Written question asked by Claire Curtis-Thomas (Labour) on Friday, 10 July 2009, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 14 July 2009. It was answered by Lord Hanson of Flint (Labour) on Tuesday, 21 July 2009 on behalf of the Home Office.

Cybercrime

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what definition his Department uses of (a) cyber terrorism and (b) cyber warfare.

Answer: Broadly, an act of 'cyber terrorism' refers to a non-physical attack by terrorists on our information and communications infrastructure. As the UK's Cyber Security Strategy makes clear, terrorists and violent extremists also make use of cyberspace for purposes such as communication, co-ordination, propaganda, fundraising, radicalisation and recruitment. However, due to the inherent challenges associated with attributing responsibility for actions in cyberspace, our security approach aims to address the range of threats which may manifest in the cyber domain rather than seeking to categorise specific actions as cyber terrorism.There is an ongoing and broad debate regarding what 'cyber warfare' might entail. However, it is clear that the defence and exploitation of information systems are increasingly important for national security and we recognise the need to develop military and civil capabilities to ensure that we can defend against attack and take steps against adversaries where necessary.

Secondary information