From Ideology to Extortion: The Convergence of Cyberterrorism and Ransomware in the Digital Age

Abstract

The world now faces serious security problems because of cyberterrorism and ransomware. It’s getting harder to tell the difference between regular terrorism and online crime. Cyberterrorism is when people use computer attacks to scare governments or people to push their beliefs or political goals. Ransomware, on the other hand, is used to make money by locking up important computer systems and demanding payment. Both use the internet, strong encryption, and secret tools like cryptocurrencies and the dark web to do their work. It’s harder than ever to find, stop, and blame the groups doing these attacks because they're getting smarter and can be governments or just groups of people, and they often operate in many countries. These attacks cause a lot of damage to the economy and people's mental health, making people lose trust, messing up important services, and endangering countries. This study looks at cyberterrorism and ransomware around the world, showing how they are connected, how their methods are changing, and how important it is for countries to work together, have similar laws, and build strong computer defenses to fight these growing online dangers.