LINKAGES BETWEEN CYBER TERRORISM AND NATIONAL SECURITY

During the history of mankind, there have been many events and dangers that threaten the security of states. Those threats caused heavy loss of life, the spread of disease, injuries, destruction of public and private property, displacement of large numbers of people and heavy economic losses. Political unrest on international and local levels, and recent technological developments, are elements that would increase the seriousness of threats against national security. 1. The concept of security has evolved gradually, especially after a major international transformation: the disintegration of Soviet Union, the end of the Cold War. Thus, it has left behind the impact of the policy of the bipolar world, which gave a blurred image of relations between the states, and made it ambiguous. However, it has given an opportunity to them to understand and identify new threats and emerging conflicts, in addition to many unsolved problems. Simultaneously, globalisation has changed the international rules and norms, in order to facilitate the rapid flow of capital and technology, through the weakening of national barriers. Non-governmental actors have come to play an essential role in international politics, some of them a threat, and others to bridge the gap between communities and nations. In such circumstances, the role of the state began to suffer from the changes; also the accepted traditional concept of power was opposed. 2 . Today there is no issue of such concern worldwide, and arousing such a high degree of hot debate at both national and international levels, as terrorism-related issues. The threat of terrorism has never been a prominent as it seems to be at the present time. Terrorism is an old phenomenon that has existed since the emergence of human societies. However, the threat of terrorism has increased steadily over the past 30 years. With the technological and technical progress in various areas, the actions of terrorists have become more dangerous and destructive, as the perpetrators of such acts are becoming more elusive. There are few parts of the world that have been left out of the current waves of terrorism, which started in the late 1960s.