Examining the Use of Cyberattacks among Far-Left Extremist Groups

• In Event: Online Influences and Outcomes of Violent Ideological Crime

Abstract

Research on extremism and terror has focused extensively on physical violence, and real world action, though there is evidence these groups are also interested in targeting on-line resources and infrastructure. The increasing societal dependence on the Internet for e-commerce and communications provides extremists with a target rich environment that could have economic consequences for their victims. There is, however, little research on these incidents calling to question how often they occur and why. This presentation will utilize content analyses of open source data to examine a series of cyberattacks attributed to far-left ideological groups to understand the nature of their targets, the methods of attack employed, and the expressive and instrumental reasons for the attacks. The implications of this analysis for our understanding of extremist activity will be considered in depth.

Authors

• Thomas J. Holt, Michigan State University

• Steven Chermak, Michigan State University

• Joshua Freilich, John Jay College of Criminal Justice