coordination therefore joins intelligence, law enforcement, incident response, critical-infrastructure protection, and financial investigation. ## Relationships - **subset or method within:** [[wiki/Counterterrorism|Counterterrorism]] when the required terrorist nexus is established. - **defensive domain:** [[wiki/Cybersecurity|Cybersecurity]]. - **technical capability:** [[wiki/Zero-Day Exploit|Zero-Day Exploit]]. - **coordination:** [[wiki/Counterterrorism Intelligence|Counterterrorism Intelligence]] and the FBI-led National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force. - **information component:** [[wiki/Information Operations|Information Operations]] and [[wiki/Influence Operations|Influence Operations]]. ## Sources / Provenance - [CISA — Homeland Security Presidential Directive 7](https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/directives/homeland-security-presidential-directive-7) - [FBI — National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force](https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/cyber/national-cyber-investigative-joint-task-force)