'Region needs unified rules to fight cyber terrorism'

Participants listen to the panel speakers during the opening ceremony of the International Conference for the Criminalization of Cyberterrorism held in Abu Dhabi. - Photo By Ryan Lim

Arab countries need unified rules of engagement in fighting cyber terrorists and should establish local and regional databases on information about cyber terrorism in the region, said a Saudi-based security expert.
Dr Abdullah Saleh Al Mutradi, director of curriculum development at the Ministry of National Guards in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said: "Lack of proper monitoring of the flow of information on the Internet among individuals and institutions, difficulties in swift identification of new cyber attacks from terrorists and a lack of quick response to these attacks because of the huge flow of information and lack of public awareness about cyber terrorism are among the big challenges facing some countries in the Arab region.
"It's important that countries gather information on cyber terrorism and share them with their counterparts in the region to help in the quick identification of terrorists and their online activities."
Al Mutradi was discussing a topic on cooperation mechanisms among anti-cyber terrorism authorities and institutions during the second day of the International Conference for the Criminalisation of Cyberterrorism in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
He said that there was also a need for nations to educate their people about the real definition of cyber terrorism so they can easily identify these terrorists who use the Internet to promote their activities and radicalise young people, and to harm firms and governments through hacking.
According to Al Mutradi, "the lack of international collaboration in the fight against cyber terrorism is still a big problem in countering terrorism".
"We must cooperate with countries that provide a safe haven to terrorists in countering cyber terrorism and terror activities so they can provide important information about these groups. We should tell them about the need to apprehend and prosecute people engaged in terrorism," he said.
Joanne Jousif, programme officer at the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI), said nations and institutions need to work together to combat cyber sabotage.
"The onus is on individual countries to enact binding laws and regulations that criminalise cyber terrorism, but international collaboration in sharing information, detecting and tracking down terrorists and prosecuting them is also very important.
"Comprehensive guidelines regarding cyber terrorism and policing of the Internet are also very important for all nations."
She said national laws on cyber terrorism, especially in developing countries, were still weak and need to be amended to meet the challenges of the 21st century given the growing numbers of cyber terrorism activities.
Mohammed Elafif, president of the Security Court in Jordan, said terrorism was threatening the peace and security of the world.
"In the fight against cyber terrorism, Arab countries have enacted special laws on cybercrimes and terror activities, and many people involved in terrorism have been prosecuted," said Elafif.
"Laws in the Arab countries criminalise terror acts such as carrying out attacks on people, infrastructure, supporting and funding terror activities or promoting their ideologies on the Internet or any other forms, recruiting people in terror activities, joining terrorist groups, creating websites for purposes of promoting terror activities, computer hacking, hostage taking and all other acts of terror."
He noted that security organs and law enforcement agencies in the region receive training in special skills for apprehending, investigating and prosecuting people caught in terror activities including cyber terrorism.
According to Elafif, cyber terrorism should be treated as an international problem and people or organisations funding terror activities should be brought to justice.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com